YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from March 2007

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from March 2007

Two Koreas to lock horns over humanitarian projects, economic issues.
March 1, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Officials from the divided Koreas are to continue negotiations over how to resume aid, family reunion events and inter-Korean economic projects on the third day of their first high-level talks in seven...

U.S. security official in South Korea to return home, canceling Australian visit.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A visiting senior U.S. security official in South Korea will return home on Thursday, canceling his planned Australian visit in the wake of a terror attack in Afghanistan apparently aimed at U.S. Vice President Dick...

S. Korean football team beats Yemen 1-0 in Olympic Games preliminary.
March 1, 2007... SUWON, South Korea, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea beat Yemen 1-0 in a preliminary football match for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on their home turf on Wednesday. Although the South Koreans beat the Yemenese, they have a long way to...

N. Korea offers to resume humanitarian projects.
March 1, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has proposed to resume inter-Korean humanitarian projects on a full scale immediately as the two Koreas held the first ministerial meeting in seven months, South Korean officials said Wednesday....

Russia to reopen trade talks with NK next month.
March 1, 2007... MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Russia and North Korea will resume meetings of their trade and economic cooperation committee late next month, ending an over six-year suspension, Russian government officials here said Wednesday. The joint...

Lawmakers agree to pass bill aimed at stabilizing housing prices.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Lawmakers agreed to pass a bill on Wednesday that is expected to help stabilize runaway housing prices that have fueled real estate bubble concerns in the past few years. Members of the National Assembly's...

Working groups of six-party deal likely to meet in Beijing the week of March 12.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Working groups of the six countries involved in the North Korean nuclear talks will likely get together in Beijing the week of March 12 to discuss implementing the initial steps for Pyongyang's denuclearization, an...

Underdog challenges front runners' hard-line stance on N. Korea.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- An underdog presidential contender Wednesday called for the much more popular competitors from his conservative opposition Grand National Party (GNP) to tone down their hard-line stance on North Korea to bolster the...

S. Korea, Japan to resume talks to draw EEZ boundaries.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan will discuss the boundary of their exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters in the East Sea next week, resuming talks for the first time in five months, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The...

Bell mourns S. Korean solider's death in Afghanistan.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- The chief U.S. military commander here expressed his condolences Wednesday over the death of a South Korean soldier in Afghanistan, calling him a "hero." Sgt. Yoon Jang-ho was killed in Tuesday's suicide bombing at...

Working groups of six-party nuclear agreement likely to meet in Beijing the week of March 12.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Working-level officials of the six countries involved in the North Korean nuclear talks will likely get together in Beijing the week of March 12 to discuss implenting the initial steps they pledged to take in their...

U.S. Nobel Prize laureate to conduct research at S. Korean university.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A renowned U.S. biochemist will soon join a Seoul university to conduct joint research in medical sciences and biotechnology, a university official said Wednesday. Roger D. Kornberg, a Stanford University professor...

Youth group says it will call 'flash mobs' to mark Korean Independence Movement Day.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A civilian youth group said Wednesday it will call "flash mobs" across the country the next day in commemoration of the 88th anniversary of the Korean people's peaceful uprising against brutal Japanese colonial rule....

Yonhap News Summary.
March 1, 2007... The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday. ------------------- U.S. holds 'cautious optimism' on N.K.'s commitment to disarm: White House official SEOUL -- Washington has "cautious...

S. Korean consulate to open in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is preparing to open a consulate in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the main city of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, to coordinate energy imports and better serve ethnic Koreans there, the Foreign Ministry...

Seoul shares end sharply lower on global market plunge.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed sharply lower Wednesday due to a global stock market crash triggered by the previous day's heavy share losses in China, analysts said, The South Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar. ...

Seoul shares end sharply lower on global market plunge.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed sharply lower Wednesday due to a global stock market crash triggered by the previous day's heavy share losses in China, analysts said, The South Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar. ...

South Koreans with respiratory diseases file damage suit against carmakers.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A group of 23 people who had or now have respiratory diseases filed a suit against three major local carmakers Wednesday to seek compensation for the diseases, which they claimed were caused by car exhaust. Lawyers...

S. Korea to send new troops to Iraq amid renewed security concerns.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea held a farewell ceremony on Wednesday for hundreds of troops to be dispatched to Iraq to replace a larger number of soldiers there, amid growing worries over the safety of South Korean troops abroad...

S. Korea ready to tackle OIE's U.S. beef risk status report, official says.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is ready to tackle renewed beef market liberalization pressure after the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) announces U.S. mad cow disease risk levels in May, a senior official said Wednesday. ...

S. Korean industrial output growth accelerates in January.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industrial output grew at a faster pace in January than a month earlier due to strong production of semiconductors and machinery, a government report showed Tuesday. Industrial production in Asia's...

Recent political deal coming under increasing calls for review.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Rival parties in South Korea were forced to agree to act on several contentious bills amid public frustration over continuous partisan bickering, but questions still persist about whether they'll follow through on...

S. Koreans file suit to remove relatives' names from Yasukuni Shrine.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Koreans have filed a suit demanding that the names of their relatives be removed from Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a spokesperson for the group said Wednesday. Outraged by the unauthorized enshrinement...

Adopted U.S. skier reunited with Korean biological father after 26 years of separation.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- American skier and Olympic medalist Toby Dawson, who made headlines by searching for his Korean biological father, was reunited with him Wednesday for the first time in 26 years. "Father, you've been waiting for so...

Family of Korean soldier killed in Afghanistan leaves for Kuwait.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea sent a delegation on Thursday to Kuwait to bring back the body of a South Korean soldier killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan, officials said. The delegation included seven family members of Sgt....

S. Korea's exports gain 11.3 percent to $26.4 bln in February.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports grew by double digits for the 13th straight month in February, fueled by strong overseas demand for semiconductors, petrochemicals and steel, a government report said Thursday. Overseas...

S. Korean credit card firms' net profit jumps over sixfold in 2006.(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean credit card companies saw their 2006 earnings jump more than sixfold from the previous year on decreased loss reserves amid improving asset quality, a report said Thursday. Industry leader BC Card...

Koreas lock horns over humanitarian projects, economic issues.
March 1, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five-member negotiating team to the ongoing ministerial talks will pay a courtesy call to Kim Yong-nam, the North's ceremonial head of state, later Thursday, officials said. "In a meeting of...

Roh urges Japan to face up to historical truth.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday asked Japan to respect historical truth and be more sincere about settling pending bilateral issues, including Japanese leaders' repeated visits to the controversial...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 1, 2007... *** CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW SEOUL (Yonhap) -- The following is a chronological review of major developments related to North Korea from February 22 to February 28, 2007. February 22 Choe Thae-bok, chairman of the Supreme People's...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 1, 2007... *** PYONGYANG'S RHETORIC Report on the Keynote Speech Made by the North's Chief Delegate Kwon Ho-ung in the 20th North-South Ministerial Talks in Pyongyang on Feb. 28 (KCNA, February 28, 2007) The 20th North-South Ministerial Talks...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 1, 2007... *** INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS South Korea to push arms reduction measures in talks with North Korea SEOUL (Yonhap) -- In a prelude to establishing a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea has decided to seek arms...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 1, 2007... *** NEWS IN BRIEF (Part 2) Deal on nuclear disarmament is new milestone for peace SEOUL (Yonhap) -- A pro-Pyongyang newspaper on Feb. 23 hailed the six-nation agreement on North Korea's steps toward denuclearization as a "new milestone"...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 1, 2007... *** NEWS IN BRIEF (Part 1) North Korea stresses loyalty to Kim Jong-il SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea repeated its call for its citizens to remain loyal to the country's leader Kim Jong-il, while calling for intensified ideological...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 1, 2007... *** TOPIC OF THE WEEK Koreas Resumes Cabinet-level Talks for First Time in Seven Months SEOUL (Yonhap) -- For the first time in seven months, South and North Korea resumed ministerial talks in Pyongyang this week to deal with various...

U.S.-N. Korea normalization talks set for March 5-6.
March 1, 2007... WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) --The United States said Wednesday that it will hold a meeting next week with North Korea to discuss a series of steps toward normalizing the bilateral ties. The U.S. chief nuclear envoy, Christopher Hill, will...

Foreign minister leaves for U.S. to coordinate early steps of N. Korean disarmament.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Song Min-soon left for Washington on Thursday to coordinate the early steps of North Korean disarmament. His three-day trip coincides with the expected arrival of the North's chief nuclear negotiator...

S. Korea's exports gain 11.3 percent to US$26.4 bln in February.
March 1, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports grew by double digits for the 13th straight month in February, fueled by strong overseas demand for LCD panels, semiconductors, petrochemicals and steel, a government report said Thursday. ...

Roh, Bush may hold summit this summer: presidential aide.
March 1, 2007... WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and U.S. President George W. Bush may hold a summit this summer if the two countries' negotiations on free trade agreement (FTA) are successfully concluded, Roh's chief...

Body of soldier killed in Afghanistan arrives in S. Korea.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The body of a South Korean solider killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan earlier this week arrived in South Korea on Friday. Army Sgt. Yoon Jang-ho was killed on Tuesday in a suicide bombing at the main gate...

Body of soldier killed in Afghanistan arrives in S. Korea.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The body of a South Korean solider killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan earlier this week arrived in South Korea on Friday. Army Sgt. Yoon Jang-ho was killed on Tuesday in a suicide bombing at the main gate...

Yonhap news advisory for Friday, March 2.
March 2, 2007... The following stories are scheduled to be covered or pursued by Yonhap News Agency. Your queries are welcome. Yonhap's English-language news desk can be reached by telephone at 82-2-398-3451 (general), 82-2-398-3460 (economy) and by e-mail at...

Congressman slams Japanese PM's denial of comfort women, citing "overwhelming" evidence.
March 2, 2007... WASHINGTON, March 1 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. congressman on Thursday rebutted the Japanese prime minister's claim that his country never sexually enslaved Korean or other foreign women, saying there was "overwhelming historical record" proving it. ...

A wasted effort.
March 2, 2007... (EDITORIAL from JoongAng Daily on March 2) The government graded itself on how well it met its objectives last year. It scored 89 points, roughly a B+, on diplomacy and security but earned more than 90 points, securing all A's, in the rest of...

Death in Afghanistan.
March 2, 2007... (EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on March 2) It is both shocking and infuriating that a Korean soldier fell victim to a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan. It is all the more frustrating given that the ill-fated soldier, Sgt. Yoon Jang-ho, was not...

China shock : Excessive reliance leads to undue vulnerability.
March 2, 2007... (EDITORIAL from Korea Times on March 2)China, with bourses slightly bigger than Korea's, should not bear all the blame for Wednesday's rout of global stock markets. Watching what the so-called China shock did to the Seoul exchange, however, one...

Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major Korean newspapers on March 2. Vernacular dailies -- S. Koreans' quality of life worsens due to reduced government spending for social welfare (Kyunghyang Shinmun)...

U.S. envoy steps back on criticism of Kaesong.
March 2, 2007... WASHINGTON, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. envoy for North Korean human rights stepped back Thursday in his criticism of an inter-Korean economic project he previously cast as a dubious venture that funnels cash to Pyongyang's leaders and lacks...

U.S. envoy says he will seek direct dialogue with North Korea on human rights.
March 2, 2007... WASHINGTON, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. envoy for North Korean human rights said Thursday he will seek direct dialogue with Pyongyang in the coming months. In House testimony just days before U.S.-North Korea diplomatic normalization talks,...

N.K. nuclear negotiator arrives in U.S. for diplomatic normalization talks.
March 2, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's top nuclear negotiator arrived in San Francisco early Thursday for a week-long U.S. visit highlighted by formal diplomatic normalization talks. Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, leading a...

