YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from April 2005

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from April 2005

(5th LD) Pope John Paul ll Dies: Vatican.
April 2, 2005... VATICAN CITY, April 2 (Yonhap) -- Pope John Paul II, who has led the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics since the late 1970s, died in his apartment Saturday, the Vatican said. "The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. in his...

(2nd LD) Koreans Praise and Pray for Late Pope.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Koreans are waking up Sunday morning to the news that Pope John Paul II died after battling through the night for his life. The news from the other side of the globe came here just before dawn on Sunday, by...

Pope Lives On in Memory of South Koreans.
April 2, 2005... By Shim Sun-ah SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- Pope John Paul II died of heart failure and cardiovascular problems just before dawn Sunday (Korean time) after two months of severe illness complicated by a urinary tract infection. Many South...

N. Korean Delegates Meet with Angolan President.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean delegation, which is visiting Africa, paid a courtesy call to Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos on Thursday, Pyongyang's state broadcaster reported Saturday. The delegation, led by Yang...

(LEAD) N. Korea Accuses U.S. of Deploying New Missiles.
April 2, 2005... PYONGYANG, April 2 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea criticized the United States on Saturday for deploying new advanced missiles in South Korea, saying the move is part of its plan to attack the communist state. The deployment is "part of...

Korean Workers Vow to Strike Against U.S. Military Cutback.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- Unionized South Korean workers at U.S. military bases threatened Saturday to launch a full strike, if Washington does not withdraw its decision to lay-off 10 percent of the local workforce. The previous day, the...

Korea Set to Sign Investment Treaty With Libya.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has agreed to sign a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with Libya after the two narrowed their differences on a range of details, officials here said Saturday. Seoul has pushed for such a treaty with the...

N. Korea Accuses U.S. of Deploying New Missiles.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea criticized the United States on Saturday for deploying new advanced missiles in South Korea, saying the move is part of its plan to attack the communist state. The deployment is "part of its criminal...

(3rd LD) Moon Hee-sang Elected Ruling Party Chairman.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- Moon Hee-sang, former presidential chief of staff for President Roh Moo-hyun, was elected the new chairman of the governing Uri Party. The three-term lawmaker was chosen from eight candidates at the Uri Party's...

South Korea, EFTA Free Trade Talks Due Next Week.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will hold a new round of free trade agreement talks next week in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Saturday. The second round of...

N. Korea Opposes Japan's Participation in 6-Way Talks.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday reasserted its opposition to the participation of Japan in the six-way talks over the North's nuclear weapons program. "Japan is more interested in securing its own interests than the...

Japan Wants to Change Venue for WC Qualiifier Match with N.K.: Report.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- The Japanese football association has asked the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to change the venue for its World Cup qualifier match with North Korea in June in the wake of last week's crowd trouble in...

Seoul Bourse to Build Gains on Technical Rebound.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) - South Korean share prices are likely to rise on a technical rebound in the coming week, but lingering concerns about inflationary pressure in the U.S. may strain investor sentiment, dealers said Saturday. "The...

Roh Repeats Pledge to Introduce Incentives for Officials.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun Saturday reiterated his government will push ahead with its plan to introduce a tough incentive system, including a performance-based salary system. "We cannot deny the effectiveness of the...

South Korea Opposes Increasing UNSC Permanent Seats: Senior Diplomat.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea does not oppose any specific country's entry into the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) standing committee but dislikes the idea of increasing the number of the UNSC's permanent members, a senior...

EU Soon to Submit NK Human Rights Resolution to UN Commission.
April 2, 2005... GENEVA, April 2 (Yonhap) -- The European Union will seek international pressure for the improvement of dire North Korean human rights conditions by submitting a resolution against the communist state to a United Nations body. In a draft...

Foreign Ministers of S. Korea, Japan to Meet in Pakistan: Report.
April 2, 2005... TOKYO, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister Ban Ki-moon will meet his Japanese counterpart Nobutaka Machimura in Pakistan on April 7 for talks expected to touch on thorny bilateral issues including Tokyo's claims to the South...

EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Saturday April 2, 2005.
April 2, 2005... Foreigners' Overreaction: Investors Need to Be Transparent As Well The London-based Financial Times harshly criticized Korean financial regulators' perceived hostility towards foreign investors in three articles on Thursday. Borrowing...

EDITORIAL from JoongAng Daily on Saturday April 2, 2005.
April 2, 2005... Pyongyang raises stakes again North Korea's foreign ministry has declared, "The negotiations over freezing the nuclear program in return for compensation at the six-way talks are over." It also insisted, "The six-way talks should be...

EDITORIAL from The Korea Herald on Saturday April 2, 2005.
April 2, 2005... Japan adds fuel to row Top Japanese officials are fueling the diplomatic confrontation with Seoul. On Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura expressed regrets over President Roh Moo-hyun's March 25 "letter to the people" in...

Top Headlines in Major Korean Newspapers Saturday April 2, 2005.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major Korean newspapers on Saturday April 2, 2005 Vernacular dailies -- Seoul, Tokyo embroiled in diplomatic war (Kyunghyang Shinmun) -- Seoul opposes Japan's bid to join...

(LEAD) N. Korea Raps 'Unfair Refereeing' at World Cup Qualifiers.
April 2, 2005... SEOUL, April 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday slammed the referees of its World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain and Iran for "officiating the matches unfairly." North Korea lost 2-1 to Bahrain in a March 25 Asian Region qualifying match...

(LEAD) S. Korean Workers Threaten Strike Over USFK Lay-Off Plan.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Unionized South Korean workers at U.S. military bases vowed Sunday to launch a full-scale walkout if Washington does not reconsider its decision to fire 1,000 workers. The Korean Employees Union said it will visit...

(LEAD) S. Korean Woman Finishes Second in Berlin Half Marathon.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean female marathoner Lee Eun-jeong finished second in the Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday, South Korean sport officials said. Lee ran the 21.0975-kilometer race with a time of one hour 11 minutes and 15...

Hynix Seeks Graduation from Workout Program in First Half.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (yonhap) -- Hynix Semiconductor Inc. is seeking to graduate from its workout program in the first half of the year if it is able to borrow 1 trillion won (US$992 million) from both domestic and foreign investors, creditors of...

S. Korean Woman Finishes Second in Berlin Half Marathon.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean female marathoner Lee Eun-jong finished second in the Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday, South Korean sport officials said. Lee ran the 21.0975-kilometer race with a time of one hour 11 minutes and 15...

Sovereign Redefines SK Stake as Bid to Broaden Managerial Role.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Sovereign Asset Management changed the reason for its share holdings in SK Corp. from generating profit to participating in management, South Korea's financial regulator said Sunday. The Financial Supervisory...

(3rd LD) Prime Minister Lee to Head S. Korean Condolence Mission to Pope's Funeral.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan will lead South Korea's government-private condolence mission to the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. According to ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyung, the...

S. Korean Workers Threaten Strike Over USFK Lay-Off Plan.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Unionized South Korean workers at U.S. military bases vowed Sunday to launch a full strike if Washington does not reconsider its decision to fire 1,000 workers. The Korean Employees Union said it will visit the...

S. Korea, Canada to Decide on Official Start of FTA Talks by June.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Canada will determine whether or not to officially start full-fledged free trade agreement (FTA) talks by the middle of the year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Sunday. It said...

Opposition GNP Welcomes Election of New Uri Leader.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3, (Yonhap) -- The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) Sunday officially welcomed the election of Rep. Moon Hee-sang as new chairman of the ruling Uri Party. The conservative party with 120 lawmakers in the 299-seat National...

S. Korean Banks Generate 3.1 Tril Won on Foreign Assets in 2004.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean banks earned a total of 3.1 trillion won (US$3.07 billion) in gains last year from their foreign assets, the country's financial regulator said Sunday. The return rate on foreign assets held by Kookmin...

Hu's Upcoming N.K. Visit Related to Six-Party Talks, Seoul Says.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao's planned visit to North Korea will be closely linked to the resumption of the long-stalled six-nation talks on the North's nuclear weapons program, South Korea's Unification Ministry...

