KOR/SOUTH KOREA/ASIA PACIFIC


Table of Contents for South Korea

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1) No Big Changes to Korea-u.S. FTA, Trade Minister Promises
2) ECFA: US Welcomes the Signing of Cross-Strait Trade Pact
Unattributed article from the "Taiwan" page: "ECFA: US Welcomes the
Signing of Cross-Strait Trade Pact"
3) Lee Presses Flesh, Talks Trade, in Central America
4) Korea Provides Growth Example For C. America
By Korea Times correspondent Na Jeong-ju: "Korea Provides Growth Example
For C. America"
5) President Lee in Mexico for FTA, UN Diplomacy Against DPRK
Updated version: adjusting metadata; replacing 1511 GMT version with
source-supplied 2102 GMT update, which "UPDATES throughout with arrival;
CHANGES dateline"; Yonhap headline: "(LEAD) Lee in Mexico For FTA, U.N.
Diplomacy Against Pyongyang" by Lee Chi-dong
6) US State Dept Repeatedly Calls on China to Condemn DPRK for Ship
Sinking
Yonhap headline: "U.S. Repeats Calls on China to Condemn N. Korea For Ship
Sinking: State Dept." by Hwang Doo-hyong
7) Ethiopian premier hails G8, G20 summits in Canada
8) Xinhua 'Analysis': G20 Chair S. Korea Gears up for More Concrete
Outcomes at November Summit
Xinhua "Analysis" by Na, Haejung: "G20 Chair S. Korea Gears up for More
Concrete Outcomes at November Summit"
9) US Top Military Commander Says Delay of Wartime Command Transfer to
Deter DPRK
Updated version: "ADDS quotes by nominee for South Korea's chairman of
Joint Chiefs of Staff in paras 8-10; RECASTS first two paras;" Upgrading
precedence; Yonhap headline: "Delay of wartime command transfer to deter
N. Korea: U.S. general"
10) ROK Trade Minister Says ROK Not to Revise Free Trade Deal With U S
Updated version: Upgrading and refiling to replace 0258 GMT text with
source-supplied update of 0513 GMT and at 0618 GMT, which clarifies quotes
in graf 11, adds more details in grafs 13-14, and last graf. Yonhap
headline: "S. Korea not to revise free trade deal with U.S. (ATTN: ADDS
more details throughout)"
11) ROK Trade Minister Says ROK Not to Revise Free Trade Deal With US
Updated version: Upgrading and refiling to replace 0258 GMT text with
source-supplied update of 0513 GMT. Yonhap headline: "S. Korea not to
revise free trade deal with U.S. (ATTN: ADDS more details throughout)"
12) Palestinian Reports on Socioeconomic Projects 12-18 Jun 10
The following lists highlights of reports on socioeconomic projects
carried in the Palestinian media between 12 and 18 June. To request
additional processing, or for assistance with multimedia elements, call
OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202) 338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735.
13) South Korea To Assist Angola in Rolling Out Wireless Broadband
Services in State
Unattributed report: "Korean Body Signs Broadband MOU With Angola"
14) Seoul Ranks as 5th Most Expensive City in Asia: Poll
15) Korea Forges Closer Ties With Central American Bloc
16) ROKG Must Tell Muslim World of Ashena Unit's Mission of Peace
17) Serbian president discusses investment opportunities with Austrian
officials
18) ROK Postal Service Braces for 'Major' Changes
Article by Cho Ji-hyun: "Korea Post Braces For Major Changes"
19) Incheon Aims to Co-host SKAL Event
20) EU Takes Smaller Share of Korean May Exports
21) Fiscal Crisis Dents S. Korean Exports to EU
22) IMF Chief Says Korean Economy Is Ready For Exit Strategy
23) IMF May Adopt Financial Safety Net Proposal
24) S. Korea, Colombia Agree to Speed Up FTA Talks
25) S. Korea to Conduct Advanced Experiments on Fusion Energy Test Bed
26) Prof Sells 'holy Water' Cure Devices
27) Settlement of Issue of 'Comfort Women' For Imperial Japanese Army
Urged
28) (Yonhap Feature) Korean Wave Brings S. Korea, Hong Kong Closer Than
Ever
29) Korea Post Celebrates Decade of Growth, Profit
30) Propaganda Just Isn't Enough
"Viewpoint" column by Kwon Young-bin, president of the Gyeonggi Cultural
Foundation and former president of the JoongAng Ilboand Translation by the
JoongAng Daily staff: "Propaganda Just Isn't Enough"
31) Country's 'digital' Rank Climbs to 13
32) LG Maintains Upward Growth Trajectory
33) US Congressmen Launch Working Group for Korea-US FTA's Ratification
By Hwang Doo-hyong: "Congressmen launch working group for Korea FTA's
ratification"
34) US Congressmen Launch Working Group for Early Ratification of KORUS
FTA
Yonhap headline: "Congressmen Launch Working Group For Korea FTA's
Ratification" by Hwang Doo-hyong
35) ROK Editorial Says ROK To Compete 'Fiercely' Against PRC, Taiwan for
Promotion of Exports
36) DPRK Radio Carries KCNA Communique on Wartime, Post-War 'Damage'
Inflicted by US
"KCNA Communique [podo]: The Crimes That Will Take Generations To Settle
Score On -- Damage Inflicted by US Imperialists on Northern Half of the
Republic Amounts to US$64,959,854 Million," issued on 24 June; the
following was carried as a single report, replacing the
regularly-scheduled newscast; The last observed KCNA Communique was
released on 30 April 2010 regarding the completion of "cutting-edge-level"
anthracite coal gasification process at Namhu'ng Youth Chemical Complex,
as cited in the first referent item
37) Expert Says PRC Steelmakers Should Acquire Overseas Iron Ore Mines
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
38) Chongryon HQ on Block After Ruling
39) S. Korean Pension Fund to Raise Stock Weighting Next Year
40) Employment of Educated Korean Women Lowest Among OECD Countries
41) Asiana Leads Top Stocks in First Half
42) Korea Ranks First in Global Shipbuilding
43) Taiwanese Students' Civic Understanding Ranked World's Fourth
By Lin Huei-chun and Elizabeth Hsu
44) ROK Editorial Says ROK Society To Take Responsibility for Rape
Offenders, Victims
E ditorial: "Chemical Castration"
45) DPRK's KCNA Lists 1 Jul Rodong Sinmun Articles
Attaching the vernacular full-text of the Rodong Sinmun list of articles
for the corresponding date -- as available from the KCNA in Korean feed --
in PDF format.; Original KCNA headline: "Press Review"
46) Probe Into Truth Behind Case of Warship Sinking Demanded in S. Korea
47) Just Cause of Korean People Supported
48) N. Korean Ambassador in Laos Denies Pyongyang Attacked S. Korean
Warship
49) Lee Myung Bak's Sycophancy Towards U.S. Under Fire
50) N. Korean Spies Get 10-year Jail Terms For Assassination Plot
51) North Envoy Literally Twists Counterpart's Arm
52) PRC Denies Artillery Drill Is Aimed at US Military Exercise
Article by Class='subhead'>reuters, Beijing from the "Front&q uot;
page: "PRC Denies Artillery Drill Is Aimed at US Military Exercise"
53) New U.S. Command Entity Delayed
54) DPRK Ruling Party to Elect New Leaders in Sept.
55) Ruling Camp Reshuffle
56) US Rejects DPRK Call For New Probe Into Sinking of Cheonan
57) US Repeats Calls on China to Condemn DPRK for ROK Ship Sinking
By Hwang Doo-hyong: "U.S. repeats calls on China to condemn N. Korea for
ship sinking: State Dept."
58) Ministry Offers 7% Rise in 2011 Defense Budget
59) ROK Monthlies for Jul 10
To request additional processing, call OSC at 1-800-205-8615 or
202-338-6735 or e-mail at EAG_Korea@rccb.osis.gov.
60) Korea America Friendship Society Event Celebrates US-ROK Alliance
Article by Song Sang-ho: "KAFS Event Celebrates ROK-U.S. Alliance"
61) Rev. Han Sang Ryol Meets Working People
62) ROK Defense Ministry Requests Budget Increase After Warship Sinking
63) North Korean Striker's Mother Culls Rumors
64) Western Source Says DPRK Elected Kim Jong-un to Parliament in Mar 2010
Updated version: Upgrading precedence; By Lee Young-jong: Kim Jong-un
Elected to Parliament
65) UNC Rejects North Korean Claims
66) N. Korea's World Cup Squad Returns Home From South Africa: Report
67) DPRK Threatens To Destroy ROK Loudspeakers, Turn Seoul Into 'Sea of
Flames'
Updated version: revising headline and adding referent items; Unattributed
report: "N.K Threatens to Destroy S.K Loudspeakers, Turn Seoul Into 'sea
of Flame'"
68) ROK Holds Send-off Ceremony for Troops Dispatched to Afghanistan
Updated version: Replacing 0243 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0536 GMT which recasts lead, graf 3, updates with Korean's launch of
the PRT mission this week, and adds background in grafs 9-12; Yonhap
headline: "S. Korea holds send-off ceremony for troops set to head to
Afghanistan"
69) Korean People's Struggle Backed by British Organizations
KCNA headline: "Korean People's Struggle Backed by British Organizations"
70) Memorial Exhibit Opens for 2002 Inter-Korean Naval Battle
71) ROK National Assembly Adopts Resolution Condemning DPRK for Ch'o'nan
Sinking
72) China-Taiwan Trade Deal Has a Lesson For Korea
73) Ghana's defence minister in talks with visiting South Korean deputy
premier
74) ROK Launches Permanent International Peacekeeping Unit
Yonhap headline: "S. Korea launches permanent peacekeeping unit"
75) US, Afghan Authorities Yet to Discern Attacker of ROK Base in
Afghanistan
Following is source-supplied update to referent item, which recasts lead
and headline and provides the ROK Foreign Ministry's briefing in grafs
1-5; : By Chang Jae-soon: "S. Korean PRT base in Afghanistan comes under
rocket attack"
76) ROK PRT Base in Afghanistan Comes Under Rocket Attack on 30 Jun; No
Casualties
Updated version: Replacing 0205 GMT text with update provided by source at
0223 GMT and upgrading precedence. Yonhap headline: "S. Korean PRT in
Afghanistan Comes Under Rocket Attack"
77) S. Korean PRT in Afghanistan Comes Under Rocket Attack
78) Farewell Friends!
79) Korea's Reconstruction Work in Afghanistan Due
80) Hyundai Motor Group Mulling Bid For Hyundai Engineering: Source
81) Prime Minister Takes The Rap For Sejong Debacle
82) Stop Greasing The Wheels
83) SK Energy to Set Up Global Venture
84) Amcham Calls For Better Business Climate In Taiwan
By Alex Jiang
85) SK Energy to Set Up Joint Venture With U.S. Firm For Tech Exports
86) Gov't Forecasts 6% Growth This Year
87) Vice President Says Unity With South Korea Greatest SICA
Accomplishment
"Foreign Minister Varela Says SICA-South Korean Unity Greatest
Contribution to Summit" -- ACAN-EFE Headline
88) South Korea New Member of BCIE, Contribution up to $325 Million
Unattributed article:"South Korea Will Contribute up to $325 Million to
BCIE"
89) Samsung Electronics Revises Up Sales Target For Flat-screen TVs
90) Foreign Currency Liquidity Measures Go Into Force
91) ROK-China FTA Talks to Start Next Year, Beijing Says
92) US FK Curfew Ends Friday
93) ROK's Doosan Heavy Wins US$3.9 Billion Order for UAE Nuclear Reactors
Updated version: replacing 0045 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0136 GMT, which provides more details in grafs 2 and 3; Yonhap
headline: "Doosan Heavy Wins US$3.9 Bln Order For UAE Nuclear Reactors"
94) Congressmen Launch US-ROK FTA Working Group
95) Four Out of 10 S. Korean Firms Rosy About Yuan Rise
96) SK to Spend 17.5 Tln Won on Key Business Sectors
97) Capital Spending Set to Slow in The Second Half
98) ROK To Simplify Visa Issuance for Chinese Tourists
Updated version: adding China, Migration and International Economic tags;
By Kim Eun-jung: "S. Korea to simplify visa issuance for Chinese tourists"
99) ROK Posts Record Trade Surplus of US$7.47 Billion in June
Udpated version: repla cing 0010 GMT version with update provided by
source at 0117 GMT, which recasts headline and updates with more details,
comments throughout; Yonhap headline: "S. Korea Posts Record Trade Surplus
of US$7.47 Bln in June"
100) Police Double Reward For Rapist of 7-year Old Girl
101) [What the brokers say] Korean steel
102) China's R&D Spending More Than Double Korea's
103) S. Korea's Consumer Prices Rise 2.6 Pct in June
Updated version: Replacing 2320 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0032 GMT on 1 July, which adds more details in last five grafs.
104) Pension Service Eyeing Local Equities
105) Two Russian Patrol Craft To Call At South Korean Port Of Mukho
106) S. Korea's Overseas Royalty Payments Rise This Year
107) S. Korea to Simplify Visa Issuance For Chinese To urists
108) Models to Get New Galaxy S Phones in SKT Promotional Push
109) Korea Not to Budge on FTA Concessions With US
110) New Scanner Shows Way Too Much: Commission
111) Taco Bell Returning After Long Absence
112) Business Confidence At 8-year High
113) Samsung Battles Apple With Galaxy S Smartphone
114) (News Focus) Seoul's New Education Chief Faces Daunting Test in
Reform Drive
115) Half of Students in Seoul Take 2 Shots At University Entrance
116) Hyundai Department Holds IR Sessions in Hong Kong, Singapore
117) New Community Movement to Power Green Growth
118) President's Confidant to Run in July 28 Assembly By-elections
119) Close Confidant of President Lee To Run for July Parliamentary
By-Elect ion
Article by Song Sang-ho: Lee Jae-oh to Run For July Parliamentary
By-election
120) China's PLA Navy Starts Live-Ammunition Training in West Pacific
Updated version: adding Urgent tag, rewriting Subject line; Xinhua: "PLA
Navy Starts Live-Ammunition Training in West Pacific"
121) 48 Civil Servants Face Discipline for Election Campaign
Unattributed article: "48 Civil Servants Face Discipline For Election
Campaign"
122) ROK Labor, Management Fail To Produce Agreement on Minimum Wage
Article by staff reporter Kwon Mee-yoo: "Minimum Wage Talks Keep Falling
Apart"
123) Korean Public Firms Cut 4,600 Jobs Last Year: Gov't
124) Hyundai Rotem Wins Railcar Order From U.S. City
125) Samsung's Smartphone Galaxy s to Hit U.S. in July
126) Newly Elected Mayors, Governors, Education Chie fs to Take Office
Thursday
127) S. Korean Drug Firm Sees Headway in Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine
Research
128) Smaller KBS Union to Walk Out in Pay Dispute
129) Civilian Watchdog to Monitor Rights Violations Against Migrant
Workers
130) Rights Watchdog Voices Concern Over Airport Full-body Scanner
131) ROK Postpones Unveiling Woori Finance Sale Plan Until Mid-July 2010
Updated version: Replacing 0308 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0542 GMT; Yonhap headline: "(LEAD) Seoul to delay unveiling Woori
Finance sale plan till mid-July (RECASTS lead; ADDS details in paras 3-4,
7-10)"
132) Dongkuk Steel to Raise Steel Price Next Month
133) Opposition Parties Form Alliance Against New Union Law
134) (News Focus) Showdown on Sejong City May Not Be Over
135) L isted Firms Closing Books in March See Soaring Profits in 2009
136) Seoul Seeking to Boost Service-Sector Exports
Updated version: Replacing 0200 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0514 GMT. Yonhap headline: "Seoul seeking to boost service-sector
exports (ATTN: CORRECTS date for the launch of a KITA committee in last
para)"
137) ROK's National Pension Service To Pour $9.93 Billion Into Stocks
138) Parliament Rejects Bill to Nix Government Relocation
139) S. Korea's Cargo Handling to Grow 73% in 10 Years
140) ROK Parties Fail to Amend Demonstration Act; Overnight Rallies
Allowed From 1 Jul
Original headline: "Overnight Outdoor Assemblies to Be Allowed From July
1"
141) PRC Military Drill 'To Counter' US-ROK Military Exercise
Updated version: adding editorial note on additional information from a 28
Ju ne 2010 Hankyoreh article to the very end of this report; Unattributed
report: "Chinese Drill to Counter S.Korea-u.S. Exercise"
142) The Original Sejong City Plan
143) Fears of Rate Hike Dwarf Direct Financing
144) ROKG Seeks to Discipline Civil Servants for Election Campaign
Activities
By Kim Eun-jung: "Gov't seeks to discipline civil servants for election
campaign activities"
145) ROK Manufacturers' Business Confidence Stays Flat for July
Updated version: Replacing 2101 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0104 GMT
146) ROK PM To 'Take Full Responsibility' for Sejong City Bill; No Mention
of Resignation
Updated version: Replacing 0236 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0314 GMT

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1) Back to Top
No Big Changes to Kor ea-u.S. FTA, Trade Minister Promises - Chosun Ilbo
Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:10:14 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon on Wednesday made it clear
that there will be no substantial revision of the Korea-U.S. free trade
agreement. The minister was speaking to reporters ahead of bilateral talks
to fine-tune the FTA, which was originally signed almost three years ago
but still awaits ratification in both countries.

"There will be no revision to the Korea-U.S. FTA. I promise that the
upcoming working-level talks will focus on the contents of the agreement
rather than on the deadline," he said. "You say that removing even a
single comma from the agreement constitutes a revision of it, but there
will be no such thing. We're not going to rush to the deadline at the
expense of the contents."U.S. President Barack Obama in a meeting with his
Korean cou nterpart Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) on the sidelines of the
G20 Summit in Canada on Saturday said he asked the U.S. Trade
Representative to conclude the new round of talks by November, when
mid-term elections are held in the U.S.Kim appeared to suggest that the
November deadline is less important than a satisfactory outcome of the
talks. The Obama administration has misgivings about some parts of the
FTA, especially the automobile part.Kim also dismissed rumors that Seoul
made a large concession behind closed doors in order to persuade Obama to
delay the handover of full operational control of South Korean troops to
Seoul, such as offering to give substantial ground in the FTA."President
Obama pledged to submit the Korea-U.S. FTA to Congress before the mid-term
elections. It appears that he's resolved to take his own political risk,"
Kim said.(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English --
English website carrying English summaries and full transl ations of
vernacular hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo,
which is conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

2) Back to Top
ECFA: US Welcomes the Signing of Cross-Strait Trade Pact
Unattributed article from the "Taiwan" page: "ECFA: US Welcomes the
Signing of Cross-Strait Trade Pact" - Taipei Times Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:56:57 GMT
By William Lowther and Shih Hsiu-chuan

STAFF REPORTERS, WASHINGTON AND TAIPEI Thursday, Jul 01, 2010, Page 3

The US has officially welcomed the Economic Cooperation Framework
Agreement (ECFA), which Taiwan and China signed on Tuesday.

After refusing to comment on the agreement while it was under negotiation,
the US State Department made a short statement following its signing."I
would like to note that today the chairpersons of China's Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan's Straits Exchange
Foundation signed a cross-strait economic cooperation framework
agreement," acting deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid said during his regular
press briefing on Tuesday. "The United States welcomes the increased
dialogue and interaction between the PRC (People's Republic of China) and
Taiwan that this new agreement represents.""We are encouraged by recent
improvements in cross-strait relations and hope those relations will
continue to expand and develop," Duguid said.Later, Duguid was asked if
the ECFA would bring any changes to the region and if other countries
might want to have similar ties to China."China being an economic power, I
don't think it's limited to other states in the region. Most of the states
in the region have very strong economic relations with China," he said.
"This particular agreement is one of a framework for tariffs, and so the
two, both PRC and Taiwan, will be looking at their tariff structure to try
and increase trade."At the G20 Summit in Canada last week, US President
Barack Obama urged the US Congress to pass a free-trade agreement (FTA)
with South Korea and promised that he would work for it.This week, the US
Chamber of Commerce endorsed a South Korean FTA as "a top priority for our
country" and as a "linchpin to continuing our economic recovery.""This
pact has the potential to be a model for other agreements across the
Asia-Pacific region," said Tami Overby, the chamber's vice president for A
sia. "This is a region that now accounts for half of the global economy.
We're talking about the future here."Obama's interest in pushing for a
Korean FTA has brought new optimism to supporters of the stalled proposal
for a US FTA with Taiwan."If President Obama is finally moving forward
with a free-trade agenda, then this helps the case for a US-Taiwan FTA,"
said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business
Council.He said if Obama were able to reach consensus with the Hill and
his union allies on a trade -framework with South Korea, then it would
open up the possibility that the US would re-engage with Asia on trade
issues."This includes Taiwan, where the recently consummated ECFA leaves
the US conspicuously absent from north Asia liberalization,"
Hammond-Chambers said.In Taipei, American Institute in Taiwan Director
William Stanton yesterday said that the US government "was encouraged by
the development" that Taiwan and China signed the ECFA.However, Stanton
said the US government had no comment on the ECFA per se because it hadn't
read the complete text and hadn't had a chance to study it."You know there
are many particulars (that) may rise, but in general, we emphasize its
positive development. (The ECFA) indicates the level of interaction and
-cooperation, and that's welcome for the region and for the world. It's
good," he said.On US-Taiwan trade relationships, Stanton said the US
wished to resume negotiations for the Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement (TIFA) with Taiwan and make progress on it.Negotiations on the
TIFA talks have been stalled since July 2007 over Taiwan's ban on US
beef."We haven't had trade talks for a while because of the dispute (over)
the beef, but we hope to resume," Stanton said.The US has a great trading
relationship with Taiwan, its ninth--largest trading partner, he said.The
EU yesterday issued a statement welcoming the ECFA, saying expansion of
cross-strait economic relations has the potential to benefit trade and
investment links in East Asia.(Description of Source: Taipei Taipei Times
Online in English -- Website of daily English-language sister publication
of Tzu-yu Shih-pao (Liberty Times), generally supports pan-green parties
and issues; URL: http://www.taipeitimes.com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

3) Back to Top
Lee Presses Flesh, Talks Trade, in Central America - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:50 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) -

PANAMA CITY - President Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) held a series of
bilateral talks here Tuesday with his counterparts from Guatemala,
Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica, which he used to seek closer
economic cooperation and request tougher safety measures for Korean
residents in the Central American countries.In his summit with Guatemalan
President Alvaro Colom, Lee asked for help in resolving the growing
problem of crimes against South Koreans there, according to his office.
More than 10,000 South Koreans live in Guatemala, the largest number among
Central American nations.Lee also asked the Guatemalan government to
continue support for 145 South Korean firms operating in the country.Colom
promised to step up efforts to protect Korean firms and nationals, saying
they are contributing greatly to Guatemala's economic development, the
Blue House (ROK Office of the President) said in a press release.Meeting
Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, Lee made a more specific request.He
raised the issue of a 27-year-old Korean woman, Han Ji-soo, who is accused
of being involved in a murder case. Han, a diving instructor, was indicted
as an accomplice in the 2008 killing of a Dutch backpacker in Honduras.
Han was arrested by Interpol in August 2009 in Egypt on her way back to
Korea. She is awaiting trial after being released on bail in December,
while claiming innocence."A young Korean woman is on trial in Honduras. I
hope you will pay special attention to the issue," Lee was quoted as
saying by his office.Lee and El Salvador's President Mauricio Funes agreed
in a separate summit to expand partnerships between the two nations in
trade, investment, infrastructure and energy fields.In a summit with Costa
Rica's President Laura Chinchilla, Lee noted the country's campaign for
green growth."The leaders agreed on close cooperation with regard to
environmental issues on the global stage," the Blue House said.Earlier in
the day, Lee met with Dominican Republic Vice President Rafael
Alburquerque and asked fo r support for Korean companies there.Lee is on a
three-day visit to Panama from Monday to attend the first group summit
between Korea and the Central American Integration System (SICA) since
2005, which also includes Belize and Nicaragua. Lee had a one-on-one
summit with Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli Monday.Lee is
scheduled to leave for Mexico on Wednesday, the third and last leg of his
weeklong trip, which also took him to Canada for the G-20 economic summit.
Lee plans to return to Seoul on Saturday.(Description of Source: Seoul
JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of English-language daily
which provides English-language summaries and full-texts of items
published by the major center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique
reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul edition of the
International Herald Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

4) Back to Top
Korea Provides Growth Example For C. America
By Korea Times correspondent Na Jeong-ju: "Korea Provides Growth Example
For C. America" - The Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:00:56 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - PANAMA CITY South Korea and a group of Central American
countries agreed Tuesday (local time) to boost their economic and
political ties and cooperate closely to ensure the region's stable growth.

