YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea articles from September 2008

YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea archives from September 2008

S, Korea marks Constitutional Court anniversary with int'l forum.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Dozens of renowned jurists from around the world gathered in Seoul on Monday for a rare forum on the role of the constitutional court, as South Korea marked the 20th anniversary of its own court. The four-day...

Seoul to host forum on joint development, acquisition of weapons.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Procurement officials from South Korea and 10 other nations, including the United States and India, will gather here this week to discuss the possibility of conducting joint research and development of defense goods,...

S. Korea trade deficit exceeds US$3 bln in August.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade deficit topped US$3 billion in August mainly due to high global energy prices, a government report showed Monday. The report showed exports rising 20.6 percent from a year earlier to $37.39...

S. Korea's currency drops to 46-month low against U.S. dollar.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's currency fell to a 46-month low against the U.S. dollar Monday, as demand for the greenback by foreign stock investors remained strong, dealers said. The local currency was trading at 1,101.45 won as of...

S. Korea, US to discuss global security issues.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak left Monday for Washington to hold an annual strategic dialogue with his American counterpart and meet foreign policy aides to U.S. presidential candidates, officials...

Renault Samsung workers accept wage deal.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Workers at Renault Samsung Motor Co., the South Korean unit of French automaker Renault SA, accepted a pay agreement with the company, Renault Samsung said Monday. The two sides agreed to a 77,000 won (US$70) increase...

LG Display to form joint venture with Taiwan's AmTran.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- LG Display Co., the world's No.2 maker of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), said Monday it has agreed to establish a joint venture in the production of televisions with Taiwan's AmTran Technology Co. The parties signed...

S, Korea marks Constitutional Court anniversary with int'l forum.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Dozens of renowned jurists from around the world gathered in Seoul on Monday for a rare forum on the role of the constitutional court, as South Korea marked the 20th anniversary of its own court. The four-day...

Lehman hopes to raise $6 bln from KDB: report.
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the subprime-battered U.S. investment bank, is hoping to secure as much as US$6 billion in fresh capital this week in talks with South Korea's state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), a...

EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on Sept. 1.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... A sick economy The governments reasoning on the so-called September financial crisis is convincing on its own term. It is true that short-term foreign loans will expire this month, but money is not that likely to leave the country all at...

EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Sept. 1.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... LGPA' English Rule Playing Golf Well Has Little to Do With Language Skill It may be a good idea that South Korean and other international golfers on U.S. tours have a good command of English. But if they don't, should they be sent back...

EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Sept. 1.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... Bottomless pit A pension program is one designed to provide its subscribers with a steady income when they retire. It needs to build assets upon which it can draw to make payments to retirees in the form of a lifetime annuity. What if the...

Bush says not attending Republican nat'l convention due to hurricane.
September 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said Sunday he will not attend Monday's Republican convention to nominate Sen. John McCain as the party's presidential candidate, citing the need to head to the southern coast facing...

Bush urges Congress to ratify Korea-U.S. FTA to help boost economy.
September 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President George. W. Bush Sunday urged Congress to approve pending free trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, saying they will greatly enhance the U.S. gross domestic product, which is growing...

McCain to demand CVID of N. Korean nukes: report.
September 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Senator John McCain will demand that North Korea dismantle its nuclear weapons programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and include a full accounting of its alleged nuclear proliferation, a...

N. Korea lambasts U.S. over "aerial espionage".
September 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea condemned Sunday what it claimed was "aerial espionage" conducted by the United States, and accused Seoul and Washington of remaining unchanged in their attempt to stifle the communist nation by force. The...

S. Korea's daily FX turnover falls 2.7 pct in Q2.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The daily trading volume on the South Korean foreign exchange market declined 2.7 percent in the second quarter from three months earlier mainly on decreased trading of foreign exchange derivatives, the central bank...

Seoul shares up on bargain hunting.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks gained ground late Tuesday morning, rebounding from a 17-month low in the previous session, as investors picked up telecom, machinery and other blue-chip stocks, analysts said. The benchmark Korea...

Cheong Wa Dae keeps mum on Fukuda's resignation.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday refrained from commenting on Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's sudden resignation Monday night, but said it will closely watch the Japanese political situation...

Seoul calls for joint development of weapons systems in int'l forum.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee Tuesday called for strong efforts to launch unprecedented joint development and acquisition of defense goods among nations, to address the "astronomical expenses" defense...

S. Korea distances itself from Japanese politics.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government has taken a wait-and-see approach towards media speculation over the successor to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who resigned last night. Foreign Ministry officials were guarded...