Central Bank Suffers 17.5 Tril Won in Losses on Foreign Assets.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's central bank recorded a loss of 17.5 trillion won (US$17.4 billion) on its foreign currency-denominated assets last year due to the U.S. dollar's weakness. Last year's loss is the highest since 1998...

Foreign Ministers of S. Korea, Japan to Meet on April 7.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul government confirmed on Sunday that South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon will meet his Japanese counterpart Nobutaka Machimura in Pakistan on April 7 for talks expected to touch on thorny bilateral...

Credit Extension to Households, Firms Likely to Rise in Q2.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Corporate and household lending in South Korea is expected to increase in the second quarter in line with a much-hoped-for rebound in private spending, the central bank said Sunday. The index gauging bank lending...

KOSDAQ-Listed Firms' Profits Double to 1.67 Tril Won in 2004.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The combined net profit of South Korean companies traded on the secondary KOSDAQ market more than doubled last year, the operator of the market said Sunday. According to Korea Exchange, 768 KOSDAQ companies that...

Listed Firms' Net Profit Rises to Record High in 2004.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's publicly-traded companies posted a record combined net profit last year on the back of brisk exports, the operator of the country's stock exchange said Sunday. The combined net profit of 531...

S. Korea's Service Sector Deficit Hits $1.04 Bln in February.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's service sector trade deficit exceeded US$ 1 billion in February as overseas travel, and outlays for patent rights and business related services overshadowed net earnings in transportation areas, a...

FTC Cartel Reforms Leniency Policy to Discourage Price Rigging.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Sunday that it has reformed its existing leniency policy in a bid to discourage companies from rigging prices. "The measure is expected to destabilize existing cartels and...

Holy See Embassy to Receive Mourners Thursday and Friday.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The Embassy of the Holy See in South Korea said on Sunday it will set up a temporary mourning altar at its premises in Gungjeong-dong in downtown Seoul to mourn the passing of Pope John Paul II. The mourning...

Japanese Visits to S. Korea Increase despite Diplomatic Row.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The number of Japanese tourists visiting South Korea increased sharply in the first three months of the year, despite worsening relations over Japan's claim to South Korean islets and history distortion in Japanese...

Meat Consumption Falls to 5-Year Low on Economic Slump.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's meat consumption fell to a five-year low in 2004, due to an economic slump coupled with an increased fear of diseases, the Agriculture Ministry said Sunday. Per-capita meat consumption slipped 6...

S. Korean Exports of Petrochemicals Surge 33 Percent.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean exports of petrochemical products fared well in the first two months of the year, helped by a surge in crude oil prices, a trade association said Sunday. The nation's petrochemical exports totaled...

(LEAD) President Roh Praises Pope as Apostle of Peace.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Sunday praised Pope John Paul II as an apostle of peace in mourning his death on behalf of the South Korean people, the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said. "I, along...

(LEAD) Renault Samsung's Domestic Sales Jump in Q1.
April 3, 2005... SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Corp., one of South Korea's five major automakers, saw its domestic sales jump in the first three months of the year on the back of brisk sales of its new sedan, industry sources said Sunday....

(LEAD) N. Korea Awaiting S. Korean Leader's "Signal" During German Visit.
April 4, 2005... BERLIN, Germany, April 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is awaiting a "signal" by South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to lead a new breakthrough in inter-Korean relations when he visits Germany on April 10, local media reports said Monday. Harmut...

DMZ Fire Spreading to South.
April 4, 2005... GOSONG, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Another fire crossed over the eastern section of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) Monday after a similar incident last week, and it is fast spreading into South Korean territory, officials said. South Korean...

N. Korea Raises Possibility of Imminent War.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Monday that it would boost its nuclear arsenal to counter any preemptive attacks by the United States. Pyongyang accused Washington of increasing its military prowess on the Korean Peninsula,...

LG Petrochemical Begins Production of Phenol.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- LG Petrochemical Co., a unit of South Korea's biggest chemical maker LG Chem Ltd., said Monday it has begun producing phenol, a chemical mainly used for electrical appliances. The production was begun at its...

Suncheon to Host Int'l Jamboree.
April 4, 2005... SUNCHEON, South Korea, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Sucheon City in South Jeolla Province has been selected to host the 2006 International Patrol Jamboree, officials said on Monday. The Korea Scout Association has chosen the city located 415...

