YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea back issues from March 2008:
Sales network key to agriculture growth: minister.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Developing an efficient sales network is the key to farming sector growth as the country opens its market to imports, South Korea's new agriculture and fisheries minister said Friday.In a inaugural speech, Chung Woon-chun said top priority will be given to ...
Currency is not something to be left only to market: minister.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government could take action "if necessary" to defend the nation's currency by playing a part in the foreign exchange market, a top economic policymaker hinted Friday. "I think there is no country in the world that leaves currency ...
Investment, innovation key to growth: minister.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Fueling business investment and strengthening competitiveness through innovation is a key policy goal of the new administration, the head of the knowledge-based economy ministry said Friday.Lee Youn-ho said in a speech delivered to employees that South Korean ...
Gov't could make venture capital to help SMEs.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The government said Friday that it is considering creating a new venture capital fund dedicated to helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).The newly created Ministry of Knowledge-based Economy said the government, large conglomerates and ...
New defense minister takes office, vowing changes.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- A long-time advocate of a stronger alliance between South Korea and the United States assumed the country's highest defense post Friday, heralding closer ties between the two allies of more than half a century.Lee Sang-hee, a former chairman of the Joint ...
(profile) Second vice foreign minister elite diplomat.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Kim Sung-hwan, the country's new second vice minister for foreign affairs, is an elite diplomat with much experience in dealing with the United States and Europe.The 55-year-old native of Seoul has often been on the list of candidates for a vice minister ...
(2nd LD) Lee apologizes for trouble in Cabinet formation.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Friday he feels "somewhat" responsible for the recent confusion over his nomination of scandal-ridden figures as Cabinet ministers."The start of my government was not smooth," Lee said at a meeting of presidential secretaries, ...
(profile) Career diplomat with expertise on U.S. named vice FM.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Kwon Jong-rak, who was named first vice foreign minister by President Lee Myung-bak Friday, is known for his diplomatic expertise in North American affairs.Born in Pohang, the president's hometown in North Gyeongsang province, Kwon joined the Ministry of ...
Lee picks vice foreign ministers.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak Friday appointed former ambassador to Ireland, Kwon Jong-rak, as first vice foreign minister and ambassador to Austria, Kim Sung-hwan, as second vice foreign minister.Kwon, who joined the Foreign Ministry in 1971 after graduating from ...
Assembly confirms prime minister-designate.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly endorsed Friday the appointment of Han Seung-soo as the first prime minister of President Lee Myung-bak despite earlier disputes over his alleged improper financial conduct.Han was approved by a margin of 174 to 94 with one abstaining ...
Nat'l team coach to inspect players in Europe.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The head of South Korea's national football squad will travel to Europe early next month to inspect team members playing there ahead of a World Cup qualifer against North Korea, the sport's governing body here said Friday."Coach Huh Jung-moo has decided to go ...
Seoul shares plunge on shipyard, tech declines.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed sharply lower Friday as Wall Street pullbacks prompted sell-offs of shipyard and tech issues including Samsung Electronics, analysts said. The local currency depreciated against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock ...
(News Focus) Lee's party staggers over 'rich Cabinet' controversy.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ruling party appears to be losing some of its initial strong public support ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections amid ongoing disputes over President Lee Myung-bak's minister nominees.Lee's landslide win in the December presidential ...
Whistle-blower says Lee's officials were bribed by Samsung.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- A former lawyer for Samsung Group who raised a slew of corruption charges against the conglomerate claimed Friday that some officials of the Lee Myung-bak administration accepted bribes from Samsung.The potentially explosive announcement by Kim Yong-chul, who ...
Samsung Heavy eyes fund for oil spill victims.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Heavy Industries Co., partly blamed for South Korea's worst-ever oil spill last December, said Friday it will set up a 100-billion-won ($107 million) fund to help affected people and restore devastated areas.The fund is in addition to the compensation ...
Festival Calendar - March 2008.(Calendar)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The following are the major cultural and tourist festivals to be held in South Korea in March. * Seoul International Tourism and Food ExpoWhen: March 19-23 Where: KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Center) in Goyang, Gyeonggi ProvinceThe ...