Kia Motors to sell new hatchback in South Korea this month.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., said Tuesday it will begin selling a new hatchback model this month in South Korea to increase its small-car sales. The Soul hatchback will be available for sale in...

Assembly must settle 201 bills during session: ministry.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Legislators must make haste in deliberating over 200 pressing economy-related bills that must be approved before the end of the current parliamentary session, ministry officials said Tuesday. With concerns running...

Hyundai Motor, union meet to end walkout, but deal elusive.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. executives were meeting with the company's labor union on Tuesday to try to end a two-month pay dispute that forced the automaker to report a 7.7 percent fall in sales last month. There were no signs...

Won's weakness against dollar to continue: BOK Gov.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top central banker said Tuesday the local currency's weakness against the U.S. dollar is likely to continue for a considerable period of time as global financial jitters are putting downward pressure on...

S. Korea designated world seed vault by FAO.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's agrobiodiversity center has been designated as a world seed backup vault by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the government said Tuesday. South Korea's Rural Development Administration said...

Lee orders measures to boost construction sector.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday instructed his Cabinet to take practical policy measures, such as stimulating urban redevelopment, in order to help boost job creation in the face of a lingering economic crisis....

LA Dodgers starter Park Chan-ho welcomes 2nd daughter.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Major League pitcher Park Chan-ho said Tuesday his wife has delivered their second child. In a post written on his personal Web site, the 35-year-old right-hander playing for LA Dodgers said his wife...

S. Korea's first-half tax revenues surge.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's tax revenues jumped 14.9 percent during the first half of this year on increased corporate tax incomes, a government report showed Tuesday. According to the report submitted by the National Tax Service...

Prosecutors seek to arrest opposition lawmaker over hospital lobbying.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors on Tuesday sought an arrest warrant for an opposition lawmaker being investigated on allegations that he took bribes for helping a foreign firm trying to open a for-profit hospital on the southern resort...

Korean currency gains on verbal intervention.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean currency rose against the U.S. dollar Tuesday, rebounding from a 46-month low, after foreign exchange authorities said it will take stern measures against one-sided currency movement, dealers said....

Lee to hold town hall meeting next Tuesday.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak is planning to hold a town hall meeting next Tuesday evening, seeking to renew his bid to revive the slumping economy, a source at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. During the...

State oil company reviewing Kamchatka oil field joint venture proposal.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state-run oil company is reviewing a joint venture proposal to develop the west Kamchatka oil field with a Russian counterpart, government and industry sources said Tuesday. Sources at the Ministry for...

S. Korean Park Chu-young to play in France.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Up-and-coming South Korean football star Park Chu-young has signed a four-year contract with AS Monaco of the top-tier French league, an official here said. Park, a 23-year-old who has played for FC Seoul since 2005,...

S. Korea to take 'stern' measures against won's steep losses: vice minister.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government is seriously concerned about the won's recent steep loss against the U.S. dollar and will take stern measures against panic-triggered fluctuations in the currency market, a senior economic...

Bush skips convention, heads to Texas to face Gustav.
September 2, 2008... WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President George W. Bush flew to Texas on Monday and praised concerted relief efforts by federal and local authorities as Hurricane Gustav significantly weakened upon arrival at the U.S. Gulf Coast. "The...

RNC draft platform calls for CVID of N. Korean nukes, ratification of Korea FTA.
September 2, 2008... WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Republican Party on Monday revealed a draft platform calling for North Korea's dismantlement of its nuclear weapons programs and early ratification of a free trade deal with South Korea. "The U.S. will...

Reducing boundaries.
September 2, 2008... (EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on Sept. 2): We have a golden opportunity to modify regional administrative boundaries. For the first time in years, the ruling and the opposition parties agree to reduce current administrative units from...

Tax Cut Authorities Should Do More to Stimulate Economy.
September 2, 2008... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Sept. 2): A tax cut is not a panacea for all the economic problems facing the country right now. This measure is designed to give the economy a shot in the arm, but does not necessarily guarantee economic...

Corruption on air.
September 2, 2008... (EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Sept. 2): Corrupt links between broadcasting networks and popular entertainers have been long suspected. But, the revelations by prosecutors in recent weeks, after the arrests of some program directors, went...

S. Korea's FX reserves fall by US$4.32 bln in August.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign exchange reserves fell for the fifth straight month in August mainly because foreign exchange authorities unloaded dollar holdings to bolster the local currency amid spiraling inflation. The...

UN head expresses support for Yeosu Expo.
September 2, 2008... ZARAGOZA, Spain, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday expressed the support of the U.N. for the 2012 Expo in the South Korean city of Yeosu. Visiting the Korean pavilion at the Expo Zaragoza 2008, the South...