KT Corp. Suffers Brief Glitch in Fixed-Line Phones in Gwangju.
April 4, 2005... GWANGJU, South Korea, April 4 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp.'s South Jeolla unit said its fixed-line telephone service in Gwangju was restored Monday afternoon following a brief outage because of a technical glitch in the routing system. Customers in...

S. Korean Legislator Lashes out at Tokyo for Risking Ties With Seoul.
April 4, 2005... MANILA, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Yoo Jay-kun, who is leading the South Korean delegation to an international parliamentary conference in the Philippine capital, used his keynote speech on Monday to criticize Japan for attempting to distort...

New Counting Rules Put Number of GS Group Affiliates at 63.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The number of affiliates within the newly launched GS Group is tallied at 63, conglomerate insiders and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Monday. The conglomerate that officially separated from South Korea's...

S. Korean Lawmakers Propose Inter-Korean Parliamentary Meeting.
April 4, 2005... MANILA, April 4 (Yonhap) -- A delegation of South Korean lawmakers on Monday proposed holding an inter-Korean parliamentary meeting with their counterparts from North Korea. Delegates from both sides are visiting the Philippine capital to...

(3rd LD) Roh Names Senior Uri Party Official as New Construction Minister.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appointed a senior official of the ruling Uri Party on Monday to replace former construction and transportation minister Kang Dong-suk, who resigned last week over revelations of...

(2nd LD) China 'Very Confident' of Defusing N.K. Nuke Crisis: Defense Chief.
April 4, 2005... By Kim Hyung-jin SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- China is "very confident" of resolving an international dispute over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, South Korea's defense chief said Monday. "I felt all Chinese officials I met are very...

'Five Percent' Rule Not Targeting Foreign Investors: Ministry.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's revised securities law that compels investors to report the aim of stock purchases of 5 percent or more does not mean to target foreign investors, an official at the Finance Ministry said Monday. ...

S. Korean Football Body Promises Full Support for World Cup Team.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean football's top governing body decided to give its full support, including chartered flights, to the nation's World Cup team in the remaining three qualifying matches, officials of the Korea Football...

(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. to Discuss Expansion of U.S. Military Role.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean defense officials have left for Hawaii for talks on U.S. moves to expand the role of its troops in South Korea, the Defense Ministry said Monday. The two-day meeting, which starts on Tuesday (Hawaiian...

Japan's Foreign Policy Inconsistent, Irrational: Prime Minister.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said Monday that Japan's foreign policy is holding it back from becoming a world leader, according to a government spokesman. "Japan's causing of international disputes does...

Yonhap News Summary: The following is the second summary of major stories moved by the Yonhap News Agency on Monday April 4, 2005.
April 4, 2005... (LEAD) China 'Very Confident' of Defusing N.K. Nuke Crisis: Defense Chief By Kim Hyung-jin SEOUL -- China is "very confident" of resolving an international dispute over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, South Korea's defense chief...

Five Kinds of Whale Spotted in Korean Seas: Greenpeace.
April 4, 2005... ULSAN, April 4 (Yonhap) -- World famous environmental activist group Greenpeace said Monday that it witnessed five different species of whale in Korean waters 11 times in as many days. "We have spotted five species of whale, including a...

New Construction Minister Credited with Strong Leadership.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Chu Byung-jik, the newly appointed minister for construction and transportation, is known for strong leadership. The veteran public official, 56, started his career at the Ministry of Construction and...

Finance Ministry to Bolster Securities' Investment Business.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The government will push to allow local securities firms greater investment opportunities with the aim of helping them transform into global investment banks, Finance and Economy Minister Han Duck-soo said Monday....

(LEAD) KOSPI Edges up on Late Buying.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean share prices nudged higher Monday on the back of late foreign and retail buying, recovering from earlier losses, dealers said. However, market sentiment remained weak on concerns that rising oil...

S. Korean Bond Yields on Monday April 4, 2005.
April 4, 2005... Today (%) Previous Day (%) Change (%P) 1-year TB 3.78 3.78 -- 3-year TB 3.92 3.90 + 0.02 10-year TB 4.72 4.72 -- 2-year MSB ...