At the third summit between Korea and the Central American Integration
System (SICA), an eight-member economic bloc, the two sides adopted a
13-point joint action plan aimed at reshaping their relations, especially
in the ar eas of energy, infrastructure, information and technology as
well as mineral resources development.President Lee Myung-bak (Yi
Myo'ng-pak) pledged to share Korea's growth experience and expand
technology transfer to Central America to help the region become a new
driver of global growth."South Korea was once a recipient of development
aid, but has become a major donor. It is a unique example of the world's
history," Lee said at the meeting. "We want to share our growth experience
with you and contribute to the region's social and economic
development."Seoul plans to triple its Official Development Assistance of
underdeveloped nations to 0.25 percent of the gross national income by
2015.The country has included the issue of the widening global economic
imbalance on the agenda for the Group of 20 Summit slated for Seoul in
November and pledged to represent emerging and poor countries on the
international stage.Launched in 1993, SICA aims to promote economic ,
political, and cultural cooperation among Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. Panama
is currently holding the rotating presidency of the group.President Lee
arrived in Panama on Monday after a two-day visit to Toronto, Canada,
where he co-chaired the G-20 meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper as
host of the next meeting in Seoul.On Wednesday, he flew to Mexico, the
final leg of his weeklong trip, for a summit with Mexican President Felipe
Calderon on bolstering economic ties.Under the agreement between Korea and
SICA, Korean firms will be allowed to play a greater role in the
development of Central America by expanding and diversifying investment in
energy, infrastructure, mineral resources development, and information and
technology."SICA leaders shared the perception that it is important for
South Korean firms to expand investment in the Central American region,"
they said in a joint statement .Lee promised to expand financial and
technical assistance for the development of Central America.He also
expressed the country's intent to join SICA as an observer to deepen
cooperative relations between the two sides.SICA leaders welcomed that
step and instructed the secretary general of SICA to initialize related
consultations.According to Seoul officials, SICA grants the status to a
country only when the group regards it as a strategic partner for regional
development. Currently, only five non-American countries, Spain, Germany,
Japan, Taiwan and Italy, are acting as observers.Leaders of SICA also
emphasized the importance of Seoul's joining of the Central American Bank
for Economic Integration (CABEI). The two sides agreed to hold
working-level talks to discuss concrete conditions for Korea's
membership.After the summit, meanwhile, the two sides issued a special
declaration condemning North Korea for its attack on the South Korean Navy
vessel Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) in March .In the statement, SICA leaders called
for the Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) incident to be resolved in accordance with
international law and the U.N. Charter, pledging to cooperate with the
international community to promote peace and stability in Northeast
Asia.(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in English --
Website of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate English-language
daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from which it often draws
articles and translates into English for publication; URL:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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5) Back to Top
President Lee in Mexico for FTA, UN Diplomacy Against DPRK
Updated version: adjusting metadata; replacing 1511 GMT version with
source-supplied 2102 GMT update, which "UPDATES throughout with arrival;
CHANGES dateline"; Yonhap headline: "(LEAD) Lee in Mexico For FTA, U.N.
Diplomacy Against Pyongyang" by Lee Chi-dong - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 22:30:37 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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6) Back to Top
US State Dept Repeatedly Calls on China to Condemn DPRK for Ship Sinking
Yonhap headline: "U.S. Repeats Calls on China t o Condemn N. Korea For
Ship Sinking: State Dept." by Hwang Doo-hyong - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 21:58:18 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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7) Back to Top
Ethiopian premier hails G8, G20 summits in Canada - ENA Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 13:12:25 GMT
Text of report in English by state-owned Ethiopian news agency ENA
websiteAddis Ababa, 30 June: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said
auspicious results have been gained for Africa from the G8 and G20 summits
held in Canada. The premier said the summits were helpful in terms of
ensuring the interest of developing counties, especially for Africa.He
said the decisions by G20 summit in ensuring sustainable and fair growth
in the world will ultimately benefit Africa. The premier said the leaders
have also agreed to design a framework that would enable Africa to ensure
speedy development.The framework would be prepared by South Korea, the
current chair of the G20 summit, and would be approved in the summit due
to be held in the coming November at Seoul, South Korea.Africa has been
participating in the summit on the basis of the will of the host
countries, he said, and added (that) the leaders agreed that this issue
(should) be settled by AU summit due to be held in Kampala, Uganda.Meles
said the G8 summit has reviewed its support provided over the last 10
years, but the leaders agreed to hold th e review annually, according to
the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency.(Description of Source: Addis
Ababa ENA Online in English -- Website of the state-controlled Ethiopian
News Agency; URL: http://www.ena.gov.et)

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Xinhua 'Analysis': G20 Chair S. Korea Gears up for More Concrete Outcomes
at November Summit
Xinhua "Analysis" by Na, Haejung: "G20 Chair S. Korea Gears up for More
Concrete Outcomes at November Summit" - Xinhua
Wednesday June 30, 2010 10:24:25 GMT
SEOUL, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Wrapping up the Toronto Group of 20 (G20)
Summit held last weekend, South Korea announced the agendas for the next
G20 summit it will host in upcoming November.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, at the last meeting of the Toronto
summit, introduced the main agendas of the Seoul Summit, which will be
economic growth and global financial safety net.The president also made a
remark on the goal of the Seoul summit, saying his country aims to make
the G20 summit more legitimate, credible organization.TORONTO
ACHIEVEMENTSThe Fourth Meeting of the G20 Summit was held in Toronto,
Canada from June 26 to 27, which came jointly with the G8 Summit in a
nearby city of Huntsville.First held in line with the G8 Summit, which has
long been the main committee to deal with global issues, the G20 was once
again confirmed that it now is the core global body to promote cooperation
among economies."G20 is the central committee to deal with economic,
financial issues, that's what we have confirmed again this time,&qu ot;
Choe Wongi, Professor at the state-run Institute of Foreign Affairs and
National Security, said in an interview with Xinhua.Also, with respect to
main agendas, such as the exit strategies, financial sector regulation,
global financial institution reform, and fiscal soundness, the Toronto
summit brought about considerable outcomes, settling some basic principles
for future talks.Particularly, with regard to fiscal soundness, the G20
leaders agreed on fiscal plans to at least halve deficits by 2013 and
stabilize or reduce government debt-to-GDP ratios by 2016.The financial
regulation issue was also highlighted and the leaders agreed on the four
pillars on which the reform agenda stands, a strong regulatory framework,
effective supervision, resolution and addressing systemic institutions,
and transparent international assessment and peer review.The summit,
however, did not bring forward detailed measures on most of the issues,
tossing all the more detailed discussion proces s to following ministerial
level meetings and the Seoul Summit."Although the Toronto Summit has its
own meaning, there really didn't come so many resolutions. It means there
will be a lot of things to discuss and reach agreements in November at the
Seoul G20 Summit," Yun, Chang-hyun, professor at the University of Seoul,
told Xinhua."There will be a considerable amount of work to cover at the
Seoul summit, and it will have a greater meaning," Yun said, summarizing
the meaning of the Toronto summit in Seoul's point of view.KOREA
INITIATIVE AND CHALLENGESIn addition to the existing agendas that have
been on the table for the past four meetings, South Korea is eager to add
new issues, as a representative of emerging countries.Seeking to focus on
economic development and global financial safety net in November, South
Korea is hoping to contribute to growth of numerous emerging or developing
countries."Up to now, we have been continuously raising the issu es at the
finance minister meetings, but at the recent summit we made a proposal at
the summit level, and the top leaders have reached a common understanding
that the issues are important enough to be brought up as main items at the
G20," Professor Choe told Xinhua, evaluating it as Seoul's accomplishment
in Toronto.The so-called Korea Initiative comes as the G20 represents a
broader global community than the existing committee, such as the G8, did,
reflecting South Korea's firm intention to bridge the gap between advanced
and emerging economies, according to Seoul's analysts.Global financial
safety net, for instance, is an advanced form of the Chiang Mai
Initiative, which is an agreement between Asian countries to cooperate in
the face of foreign liquidity shortage.The Chiang Mai Initiative, which
started as a bilateral swap line, began to grow as more non-U.S. dollar
economies, acknowledging its need, joined the group.Expanding the
successful regional model of financi al collaboration, South Korea is
trying to contribute to solving the financial liquidity dry-up problem
that hurt emerging countries more deeply at financial collapses."The idea
(of the global financial safety net) has so far reached a point where
leaders formed a political common understanding," Choe said, adding that a
more tangible result will likely be seen in Seoul in November.The other
issue of economic development comes as developing countries are in need of
newer development cooperation strategies, such as experiences of an
economic development or success and development strategies based on them,
according to Choe.South Korea is focusing on such issues as they are
trying to devise ways for emerging or developing economies to avoid or
prevent financial crises."South Korea is paying attention to the issue to
prevent financial crises, reviewing many plans so that a resolution and an
agreement can be reached at the November Summit," said Professor Yun , of
the University of Seoul.Not only the agendas that it presented, but South
Korea, as chair, will have to deal with other issues in depth.At the same
time, the South Korean government is taking the critical job of how to
intervene the different interests and circumstances of member countries.In
particular, as the financial crisis is gradually fading out, it has become
more difficult to reach a common agreement now than in the middle of the
crisis."But as most economies have hit the bottom, it became more
important that countries focus on domestic political factors, or domestic
economic circumstances rather than global collaboration, making it
increasingly difficult to agree on concerted efforts," Professor Choe
said, calling it a new challenge that the G20 faces."It is not an easy
task to coordinate policies but we think it' s the aim of the G20 not to
take individual countries' gripes or individual countries' policies and
champion them, but to really look at the whole picture," Sohn Jie-ae,
spokesperson for the Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit, told
Xinhua at an interview, acknowledging the challenge for the chair
country."But I think there is a common understanding that this is what
everybody wants, and if we work on that assumption, I think we are making
pretty good progress," Sohn said.(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in
English -- China's official news service for English-language audiences
(New China News Agency))

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9) Back to Top
US Top Military Commander Says Delay of Wartime Command Transfer to Deter
DPRK
Updated version: "ADDS quotes by nominee for South Ko rea's chairman of
Joint Chiefs of Staff in paras 8-10; RECASTS first two paras;" Upgrading
precedence; Yonhap headline: "Delay of wartime command transfer to deter
N. Korea: U.S. general" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:45:48 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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10) Back to Top
ROK Trade Minister Says ROK Not to Revise Free Trade Deal With US
Updated version: Upgrading and refiling to replace 0258 GMT text with
source-supplied update of 0513 GMT an d at 0618 GMT, which clarifies
quotes in graf 11, adds more details in grafs 13-14, and last graf. Yonhap
headline: "S. Korea not to revise free trade deal with U.S. (ATTN: ADDS
more details throughout)" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 07:04:43 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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11) Back to Top
ROK Trade Minister Says ROK Not to Revise Free Trade Deal With US
Updated version: Upgrading and refiling to replace 0258 GMT text with
source-supplied update of 0513 GMT. Yonhap headline: "S. Korea not to
revise free trade deal with U.S. (ATTN: ADDS more details throughout)" -
Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:10:55 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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12) Back to Top
Palestinian Reports on Socioeconomic Projects 12-18 Jun 10
The following lists highlights of reports on socioeconomic projects
carried in the Palestinian media between 12 and 18 June. To request
additional processing, or for assistance with multimedia elements, call
OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202) 338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735. - West Bank
& Gaza Strip -- OSC Summary in Arabic 12-18 Jun 10
Wednesday June 30, 2010 09:44:35 GMT
http://www.wafa.ps/ http://www.wafa.ps ) Ramallah: Phase I of 'Toward
Political, Intellectual Tolerance' Project Completed -

- A 12 June report says that Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies has
completed Phase I of "toward a political and intellectual tolerance"
project for Palestinian university students, which is carried out in
cooperation with students from two universities in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip to spread the values and culture of tolerance among the
students. The report adds that phase I covered seven subjects relevant to
concepts of tolerance and human rights distributed over 40 training hours.
Saudi Arabia Transfers Financial Installments To Support PA Budget

-- A 14 June report cites Ahmad Bin Abd-al-Aziz Qata'n, representative of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Arab League ambassador, as announcing
that the Saudi Development Fund had taken the necessary action to transfer
May and June's Installments totaling $15.4 million to the account of the
Palestinian Ministry of Finance according to the mechanism approved by the
2002 Arab Summit in Beirut and Surt Summit 2010. Indonesian Financial Aid
for Gaza Hospitals

-- A 14 June report says that Al-Muzmil Yusif, member of the Indonesian
People's Consultative Assembly and chief of the Palestine Support
Organization in the Indonesian Senate, announced that a mission from the
Indonesian Majles will head at the end of this month to the Gaza Strip to
provide financial aid in the amount of $2 million for the hospitals there.
He added in a statement to the Jakarta Post today that all political
parties in Indonesia will participate in the humanitarian mission heading
to the Gaza Strip. King of Bahrain Sends 'Urgent' Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
Strip

-- A 13 June report says the Bahraini Royal Charity Foundation announced
that the king of Bahraini has ordered a shipment of urgent humanitarian
aid to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing. The report adds that
organization had signed several agreements through the Bahraini national
committee for support to the Palestinian people in Gaza to implement
development projects to manufacture and distribute artificial limbs to
1,000 handicapped men, women, and children, in addition to providing
rehabilitation services for them costing $550,000 until the fitting of the
artificial limbs is completed. Hebron Municipality, Korean Cooperation
Agency Sign $6.5 Million Agreement

-- A 14 June report says that the chief of Hebron Municipality; and Kim
Ti-yun, representative of the Korean agency in Palestine, Kin Ti Hun
announced the agreement to build a school and multi-purpose cultural
center costing $6.5 m illion on a plot of land in Nanqur area of more than
12 donums in southwest of Hebron. After the signing, he said that this
project will offer infrastructure to the cultural sector in Hebron
Governorate as part of the municipality's policy that supports the
development of youth and enhances their talents. Ramallah: Ashtiyah,
Abu-Maghli Sign Agreement To Build Palestinian Medical Warehouse Project

-- A 16 June report says that Dr Muhammad Ashtiyah, chief of the
Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Construction, signed an
agreement with Health Minister Dr Fathi Abu-Maghli to build a medical
warehouse for the Health Ministry. The report says that this project will
cost 3.2 million euros, and the project is funded by the French Government
through the French Development Fund (AFD). Ramallah: South Korea Supports
PA with $20 Million over the Next Five Years

-- A 17 June report says that Pak Shang-nam, Korean representative to the
PA ambassador, confirms t he support of his country to the PA by providing
approximately $20 million over the next five years. The report adds that
this came during a series of bilateral consultations carried out by the
Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development with all of the donor
countries headed by Minister Dr Ali al-Jarabawi to discuss the programs of
donor countries in the Palestinian territories. Ramallah: Two-Year Program
To Empower Disabled Youth, Develop Abilities Initiated

-- A 14 June report says that the Mercy Corps and the Palestinian
Paralympics Committee launched a two-year program to empower Palestinian
youth with disabilities Funded by the European Union. The report says that
EU representative Christian Berger said that the European Union supported
the rights of people with disabilities in occupied Palestinian territory
through access to sports and community awareness under a two-year program
implemented by Mercy Corps and the Palestinian Paralympics Committee to em
power youth with disabilities. Ma'an Bethlehem: Japan funds Jerusalem
Clinic To Support State Building

-- A 14 June report says that the newly-renovated Bab Al-Sahira women's
clinic in the Red Crescent Hospital in East Jerusalem was unveiled on
Monday, after receiving a $97,000 grant from the Japanese Government. The
Japanese grant assistance for grass roots security projects backed the
project, saying the initial ground floor clinic "could not provide (an)
adequate level of health care services," and had a very limited capacity
for patients. Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah

Gaza: Good Harvest Association Distributes Food Parcels to Poor Families
in Al-Tuffah District

-- An 17 June report says that the "Good Harvest" association distributed
100 food parcels financed by the Algerian people to the poor and needy
families in Al-Tuffah district east of Gaza Strip. The report cites Hazim
al-Nakhalah, member in the Board of Directors of the association , as
saying that names of recipients have been selected in a transparent way,
and researchers were sent to study their social status and make sure they
are in dire need of aid. (Ramallah Al-Hayah al-Jadidah (Electronic
Edition) in Arabic -- PA-owned daily, supportive of the Presidency; URL:

http://www.alhayat-j.com/ http://www.alhayat-j.com )

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13) Back to Top
South Korea To Assist Angola in Rolling Out Wireless Broadband Services in
State
Unattributed report: "Korean Body Signs Broadband MOU With Angola" - IT
News Africa
Wednesday June 30, 2010 11:24:18 GMT
(Description of Source: Johannesburg IT News Africa in English  A
privately-owned website that claims to be the "premier" source of
reporting on African information and communication technology; URL:
http://www.itnewsafrica.com)

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Seoul Ranks as 5th Most Expensive City in Asia: Poll - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:48:37 GMT
Seoul-cost of living

Seoul ranks as 5th most expensive city in Asia: pollBy Kim Young-gyoHONG
KONG, June 30 (Yonhap) -- Seoul, the capital of South Korea with a
population of around 10.5 mi llion, is Asia's fifth most expensive city to
live in, according to a survey released Wednesday.The poll conducted by
U.S.-based consulting company Mercer LLC. showed Seoul having the fifth
highest cost of living among Asian cities, after Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong
and Singapore.The Mercer survey on 214 cities across five continents
measured the comparative costs of more than 200 items in each location,
including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and
entertainment.Seoul placed 14th on the list of the most expensive cities
in the 214 surveyed cities worldwide. The world's most expensive city to
live in is Angola's Luanda, followed by Tokyo of Japan, N'Djamena of Chad,
Moscow of Russia, and Geneva of Switzerland, according to the poll.Mercer
failed to give details about Seoul's high living costs, but analysts point
out that it is expensive to live in Seoul because housing prices in the
city are much higher than those in other major cities in the
world.According to a recent report by the state-run Korea Development
Bank, the average price for a home in Seoul was 12.64 times the annual
income of its citizens as of 2008, compared with 7.22 times for New York
and 9.09 times for San Francisco.South Korea also suffers from a higher
inflation rate than most leading economies in the world. A report by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said
Wednesday that South Korea's food price increase rate in May was found to
be the third highest among leading world economies,According to the
report, South Korean food prices rose 2.9 percent on-year in May, the
third-highest gain among its 31 members after 7.2 percent for Iceland and
6.7 percent for Turkey. South Korea's consumer inflation rate in May was
the eighth-highest among its members, it showed.(Description of Source:
Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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15) Back to Top
Korea Forges Closer Ties With Central American Bloc - Chosun Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:31:58 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - Korea will participate as an observer in the Sistema de la
Integracin Centroamericana (SICA), a regional group of eight Central
American countries, and will also look at joining the Central American
Bank for Economic Integration.

SICA consists of Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Dominica,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize. Japan, Germany, Spain, Taiwan and Italy
are currently observers.President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday (local time)
signed a 13-point joi nt declaration at the third Korea-SICA summit in
Panama, the current chair of the group. President Lee Myung-bak (fourth
from left) poses for a group photo with SICA leaders at a summit in Panama
on Tuesday.

"Central America is the junction that links North America with South
America and the Pacific with the Atlantic," Lee said. "It's important for
Central American nations to push for political and economic integration
through SICA, and the Pacific that separates Korea and the SICA nations
cannot pose a barrier to cooperation."About 280 Korean firms participate
in various projects there, including construction of thermal and
hydroelectric power plants, employing about 100,000 local workers. The
volume of trade between Korea and SICA increased from US$4 billion in 2006
to $6.7 billion last year.SICA leaders also issued a special statement
condemning North Korea for attacking the South Korean Navy corvette
Cheonan and pledging to cooperate fully with Seoul's response.The
statement says SICA nations believe the Cheonan sinking should be resolved
under international law and the UN Charter.

(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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16) Back to Top
ROKG Must Tell Muslim World of Ashena Unit's Mission of Peace - Chosun
Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 201 0 02:20:55 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - A send-off ceremony was held on Wednesday at a special
forces base in Incheon for 240 members of the Ashena Unit, whose mission
is to protect Korean reconstruction workers in Afghanistan's Parwan
Province. The unit will head to the war-torn country in two separate
groups by August, meeting an advance team of 80 members already in the
province. The unit will guard the base housing the Korean Provincial
Reconstruction Team composed of engineers and medical workers, as well as
handle transportation security and embassy protection.

Some 100 PRT workers and 350 Korean soldiers will stay in Parwan until the
end of 2012. The Korean government and military say the province is
relatively safe, although it is 10 times larger than Seoul and 70 percent
of it is mountainous. Since 2002, 47 coalition soldiers have been killed
there.The name Ashena means "friend" or "companion" in the local dialect.
Seoul must let the Muslim world know that the unit's mission is not to
engage in combat, but to help rebuild the battle-scarred area through
medical and health services, vocational training and rural development
assistance.Korea has an obligation to contribute to the international
community. Thanks to the generous aid and efforts of many other nations,
it was able to emerge from the ruins of the Korean War to become one of
the world's 10 largest economies. The Ashena Unit's young soldiers, who
each beat almost 10 other applicants to join, should be lauded for their
eagerness to sign up and their bravery in facing the mission's inherent
risks. Nineteen of the soldiers are either foreign passport holders or
students studying abroad, but volunteered to go anyway.Korea's Zaytun Unit
ended its mission in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq without suffering
a single casualty and were praised by the local residents as a "gift from
God." The government sho uld establish a close network of communications
and cooperation with coalition forces as well as other Muslim countries so
that the Ashena Unit can focus solely on its mission to provide safety for
the PRT workers and aid the residents of Parwan.(Description of Source:
Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English website carrying English
summaries and full translations of vernacular hard copy items of the
largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is conservative in editorial
orientation -- strongly nationalistic, anti-North Korea, and generally
pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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Serbian president discusses investment opportu nities with Austrian
officials - B92 TV
Wednesday June 30, 2010 14:01:21 GMT
officials

Text of report by Serbian pro-western Belgrade-based B-92 TV, on 30
June(Presenter Goran Dimitrijevic) Attracting foreign investments has been
the main topic of talks between the Serbian and Austrian presidents. It
was also the topic of discussions in Belgrade, at the meeting of the
American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). President Boris Tadic said that not
a single one out of 300 Austrian companies working in Serbia had the
intention to withdraw.(Reporter) Attracting foreign investments was the
topic of discussions in Belgrade, in Vienna but also in (South) Korea. The
chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia said that our
country was an attractive destination for American companies'
investments.(Skip Bornhuetter, AmCham chairman, captioned) We feel strong
to open a dialogue with t he government on fulfilling the necessary
pre-conditions for the survival of existing investors as well as for
bringing in new, attractive ones, to Serbia. The American Chamber of
Commerce will continue being a good partner in this process.(Reporter)
During his visit to Austria, Boris Tadic had talks with the chairman of
the country's Chamber of Commerce as well as with business people
interested in investing in Serbia. Tadic stressed that among his
collocutors there were companies which were already doing business in our
country and wanted to expand their activities. However, he stressed that
he had also heard some objections which impede fresh investments.(Tadic)
Some Austrian companies have presented their objections as well because
the flow of administration and the procedure are sometimes slowing down
their investments, particularly under circumstances of crisis when
everyone is fighting for new jobs. As soon as I return to Serbia, I will
relay this message and this rem ark to the prime minister (Mirko
Cvetkovic) who will then react in line with his jurisdiction. In addition
to this, there are Austrian companies which are exceptionally satisfied
with the terms of doing business in Serbia. That is the majority of 300
companies which work in Serbia today. They work in a stable manner and not
a single one of them has the intention to withdraw from our
country.(Reporter) Speaking of the financial and banking sector, the
Serbian president recalled that most Austrian banks had their offices in
Serbia, adding that he had received assurances that all of them would keep
the same level of exposure under the circumstances of financial crisis
which was, as he said, very important for the continuation of the Vienna
agreement. During the visit to (South) Korea, Serbian Prime Minister Mirko
Cvetkovic had talks with Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, with whom he
agreed to intensify economic cooperation between the two
countries.(Description of Source: B elgrade B92 TV in Serbian --)

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ROK Postal Service Braces for 'Major' Changes
Article by Cho Ji-hyun: "Korea Post Braces For Major Changes" - The Korea
Herald Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 11:02:01 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Herald Online in English --
Website of the generally pro-government English-language daily The Korea
Herald; URL: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr)

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19) Back to Top
Incheon Aims to Co-host SKAL Event - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:47 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - From a tourism perspective, Seoul gets all the love in
Korea.

