YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from December 2004

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from December 2004

No Country Can Enforce Nuclear Solution Unacceptable to South: Roh.
December 1, 2004... LONDON, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Wednesday that his country has grown strong enough that any country can enforce an option unacceptable to the South Korean people to resolve the dispute over North Korea's...

S. Korea, U.S. to Launch Visa Waiver Talks.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will launch working-level talks next week that could lead to the U.S. waiving visa requirements for South Koreans, an official said Wednesday. "We've agreed to set up a working...

(2nd LD) Another Cheating Scheme Uncovered in Seoul.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A medical college student turned himself in to police on Wednesday, confessing he took last month's college entrance exam on behalf of another person in return for money. The suspect, identified only as Ki, 21, of...

Seongnam Overturned by Shock Champs League Final Defeat.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Seongnam Chunma crashed to a stunning 5-0 home defeat in the second leg of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League final second leg in Seongnam Wednesday as Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad took the...

South Korean Police Seize Four Chinese Fishing Vessels.
December 1, 2004... MOKPO, South Korea, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean maritime police have seized four Chinese fishing vessels after they entered South Korea's exclusive fishing zone off the southwestern coast, the police said Wednesday. The fishing boats...

N.K. Demands Six-Party Talks Take Up South's Nuclear Experiments.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Wednesday that the six-nation talks on its nuclear program must deal with South Korea's "secret nuclear experiments" first. A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman made the comment, accusing the...

S. Korea Investigates Daewoo Heavy, Others Over Price-Fixing.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Fair Trade Commission is investigating Daewoo Heavy Industries & Machinery, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and other two construction equipment makers over allegations that they colluded in setting prices...

South Korea's SK Corp. Raises Wholesale Diesel Prices by 7.5 Pct.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- SK Corp., South Korea's biggest oil refiner, said Wednesday it will raise wholesale prices of diesel by 7.5 percent to 930 won a liter beginning Thursday. SK Corp. said it will freeze wholesale prices of gasoline...

(LEAD) S. Korea, China Fail to Agree, but Make Headway in Rice Talks.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and China failed to agree on Seoul's extension of a 10-year moratorium on rice tariffication but bridged differences over key issues Wednesday, leaving open the possibility of a compromise this year,...

Final Section of East Coast Inter-Korean Road Opens to Traffic.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The final section of an inter-Korean road along the east coast border was opened to traffic on Wednesday, the Construction Ministry said. The opening of a 4.2-kilometer road between the Tongil Tower, a North Korea...

(LEAD) Court Wraps up Hearing on SK Corp.-Sovereign Row.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: CHANGES "expected" to "required" in 3rd para from bottom) By Kim Sung-jin SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court unexpectedly finished a hearing Wednesday on Sovereign Asset Management's petition for a special shareholders meeting...

Will Top Defector Accept Offer to Lead Anti-N.K. Gov't in Exile?
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Whether Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korea defector in South Korea, will agree to lead a government-in-exile North Korean defectors plan to establish to oppose leader Kim Jong-il has become the subject...

Australian Foundation Plans to Set Up Int'l School in S. Korea.
December 1, 2004... INCHEON, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- An Australian school foundation plans to establish a series of schools in a free economic zone near South Korea's Incheon International Airport, officials of this port city said Wednesday. "An official of an...

Sex Slavery by Japan to Become Global Issue in 2005.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The drafting of Asian women as sex slaves by Japan during World War II looks set to become a global issue, as women's organizations from Asia, Europe and North America agreed here Wednesday to act together from next...

N. Korea Accuses S. Korean Party of Sticking to 'Main Enemy' Term.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea accused a conservative South Korean political party of opposing moves to stop referring to the communist country as the South's "main enemy," the North's main newspaper said Wednesday. Last month,...

S. Korea to Take Japan to WTO Over Laver Import Quota.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) Wednesday that it will start dispute settlement procedures with Japan over Tokyo's laver import quota, officials said. South Korean mission in Geneva also...

