YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from March 2009

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from March 2009

Hyundai Kia Automotive Group to invest 9 tln won this year.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, South Korea's top automaking conglomerate, said Sunday it will invest a total of 9 trillion won (US$5.9 billion) in facility expansion and research and development this year. This year's...

Smaller firms' factory operating rate hits record low.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The factory operating rate of South Korean small and medium enterprises tumbled to an all-time low in January as they took the brunt of a sagging economy, a business organization said Sunday. Local small and mid-size...

Flurry of activity by N. Korean leader Kim in northern city of Manpho.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, recovering from a stroke he suffered last year, visited the country's northern city of Manpho where he provided field guidance at various places, from a tire factory to a restaurant,...

Exports of oil products expected to plunge in March.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean exports of petroleum products are expected to tumble nearly 40 percent in March from a year earlier due to sagging global demand amid a severe economic downturn, a trade association said Sunday. According...

Police arrest kidnapper with bogus cash.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Police said Saturday they arrested a 32-year-old man who allegedly kidnapped a female bakery owner and has been using a counterfeit ransom provided by police for her release. Jeong Seung-hee and an accomplice broke...

N. Korea warns U.S. troops against 'military provocation'.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea warned Saturday that U.S. troops stationed in the South should stop what it called "provocative actions" along the military demarcation line, pledging to take stern action if its message goes unheeded....

Police arrest kidnapper with bogus cash.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Police said Saturday they arrested a 32-year-old man who allegedly kidnapped a female bakery owner and has been using a counterfeit ransom provided by police for her release. Jeong Seung-hee and an accomplice broke...

Opposition parties issue bleak warning over vote on contentious bills.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party, warned Saturday that they would take "last" actions if the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) puts controversial bills to a plenary session vote. "Should...

Festivals Calendar - March 2009.(Calendar)
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- The following are the major cultural and tourist festivals to be held in South Korea in March. *Nami Island Foreigners Festival When: Feb. 28-March 8 Where: Nami Island in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province Nami Island...

Seoul shares to slip further on financial woes.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks are likely to fall further in the coming week on deepening financial jitters and the weakening local currency, analysts said Saturday. "Local shares will face increased downside risks that stem...

Kia Motors posts sharp sales increase in Africa, Middle East.(Financial report)
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's No.2 automaker, said Saturday it saw its sales in Africa and the Middle East jump this year despite the worsening economic slowdown. The affiliate of the country's leading automaker...

KDB starts reviewing assistance for GM's Korean unit.
March 1, 2009... SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- State-run Korea Development Bank said Saturday it is examining whether it should provide financial assistance to the South Korean unit of beleaguered U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. GM Daewoo Auto & Technology...

Improve public schools now.
March 2, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on March 2) -- Even as the economy teeters, Korean parents refuse to scale back spending on private instruction. In a survey released recently by the National Statistical Office, the country last year saw its...

Lower Tax Policy Government Needs to Take Better Options.
March 2, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on March 2) -- The Lee Myung-bak administration is seeking to further ease tax burdens in a desperate bid to stimulate the sinking economy. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance plans to present tax cut bills to...

Stay the course.
March 2, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on March 2) -- Massive direct intervention in the foreign exchange market should rarely be done, though operations to limit volatility can certainly be permitted from time to time. It is better to allow the...

Scientists discover cause behind fatal blood poisoning.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean scientists on Monday said they have discovered the molecular mechanism for sepsis bacterial infection, commonly called blood poisoning, the cause of countless deaths worldwide each year. The discovery,...

Broadcasters escalate protest against media reforms.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Hundreds of journalists and producers at four large television networks will go on a 2-day strike this week to protest President Lee Myung-bak's sweeping media reforms, the media workers' union said Sunday. Since he...

President Lee to visit New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will embark on a three-nation trip this week that will take him to New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia for talks largely aimed at drafting joint measures to overcome the ongoing...

Watchdog OKs Lotte's takeover of distilled liquor maker.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's anti-trust watchdog said Sunday it gave the greenlight for a subsidiary of retail giant Lotte Group to acquire the nation's second-largest maker of "soju," a popular distilled liquor. The Fair Trade...

Think tank warns against panic over Eastern Europe financial woes.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Participants in the South Korean financial market should refrain from being oversensitive to Eastern European banking turmoil though it may affect the local economy, a think tank said Sunday. "There is no need to...

FTA doubles trade between S. Korea, Singapore.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Trade between South Korea and Singpore almost doubled in 2008, three years after the two countries signed a free trade agreement (FTA), government officials said Sunday. Bilateral trade came to US$24.7 billion last...