Much of the nation's marketing efforts and resources have traditionally
focused on the capital city, so it's no surprise that an overwhelming
number of tourists spend most of their time here as well.But it's time for
that to change, said Adam Simkins, general manager of the Hyatt Regency
Incheon hotel and the founding president of SKAL International Incheon, a
private group of tourism industry professionals."A lot of the focus has
really been Seoul," Simkins said in a recent interview. "But Korea should
now create more opportunities for its other cities to develop their
tourism industries."Simkins explained that Incheon is an up-and-coming
harbor city undergoing rapid development in areas like Songdo and Cheongna
and is therefore a prime destination for tourists.In his role with SKAL,
Simkins hopes to spearhead efforts to put Incheon on the map. One of his
major goals now is to have Incheon co-host the SKAL World Congress in
2012. Korea is competing against Ireland for the conference."It would be a
great opportunity to promote Korea," Simkins said, noting that the idea is
to have both Seoul and Incheon host some of the related events and
gatherings. SKAL members will vote on a host country in October in
Sydney.It won't be easy to win the bid, however. When the World Congress
committee narrowed the finalists down to the two countries, it
acknowledged that Korea excels in "efficiency, organization, attention to
details and quality," Simkins said.&quo t;But our weak point compared to
Ireland was that we were not able to show the friendliness of the people,
which is important in the tourism industry," he added.SKAL International
Incheon, which was founded last month, is the organization's second
chapter in Korea after the Seoul club, which formed in 1969. The Incheon
branch aims to bring together officials from airlines, hotels and tour
operators to boost the tourism market and promotion."It took a relatively
long time for the Incheon club to be established," Simkins said. "But now
is an appropriate time for the Incheon club, as it will help complement
the development of Korea's tourism industry."To start the local chapter,
organizers had to go through a series of steps and receive permission from
SKAL's headquarters in Spain. Simkins and other industry officials had to
gather support from around 20 experienced professionals from a variety of
backgrounds. Once the core group was formed, organizers created a board
and then applied to officially launch the Incheon branch. The whole
process took about 72 days.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily
Online in English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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20) Back to Top
EU Takes Smaller Share of Korean May Exports - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:58:09 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - The European Union took a smaller share of Korean
exports last month due to the debt problems in the euro zone, the Korea
Customs Service said yesterday.

It warned that a weaker euro and monetary tightening is likely to cause
export growth to the EU to slow further."There are concerns that the debt
problems in southern Europe could spread to the rest of Europe, especially
Britain and Hungary," the customs agency said in a statement. "The EU
countries are following each other in announcing the tightening of
monetary policy. We need to see how this affects the country's exports to
the region."Nonetheless, the customs agency said Korean exports to the EU
rose by 13.2 percent between January and May from a year ago, although
this represented the slowest growth among Korea's main export
markets.During the same period, the country's exports to the United States
rose 31.1 percent, Japan 31.7 percent, S outheast Asia 49.8 percent, China
53.1 percent and the Middle East 17.4 percent.As a result, the EU's share
among Korea's export markets shrunk to 10.9 percent from 12.8 percent in
2009, although it is still Korea's second biggest export market after
China.Korea's export growth within Europe also varied between different
countries due to the different economic circumstances in the region. The
country's exports to Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, the most troubled
economies, rose 4.8 percent, while exports to the rest of Western Europe
increased 7.4 percent and to Eastern Europe soared 37 percent.Among major
export items, the delivery of ships to the EU fell 23.4 percent from a
year ago and mobile phones declined 30.4 percent in the first five months
of this year, while shipments of cars rose 52.8 percent, semiconductors
228.6 percent and car components 85.4 percent.(Description of Source:
Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of English-language
daily which pro vides English-language summaries and full-texts of items
published by the major center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique
reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul edition of the
International Herald Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

21) Back to Top
Fiscal Crisis Dents S. Korean Exports to EU - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 09:01:03 GMT
Fiscal crisis dents S. Korean exports to EU

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean exports to the European Union (EU)
grew at a much slower pace than those to other major trading partners th
is year due to the fallout from the region's debt crisis, a report said
Wednesday.According to the report by the Korea Customs Service, South
Korean exports to the eurozone countries rose 13.2 percent on-year in the
January-May period. The comparable growth rate was 53.1 percent for China,
31.1 percent for the U.S. and 31.7 percent for Japan.South Korean exports
to debt-laden Southern European countries -- Portugal, Italy, Greece and
Spain -- rose a mere 4.8 percent during the period from a year earlier,
with shipments to Western Europe expanding 7.4 percent.In contrast, South
Korea registered a 37-percent increase in exports to Eastern Europe, whose
financial status remains relatively healthy, the report said."Though the
eurozone debt woes have a limited impact on Korea's overall exports, its
trade with the wobbling countries turned out to be sluggish," a customs
official said.During the five-month period, South Korean shipments of
vessels and mobile phones to the eurozone countries fell sharply, while
exports of semiconductors and cars surged, according to the report.Europe
was South Korea's second-largest trading partner after China in 2009, with
its Europe-bound shipments taking up 15.4 percent of the country's total
exports.

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22) Back to Top
IMF Chief Says Korean Economy Is Ready For Exit Strategy - Chosun Ilbo
Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:54:42 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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23) Back to Top
IMF May Adopt Financial Safety Net Proposal - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:41:45 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - The International Monetary Fund and Korea are in talks
to create a new system to provide emergency loans to countries suffering
from a liquidity crisis, a senior presidential adviser said yesterday.

The move represents progress on the deve lopment of a "financial safety
net," a Korean initiative, as the IMF may adopt the idea as its own
program."Now the issue is being led by the IMF," said Shin Hyun-song, an
adviser to President Lee Myung-bak. "Korea has entrusted the IMF with
studying the idea."President Lee proposed the idea of a financial safety
net during an address at the Davos Forum in Switzerland in January.Though
some countries opposed the idea, Korea has been pushing the concept to be
included as an agenda item during the Group of 20 Summit that will be held
in Seoul in November.The financial safety net proposal would involve
setting up currency swap arrangements to rescue countries suffering from a
sudden capital outflow. Korea says such an arrangement would avoid forcing
countries to build up large foreign reserves to protect themselves against
a possible liquidity crisis.The concept might provide an alternative means
for the IMF in mounting financial rescues of trouble d economies,
particularly after it was criticized for dictating painful austerity
measures during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.The IMF has introduced
"flexible credit lines" to provide emergency lending aid without requiring
other tough measures, such as cutting budget deficits. But only three
countries, Poland, Mexico and Colombia, used the system during the recent
global financial crisis.The new program being crafted by the IMF and Korea
allow condition-free access to financial resources held by the IMF, at
least in theory. The IMF also hopes that new program will do away with the
stigma attached to countries receiving bailout funds.The program would
replace the currency swaps arranged by the U.S. Federal Reserve with other
central banks, including Korea, in 2008. Unlike that arrangement, the IMF
would be responsible for creating currency swaps between it and member
countries, but details remain unfinished.(Description of Source: Seoul
JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of English-language daily
which provides English-language summaries and full-texts of items
published by the major center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique
reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul edition of the
International Herald Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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24) Back to Top
S. Korea, Colombia Agree to Speed Up FTA Talks - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 22:19:27 GMT
S Korea-Colombia summit

S. Korea, Colombia agree to speed up FTA talksBy Lee Chi-dongMEXICO CITY,
June 30 (Yonhap) -- The leaders of South Korea and Colombia agreed
Wednesday to step up efforts to complete their ongoing free trade
agreement (FTA) talks as they seek to enhance friendly ties that date back
to the Korean War.President Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) had a one-on-one
summit with his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, in Panama shortly
before his departure for Mexico. They visited Panama to attend a group
summit between South Korea and members of the Central American Integration
System."The leaders agreed to improve institutional ground for the
strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between the two nations,"
Lee's office, Cheong Wa Dae, said in a press release issued after his
arrival here.Toward that end, Lee and Uribe agreed to speedily seal the
FTA talks that began last December.Colombia is the only Latin American
nation that dispatched troops to the 1950-53 Korean War to help the South
fight against the invading North. Of 4,314 Colombian soldiers sent, 214
were killed , according to official data.As South Korea marks the 60th
anniversary of the outbreak of the war and Colombia celebrates the 200th
anniversary of its independence this year, Lee proposed that the two sides
forge a future-oriented partnership, Cheong Wa Dae (ROK Office of the
President) said.Uribe welcomed a growing number of South Korean firms
investing in his country and promised active support for them, it
added.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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25) Back to Top
S. Korea to Conduct Advanced Experiments on Fusion Energy Test Bed -
Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:38:01 GMT
S. Korea to conduct advanced experiments on fusion energy test bed

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will conduct advanced experiments on
its fusion energy test bed next month as part of efforts to play a role in
the development of limitless, clean electricity, a state-run laboratory
said Thursday.The National Fusion Research Institute said the Korea
Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) has been upgraded so
super-hot plasma can be controlled effectively while the machine produces
neutrons needed for energy generation."Experiments will be carried out for
two months, starting in August, with the aim of creating a plasma current
reaching 500 kiloampere (kA) and the plasma field to be maintained for at
least 5 seconds," the institute in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul,
said.A strong and sustained plasma field must be maintained so engi neers
can inject naturally abundant deuterium and tritium into KSTAR's vacuum
chamber. This process causes a fusion reaction that can effectively create
an artificial sun on Earth.The target set this year is higher than the 320
kA and 3.6 seconds reached by the plasma current in late 2009.It said
necessary modifications have all been made to allow the next phase of
experiments to go forward with trial test runs of the system currently
underway.The institute under the Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology said all experiments conducted so far showed that KSTAR can
contribute to the broader International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
(ITER) program.KSTAR built at a cost of 309 billion won (US$250 million)
is very similar to the ITER being built in France, making it ideal to
conduct tests before the larger unit is built in 2018. Seoul joined the
multinational ITER project composed of the European Union, Japan, Russia,
the United States and China in 2003.The multina tional project is one of
many programs aimed at discovering a viable energy source to supplant the
burning of fossil fuels and use of nuclear power.A gram of
deuterium-tritium fuel can produce 100,000 kilowatts of electricity per
hour, while 0.03 grams of deuterium extracted from a liter of seawater can
generate energy equivalent to 300 liters of gasoline.The system is safe to
use since it cannot explode, and produces almost no pollution. The
radioactive waste that is created becomes harmless in a few years compared
to thousands of years for byproducts from conventional fission nuclear
reactors.If all tests on fusion power generation are successful, ITER
member countries aim to build a full-scale fusion power plant by the mid
2030s and a commercial version capable of generating at least 1,000
megawatts of electricity by 2040.

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r. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of Commerce.

26) Back to Top
Prof Sells 'holy Water' Cure Devices - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:58:09 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - A professor from a prestigious medical school claimed to
have captured the curative powers of holy water from Lourdes, France - a
Catholic pilgrimage site - and transferred them to devices that could turn
ordinary tap water into miracle cures. He then sold the devices to nearly
5,000 people, police said.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency charged 53-year-old Professor Kim
with selling fake devices that could produce "life-giving water" and
making illegal profits of nearly 1.7 billion won ($1.3 million).The police
also charged eight people, including Kim's 53-year -old wife and his
brother-in-law, for manufacturing and selling the devices.According to the
police, Kim claimed that he obtained holy water from the shrine to the
Virgin Mary at Lourdes, France, and somehow saved its healing powers in
digital form.He claimed to have been able to transfer this information
onto ceramic filters, paper filters and plastic cards used in water
purifiers. He sold these items to nearly 5,000 people, accumulating 1.7
billion won."Professor Kim says if the medical properties are changed into
digital signals, and radiated onto any water, the water will adapt those
properties," the police said.Kim and his associates told customers that
different devices cured different maladies, including diabetes and
tumors.Kim sold the ceramic filters, which cost 1,500 won in stores, for
40,000 won. Filters for insulin and cancer treatments sold for 90,000
won.Police asked the physics departments at Seoul National University and
Korea Institute of Science a nd Technology whether Kim's "transfer theory"
was true, and they said it was "completely impossible, based on no
scientific evidence."Police said the people who bought the devices
complained when they didn't work.On his company's Web site, Professor Kim
said, "The transferring of healing effects to water is something that
modern science cannot prove. I have customers who saw benefits from these
filters, and I am eager to participate in experiments."(Description of
Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of
English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from th e copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

27) Back to Top
Settlement of Issue of 'Comfort Women' For Imperial Japanese Army Urged -
KCNA
Thursday July 1, 2010 03:11:23 GMT
Settlement of Issue of "Comfort Women" for Imperial Japanese Army Urged

Pyongyang, July 1 (KCNA) -- The Washington Regional Committee for the
Solution of the Issue of the Volunteers' Corps of the United States held a
general meeting on June 11 stressing the need to settle the issue of
"comfort women" for the Imperial Japanese Army.The committee at the
meeting recalled that a plenary session of the U.S. House of
Representatives passed a resolution urging the Japanese government to make
a formal apology for Japan's past sexual slavery, but it has not opted for
settling the issue, evading its responsibility for it.The committee
pointed out that it would launch a positive movement to find a solution to
the above-said issue in the future.To this end, the committee will conduct
activities in solidarity with the signature campaign of the Council for
the Solution of the Issue of the Volunteers' Corps in South Korea urging
Japan to apologize and pay reparation for its sexual slavery, the
committee said.It stressed that the U.S. government should urge Japan to
accept at once the resolution on the issue of "comfort women" for the
Imperial Japanese Army.(Description of Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English
-- Official DPRK news agency. URL:
http://www.kcna.co.jp)Attachments:e7-1-611-06--doc.txt

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce .

28) Back to Top
(Yonhap Feature) Korean Wave Brings S. Korea, Hong Kong Closer Than Ever -
Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:31:58 GMT
(Yonhap Feature) Korean wave brings S. Korea, Hong Kong closer than ever

By Kim Young-gyoHONG KONG, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Amy Chan, a 12-year-old girl
who attends a local Hong Kong school, talks about South Korean boy band
2PM with her friends and sings along to its latest hit song "Without
You."She watches a TV program introducing South Korean popular songs,
which is being aired once a week on one of the major broadcasters here.
She is not alone and a growing number of teens and even adults are
infatuated with South Korean songs and dramas.In the 13 years since it
returned to Chinese rule, the former British colony has been drawn to S
outh Korea closer than ever, thanks largely to the popularity of Korean
pop culture in the territory."With its cultural products successfully
landing in the Hong Kong market, South Korea, boosted by its economic
development, has enhanced its image and presence in Hong Kong," said Leung
Yuk-ming, a professor of cultural studies at Hong Kong's Lingnan
University.The Korean wave, also known as "Hallyu," is the key to
explaining the relationship between South Korea and Hong Kong for the last
decade or so, she said. The word Hallyu means a phenomenon in which South
Korea television shows and pop singers have become increasingly popular in
neighboring countries.Hong Kong's two major terrestrial broadcasters, TVB
and ATV, present more than 20 TV shows from South Korea. Most of the
shows, including "The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House" and "Heaven and Earth,"
have been aired during prime time."Traditionally, the Japanese culture has
held a str ong influence on Hong Kong, but now it has shifted to the
Korean culture," the professor said. "Many people in Hong Kong began to
feel more intimacy towards South Koreans rather than towards Japanese."The
cultural intimacy that Hong Kong people feel about Korea has led to
successful entries of the South Korean brands into Hong Kong."South Korean
beauty products appeal to Hong Kong women who have been watching South
Korean celebrities through TV and films, and want to become like them,"
said Nam Su-mi, a spokeswoman for South Korea's No. 1 cosmetics maker
AmorePacific Corp.In September 2002, the company started to sell the
popular Laneige brand in Hong Kong department stores, positioning it as an
entry-level premium brand. The company now has Laneige brand shops in 172
department stores in 37 major cities in mainland China, including Parkson
and Pacific Stores, which are the most popular malls in Shanghai."The
successful launch of a product in Ho ng Kong boosts the success of the
same product in mainland China," she said.Hong Kong is the market where
the South Korean companies can showcase their products to Chinese
consumers and see the responses before going into that market, said a
Samsung official, echoing Nam's view."Hong Kong is the arena of the
struggle among the world's high-end brands and, at the same time, is a
gateway to mainland China," said Dustin Lee, a manager at Samsung
Electronics Co."This tendency has been more common, as it is estimated
that about 20 million tourists from the mainland visit Hong Kong every
year after marking 10 years since the handover to China," Lee
said.According to a report released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, 5.5
million tourists from the mainland visited Hong Kong during the first
three months this year, making up 64.3 percent of the total number of
visitors in the period.In order to expose itself to such a large number of
visitors, Samsung Electron ics set up last year a mega-sized neon
signboard on the harbor side, one of the most popular tourist attraction
sites in Hong Kong. The signboard casts lights into the sky over the
harbor.The Peninsula, Hong Kong's most internationally recognizable hotel,
has changed TVs for its guest houses to Samsung from Sony after 20 years
of using the Japanese brand. Samsung is the leading seller in Hong Kong of
liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs, with a market share of more than 20
percent.Hong Kong has been South Korea's fourth-largest export market
after China, the U.S. and Japan. Bilateral trade between the two economies
amounted to over US$21 billion in 2009, despite the global financial
crisis.In a bid to further boost the two sides' trade and investment
partnership, business and economic leaders from South Korea and Hong Kong
will attend the Korea-Hong Kong Business Round Table, slated to be held
later this month in Seoul.Chun Ka-lim, a senior research fellow at
consulate general o f South Korea in Hong Kong, stressed the strategic
importance of Hong Kong to South Korea, as the territory is seeking
increasing economic integration with China."Under the Closer Economic
Partnership Arrangement signed in 2003, the Chinese government hopes to
combine the financial influence in Hong Kong with the manufacturing
industries in the southern area, in order to create an economic gateway
attracting foreign capital to mainland China," said Chun."More South
Korean companies will be able to tap into the mainland market through a
close cooperation with Hong Kong."

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

29) Back to Top
Korea Post Celebrates Decade of Growth, Prof it - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:10:14 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - As Korea Post, a government agency in charge of the
nation's postal services, celebrates its 10th anniversary today, it's
aiming to increase revenues and to offer more diverse services.

And its goals don't seem all that impossible."By 2020, we plan to have 26
trillion won ($21.3 billion) in sales from our distribution, finance and
social service businesses," said Namgung Min, president of Korea Post,
yesterday, during a press briefing at the government complex in Gwacheon,
Gyeonggi.Despite the worldwide decrease in postal demand due to the
economic slump and the emergence of Internet services like online bill
payments, Korea Post has been in the black every year since its
founding.Postal offices are losing money in lots of places, according to
Korea Post, citing the United States Postal Serv ice's $3.8 billion loss
last year, the U.K.'s 230 million euros loss and Japan's 47.4 billion yen
loss. In contrast, Korea Post profit for postal delivery and finance
services last year was 168.8 billion won, up from 31.2 billion won 10
years ago. Its accumulative profit reached 1.57 trillion won for the past
decade.Despite e-mail, postal services are still growing too. In 2000, the
agency's postal delivery revenues were 11.2 billion won, while last year
they had risen to 285 billion won.And with economic growth returning to
Asia, led by the growing Chinese market, Korea Post expects its business
to continue to grow."The development of the nation's information
technology sector that has led to the arrival of new services, and that
has been a challenge, but we managed to utilize high-tech services in our
business," Namgung said.In 2004, the agency started offering a service
where consumers are able to track the delivery of parcels, and it exported
the technology to Kazakhstan last year for 5.5 billion won.Korea Post also
introduced its 4S strategy: Smart Post, Smile Finance, Social Infra and
Strong System.Smart Post allows consumers to create their own post office
online through which they can specify when they want letters or parcels to
be sent or arrive at their destinations. Automated post boxes will be
installed in apartments, subway stations and commercial
buildings.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English
-- Website of English-language daily which provides English-language
summaries and full-texts of items published by the major center-right
daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert
to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

30) Back to Top
Propaganda Just Isn't Enough
"Viewpoint" column by Kwon Young-bin, president of the Gyeonggi Cultural
Foundation and former president of the JoongAng Ilboand Translation by the
JoongAng Daily staff: "Propaganda Just Isn't Enough" - JoongAng Daily
Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:52:53 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website
of English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

31) Back to Top
Country's 'digital' Rank Climbs to 13 - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:41:43 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Korea has moved up several notches in a global ranking
of countries' information and communication technologies, in part because
of improvements in the nation's broadband quality, according to a new
report.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's "digital economy" study - released
yesterday - places Korea at 13th in the world, up from 19th in 2009. The
organization said in a press release that Korea and Asian countries such
as Taiwan and Japan outperform other regions in terms of mobile and
broadband quality because of heavy investments in next-generation
networks.Several European countries, on the other hand, fell in the
rankings.Since the late 1990s, Korea has been boosting its IT and
communications infrastructure and related industries. Internet access, for
example, is now available in almost every neighborhood across the country.
The rankings assess the availability of information and communication
technologies as well as the quality and prevalence of existing fiber and
other types of connections.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily
Online in English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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32) Back to Top
LG Maintains Upward Growth Trajectory - The Korea Times Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:46 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - LG Electronics doesn't intend to be in second place
forever behind its bitter industry rival Samsung Electronics. And the
domestic battle has grown into a global one in recent years, with the two
Korean high-tech juggernauts emerging as world beaters at the expense of
competitors from Japan, Europe and North America.