Washington, Tokyo Use Pyongyang for Political Purposes, Media Say.
December 1, 2004... BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The United States and Japan are spreading rumors of growing instability in the North Korean leadership in an attempt to drum up public support for policies hostile toward the communist regime, China's state-funded...

(LEAD) Ruling Party to Pay Off Former Parent Party's Campaign Debts.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with MDP spokesman's comment, background at bottom) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Uri Party is moving to pay sizable debts owed by the minority opposition Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), triggering speculation...

Yonhap News Summary The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday December 1, 2004.
December 1, 2004... ---------------------------- (LEAD) KOSPI Ends Lower on Weak U.S. Stocks, Economic Data SEOUL -- South Korean stocks finished lower Wednesday as investor sentiment was damped by overnight losses on Wall Street and weak consumer confidence...

Gov't to Use New License Plates Despite U.S. Gripes.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Wednesday that it will test two types of new license plates from February, despite U.S. complaints that the move would cost its carmakers extra expenses. The Ministry of...

(LEAD) Antitrust Law Clears Assembly Committee Amid Opposition Boycott.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: CORRECTS date in 4th para) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Uri Party passed a revision to the Fair Trade Law through a National Assembly committee Thursday while opposition parties boycotted the vote. The passage of the...

(LEAD) KOSPI Ends Lower on Weak U.S. Stocks, Economic Data.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES reports of FX market, bond market at bottom) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks finished lower Wednesday as investor sentiment was damped by overnight losses on Wall Street and weak consumer confidence data in the...

Handset Sales Drop in November on Weak Demand.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Total domestic sales of South Korea's handset makers sank in November due to weak consumption, company officials said Wednesday. Combined sales of the country's top three handset makers fell 3 percent to 700,000...

S. Korean Vehicle Sales Fall 4.6 Pct in November.
December 1, 2004... By Lim Bo-mi SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Vehicle sales in South Korea continued to shrink in November as consumers remained reluctant to spend, local automakers' sales reports showed Wednesday. However, overall sales of the country's five...

Samsung Electronics Emerges as World's No. 2 Handset Maker.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday that it has overtaken Motorola, Inc. to become the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer for the first time. Citing the latest survey by industry research group...

S. Korean Bond Yields on Wednesday December 1, 2004.
December 1, 2004... Today (%) Previous Day (%) Change (%P) 1-year TB 3.27 3.29 -0.02 3-year TB 3.28 3.31 -0.03 10-year TB 3.91 3.93 -0.02 2-year MSB ...

South Korea to Host Global Game Expo Next Year.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will host a global expo of games next year to promote the development of the domestic game industry and exchanges with the world's game businesses, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Wednesday. ...

Growth of Capital Expenditures to Dip in 2005: Poll.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Major South Korean companies are expected to cut their capital spending sharply in 2005 due to a gloomy economic outlook, a poll showed Wednesday. Capital expenditures are likely to rise 9.1 percent in the coming...

(LEAD) Presidential Office to Push for Heavier Capital Gains Taxes.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with Lee's position on exchange rate policy in paras 9-12) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A senior presidential economic aide reconfirmed Wednesday that South Korea will introduce a new taxation system for capital gains next year...

Koreas Have 50 Pct Chance of Matchup in World Cup Qualifying Round.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- There is a 50 percent chance of a rare match between the national teams of South and North Korea early next year, according to the Korea Football Association (KFA). The South's football governing body said...

KOSPI Ends Lower on Weak U.S. Stocks, Economic Data.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks finished lower Wednesday as investor sentiment was damped by overnight losses on Wall Street and weak consumer confidence data in the United States, analysts said. The benchmark Korea...

Woori Bank Raises US$300 Mln via Global Bond Sale.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Woori Bank, the main banking unit of state-owned Woori Financial Group, said Wednesday it has raised US$300 million by selling global bonds. The five-year debt was sold at U.S. Treasuries yield plus 0.872...

South Korea, China Sign Car Safety Agreement.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and China sealed an agreement on automobile safety Wednesday to boost bilateral cooperation and information sharing, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation said. The accord, signed in Beijing,...