Power failure hampers work on Busan piers.
September 2, 2008... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Loading and unloading on docks in South Korea's largest port city of Busan was stopped by a power failure for four-and-half hours on Monday afternoon, officials said. An official of the Busan Port Authority, located...

Former finance minister says KEB sale to Lone Star was unavoidable.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A former finance minister who oversaw the controversial sale of Korea Exchange Bank to U.S. buyout firm Lone Star in 2003 said Monday that the deal was unavoidable, and he would make the same decision if given another...

S. Korea returns N. Korean boat, crew to the North.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday returned a North Korean boat and its crew to the North's authorities after rescuing the ship as it drifted in the West Sea, the Unification Ministry said. South Korean authorities rescued two...

Gov't aims to 'wage war' on dementia to enhance public health: official.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government aims to set up a comprehensive monitoring and medicare system to fight dementia as part of its efforts to enhance public health, a senior policymaker said Monday. "The government plans to wage war on...

Hepatitis B-tainted blood mistakenly given to patients: Red Cross.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hepatitis B-tainted blood has been mistakenly given to patients, but authorities have tightened screening to prevent a repetition of the incident, the Korea National Red Cross (KNRC) said Monday. The blood bank center...

SK Telecom beats rivals in luring customers in August.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- SK Telecom Co., South Korea's leading mobile carrier, gained more customers than its rivals in August, maintaining its lead in the country's nearly saturated telecom market, according to data released by mobile...

Economic data indicates worst situation in decade: finance minister.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Many economic indicators show South Korea is suffering from the worst situation since the 1997-98 Asian financial meltdown, the country's finance minister said Monday. Experts here have been predicting massive...

Seoul's financial market hit by currency woes.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial market was severely rattled on Monday by concerns about the won's steep drop versus the U.S. dollar, with the key stock index hitting a 17-month low, analysts said. The local currency closed at...

(News Focus) Tax reforms far from boosting housing market.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's proposed tax reforms on properties are expected to have little impact on the slumping housing market due to an economic slowdown and higher interest rates, market watchers said Monday. "Considering the...

Kospi drops 4 pct on currency woes.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks plunged more than 4 percent on Monday on worries over an increasingly volatile currency market, analysts said Monday. The local currency fell to a 46-month low against the U.S. dollar. The...

Economy tops agenda for first parliament session.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's newly-launched parliament convened its first regular session Monday, as concerns run high here over persistent inflation and the local currency's fall against the greenback. Local experts have been...

Environment ministry adopts work-at-home policy.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Environment launched a work-at-home program for some of its employees on Monday, saying it will save them time and energy usually spent on commuting and also help the environment. In an unprecedented...

(News Focus) Financial jitters hammer South Korea's economy.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The prospects for South Korean economic growth darkened further on Monday with worries over a massive outflow of foreign capital this month flying throughout the rest of the economy. Weaker-than-expected trade results...

Beef from older U.S. cattle will not reenter country: PM.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister said Monday U.S. exporters' voluntary ban on shipping beef from older cattle will stay in place until local concerns over mad cow disease fully subside. In April, Seoul struck an agreement...

S. Korea's inflation slows from 10-year high in August.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer prices grew at a slower pace in August than in the previous month as oil and commodity prices showed signs of stabilization, a government report showed Monday. The consumer price index gained...

Strikes take toll on S. Korea's auto sales in August, outlook gloomy.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean automakers posted a combined 10.6 percent fall in sales in August, particularly hit by a series of partial strikes over annual wage negotiations and weakening demand both at home and overseas. The...

(News Focus) Tax reforms far from boosting housing market.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's proposed tax reforms on properties are expected to have little impact on the slumping housing market due to an economic slowdown and higher interest rates, market watchers said Monday. "Considering the...

FC Seoul's Park to sign with AS Monaco: agent.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean football striker Park Chu-young is poised to sign a multi-year contract with AS Monaco of the French league, his agent said Monday. Park, the 23-year-old who plays for FC Seoul, left for France on Sunday...

S. Korea unveils tax reforms to stimulate consumption, corporate investment.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea announced on Monday a wide range of tax reforms including income and corporate tax cuts aimed at boosting the country's slowing economy by stimulating sluggish private consumption and corporate investment....

(News Focus) Will tax reforms boost economic growth or widen wealth gap?
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's drastic tax-reform drive is expected to help provide extra money for its citizens to spend more and stimulate corporate investment down the road at a time when Asia's fourth-largest economy is showing...

S. Korea announces tax reforms to stimulate consumption, corporate investment.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The following is the gist of South Korea's tax reforms aimed at boosting domestic spending and corporate investment, unveiled on Monday by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. 1. Income taxes -- Cuts income tax...