Obviously, Samsung clearly has the upper hand in the Korean business
sector's fiercest rivalry, as it is now the world's largest maker of
consumer electronics products and memory chips.However, LG is now sta
rting to give Samsung Electronics a run for its money, gaining ground in
the two areas Samsung calls its major markets flat-screen televisions and
mobile phones.LG recently edged Sony to trail Samsung as the
second-largest maker of liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions. The
company is also the world's No. 3 handset vendor behind Nokia and Samsung,
passing companies like Sony Ericsson and Motorola.LG officials believe
that 2010 will provide a truer test of the company's mettle, with Samsung
eager to cement its leadership, and other global electronics giants such
as Sony, Sharp and Motorola looking to put up a stronger fight to regain
their lost market share during the recession.However, LG seems confident
of meeting the challenge head-on, inspired by a robust third-quarter
driven by brisk sales of flat-screen televisions and mobile phones.LG,
which currently trails Samsung as the No. 2 liquid-crystal display (LCD)
television maker, posted a sharp increase in net income an d operating
profit during the July-September period and expects its momentum to carry
on to the holiday season.The third-quarter net income of 807.2 billion won
was more than a 30-fold increase from the 24.9 billion won during the same
period last year, while global revenue rose to 13.9 trillion won, compared
to the 12.1 trillion won a year earlier.LG's third-quarter operating
profit rose to 850.2 billion won from 570.5 billion won during the same
period last year.There are worries that LG will post more modest numbers
in the fourth-quarter, with the price erosion in the television and mobile
phones business and also an expected increase in marketing expenses
resulting in lower profitability.However, most industry watchers believe
that the expected drop-off will be at a manageable level, and LG will
still be able to finish 2009 on a high note."The expected increase in
marketing expenses is certainly a concern, but LG will still be able to
see a significant increase in p rofit compared to last year," said Kang
Yun-heum, an analyst from NH Investment Securities, who expects LG's
fourth-quarter operating profit to be around 566.4 billion won."The
upcoming high-demand season for televisions could make up for the expected
decline in the company's handset business, so LG's fourth-quarter numbers
may look better than many expect. We expect the company to finish 2009
with an operating profit of about 3.05 trillion won, which will be a new
record, and the number to be around 3.23 trillion won in 2010," Kang
said.Although the increased marketing expenses and the renewed challenge
of Motorola in the handset market are worrisome factors for LG, Kang
believes that the company's new "smart" phones, which provide higher
margins than conventional products, and premium television models would
help it retain its competitiveness.The company's growing mobile-phones
business accounted for a significant part of third-quarter profit. LG s
old 31.6 million handsets in the third quarter, up from 29.8 million units
in the previous quarter.The sales of flat-screen televisions rose 24
percent year-on-year to 4.9 trillion won after the company sold a record
4.01 million LCD television models.The company expects to sell 25 million
LCD televisions next year, compared to the projection of 17 million units
for 2009, and plans to bank o n the lucrative potential of light-emitting
diode (LED) backlit LCD televisions, which are quickly becoming the key
premium products in televisions.LG expects to sell around 5 million LED
backlit models next year and also said that its new flat-screen
televisions released this year, including the "Borderless" LCD television,
neatly designed to appear as a single sheet of glass with the border
around the television being black and flat.LG, which has been providing
40-inch and 50-inch models, plans to diversify its LED-backlit lineup by
introducing 26-inch and 60-inch models next year.The mobile phone market
may prove as a more difficult challenge for LG, as the company still has a
lot of room for growth left in the smart phone segment. Despite the record
number of handsets sold in the third quarter, LG's profit margin in the
handset business actually declined to 8.8 percent from 11 percent in the
previous quarter.LG has been pushing new premium phones in waves in the
past year, but has yet to have a product that could compete convincingly
with the iPhones and Blackberries of the world, which is reflected by its
weakening sales in the United States.The company has recently launched the
second version of its "Chocolate" touch screen phone and is expecting to
market three smart phone models, equipped with the Windows Mobile
operating system, and another handset powered by the Google-backed Android
operating system during the fourth quarter."The success of the smart
phones requires competitiveness in both the hardware and software side,
and LG, which doesn't have much to show for on the software front, has to
be better prepared for this market," said Yoo Jong-woo, an analyst from
Korean Investment Securities.Verizon, the biggest North American mobile
operator, is moving to strengthen its smart phone lineup, adding the
latest handsets from Motorola and Palm to its existing Blackberry
handsets, which may all add up to be a negative factor for LG's North
American business. Motorola's Android-powered handset, Droid, is certainly
a product to watch out for.(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times
Online in English -- Website of The Korea Times, an independent and
moderate English-language daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo
from which it often draws articles and translates into English for
publication; URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inq uiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

33) Back to Top
US Congressmen Launch Working Group for Korea-US FTA's Ratification
By Hwang Doo-hyong: "Congressmen launch working group for Korea FTA's
ratification" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:48:13 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

34) Back to Top
US Congressmen Launch W orking Group for Early Ratification of KORUS FTA
Yonhap headline: "Congressmen Launch Working Group For Korea FTA's
Ratification" by Hwang Doo-hyong - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 22:19:27 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

35) Back to Top
ROK Editorial Says ROK To Compete 'Fiercely' Against PRC, Taiwan for
Promotion of Exports - The Korea Herald Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 11:07:09 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Herald Online in English --
Website of the generally pro-government English-language daily The Korea
Herald; URL: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

36) Back to Top
DPRK Radio Carries KCNA Communique on Wartime, Post-War 'Damage' Inflicted
by US
"KCNA Communique [podo]: The Crimes That Will Take Generations To Settle
Score On -- Damage Inflicted by US Imperialists on Northern Half of the
Republic Amounts to US$64,959,854 Million," issued on 24 June; the
following was carried as a single report, replacing the
regularly-scheduled newscast; The last observed KCNA Communique was r
eleased on 30 April 2010 regarding the completion of "cutting-edge-level"
anthracite coal gasification process at Namhu'ng Youth Chemical Complex,
as cited in the first referent item - Korean Central Broadcasting Station
via Satellite
Wednesday June 30, 2010 10:51:17 GMT
The calamity inflicted on our people by the US imperialists, the
mastermind of evil, during the fatherland liberation war was the most
barbaric and most inhumane war crime of an ultra-large scale with no
precedent in the world history of war.

The US imperialists inflicted immeasurably enormous damage on our country
by perpetrating outrageous acts of carnage, destruction, and plunder
during the Korean war and viciously and persistently pursuing such
unheard-of policies of institutional isolation and suffocation from the
time it occupied South Korea until today by treating the new people's
Korea as an eye sore and brutally violating the United Nations Charter and
the established rules of international law.

The committee for investigation into the damage done by the United States
to the northern half of the Republic conducted all-out investigations and
assessments of all human and physical damage inflicted on the northern
half of the Republic over the 60-year period dating back to 8 September
1945 when the US imperialists illegally sneaked into South Korea.

The damage amounts to a total of US$64,959,854 million altogether.

The damage estimate is based on public disclosures made by documented
records of that period and survivor testimonies, and the unverified damage
should be much higher.

The amount should be immeasurably high if political and moral and cultural
damage inestimable in monetary terms is included, such as the infringement
of the Republic's sovereignty and dignity, the destruction of
revolutionary historic sites and other eternal treasur es, historic relics
and artifacts and other cultural properties, the mental stress inflicted
on our people by new-war provocation maneuvers and preemptive nuclear
attack threats, and the damage caused by vicious bourgeois ideological and
cultural infiltration maneuvers.

Nothing can compensate for the damage caused by the United States' illegal
occupation of South Korea and vicious interference with the fatherland's
reunification, given the mental distress and pain suffered by our people
from the tragedy of a divided nation for over half a century and the lack
of unified political, economic, and cultural progress between North and
South Korea.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il has pointed out the following. "The
US imperialists have continued to impose disasters on our people since the
first day they began extending their tentacles of aggression to our
country."

All of the crimes perpetrated by the US imperialists against our Republic
were so depraved and evil that they were unmatched by anything before and
after in their scale, duration, viciousness, and inhumanity.

The Korean Central News Agency has announced a report on the damage done
to the northern half of the Republic to divulge to the whole world all of
the crimes committed by the US imperialists against our people and to
settle the score till the end through generations. Great Massacre Crime
Aimed at the Extermination of the Korean Nation

The most serious damage inflicted by the US imperialists on the northern
half of the Republic is their brutal killings of numerous peaceful
residents.

From the time they occupied the southern land, the US imperialist
aggressors endlessly conducted raids, opened fire, and committed terrorism
against the region north of the 38th parallel and massacred or forcefully
abducted about 13,900 people before the war in order to disrupt the
people's new country moving toward socialism and to suffocate it in i ts
infancy.

The brutal great civilian massacre the US imperialists perpetrated in the
northern half of the Republic after they provoked the Korean war was the
most barbaric act unprecedented throughout the world as one perpetrated
against civilians in violatio n of international law and the established
rules of war on the wartime protection of private citizens.

During the three-year war, some 1,231,540 peaceful residents were brutally
murdered by the US imperialist beasts in the northern half of the
Republic.

In the land of Sinch'o'n, innocent people as many as one-fourth of the
county's population were massacred during the period of temporary
occupation, and the entire war period saw people dying bloody deaths at
the hands of US imperialist killers, 401,940 people in Hwanghae Province,
162,180 in South P'yo'ngan Province, 129,390 in Kangwo'n Province, 116,220
in North P'yo'ngan Province, 115,300 in South Hamgyo'ng Province, 82,020
in North Hamgyo'ng Pro vince, and 64,240 in Chagang Province.

The US imperialist beasts indiscriminately killed 157,840 residents in
Pyongyang alone.

One of the unforgivable crimes the US imperialist aggressors committed
during the Korean war was that they waged all-out germ warfare strictly
banned under international law and used chemical weapons, which are
weapons of mass destruction, in massive amounts.

The germ bombs the US imperialists poured across some 400 locations in the
northern half on more than 700 occasions during the two-month period from
late January and late March of 1952 contained numerous harmful insects
such as flies, fleas, bedbugs, and mosquitoes, and they exponentially
spread germs carrying terrible malignant and acute plagues such as pest,
cholera, smallpox, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

In the notorious germ warfare and chemical warfare, some 50,000 people
were massacred in the northern half of the Republic, including the 1,379
Namp' o City residents killed by poison gas bombs.

Paying no heed to the international treaty on the treatment of prisoners
of war, the US imperialists perpetrated inhumane abuse against our
prisoners of war and even committed without qualms such acts of crime as
random killings and depraved human experiments.

Some 2,463,090 people were injured at the hands of the US barbarians
crazed over human carnage, and 294,020 of them, left disabled and deprived
of the ability to work, had to live the rest of their lives under state
protection, decrying the US imperialist murderous villains amid an
outpouring of hatred and grudge.

During the tragedy of war, many people, caught in the tentacles of the US
imperialist aggressors, were abducted and went missing, leaving indelible
painful scars on our national history.

Even after kneeling before the heroic Korean people and putting the stamp
on the Armistice Agreement, the United States endlessly conducted military
att acks and raids and acts of terrorism and sabotage against our Republic
on the eastern and western coasts, on the ground, and in the sky, killing,
abducting, or wounding some 24,910 people in the northern half.

Even decades later, in October 1976, the US imperialists committed an act
of terror on a passenger plane flying above the Caribbean Sea, killing our
external sector functionaries, a naked revelation of their nature as
murderous devils to the world.

Based on all these facts, the human toll of the killing atrocities
perpetrated by the US imperialists against the people in the northern half
of the Republic totals 5,060,770 including 1,247,870 dead, 911,790
abducted, and 391,740 gone missing.

These estimates based on a calculation method in line with international
practices put the damage done to the people dead, abducted, or gone
missing at US$16,533,396 million and the damage done to the people wounded
or disabled at US$9,635,427 million for a total of US$26,168,823 million,
taking into lost work and lost incomes for the victims as well as the
interest accrued and the change in the value of the dollar during the
period of no compensation.

The numbers do not even count organized and collective crimes of human
rights violation such as the indiscriminate rape of women including old,
underage, and pregnant women during the period of temporary occupation of
the northern half of the Republic.

The perpetrator must apologize to and compensate the victim as a matter of
the basic human conscience and obligation, and, in the context of
relations between countries, that is a moral basis for the peace of
humankind and the sound development of the international community.

However, the United States has never apologized for violently ravaging our
people's lives, health, and stable livelihood, not even once before, and
keeps refusing to make any compensation at all, and yet it shamelessly
demanded astronomically hu ge compensation to the tune of US$62,333,333
for each of its pilots killed when their plane was shot down, while
infringing upon the airspace of Cuba, in the mid-1990s.

Indeed, the human toll inflicted by the US imperialists on the northern
half of the Republic represents a top-of-the-line act of crime
unprecedented in the history of humankind, given the size of the territory
and population involved, and absolutely unforgivable in light of
international law and human morality, and our people have the
well-deserved right to settle the score on that account till the end and
exact the price for their blood. Acts of Indiscriminate Destruction and
Plunder

The acts of destruction and plunder committed by the US imperialists in
the northern half of the Republic spawned disasters of an unheard-of scale
that far surpassed the World Wars in the extent and scope of the damage.

The property damage inflicted by the United States on our people over the
past 60 years a mounts to a total of US$16,703,169 million.

In the damage investigation, all estimates of material and economic damage
have been verified and aggregated on the basis of an internationally
recognized method.

The US imperialists sent a large number of terrorists and saboteurs to
infiltrate into the northern part of the Republic in a time of excitement
over the construction of a new fatherland after the liberation, and they
destroyed and burned down 3,029 factories, enterprise buildings,
residential homes, and other peaceful facilities and buildings and 1,073
cho'ngbo (1 cho'ngbo equals 2.45 acres) of arable land and 1,630 cho'ngbo
of forests and brigandishly took away residents' properties such as
thousands of livestock animals including 1,069 cows and pigs and even
household furnishings, let alone state public properties.

The property damage from destruction and plunder by the US imperialists in
the northern half of the Republic before the war amounts to US$20,281
million.

The Korean war that reduced the rules of war banning attack and bombing by
any means on peaceful cities, villages, residential homes, and buildings
to a worthless piece of paper and turned the cities and countryside in the
northern half of the Republic into complete ruins became history's
microcosm divulging the brutal nature and crimes of the US imperialist
aggressors to the world.

Ranting on totally wiping out the 78 cities of North Korea from the map,
the US imperialist aggressors literally turned the entire country into
scorched earth by unleashing large-scale bombing and artillery fire on the
entire region of the northern half of the Republic during the war and by
even using napalm bombs and biological and chemical bombs banned by
international treaties.

Due to the atrocities of the US imperialists massively undertaken on the
ground, in the sea, and in the sky, a total of 2,416,407 buildings
sustained severe damage in the space of three years, including 50,941
factory and enterprise buildings, 28,632 school buildings of all education
levels, 4,534 clinics and healthcare facility buildings, 579 scientific
research institute buildings, 8,163 publishing and cultural institute
buildings, and 2,077,226 residential homes, all of which were brutally
destroyed, as well as 7,491 buildings used for religious ceremonies,
including churches, worship places, cathedrals, and Ch'o'ndogyo churches,
that disap peared without a trace.

At the same time, 4,879 kilometers of railways, 4,009 kilometers of roads,
1,109 kilometers of bridges, 1,489 locomotives, 4,803 automobiles, 6,281
fishing boats and vessels were destroyed and 1,715 reservoirs and related
facilities were bombed out and damaged, causing enormous human, physical,
and environmental damage.

In the countryside, 563,755 cho'ngbo of arable land became barren, 155,500
cho'ngbo fields were lost, and millions of livestock animals were
slaughtered or taken away, including 369,101 cows and 764,604 pigs.

In addition, ancient publications and books, documents and materials
burned and lost amounted to 40,755,640 pieces, including national treasure
Korean classics, and other national treasure Korean cultural heritage
properties, priceless beyond compensation, were heinously destroyed and
plundered.

During the unprecedented scorch-earth warfare, the personal assets of
residents in the northern half of the Republic were reduced to almost
zero.

With everything destroyed and plants and trees totally burned down, the
northern half of the Republic turned into ruins, and the scope of damage
was so severe that it seemed even a century would not be enough for
reconstruction in the words of the US imperialists.

The property damage inflicted by the US imperialists on the northern half
of the Republic during the Korean war amounts to a whopping US$16,661,622
million.

It shows that the US imperialists' w ar of aggression on Korea was the
most barbaric large-scale war of destruction in the world history of war.

Even after the war, the United States endlessly engaged in acts of ground,
air, and maritime provocation and systematic terrorist and saboteur
infiltration to destroy and incinerate peaceful facilities, inflicting
US$21,266 million in property damage.

Our people had established a powerful socialist state from scratch by
their own power in such a short period of time after vanquishing the
aggressors, but the US imperialists indiscriminately destroyed the
economic foundations of self-supporting leaps during the time around the
Korean war, causing immeasurable consequences.

The lost production caused by the lack of normal economic development due
to the US imperialists' destruction maneuvers already reached US$10,896
million in the run-up to the war and another US$5,461,460 million during
the war.

There is something we have to settle the score on with the United States
in that context.

From the outset of the construction of a new fatherland after the
liberation, our people rebuilt reservoirs after investing enormous amounts
of supplies, money, and manpower and, as a compatriotic measure, supplied
the people in the southern half with large amounts of electricity and
provided the Namyo'nbaek area with a sufficient supply of irrigation
water.

The US military authorities exacted huge amounts of money in water and
electricity charges from Namyo'nbaek area farmers and South Korean
residents, but they have never paid us proper amounts of irrigation usage
fees and electricity tariffs, not until today.

Moreover, after the liberation, they printed money to the tune of 28.7
billion won and let it flow into the northern half of the Republic by
exploiting the use of the same Bank of Korea notes in the North and the
South and plundered a wealth of resources including large amounts of grain
crops, fisheries goods, fuel, and supplies, causing great disruption to
our people's new society construction.

Another example of the serious damage inflicted by the US imperialists on
the northern half of the Republic was the severe destruction and pollution
of the ecological environment due to their biological and chemical warfare
massively undertaken.

The toxic substances and germs the US imperialists indiscriminately
sprayed across the northern half region of the Republic during the past
Korean war caused great damage to the lives and living environment of our
people.

Even during the post-war period, the US imperialists sprayed areas along
the Military Demarcation Line with large amounts of defoliants, causing
air pollution and great damage to the growth of agricultural crops and
wildlife and plantation. The resulting damage totals US$4,448 million.

It took a long period of time and a huge amount of money to restore the
environment to what it was before it bec ame destroyed and polluted by the
US imperialists.

As a case in point, the Republic government had to spend a large amount of
money over decades just to eradicate hemorrhagic fever with renal
syndrome, which the US imperialists spread during the past Korean war.

The economic damage from the environmental destruction and pollution by
the US imperialists in the northern half region of the Republic amounts to
a whopping US$505,356 million.

The United States will never escape from the responsibility for causing
enormous amounts of material and economic damage and losses beyond
comparison with the World Wars to our people and creating serious
obstacles to social development and economic construction in the northern
half of the Republic. Consequences of Isolation and Suffocation Maneuvers
Unprecedented in History

The United States' hostile policy against the DPRK is a policy of state
terrorism for suffocating the dignified our-style socialism our people
have chosen.

Since it divided Korea in half, the United States has been endlessly
engaging in various types of acts of war provocation with a focus on
suffocating our Republic militarily.

The US imperialists brutally violated the Military Armistice Agreement on
hundreds of thousands of occasions including the armed spy ship Pueblo's
infiltration into our maritime territory and intensified the state of
military confrontation and tension on the Korean peninsula by running amok
with war of northward aggression exercises of various pretexts every year,
such as Team Spirit, Foal Eagle, Ulchi Focus Lens, with the aim of
launching a preemptive nuclear attack on our Republic.

The increasing war threats from the US imperialists created great
difficulties for the establishment of a new society and the construction
of socialism in the northern half of the Republic and gave rise to the
need to spend money in a way that interfered with the planned and balanced
devel opment of the people's economy.

Our party and Republic government had no other option but to lay down the
line of arming the entire people and turning the whole country into a
fortress in response to the United States' new-war provocation maneuvers
and to seek the parallel promotion of economic construction and defense
construction, while constantly putting great efforts into civil defense
drills, which translated into enormous damage worth US$2,380,186 million
to economic development and the improvement of the people's living
standard.

Economic sanction and blockade policies are the basic components of the US
imperialists' isolation and suffocation maneuvers against the DPRK, and
the country subject to the most persistent and most stringent sanctions
and blockades by the United States worldwide is none other than our
Republic.

Over a long period of time spanning half a century, the US ruling cliques
of the past and the present have doggedly clung to sys tematic and
all-encompassing economic sanction and blockade maneuvers across all areas
including trade, finance, investment, real estate, insurance,
transportation, postal and telecommunications services, and exchanges of
people, for the purpose of isolating and suffocating our Republic holding
aloft the banner of socialism and firmly adhering to independence.

The United States launched economic sanctions and blockades against our
country and other socialist countries by fabricating the Coordinating
Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) in November 1949, and
it kept expanding the scope of economic sanctions against our country and
strengthening blocka de measures for decades under some 20 haphazard laws
it randomly created in brutal disregard of international law, such as the
Trading With the Enemy Act, the Export Administration Act, the Foreign
Assistance Act, and the Export-Import Bank Act.

Especially in the harsh 1990s marked by temporary setbac ks to the
socialist movement, the United States' maneuvers involving the formation
of imperialist combined forces and the mobilization of all means and
methods for the complete isolation and suffocation of our country, a
bastion of socialism, started to reach viciousness of unimaginable
proportions.

The United States fabricated a scheming organ called the Wassenaar
Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods
and Technologies in July 1996 as a successor to the COCOM, which was
dismantled with the end of the Cold War, and it frantically tried to
completely suffocate our economy by international sanctions, invoking this
arrangement fit for dubious applications.

The United States' international pressure offensive against our Republic
was more recklessly undertaken, going into the new century.

After labeling our Republic as part of an axis of evil and starting
frenzied nuclear commotions, the United States accused us of being a sta
te sponsor of terrorism by fabricating fictional incidents and ratcheted
up the degree of pressure and blackmail on us by waging collective
sanction and blockade campaigns, including various absurd smear tactics
based on human rights and narcotics allegations, and fabricated
applications of the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Regional
Maritime Security Initiative intended for maritime blockades involving the
mobilization of countries following the United States.

Because of the United States' persistent sanction and blockade maneuvers,
our country's peaceful economic construction has sustained enormous damage
in all sectors, and the damage keeps growing by a huge amount with each
passing day.

In such a cowardly act, the United States froze the assets and even
inherited assets and insurance money of the Republic's state and public
institutions and citizens, and, as if that was not enough, banned
remittances and the mailing of parcels.

Of the Unit ed States' maneuvers to suffocate our economy, the most
vicious was sanctions against trade transactions and financial activities.

Trade transactions could not proceed smoothly because US companies and
civilians were strictly prohibited from engaging in any form of commerce
with our Republic's companies and citizens and US pressure was extending
to countries, companies and individuals with economic ties to our country,
and the dark tentacles of the United Stases reached everywhere our trade
activities took place, imposing severe surveillance and controls on the
movement of supplies.

The suppression of free trade activities resulted in severe losses in
exports and imports at the expense of the country's economic development
and the improvement of the people's living standard.

Under the United States' vicious financial sanctions, financial
settlements could not take place in international markets, causing great
financial losses in trade activities, because the money involved in a
dollar settlement between our country's bank and a foreign bank would
become frozen automatically at a US bank.

The United States is applying pressure on other countries not to provide
our country with loans and external economic cooperation and even
investments from individual investors, while making frantic maneuvers to
prevent countries following the United States from exporting new equipment
and technologies to our country.

Moreover, in an unabashed act of piracy, the United States occupied our
country's trade vessels by force and confiscated trade cargoes in
international waters offering free passage under international law, as in
the forced search of our country's trade containership So'san in broad
daylight in the international waters near Yemen, which was conducted by
Spain at the urging of the United States.

The United States' maneuvers to economically suffocate the Republic and
demolish our system found their intensive expression in its deliberate
postponement and ruination of light water reactor and heavy oil supply,
the centerpiece of the DPRK-US Agreed Framework adopted in October 1994.

As a result of the United States' shameless act of suspending light water
reactor construction and heavy oil supply, which it restricted to nominal
progress from the start by creating obstacles, our energy industry had
faced astronomical amounts of lost electricity since the adoption of the
DPRK-US Agreed Framework, and enormous consequences were caused to the
people's economy and the people's livelihood.

The losses from the postponement and ruination of light water reactor
construction and heavy oil supply amount to US$1,165,008 million.

The damage inflicted on our people by the economic sanction and blockade
maneuvers as a product of the United States' hostile policy against the
DPRK is inestimable, but the damage estimatebased on publicly disclosed
amounts alone for the 60-year pe riod through 2005 amounts to
US$13,729,964 million.

That does not even count the enormous damage caused by the disruption of
powerful state construction due to sanctions resolutions that the United
States fabricated by nudging the UN Security Council after taking issue
with our peaceful satellite launches in recent years and portraying our
nuclear tests legitimately conducted to protect the country's supreme
interests and sovereignty as threats to peace.