Two Koreas try to narrow differences over humanitarian projects, economic issues.
March 2, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Inter-Korean high-level talks entered their final day on Friday as South Korean negotiators tried to use economic aid as leverage to force North Korea to quicken its denuclearization process. After three...

U.S. report eases somewhat on N.K. narcotics trafficking suspicions.
March 2, 2007... WASHINGTON, March 1 (Yonhap) -- There has been no evidence for several years that North Korea traffics narcotics, but there is also no evidence that the country has stopped the drug trade, an annual U.S. State Department report said Thursday....

Pyongyang reconfirms action on first steps to nuke dismantlement.
March 2, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's No. 2 leader on Thursday reconfirmed his country's pledge to take the first steps toward nuclear disarmament, saying that a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is its ultimate goal, South Korean pool...

S. Korea, EU likely to launch FTA talks in early May: Seoul official.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the European Union are likely to launch formal talks on forging a free trade agreement (FTA) in early May, about two months behind schedule, a Seoul official said Thursday. "Working-level...

N. Korea's chief nuclear envoy leaves Beijing on U.S. visit.
March 2, 2007... BEIJING, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's top nuclear envoy left Beijing Thursday on a visit to the United States that will include normalizing talks between the two former battlefield foes. Kim Kye-gwan, who serves as the North's vice...

Koreas lock horns over humanitarian projects, economic issues.
March 2, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five-member negotiating team to the ongoing ministerial talks on Thursday paid a courtesy call on Kim Yong-nam, the North's ceremonial head of state, as the talks went into a third day in...

Seoul to repatriate hundreds of ethnic Koreans from Sakhalin.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Red Cross is seeking to resettle hundreds of ethnic Koreans who want to live permanently in Korea, officials said Thursday. "The government plans to bring back about 500 to 700 ethnic Koreans in...

U.S. considering early provision of economic aid to N. Korea: official.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The United States is considering providing North Korea with early economic incentives for the North's initial steps toward denuclearization, a government source said Friday. At the six-party talks in Beijing, South...

S. Korea faces weakening domestic demand momentum: official.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's domestic demand has lost some ground, a senior government official said Friday, deepening worries over flagging private consumption and the economy's future performance. "The momentum of domestic...

Doosan Heavy wins 1.07 tln won deal to build power plant.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's largest manufacturer of power generators, said Friday that it has won a 1.07 trillion won (US$1.14 billion) order to build a power plant in the United Arab Emirate. The...

Hyundai Merchant shareholders reject easing rules on new share sale.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Shareholders of Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., South Korea's No. 2 shipping company, rejected a company proposal Friday to change company articles under which it can sell new shares to a strategic partner. In an...

Seoul shares inch down on global market uncertainties.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares traded slightly lower late Friday morning from program sell-offs amid lingering market worries over China's recent stock plunge, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index...

Koreas agree to resume family reunions, construction of reunion center.
March 2, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea agreed Friday to hold a new round of reunions this month for families separated since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, pool reports said. They also agreed to immediately resume...

Ssangyong Motor's vehicle sales rise 15.8 pct in February.(Financial report)
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., South Korea's smallest automaker, said Friday sales rose 15.8 percent year-on-year in February on higher domestic and foreign demand. Ssangyong, controlled by China's Shanghai Automotive...

U.S. considering early provision of economic aid to N. Korea: official.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Washington is considering providing North Korea with early economic incentives for its moves to freeze its nuclear facilities, a decision that comes amid Seoul's announcement that it will begin shipping heavy fuel oil...

POSCO rebounds on news of Berkshire stake ownership.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Shares of POSCO, the world's third-largest steelmaker, rebounded Friday morning on news that U.S-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., controlled by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, owns a 4 percent stake in the South Korean...

POSCO rebounds on news of Berkshire stake ownership.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Shares of POSCO, the world's third-largest steelmaker, rebounded Friday morning on news that U.S-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., controlled by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, owns a 4 percent stake in the South Korean...

