YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from July 2004

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from July 2004

State Auditors Probe Slaying of Korean in Iraq for 2nd Day.
July 1, 2004... AMMAN, July 1 (Yonhap) -- A fact-finding team of South Korean state auditors on Thursday found no fresh facts about the kidnapping and beheading of a South Korean man in Iraq. During its second day of investigations, the team from the Board...

(3rd LD) Koreas' Foreign Ministers Meet for First Time in 4 Years.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with the results of the meeting in paras 1-12) JAKARTA, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministers of South and North Korea met Thursday and agreed to revive their diplomatic channel in New York in an effort to discuss the...

(LEAD) Cana Chief Denies Reporting Abduction to Embassy.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with interrogation of Cana head in paras 1-8) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The employer of a South Korean worker kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq repeated Thursday that he did not report the abduction to the Korean Embassy in Baghdad...

Kookmin Bank Drops out of Bidding for 2 Investment Trusts.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Kookmin Bank, South Korea's largest lender, failed Thursday to bid for two state-owned investment trusts up for sale. Kookmin's withdrawal turned the bidding for Korea Investment & Securities Co. (KITC) and Daehan...

Democratic Labor Party Seeks to Send Delegation to Pyongyang.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP) said Thursday it plans to dispatch a delegation to Pyongyang in September or October of this year. Rep. Choi Gyu-yeop of the splinter party told reporters that...

Vice Culture Minister Oh Tenders Resignation.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's vice culture minister tendered his resignation Thursday, holding himself responsible for alleged influence-peddling by the new culture minister. Presidential Office Cheong Wa Dae said President Roh...

(3rd LD) KorAm, Labor Union Fail to Find Common Ground.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with failure of day's negotiations in paras 1-2) By Sohn Suk-joo and Kim Ju-young SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Labor and management of strike-hit KorAm Bank failed to narrow their differences on a wage hike and other key issues...

KT to Form New Strategic Alliance with Microsoft.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp., South Korea's largest fixed-line provider, agreed Thursday with U.S. software titan Microsoft Corp. to form a fresh strategic alliance. The agreement came at a meeting between KT President Lee Yong-kyung...

Homemade Films Slumped in June.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The market share of homemade films fell sharply in June due to Hollywood-made hits attracted most South Korean moviegoers, a Seoul-based movie investment agency said Thursday. Some 1.27 million, or 33.6 percent, of...

S. Korea, EU to Talk about Trade Issues.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the European Union (EU) will discuss trade and other bilateral issues at their annual economic meeting which opens Friday, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. At the meeting to run till Monday,...

Trading of Ssangyong Cement Shares to Be Halted Friday.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Trading of Ssangyong Cement Industrial Co.'s shares will be suspended for one day Friday due to disclosure improprieties, the Korea Stock Exchange said Thursday. The move comes after the operator of the main bourse...

Finance Minister Calls for Enhanced S. Korea-U.S. Economic Ties.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Finance and Economy Minister Lee Hun-jai Thursday called for South Korea and the United States to set up institutional frameworks, including a bilateral investment treaty (BIT), to further promote economic...

(3rd LD) Foreign Ministers of Koreas Reaffirm Stance on Peaceful Resolution of Nuclear Issue.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with joint press statement in paras 1-5) JAKARTA, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministers of South and North Korea agreed Thursday to continue to seek a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear standoff through...

Gov't Considers Allocating 95.4 Tln Won to National Defense.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The government plans to boost its defense budget by 10 percent every year from 2005 through 2008 in a bid to meet national defense needs, the Ministry of Planning and Budget said Thursday. The ministry is...

(LEAD) Koguryo Relics in N. Korea Named UNESCO World Heritage.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: RECASTS with UNESCO announcement on N. Korea's Koguryo relics) SUZHOU, China, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday decided to include the relics and sites of...

Microsoft to Form More Partnerships With Korean Firms: MS CEO.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Microsoft Corp., the U.S. software giant, will seek more alliances with South Korean firms, company chief executive Steve Balmer said Thursday. Balmer, who is on a three-day visit to Seoul, said in a press...

Microsoft to Form More Partnerships With Korean Firms: MS CEO.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Microsoft Corp., the U.S. software giant, will seek more alliances with South Korean firms, company chief executive Steve Balmer said Thursday. Balmer, who is on a three-day visit to Seoul, said in a press...

(2nd LD) Foreign Ministers of Koreas Hold Talks for First Time in 4 Years.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with Ban-Paek meeting taking place) JAKARTA, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministers of South and North Korea met privately on Thursday and discussed the North's nuclear issue and other matters of mutual concern, officials...

(2nd LD) KorAm's Management Rules Out Compromise With Labor Union.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES in lead with KorAm's president rebuffing labor's demands, quotes and tactics in 2nd-3rd paras, RECASTS from 4th para on) By Sohn Suk-joo and Kim Ju-young SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Ha Yung-gu, president of KorAm Bank,...

Yonhap News Summary The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday July 1, 2004.
July 1, 2004... ---------------------- (LEAD) S. Korea's Trade Surplus Sets New Record in June SEOUL -- South Korea's trade surplus rose 45 percent from a year earlier to US$3.24 billion in June, the largest monthly amount in more than five years, thanks...

(2nd LD) S. Korea to Lift Foreign Movie Import Restrictions in 2006.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES from 7th para; ADDS details on emission gas, environmental sector) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will dismantle all regulatory barriers on foreign movie imports in 2006, government officials said Thursday. At a...

(LEAD) Hyundai Motor, Union Leaders Agree on Wage Hike.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: ADDS more details) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, and its labor union on Thursday made a tentative agreement on wages, bonuses and other benefits, putting an end to the five-day...

(LEAD) S. Korean Stocks Fall on Foreign Program Selling.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES reports of bond, foreign exchange markets at bottom) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares closed lower Thursday, ending two consecutive days of gains, on foreign program selling after rising in an early morning...

Businessman Appeals to Nation to Patronize Arts, Culture.
July 1, 2004... By Kim Tae-shik SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- A senior businessman who has long devoted himself to promoting the arts in South Korea launched a nationwide campaign to support the development of art and culture for the next generations. Park...

(2nd LD) Gov't to Increase Spending, Stabilize Construction Sector in 2nd Half.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES from 3rd para) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economic policy will focus on increasing state spending and stabilization of the construction sector in the second half, Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Hun-jai said...

(LEAD) Cheong Wa Dae Begins Probe into Alleged Influence-peddling by Culture Minister.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with slimmed lead, Roh's pledge of probe, new quotes from Chung) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office embarked Thursday on an inquiry into allegations that the new culture minister peddled his influence in a...

S. Korean Bond Yields on July 1, 2004.
July 1, 2004... Today (%) Previous Day (%) Change (%) 1-year TB 4.12 4.14 -0.02 3-year TB 4.22 4.24 -0.02 10-year TB 4.93 4.97 -0.04 2-year MSB 4.23...

Resolution of N.K. Nuclear Row May Take Time: New Unification Minister.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has entered into serious negotiations on its nuclear weapons programs through the six-way talks, but the issue is unlikely be resolved soon, South Korea's new top strategist on North Korea said Thursday....

(LEAD) Continued KorAm Strike Hobbles Bank's Operations.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with S&P ratings, the government and businesses' responses from 6th para, and a meeting of the industry-wide union in the 5th) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The strike at KorAm Bank, South Korea's seventh-largest lender,...

Hyundai Motor, Union Leaders Agree on Wage Hike.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, and its labor union tentatively agreed Thursday on wages, bonus and other benefits, according to sources. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Koguryo Relics in China Named UNESCO World Heritage.
July 1, 2004... SUZHOU, China, July 1 (Yonhap) -- UNESCO decided to put the relics of the Koguryo Kingdom in China on its World Heritage List 2004, South Korean officials here said Thursday. In a session of the annual conference that formulates the world...

Everland to Be Freed From Samsung's Holding Company This Month.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Everland, the country's largest amusement park operator, will be freed from the status of Samsung Group's de facto holding company this month under new accounting rules, antitrust authorities said Thursday. ...

S. Korean Stocks Fall, Depressed by Foreign Selling.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares closed lower Thursday as foreign investors sold their blue-chip stocks, such as Samsung Electronics Co., after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its key short-term interest rate. The Korea...

Gov't to Unveil Construction Sector 'Soft Landing' Plan Friday.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The government will unveil a long-awaited "soft landing" plan for the construction sector on Friday following a policy discussion session with the ruling Uri Party, officials at the finance ministry said Thursday. ...