The cowardly game of economic sanctions and blockades played by the United
States for over a half-century cannot be justified by anything as an
illegal and evil brigandish crime with no justification under
international law and an act of violent infringement against state
sovereignty.

Nevertheless, the United States has neither made compensation nor shown
the slightest sliver of remorse for the ugly act of crime, and it is
running amok, with bloodshot eyes, to disparage the Republic's holy
dignity and so vereignty and impose the calamity of a nuclear war on this
land by fabricating the Ch'onan ship incident and accusing us of being a
criminal state, like a thief raising a hue and cry.

The United States, which is also exploiting the Korean peninsula nuclear
issue for the purpose of institutionally isolating and suffocating our
Republic, not for the purpose of ensuring peace, continues to reject
peaceful coexistence with us after deliberately ruining the Six-Party
Talks, as it keeps inflicting immeasurable damage on our nation by
instigating divisiveness and confrontation between the North and the South
and interfering with the nation's unified development.

All these facts clearly illustrate once again that the US imperialists are
vicious and barbaric aggressors and murderers, shameless disrupters of
peace, and the sworn enemy of the Korean nation.

The harder the United States comes down on our dignified Republic
recklessly instead of apologizing and compe nsating for the history of its
crimes perpetrated against the Korean nation, the bigger the hatred and
grudge of our army and people will grow, and the provocateurs will get
nothing but merciless destruction and deaths out of the resulting
political and military confrontation.

Our army and people that have grown into the invincible ranks of the
revolution under the leadership of the party and the leader (suryo'ng)
will never forgive the US imperialists' crimes and will settle the score
thousands of times over, and they will firmly protect the peace of the
Korean peninsula and the world and establish a powerful socialist state on
this land at all costs by strengthening a self-defensive deterrent in
every direction under the military-first banner.

24 June Chuch'e 99 (2010)

Pyongyang

(Description of Source: Pyongyang Korean Central Broadcasting Station via
Satellite in Korean -- Satellite feed of DPRK state-run domestic radio
network)Attachments:KCNA communiqueKCBS0800GMT24Jun10.pdf

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Expert Says PRC Steelmakers Should Acquire Overseas Iron Ore Mines
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. -
Caijing Guojia Zhoukan
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:51:19 GMT
(Description of Source: Beijing Caijing Guojia Zhoukan in Chinese --
"Economy and Nation Weekly," a magazine -- which despite its name is
published biweekly, not weekly -- published by PRC state news agency
Xinhua and Xinhua-affiliated magazi ne Liaowang ("Outlook"); Caijing
Guojia Zhoukan was launched on 28 December 2009 and features original
reporting on PRC economic policy and market and industry
trends)Attachments:cjgjzk0510a.pdf

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Chongryon HQ on Block After Ruling - The Daily NK
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:17:07 GMT
(THE DAILY NK) - Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that Chongryon
headquarters are a legitimate Chongryon asset which may be seized and
auctioned as part of proceedings to recover loans made by a defunct credit
union to the organization, Japanese broadcaster NH K reported on Tuesday.

A collection agency recently took over a number of bonds issued by the
bankrupt Joeun Credit Union, which loaned around $700 million to
Chongryon, the organization of North Koreans in Japan. The agency then
announced its intention to pursue collection by putting Chongryon
headquarters land and buildings in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo up for
auction.However, since the land and buildings are registered under a
separate firm, Chosun Central Hall Management Association, the collection
agency was required to file a lawsuit to get the necessary recognition of
its right to seizure.The court initially dismissed the collection agency's
claim on the grounds that the assets are held by a separate entity, but
accepted, "It is possible to seize (the assets) if they can be shown to be
actual Chongryon assets."Therefore, the collection agency filed a separate
lawsuit to ask for recognition of the Chongryon headquarters estate and
buildings as such an asset, and the Supreme Court has now ruled in its
favor.If the judgment is allowed to stand, the collection agency will be
able to legally seize the estate and buildings of the Chongryon
headquarters, adding to the organizations mounting woes.(Description of
Source: Seoul The Daily NK in English -- English website of "The Daily
NK," which specializes in North Korean affairs and is generally critical
of the North, published by NGOs such as the Network for North Korean
Democracy and Human Rights that is run by North Korean defectors; URL:
http://www.dailynk.com)

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S. Korean Pension Fund to Raise Stock Weighting Next Year - Y onhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 07:43:28 GMT
pension fund-portfolio change

S. Korean pension fund to raise stock weighting next yearSEOUL, June 30
(Yonhap) -- South Korea's national pension fund will increase its
weighting of stocks in 2011 while reducing the portion of bonds in 2011,
as it seeks higher returns amid shifting market conditions, the health
ministry said Wednesday.The National Pension Service (NPS) will raise its
holdings of local stocks to 18 percent of its total assets under
management next year from 16.6 percent this year, the Ministry of Health
& Welfare, which oversees the pension fund, said in a statement.In
addition, the proportion of overseas equities will be lifted to 6.6
percent from 5.1 percent as the fund aims for a return rate of 6.3 percent
next year, the ministry said.The weighting of local bonds, however, will
be lowered to 63.5 percent next ye ar from 67.8 percent, with overseas
bonds to take up the same portion as this year with 4.1 percent, it
noted.The NPS plans to add emerging market bonds to its investment
portfolio, which has been stocked mainly with advanced economy debts, the
ministry said, adding emerging market bonds are an appealing investment
choice given the countries' high interest rates and strong economic growth
forecasts due to domestic consumption.The fund will have total assets of
336.52 trillion won (US$274.9 billion) at the end of 2011 after it
achieves its profit goal and 63.96 trillion won in contributions are added
to its portfolio, according to the ministry.The NPS is the world's
fourth-largest manager of pension funds, with 277.64 trillion won under
its management as of the end of 2009. Japan's public pension fund is the
world's biggest, followed by the Norwegian national fund and the Dutch
government pension fund.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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Employment of Educated Korean Women Lowest Among OECD Countries - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:32:11 GMT
educated women-employment rate

Employment of educated Korean women lowest among OECD countriesSEOUL, June
30 (Yonhap) -- Korean women with college degrees are far less likely to
get jobs than their counterparts in other developed countries, with nearly
four out of 10 staying unemployed, data suggested Wednesday.According to
data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and D evelopment
(OECD), released by the Korean Women's Development Institute in Seoul, the
employment rate for Korean women aged between 25 and 64 with college
degrees stood at 61.2 percent, the lowest among the OECD member
countries.The OECD average was 79.5 percent. Norway at 88.8 percent was
the most open labor market for educated women, followed by Sweden with 88
percent and Britain with 85.8 percent. Japan at 66.1 percent and Turkey at
63.5 percent were among the least available job markets for women. The
data was filed from observations in 2007.Korea also ranked lowest in a
similar survey in 1997, with 57.4 percent.For women overall, Korea's
employment rate was 52.2 percent in the latest survey, far less than the
OECD average at 77.2 percent.The workplace pay gap between Korean men and
women was also the highest among the OECD countries, with female workers
getting paid 38 percent less than their male colleagues.But Korea had the
lowest death rates from breast cancer. Out o f every 100,000 people, 5.8
Korean women died of breast cancer, the lowest among the OECD countries,
which averaged 20.8 people. Still, the OECD average has been slowly
decreasing, dropping by 4.5 persons over the past 10 years, while Korea's
rate has risen by 1.3 persons from 4.5 in 1995.Korean women's death rate
for cervical cancer was 4.3 in 2005, higher than the OECD average of
3.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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Asiana Leads Top Stocks in First Half - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01: 04:11 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Airline and petrochemical shares performed best during
the first half of 2010, while shares of construction and securities firms
were among the weakest performers, according to the Korea Exchange
yesterday.

Asiana Airlines was the strongest performers among stocks with a market
capitalization of 1 trillion won ($819 million) or more, with a 165
percent rise in its share price as of June 29.Korean Air was ranked 10th
in terms of share performance, with a rise of 51 percent in the first six
months."The main reason behind the rise (in carriers) was the increase in
cargo demand on the back of a revival of IT exports as well as a rapid
recovery in passenger demand with the economic recovery," said Chang
Hyun-min, an analyst at Samsung Securities.Kumho Petrochemical and Honam
Petrochemical were also among the top 10 stocks, ranking second and ninth,
respectively."The petrochemical se ctor has taken a favorable turn thanks
to strong demand in the Asian region. Particularly China and India, along
with the global economic recovery," said Yoo Young-kuk, an analyst at KTB
Securities. "It is only the beginning of a serious rally."The construction
sector was battered not only by a domestic property slump, but also
concerns about a drop in overseas orders due to the weakness of the
euro.Shares of Kumho Industrial suffered a fall of more than 60 percent,
while four other construction firms declined by more than 20
percent.Equities in the banking sector also struggled due to a rise in
nonperforming loans and the European sovereign debt crisis.But analysts
believe the outlook for local banks will be brighter in the second
half."The expected announcement of the privatization plan for Woori
Financial Holdings will increase interest in a possible merger with Hana
Financial. If a merger is completed, the synergy benefits will be
significant," s aid Choi Un-sun, an analyst at LIG Investment &
Securities.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English
-- Website of English-language daily which provides English-language
summaries and full-texts of items published by the major center-right
daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert
to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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42) Back to Top
Korea Ranks First in Global Shipbuilding - Chosun Ilbo Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:54:42 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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Taiwanese Students' Civic Understanding Ranked World's Fourth
By Lin Huei-chun and Elizabeth Hsu - Central News Agency
Wednesday June 30, 2010 12:51:00 GMT
Taipei, June 30 (CNA) -- An international survey has ran ked the "civic
understanding" of Taiwanese eighth-grade students as fourth-highest among
38 countries that teach civic education, according to the lcoal conductor
of the survey.

National Taiwan Normal University professor Lin Mei-huei unveiled the
results of her study and of the 2009 International Civic and Citizenship
Education Study (ICCS) initiated by the International Association for the
Evaluation of Education Achievement (IEA) at a news conference in Taipeia
day earlier.Lin was commissioned by the Cabinet-level National Science
Council to carry out the ICCS survey in Taiwan between 2007 and
2009.According to Lin, the average score of Taiwanese students in tests of
their civic understanding was 559 points, higher than the international
average level of 500 points.The performance put Taiwan fourth in the
world, behind Finland, Denmark and South Korea. Lin attributed the high
ranking to the importance Taiwan attaches to intellectual
education.Addressing t he definition of "civic understanding, " Lin cited
as an example that the surveyed students were asked to answer questions
such as: "Why would a student refuse to wear his new shoes after learning
that they were produced in a factory that employs child labor?" The answer
is that he "does not want to support the factory that made the shoes, "
Lin said, noting that the questions were about civic concepts rather than
traditional civic education questions like: "What is the voting age?"
Although Taiwanesestudents performedwell in civic understanding, they were
less successful in terms of "attitude" and "values," Lin went on.For
example, Taiwanese eighth graders' support for gender equality rights
ranked first in the world, but the degree of their trust in the
government, political parties and the media was lower than the
international average, she said.Taiwanese students were found to be keen
to participate in class act ivities but reluctant to take part in human
rights campaigns outside school, according to Lin."The percentage of the
students who had never taken part in civic activities off-campus was also
higher than the international average," Lin added.Her research team also
found that the teachers who took part in the survey mostly believed the
country needs to increase lessons on civic education.The team suggested
that the government should initiate civic activities in which parents can
take part, thereby establishing platforms for individual families,
communities and schools to interact.A total of 5,167 eighth graders, 2,367
teachers and 150 principals from 150 schools in Taiwan took part in the
survey.(Description of Source: Taipei Central News Agency in English --
"Central News Agency (CNA)," Taiwan's major state-run press agency;
generally favors ruling administration in its coverage of domestic and
international affairs; URL: http://www.cna.com.tw)

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ROK Editorial Says ROK Society To Take Responsibility for Rape Offenders,
Victims
Editorial: "Chemical Castration" - The Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 10:50:47 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in English -- Website
of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate English-language daily
published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from which it often draws
articles and translates into English for publication; URL:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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45) Back to Top
DPRK's KCNA Lists 1 Jul Rodong Sinmun Articles
Attaching the vernacular full-text of the Rodong Sinmun list of articles
for the corresponding date -- as available from the KCNA in Korean feed --
in PDF format.; Original KCNA headline: "Press Review" - KCNA
Thursday July 1, 2010 04:48:46 GMT
(Description of Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English -- Official DPRK news
agency. URL: http://www.kcna.co.jp)Attachments:KCNAlist1Jul10.pdf

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Probe Into Truth Behind Case of Warship Sinking Demanded in S. Korea -
KCNA
Thursday July 1, 2010 04:04:53 GMT
(Description of Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English -- Official DPRK news
agency. URL: http://www.kcna.co.jp)

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47) Back to Top
Just Cause of Korean People Supported - KCNA
Thursday July 1, 2010 04:04:55 GMT
Just Cause of Korean People Supported

Pyongyang, July 1 (KCNA) -- Antti Sika Aho, chairman of the Finland-Korea
Society, issued a statement on June 22 on the occasion of the June 25-July
27 month of anti-U.S. joint struggle.The statement noted that the U.S.
could not bring down the young DPRK at all in the Korean War but kneel
down before the Korean people to sign the Armistice Agreement at last on
July 27, 1953.The armistice temporarily brought peace to the Korean
Peninsula but the danger of a war has not yet vanished, it said, adding:
The U.S. has introduced even nuclear weapons into South Korea, increasing
the danger of a nuclear war in the peninsula with each passing day.The
Korean people's struggle for national reunification which had been
favorably developing is confronted with the grave challenge due to the
anti-reunification moves of the U.S. and the Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak)
group. The present U.S. administration has not yet rolled back its hostil
e policy towards the DPRK.The U.S. is working hard to stifle the DPRK at
any cost because the latter is located in a position of geopolitical
importance and is building socialism.The statement strongly demanded that
the U.S. withdraw at once its forces out of South Korea and
unconditionally respond to the proposal of the DPRK for concluding a peace
treaty.It extended full support to the Korean people in the just cause of
achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of the
country.(Description of Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English -- Official DPRK
news agency. URL: http://www.kcna.co.jp)

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N. Korean Ambassador in Laos Denies Pyon gyang Attacked S. Korean Warship
- Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 03:11:24 GMT
NK envoy-Laos-ship sinking

N. Korean ambassador in Laos denies Pyongyang attacked S. Korean
warshipVIENTIANE, July 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's top diplomat in Laos
denied Pyongyang's involvement in the sinking of a South Korean warship, a
Laotian government official who recently met him said Thursday.Ambassador
Han Bong-ho dismissed the conclusions of a Seoul-led multinational probe
that accused North Korea of the deadly sinking of the Ch'o'nan (Cheonan),
the Laotian official said."The South Koreans say we fired a torpedo, but
they don't know where the torpedo came from, or whether the torpedo has
been there from before," Han was quoted as saying, repeating his
government's demands that the two Koreans conduct a joint investigation on
the incident.Han probably meant to say that "if North K orea had intended
to strike the Ch'o'nan (Cheonan), then it would have fired not one torpedo
but several," the Laos official said.Pyongyang is accused of sinking the
Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) with a torpedo in a stealthy attack near the Yellow Sea
border on March 26. Forty-six sailors died in the attack.South Korea is
seeking to censure its communist neighbor at the U.N. Security Council,
but progress has been slow in deciding how to condemn Pyongyang.Pyongyang
has threatened an "all-out war" if it is sanctioned for the attack. A
diplomatic source said Wednesday that North Korea's ambassador to South
Africa hurled a menacing remark at his South Korean counterpart during
their encounter last month, warning that the North "won't just let things
pass" if the South continues its push to censure Pyongyang.In late June,
Lee Gun-tae, Seoul's ambassador to Laos, met with high-ranking Laotian
government officials to brief them about the result of the Ch'o'nan (Cheon
an) investigation and asked for their backing.But Laos isn't taking sides
for now, its assistant foreign minister Alounkeo Kittikhoun said."We don't
want to see any war on the Korean Peninsula," the Laotian diplomat said.
"South Korea and North Korea must resolve their problems through
dialogue.""We regret this incident and we urge the South and the North to
show patience so as not to raise tension on the Korean Peninsula," he
said. "We're not siding with either South Korea or North Korea. We hope to
be working as a mediator so that this issue will be resolved
peacefully."(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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Lee Myung Bak's Sycophancy Towards U.S. Under Fire - KCNA
Thursday July 1, 2010 03:11:25 GMT
Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak)'s Sycophancy towards U.S. under Fire

Pyongyang, July 1 (KCNA) -- South Korean civic and public organizations
including the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification and the
Solidarity for Progress at a press conference in Seoul on June 25
denounced traitor Lee Myung Bak for his pro-U.S. sycophantic action to
extend the "transfer of wartime operation control"(OPCON).At the press
conference the organizations accused the Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak)
regime of making desperate efforts to extend OPCON, while pursuing a
hardline policy towards the DPRK under the pretext of the "Ch'o'nan
(Cheonan)" case.This is nothing but a very disgracefu l and hateful action
as it once again clearly proves that Lee is depending on the U.S. in every
matter, they deplored.They noted with concern that if the U.S. is allowed
to keep reining in the strategy and operation of the South Korean army and
leading the anti-DPRK military operations as now, the process for
achieving peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula will be further
delayed. They demanded Lee Myung Bak step down.They urged Lee Myung-bak
(Yi Myo'ng-pak) to opt for properly dealing with the issue of OPCON,
though belatedly.Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) should bear in mind that if
he defies the demand of the people, he will be responsible for the stain
left on history, they warned, calling upon all the people to hold in check
the above-said action of the Lee's forces come what may.(Description of
Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English -- Official DPRK news agency. URL:
http://www.kcna.co.jp)Attachments:e7-1-611-07--doc.txt

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N. Korean Spies Get 10-year Jail Terms For Assassination Plot - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:24:55 GMT
NK spies-prison terms

N. Korean spies get 10-year jail terms for assassination plotBy Kim
Eun-jungSEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court Thursday sentenced two
North Korean spies to a 10-year jail term for attempting to assassinate a
high-profile North Korean defector critical of the communist North and its
top leader.The two defendants, known only as Kim, 36, and Tong, 34, were
arrested in April on charges of posing as fugitives in a plot to kill
Hwang Chang-yo'p (Hwang Chang -yub), former secretary of the North's
ruling Workers' Party and chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly.The
Seoul Central District Court said that confessions and statements from Kim
and Tong regarding motives for their fake defections, planned crimes,
infiltration routes and personal careers are all convincing enough to
convict them of violating the National Security Law."It is also
acknowledged that the residence of Hwang is a classified information and
the figures contacted by Kim and Tong in China are members of North Korea
or other anti-state organizations," said the court.The court also noted
that Hwang's defection to the South is "a symbol of South Korean system's
superiority" and should they succeed in settling down here, it could have
been a major threat to the safety of Hwang considering their military
training.The two, both former North Korean military officers, arrived in
Seoul last December disguised as defectors on orders by the North's r
econnaissance unit in charge of espionage operations against South
Korea.Hwang, 88, defected to South Korea in 1997 and has received repeated
death threats for criticizing his former boss, Kim Jong Il (Kim
Cho'ng-il). The location of his residence is not publicly known, and South
Korean police keep him under round-the-clock surveillance.(Description of
Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK;
URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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North Envoy Literally Twists Counterpart's Arm - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:58:06 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - The diplomatic wrangle over the Cheonan sinking prompted
a dustup between the North and South Korean ambassadors in Johannesburg
during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

According to diplomatic sources here, the South African Republic invited
all ambassadors in the country, including the South Korean Ambassador Kim
Han-soo and his northern counterpart An Hui-jong, to the World Cup opening
ceremony held on June 11 in Soccer City Stadium. Also in attendance were
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe.During the ceremony, Ahn followed Kim to a toilet
and grabbed his arm from behind, threatening in a stern voice that
Pyongyang "will not just let it go" if Seoul continued to press the
international community to condemn North Korea for the warship's
destruction.Seoul has concluded that Pyongyang was behind the torpedo
attack on the South Korean warship Cheonan on March 26, which kil led 46
South Korean sailors, a charge the North vehemently denies. South Korea
has asked the UN Security Council to officially censure Pyongyang. In
another effort to get international support, Korean embassies in foreign
countries have asked their host countries to reprimand Pyongyang in
official statements or other forms."The North seems to have expressed its
discomfort about us ratcheting up the diplomatic efforts," said one Seoul
official.South Africa opened diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1992
and with North Korea in 1998.The North Korean embassy in Ethiopia also
expressed frustration with Seoul's campaign. Ethiopian media have been
carrying reports about the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean
War. Ethiopia sent more than 3,500 troops to help South Korea in the war.
The North Korean embassy in Addis Ababa complained to the local government
about the coverage, according to a diplomatic source.Ethiopia, a communist
country until 1991, maintaine d close diplomatic relations with North
Korea through the 1970s and 1980s. It has not issued a statement
condemning Pyongyang for the Cheonan. Four African countries - Kenya,
Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana - have.(Description
of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of
English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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PRC Denies Artillery Drill Is Ai med at US Military Exercise
Article by Class='subhead'>reuters, Beijing from the "Front" page: "PRC
Denies Artillery Drill Is Aimed at US Military Exercise" - Taipei Times
Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:56:55 GMT
REUTERS, BEIJING

Thursday, Jul 01, 2010, Page 1

China on Tuesday denied media reports that an artillery drill in the East
China Sea was in response to a planned military exercise between South
Korea and the US.

The six-day, live ammunition exercise that began yesterday in the East
China Sea off China's coast was seen by some analysts as a "response to a
(planned) joint exercise between the United States and Republic of Korea
navies in the Yellow Sea," said the China Daily, the country's official
English-language newspaper.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang
said there was no such link and a Chinese military o fficer said the
timing was coincidental."This is a regular military exercise," Qin told a
regular news conference. "This is not related to the situation on the
Korean Peninsula."Li Daguang, a professor at National Defense University
and a People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer, said the exercise was "not
aimed at the US-South Korea joint exercise.""The PLA artillery exercise in
the East China Sea and the joint US-South Korea exercise in the Yellow Sea
are a complete coincidence," Li told the Wen Wei Po, a Hong Kong newspaper
under Chinese control."The outside world shouldn't read anything into
this," Li said.The Yellow Sea lies to the north of the East China Sea and
the areas of the two exercises would not overlap.The Foreign Ministry said
last week it was concerned about reports a US aircraft carrier could join
the anti-submarine exercise with South Korea following a standoff with
North Korea over the sinking of a warship fr om the South."Though the
Chinese government did not say anything about the drill, anybody with
common sense on military strategy will bet that they are related," Shi
Yinhong, an expert on Sino-US relations at Renmin University in Beijing,
told the China Daily.The joint exercise that had been expected last month
will most likely take place this month, although a date has yet to be set,
the Pentagon said on Monday.Washington has not said officially whether an
aircraft carrier would participate, as some news reports citing Pentagon
sources have suggested.Beijing has been angered by US navy ships engaging
in surveillance in waters close to China's southern coast.(Description of
Source: Taipei Taipei Times Online in English -- Website of daily
English-language sister publication of Tzu-yu Shih-pao (Liberty Times),
generally supports pan-green parties and issues; URL:
http://www.taipeitimes.com)

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New U.S. Command Entity Delayed - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:49 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - The planned creation of the U.S. Korea Command has been
delayed to October or later, according to a source at the Ministry of
Defense yesterday.