Koreas agree to resume family reunions, construction of reunion center.
March 2, 2007... PYONGYANG/SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea agreed Friday to hold a new round of reunion events this month for families separated since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, pool reports said. They also agreed to resume construction...

Seoul shares open lower on foreign selling.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened substantially lower Friday as foreign investors unloaded blue-chip shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 7.54 points, or 0.53 percent, to...

China shock : Excessive reliance leads to undue vulnerability.
March 2, 2007... (EDITORIAL from Korea Times on March 2) China, with bourses slightly bigger than Korea's, should not bear all the blame for Wednesday's rout of global stock markets. Watching what the so-called China shock did to the Seoul exchange, however,...

S. Korean delegation gets custody of soldier's body.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The body of a South Korean soldier killed in a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan was handed over to a South Korean delegation in Kuwait on Thursday for transportation back home, officials said. The body of Sgt....

S. Korea, Singapore log robust growth in cross investments: report.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Singapore have seen steep increases in cross investments since the conclusion of their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) a year ago, a report by the Korea International Trade Association said...

S. Korea's exports gain 11.3 percent to $26.4 bln in February.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports grew by double digits for the 13th straight month in February, fueled by strong overseas demand for semiconductors, petrochemicals and steel, a government report said Thursday. Overseas...

S. Korean credit card firms' net profit jumps over sixfold in 2006.(Financial report)
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean credit card companies saw their 2006 earnings jump more than sixfold from the previous year on decreased loss reserves amid improving asset quality, a report said Thursday. Industry leader BC Card...

Roh urges Japan to face up to historical truth.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday asked Japan to respect historical truth and be more sincere about settling pending bilateral issues, including Japanese leaders' repeated visits to the controversial...

S. Korea's exports gain 11.3 percent to US$26.4 bln in February.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports grew by double digits for the 13th straight month in February, fueled by strong overseas demand for semiconductors, petrochemicals and steel, a government report said Thursday. Overseas...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 2, 2007... *** CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW SEOUL (Yonhap) -- The following is a chronological review of major developments related to North Korea from February 22 to February 28, 2007. February 22 Choe Thae-bok, chairman of the Supreme People's...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 2, 2007... *** PYONGYANG'S RHETORIC Report on the Keynote Speech Made by the North's Chief Delegate Kwon Ho-ung in the 20th North-South Ministerial Talks in Pyongyang on Feb. 28 (KCNA, February 28, 2007) The 20th North-South Ministerial Talks...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 2, 2007... *** INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS South Korea to push arms reduction measures in talks with North Korea SEOUL (Yonhap) -- In a prelude to establishing a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea has decided to seek arms...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 2, 2007... *** NEWS IN BRIEF (Part 2) Deal on nuclear disarmament is new milestone for peace SEOUL (Yonhap) -- A pro-Pyongyang newspaper on Feb. 23 hailed the six-nation agreement on North Korea's steps toward denuclearization as a "new milestone"...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 2, 2007... *** NEWS IN BRIEF (Part 1) North Korea stresses loyalty to Kim Jong-il SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea repeated its call for its citizens to remain loyal to the country's leader Kim Jong-il, while calling for intensified ideological...

NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 438 (March 1, 2007).
March 2, 2007... *** TOPIC OF THE WEEK Koreas Resumes Cabinet-level Talks for First Time in Seven Months SEOUL (Yonhap) -- For the first time in seven months, South and North Korea resumed ministerial talks in Pyongyang this week to deal with various...

U.S.-N. Korea normalization talks set for March 5-6.
March 2, 2007... WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) --The United States said Wednesday that it will hold a meeting next week with North Korea to discuss a series of steps toward normalizing the bilateral ties. The U.S. chief nuclear envoy, Christopher Hill, will...

Foreign minister leaves for U.S. to coordinate early steps of N. Korean disarmament.
March 2, 2007... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Song Min-soon left for Washington on Thursday to coordinate the early steps of North Korean disarmament. His three-day trip coincides with the expected arrival of the North's chief nuclear negotiator...