YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from August 2003

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from August 2003

Legislators to Visit Pyongyang to Watch Singing Contest.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- A group of ruling and opposition camp legislators said Friday they will make a four-day visit to Pyongyang starting Aug. 9 to watch a singing contest to be recorded and aired by a South Korean television station. ...

Chronology of North Korean Nuclear Issue.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The following is a chronology of major events associated with North Korea's nuclear programs. Mid-1960s -- North Korea builds an atomic energy research complex in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang. 1965 -- Soviet...

Prosecution Probing Another Official Involved in Bribery Scandal.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution was investigating whether a second high-ranking government official was involved in a major bribery scandal involving a Seoul land developer, sources said Friday. Prosecutors also apprehended an...

North Korea Agrees to 6-way Talks on Nuclear Crisis.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- In a major breakthrough to the nine-month standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, the communist North informed South Korea Thursday that it has accepted a U.S. proposal to hold six-nation talks on the...

N. Korea to Take Part in World Judo Championships in Japan.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea will take part in the 2003 world judo championships to be held in Osaka in September, the organizing committee said Friday. The North Koreans have told the committee that it will send four men and...

Postal Authorities Launch Closer Inspections of Daegu-bound Mail.
August 1, 2003... Daegu, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Local postal authorities began conducting extensive checks Friday of parcels and other materials headed for to addresses in Daegu, the venue for this year's Summer Universiade from Aug. 21-31, as part of efforts to...

Prosecution Probing Another Official Involved in Bribery Scandal.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution was investigating whether a second high-ranking government official was involved in a major bribery scandal involving a Seoul land developer, sources said Friday. On Wednesday, prosecutors...

Prominent Roman Catholic Priest Indicted on Embezzlement Charges.
August 1, 2003... Chungju, South Korea, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Local prosecutors indicted a prominent Roman Catholic priest Friday on charges of embezzling billions of won in subsidies and donations to a large-scale charity facility he has run for nearly 30 years....

Buan Protest Against Nuclear Waste Dump Enters Day 20.
August 1, 2003... Buan, South Korea, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Demonstrations by residents of Buan, North Jeolla Province, against a government plan to build the nation's first nuclear waste dump on nearby Wido Islet entered their 20th day Friday. Protests began...

North Korea Accepts 6-Party Talks.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea formally accepted multilateral talks to resolve its nuclear development program, a South Korean government official said Friday. "North Korea formally notified to the Seoul government Thursday that it...

Jeju Bids for Large U.S. Travel Fair in 2007.
August 1, 2003... Jeju, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Local government authorities said Friday they have applied to host a major U.S. travel fair in 2007, hoping that the move would attract more American tourists to their resort island. Jeju, South Korea's southernmost...

Top N.K. Sports Official to Arrive in S. Korea Aug. 17.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- A top North Korean sports official will fly to South Korea Aug. 17 to participate in the Daegu Universiade and discuss inter-Korean taekwondo exchange programs with his South Korean counterpart Kim Un-yong,...

Today in Korean History.
August 1, 2003... Saturday, Aug. 2, 2003 1993 -- Chang Kang-je, publisher and owner of The Hankook Ilbo-Korea Times group passes away after a long illness. He was 48. 1953 -- The U.S. military command moves its headquarters to Yongsan from where the old...

N. Korea to Hold Parliamentary, Regional Elections Sunday.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Koreans will go the polls this weekend to pick tens of thousands of deputies to their parliament and local assemblies, the country's media said Friday. Friday was the deadline for candidates running in the...

Prosecution Arrests Man Suspected of U.S. Visa Fraud.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution Friday arrested and indicted a man for using false information on visa applications for five Korean women seeking entertainment industry jobs in the United States. Seoul prosecutors accused the...

Political Parties Welcome 6-way Nuclear Talks.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The news that North Korea has agreed to take part in six-nation dialogue aimed at resolving concerns over its nuclear weapons program was welcomed all across South Korea's political spectrum Friday. The ruling...