The source told the JoongAng Ilbo that the new command structure was
supposed to be created on June 1, but Seoul and Washington agreed to push
back its creation to October or later, because of the delay of the
transfer of wartime operational control of South Korean soldiers from the
U.S. to South Korea.The U.S. Korea Command will be a new organization of
the U.S. military forces here to be used after Korea is given wartime
control of its forces.President Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) and U.S.
President Barack Obama agreed over the weekend to delay that transfer of
wartime operational control by three years to 2015. A March 26 sinking of
a South Korean warship, allegedly by North Korea, has raised a concern
over the capability of Korea to respond to a military threat from the
North. The two Koreas have technically remained at war since the 1950-53
Korean War."The delay will allow more discussion between (South) Korea and
the U.S. over the role of the U.S. Korea Command considering the rapid
change of the security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the
adjusted schedule of wartime operational control transfer," the source
said.The source said the exact date for creating the U.S. Korea Command
could be decided at the October meeting of the Security Consultative
Meeting, an annual military meeting between Seoul and Washington, where
the two countries are expected to talk about how to revise measures they
have drafted to transfer wartime operational control.But the command could
be established within this year, the source said."The initial plan was to
create a new entity two years before the wartime operational control
transfer so that we could smooth the transfer process," said the source.
"But now we could be able to reduce the trial and error process of the
transfer by establishing it as early as five years before the actual
transfer."The U.S. Korea Command will be a combined U.S. command base that
assumes the functions currently shared by the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces
Command, a combat entity, and U.S. Forces Korea Command, an administrative
entity. Experts say the role of the U.S. military forces through the new
entity, however, will be reduced after Korea gets wartime control.An
official of the U.S. Forces Korea said he would not confirm the date or
method of th e establishment of U.S. Korea Command, but said it will be
pushed forward in a way that can minimize any strategic vacuum in
Korea.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English --
Website of English-language daily which provides English-language
summaries and full-texts of items published by the major center-right
daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert
to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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54) Back to Top
DPRK Ruling Party to Elect New Leaders in Sept. - The Korea Times Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00 :41:42 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - North Korea said Saturday that delegates of its ruling
Workers' Party will hold a rare meeting in September to elect new leaders,
a move experts say that will set the stage for ailing leader Kim Jong-il
to transfer power to his youngest son.

The party said through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)
that the session, the first such meeting of delegates since 1966, will be
"to elect its highest leading body" called the Political Bureau.It would
be the party's most significant gathering since the 1980 convention that
named Kim in his first public appearance to the Political Bureau, a move
which sealed his status as successor to his father and president, Kim
Il-sung.The KCNA fell short of revealing which posts will be up for grabs,
but it is speculated the session will fill seats left vacant by the deaths
of elderly members.More significantly, experts here say it will pave the
way for a hereditary power transfer.Kim's health is reportedly flagging
after he suffered a stroke in 2008, and South Korean intelligence
officials believe that his youngest son, Jong-un, is being groomed to
succeed him.Earlier this month, North Korea held a rare parliamentary
session and tapped Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law, Jang Song-thaek, as a
vice head of the National Defense Commission.Jang was named to the
influential post to shepherd Jong-un into power, analysts say.Andrei
Lankov, a Seoul-based North Korea expert, told The Korea Times that the
September gathering will likely smooth the path for the succession in an
official manner."It seems that one can say with a very high level of
certainty: the party conference is meeting to formally announce the
promotion of Kim Jong-un as the successor to his father," Lankov said.The
Kookmin University professor noted that such an appointment is set to take
place much faster for Jong-un than for the elder Kim, for whom it took
eight years."The most likely explanation is that Kim Jong-il's health is
deteriorating very fast, so the top leaders believe that they cannot
afford to lose time," he said.Some forecast that Kim Jong-un will earn key
party titles at the meeting or his confidants will be installed in
important posts, as measures to firm up his power base.The KCNA report
emphasized that 2010 will be a year of "great changes to be specially
recorded in the history of the country."Little is known about Jong-un, who
is thought to be around 28 years old and was educated in
Switzerland.Seoul's intelligence chief, Won Sei-hoon, told lawmakers
Thursday, Pyongyang had recently publicized songs and poems extolling the
younger Kim.(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in
English -- Website of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate
English-language daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from
which it often draws articles and translates into E nglish for
publication; URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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55) Back to Top
Ruling Camp Reshuffle - Dong-A Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:46 GMT
(DONG-A ILBO) - Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said Wednesday that he will
take full responsibility for the government`s failure to have a bill on
revising the Sejong City developmental project pass the National Assembly.
He was called the "Sejong City prime minister" for championing the bill
since taking office, warning that the originally planned relocation of 13
government offices to South Chungcheong Province would cause
administrative inefficiency. He should not be the only one held
responsible for the bill's defeat, however. Under a system in which all
power is concentrated with the president, a prime minister has limited
power in correcting the error made by the previous Roh Moo-hyun
administration and the political circle. Chung, however, should resign
given the bill's rejection. He had staked his political career on the bill
and was pushed so hard by the incumbent administration.

The Lee Myung-bak administration, whose term will reach a turning point in
August, might have to run the country with a divided government because of
internal conflict within the ruling Grand National Party. This was shown
in the process of the Sejong City revision bill's rejection. With just
about a third of lawmakers backing the administration's key policy agenda,
it badly needs cooperation to resolve key matters such as the economy, job
creation and threats from North Korea. Whil e the party's national
convention July 14 could be the starting point for reform, it is almost
impossible for the administration to recover its driving force for state
affairs and recover public confidence unless the Cabinet and the
presidential office undergo a sweeping reshuffle.

Certain politicians in the ruling camp warn that a major Cabinet
reshuffle, including appointing a new prime minister, could push the
troubled administration into a more serious situation given the need for
parliamentary confirmation hearings. Such a passive and defensive idea,
however, will not help achieve a breakthrough in the difficult situation.
The government cannot regain the people's confidence if it fails to
impress by appointing able and respected figures to key posts and inject
new life into the administration.

The results of the June 2 local elections and the parliamentary rejection
of the Sejong City revision bill have exposed the easygoing perception of
reality that is so prevalent in the ruling party, Cabinet and the
presidential office. Senior presidential secretaries ought to assume
responsibility to help the president regain control over the situation.
Signs suggest that key figures in the ruling camp who should assume such a
responsibility are instead enjoying their power and waging a power
struggle over newly available government posts. They should be expelled
from the government as soon as possible. The longer the ruling camp delays
its reform, the deeper the political crisis will become and hasten the
people turning their back on the administration.

(Description of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga.com)

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56) Back to Top
US Rejects DPRK Call For New Probe Into Sinking of Cheonan - Chosun Ilbo
Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:33:08 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - The United States on Wednesday rejected a call by North
Korea for a new investigation of the sinking of a South Korean warship in
March that Seoul blames on Pyongyang. The U.S. said the findings of a
South Korean inquiry that attributes the attack to North Korea are
"compelling."

The State Department said another investigation of the sinking is
unwarranted and the focus of the world community should now be on coming
up with an appropriate response to Pyon gyang's provocative behavior.The
comments follow a North Korean request to the UN Security Council for a
new inquiry into the March 26 sinking of the South Korean navy ship, the
Cheonan. Pyongyang wants another investigation under UN auspices in which
both North and South Korea would participate.A South Korean inquiry that
included international experts determined in May that a North Korean
torpedo sank the Cheonan, killing 46 crew members.Pyongyang denies
responsibility and said in a letter to the Security Council on Wednesday
that the most reasonable way to settle the matter is for the two Koreas to
conduct a joint investigation.At a news briefing here, State Department
Spokesman Philip Crowley said the United States "sees no ambiguity" about
who sank the ship and that it is time for North Korea to accept
responsibility."There has been a thorough investigation of the sinking of
the Cheonan and the evidence that was assembled during that investigation
points clearly to North Korea and a North Korean torpedo," said Crowley.
"We don't think that at this point that another investigation is
warranted. South Korea led the investigation. It included international
participation. We think the result is clear and compelling."Crowley said
U.S. diplomats continue contacts at the United Nations on an appropriate
and timely response to the incident. He said it is more important now that
North Korea be accountable and seek better relations with its
neighbors.U.S. officials have not specified what kind of outcome in the
Security Council would constitute an appropriate response.China has been
ambiguous about blame for the Cheonan sinking and, as a permanent Security
Council member, could veto a resolution condemning Pyongyang. At the G-20
summit last weekend, President Barack Obama said that China was showing
"willful blindness" about North Korea's behavior. A Chinese spokesman
responded on Wednesday saying that Beijin g has to be cautious and does
not want to "pour petrol on the flames."U.S. officials privately express
concerns that North Korea, facing international isolation over the naval
incident, might lash out with other aggressive actions.In a show of
resolve, it was announced Saturday that the United States will retain
control of joint forces on the Korean Peninsula until 2015, instead of
yielding authority to South Korea in 2012, as had been planned.The Obama
administration also said it will make a new push for a free trade accord
with South Korea that has been stalled in the U.S. Congress.Meanwhile, a
senior South Korean official, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula
Peace and Security Affairs Wi Sung-lac, held meetings on North Korea here
this week with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Kurt
Campbell and U.S. envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth.(Description of
Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English website carrying
English su mmaries and full translations of vernacular hard copy items of
the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is conservative in
editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic, anti-North Korea, and
generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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57) Back to Top
US Repeats Calls on China to Condemn DPRK for ROK Ship Sinking
By Hwang Doo-hyong: "U.S. repeats calls on China to condemn N. Korea for
ship sinking: State Dept." - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:48:13 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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58) Back to Top
Ministry Offers 7% Rise in 2011 Defense Budget - The Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 22:40:40 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - The Ministry of National Defense has called for a 6.9
percent increase in defense spending next year, citing the need for
bolstering its defense posture against North Korean provocation, ministry
officials said Wednesday.

The ministry submitted the spending plan scaled at 31.6 trillion won
($25.9 billion) to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.In detail, the
ministry asked for 21.65 trillion won, a 5.8 percent increase, for
operational costs, including salaries for soldiers, and 9.95 trillion won,
a 9.4 percent rise, for arms improvement plansThe request for increasing
defense expenditures follows the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship
in the West Sea in March caused by, according to a Seoul-led multinational
investigation team, a North Korean torpedo attack. The sinking of the
Cheonan claimed the lives of 46 sailors.Since then, calls have been
growing to spend more money to build and acquire weapons systems to deter
North Korea's asymmetrical and irregular warfare tactics.The ministry also
wants to improve the welfare of soldiers."There is a need to improve our
military capabilities against emerging threats in the region. In
particular, we feel a sense of urgency in beefing up our systems to thwart
a North Korean provocation or infiltration in the wake of the Cheonan
sinking," a ministry official said on condition of ano nymity.Gen. Han
Min-koo, a nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), echoed
the calls for increasing defense spending."Should I take over as the JCS
chief, I'll ask the President and the defense minister to increase the
defense budget by 7 percent or more," Han said at a National Assembly
confirmation hearing.Budget constraints have haunted the country's
ambitious military modernization program, dubbed the "Defense Reform
2020."When the reform plan was originally formulated in 2005, the budget
for this year was projected to increase to about 33 trillion won ($28
billion). But the money decreased to 29.6 trillion won.For the 15-year
period from 2006 to 2020, the original plan had a combined budget of 621
trillion won, including 75 trillion won to acquire advanced weapons to
offset a planned manpower reduction by 2020.According to the 2009 review
of the plan, the aggregate 15-year budget decreased to 599 trillion
won.Based upon the low budget increase in 2010, and before adjustments for
the Cheonan incident, the 15-year total would be more like 540 trillion
won, an 80-trillion-won shortfall from the original plan, according to
defense experts.(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in
English -- Website of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate
English-language daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from
which it often draws articles and translates into English for publication;
URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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59) Back to Top
ROK Monthlies for Jul 10
To request additional processing, call OSC at 1-800-205-8615 or
202-338-6735 or e-mail at EAG_Korea@rccb.o sis.gov. - Press Selection List
Wednesday June 30, 2010 12:45:56 GMT
M

60) Back to Top
Korea America Friendship Society Event Celebrates US-ROK Alliance
Article by Song Sang-ho: "KAFS Event Celebrates ROK-U.S. Alliance" - The
Korea Herald Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 11:25:21 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Herald Online in English --
Website of the generally pro-government English-language daily The Korea
Herald; URL: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr)

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61) Back to Top
Rev. Han Sang Ryol Meets Working People - KCNA
Wednesday June 30, 2010 10:40:41 GMT
Rev. Han Sang Ryol Meets Working People

Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Rev. Han Sang Ryol of South Korea met with
agricultural workers of the Migok Co-op Farm in Sariwon City of North
Hwanghae Province on Wednesday.Agricultural workers in their speeches
warmly welcomed with warm compatriotic feelings the reverend who visited
Pyongyang at the risk of his life.The South Korean puppet authorities
threaten that they would take legal action against him, while taking issue
with his righteous Pyongyang visit but it is the Lee Myung-bak (Yi
Myo'ng-pak) group of traitors who deserves punishment, they noted,
declaring that they would keep and glorify the June 15 joint declaration
by jo ining efforts with the South Korean farmers.The reverend said that
the farmers in the south and the north should frustrate the interference
of foreign forces with united efforts and sow seeds of reunification and
peace on the territory of Korea and take good care of them.At his earlier
meeting with the workers of the Pyongyang 326 Electric Wire Factory, Rev.
Han Sang Ryol referred to the fact that the workers in the south and the
north have waged the patriotic movement for reunification in unity after
the publication of the historic June 15 joint declaration, stressing the
need for them to take the lead in preserving the June 15 joint declaration
and create a new history of reunification.Working people of the factory
expressed the firm will to wage unflinching struggle for independent
reunification, peace and prosperity, firmly joining hands with the workers
in South Korea under the banner of "By our nation itself".The reverend
also met with former unconverted long -term prisoners who are
pro-reunification patriotic fighters.(Description of Source: Pyongyang
KCNA in English -- Official DPRK news agency. URL:
http://www.kcna.co.jp)Attachments:e6-30-611-16--doc.txt

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ROK Defense Ministry Requests Budget Increase After Warship Sinking - AFP
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:45:48 GMT
Wednesday requested a hefty budget increase for next year, citing the need
to strengthen security after the sinking of a warship in an attack blamed
on North Korea.

The ministry is seeking 31.6 trillion won (25.9 billion dollars) f or
2011, up by around seven percent from this year, a spokesman said.This
year's budget was 29.5 trillion won, a 3.6 percent rise on 2009.Tensions
are high after South Korea, citing the findings of a multinational probe,
accused the North of torpedoing the Cheonan corvette and killing 46 of its
crew."The nation needs to bolster its military power to better cope with
the growing threats from North Korea," the spokesman told AFP."The Cheonan
incident underlined our pressing need to strengthen defence capabilities
against limited and irregular warfare by North Korea."The South announced
its own reprisals and also wants the United Nations Security Council to
censure the North. The communist state has denied involvement in the
sinking and threatened a military response to any UN action.Seoul is
struggling to persuade China and Russia, both veto-wielding Security
Council members, to support some form of UN action.A senior official said
Tuesday that a statement adopted by G8 nations including Russia at a
weekend summit could serve as a model for UN discussions.The communique
did not directly accuse the North of sinking the Cheonan but noted that
the international probe had concluded it was responsible."We condemn, in
this context, the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan," it
said. "We demand that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North
Korea) refrain from committing any attacks or threatening hostilities
against the Republic of Korea (South Korea)," it added."We have the
wording of the G8 joint communique, which Russia participated in, so we
are making the most use of it to produce a Security Council version," Wi
Sung-Lac, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, told reporters in
Washington.Wi, quoted by Yonhap news agency, was speaking after meeting
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.Wi said he was unsure if the
Security Council would adopt a similar statement "because the c omposition
of the Security Council is different from G8" -- a reference to China's
absence from the G8.China, the North's sole major ally, has not publicly
blamed it for the incident or stated its stance on any UN action.South
Korea is seeking a council resolution but has indicated it will accept a
non-binding presidential statement.(Description of Source: Hong Kong AFP
in English -- Hong Kong service of the independent French press agency
Agence France-Presse)

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63) Back to Top
North Korean Striker's Mother Culls Rumors - The Daily NK
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:23:36 GMT
(THE DAILY NK) - There has been an inevitable bout of speculation
regarding 'labor camps,' 'disciplinary punishments' and 'exile' for the
North Korean national football team after it lost three matches out of
three at the World Cup in South Africa, on one occasion shipping seven
goals without reply against Portugal in a match broadcast live in North
Korea.

However, Lee Jeong Geum, mother of North Korean striker Jung Dae Sae (aka
"The People's Rooney"), has put the rumors to rest in an interview with
Korea's "Daily Sports" today, saying, "No such thing took place, and all
the players were warmly welcomed in Pyongyang."Lee added, "Deportation? I
heard that everyone in the national team, including my son, was warmly
welcomed in Pyongyang. They did not do very well, but people still see it
as a great achievement."Commenting on the security of the North Korean
national players, she said, "Reports are just reports; no more, no less.
His voice sounded cheerful in our most recent phone call, and he said that
the atmosphere of the national team was good, too."Lee also gave her
interpretation of a photo Jung recently posted on his personal blog, in
which he had a dried fish in his mouth. The photo generated some reports
that the North Korean national team did not have enough food to eat."He
posted that picture as a joke," Lee explained, "but apparently it was
misunderstood by other people. I know that everyone on the team had more
than enough to eat. Meat was often served in their side dishes,
too."(Description of Source: Seoul The Daily NK in English -- English
website of "The Daily NK," which specializes in North Korean affairs and
is generally critical of the North, published by NGOs such as the Network
for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights that is run by North Korean
defectors; URL: http://www.dailynk.com)

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64) Back to Top
Western Source Says DPRK Elected Kim Jong-un to Parliament in Mar 2010
Updated version: Upgrading precedence; By Lee Young-jong: Kim Jong-un
Elected to Parliament - JoongAng Daily Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 07:38:24 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website
of English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.j
oins.com)

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65) Back to Top
UNC Rejects North Korean Claims - The Daily NK
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:58:38 GMT
(THE DAILY NK) - United Nations Command (UNC) yesterday dismissed as
groundless allegations North Korea made on Monday, whereby heavy weapons
had been brought into the area surrounding the truce village of Panmunjom
(P'anmunjo'm), and questioned also why North Korea persistently refuses to
discuss its public allegations through the appropriate channels.

According to the North Korean allegations, heavy weapons, which are
forbidden within the area under the Korean War armistice agreement, were
brought into the Panmunjom (P'anmunjo'm) area at around 7:25AM on
Saturday, June 26th.In its Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) statement,
the Chosun People's Army (KPA) Panmunjom (P'anmunjo'm) Mission asserted,
"The introduction of heavy weapons to the area around the conference hall
where the armed forces of the two sides stand in stark confrontation, is
an obvious provocation aimed at sparking off a serious military conflict,"
and threatened "strong military countermeasures."However, in its statement
released yesterday, UNC rejected the allegation outright, saying, "United
Nations Command continues to abide by the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement
and did not move heavy weapons into Panmunjom (P'anmunjo'm) on June
26th."The statement went on to take note of the fact that procedures exist
to deal with allegations of armistice violations, saying, "Under the
Armistice Agreement, general officer ta lks are the designated forum for
discussion of such matters. Should the parties agree, the UNC Military
Armistice Commission is prepared to use the UNC-KPA General Officer talks,
a forum both sides agreed to in 1998, to discuss the KPA's
concerns."However, the statement also noted North Korea's blanket refusal
to discuss the Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) sinking in such a forum, which, as a
clear violation of the armistice, it should have been, and quoted Deputy
Chief of Staff for United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea Major
General Lawrence L Wells, who pointed out, "As a military command we have
to question why the KPA is not willing to openly discuss this new,
unfounded allegation, and other military issues clearly related to the
1953 Military Armistice Agreement, in a meeting forum they recognize and
have used in the past."(Description of Source: Seoul The Daily NK in
English -- English website of "The Daily NK," which specializes in North
Korean affa irs and is generally critical of the North, published by NGOs
such as the Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights that is
run by North Korean defectors; URL: http://www.dailynk.com)

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66) Back to Top
N. Korea's World Cup Squad Returns Home From South Africa: Report - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:06:58 GMT
N Korea-World Cup squad

N. Korea's World Cup squad returns home from South Africa: reportSEOUL,
June 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's World Cup squad has returned home from
South Africa, the communist state's official media said in a brief di
spatch on Wednesday.After losing three straight group-stage matches, the
team was eliminated from the 2010 World Cup, ending the country's first
appearance in the competition in 44 years.The North's Korean Central News
Agency said in a two-paragraph report seen in Seoul that the team arrived
home on Tuesday and was greeted by a group of related officials at the
airport.The North carved out an impressive performance against Brazil in
its first group match but was routed by Portugal and the Ivory Coast in
the other two games.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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67) Back to Top
DPRK Threatens To Destroy ROK Loudspeakers, Turn Seoul Into 'Sea of
Flames'
Updated version: revising headline and adding referent items; Unattributed
report: "N.K Threatens to Destroy S.K Loudspeakers, Turn Seoul Into 'sea
of Flame'" - JoongAng Daily Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:15:59 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website
of English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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68) Back to Top
ROK Holds Send-off Ceremony for Troops Dispatched to Afghanistan
Updated version: Replacing 0243 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0536 GMT which recasts lead, graf 3, updates with Korean's launch of
the PRT mission this week, and adds background in grafs 9-12; Yonhap
headline: "S. Korea holds send-off ceremony for troops set to head to
Afghanistan" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:10:55 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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69) Back to Top
Korean People's Struggle Backed by British Organizations
KCNA headline: "Korean People's Struggle Backed by British Organizations"
- KCNA
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:57:45 GMT
(Description of Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English -- Official DPRK news
agency. URL: http://www.kcna.co.jp)

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70) Back to Top
Memorial Exhibit Opens for 2002 Inter-Korean Naval Battle - Dong-A Ilbo
Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:27:19 GMT
Mun Hwa-sun, 63, the mother of the late Han Sang-guk, who was killed in
the second inter-Korean battle of Yeonpyeong Island in 2002, said this
with a sight.

She looked at page A12 of the May 27 edition of The Dong-A Ilbo, which ran
a story on a chief petty officer, on a touch screen in the Security
Exhibition Room of Chamsuri-357.

On the eighth anniversary of the battle, the relatives of those killed and
survivors looked around the exhibition room located at the Pond of Peace
inside the Korean War Memorial in Seoul. The bereaved families looked at
documents and videos, including Dong-A articles on the battle's six
victims, and seemed unwilling to leave the room.

The exhibition room consisted of three sections: "NLL (Northern Limit
Line) -- the Power Keg of the Korean Peninsula"; "The Room of Battle
Experience"; and "Chamsuri 357 and Six H eroes." The room is located in a
warship that resembles the Chamsuri 357, which was sunk in the battle.

Families seemed depressed after watching a video of the battle in the
second room after going through the first room to see an overview of the
inter-Korean sea border. Certain relatives of the victims were driven to
tears.

Battle survivor Kim Taek-jung, 29, left the room before the video ended,
saying, "I can't stay there because it reminds me of the situation back
then."

The third room had documents, pictures and the remains of the six fallen
soldiers with touch screens. Commander Cho Seong-min, who participated in
making the exhibition room, said, "We prepared articles from The Dong-A
Ilbo that covered the fallen soldiers in detail and their information and
pictures with touch screens so that visitors can look them easily."

"The Chamsuri 357 exhibition room has about 2,000 visitors per day on
weekdays and 3,000 on weekends, making it a popular site at the Korean War
Memorial."