S. Korean Automakers' Domestic Sales Fall, Overall Performance Improved.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean automakers' domestic sales fell sharply in June, reflecting sluggish domestic demand that has yet to see a turnaround, according to automakers' monthly sales report released Thursday. However, the...

(LEAD) Gov't to Increase Spending, Stabilize Construction Sector in 2nd Half.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: RECAST title; UPDATES throughout) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economic policy will focus on increasing state spending and stabilization of the construction sector in the second half, Minister of Finance and Economy Lee...

(LEAD) S. Korea to Lift Foreign Movie Import Restrictions in 2006.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: TRIMS) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will dismantle all regulatory barriers on foreign movie imports from 2006, government officials said Thursday. At a weekly meeting of economic ministers, the government decided to scrap...

U.S. Rate Hike Unlikely to Hurt Korean Exports: Finance Minister.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Finance and Economy Minister Lee Hun-jai said Thursday that the just announced 0.25 percentage point U.S. interest rate hike is not expected to affect South Korean exports negatively. The U.S. Fed action would...

Iraq Hostage Situation Worsened After Troop Dispatch Decision: Cana President.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The employer of a South Korean worker kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq said Thursday his efforts to save the victim took a turn for the worse after Seoul officially announced its decision to send additional troops to...

Microsoft to Invest $8.7 Mln to Address Digital Divide in S. Korea.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. will invest 10 billion won (US$8.7 million) in South Korea over the next three years to bridge the country's digital divide, the company's Korean affiliate said Thursday. The...

S. Korean Stocks Drop Depressed by Foreign Selling.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares dropped Thursday afternoon as foreign investors sold their blue-chip stocks such as Samsung Electronics Co. after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its key short-term interest rate. The Korea...

Vietnam Offers Visa Exemptions for South Koreans.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Beginning Thursday, South Koreans are able to enter Vietnam without a visa for a stay of up to 15 days, officials said. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry informed the Korean Embassy in Hanoi about the visa waiver scheme,...

(LEAD) S. Korea's Trade Surplus Sets New Record in June.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: ADDS yearly comparisons in all figures, ADDS more exact data on exports, imports, the largest figure year in 2nd para, CORRECTS comparative export figure to $21.86 billion in 4th para) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade...

KTF Adds Net 176,000 Mobile Phone Users in June.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- KTF Co., South Korea's second-largest cell phone operator, added a net 176,000 new mobile phone subscribers in June, the company said. For the month, KTF attracted 446,000 new customers, down 14.9 percent from last...

Market Economy Mindset Gains Currency in N. Korea, Officials Say.
July 1, 2004... By Kim Kwang-tae SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- A market-friendly mindset is rapidly spreading among North Koreans, and the market system is taking root in the North since the impoverished communist country took bold steps to resuscitate its...

(LEAD) Cheong Wa Dae Begins Probe into Alleged Influence-peddling by Culture Minister.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead to update with Cheong Wa Dae's launch of probe, direct quotes from Chung, Oh) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, embarked Thursday on an investigation into allegations that Chung...

Seoul Introduces New Public Transportation System.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Seoul introduced a new traffic system Thursday, aimed at easing congestion on the road and encouraging more use of public transportation. Starting from 4 a.m., Seoul implemented measures to revolutionize its...

Gov't to Lift Foreign Movie Import Restrictions from 2006.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The government will dismantle all regulatory barriers on foreign movie imports as of Jan. 1, 2006, government ministers said Thursday. Officials at a weekly ministerial meeting said the current movie import...

Yonhap News Summary The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday July 1, 2004.
July 1, 2004... ---------------------- (LEAD) Seoul to Propose Permanent Diplomatic Dialogue Channel With P'yang JAKARTA -- South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday he would propose setting up a permanent diplomatic dialogue channel with North...

SK Telecom Loses 1.45 Million Customers to Rivals in 1st Half.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- SK Telecom Co., South Korea's biggest mobile phone operator, said Thursday that it lost 1.45 million subscribers to KTF Co. and LG Telecom Ltd. in the first six months of the year after the government introduced a...

Continued KorAm Strike Hobbles Bank's Operations.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The strike at KorAm Bank, South Korea's seventh-largest lender, continued for the seventh straight day on Thursday, with no end in sight, fanning concern about the spread of similar strikes in the financial sector. ...

South Korean Stocks Fall on Program Selling, Little Momentum.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares dropped Thursday morning as foreign investors increased futures-related selling investors amid the market's lack of upward momentum. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 4.90...

S. Korea's Trade Surplus Sets New Record in June.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus rose to US$3.24 billion in June, the largest monthly amount in more than five years, thanks to robust exports to China and the European Union, the commerce ministry said Thursday. The...

(LEAD) Seoul to Propose Permanent Diplomatic Dialogue Channel With P'yang.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with more quotes from Ban in paras 9-11) JAKARTA, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday he would propose setting up a permanent diplomatic dialogue channel with North Korea. Ban Ki-moon made the...

Daewoo Construction Pays Off Part of Debts Early.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., South Korea's second-largest builder by capacity, said Thursday it has paid off part of its debts earlier than scheduled, helped by robust sales in recent quarters. The...

(LEAD) Pentagon Expands Vaccinations to U.S. Troops in South Korea.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: ADDS background information in the last 2 paras) WASHINGTON, June 30 (Yonhap) - The U.S. Department of Defense will expand its programs to vaccinate U.S. troops and department officials against anthrax and smallpox to include U.S....

U.S. Interest Rate Hike to Boost Exports, But Has Long-Term Risks.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The increase in the U.S. interest rate, which signals a recovery in the world's largest economy, is good news for South Korea, where growth is largely led by exports, local analysts said Thursday. However, the...

Seoul to Propose Permanent Diplomatic Dialogue Channel with P'yang.
July 1, 2004... JAKARTA, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday he would propose setting up a permanent diplomatic dialogue channel with North Korea. Ban Ki-moon made the comments hours before talks with his North Korean...

Nike to Sponsor First Korean NBA Player.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Sports apparel maker Nike has signed a contract to sponsor Ha Seung-jin, the first South Korean player in the U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA), for four years, Nike Sports Korea (NSK) said Thursday. ...

Culture Minister Denies Media Report About Influence Peddling.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Chung Dong-chae, the new culture minister, on Thursday denied media reports that he was improperly involved in the process of appointing a professor of a Seoul-based university before being tapped as minister. The...

Pentagon Expands Vaccinations to U.S. Troops in South Korea.
July 1, 2004... WASHINGTON, June 30 (Yonhap) - The U.S. Department of Defense will expand its programs to vaccinate U.S. troops and department officials against anthrax and smallpox to include U.S. forces in South Korea, the department's senior medical...

Uri Party Floor Leader Proposes Lawmaker Visit to North Korea.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The floor leader of the ruling Uri Party proposed Thursday that ruling and opposition lawmakers go to North Korea to discuss ways to foster various inter-Korean exchanges. Chun Jung-bae made the proposal during...

S. Korea Adopts 24-hour Consumer Protection Monitoring System.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has adopted a 24-hour consumer monitoring system to enhance safety checks and reduce the time for responding to harmful products or bad services, government officials said Thursday. The measures, which...

Many Mid-summer Int'l Flights of S. Korea's Airlines Already Full.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Most mid-summer international flights of South Korea's airlines are already fully booked as people prepare for overseas vacations, industry sources said Thursday. "As many people try to go abroad for vacation, most...

Holograms, Seals to Prevent Selling of Fake Liquor: NTS.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's whiskey breweries are introducing holograms and tin seals to prevent the selling of fake products on the market, the government said Thursday. The National Tax Service (NTS) said the measures are part...

(2nd LD) S. Korea's Consumer Prices Jump 3.6 Pct Year-on-Year in June.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: RECAST title; CHANGES from 1st para; ADDS comment) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer prices went up 3.6 percent year-on-year in June, pushed by gains in industrial goods and private service charges, the government...

S. Korea to Slap Anti-dumping Tariffs on Batteries, Steel Bars.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea decided Thursday to impose anti-dumping tariffs on imports of primary lithium batteries from the United States and Japan as well as those of stainless steel bars from Japan and two other countries. ...

S. Korea's Rice Self-Sufficiency to Hit 8-year Low This Year.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's self-sufficiency in rice is forecast to fall to 93.1 percent this year, the lowest in eight years, reflecting last year's bad crop and South Koreans' shift in diet, according to a government report...

Korean Shares Rise After U.S. Fed Raises Interest Rate.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rose slightly Thursday morning after the U.S. Federal Reserve implemented its first interest rate hike in four years on Wednesday. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the Korea Composite Stock...