(LEAD) WTO Foundation to be Headquartered in South Korea.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: RECASTS to clarify that WTO-affiliated foundation opens in Seoul) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Wednesday that it has sanctioned a U.N. tourism organization to open the head office of its foundation in Seoul. The...

Uzbekistan Foreign Minister to Visit South Korea.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Sodyq Safayev will visit South Korea later this month, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Safayev will arrive on Dec. 12 for a three-day visit that includes meetings with President...

S. Korea, U.S. to Hold Defense Cost Talks Next Week.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold a second round of talks next week on how to share the cost of keeping U.S. troops here next year, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Representing the two sides at...

Commerce Ministry to Inject 1.1 Tln Won Into R&D in 2005.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government will spend 1.1 trillion won (US$1.05 billion) on research and development (R&D) in 2005, up 3.2 percent from this year, to strengthen the country's industrial software potential, the...

Japan Considers Rule Change to Allow Empress.
December 1, 2004... TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Japan is moving to change its royal family law to allow females to inherit the throne of the world's oldest monarchy, a local newspaper said Wednesday. The Mainichi Shimbun said the Japanese government is also...

Hyundai Mipo Aims to Increase Stake in Hyundai Heavy to 7.5 Pct.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd., a unit of the world's No. 1 shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., said Wednesday it plans to increase its stake in the shipbuilder to 7.5 percent and become the third-largest...

Presidential Office to Push for Heavier Capital Gains Taxes.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A presidential economic aide reconfirmed Wednesday the government will introduce a new taxation system for capital gains next year as scheduled, dismissing signs of a dispute among the presidential office, the...

Security Council Refutes Claim U.S. Forces Korea Role Will Expand.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The presidential National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday dismissed as groundless a report that South Korea agreed to a plan by the United States to use its troops here to intervene militarily in North Korea and...

U.N. Tourism Organization to be Headquartered in South Korea.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Wednesday that it has sanctioned a U.N. tourism organization to open its head office in Seoul. The U.N. World Tourism Organization's office will help Asian and African countries create new jobs...

(LEAD) GNP Leader Pledges to Pass Budget Bill Through Assembly by Dec. 9.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with details, background from 6th para) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Park Geun-hye said Wednesday she will make it a rule to have the government's budget bill for next year pass through the National Assembly...

Ssangyong Motor's November Sales Down 3.2 Pct.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., South Korea's fourth-largest automaker, said Wednesday its November sales fell 3.2 percent to 11,881 units from a year ago on sluggish domestic sales. The automaker said domestic sales dropped...

Site of Administrative Capital Remains Unchanged: Ruling Party.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The site originally designated for the new capital will still be used as the venue for some government agencies despite the fact the capital relocation project was nullified by the Constitutional Court in October,...

Japanese Fashion Group Picks S. Korean Actor Bae as Best Dresser.
December 1, 2004... TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A group of Japanese apparel makers has chosen Bae Yong-joon, a South Korean TV star who is the heartthrob of many women in Japan and other Asian countries, as one of the best dressers this year, organizers of the...

Hyundai Motor's November Sales Up 19.9 Pct.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, said Wednesday its November sales rose 19.9 percent to 223,698 units form a year ago on brisk exports. The automaker said exports jumped 27.5 percent to 175,194...

Kia Motors' November Sales Up 28.4 Pct.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Wednesday its November sales rose 28.4 percent to 109,694 units from a year ago on strong exports. The automaker said exports rose 44.9 percent to...

S. Korean Romantic Comedy Opens Successfully in Japan.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean romantic comedy "Everybody Has Secrets" had a successful opening in Japan last weekend as it placed fourth in the local box office, a Japanese on-line movie magazine said Wednesday. The film, about...

(LEAD) GM Daewoo's November Sales Up 46.6 Pct.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: ADDS more details from third para) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., South Korea's third-largest automaker, said Wednesday its November sales rose 46.6 percent to 92,394 units from a year ago. It is the...

Renault Samsung's November Sales Up 2.9 Pct.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Co., South Korea's smallest automaker, said Wednesday its November sales rose 2.9 percent to 6,863 units from a year ago on strong exports. The automaker, controlled by French automaker...

