YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from September 2003

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from September 2003

Overland Route to Mt. Geumgang Reopens.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- After six-months of hiatus, overland cross-border tours to Mount Geumgang, a scenic resort on North Korea's east coast, resumed Monday. The troubled tour operator, Hyundai Asan Co., said that 434 South Korean...

British Woman Alleges Sexual Harassment by Korean Cadet.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A British woman has alleged she was sexually harassed in Seoul by a male army cadet but the army has cleared him of the charge, arousing suspicion of a cover-up attempt. Police said Monday a 35-year-old English...

Today in Korean History.
September 1, 2003... Tuesday, Sept. 2 2000 -- Sixty-three former North Korean spies are repatriated to their communist homeland as South Korea sought reconciliation with the North. The ex-spies were free after serving long prison terms that lasted for up to...

(2nd LD) N.K. Delegation, Cheering Group Return to Pyongyang.
September 1, 2003... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's delegation to the world university games and its cheering group left for home Monday, winding up their 13-day stay in South Korea. The North's 197-member athletic delegation, accompanied by 24...

Political Parties Clash Over Dismissal of Home Affairs Minister.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's two major political parties are on a collision course as the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) rejected a call from the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) not to introduce a bill calling for the...

Ra Says 6 Nations to Enter Phase for Diplomatic Negotiations.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Officials of six countries which took part in last week's nuclear meeting in Beijing will begin negotiations soon to follow up on their discussions, South Korea's national security adviser said Monday. The two...

S. Korea Mulls Joining U.N. Peacekeeper Deployment Regime.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering joining an international regime designed to rapidly dispatch peacekeeping troops to war-torn regions, South Korea's top military officer said Monday. In a keynote speech delivered at...

100 Overseas Korean Artists Convene for Cultural Festival.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A cultural festival for ethnic Koreans from abroad kicked off here Monday, bringing together about 100 artists and celebrities from across the world. Following a pre-opening calligraphy contest by overseas Korean...

N. Korea to Convene Supreme People's Assembly Wednesday.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is scheduled to convene a session of its legislature Wednesday which is expected to serve as a bellwether for the communist state's direction in the next five years. Experts believe the impoverished...

(LEAD) N.K. Cheering Group Bids Farewell to S. Koreans.
September 1, 2003... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's 320-member cheering squad for the North's delegation to the Daegu Universidae attended a farewell party Monday before heading to Gimhae Airport to return home. Organized by Daegu Mayor Cho Hae-nyoung,...

World Ceramic Biennale Opens in South Korea.
September 1, 2003... ICHEON, South Korea, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- An exposition of ceramics from Europe, the Middle East and Asia opened Monday in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. The World Ceramic Biennale, a biannual event hosted by the province-run World Ceramic...

Chief Negotiator Expects N. Korea to Come to Next Round of Talks.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's chief delegate to last week's six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program said Monday he expects Pyongyang to come to a new round of talks despite its threat to boycott further...

Top Headlines in Major Korean Newspapers - Sept. 1, 2003.
September 1, 2003... Kyunghyang Daily News - Gov't to create special tax on massive real estate holders Kukmin Daily - Kwon suspected of taking money from other than Hyundai Korea Daily News - Apartment prices in Seoul rising again Dong-A Ilbo - Kwon...

Foreigners Invited to Free Sightseeing Tour of Korea's History.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A free walking tour of Seoul, the South Korean capital with 600 years of heritage, is increasingly popular for domestic and foreign tourists, city officials said Monday. More than 1,500 have taken the tour since...

S. Korea's First English-Language Radio Broadcasting Airs.
September 1, 2003... JEJU, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first English-language radio station became on air Monday on the southern resort island of Jeju, the radio station said. Arirang FM, an affiliate of state-run Arirang TV, said it started airing 18...

Prime Minister Vows to Assist Small Firms on Five-day Workweek.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Goh Kun outlined Monday a set of measures to help small companies avoid the blow that may stem from the planned introduction of a shorter workweek. Last Friday, the National Assembly approved a...