Seoul to expand online service for foreigners.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will offer expanded online services to foreigners wanting to make business investments, visit and study in the country, the government said Friday.The one-stop service can be accessed from Saturday by clicking onto two government-run Internet ...
Lee acts on creative pragmatism.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak, a preacher of creative pragmatism, is drawing keen attention for rapidly reducing formalities and presidential protocol in state affairs in accordance with his pragmatic thinking.Since his inauguration on Monday, Lee has taken a ...
Korea's trade surplus with Singapore jumps on FTA.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus with Singapore has shot up in the approximately two years since a bilateral free trade deal went into effect, a government report showed Friday. According to the report by the Ministry of Finance and Economy, South Korea's trade ...
Seoul shares extend losses on U.S. pullbacks.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks extended losses late Friday morning as overnight Wall Street pullbacks prompted sell-offs of tech, steel and auto shares, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 26.57 points, or 1.53 percent, to 1,709.6 ...
Korea to boost foot-and-mouth disease monitoring.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will enhance monitoring of foot-and-mouth disease and beef up quarantine inspections to prevent a possible outbreak in the coming months, officials said Friday.The measures, which go into effect on Saturday and will be maintained through May, call ...
National Assembly likely to confirm prime minister-designate.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly is set to vote Friday on the nomination of Prime Minister-designate Han Seung-soo with the major opposition party appearing to have softened its opposition after the resignation of three scandal-tainted ministers-designate. The United ...
Seoul shares open lower on Wall Street losses.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as overnight pullbacks in U.S. markets dented investor sentiment, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 17.7 points, or 1.02 percent, to 1,718.47 in the first 15 minutes of trading. ...
Investment seen as key to Korea's growth.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Business investment will play a critical role in fueling South Korea's economic growth this year as external uncertainties are likely to exert downward pressure on the economy, the head of a state-run think tank said Friday."The only way to counteract ...
STX Pan Ocean's earnings more than quadruple.
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- STX Pan Ocean Co., South Korea's largest carrier of bulk cargoes such as grain and iron ore, said Friday that its earnings more than quadrupled last year on higher shipping rates. Its net profit reached 431 billion won (US$460 million) last year, ...
Junk food banned from Seoul schools.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL. March 2 (Yonhap) -- Coffee, instant noodles, fried foods and carbonated drinks will be included on the list of foods banned in Seoul schools from spring semester as education authorities ramp up their fight against child obesity, the city's education officials said Sunday. ...
S. Korea, U.S. begin 6-day joint military exercise.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States Sunday began a six-day joint military exercise to deter potential military threats from North Korea amid Pyongyang's accusations that they are staging a "massive war game" in preparation to invade the North. The "Key Resolve" ...
Forecast for S. Korean economy downgraded: think tank.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- A major private think tank Sunday downgraded its projection for the South Korean economy's growth this year, reflecting concerns over a possible U.S. slowdown and financial woes in global markets.South Korea's economy will grow 4.7 percent for this year from ...
N. Korea demands US$100 annual fee per S. Korean.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has demanded that every South Korean resident in the North's Kaesong industrial park, built with South Korea's investment under a 2000 inter-Korean summit agreement, pay an annual registration fee of US$100, a Unification Ministry official said ...
(Yonhap Feature) Mothers flood courts to change children's names.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The road was icy after heavy snow and her body was heavy, but Bae Mi-ran, 36, felt a sense of relief as she drove to the Seoul Family Court. After some paperwork, her daughter will get a new name and there will be no more whispering about her birth. ...
(2nd LD) Kim Jong-il visits Chinese embassy in Pyongyang: report.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il visited the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang Saturday amid efforts to restart the stalled six-party talks on denuclearizing the North, the communist state's official news media said."Kim Jong-il, general secretary of the Workers' ...
LA Galaxy beats FC Seoul in penalty shootout.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The LA Galaxy defeated FC Seoul of South Korea 2-1 in a penalty shootout Saturday after the two sides played to a one-all draw in regular time, with star midfielder David Beckham assisting on a goal.Beckham, 33, floated a free kick into the South Korean ...
Lee calls for future-oriented ties with Japan.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday proposed that South Korea and Japan stop feuding over their history and instead build a future-oriented bilateral relationship with a pragmatic attitude. In a speech marking the 89th anniversary of the March 1 ...