Gov't to Crack Down on Illegal Aliens to Implement New Law.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government will soon launch a massive crackdown on illegal aliens, mostly those who fled the workplaces where they were originally placed as industrial trainees to seek higher wages and extended their stay here,...

FTC Chief Advises Samsung Electronics to Separate From Group.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top anti-trust official has advised Samsung Electronics Co. to consider separating itself from its industrial group to improve its governance structure, according to an Internet-based newspaper Friday....

Won Sinks vs. Dollar; Key Bond Yield Jumps.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won tumbled 4.3 to the dollar to finish at 1,184 on the yen's weakness Friday, while the benchmark bond yield shot up 0.17 percentage point to 4.75 percent. Korean stocks surged on strong...

U.S. Says N. Korea Appears to Accept 6-Party Talks on Nuke Issue.
August 1, 2003... Washington, July 31 (Yonhap) -- The United States said Thursday North Korea appears to accept a U.S. proposal to hold talks on its nuclear program in a multilateral format with participation also from Japan, South Korea, China and Russia. ...

Multilateral Talks Expected to Undergo Rough Going; Analysts.
August 1, 2003... By Kim Hyung-jin Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's acceptance of a multi-party dialogue may help defuse tension over its nuclear program but does not guarantee a successful resolution of the nine-month-old dispute, analysts said...

Truck Drivers Vote to Stage General Strike.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Unionized truck drivers voted Friday to stage a general strike, demanding higher wages and better working conditions. Of the 15,315 truck drivers who cast ballots, 90.3 percent supported the general strike,...

Lawmakers to 'Settle' Corporate Tax Issue at Regular Session.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties said Friday they will settle the debate over proposed corporate tax rate cuts during the regular session of parliament convening in September. Rep. Chung Sye-kyun,...

Ruling Party Lawmaker Pushes for Change to Spelling of 'Korea'.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- A ruling party lawmaker said Friday he would submit a draft resolution to the National Assembly calling for changing the spelling of the country's English name from Korea to Corea. "South and North Korea need a...

S.K. Offers Proposals to U.S., Japan on N.K. Security Guarantee.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Amid signs that North Korea could accept six-way talks to resolve the nuclear dispute, the South Korean government recently presented proposals to the United States and Japan on jointly guaranteeing the security of...

Roh's Secretary Resigns Over Alleged Misconduct.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- A secretary of President Roh Moo-hyun tendered his resignation Friday, holding himself responsible for the controversy triggered by his acceptance of lavish treatment from a local businessman, a presidential...

Cheong Wa Dae, Parties Welcome N.K.'s Acceptance of 6-way Talks.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae welcomed Friday North Korea's acceptance of a U.S. proposal to hold six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program. "Diplomatic efforts made so far have paid off," said a...

Automakers Suffer Steep Falls In Exports, Local Sales.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five major automakers reported steep reductions in both domestic sales and exports last month, with severe labor disputes at the two top firms offsetting the effects of the government's excise tax cuts....

Top Headlines in major Korean Newspapers - Aug. 1, 2003.
August 1, 2003... Kyunghyang Daily News - NK agrees to six-party talks Kukmin Daily - Foreign workers to be allowed to stay on Korea Daily News - Law adopted to allow foreign workers to stay on Dong-A Ilbo - New law helps small firms continue to hire...

Pyongyang Accepts 6-way Nuclear Talks; U.S.
August 1, 2003... Washington, July 31 (Yonhap) -- In a major breakthrough in the nine-month standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, the communist North appears to have accepted a U.S. proposal to hold multilateral talks that would include Russia,...

LG Household's Sales Drop 2 Percent in First Half.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- LG Household & Health Care Ltd. said Friday that its first half sales dropped 2 percent year-on-year to 546.7 billion won (US$461 million), according to preliminary figures issued by the company. Operating profit...

Seoul Shares Rise on Heavy Foreign Buying.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks gained on strong foreign buying spurred by a bullish Wall Street Friday, with the main bourse surging to a yearly high. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, the barometer of the main Korea...

S.K. Business Circles Pin Hopes on Inter-Korean Economic Accords.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's business community welcomed Friday the news that four inter-Korean economic agreements will be put into effect on Aug. 6, saying it will pave the way for full-blown economic cooperation between the two...