Leading MP3 Player Maker Eyes Jump in 2005 Revenue.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- ReignCom Ltd., South Korea's leading manufacturer of MP3 and CD players, said Wednesday it expects sales in 2005 to reach 808 billion won (US$771 million), up 73 percent from this year. In a filing with the...

Seoul Shares Down on Fall in U.S. Stocks, Weak Economic Data.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks fell Wednesday afternoon following losses on Wall Street and weak consumer confidence data in the United States, one of South Korea's major export markets. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock...

(LEAD) Credit Card Firms Drastically Cut Losses in Third Quarter.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with details from 2nd para) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean credit card companies saw their losses fall drastically in the third quarter of the year, largely due to their efforts to write off bad assets and a drop in...

POSCO E&C to Pursue Aggressive Overseas Expansion.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- POSCO Engineering & Construction Co. (POSCO E&C), South Korea's seventh-largest builder by capacity, said Wednesday it will crank up overseas construction business in an effort to become a global leader. "We aim to...

Yonhap News Summary The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday December 1, 2004.
December 1, 2004... ---------------------------- (3rd LD) S. Korea's Consumer Inflation Slows to 3.3 Pct in November SEOUL -- South Korea's consumer price growth slowed to 3.3 percent year-on-year in November from stabilizing oil and food prices, the state...

Gov't Vows Tough Action Against Rail Workers' Planned Strike.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government on Wednesday issued a stern warning against a planned walkout by the nation's 21,000 unionized rail workers on Friday to demand a steep pay raise and better working conditions. "Any illegal strikes...

S. Korea to Make Public Diplomatic Documents with Japan.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to make public this month some classified diplomatic documents exchanged with Japan when normalizing their ties four decades ago, an official said Wednesday. "As far as I know, we are going to make...

(LEAD) S. Korea's Trade Surplus Tops US$2.7 Bln in November.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout; ADDS comments in 4th para) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus rose to $2.77 billion in November as exports hit a record high despite a strengthening...

Credit Card Firms Drastically Cut Losses in Third Quarter.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean credit card companies saw their losses fall drastically in the third quarter of the year, largely due to their efforts to write off bad assets and a drop in overdue payments, the country's financial...

Smaller Firms Call for Urgent Steps to Curb Won's Rise.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean small and medium enterprises urged the government Wednesday to be more active in keeping the won's appreciation in check. The local currency has risen nearly 14 percent against the U.S. dollar this...

S. Korean Banks Forecast to See Rising Bad Loans in 2005.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Bad loans at South Korean banks are expected to rise in 2005 as a result of a prolonged economic slump, a state financial holding company forecast Wednesday. "The overall amount of soured bank loans is likely to...

U.S. Deports 275 Koreans in One-Year Period From 2003: Customs.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The United States deported 275 South Koreans over a one-year period starting from October 2003 for their involvement in crimes and illegal visa status, statistics from the United States Immigration and Customs...

KTF Targets Sales of 5.5 Tln Won by 2007.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- KTF Co., South Korea's second-largest mobile phone operator, said Wednesday it aims to grow 6 percent annually to reach annual sales of 5.5 trillion won (US$5 billion) by 2007. The company, a unit of the...

Four Malaysians Arrested for Credit Card Fraud.
December 1, 2004... BUSAN, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Police said Wednesday it has arrested four people on charges of forging credit cards in Southeast Asia and using them in shopping malls here. The four, two women and two men from Malaysia in their 20s and 30s,...

KDB Arranges $680 Mln Deal for Local Auto Shipping Firm.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- State-run Korea Development Bank said Wednesday that it has arranged a US$680 million debt deal for EUKOR Car Carriers Inc., a joint venture that took over Hyundai Merchant Marine's (HMM) auto-shipping unit in 2002....

Man Caught for Taking Money by Posing as President Roh's Relative.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors said Wednesday they arrested a 73-year-old man on charges of taking 70 million won (US$66,780) from a businessman in return for business favors. The man, identified only as Oh, posing as a relative of...