S. Korean card firms' 2008 net dips 36.5 pct.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Total earnings by South Korea's credit card companies declined 36.5 percent in 2008 from a year earlier as business costs rose and one-off gains were absent, the financial watchdog said Sunday. Samsung Card Co. and...

Tumbling exports feared to spark huge job losses.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's plunging exports are likely to lead to massive job losses, a private think tank said Sunday, calling for measures to retain payrolls at export industries. In a report on the impact of falling exports on...

Bosworth to begin 3-nation Asian tour on 6-way talks: State Dept.
March 2, 2009... WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, will embark on a three-nation Asian tour Monday to discuss six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions, the State Department said...

President Lee urges N. Korea to give up missile launch.
March 2, 2009... SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung Bak called on North Korea Sunday to halt its preparations to launch its claimed satellite, widely seen as an attempt to test its missile capabilities, saying dialogue and cooperation...

Investment banks see steeper slide in Korean economy.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Major global investment banks forecast South Korea's economy will likely shrink around 3 percent this year due to slumping exports amid a worldwide recession, data showed Tuesday. According to the data compiled by the...

S. Korean President Lee begins visit to New Zealand.
March 3, 2009... AUCKLAND, New Zealand, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak began a two-day visit here Tuesday with a ceremony hosted by New Zealand's governor general at which the two leaders jointly called for expanding exchange and...

Nationalizing Citigroup.
March 3, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on March 3): Citigroup, one of the world's major financial institutions, finally succumbed to nationalization after failing to overcome the pressure of subprime mortgage insolvency. Despite a massive injection...

'Hall of violence'.
March 3, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on March 3): ``Violence begets violence.'' This simple sentence is not limited to war, terrorism, crimes and other disputes. In South Korea, violence has succeeded in finding its way into the National Assembly....

Resources diplomacy.
March 3, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on March 3): President Lee Myung-bak left yesterday for visits to New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia, on what is dubbed a "resources diplomacy tour." Cheong Wa Dae explains the significance of the week-long...

Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on March 3. Korean-language dailies -- Compromise reached on media bills, social friction remains (Kyunghyang Shinmun) -- 'Media bills' set for...

Bosworth has no immediate plans to meet N. Korean officials: State Dept.
March 3, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. pointman on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, has no plans to meet with North Korean officials during his three-nation Asian trip this week, the State Department said Monday. "Not as far as I know," deputy...

Obama gov't to move quickly to address issues on Korea FTA: USTR.
March 3, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The Barack Obama administration will move quickly to address issues related to the parliamentary approval of free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, the office of the U.S. Trade...

Korea's foreign reserves dip to US$201.5 bln in Feb.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign exchange reserves inched down in February due to a stronger U.S. dollar, but managed to stay above the psychologically important US$200 billion mark. The nation's foreign reserves totaled $201.54...

S. Korea, U.S. hold security talks amid tension with N. Korea.
March 3, 2009... ATTN: ADDS participation by U.S. official in charge of Afghan affairs in 7-13 paras) SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Military officials of South Korea and the United States met in Seoul on Monday to coordinate the transfer of wartime operational...

N. Koreans work to make country green on Tree-planting Day: report.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korean workers and students rolled up their sleeves Monday for Tree-planting Day, state-run media said, amid continuing aid from South Korea despite damaged political relations. North Korea has a high...

Rival parties agree to vote on media bills in June.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rival parties reached a last-minute agreement Monday to put disputed media industry reform bills to a plenary session vote after 100 days of further discussions also involving civic activist groups,...

KNOC aims to join top 60 oil, gas producers by 2012.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state-run oil company said Monday it aims to become one of the 60 largest producers of fossil fuels in the world by 2012 by developing untapped resources and engaging in mergers and acquisitions (M&As)....

N. Korea uses rare military talks to condemn S. Korea-U.S. drills.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea voiced its routine criticism Monday against a planned South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise at the first high-level talks with the United Nations Command (UNC) in nearly seven years, a defense source...

S. Korea names Wi Sung-lac as new nuclear envoy.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday appointed Wi Sung-lac, special advisor to Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, as its new chief envoy on the North Korean nuclear issue, the ministry said. "I feel a huge sense of responsibility,...

S. Korea's car sales drop 8 pct in February, outlook grim.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean automakers posted an eight percent drop in sales last month as the global downturn wilted demand for their vehicles amid sluggish consumption at home, according to the companies on Monday. The near-term...

Seoul stocks fall to 3-month low on currency woes.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed 4.16 percent lower Monday as a steep fall in the local currency prompted massive foreign selling, analysts said. The local currency plunged to a new 11-year low against the U.S. dollar. The...

S. Korea's financial markets rattled by won's sharp decline.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean financial markets were heavily pounded on Monday as the local currency dipped to an 11-year low against the U.S. dollar amid dollar shortage concerns, sending the key stock index sharply lower,...