GM Daewoo Sales Increase 2.2 Percent in July.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. said Friday that it sold a total of 48,555 vehicles at home and abroad last month, a gain of 2.2 percent from June. Compared with the same period last year, the firm's sales surged...

KorAm Bank, Dongbu Securities Taken Off Primary Dealers List.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- KorAm Bank and Dongbu Securities Co. were taken off the list of primary dealers of treasury bonds by the joint government-civilian review committee Friday. The seven-person committee, chaired by the director...

Samsung Corp. Posts Net Profit of 41.7 Billion Won in First Half.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Corp., the trading arm of Samsung Group, said Friday it recorded net profit of 41.7 billion won (US$35.32 million) on sales of 4.17 trillion won in the first half of 2003. The company's operating profit...

Gov't Takes Steps to Stabilize Foreign Exchange Fluctuations.
August 1, 2003... By Lee Joon-seung Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The decision by the Ministry of Finance and Economy to issue 1 trillion won (US$847 million) worth of currency stabilization bonds this month was being viewed by experts Friday as a sign the...

Ssangyong Sells 8.7-Percent Less Vehicles In July.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co. said Friday its foreign and domestic sales totaled 11,515 units in July, down 8.7 percent from a month ago. Last month, domestic sales fell 4.5 percent from June to 10,362 vehicles due to a...

N.K. Chief Envoy Urges S.K. to Cancel UFL Exercise.
August 1, 2003... Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea's chief envoy to Cabinet-level inter-Korean talks pressed the South Thursday to call off next month's joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise, called Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL). The North's...

Textile Trade Surplus Falls 7.4 percent.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's textile trade surplus decreased by 7.4 percent in the first half of the year, compared with the same period last year, the Korea Federation of Textile Industries said Friday. Exports fell 2.0 percent...

Screen Quota System Limits Competition: FTC.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- A booklet by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) designed to educate local government officials has been found to describe South Korea's screen quota system as inhibiting free competition. The material made public...

Gov't to Allocate Resource to Enhance Underground Fire Control.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government will give priority to strengthening underground fire fighting capabilities when it allocates national resources, the Ministry of Planning and Budget said Friday. In its main budget for this year, the...

Crude Oil Imports Fall To Five-Year Low.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, August 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's crude oil imports in the first half declined to their lowest mark in five years due to a steep contraction in domestic energy demand, a government agency reported Friday. The Korea National Oil...

Some USFK Troops to Remain in Seoul Following Realignment: LaPorte.
August 1, 2003... Seogwipo, South Korea, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Gen. Leon LaPorte, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said Friday that 1,000 of the total 7,000 American soldiers stationed in Seoul will remain in the capital as part of the United Nations...

Korean Stocks Start Strong Friday.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares began stronger on foreign buying Friday. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, the barometer of the Korea Stock Exchange, opened 5.32 points, or 0.75 percent, higher at 718.84. The composite...

Samsung Corp. Posts Net Profits of 41.7 Billion Won in First Half.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Corp., the trading and construction arm of Samsung Group, said Friday its net profits rose 2.5 percent year-on-year to 41.7 billion won (US$35.32 million) in the first half. Sales climbed 6.6 percent to...

Samsung Electronics Accused of Plagiarism.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co., a global cellular phone maker, is entangled in a plagiarism row in connection with its TV commercial for its popular mobile phone model, Anycall, industry officials said Friday. The...

Hyundai's Domestic Car Sales Plunge to 53-Month Low in July.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Battered by a month-long labor dispute and anaemic domestic demand, Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday its sales on the local market in July marked just 40,208 units, the lowest volume since February 1999. South...

S. Korea Achieves Trade Surplus for Fourth Straight Month.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea had a trade surplus for the fourth consecutive month in July, according to a business report released Friday by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy. The statistics showed the country posted a...

Total of 838 Companies Affected by FTC's Investment Ceiling Rules.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Friday that the number of companies barred from carrying out cross-investments stood at 838 as of Aug. 1. Subsidiaries of 49 large domestic business groups with assets in excess...