Firms that create jobs should be honored: president.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Firms that create jobs and pay taxes must receive respect and the entrepreneurs who run those companies should be considered as patriots, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Saturday.In his first official visit to the business sector after taking office ...
U.S. nuclear envoy fails to meet N. Korean counterpart.
Mar 02, 2008 ... BEIJING, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. envoy in charge of nuclear disarmament efforts was unable to urge North Korea to follow through on its pledge to declare its past weapons program when his counterpart missed a meeting in Beijing.Diplomatic sources said the talks did not take place ...
Fire to disrupt Kolon's production for 6 months.
Mar 02, 2008 ... GIMCHEON, South Korea, March 1 (Yonhap) -- A fire that raged through the Kolon Industries chemical plant in Gimcheon is expected to disrupt production for six months, company sources said on Saturday. The fire that broke out early Saturday morning killed two and injured 14, and is expected ...
N. Korea blasts U.S. hard-liners.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official media lashed out at "U.S. hard-liners" on Saturday for what they described as bids to invade and rule the communist state, just as Japan colonized Korea during the last century.In a commentary marking Korea's 1919 Independence Movement ...
S. Korea role model for Latin America: envoy.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is a good role model for Latin American countries in terms of political achievements and economic development, Chile's envoy to Seoul said Saturday.In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Adolfo Carafi said South American countries look upon ...
New S. Korean defense chief honors sailors killed in N. Korea clash.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new defense minister on Saturday paid his respects to six sailors killed in action during a firefight with North Korea in the Yellow Sea in 2002.The visit to the memorial at 2nd Fleet headquarters in Pyeongtaek, located some 70 kilometers south ...
Shares unlikely to post worthwhile gains.
Mar 02, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks are unlikely to post serious gains in next week's trading, as they were set "firmly" in the lower 1,700-point level last week, local analysts said Saturday. After bouncing back to the psychologically important 1,700 level on ...
N. Korea selling fake cigarettes: report.
Mar 02, 2008 ... WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea may have switched from narcotics trafficking to selling counterfeit cigarettes to earn valuable foreign currency, a report by the U.S. State Department said Friday. The annual report on international narcotics transactions said large ...
Cabinet calamity.
Mar 02, 2008 ... (EDITORIAL from JoongAng Daily on March 1) - The appointment of Han Seung-soo as prime minister was finally endorsed by the National Assembly yesterday, officially launching the new administration four days after President Lee Myung-bak was sworn in.The bizarre scene in which a cabinet ...
Education for Sale School Foundations ought to have educators' conscience.
Mar 02, 2008 ... (EDITORIAL from Korea Times on March 1) - It is no news the grades of Korean universities and colleges hover low among major economic powers. Korean students tend to do better than most of their foreign counterparts in high school, but fare badly while at college. This is not jut due to ...
Pragmatic choice.
Mar 02, 2008 ... (EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on March 1) - Foreign Minister-nominee Yu Myung-hwan's statement during his parliamentary confirmation hearing that Korea should participate more actively in the Proliferation Security Initiative seems to indicate the Lee Myung-bak administration's willingness ...
Fake science.
Mar 03, 2008 ... (EDITORIAL from JoongAng Daily on March 3) - Kim Tae-Kook, a professor at the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, published the results of his research in the world-renowned journal Science in 2005 and in Nature Chemical Biology in 2006. But it turns ...
Dream of financial hub.
Mar 03, 2008 ... (EDITORIAL from Korea Times on March 3) - It is disappointing that Seoul has failed to make it onto the list of the world's top 50 financial centers despite former President Roh Moo-hyun's ambitious goal of transforming the county into a Northeast Asian financial hub. According to the ...
Vetting the nominees.
Mar 03, 2008 ... (EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on March 3) - Nothing is more important, when it comes to the administration of state affairs, than to pick the right person for each Cabinet post. Each Cabinet member is legally empowered to assist the president in making policy decisions, in addition to ...
Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major Korean newspapers on March 3. Korean-language dailies-- 49.1 percent say President Lee doing well, survey shows (Kyunghyang Shinmun)-- A week after President Lee's inauguration, presidential office ...
Korea ranked 18th in holdings of U.S. securities.