Seoul Launches Quick Response Team to Better Deal with Accidents.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Foreign Ministry set up a "quick response team" to better deal with major accidents and disasters overseas that affect its nationals, officials said Monday. The move comes as the government had been...

Cheong Wa Dae Dismisses Japanese Politician's Criticism of Roh.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae on Monday dismissed criticism by a Japanese prefectural governor of President Roh Moo-hyun's responses to the territorial dispute between the two countries, as a...

Q1 Earnings Likely to Fall More Than 15 Pct: Brokerages.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean companies are likely to see their first quarter earnings fall by 15-20 percent due to a stronger won, runaway oil prices and slower-than-expected recovery of the technology sector, local brokerage...

(LEAD) Seoul Mulling Cut in Screen Quota: Top Regulator.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top antitrust regulator said Monday that the government is considering scaling down the country's so-called screen quota in an apparent bid to facilitate an investment treaty with the United States. ...

(LEAD) Drill Planned on Dokdo to Guard against Japanese Invasion.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The government will conduct a drill in and around the Dokdo islets in April or May under guidelines from a crisis management manual drawn up by the presidential National Security Council (NSC), an NSC spokesperson...

Prosecution Cited for Gaining Public Trust with Independent Probe.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun praised the prosecution Monday for having regained the public trust with many reforms. Speaking at a ceremony to issue a letter of appointment to incoming Prosecutor General...

S. Korean, Japanese Foreign Ministers to Meet in Pakistan.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea formally announced Monday its foreign minister will privately meet his Japanese counterpart this week amid few signs their meeting could produce a breakthrough in the countries' chilled relations. ...

(LEAD) LG Electronics Settles PDP Dispute with Matsushita.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- LG Electronics Inc., South Korea's second-largest consumer electronics manufacturer, said Monday it has agreed with Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. to settle a patent infringement dispute related to...

(LEAD) Some N. Korean Female Defectors Suffer Sexual Exploitation: Report.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- A U.N. human rights official has found that some North Korean female defectors were trafficked for sexual exploitation while crossing into Mongolia, a U.S.-based radio station reported Monday. "At least one of...

BOK Voices Concern Over Surge in Monetary Bond Issues.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- A jump in the amount of monetary stabilization bonds issued to control the money supply is hampering South Korea's monetary policy by sharply increasing interest payments on them, the central bank said Monday. ...

Justice Ministry Reshuffles 41 Top Prosecutors.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The Justice Ministry has decided to appoint 41 senior prosecutors to new posts Monday in what appears to be one of the largest personnel reshuffles in recent years, ministry officials said. The measure follows...

Olympic Medalists Set Sail for Dokdo Islets by Yacht.
April 4, 2005... BUSAN, South Korea, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Two South Korean Olympic gold medalists set sail on Monday for the islets of Dokdo to demonstrate their country's sovereignty over them. "We decided to sail by yacht to the islets to make it clear...

Net Corporate Debt Sales Hit Four-Year High.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Corporate bond sales in South Korea exceeded debt redemptions in March by the widest margin in four years as corporations raised funds for future facility investments in line with an economic recovery, a local...

Gov't Considering Revision of Screen Quota: FTC Chief.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Fair Trade Commission chairman Kang Chul-kyu said Monday that the South Korean government is exploring the option of lowering the country's screen quota, which has been blamed for holding up a bilateral investment...

U.S. Military to Crack Down on Smuggling of Duty-Free Goods.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. military will launch a crackdown on the smuggling of duty-free goods out of its bases in South Korea, an American military newspaper reported Monday. The U.S. military will strengthen its vigilance inside...

KOSPI Falls on Oil Price Hike, Falling U.S. Stocks.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean share prices were marginally lower Monday afternoon on concerns that rising oil prices could erode corporate earnings and hamper an economic recovery, dealers said. Weakness on Wall Street also soured...

SK Chemicals Launches IT Materials Venture.
April 4, 2005... SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- SK Chemicals Co., a leading South Korean chemical producer, said Monday it has launched a venture to manufacture information telecommunication materials on Friday. The venture firm, known as SK Utis, will produce...