N.K. Delegation for Daegu Universiade Returns to Pyongyang.
September 1, 2003... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The North Korean athletic delegation for the Daegu Universaide left Monday for Pyongyang, winding up their 13-day stay in South Korea. The 221-strong delegation, comprising 94 athletes, 103 officials and 24...

Building Up Nuclear Deterrent Force Inevitable: N.K.
September 1, 2003... PYONGYANG, Sept.1 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea said Monday that building up nuclear deterrent force is necessary for its national security in the face of continuing U.S. nuclear threats. "Having nuclear deterrent force is just aimed at...

Direct Foreign Investment Falls for 4 Straight Years.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Foreign direct investment in South Korea has been falling since 2000 in terms of cases and amount, a government report said Monday. In a report to Eom Ho-sung, an opposition legislator, the Ministry of Commerce,...

'Considerable Time, Effort' Needed to Resolve Nuke Issue: Ministry.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Monday that "a considerable amount of time and effort" would be needed to narrow differences between the United States and North Korea over the communist country's nuclear weapons program. In a...

Gov't to Raise Taxes on 'Excessive' Real Estate Holdings.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Monday it plans to reform tax rules that will raise the burden of people and corporate bodies that have excessive real estate holdings. The ministry said the revisions...

GM Daewoo Management, Union Settle Wage Dispute.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The labor and management of GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. reached a last-minute settlement in their drawn-out wage negotiations Monday, averting a walkout slated for Tuesday. According to company sources, the...

Total Number of Cell Phone Users Drops for Two Months in a Row.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The number of mobile phone subscribers in South Korea declined from July to the end of August, industry figures showed Monday. According to data compiled by industry leader SK Telecom, cell phone users dropped...

Two University Professors Sacked for Sexual Harassment.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Two professors of Sogang University have been dismissed for their alleged involvement in separate sexual harassment scandals, the Seoul-based college said Monday. According to school sources, the university held a...

Roh Calls for Parliamentary Support.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun urged the National Assembly Monday to swiftly approve a set of pending bills, including a free trade accord with Chile, saying that they are needed to rejuvenate South Korea's slumping economy....

Foreign Minister Yoon to Meet Powell Wed.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign miniser will meet his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Colin Powell, in Washington Wednesday for talks on the results of last week's multilateral nuclear talks in Beijing, officials said...

N. Korea Asks Japan to Apologize for 1923 Slaughter of Koreans.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea asked Japan Monday to apologize for a slaughter of thousands of Koreans in Japan in 1923, following a massive earthquake that flattened Tokyo and its adjacent areas. In the chaotic aftermath of the...

SK Corp. to Push for Debt for equity Swap of SK Global Receivables.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- SK Corp. has internally decided to swap for equity 850 billion (US$721 million) worth of receivables it holds in its financially troubled sister firm, SK Global, company sources said Monday. SK Global, trading...

GM Daewoo Resumes Wage Negotiation before Strike.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- Labor and management at GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. resumed negotiations Monday to try to avert a planned strike by workers demanding pay hikes and better working conditions. After 14 rounds of negotiations...

KDB Shares Financial Know-hows with Vietnam.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Development Bank (KDB) said Monday it discussed with a visiting Vietnamese economic delegation ways of boosting financial exchanges between the two countries. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Do Ngoc...

Apricot to Be Developed as Specialty Asian Fruit.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- Apricot, which is commonly grown in South Korea, Japan and China, will be chosen as a specialty fruit representing Asia, promoters said Monday. The fruit will take the center stage when next generation leaders from...

Won Starts Strong Against U.S. Dollar.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won opened stronger against the U.S. dollar Monday on the strength of the Japanese yen. The local currency began at 1,176.10 won to the greenback, up from Friday's close of 1,178.20 won per dollar....

FTC Chairman to Hold Talks with 5 Largest Business Organizations.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Fair Trade Commission Chairman Kang Chul-kyu planned to hold a round table meeting with heads of South Korea's five large business organizations, the anti-trust watchdog said Monday. The meeting, scheduled for...