Banks Move to Cut Back on Lending to Companies Amid Slump.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, August 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean banks are poised to cut their lending to corporate borrowers or step up loan-screening procedures as a long-running economic slump has raised default risks, banking sources said Friday. The...

Samsung Debuts Camcorder Cellphone.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics has recently unveiled South Korea's first camcorder cellphone, bringing the nation closer to the era of high-quality streaming-video multimedia services. The new handset, intended for...

KT Posts First Half Sales of 5.9 Tln Won.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp. recorded sales of 5.918 trillion won (US$5.01 billion) in the first half of this year, company sources said Friday. The largest fixed-line operator also saw its operational and net profits increase by...

Experts Urge 'Immediate' FTA Talks with Key Trading Partners.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Experts urged the government Friday to begin "immediate" free trade agreement (FTA) talks with key trading partners like the United States, Japan and China. At a seminar on FTA policies at the Grand...

Kia's July Sales Fall 16.7 Percent On Domestic Slump.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp. said Friday sales in July dived 16.7 percent from the previous month to 75,951 units, taking a beating from the protracted slump in domestic sales and labor strife. South Korea's second-largest...

KT Posts 30 Percent Surge In First-Half Net Profit.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp. recorded sales of 5.918 trillion won (US$5.01 billion) in the first half of the year, marking a year-on-year increase of only 1.6 percent, company officials said Friday. But South Korea's largest...

Renault Samsung's Monthly Sales Surge 75 Percent in July.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Co. said Friday its sales rose 75 percent in July from a month ago, surpassing the monthly sale of 13,000 units for the first time. The joint venture, 70-percent owned by Renault SA of...

Telecommunication Firms Use Data Services to Advance into China.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Armed with data services including wireless internet and ringtones for mobile handsets, South Korean telecommunication firms are aggressively making inroads into the Chinese market, business sources said Friday. ...

Attempted Hackers to Face Three-year Imprisonment from Next Year.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Those convicted of attempting hacking will face punishment of up to three years or 30 million won (US$25,410) in fines from next year, the Ministry of Information and Communications said Friday. The current...

Won Opens Lower vs. Dollar on Yen Weakness.
August 1, 2003... Seoul, August 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won started lower against the dollar Friday on the yen's weakness versus the greenback. The local currency began at 1,180 won to the dollar, down 0.30 won from Thursday. The won tends to move in...

Top Headlines in Major Korean Newspapers - Aug. 2, 2003.
August 2, 2003... Dong-A Ilbo - Roh's secretary fails to report to Roh when he leaves for Cheongju to receive lavish treatment from a businessman Chosun Ilbo - Six-way talks to be held in Beijing as early as late August JoongAng Ilbo - Six-nation talks...

S Korea Denies Founder of Raelian Cult Entry.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Saturday denied entry to Claude Vorilhon, founder of a cult claiming that it has cloned human being. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Cheong Wa Dae Hints Probing Lavish Staff Treatment Independently.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae indicated Saturday it could thoroughly probe the allegation a secretary to President Roh Moo-hyun was treated lavishly by a local businessman in violation of the ethics code for government officials...

Foreign Exchange Reserves Rise to US$132.91 Billion.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign exchange reserves rose to US$132.91 billion at the end of July, up $1.25 billion from a month ago, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK) Saturday. The central bank attributed the upswing to...

Roh Slaps Press for Wielding Unjust Power.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hun raised the stakes in his battle against what he called "the privileged press," Saturday, asking government officials to run the risk of encountering conflicts to correct incorrect or media...

N. Korea Set to Push for Bilateral Talks During Multilateral Talks.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, July 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Friday that it will seek ways of holding bilateral talks with the United States during the proposed six-party talks. "We will hold six-party talks and will consult ways of holding bilateral talks...

Former Opposition Leader to Leave for U.S.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Former opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang was to leave for the United States Saturday after attending the funeral of his mother-in-law, an aide to Lee said. Lee flew Seoul from the United States on July 15 after his...