Uri Party to Hold National Convention in April.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Uri Party said Wednesday it will hold a national convention on April 2 next year to elect a new leadership. The convention will be held at the Olympic Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul, party spokesman...

Korea Interbank Offered Rate (KORIBOR).
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates(KORIBOR) as posted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news and information arm of Yonhap News Agency, at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Term Today (%) Previous Day (%) 1-W ...

Conglomerates Petition for Revision of Class Action Law.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Lobbyists for South Korea's family-owned conglomerates, or chaebol, submitted a petition to the National Assembly Wednesday to revise a securities class action law that will take effect next year. The law would...

(3rd LD) S. Korea's Consumer Inflation Slows to 3.3 Pct in November.
December 1, 2004... (ATTN: ADDS NSO official's quotes in 8th and 10th paras) SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer price growth slowed to 3.3 percent year-on-year in November from stabilizing oil and food prices, the state statistics office said...

U.S. Not Opposed to East Asian Free Trade Bloc: State Department.
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States does not oppose any attempt by South Korea, China and Japan to establish a free trade bloc with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which will eventually lead to an Asian...

Massive Manhunt Under Way in N. Korea, Japanese Daily Says.
December 1, 2004... TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean authorities are intensifying their efforts to hunt down would-be defectors to China and their families, a Japanese daily reported on Wednesday. Citing information from unspecific sources, the Sankei...

S. Korea's Trade Surplus Rises to US$2.7 Bln in November.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus climbed to US$2.77 billion in November from a $2.5 billion surplus a month earlier as exports hit a fresh record despite a strengthening won, the Commerce Ministry said Wednesday. The...

Prosecution Steps up Hunt for Ex-President Chun's Hidden Assets.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution has been conducting a nationwide search for former President Chun Doo-hwan's hidden properties, intensifying pressure on him to pay fines in arrears, prosecution sources said Wednesday. "The...

Ford Korea to Recall Explorer SUVs.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Ford Sales & Service Korea, the local distributor of Ford Motor Co., will recall over 300 Explorer sports utility vehicles for faulty rear windows, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation said Wednesday. The...

Seoul Stocks Open Weaker on Falling U.S. Stocks, Profit-Taking.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean share prices started lower Wednesday on slumping U.S. stocks and profit-taking. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 2.40 points, or 0.27...

Illegal Aliens Eligible for Public Insurance: Court Ruling.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap)-- Illegal alien workers are eligible to receive compensation for industrial accidents caused by overwork , a Seoul court ruled Wednesday. The Seoul Administrative court ruled the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation...

S. Korea, Taiwan Resume Regular Commercial Flights.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Regular commercial flights resumed Wednesday between South Korea and Taiwan after a 12-year hiatus as they recently sealed an aviation agreement. Regular flights between the two countries were suspended in 1992...

S. Korean Shipbuilders to Receive Large Ship Orders Next Year.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea, the world's largest shipbuilding nation, will continue to receive a large amount of ship orders next year, helped by strong global demand for oil tankers, industry sources said Wednesday. However,...

S. Korea May Open Market if Rice Talks Fail: Minister.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's agriculture minister said Wednesday that if ongoing rice talks fall apart, the country may opt to open its market fully to imports. "If overtures being made by rice exporters are unacceptable to us,...

S. Korea to Assume Presidency of U.N. Asia Group.
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations is to take over the one-month rotating presidency of the U.N. Asia Group for December. As president of the 53-member group, Amb. Kim Sam-hoon will coordinate...

Arirang TV Starts Service in France, Ukraine.
December 1, 2004... PARIS, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Arirang TV, South Korea's English-language cable channel, commenced 24-hour broadcasting in France and Ukraine on Wednesday. The programming, which includes news, documentaries, soap operas and movies, will also...

New Red Cross Chief Designated.
December 1, 2004... SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korean National Red Cross (KNRC) said Wednesday it has chosen the head of a private university based in Seoul to lead the relief agency. The KNRC has selected Han Wan-sang, president of Hansung University, as...