Won Rises Against U.S. Dollar;Interest Rates Fall.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar to close at 1,175.3 won per dollar Monday from Friday's close of 1,178.2 won, on the renewed strength of the Japanese yen and corporate selling of the U.S. currency,...

GM Daewoo Reaches Settlement in Labor-Management Negotiation.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The labor and management at GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. reached a settlement in their wage negotiations Monday. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

S. Korea's Travel Deficit Fifth Largest Among OECD Members: BOK.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea had the fifth-largest travel deficit among 29 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last year, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Monday. The travel balance was...

Gov't Says Logistics Won't Be Paralyzed Ahead of Chuseok Holiday.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- An ongoing truckers' strike would not cause serious logistical problems ahead of Chuseok, the Korean full-moon holiday in mid-September, government officials said Monday. Thousands of drivers under the Korea Cargo...

Korean Wireless Firms Shifting to Vietnam.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's wireless equipment makers and carriers are stepping up a campaign to expand their market share in Vietnam, industry officials said Monday. The move is linked with South Korean firms' plan to build a...

Renault Samsung Unveils New Mid-Sized Cars.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors, one of South Korea's smaller auto makers, unveiled seven new mid-sized passenger models Monday. The introduction of 2004 SM5 models came as rivals Hyundai Motor Co. and GM Daewoo Auto &...

South Korea Posts $1.92 Billion in Trade Surplus in August.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Despite a prolonged labor unrest, South Korea posted a trade surplus of US$1.92 billion in August, up 16.3 percent from a year ago, government officials said Monday. It marked the third straight month to record...

KOSPI Passes 760; KOSDAQ Recovers 50.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks continued to rally Monday, lifting the main bourse to the 760-point level and the-over-the-counter market to the 50-point level. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), the barometer of the...

Automakers Report Steep Sales Decline in August.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean automakers reported sharp falls in sales last month, ranging from 10.2 percent to 106 percent, due to labor disputes and weak consumer sentiment. Hyundai Motor said Monday that it sold 149,762 cars...

(LEAD) Gov't to Raise Taxes on 'Excessive' Real Estate Holdings.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Monday it plans to reform tax rules in a way which increases the burden on people and corporate bodies that have excessive real estate holdings. The ministry said the...

Business Groups Oppose Class Action, Bank Account Probes by FTC.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five largest business organizations publicly opposed Monday the introduction of class-action suits and plans by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) to extend its authority to carry out corporate bank...

Korean Stocks Start Bullish.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks got off to a strong start early Monday on last week's strong end of the Wall Street. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), or the barometer of the main Korea Stock Exchange, opened...

Home Appliance Makers Competing to Develop 'Green Technology'.
September 1, 2003... By Lee Seung-woo SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's major electric home appliance makers are endeavoring to outdo each other in applying "green" technology, or environment-friendly technology, to their new products. The...

Moody's Raises Credit Outlook of KEB.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sep.1 (Yonhap) -- Moody's Investors Service has raised the credit rating outlook of the Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) from "Stable" to "Positive," according to the KEB Monday. The upgrade was a result of Lone Star, a U.S. investment fund,...

Firms Hesitating to Offer Shares to Public.
September 1, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Firms in South Korea are hesitating to offer their shares for public subscription, freezing the initial public offering (IPO) market, according to stock market sources Monday. In the first eight months of this...

N.K. Reaffirms Desire to Resolve Nuclear Dispute Diplomatically.
September 2, 2003... PYONGYANG, Sept. 2 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea accused the United States Tuesday of spoiling last week's multilateral talks aimed at diffusing tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, but stated its intention to resolve the issue...

South Korea to Give Cash Grant to Foreign Investors.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Cabinet passed a new law Tuesday giving cash grants to foreign investors who bring jobs and technology transfer. The "Foreigner Investment Promotion Law" would apply to foreigners who invest over...

President Sends Tribute to Family of Deceased Priest.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) - President Roh Moo-hyun sent a floral tribute to the bereaved family of Kim Seung-hoon, a prominent Catholic priest who died early Tuesday. Kim was 64. The tribute was delivered by the presidential chief of staff,...

Court Orders Release of Test Scores to Help College Aspirants.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court ordered the government Tuesday to release the results of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test taken by students so they could apply for colleges in consideration of their test scores. The Seoul...

Kim Il-sung Univ Positive on Boosting Academic Exchanges with S.K.
September 2, 2003... JEJU, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Officials at Kim Il-sung University, described as the North's leading academic institute, have delivered positive comments on a proposal to boost academic exchanges with Cheju National University, its president Boo...

Over Half of Koreans Back Parallel Efforts for Defense, U.S. Ties.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Five out of 10 South Koreans support parallel development of self-defense capabilities and the alliance with the United States, a poll said Tuesday. The poll, conducted among 1,303 netizens from Aug. 18-31 by a...

Hanaro Telephone Service Suffers Partial Disruption.
September 2, 2003... JEONJU, South Korea, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) - Hanaro Telecom Inc. said Tuesday that its telephone service was restored following a partial disruption in this southwestern city earlier in the day. Hanaro's lines were disrupted at 12:30 p.m.,...

Andong Mask Dance Festival to Kick Off in Late September.
September 2, 2003... ANDONG, South Korea, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- An international mask dance festival will be held in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, from September 26 to October 5, with about 10 folk dance troupes from abroad and 21 from Korea expected to...

Chinese Communist Party Leader Visits Seoul.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Wu Bangguo, head of China's parliamentary standing committee, arrived in Seoul Tuesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of South Korean House Speaker Park Kwan-yong. Wu's nine-member official entourage...

China Frees Eight N.K. Asylum Seekers: Tokyo Newspaper.
September 2, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- China set free eight North Koreans who had unsuccessfully attempted to take refuge at a Japanese school in Shanghai nearly a month ago, a Japanese newspaper said Tuesday. The North Koreans were arrested by Chinese...

Police Crack Down on False Marriages Involving Korean-Chinese.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Police said Tuesday they have arrested eight people on charges of involvement in a scheme in which South Korean men falsely married ethnic Korean women in China to help them enter the country illegally. Three...

Korea Open Table Tennis Championships to Open on Jeju Island.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The 2003 Volkswagen Korea Open table tennis tournament will kick off in the southern island of Jeju Thursday, drawing hundreds of world-ranking players to the four-day international event, organizers said Tuesday. ...

Former Presidents Overuse Their Position to Control Traffic.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Former presidents enjoyed the unwarranted privilege of having traffic artificially controlled when their cars drove through congested Seoul streets in the past 1 year and 7 months, an opposition legislator said...

Truckers' Union Threatens to Paralyze Expressways.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The nation's major union of truck drivers threatened Tuesday to paralyze major expressways as they continue their fight for higher wages. The threat comes after police hauled away hundreds of striking truckers who...

S.K. Warships Violate North Korean Waters: N.K. Report.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea charged Tuesday that South Korean warships violated its territorial waters in the Yellow Sea. Quoting its military sources, the North's Central Broadcasting Station said an unspecified number of...

South Korea to Call for Early Effectuation of CTBT.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will join some 100 other countries at an international conference this week to call for the early effectuation of a global treaty banning nuclear testing, an official said Tuesday. A three-day...

Some State Agencies Lagging Behind in e-government Development.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A number of government agencies have been less active than others in the drive toward developing an e-government system, according to a government report Tuesday. In the report presented to Cho Jae-hwan, a ruling...

President Roh Celebrates 57th Birthday.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun had breakfast with his senior secretaries Tuesday to celebrate his 57th birthday and talked about his life in Cheong Wa Dae and other light topics. "You have often impressed me with your wide...

S. Korean Province to Host APEC's Tourism Working Group Meeting.
September 2, 2003... CHANGWON, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Gyeongsang provincial government will host a conference of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's tourism working group next May, officials at the regional body said Tuesday. The regional...