Hwang Moved Out of NIS Compound to Seek More Private Life: Source.
August 2, 2003... By Hwang Doo-hyung Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean official ever to defect to South Korea, has been released from the protective custody of government intelligence to lead a freer private...

N. Korea Set to Push for Bilateral Talks During Multilateral Talks.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Friday that it will seek ways of holding bilateral talks with the United States during the proposed six-party talks. "We will hold six-party talks and is consulting ways of holding bilateral talks...

N.K. Submits Final Entry for Upcoming Universiade.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday submitted the names of its 189 athletes and officials who will take part in upcoming Summer Universiade in South Korea, the organizing committee said. The Universiade, an international...

White House: N.K. Can Talk Directly with U.S. within 6-party Talks.
August 2, 2003... Washington, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea would be able to talk directly with the United States once multilateral talks are held on the communist country's nuclear weapons program, the White House said Friday. In an about-face, North Korea...

Referral of Nuclear Issue to UNSC to Disrupt Dialogue: N.K.
August 2, 2003... Pyongyang, Aug 2 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea warned Saturday that Washington's move to bring the North's nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council would disrupt efforts to resolve the row through dialogue. The comment came after John...

Seoul to Consider Discontinuing Anti-N.K. Propaganda Broadcasts.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea told North Korea Saturday that the sides should discuss whether to discontinue propaganda broadcasts directed at each other after forming a study group to review the issue. At the latest round of...

S.K., U.S., Japan Begin Preparations for Six-way Talks.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean, U.S. and Japanese officials will meet in Washington next week to coordinate their North Korea policy ahead of planned multilateral talks on the communist state's nuclear weapons program, government...

S. Korea Denies Founder of Raelian Cult Entry.
August 2, 2003... By Kim Kwagn-tae Yeongjongdo, South Korea, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The cult leader of Clonaid which believes in human cloning was forced to leave South Korea Saturday after his entry was denied, officials said. Claude Vorilhon, the Canadian...

South, North Korea to Hold Joint Reunification Events on Aug. 15.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Civic leaders of South and North Korea have agreed to hold joint pro-unification events in the North's capital in mid-August, the North's media reported Saturday. The North's Korean Central News Agency said the...

Former Opposition Leader Leaves for U.S.
August 2, 2003... Incheon, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Former opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang left for the United States Saturday after attending the funeral of his mother-in-law. "I worry about various state problems in the same way that the people do," Lee told...

Korean Bourses Expected to Keep Upward Momentum Next Week.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stock markets are likely to continue their ascent next week on growing expectations for an economic recovery, analysts said Saturday. The main Korea Stock Exchange is projected to surge to the...

Presidential Aide Files Complaint Against Videotaping.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- A key aide to President Roh Moo-hyun asked the prosecution Saturday to investigate what he called secret videotaping of him being entertained lavishly by a local businessman, the president's office said. On June...

Japan Eyes Giving Fair Treatment to Korean High School Students.
August 2, 2003... Tokyo, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The Japanese government plans to grant graduates of Korean-run high schools in Japan automatic qualification for national university entrance exams, Japanese media reported Saturday. In March, Japan's Education...

S. Korea Denies Founder of Raelian Cult Entry.
August 2, 2003... Yeongjongdo, South Korea, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Saturday denied entry to Claude Vorilhon, the cult leader of Clonaid, which claims to have succeeded in cloning a human being. The cult leader, who is also known as Rael, was to be...

International Oil Prices Record High by Iraqi Fire.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- International oil prices shoot up to a record level since March due to the reports on fire of Iraqi oil pipelines, Korea National Oil Corp. said Saturday. The state-run oil corporation said the price of West Texas...

Lawmakers Present Bill to Ban Use of Contaminated Human Organs.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- A group of 19 lawmakers submitted a bill on Saturday aimed at banning the import and transplanting of human organs of those who died of epidemics and other serious diseases. The bill prevents transplanting of...

FTC Chief Advises Samsung Electronics to Separate From Group.
August 2, 2003... Seoul, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top anti-trust official has advised Samsung Electronics Co. to consider separating itself from its parent group to improve its governance structure, according to an Internet-based newspaper Friday. ...