(Description of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga.com)

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71) Back to Top
ROK National Assembly Adopts Resolution Condemning DPRK for Ch'o'nan
Sinking - Chosun Ilbo Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:27:25 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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72) Back to Top
China-Taiwan Trade Deal Has a Lesson For Korea - Chosun Ilbo Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:57:45 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and fu ll translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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73) Back to Top
Ghana's defence minister in talks with visiting South Korean deputy
premier - OSC Translation on Sub-Saharan Africa
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:12:00 GMT
deputy premier

Excerpt from report by Paul Akweterh Mensah entitled "Smith: Military
ready to defend Ghana's waters" published by state-owned Gh anaian
newspaper The Ghanaian Times on 29 JuneGovernment is upbeat about the
state of readiness of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to protect the
country's territorial waters ahead of the oil extraction expected to
commence by the last quarter of the year.The minister of defence, Lt-Gen J
H Smith, said the military was ready with its strategic plans to ensure
the safety of the country's oil deposits.The defence minister said as part
of security measures, government would acquire 10 vessels for the navy as
a short term plan to ward off unexpected trouble makers from the country's
territorial waters, adding that the first of the ten vessels was expected
in the country by September, to be followed by four fast patrol vessels by
June next year. (Passage omitted).Gen Smith's assurance follows concerns
expressed in some circles about the state of readiness of the Ghana Armed
Forces to ensure the security of the country's territorial waters in the
wake of the oil find.He was speaking to newsmen in Accra on Friday (25
June) after the visiting South Korean deputy prime minister, Mr Park
Young-June, called on him to discuss the STX housing project for the
GAF.Their discussion also touched on cooperation between Ghana and South
Korea for the supply of vessels and equipment for the Ghana Navy.The
housing project is expected to provide about 10,000 housing units for GAF
to address accommodation challenges confronting personnel.Mr June
expressed South Korea's commitment to assisting Ghana with the necessary
security equipment to protect its oil fields, stressing that cooperation
in that regard was critical to ensuring a vibrant oil sector. (Passage
omitted).

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74) Back to Top
ROK Launches Permanent International Peacekeeping Unit
Yonhap headline: "S. Korea launches permanent peacekeeping unit" - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 04:04:55 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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75) Back to Top
US, Afghan Authorities Yet to Discern Attacker of ROK Base in Afghanistan
Following is source-supplied update to referent item, which recasts lead
and headline and provides the ROK Foreign Ministry's brief ing in grafs
1-5; : By Chang Jae-soon: "S. Korean PRT base in Afghanistan comes under
rocket attack" - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 04:09:55 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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76) Back to Top
ROK PRT Base in Afghanistan Comes Under Rocket Attack on 30 Jun; No
Casualties
Updated version: Replacing 0205 GMT text with update provided by source at
0223 GMT and upgrading precedence. Yonhap headline: "S. Korean PRT in
Afghanistan Comes Under Rocket Attack& quot; - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:48:08 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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77) Back to Top
S. Korean PRT in Afghanistan Comes Under Rocket Attack - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:15:51 GMT
S. Korean PRT in Afghanistan comes under rocket attack

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's reconstruction team in Afghanistan
came under a rocket attack Wednesday night, but t here were no casualties,
a foreign ministry official said Thursday.

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78) Back to Top
Farewell Friends! - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:50 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - South Korea held a send-off ceremony yesterday in
Gyeyang, Incheon, for some 240 troops heading to Afghanistan to protect
civilian aid workers Korea is sending to the war-torn nation for
reconstruction efforts, part of the 320-member "Ashena" unit. Ashena means
friend or colleague in Afghanistan. By Oh Jong-taek

(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in En glish -- Website
of English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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79) Back to Top
Korea's Reconstruction Work in Afghanistan Due - The Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:00:57 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - South Korea's provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in
Afghanistan will begin its official mission in Parwan Pro vince in a
commencement ceremony there today.

The team, including civilian workers, police officers and troops, will
help reconstruct the war-torn area through medical, health and vocational
training and rural development assistance, a foreign ministry official
said.A send-off ceremony for troops to protect civilian aid workers took
place at a military base in Incheon, Wednesday.The troops are the main
part of the 321-member "Ashena" unit tasked with guarding Korean
reconstruction workers. The aid team will be composed of 90 reconstruction
workers and 40 police officers.The team will dispatch experts to the state
government for technical assistance and invite state officials to visit
Korea, the official said on condition of anonymity.The National Assembly
approved a motion to send more PRT members and troops to protect them to
Afghanistan last February.(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times
Online in English -- Website of The Korea Times, an independe nt and
moderate English-language daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo
from which it often draws articles and translates into English for
publication; URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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80) Back to Top
Hyundai Motor Group Mulling Bid For Hyundai Engineering: Source - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:57:14 GMT
Hyundai Motor Group mulling bid for Hyundai Engineering: source

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea's
second-largest conglomerate, may be considering joining the bid to take
over a major stake in Hyundai Engineering &a mp;amp; Construction Co.,
market sources said Thursday, but it was quickly denied by the
group.Creditor banks of Hyundai Engineering & Construction said
Tuesday that they have agreed to sell a combined 35 percent stake in the
local top builder, which they acquired in 2001 through a debt-equity
swap.Market observers earlier believed a conglomerate that broke away from
Hyundai Group, founded by the late Chung Ju-young, will likely take over
the stake. The observers said such conglomerates may include Hyundai Heavy
Industries Co., headed by Chung's son Mong-joon, and KCC Group with
Chung's youngest brother Sang-young now serving as an honorary
chairman.Thursday's report by the local daily Chosun Ilbo, however,
suggested Chung Mong-koo, head of Hyundai Motor Group and eldest surviving
son of the late Hyundai founder, decided to take over the stake in a
recent meeting with his brother Mong-joon and uncle Sang-young, with the
two taking a supporting role.Hyundai Motor Grou p, whose flagship is South
Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co., dismissed the report, saying no
such meeting of the Chungs took place and that nothing has been
decided.However, a group official noted that there was still a possibility
for the company to consider buying the stake, said to be worth up to 4
trillion won (US$3.3 billion)."Hyundai Motor Group can be said to be one
of possible bidders, but no specific move has been decided yet," the
official said, asking not to be identified.The creditor banks of Hyundai
Engineering & Construction are expected to select a lead manager this
month for the envisioned sale and complete the process by early next year.

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Prime Minister Takes The Rap For Sejong Debacle - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:41:43 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said yesterday he would
take "full responsibility" for failing to pass the revised Sejong City
bills at the National Assembly, and political observers believe another
big reshuffle in the Lee Myung-bak administration is imminent.

Although Chung didn't say whether he was resigning, political observers
believe he will tender his resignation soon after Lee returns to Seoul on
July 3 from Central America."As the minister who was responsible for
mapping out the revision plan, I will take full responsibility," Chung
said. He also said that the conflicts and divisions created by the bills
need to end.The original Sejong City plan, put forward by Roh Moo-hyun in
2002, wa s to relocate the national government to the city in South
Chungcheong. The country's Constitutional Court ruled against Roh's plan,
saying the country's capital could not be moved, and the president scaled
it back to move many, but not all, government offices. That plan was
passed into law in 2005 and will now proceed.Controversy erupted when
President Lee said moving government offices would create chaos. He scaled
the plan down further to make Sejong City into an industrial, science and
education hub, not a mini-capital.Opposition parties as well as Grand
Nationals loyal to Lee's political rival Park Geun-hye fiercely opposed
the revision and voted them down Tuesday in the National Assembly."Under
the original plan, the president stays in Seoul while the prime minister
and ministers stay in Chungcheong," Chung said in a televised speech
yesterday morning at Central Government Complex on Sejongno, central
Seoul."When an urgent issue pops up, it would cause c haos as the
decision-making process will be slowed down," he said. "The government
couldn't guarantee Sejong to become a self-sufficient city under the
original road map."Chung said that though he's regretful that the revision
bills were defeated he respected the Assembly's decision and will work his
best to transform the region into a mini-capital.Chung had expressed his
willingness to resign after the ruling Grand National Party lost the June
2 local elections to opposition parties, which was partly blamed on the
unpopularity of the government's plans for Sejong, but Lee refused.
Officials at the Prime Minister's Office said if Lee again rejects Chung's
resignation, Chung will "focus on various policies including
education."Responding to the GNP's defeat in the June elections, Lee said
on June 14 that he "will improve the systems of the Blue House and the
cabinet and reshuffle officials as soon as the preparations are
completed.""Lab or Minister Yim Tae-hee was regarded as a plausible
candidate for presidential chief of staff, but he's also one of the
candidates to replace Chung," an official from the GNP said. "It is likely
that Minister Yim can become either the prime minister or minister of
another key ministry."Another GNP official said he heard from Blue House
officials that National Tax Service head Baek Yong-ho is the strongest
candidate to replace presidential chief of staff Chung Chung-kil, who
expressed his intention to resign on June 3. KT Chairman and CEO Lee
Suk-chae is being discussed as the new chief policy director of the Blue
House, sources said.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in
English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune ;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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82) Back to Top
Stop Greasing The Wheels - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:41:43 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - With just two years before the grand opening of the
Yeosu Expo, the city is tainted with corruption. Not only the city's mayor
but also members of the city council are under suspicion for taking bribes
from several contractors involved in the preparations for the global
event. A high-ranking official in charge of installing an illuminated
landscape project is suspected of having received 300 million won ($2
46,510) from the head of the architectural lighting design company
involved in the project, while city councilmen took millions of won.

When the police started investigating the case, Mayor Oh Hyun-sup
disappeared suddenly after applying for a three-day leave of absence. Yet
no one has heard anything from him since he left his office 10 days ago.
As a result, the new mayor elected in the June 2 local election now faces
a strange situation in which he will have to hold his inauguration
ceremony without his predecessor.This is something that could have
happened in an underdeveloped country. Instead, it has happened in the
future Expo City.This type of corruption, in which favors are exchanged
for money, is typical. From the perspective of the companies, nothing can
be done without a little lubrication. But the city government, armed with
the rights to grant them permission to proceed, wields an absolute
power.Our provincial governments regularly get themselves entangled in
dirty deals with private companies, rather than trying to help them grow.
The Yeosu Expo bribery scandal is just an extension of such a disgraceful
practice. The city officials and city councilmen have once again
demonstrated an obsession with profit-seeking by taking advantage of their
respective positions. Although it may be too late to reverse the recent
election, the authorities should increase their efforts to eradicate
corruption - beginning now.However, we don't believe such cases are
confined to Yeosu. Not a few heads of local governments were arrested on
charges for various acts of corruption during the previous local election.
A governor of Dangjin County was even arrested at the airport while trying
to flee the country after accepting a huge bribe from a contractor. If we
want our local governments to have autonomy, the heads of local
governments should vow to serve the people, not rein over them.Dasan
Cheong Yak-yong, a leading Korean philosopher of the late Joseon Dynasty
(1392-1910) who sought "practical learning," said: "Governing the people
by oppression is like being a wolf or tiger." In his book "Mokminsimseo,"
he said that eliminating such forms of harm and respecting the people, who
are weak, is the essence of governance.Today, inauguration ceremonies for
new heads of local government will be held nationwide. These new officials
should keep in mind what Dasan Cheong said two centuries ago.(Description
of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of
English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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83) Back to Top
SK Energy to Set Up Global Venture - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:46 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - SK Energy, the nation's leading refiner, announced
yesterday that it has reached an agreement with the global engineering,
construction and service company KBR to set up a joint venture
specializing in technologies and marketing.

Koo Ja-young, the president and chief executive of SK, and Timothy
Challand, the president of technology at KBR, met yesterday in Singapore
to ink the deal, with the companies each agreeing to hold 50 percent of
the shares.The venture, to be called SK-KBR Technologies, will be set up
in Singapore and focus on exporting technologies used in chemical
processing to petrochemical industries worldwide. A final date for its
launch has not yet been set. The entity will utilize SK's globally
competitive technology and KBR's worldwide network."The joint venture with
KBR proves that SK Energy's technology is recognized at a global level,"
said Kim Dong-sub, the head of the SK Energy Institute of Technology. "The
combination of SK's technology and KBR's global engineering and marketing
experience will allow us to lead the global market. We also hope to
expedite exports of our technologies."KBR had previously been in charge of
the engineering process of SK's advanced catalytic olefin technology, a
process to produce ethylene and propylene. Seeing the potential for a
stronger relationship, KBR proposed the joint venture back in April of
last year.SK-KBR Technologies will initially start marketing SK's advanced
trans-alkylation and olefin separation technology as well as its C4
acetylene converter.The jo int venture will then expand its target market
and range of technology exports."Petrochemical plants run for long periods
once they are built, so both the technology and the quality must be
guaranteed in order to lead to exports," said an SK official."The joint
venture will signify our advanced technology in the global petrochemical
industry, and hopefully this will be the start of us becoming a global
market leader."(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in
English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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84) Back to Top
Amcham Calls For Better Business Climate In Taiwan
By Alex Jiang - Central News Agency
Wednesday June 30, 2010 12:08:11 GMT
Taipei, June 30 (CNA) -- The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) said
Wednesday that Taiwan should continue to improve its domestic business
climate, as a landmark trade pact signed between Taiwan and China a day
earlier is not enough to help Taiwan attract foreign investment.

"In fact, ECFA (economic cooperation framework agreement) -- while very
important -- is not in itself enough to restore Taiwan's luster as an
investment destination, " AmCham Chairman Alan Eusden told a press
briefing as the business alliance unveiled its annual white paper."It
does, however, pres ent a rare opportunity, since many international
companies and research institutes over the coming months or year may be
taking a fresh look at Taiwan," he noted."It will be crucial to use that
time to make substantial improvements in the domestic business climate,"
he said.Eusden said, for example, that although Taiwan has done well in
intellectual property rights protection, it is now seeing "the growth of
smuggling from China, " including low-quality pesticides that pose a
health risk.AmCham also welcomes the government's recent decision to cut
the corporate income tax rate to as low as 17 percent, but that has also
led to other problems, in that "it has created certain imbalances in
relation to the personal income tax rate that needs to be addressed." In
terms of the financial sector, Taiwan should work to revive its goal of
becoming an asset-management and fundraising center for the region, he
told reporters.Moreover, the country shoul d both upgrade its educational
system and ease regulations to make it more attractive to foreign and
Chinese business professionals, he said.Taiwanese government officials
have said that Taiwan has become a more favorable environment for foreign
investors than its main rival, South Korea, due to the signing of the ECFA
and the lowering of the corporate income tax.They also describe Taiwan as
an ideal springboard for foreign companies that plan to invest in China
thanks to the signing of the ECFA and Taiwan's better cultural
understanding of China.The AmCham chairman, however, said that it is too
early to tell what kind of companies or how much investment will be likely
to be attracted to Taiwan as result of the ECFA.At the press briefing,
AmCham also urged Taiwan not to rely too much on the Chinese market, a
concern shared by critics of the administration of President Ma
Ying-jeou."It will also be important for Taiwan, as it fosters improved
cross-Strait economic relati ons, to balance that with strong ties to the
United States so as not to become over-dependent on any one market,"
Eusden said."Unfortunately, the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship has been
disrupted for the past several years by Taiwan's continued ban on the
import of certain cuts of U.S. beef," he noted.In addition to sending the
message to Taiwan, Eusden urged the U.S. to give "careful attention and
consideration" to Taiwan as Taiwan is not a small market, but the U.S.'s
ninth-largest trading partner.He said the U.S. should "seek the early
scheduling of TIFA (Trade and Investment Framework Agreement) talks with
Taiwan" to continue to move "this very important" economic relationship
forward.AmCham also called on the U.S. government to prepare to grant
visa- waiver privileges for Taiwanese travelers.(Description of Source:
Taipei Central News Agency in English -- "Central News Agency (CNA),"
Taiwan's major state-run pres s agency; generally favors ruling
administration in its coverage of domestic and international affairs; URL:
http://www.cna.com.tw)

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85) Back to Top
SK Energy to Set Up Joint Venture With U.S. Firm For Tech Exports - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:48:37 GMT
SK Energy-joint venture

SK Energy to set up joint venture with U.S. firm for tech exportsSEOUL,
June 30 (Yonhap) -- SK Energy Co., South Korea's top refiner, said
Wednesday it had agreed with U.S. engineering and construction company KBR
Inc. to establish a joint venture to export its chemical proce ssing
technologies.The 50-50 joint venture, named "SK-KBR Technologies," will
export SK Energy's three self-developed technologies to petrochemical
companies around the world via KBR's global distribution network, the
South Korean company said.The technologies include the Advanced
Transalkylation process that converts low-priced toluene into high-priced
benzene, SK Energy said.The two companies signed the deal in Singapore
early Wednesday, SK Energy said.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in
English -- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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86) Back to Top
Gov't Forecasts 6% Growth This Year - MK Engli sh News Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:57:44 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul MK English News Online in English -- Website
of the English subsite of the leading economic daily Maeil Kyo'ngje (Daily
Economy) published by "Maeil Business Newspaper & MK Inc."; URL:
http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

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87) Back to Top
Vice President Says Unity With South Korea Greatest SICA Accomplishment
"Foreign Minister Varela Says SICA-South Korean Unity Greatest
Contribution to Summit" -- ACAN-EFE Headline - ACAN-EFE
Thursday July 1, 2010 03:27:32 GMT
president and foreign minister, said that the unity of Central America
with South Korea -- the world's 12 th largest power -- has been the main
result of the third SICA (Central American Integration System)-Korea
summit held today in Panama.

In a news conference held at the end of the summit, Varela said, "It was a
political and social dialogue to seek better paths for our peoples by
looking for foreign investments, cooperation and technology to move
forward and to improve the standard of living or our peoples."

Varela expressed confidence that the dialogue held by the eight member
countries of SICA and South Korea will bring great benefits in the future
to the 40 million Central Americans.

Varela said that high on the agenda of discussions were security, the use
of advanced technology to fight crime, South Korea's incorporation into
the Central Americ an Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) and as an
observer at SICA.

Varela emphasized the fact that this was the first meeting held after one
year due to the regional crisis provoked by the coup d'etat in Honduras.

Varela said, "Not only did we hold a meeting of ministers, but also a
SICA-Korea summit was held with the participation of SICA member
countries, which entails a major stride toward integration and this was
one of Panama's objectives."

Furthermore, in a joint declaration South Korea made a commitment to back
the SICA member countries in their efforts to hold in 2011 the
International Conference on Support for the Central American Security
Strategy.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak vowed to support a public security
training program, for which a memorandum will be signed between SICA and
the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Finally, the SICA member countries, with the exception of Nicaragua,
signed a & quot;Special Declaration" condemning an attack by the DPRK on
the South Korean corvette Cheonan, leaving 46 people dead.

The declaration says, "The presidents agreed on stating that the situation
must be resolved within the framework of respect for international law and
for the provisions of the UN Charter and expressed willingness to
cooperate to this end, reiterating their desire that peace be achieved on
the Korean Peninsula."

Attending the summit as a guest was South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
The following Central American presidents were also in attendance: Laura
Chinchilla of Costa Rica, Alvaro Colom of Guatemala, and Porfirio Lobo of
Honduras.

Also attending the summit were Dominican Vice President Rafael
Albuquerque, Belizean Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, and Salvadoran
Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez.

Conspicuously absent was Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who is
suffering from a strong flue and who was repr esented by Orlando Gomez,
director for Latin America and State Protocol.

(Description of Source: Panama City ACAN-EFE in Spanish -- Independent
Central American press agency that is a joint concern of Panama City ACAN
(Agencia Centroamericana de Noticias) and Madrid EFE)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

88) Back to Top
South Korea New Member of BCIE, Contribution up to $325 Million
Unattributed article:"South Korea Will Contribute up to $325 Million to
BCIE" - prensa.com
Wednesday June 30, 2010 17:52:40 GMT
The statement was made by Panama's ruler during a press conference
following the completion of the third summit of the Central American
Integration System (SICA) and Korea, which took place on Tuesday in
Panama.

"(South Korean) President Lee Myung-bak has confirmed his participation as
a member of BCIE, to which he will provide between $322 and $325 million,"
Martinelli said shortly before commencing a meeting with colleagues from
SICA.

Martinelli further informed that his Korean counterpart agreed to double
the financial support to the neediest countries of the region through the
International Cooperation Agency for Korea, but did not disclose specific
figures.

Moreover, the Panamanian leader said that all presidents of the region
were invited to visit Korea in order to speak individually about "deeper
and more concrete issues" and that, in his case; he would be traveling in
October on behalf of Panama.

(Description of Source: Panama City prensa.com in English -- Online
version of most widely circulated daily, pro business; URL
http://www.prensa.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

89) Back to Top
Samsung Electronics Revises Up Sales Target For Flat-screen TVs - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 04:48:17 GMT
Samsung Electronics-TV sales

Samsung Electronics revises up sales target for flat-screen TVsBy Lee
YoukyungSEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co., the world's
largest flat-screen TV maker, expects sales of its flat-screen TVs to
reach 45 million to 50 million units this year, a senior official of the
company said Thursday, revising up its earlier target by about 20 percent
on higher demand.BK Yoon, head of Samsung's Visual Display Business, said
however that an insufficient supply of 3D TV panels is limiting its
ability to set an even more aggressive goal."We would have revised up our
3D TV sales target if the panel supply had been smooth," Yoon told
reporters at an event announcing the application store for Web-connected
TVs.Suppliers of 3D TV panels are able to meet only 80 percent of the
demand from 3D TV makers such as Samsung and Sony Corp. It will take
another one or two months to resolve the shortage issue, Yoon added."The
supply shortage is expected to ease around August and September," he
said.Earlier this year, Samsung said it was eying around 40 million
flat-screen TV sales, including 35 million LCD TVs.The president of
Samsung's TV division said that he was upbeat about sales outlook as the
impact from the eurozone financial crisis will be "limited" and the
company has foreseen the common cu rrency's weakness."We operate a lot of
business in Europe so the falling euro has a negative impact on our
management. But we have expected this since the end of 2008," he said. The
European TV market accounts for around 30 percent of Samsung's TV
revenues.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial
news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

90) Back to Top
Foreign Currency Liquidity Measures Go Into Force - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:57:14 GMT
Foreign currency liquidity measures go into force

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean financial authorities put a set of
foreign currency liquidity measures into force on Thursday in an effort to
help improve the soundness of local banks' foreign currency positions.In
November, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) released the tightened
foreign currency measures in a bid to curb their excessive foreign
borrowing and help them better fight a sudden freeze in overseas funding
sources.Korean banks, saddled with high short-term borrowing, suffered
from a severe liquidity squeeze in the height of the recent global
financial crisis as they faced difficulties servicing their debt.The
tightened measures require domestic banks to hold 2 percent or more of
their total foreign currency assets in blue-chip government and central
bank bonds with credit ratings of "A" or higher, or to set foreign
currency reserves that can resist two months of fund outflows.The measures
also require lenders to classify their foreign currency ass ets based on
the level of cashability in assessing their foreign liquidity positions to
better reflect the banks' actual liquidity.The Financial Supervisory
Service, which regulates the financial market on FSC mandates, said
capital curbs on foreign bank branches, announced in mid-June, will also
take effect later this month.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance and FSC
made public measures last month that limit local and foreign bank
branches' foreign currency derivative positions and restrict local firms'
foreign currency borrowing, in a bid to lower the local currency's
volatile swings in times of global crisis.

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91) Back to Top
ROK-China FTA Talks to Start Next Year, Beijing Says - Chosun Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:20:59 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - Korea-China free trade talks will start next year, a
senior Chinese government official said Wednesday.

China's Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengwei made the remark at a press
conference after China signed the Economic Cooperation Framework
Agreement, a wide-ranging de-facto FTA, with Taiwan in Chongqing on
Tuesday, according to the Chinese-language media.It was the first time a
senior Chinese official has mentioned a specific timeline for the
long-awaited FTA talks.(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in
English -- English website carrying English summaries and full
translations of vernacular hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily
Chosun Ilbo, which is conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly
nationalistic, anti-North Korea, and generally pro -US; URL:
http://english.chosun.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

92) Back to Top
USFK Curfew Ends Friday - Chosun Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:15:51 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - The U.S. Forces Korea will end a midnight curfew for
personnel on Friday, nearly 10 years after it was imposed following the
Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.