S. Korean President Lee heads to New Zealand in 3-nation trip.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak left for New Zealand on Monday for discussions on ways of overcoming the global economic downturn and fighting growing protectionism in the international community through joint...

S. Korean, Japanese foreign ministers urge N. Korea not to fire missile.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Top South Korean and Japanese diplomats agreed Monday to step up joint efforts to persuade North Korea not to fire a long-range missile, officials here said. In their telephone conversation, Foreign Minister Yu...

NK-UNC talks on border tension reduction end.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The first talks between North Korean and the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) in nearly seven years ended in a few hours on Monday without specific results, a defense source said. "There is no special outcome,"...

Handset sales in S. Korea drop 16 pct in Feb.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The number of mobile phones sold in South Korea dipped approximately 16 percent last month from a year earlier, hit by a slowing economy, but sales improved from the previous month on the back of back-to-school...

S. Korea's industrial output sinks record 25.6 pct in Jan.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industrial output contracted at the sharpest pace on record in January, adding to concerns that the nation's economy is slipping into a recession at a faster pace than has been expected, a government...

Seoul's unification minister seeks dialogue with N. Korea in anniversary.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's unification minister reaffirmed Monday his commitment to dialogue with North Korea as his ministry marked the 40th anniversary of its founding amid brittle relations with the North and mounting border tension....

Arrested kidnapper confesses to two other abductions.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- A man arrested for allegedly kidnapping a female bakery store owner for money last month has confessed to committing two other abductions, police said Monday. Jeong Seung-hee, the 32-year-old suspect, was apprehended...

Hyundai Motor's auto sales fall 3.2 pct in February.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest automaker, said Monday sales fell 3.2 percent last month as the global downturn hit demand for its vehicles. Hyundai sold 203,236 vehicles in February with domestic sales...

S. Korea's trade surplus hits US$3.3 bln in Feb.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus reached US$3.3 billion in February thanks to a sharp drop in imports and surge in ship exports, a government report showed Monday. The country's exports reached $25.8 billion last month,...

Kia Motors posts 3.9 pct fall in auto sales in February.(Financial report)
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Monday sales fell 3.9 percent last month as the global downturn wilted demand for vehicles. Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., sold 95,135 vehicles...

Renault Samsung's vehicle sales rise 11.7 percent in February.(Financial report)
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Co., the South Korean carmaker 70 percent owned by Renault SA of France, said Monday sales rose 11.7 percent in February, thanks to robust overseas demand. Renault Samsung sold 10,408 units last...

S. Korea's industrial output sinks record 25.6 pct in Jan.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industrial output contracted at the sharpest pace on record in January, adding to concerns that the nation's economy is slipping into a recession at a faster pace than has been expected, a government...

Today in Korean history.
March 3, 2009... March 3 1949 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic relations with the Philippines. 1956 -- South Korea sets up the Korea Stock Exchange, the country's first stock market. 1973 -- The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), a state-run...

S. Korea's trade surplus may reach US$20 bln:gov't.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The government said Monday that weak international energy prices and favorable exchange rates could allow the country to post a trade surplus of US$20 billion for this year. Exports are expected hover at last year's...

GM Daewoo's auto sales drop 30.4 pct in February.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., the South Korean unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Corp., said Monday sales dropped 30.4 percent last month amid weak demand and tight credit. GM Daewoo sold 42,596 vehicles in...

Financial firms' income from insurance sales up 7.2 pct in 2008.(Financial report)
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean financial firms' income from selling insurance policies rose 7.2 percent in 2008 from a year earlier, the country's financial watchdog said Monday. Local financial firms including lenders and savings...

Seoul stocks sink on banking, tech losses.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks dropped 3.19 percent late Monday morning as steep losses in the local currency dented market sentiment, analysts said. Banking and tech shares led the market drop. The benchmark Korea Composite...

Honda hikes prices again in S. Korea on strong yen.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Japan's Honda Motor Co. hiked its vehicle prices by an average 13.85 percent in South Korea, the second increase this year, hit by a stronger yen, the company's Korean unit said Monday. Honda, the third-largest...

Hyundai Engineering wins US$47.6 mln deal in Saudi Arabia.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., South Korea's third largest builder by sales, said Monday that it has clinched a US$47.6 million deal to build a natural gas plant in eastern Saudi Arabia. Under the deal with...

Bosworth due in Seoul this weekend.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Stephen Bosworth, the new U.S. point man on North Korea, will arrive in South Korea this weekend in the last leg of his first Asian tour since being assigned to the post, officials here said Monday. "Ambassador...

Ssangyong Motor's auto sales plunge 69.4 pct in February.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., which secured bankruptcy protection in January, said Monday sales plummeted 69.4 percent last month as demand was wilted by weaker consumption and tight credit. Ssangyong, 51-percent owned by...