S. Korean Manufacturers' Confidence Falls for 2 Months in Row.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean manufacturing companies' business sentiment in June fell two months in a row due to a slump in domestic demand, the country's central bank said Thursday. During the reported month, the business survey...

(LEAD) S. Korea's Consumer Prices Unchanged from May in June.
July 1, 2004... (ATTN: UPDATES with more details from 1st para) SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer prices remained unchanged from May in June as the drop in agricultural prices offset gains made in industrial goods and service charges, a...

Thursday's Weather Forecast.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July, 1 (Yonhap) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea's 13 major cities at 9 a.m. Thursday. Temperature (C) Condition Possibility High/Low of Rain (%) Seoul 26/21 Rain ...

LG Electronics to Start Selling Digital Cameras in 3rd Quarter.
July 1, 2004... SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- LG Electronics Inc., South Korea's second-largest electronics maker, said Thursday it decided to sell digital cameras in the third quarter of this year, hoping to increase its consumer business. The decision is...

EDITORIALS FROM MAJOR KOREAN DAILIES THURSDAY JULY 1, 2004.
July 1, 2004... The JoongAng Ilbo Why new ministers now? Two month ago, talk of changing some of the cabinet ministers surfaced, and now we have three new ministers. If one summarizes the recent cabinet reshuffle, it could be said that it was a purely...

Top Headlines in Major Korean Newspapers - Thursday July 1, 2004.
July 1, 2004... Kyunghyang Shinmun - Public Corporations to Abolish Restriction of Age and School Career in Employment Kukmin Daily - Kim Sun-il's Funeral Leaves Forgiveness to Iraq Dong-A Ilbo - Laborers Can Buy Treasury Stocks Cheaply Seoul...

Today in Korean History Thursday, July 1, 2004.
July 1, 2004... 1906 -- A Japanese colonial agency assumes authority over Korea's railways from Joseon Dynasty. Imperial Japan established the agency, named Joseon Tonggambu, in Seoul the previous year as part of efforts to seize diplomatic rights and...

IOC Welcomes Decision by 2 Koreas to Jointly March at Athens.
July 2, 2004... GENEVA, July 2 (Yonhap) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Friday welcomed the agreement that South and North Korean athletes will jointly march at the opening ceremony for the Athens Olympics in coming August. In a statement, the...

Mt. Geumgang Resort Reopens After Hotel Renovation.
July 2, 2004... MOUNT GEUMGANG, North Korea, July 2 (Yonhap) -- After a year of renovation work, the popular resort for South Koreans at Mount Geumgang on North Korea's east coast reopened Friday, Hyundai Asan, the Seoul-based firm handling the cross-border...

(LEAD) KorAm Union Continues Strike for 8th Consecutive Day.
July 2, 2004... SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- The strike by the union of KorAm Bank, South Korea's seventh largest lender, continued for eighth straight day Friday as negotiations failed to narrow differences over the management's right to run the bank. The...

Presidential Panel Regards 3 Dead Dissidents as Freedom Fighters.
July 2, 2004... SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- A presidential fact-finding body said Friday that the unwarranted use of state power led to the deaths of three dissidents in the 1970s and their deaths were part of democratization activities. "The three...

WHO's Tobacco Control Convention Likely to Take Effect by Year-End.
July 2, 2004... GENEVA, June 2 (Yonhap) -- A World Health Organization convention on reducing tobacco use worldwide will likely take effect by the end of the year as 168 countries have signed it and 23 parliaments have ratified it as of Friday, a spokesman...

Gov't Considers Building Regional Financial Hub at Garrison Site.
July 2, 2004... SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- The government is considering selling the large U.S. military complex in central Seoul to developers for construction into a financial hub for Northeast Asia after U.S. facilities move out by the end of 2007, a...

Koizumi Hopes for Normalization of Ties with N.Korea Within 1 Year.
July 2, 2004... SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Friday expressed the hope Japan will be able to normalize relations with North Korea within a year. Appearing on a television program, Koizumi said, "I hope we can do that...

Lawmakers to Begin Probe Monday Into Slaying of S. Korean in Iraq.
July 2, 2004... SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly said Friday that it would start a month-long investigation next week into allegations that the government mishandled the recent kidnapping of a South Korean civilian in Iraq. The...