Hyundai Motor vehicle sales fall 7.7 pct in August.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, said Monday its vehicle sales last month fell 7.7 percent from a year earlier, hit by sluggish demand at home and overseas, along with a series of partial strikes...

Korea, Uruguay agree to expand ties in forestry, fisheries.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak and his visiting Uruguayan counterpart Tabare Vazquez held summit talks in Seoul Monday and agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and other economic...

S. Korea's total land area exceeds 100,000-square-kilometers: gov't.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's total land area exceeded 100,000-square-kilometers for the first time in 2007 fueled by greater reclamation works, a government report said Monday. The findings by the Ministry of Land, Transport and...

S. Korea's Paralympic athletes depart for Beijing.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The first major batch of the South Korean delegation to the Beijing Paralympics left for China on Monday, sporting officials said. The 86-member group, part of the 138-strong delegation, will arrive in China ahead of...

Jordanian football squad due in S. Korea.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Jordanian national football team will arrive in South Korea on Tuesday to hold a friendly match here later this week, according to the South Korean football governing body. The friendly on Friday is the last...

GM Daewoo's auto sales fall 18.4 pct in August.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Corp., said Monday its vehicle sales last month declined 18.4 percent from a year earlier on sporadic strikes over a wage dispute. Last month,...

Kia Motors post 2.8 pct decline in August sales.(Financial report)
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Monday its vehicle sales last month fell 2.8 percent from a year earlier after a series of partial strikes over annual salary negotiations disrupted car...

Ssangyong Motor's auto sales plunge 36 pct in August.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., said Monday its vehicle sales last month nosedived 36.1 percent from a year earlier, hit by a production stoppage to adjust...

S. Korean envoy urges N. Korea to resume disablement work.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator urged North Korea Monday to restart disabling its nuclear reactor, playing down Pyongyang's proclamation last week of a sudden halt to the disablement as the isolated regime's...

Renault Samsung's vehicle sales rise 30.9 pct in August.(Financial report)
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motor Co., the South Korean unit of French automaker Renault SA, said Monday its vehicle sales last month rose 30.9 percent from a year earlier. Domestic sales fell 6.5 percent to 9,371 units in...

Chief of budding MP3 player maker indicted for stealing technology.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The head of a budding MP3 player manufacturer, Atree Co., was indicted on Monday for allegedly starting his business with technology stolen from a major South Korean brand, prosecutors said. The suspect, identified...

Doosan Group hit by concerns over cash injection into overseas units.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Infracore Co., South Korea's largest construction-equipment maker, led declines on Friday among Doosan Group's subsidiaries following an announcement that it and an affiliate would spend US$1 billion in two...

N. Korea calls Seoul's events to console separated families 'gimmick'.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday ridiculed Seoul for events to console families separated by the Korean border, claiming the move was "a clumsy trick" to avoid the blame for worsening inter-Korean relations. Seoul arranged...

KOSPI gains marginally, Doosan units plunge.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks finished marginally higher Friday on overnight U.S. stock gains and a drop in oil prices, but the key index's gains were largely tempered by landslide losses among Doosan Group units, analysts...

S. Korea-U.S. defense cost sharing talks fail to bring breakthrough.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Negotiators from South Korea and the United States have again failed to wrap up talks on readjusting Seoul's financial share in maintaining tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Korea, South Korean officials said...

Presidential office seeks to buy new airplane.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Seoul is seeking to buy a new presidential airplane by 2012 amid an increase in the South Korean president's offshore diplomatic activities, a source at the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said Friday. "The...

Lee calls for including green growth in school textbooks.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Friday called for greater government-wide efforts to help young students gain a deeper understanding of low-carbon societies, climate change and green growth through school textbooks. During...

25 universities approved to open law schools.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- The Education Ministry said Friday that it has decided to formally allow 25 universities to open U.S.-style law schools next year to meet the rising demand for lawyers and trained legal experts from various...

Scholars call for tougher crackdown on plagiarism.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea should toughen up on plagiarism, which is often shrugged off by South Korean intellectuals, scholars said Friday, following a slew of cheating scandals that shamed senior officials and celebrities. "I'm...

S. Korea, EU to seek package solution on free trade deal.
September 2, 2008... SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Chief negotiators from South Korea and the European Union have agreed to seek a package solution on controversial issues such as auto trade after failing to narrow their gap in three-day free trade talks, officials...

McCain announces 1st term female Alaska Gov. as surprise running-mate.
September 2, 2008... WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Republican presumptive presidential nominee John McCain Friday selected the first-term female governor of Alaska as his running-mate in an apparent bid to woo votes from supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton....