YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from September 2005

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from September 2005

(LEAD) Human rights committee urges Seoul to change method of NK aid.
September 1, 2005... By Lee Dong-min WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea must change the way it gives aid to North Korea to maximize effectiveness of international relief efforts, a human rights group said Thursday. Claiming that the communist...

S. Korea's foreign reserves rise to record high on weaker dollar.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign reserves rose to a record high in August as a weaker US dollar boosted the dollar conversion value of non-dollar assets, the nation's central bank said Friday. According to the Bank of...

Securities firms' Q1 earnings surge 76 pct.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Securities companies in South Korea saw their earnings increase sharply in the April-June period mainly thanks to their cost-cutting efforts, the nation's financial watchdog said Friday. The combined net profit of...

(2nd LD) Former envoy to Russia named new US ambassador to Seoul.
September 1, 2005... By Lee Dong-min WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Former US envoy to Russia Alexander Vershbow will be nominated as new ambassador to South Korea, the White House announced Thursday. The ambassador-designate is a career diplomat and...

(LEAD) Seoul offers aid to Katrina-afflicted area, US to accept.
September 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Seoul offered assistance to the United States for people and areas afflicted by Hurricane Katrina and negotiations are under way on the particulars, the South Korean Embassy said Thursday. "Upon...

Seoul offers aid to Katrina-afflicted area, US to accept.
September 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The United States has received offers of various assistance from foreign governments to help hurricane-afflicted areas, including from South Korea, the State Department said Thursday. Without going into...

President Roh stresses role of education in social unity.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun stressed the importance of education on Thursday, saying it should serve as a cure for social inequality as well as a booster for social unity. "Education is a key factor in deciding the future...

(LEAD) S. Korea's state oil company finds new oil well off Vietnam.
September 1, 2005... HANOI, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A consortium led by Korea National Oil Corp., South Korea's state-run oil company, has found a new oil field in southern waters off Vietnam, the Korean company said Thursday. The group, which began drilling on July...

Japan's NEC sells off remaining stake in Samsung SDI.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Japan's struggling electronics maker NEC Corp. has sold off its remaining stake in Samsung SDI Co., the world's largest producer of plasma display panels (PDP), ending its 35-year-old partnership with the South Korean...

S. Korea's state oil company discovers oil off Vietnam.
September 1, 2005... HANOI, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A consortium involving Korea National Oil Corp., South Korea's state-run oil company, has struck oil in waters south of Vietnam, the company said Thursday. The group, which began drilling on July 26, extracted an...

LG Electronics wins 3G handset order from Hutchison: source.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- LG Electronics Inc., the world's fourth-largest mobile phone maker, has won an order to supply Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. of Hong Kong with 1.1 million mobile phones, an industry source said Thursday. The contract,...

Roh sends Iraqi premier condolences over tragic deaths of pilgrims.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun Thursday cabled Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari to express his condolences for the deaths of hundreds of pilgrims killed in a stampede the previous day, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Man-soo...

S. Korea has top-class e-commerce environment.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea boasts one of the best e-commerce environments among member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a local trade body said Thursday. South Korea, along with Hong Kong and...

Court rejects Indonesian appeal against antidumping duties.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Thursday turned down a request by three Indonesian paper companies for the repeal of anti-dumping duties South Korea levied on their products in 2003. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled that both...

Hanjin Shipping to build terminal in Belgium.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hanjin Shipping Co., South Korea's largest container shipping firm, plans to acquire a terminal for its exclusive use at Antwerp in Belgium, the company said Thursday. The company signed an agreement Wednesday on...

Voting right cap on conglomerates' financial firms legal: FTC.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Thursday it is not unconstitutional to limit the voting rights of shares owned by financial affiliates of family-controlled conglomerates, or chaebol, The statement by the...

Court rejects arrest warrants for border-violating captains.
September 1, 2005... SOKCHO, South Korea, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Thursday turned down a police request to issue arrest warrants against the captains of three fishing boats that crossed into North Korean waters, saying they had taken little from the...

Koreas change venue for high-level talks to Pyongyang.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea asked South Korea to change the venue for upcoming Cabinet-level talks from Mount Paektu to Pyongyang, citing poor preparations due to bad weather, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Thursday. In a...

S. Korea heralds breakthrough in optical chip technology.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean research team on Thursday unveiled an optical chip that can raise the integration level of the current generation of chips by more than 1,000 times. The team, led by Kwon O-dae, a professor at Pohang...

SK Telecom leads growth in South Korea's mobile market in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The total number of mobile phone users in South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, rose by 104,234 at the end of August, according to figures released Thursday by the nation's three mobile network operators. ...

(LEAD) Four S. Korean POWs return home after 50 years in NK captivity.
September 1, 2005... By Kim Hyung-jin SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Four former South Korean soldiers returned home last month, about half a century after being taken prisoner by North Koreans during the Korean War, a civic group said Thursday. The former POWs,...

Seoul reshuffles 10 ambassadorial posts.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced a reshuffle on Thursday of 10 ambassadorial posts. Former ambassador to the Philippines Son Sang-ha has been appointed ambassador to Malaysia, while former ambassador to...

(LEAD) S. Korean employment forecast to grow 3.3 pct in H2.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Employment by major South Korean listed companies is expected to grow 3.3 percent in the latter half of the year despite a prolonged economic slump and high oil prices, a poll showed Thursday. According to the...

Fitch upgrades KEPCO's rating to "A" from "A-".
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Global ratings agency Fitch Ratings said Thursday it has upgraded its rating for Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to "A" from "A-," citing consistent improvements in its credit quality over the past three years. ...

(2nd LD) Roh, opposition leader to meet over coalition proposal.
September 1, 2005... By Hwang Doo-hyong and Byun Duk-kun SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday proposed a meeting with opposition leader Park Geun-hye to discuss his offer for a coalition government and received a positive response from...

(LEAD) Seoul shares end higher on bank, chemical gains.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed higher Thursday, led by program and foreign buying, as strong investor sentiment boosted bank and chemical issues. The US dollar slipped against the Korean won. The broader Korea...

S. Korean Bond Yields on Thursday September 1, 2005.
September 1, 2005... Today (%) Previous Day (%) Change (%P) 1-year TB 3.92 3.92 0.00 3-year TB 4.16 4.16 0.00 10-year TB 4.84 4.83 +0.01 2-year MSB 4.15 4.15 0.00 3-year CB (AA-) 4.59 4.59 0.00 91-Day CD 3.51 3.51 0.00...

Contaminated Chinese fish imports spur health scare among Koreans.
September 1, 2005... By Kim Hyung-jin SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The startling news of cancer-causing chemicals being detected in massive imports of Chinese freshwater fish has triggered a health scare here, prompting South Korean consumers to stay away from...

S. Korea asks for China's help in halting harmful fish exports.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has urged China to help halt exports of freshwater fisheries products contaminated with a cancer-causing substance, Maritime Minister Oh Keo-don said Thursday. "We have notified China that malachite green...

Seoul shares end higher on bank, chemical gains.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed higher Thursday, led by program and foreign buying, as strong investor sentiment boosted bank and chemical issues. The US dollar slipped against the Korean won. The broader Korea...

(2nd LD) Carmaker sales up 17 pct on brisk exports in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Sales by South Korea's five major auto companies rose 16.8 percent from a year earlier in August, helped by brisk exports, the companies said Thursday. Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp. and three other carmakers...

Kumho Tire plans third production plant in China.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Kumho Tire Co., a major South Korean tiremaker, plans to set up its third production plant in China in a bid to expand its business in the world's fastest-growing economy, the company said Thursday. In affiliation...

S&P teams up with local appraiser to offer data on overseas funds.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Standard & Poor's, a global rating agency, said Thursday that it has teamed up with Korea Fund Ratings Co. to provide local investors with accurate research and rankings on more than 8,300 offshore funds. South...

Daewoo Shipbuilding seeks to buy local builder.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., the world's second-largest shipbuilder, said Thursday it is seeking to acquire a local construction company to help construct its overseas shipbuilding facility. The...

(LEAD) Roh, opposition leader to meet over coalition proposal.
September 1, 2005... By Hwang Doo-hyong and Byun Duk-kun SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday proposed a meeting with opposition leader Park Geun-hye over his offer for a coalition government and received a positive response from Park,...

Defense minister leaves for Turkey.
September 1, 2005... By Kim Hyung-jin SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense chief left for Turkey Thursday for talks on bilateral military cooperation and exchange programs. During his five-day trip, Yoon Kwang-ung is scheduled to meet top Turkish...

S. Korean companies more optimistic in September: survey.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean companies are more optimistic about their businesses in September than last month due to seasonal factors, a survey showed Thursday. The business survey index (BSI), compiled by the Federation of...

S. Korean manufacturers' business sentiment up in Q4.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean manufacturers' business sentiment for the fourth quarter improved from a quarter earlier amid hope for a revival in private spending and resilient exports, a survey by a state-run bank said Thursday. ...

Carmakers sales up 17 pct on brisk exports in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Sales by South Korean five major carmakers rose 16.8 percent from a year earlier in August, helped by brisk exports, the companies said Thursday. Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp. and three other carmakers saw...

Woongjin eyes acquisition of domestic builders.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Woongjin Group is seeking to take over large domestic builders, the group said Thursday. "Though we have not specified any builder for acquisition yet, we are reviewing that," a Woongjin spokeswoman...

Seoul shares climb on oil fall, strong economic data.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rose sharply Thursday afternoon as good economic data and an oil price fall helped boost chemical and finance shares. The broader Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shot up 22.12 points,...

S. Korea, Japan clash for 1st time at WTO over laver quota.
September 1, 2005... GENEVA, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan clashed at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the first time this week over the two countries' trade dispute on edible seaweed, diplomatic sources said Thursday. During the closed hearing...

Seoul to attend Tumen River development meeting in China.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will attend a meeting in China over the weekend on a U. N.-backed international economic cooperation program, the country's Finance Ministry said Thursday. Four other countries -- North Korea, China,...

(LEAD) S. Korea's exports reach US$23.5 bln in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports reached $23.52 billion in August on the strength of greater overseas demand for information technology products and machinery, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said Thursday. ...

S. Korean employment forecast to grow 3.3 pct in H2.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Employment by major South Korean listed companies is expected to grow 3.3 percent in the latter half of the year despite a prolonged economic slump and high oil prices, a poll showed Thursday. According to the...

Five nations in six-way talks want N. K. to scrap nuclear arms: Ban.
September 1, 2005... By Kim Kwang-tae SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The five countries involved in the nuclear talks with North Korea hope to see the communist country dismantle all nuclear weapons and programs in return for economic and security benefits, South...

Seoul shares soar on oil price fall.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks leaped Thursday morning as investor sentiment was lifted by an overnight fall in oil prices. The broader Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was up 17.63 points, or 1.62 percent, at...

Regular parliamentary session opens with bills, controversies.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean National Assembly was to open its regular session Thursday afternoon to deal with a number of pending issues, such as the government's budget for next year and the ratification of the country's rice...

Presidential office denies Roh ordered constitutional revision.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun never ordered his aides to prepare a report on a possible constitutional revision for the introduction of a parliamentary government to replace the current presidential government, spokesman Kim...

Iranian president willing to visit South Korea: Tehran official.
September 1, 2005... TEHRAN, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is willing to visit South Korea to expand exchanges in both economic and political areas, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. "Politically we have many...

(Movie Review) 'April Snow' lacks breath of fresh air on affairs.
September 1, 2005... By Shim Sun-ah SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- There is an old Korean saying that there is nothing to eat at a party which is too noisy. The proverb means if the exterior of something is too impressive, it could be rather empty inside. Moviegoers...