Korean Air eying 25 tln won in sales by 2019.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Monday that it is targeting 25 trillion won (US$16 billion) in sales and 2.5 trillion won in operating profit by 2019. To achieve the business target, Korean Air...

S. Korea, EU to hold high-level talks on free trade deal this week.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Chief negotiators from South Korea and the European Union will hold a meeting in Brussels this week to resolve contentious issues such as auto trade and rules of origin in their free trade negotiations, the trade...

S. Korea eyes export of helicopter parts to Boeing.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government trade agency said Monday it is looking to sell military helicopter parts to Boeing Co., one of the biggest defense contractors in the United States. For potential deals, the Korea Trade and...

KEPCO scraps two uranium exploration deals.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) --Korea Electric Power Corp., South Korea's state-run electricity company, said Monday it has canceled two preliminary deals to develop uranium mines in the U.S. and Slovakia due to a plunge in uranium prices. In May of...

Dongkuk Steel cuts steel plate price.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., South Korea's third-largest steelmaker, said Monday it has cut steel-plate prices to reflect declines in global commodity prices. Dongkuk will cut prices by 240,000 (US$154) to 920,000 won per...

Gov't to resume construction of Gyeongin waterway in late March: officials.
March 3, 2009... SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government will resume construction of the Gyeongin canal this month, five years after it was suspended in the face of stiff opposition from environmentalists, officials said Monday. The construction...

U.N. consulting with N. Korea on resumption of dialogue channel: spokeswoman.
March 4, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 3 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations said Tuesday that it is consulting with North Korea on sending a U.N. delegation to the isolated communist state to revive a dialogue channel suspended four years ago after the resignation of a...

False alarms.
March 4, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on March 4) -- Recent comments and analysis on the Korean economy by some English-language media, which underscore the double whammy of foreign debt risk and the tumbling value of our local currency, provide...

Vicious cycle.
March 4, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on March 4) -- There is growing pessimism that the world may suffer a prolonged recession due to the abysmal financial and economic crisis. Skeptics say it is not until 2011 that the global economy will get...

Fragile compromise.
March 4, 2009... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on March 4) -- Under a compromise accord reached Monday afternoon, parties will watch a "social study group" discuss the desirable direction of revising media-related laws over the next 100 days, and then go to...

House approves bill for energy aid to N. Korea pending obligations fulfillment.
March 4, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 3 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. House of Representatives has set aside US$2.5 million for energy aid to North Korea this year despite stalled six-party talks over how to verify its nuclear facilities. The enabling legislation, formally...

Finnish tech lab to conduct joint research in S. Korea.
March 4, 2009... SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- Finland's largest multi-technology laboratory opened a joint research center in South Korea to develop a model to promote the growth of ubiquitous network technology, the government said Wednesday. The Ministry of...

Obama to work carefully with Congress for Korea FTA's ratification: Geithner.
March 4, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 3 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will work carefully with Congress toward the ratification of the pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said...

S. Korean scientists find 'trigger mechanism' for diabetes.
March 4, 2009... SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean scientists announced Wednesday they have found a mechanism that opens new horizons for the future treatment of insulin resistance and diabetes. The discovery, published in the latest online issue of Cell...

S. Korea urges Pyongyang to improve human rights.
March 4, 2009... GENEVA, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea urged North Korea to take "necessary measures" to address its abysmal human rights record at the regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday. "My government, sharing the serious concerns...

2 S. Koreans dead, 1 injured in UAE car accident.
March 4, 2009... DUBAI, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Two South Koreans died and one was injured in a car accident in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, last week, local police revealed Tuesday. According to Dubai police, a 53-year-old construction company executive,...

S. Korean fisherman returns home 33 years after being kidnapped by N. Korea.
March 4, 2009... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean fisherman returned home recently following his defection from North Korea last year and subsequent custody in a South Korean diplomatic mission in China, a local civic group said Tuesday. An association...

S. Korea should ease foreign ownership ceiling on network industry: OECD report.
March 4, 2009... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea should lower or scrap its foreign ownership ceiling in network industries, including telecommunications firms, to improve competitiveness and inject foreign capital, an international report showed Tuesday....

S. Korea will be first to overcome crisis: president.
March 4, 2009... AUCKLAND, New Zealand, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will be the first nation in the world to overcome the ongoing global economic crisis despite the waning demand for Korean products and worst growth forecasts in nearly a decade, South...

S. Korea pledges US$15 million in aid for Palestinians.
March 4, 2009... SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has pledged to donate US$15 million for the reconstruction of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip over the next two years, the country's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Vice Foreign Minister Shin Kak-soo made the...