Two People Arrested on Producing, Distributing Fake Foreign Brands.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Police said Tuesday they have arrested two people on charges of manufacturing or distributing Gucci and other knockoff foreign garments. The Seoul Metropolitan Policy Agency also booked 11 other people without...

N. Korea Steps Up Rhetorical Barrage Against U.S.
September 2, 2003... PYONGYANG, Sept. 2 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea accused the United States Tuesday of stepping up war maneuvers and said it was prepared for both war and dialogue. The communist country also warned the United States and its supporters to...

Roh Cancels Saturday's Live KBS TV Debate.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun canceled Saturday's live television debate appearance due to disagreements on the topic, his public information secretary Lee Byung-wan said Tuesday. The state-invested television station KBS...

Busan, Osaka Trade Note for Cultural Exchange.
September 2, 2003... BUSAN, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The second largest cities in South Korea and Japan -- Busan and Osaka -- will strengthen cultural and tourism exchanges, officials from both sides said Tuesday, Officials of the two cities planned to sign an...

Prosecution to Additionally Charge Park Jie-won with Bribery.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors said Tuesday they are set to bring bribery charges against former Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Park Jie-won, who is being held for his role in the illegal remittance of US$500 million to North Korea...

Chinese Communist Party Leader to Visit Seoul.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Wu Bangguo, head of China's parliamentary standing committee, was to arrive in Seoul Tuesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of South Korean House Speaker Park Kwan-yong. Wu, whose official title is...

Hwang to Receive Passport for His Visit to U.S.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean official ever to defect to South Korea, said Tuesday he planned to pick up his long-awaited passport within the day. "I expect my passport to be issued today,"...

N. Korean Ferry to Make Another Call to Niigata on Thursday.
September 2, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean ferry plans to make a call at a Japanese port this week, days after it was temporarily barred from leaving Japan for safety violations, a Japanese newspaper said Tuesday. A pro-North Korean office...

Police Arrest 188 Truckers Over Protests.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Police said they arrested 188 striking truckers who caused disruptions to traffic on Seoul's major bridges and expressways early Tuesday by driving their cargo trucks slowly. Police also pulled trucks used in...

Foreign Minister Leaves for Washington for Talks on North Korea.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan left for Washington Tuesday to discuss the results of last week's multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Yoon will meet his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State...

Former Boxing Hero With "Hungry Spirit" Returns to TV Screens.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Twenty-five years after his last bout, Hong Soo-hwan, who became a boxing legend in South Korea after overcoming childhood poverty to win a world title, will once again appear on the nation's TV screens in the...

Educational Environment Could Stabilize Real Estate Prices: KDI.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A survey released Tuesday by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) indicates that a better educational environment in new metropolitan-area cities could help stabilize real estate prices in Gangnam-gu, southern...

Samsung Electronics 3rd in Global Handset Market: U.S. Survey.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest memory chip maker, is estimated to have sold about 11.33 million units in the second quarter and placed third in the worldwide handset market, a U.S-based technology industry...

Business Sector Understands Bank Account Probe Rights: FTC Head.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Kang Chul-kyu said Tuesday that the country's business community "understood" the need for the anti-trust regulator to extend the period of its right to conduct bank account...

Won Falls Against U.S. Dollar;Interest Rates Rise.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar to close at 1,177.50 won per dollar Tuesday from Monday's close of 1,175.3 won, on the weakness of the Japanese yen. In the bond market, interest rates rose, with the...

Hanaro Telecom Issues Commercial Papers Worth 120 Bln won.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sep. 2 (Yonhap) -- Hanaro Telecom, South Korea's second-largest Internet service carrier, said Tuesday it issued 120 billion won (US$101.88 million) worth of commercial papers, all of which was taken over by SK Telecom, its third...

POSCO Sales Hits 1.18 Tln Won in August.
September 2, 2003... SEOUL, Sep. 2 (Yonhap) -- POSCO said Tuesday it had 1.18 trillion won (US$1.00 billion) in sales last month, down 4.8 percent on a monthly basis but up by 15.2 percent year-on-year. Operating profits totaled 270 billion won, surging 38.5...