Roh's chief of staff seeks partisan support for coalition.
September 1, 2005... By Hwang Doo-hyong SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Lee Byung-wan visited Chairman Moon Hee-sang of the ruling Uri Party Thursday to seek parliamentary support for his duties as the chief presidential aide. Lee was...

Government receives bids for nuclear waste repository.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government has received bids from four local administrations to build a repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, Commerce and Industry Minister Lee Hee-beom said Thursday. The...

Korea Interbank Offered Rate (KORIBOR).
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR) as posted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news and information arm of Yonhap News Agency, at 11:00 a.m. Thursday September 1, 2005. Term Today (%) Previous Day (%)...

Roh cables Bush to wish early recovery from hurricane damage.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun sent a telegram to US President George W. Bush to express his condolences for victims of hurricane Katrina in the southeastern part of the United States, Roh's spokesman Kim Man-soo...

Koreas to discuss unified team for 2006 Asiad.
September 1, 2005... By Yang Te-sam SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Sports officials from the two Koreas will meet in China next week to discuss the formation of a unified team for the 2006 Asian Games, said officials at the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) on...

Kookmin Bank to go all-out in expanding business, bank chief says.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The head of Kookmin Bank, South Korea's largest bank, said Thursday that it will go all-out in expanding its market share this year. In a monthly address to employees, Kang Chung-won said the bank "saw its...

Korea First Bank to have new name in mid-September.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Korea First Bank, now controlled by Standard Chartered Bank in London, is to operate under a new name from mid-September, the bank said Thursday. According to the Seoul-based lender, the bank will be renamed...

Seoul shares start higher on rise in energy stocks.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday as SK Corp. and other energy companies got off to a strong start on recent runaway oil prices. The broader Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 9.35 points, or...

S. Korea to offer US info on its functional cosmetics system.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will provide the United States with information on the overall treatment process of functional cosmetics, the country's food watchdog said Thursday. The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) has...

Gov't willing to increase housing supply: finance minister.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top economic policymaker said Thursday that the government is willing to increase housing supply, if necessary, in order to stem excessive gains in property prices. "We are to supply more homes if...

SK Corp. to hold investor relations meetings in Japan, Hong Kong.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- SK Corp., South Korea's top refiner, said Thursday it will conduct overseas investor relations (IR) sessions in Japan and Hong Kong next week. The road show, to be held in Tokyo on Tuesday and Hong Kong on...

(2nd LD) S. Korea's inflation rate slows in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean consumer prices logged slow growth in August as a fall in housing prices partially offset a rise in oil and food costs, a government report showed Thursday. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.3...

(LEAD) S. Korea's inflation rate slows in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean consumer prices logged a slow growth in August as a fall in housing prices partially offset a rise in oil and food costs, a government report showed Thursday. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.3...

S. Korea's inflation remains under control in August.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) - South Korean consumer prices increased for a second consecutive month in August mainly due to a rise in oil costs and prices of agricultural products, but inflation in Asia's fourth-largest economy remained under...

EDITORIAL from the Chosun Ilbo on Thursday September 1, 2005.
September 1, 2005... We don't need more silly-shallying from our rulers The president's dinner table conversation with ruling Uri Party lawmakers on Tuesday turned once again to political reform. Roh said he was thinking of "ending the Roh Moo-hyun era and...

EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on Thursday September 1, 2005.
September 1, 2005... Risking it all for nothing President Roh Moo-hyun has at last mentioned the possibility of shortening his presidential term, during a dinner for the governing party lawmakers on Tuesday. He said, "If a new political culture is created and a...

EDITORIAL from the Hankyoreh on Thursday September 1, 2005.
September 1, 2005... Nat'l Assembly's turn on real estate The "August 31 Real Estate Measures" are more comprehensive than any measures taken previously. They include means to suppress demand for speculative investment and plans for increasing housing supply,...

Top headlines in major South Korean newspapers: Thursday September 1, 2005.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major Korean newspapers on Thursday September 1, 2005. Vernacular dailies -- Gov't to provide 420,000 medium- and large-sized apartments in capital area (Kyunghyang Shinmun)...

S. Korea's business sentiment improves sharply in September.
September 1, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Business sentiment among South Korean manufacturers improved sharply in September from a month earlier, the nation's central bank said Thursday, as Asia's fourth-largest economy is expected to emerge from a two-year...

(2nd LD) At least five killed, 43 others injured in Daegu blast.
September 2, 2005... DAEGU, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A powerful explosion and an ensuing fire ripped through a public bathhouse here on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring 43 others, police said. Two people were reported as missing in the accident that...

(LEAD) At least four killed, 43 others injured in Daegu blast.
September 2, 2005... DAEGU, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A powerful explosion and an ensuing fire ripped through a public bathhouse here on Friday, killing at least four people and injuring 43 others, police said. Two people were reported as missing in the accident that...

(2nd LD) SK signs MOU to take over Inchon Oil.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- SK Corp., South Korea's leading oil refiner, signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to take over financially-troubled Inchon Oil Refinery Co.. Under the MOU, SK will pay 3.2 trillion won (US$3.10...

S. Korean, Turkish defense chiefs concur on peaceful settlement of nuclear issue.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and Turkey agreed that the North Korean nuclear issue should be peacefully resolved, Seoul's Defense Ministry said Friday. South Korean Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung left for...

U. S. congressmen meet North Korea's chief nuclear talks delegate.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A delegation of U. S. congressmen visiting Pyongyang met with high-level North Korean officials Friday, including Kim Kye-gwan, the chief delegate to the six-party nuclear talks, the North's state-run media said. ...

Morgan Stanley picked as prime bidder for Ssangyong Corp.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Global investment bank Morgan Stanley has been selected as the preliminary preferred bidder for Ssangyong Corp., a troubled South Korean trading company, Ssangyong's creditors said Friday. "Morgan Stanley beat...

Opposition chief rebuffs president's calls for coalition.
September 2, 2005... DAEJEON, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Park Geun-hye on Friday rejected again a proposal by President Roh Moo-hyun to form a coalition government between their political parties. "As I repeatedly said, the formation of a coalition...

About 30 people injured in bathhouse blast in Daegu.
September 2, 2005... DAEGU, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A powerful explosion ripped through a public bathhouse in this city on Friday, injuring nearly 30 people and forcing some others to evacuate naked, police and witnesses said. The injured were rushed to nearby...

(LEAD) SK signs MOU to take over Inchon Oil.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- SK Corp., South Korea's leading oil refiner, signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to take over financially-troubled Inchon Oil Refinery Co.. Under the MOU, SK will pay 3.2 trillion won (US$3.10...

(LEAD) Daum's proposal for KOSPI-listing rejected.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The operator of the South Korean stock market has turned down an application by Daum Communications Corp., the country's second most-popular Internet portal, to be listed on the main stock index, Daum said Friday. ...

Prosecutors raid Doosan's construction arm.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean state prosecutors raided the head office of Doosan Industrial Development Co., a construction subsidiary of the Doosan Group, on Friday as part of their investigation into allegations of corruption by the...

(LEAD) S. Korea wins two silver medals at Asian athletics competition.
September 2, 2005... INCHEON, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Kim Hyun-sub won the silver medal in the men's 20 km walk at the Asian Athletics Championship on Friday, marking the first medal for his country in the four-day competition. Kim finished the course in one hour, 25...

Search for new football coach narrows to seven foreign candidates.
September 2, 2005... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Friday it has short-listed seven foreign candidates for the position of national team coach. "The number of candidates has been narrowed to seven foreign coaches out of a...

POSCO Terminal to open steel transshipment base in Gwangyang.
September 2, 2005... YEOSU, South Korea, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean port terminal operator POSCO Terminal Co. will complete a massive transshipment base for steel raw materials in the southern port city of Gwangyang early next month, which will aim to become...