Mar 03, 2008 ... WASHINGTON, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was holding US$138 billion worth of U.S. securities as of the end of June last year, ranking it 18th among foreign countries, the latest data released by the Treasury said.The preliminary report, dated Friday, showed South Korea held $5 ...
Seoul analyzing Japanese record of forced laborers.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government is analyzing decades-old records of Koreans forced into labor during Japan's colonial rule that may help families of the laborers win hefty compensation from the Japanese government, the National Archives said Sunday. The documents ...
Seoul to begin new search for war dead.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will launch fresh efforts this week to find the remains of South Korean and U.S. troops who went missing or were killed in action (KIA) during the 1950-53 Korean War, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.The search by the Agency for KIA Recovery and ...
(2nd LD) Kim Ha-joong named unification minister.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Sunday named Ambassador to China Kim Ha-joong as unification minister and former vice-environment minister Lee Man-eui as environment minister, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.The nominations came after Lee's previous ...
(2nd LD) City of Gumi resumes water supply.
Mar 03, 2008 ... GUMI, South Korea, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The supply of tap water was resumed in the southeastern provincial city of Gumi late Sunday after being suspended for hours following the dilution of a toxic chemical detected in the water, officials said.Provincial authorities suspended the water ...
(profile) Administrative expert to head Environment Ministry.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Lee Man-eui, named Sunday to lead the Environment Ministry under Lee Myung-bak's new government, is noted for his attentive and determined working style.Lee, 62, built his expertise in administrative affairs through his experiences as the vice environment ...
(profile) North Korea expert to lead Unification Ministry.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Kim Ha-joong, named Sunday to head the Unification Ministry under Lee Myung-bak's new government, is known as a North Korea expert who had a large influence on former President Kim Dae-jung's engagement policy toward the communist regime. Kim, 61, entered Cheong ...
Choi named to head independent broadcasting commission.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The nominee for the head of the powerful Broadcast Communications Commission charged with handling the country's state-of-the-art broadcasting and communications technology and policies is said to be one of a handful of President Lee Myung-bak's closest ...
S. Korea approves international convention against corruption.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government will be able to more freely track down and recoup money and other assets stashed away abroad by criminals charged with corruption through intensifying cooperation with other countries, officials said Sunday.The Justice Ministry ...
S. Korea chooses design of maglev train.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has selected the model of the magnetic levitation (maglev) to be launched for commercial service at one of its international airports within five years, a government agency said Sunday.The Ministry of Homeland and Maritime Affairs said it selected ...
N.K. leader wishes China success in hosting Olympics.
Mar 03, 2008 ... BEIJING, March 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has wished the Chinese success in the hosting of the Summer Olympics in August, the official Web site of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The North Korean leader made the remark when he made a rare visit to ...
Yellow dust advisory posted for two days.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The national weather service issued a yellow dust advisory for Seoul and western parts of the country Sunday afternoon, adding western regions will be affected by the dust from Mongolia's Gobi Desert approaching from the northwest later in the day.The ...
S. Korean card firms' 2007 net up 14.5 pct.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean credit card firms saw their combined earnings rise 14.5 percent in 2007 from a year earlier due mainly to one-off gains, the financial watchdog said Sunday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the country's five credit card firms ...
High dividend earners grow on strong business performance in 2007.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The number of stockholders in South Korea who are to receive more than 1 billion won (US$1.06 million) in dividends for fiscal year 2007 rose to an all-time high on local firms' brisker business performance last year, data showed Sunday. According to online ...
POSCO-SeAH breaks ground for pipe plant in U.S.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- POSCO, the world's fourth-largest steelmaker, said Sunday it has broken ground in California for a plant that will produce up to 270,000 metric tons of steel pipes annually for transporting gas and petroleum.The $129 million joint project -- spearheaded by ...
Samsung probe to have positive long-term impact: survey.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- A majority of South Korean chief executives think the ongoing independent probe of Samsung Group's corruption scandal will have a positive impact on South Korea's economy in the long-term by enhancing corporate transparency, a survey showed Sunday.Late last ...
Major Internet portals accused of unfair business: watchdog.
Mar 03, 2008 ... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's anti-trust watchdog has spotted evidence that major local Internet portal operators have engaged in unfair business deals by using their superior market status over content providers (CPs), sources said Sunday.The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has ...