The USFK bans its servicemen from leaving barracks from midnight until 5
a.m. The USFK Command said in a press release Wednesday the curfew policy
"will be rescinded, effective July 2, 2010, by order of the Commander.""W
e are trying to make Korea much more like a normal tour," said USFK
Commander Gen. Walter Sharp.Since last year, the USFK has been expanding a
policy to encourage soldiers to bring their families with them and serve
in Korea for a longer period. Some 14,000, or about half, of the USFK
troops will have brought their families to Korea by 2015-16, when the
construction of a new U.S. military headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi
Province is complete.The lifting of the curfew is meant to remove
inconvenience for USFK servicemen's life in Korea as more military
families move here.Before making this decision, Gen. Sharp had reportedly
gathered a variety of opinions from USFK service members and their
families, as well as USFK commanders.Even after the curfew is lifted,
"colonel-level commanders can still request the authority to impose curfew
or restrictions due to operational or other considerations, but any curfew
must be for a set period of time and for a specific reas on," the USFK
added.(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English --
English website carrying English summaries and full translations of
vernacular hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo,
which is conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

93) Back to Top
ROK's Doosan Heavy Wins US$3.9 Billion Order for UAE Nuclear Reactors
Updated version: replacing 0045 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0136 GMT, which provides more details in grafs 2 and 3; Yonhap
headline: "Doosan Heavy Wins US$3.9 Bln Order Fo r UAE Nuclear Reactors" -
Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:02:50 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

94) Back to Top
Congressmen Launch US-ROK FTA Working Group - Chosun Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:20:55 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - Six U.S. congressmen including Democratic Rep. Diane
Watson of California and Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois launched
a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement working group in Congress on Tuesday.

The aim is to push for early ratification of the long-delayed FTA bill.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday pledged Congress will ratify the
FTA after mid-term elections in November.(Description of Source: Seoul
Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English website carrying English
summaries and full translations of vernacular hard copy items of the
largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is conservative in editorial
orientation -- strongly nationalistic, anti-North Korea, and generally
pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

95) Back to Top
Four Out of 10 S. Korean Firms Rosy About Yua n Rise - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:09:48 GMT
Four out of 10 S. Korean firms rosy about yuan rise

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- About four out of every 10 South Korean
companies expect the anticipated appreciation of the Chinese currency to
help improve the competitiveness of South Korean products in overseas
markets, a poll showed Thursday.According to the survey on 400 local
businesses by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), 43 percent
of the respondents said the yuan's revaluation will have a positive effect
on South Korea's exports by improving their price competitiveness against
Chinese competitors.Still, 17 percent of the respondents answered the
yuan's appreciation may have a negative impact as it will also raise the
price of Chinese raw materials, thus pulling up the production costs of
South Korean manufacturers.About 40 percent of the respondents said the
yuan's appreciation will have little or no impact on South Korean exports
as it will also likely lead to the appreciation of the Korean
won.Sixty-four percent of the respondents said they expected Beijing to
raise the value of the Chinese yuan by 3 to 5 percent against the U.S.
dollar this year, according to the findings.On June 19, the People's Bank
of China pledged to depeg the Chinese currency from the U.S. dollar and
make the yuan exchange rate more flexible, apparently giving in to
international pressure."The outcome of the survey shows the most urgent
task for us is to stabilize the Korean won as a simultaneous appreciation
of the won may offset any positive impact from the yuan's rise," KITA said
in a press release.Meanwhile, LG Economic Research Institute, a private
think tank, predicted earlier that the country's exports to China will
likely shrink by US$3.3 billion when the Chinese yuan rises 10 percent
against the dollar, but that its exports to other co untries will increase
$7.7 billion due to increased price competitiveness.

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

96) Back to Top
SK to Spend 17.5 Tln Won on Key Business Sectors - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 02:09:48 GMT
SK to spend 17.5 tln won on key business sectors

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) --SK Group, South Korea's third-largest
conglomerate, said Thursday that it will invest 17.5 trillion won (US$14.3
billion) to secure its new growth engines over the next 10 years.The money
will be spent on such sectors as energy, environment, and information and
communication technology (ICT), creating a total of 42,000 jobs by 2020,
SK said.Under the plan, SK will make an investment of 7 trillion won this
year, while 1.7 trillion won will be spent next year, the group said.SK
will invest a combined 4.5 trillion won in the energy sector, including
solar energy and rechargeable battery businesses, in order to create
11,000 jobs.The group also will make efforts to explore overseas natural
resources in a bid to secure 1 billion barrels of oil and natural gas by
2015, 30 million tons of iron ore by 2020 and an annual production
capacity of 24,000 tons of natural rubber by 2020.SK plans to create 9,000
jobs in the environment business, including the building of a smart grid
network, by investing 4.2 trillion won by 2020. A smart grid refers to an
emerging technology that allows real-time monitoring of electricity output
and demand.A total of 8.8 trillion won will be invested in the ICT
business, including telemedicine, to create 22,000 jobs, SK said.

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97) Back to Top
Capital Spending Set to Slow in The Second Half - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:04:14 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Growth in Korean manufacturers' capital spending will
slow down in the second half of the year from six months earlier due to
unstable external economic conditions, a poll showed yesterday.

According to the survey of 1,350 manufacturers by the Korea Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (KCCI), their investment is forecast to rise an
average of 4.3 percent on-year in the July-December period, down from a
20.6 percent jump in the first half.The to tal amount of planned
investment, however, was not disclosed.Unstable external economic factors
such as Europe's debt crisis were cited as the main reason to dampen
corporate investment sentiment in the second half compared to the first
six months, the KCCI said.Additionally the mounting possibility of an
economic retrenchment move by the Chinese government also contributed to
the conservative investment sentiment.Brisk capital spending from the IT
and auto sectors contributed to the sharp rise in the first-half corporate
investments compared to a year ago when local manufacturers cut their
investments due to sluggish domestic demand, the chamber said.According to
the findings, investments by big companies are expected to rise 5 percent
in the second half of this year, with those by smaller companies likely to
increase 4.1 percent.Particularly the steel makers were the most
aggressive in their investment plan.The steel industry plans to increase
their investment 8 percent hi gher than a year earlier.The construction
industry plans to reduce their investment.(Description of Source: Seoul
JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of English-language daily
which provides English-language summaries and full-texts of items
published by the major center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique
reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul edition of the
International Herald Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

98) Back to Top
ROK To Simplify Visa Issuance for Chinese Tourists
Updated version: adding China, Migration and International Economic tags;
By Kim Eun-jung: "S. Korea to simplify visa issuance for Chinese tourists"
- Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:47:36 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

99) Back to Top
ROK Posts Record Trade Surplus of US$7.47 Billion in June
Udpated version: replacing 0010 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0117 GMT, which recasts headline and updates with more details,
comments throughout; Yonhap headline: "S. Korea Posts Record Trade Surplus
of US$7.47 Bln in June" - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:37:30 GMT
210.120.38.20/kp/prince/prodcr8.nsf/5 83510D10E441C05002577530007275D0

(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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100) Back to Top
Police Double Reward For Rapist of 7-year Old Girl - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:04:14 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - The streets of Jangan, in eastern Seoul, are devoid of
children playing four days after a 7-year-old Korean-Vietnamese girl was
raped in her house while her parents were at work. Police say they're
still looking for the rapist, and begged the public to come forth with any
useful tip-offs.

"All the people in our neighborhood are furious about how this sort of
thing could have happened to the girl," said a neighbor surnamed Park, 56.
"Despite her family's difficult situation, she was always such a bright
and sweet child."Yesterday, Dongdaemun police doubled the reward for
useful information to 10 million won ($8,150) and printed out an
additional 50,000 posters with the suspect's composite sketch, based on a
description by the young victim, to distribute nationwide after 16,000
were distributed in the Seoul area."We have analyzed CCTV footage
retrieved from the area and fingerprints, but we have not yet found any
solid evidence to identity a suspect," a police spokesman said. They also
recovered hair and semen samples from the rape scene, but don't have a DNA
da tabase with which to compare them.The victim and her parents are
staying with a friend of the family.According to the police, the
Vietnamese mother of A., as the police have identified the victim, came to
Korea eight years ago after marrying a Korean man in Vietnam. A few months
later, the pair divorced and A.'s mother went back to Vietnam, pregnant
with her daughter.A and her mother returned to Korea in 2008 and met A.'s
current Vietnamese stepfather, and the three live in a basement apartment
of a townhouse in Jangan. The mother and stepfather work together at a
garment factory. Because the parents work during the day, A. was often
left alone at home when not at school.A. attended school Tuesday for the
first time since the rape. The family's neighbors are planning to meet
with A.'s social worker to learn ways to help the girl recover."Even if
she looks fine on the outside, she must have gone through a great deal of
shock," said Hong Joong-hyun, head of the crimi nal affairs department at
the Dongdaemun precinct. "We have assigned a female police officer to
monitor any psychological changes."(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng
Daily Online in English -- Website of English-language daily which
provides English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by
the major center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage;
distributed as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald
Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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101) Back to Top
[What the brokers say] Korean steel - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01: 04:13 GMT
(TRANSLITERATION:DONE)

(

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2922542
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2922542)(Section)
BusinessFinance(Reporter)(Title) (What the brokers say) Korean
steel(PubDate) July 01, 2010(JOONGANG ILBO) - Korean steel June 28 , Royal
Bank of ScotlandBuy Posco, Hold Dongkuk Steel NNNN(Description of Source:
Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website of English-language
daily which provides English-language summaries and full-texts of items
published by the major center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique
reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul edition of the
International Herald Tribune; URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS , US Dept. of
Commerce.

102) Back to Top
China's R&D Spending More Than Double Korea's - Chosun Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:15:19 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - China is emerging as a formidable rival to Korea in
science and technology as it invests twice as much as Korea in research
and development in the fields. According to the Korea Industrial
Technology Association on Wednesday, China's 100 biggest companies
invested a combined US$33.76 billion in R&D in 2008, 2.3 times larger
than Korea's $14.72 billion.

China's five largest firms far surpassed their Korean counterparts in
R&D spending, with the exception of top-ranked China National
Petroleum Corp. which was outspent by Samsung Electronics. China exceeded
Korea in investment in almost every sect or including textiles, metals,
machinery, mining, and utility and service industries. Korea was the
leader only in the fields of electro-mechanics and electronics.Recently
China has been making waves in state-of-the-art science and technology.
The Chinese-developed Nebulae ranked second on a list of the 500 most
powerful supercomputers released at the International Supercomputer
Conference last month.Huawei, the nation's leading communications device
maker, filed the most applications for international patents and
trademarks in 2008. Early this year it clinched a deal to build a
next-generation Long Term Evolution network in Sweden, the home of telecom
giant Ericsson, alarming U.S. and European companies.Chinese companies are
also distinguishing themselves in green technology. The nation's mining
and energy firms are focusing on eco-friendly power generation
technologies to reduce pollutants by gasifying coal. In the rechargeable
batteries sector, companies such as Shenzhen- based BYD are making names
for themselves in the world market."China is forging global partnerships
with market leaders in the electric car industry while conducting its own
research to rapidly absorb advanced technologies," Park Rae-jung, a senior
researcher with the LG Economic Research Institute said. "The country's
solid financial resources will further facilitate its technological
development."(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English
-- English website carrying English summaries and full translations of
vernacular hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo,
which is conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of Com
merce.

103) Back to Top
S. Korea's Consumer Prices Rise 2.6 Pct in June
Updated version: Replacing 2320 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0032 GMT on 1 July, which adds more details in last five grafs. -
Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:15:18 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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104) Back to Top
Pension Service Eyeing Local Equities - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:10:14 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Korea's National Pension Service plans to spend a net
6.9 trillion won ($5.6 billion) boosting its domestic equity allocation
next year, predicting gains as growth in the country outpaces the global
economy.

The nation's biggest investor will increase the weighting for domestic
stocks to 18 percent of assets in 2011 from 16.6 percent planned this
year, and lower the weighting for bonds, the Ministry for Health, Welfare
and Family Affairs, which oversees the fund, said yesterday.On June 16, it
kept the five-year target to boost equities to at least 30 percent of
assets by the end of 2015."Equities are expected to be on an upward course
in accordance with an economic recovery at home and overseas," according
to the statement. "After a correction in the first half, gains may
accelerate going into the latter half."Korea's economy may expand 4.5
percent in 2011, based on estimates by local institutions, the central
bank and the International Monetary Fund, the ministry said.That's faster
than the 4.3 percent expansion in global gross domestic product forecast
by the IMF in April. The Kospi Index has gained 0.1 percent this year,
after falling as much as 7.7 percent, as corporate profit growth was
offset by concern that export demand will be hurt by Europe's
sovereign-debt crisis.The Korean fund plans to have 6.6 percent of assets
in overseas equities next year, compared with 5.1 percent targeted for
2010, the ministry said.The fund's size is expected to grow to 336.5
trillion won by the end of 2011 from 303.3 trillion won estimated for end
of 2010, it said.National Pension Service aims to pare its 2011 domestic
bond weighting to 63.5 percent from 67.8 percent estimated for this year,
the health ministry said.The service, which will keep its overseas bonds
allocation target a t 4.1 percent next year, plans to invest in bonds of
emerging nations to diversify its portfolio and to boost its returns, it
said."Investment in emerging nations' bonds is attractive given the high
level of yields and relatively stronger economic growth prospects," the
ministry said.The pension agency plans to increase its weighting of
alternative investments to 7.8 percent of assets in 2011 from 6.4 percent
estimated for this year, according to the ministry. The pension fund, set
up in 1988, covers private-sector employees and those who are
self-employed.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in
English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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105) Back to Top
Two Russian Patrol Craft To Call At South Korean Port Of Mukho - ITAR-TASS
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:35:29 GMT
intervention)

VLADIVOSTOK, July 1 (Itar-Tass) - Two Russian patrol craft will early in
July call at the South Korean port of Mukho for a business visit, sources
from the press service of the FSB border control department in Primorye
told Tass on Thursday.The Herluf Bidstrup and the Bug will visit the port
from July 6 to July 9. The program of the visit includes visits by crews
of Russian and Korean seamen, as well as by local residents, excursions
and sports competitions. A joint tactical exercise is scheduled for July
7. Two Russian and three South Korean ships, a Russian and a South Korean
helicopter, four motor boats (two from each side) and special task force
will take part in the exercise.The exercise will train cooperation in
fight against illegal activity at sea - search, persecution and detention
of a vessel seized by imaginary terrorists, release of hostages, rescue of
people at sea, as well as putting out of fire breaking out on board the
ship because of a bomb explosion.(Description of Source: Moscow ITAR-TASS
in English -- Main government information agency)

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106) Back to Top
S. Korea's Overseas Royalty P ayments Rise This Year - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:25:26 GMT
S. Korea's overseas royalty payments rise this year

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean companies' payments over the use of
foreign patents and intellectual property rights topped the US$3 billion
mark in the January-May period amid the economic recovery, central bank
data showed Thursday.South Korea's overseas payments of royalties and
license fees reached $3.17 billion in the first five months of the year,
up 50.1 percent from the same period last year, according to the Bank of
Korea (BOK).In the cited period, local companies earned $1.29 billion from
royalties paid by foreign firms, resulting in the country's royalty
deficit of $1.88 billion, it added.The balance tracks the nation's
cross-border expenses and income for using patent and copy rights as well
as brand royalties.The BOK said, as a rise in oversea s patent payments
resulted from the economic rebound, the deficit cannot be seen as solely
negative."Most companies pay overseas royalties in tandem with their
sales. An increase in such payments comes as the reviving economy is
making corporate earnings rise, pushing up the sales," a BOK official
said.The South Korean economy grew 2.1 percent on-quarter in the first
quarter on strong consumer spending and exports. The government revised up
its 2010 economic growth forecast to 5.8 percent from an earlier estimate
of 5 percent.

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107) Back to Top
S. Korea to Simplify Visa Issuance For Chinese Tourists - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:21:20 GMT
Chinese tourists-visas

S. Korea to simplify visa issuance for Chinese touristsBy Kim
Eun-jungSEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will expand the multiple
visa system for Chinese visitors to attract even more people from the
fast-growing group of foreign tourists, the Justice Ministry said
Thursday.The plan under discussion includes issuing one-year multiple
visas to schoolteachers and retirees.The current system limits this type
of visa to those who have residentship in member nations of the
Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, owners of platinum
or gold class credit cards and business professionals.Ministry officials
said they will hold an opinion-gathering session in Shanghai for two days
from Thursday before finalizing the plan and hope to enforce the new visa
guidelines from as early as mid-July.The number of Chinese visitors to
South Korea has steadily increased to 1.2 million in 2009, up from 585,569
in 2005, and 920,250 in 2007, according to the ministry."By simplifying
the visa issuance for Chinese who are less likely to stay in the country
illegally, we expect the new guidelines will boost tourism and create more
jobs," an official at the ministry said.The ministry is also considering
"double entry" visas for Chinese visitors transiting through South Korea.
This visa would allow them to enter South Korea twice during a set period
for tourism and brief visits in-between trips.Family members of those who
have single-entry visas are expected to be automatically given the same
visa, officials said.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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108) Back to Top
Models to Get New Galaxy S Phones in SKT Promotional Push - JoongAng Daily
Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:10:14 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) -

SK Telecom is hoping a pretty face will help convince you to buy a new
phone.Korea's top mobile carrier announced yesterday that it will offer
smartphones to local models at a discount as part of its efforts to
encourage more people to use the devices, which are also known as
"palm-size PCs." The move comes ahead of the launch of Apple's iPhone 4
here at the end of July.The company said it has signed a memorandum of
understanding with the Korea Model Association - which operates under the
country's Culture Ministry - to market the smartphones to the
organization's 6,000 memb ers."We will be distributing Galaxy S
smartphones customized specifically for the association's members," SKT
said in a press release. "The phones will come pre-loaded with various
applications that the models can use for their work."The applications will
help the models in a variety of areas, offering them a way to store their
portfolios, manage their auditions and runway appearances and access data
they frequently need to access, such as information related to cosmetics
and clothing stores."The fashion industry has always taken the lead in
bringing the latest trends to Korea, and we are glad to play a part in
helping the industry advance while helping the models to pursue their
careers," said Park In-sik, the head of SKT's corporate business
division.The devices will be doled out to models starting in mid-July and
will be offered at discount prices.The Galaxy S, Samsung Electronics'
latest smartphone, hit local stores last Thursday.Demand for the devices,
which use Google's Android operating system, has been high. SKT, the
exclusive seller of the device, said it sold some 10,400 units on Thursday
- the entire supply for the day. It sold 23,800 units on Friday and 24,400
units on Saturday. Typically, sales of just 1,000 units a day are
considered strong in Korea.Against this backdrop, market observers
speculate that KT and LG Telecom - the No. 2 and No. 3 players in the
market, respectively - will soon service the Galaxy S as well.KT is
currently the sole distributor of Apple's iPhone.Yonhap New Agency
reported yesterday that KT and LG are in talks with Samsung to sell the
Galaxy S as well in coming months amid its rising popularity.The report,
quoting industry sources, said LG will likely start servicing Galaxy S
from late July. The specifications of the device might be modified
slightly, and it might be sold under the name Galaxy L.Meanwhile, Samsung
Electronics, the world's No. 2 maker of cellular phones, held a launch
event for the Galaxy S in New York this week. The company announced that
it will begin selling the phone in the United States starting today
through four mobile carriers - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T
Mobile.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English --
Website of English-language daily which provides English-language
summaries and full-texts of items published by the major center-right
daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert
to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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109) Back to Top
Korea Not to Budge on FTA Concessions With US - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:04:13 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Kim Jong-hoon, the trade minister at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade, said yesterday that there would be no
renegotiations or changes made to the original Korea-United States Free
Trade Agreement.

The remarks came after U.S. President Barack Obama promised Korean
President Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) during the G-20 Summit in Toronto
that he would push the U.S. Congress to approve the FTA, which was signed
three years ago yesterday.But congressional approval is seen as unlikely
unless Korea makes more concessions on improving the access of U.S. beef
and cars into the Korean market as demanded by American lawmakers.Kim's
remarks underscored that Korea was in no mood for further compromises.
"Taking just one period - one comma - out of the agreement will mean a
complete revision. This w ill not happen," he told reporters at a press
briefing."Sales of American beef are doing much better than before, and I
know that the U.S. Congress has had opinions on opening up the market for
beef that is more than 30 months old. I am not sure whether the Obama
administration will bring that up with us. The U.S. government must
consider the fact that raising this issue may end up causing the Korean
public to lose faith," Kim explained."As for automobiles, I've heard many
allegations by the U.S. Congress claiming there are hidden import barriers
protecting the local industry. However, I have not been able to confirm
these allegations, and if they are meant (by the U.S. Congress) to justify
the low sales (of American cars) in Korea, it is absolutely unacceptable,"
he added.President Obama has asked the U.S. Trade Representative to resume
talks with Korea on these issues ahead of submitting the FTA to Congress
for ratification. The two countries are h oping to finalize a solution
before the next G-20 Summit takes places in Seoul in November."I told the
USTR that when we meet in November, hopefully it will be a decisive moment
for both of us," said Kim.On the recent rumors of a "big deal" in which
Korea will open the market fully to U.S. beef imports in return for
agreeing to postpone the transfer of wartime command of military forces in
Korea, Kim said such speculation was "totally absurd. It was not about
giving up something in return."Kim said that the forthcoming discussions
with the U.S. will be limited to a core group of negotiators. "Even though
the two governments want the talks to be completed before the G-20 meeting
in November, I won't be tied to the date and everything will depend on the
detailed contents of the agreement."Kim noted that President Obama had
spoken of "adjustments" to the FTA rather than a "renegotiation" of the
trade pact in his talks with President Lee. Kim said he hoped the recent
momentum in the FTA's progress will continue in order to achieve a
satisfactory result that would benefit both sides.Six U.S. congressmen are
expected to form a bipartisan working group to urge the quick ratification
of the FTA. The group is meant to promote dialogue on the issue by
discussing the trade deal's benefits to the U.S. economy in an effort to
win support for the pact.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily
Online in English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be d irected to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

110) Back to Top
New Scanner Shows Way Too Much: Commission - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 01:04:13 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) -

The National Human Rights Commission told the Minister of Land, Transport
and Maritime Affairs yesterday that full-body scanners, scheduled to be
installed in airports nationwide, infringe on passengers' privacy.The
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs plans to install the
scanners this year at major international airports in Incheon, Gimpo and
elsewhere. The scanners display the body shape and genitalia of people,
and prosthetic devices, the commission said, an infringement of
passengers' privacy. It added that radiation from the scanners might be
harmful.According to the commission, ther e have been several problems
with the scanners already. An employee of an airport in England took a
nude scan of a female colleague, and at a U.S. airport, an employee mocked
a passenger being scanned, which led to a fight.In addition, security
officers might be accused of scanning certain passengers because of their
religion or nationality, the commission said.The commission said, "As the
full-body scanners can violate privacy, the devices should be installed
only after legislating a law, not merely in the provision of a ministry's
regulations."(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in
English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

111) Back to Top
Taco Bell Returning After Long Absence - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:58:07 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Starting this month, locals will easily be able to make
a run for the border - though not the one to the north.

Taco Bell, the popular U.S.-based fast-food franchise and subsidiary of
restaurant chain giant Yum! Brands, is officially reentering Korea after a
failed bid more than 20 years ago to gain a following for its quick-serve
Mexican menu items. Its first branch will open in Itaewon on July 11, with
a second one in the works for Sinchon slated for November.The company has
built a fast-food empire encompassing 5,000 locations in the United States
by offering cheap burritos, tacos, nachos and other Mexican-inspired
creations. It has created memorable ad campaigns along the way, featuring
slogans such as "Make a run for the border" and its most recent, "Think
outside the bun."The brand expanded to Korea and opened a handful of
locations in the mid-1980s, but it never established a foothold here and
ended up closing its branches after less than 10 years in the market."Back
then, a menu item cost 7,000 won ($5.72)," Shin Sang-yong, president of
M2G Ltd., which acquired the Taco Bell franchising rights in Korea, said
during a press conference yesterday to reintroduce the brand here. "And
the business model failed to utilize Yum! Brands' strengths, positioning
itself as a dining restaurant" rather than a fast-food eatery.At the same
time, Taco Bell came when Koreans were still developing an appetite for
inter national foods. Times have changed, however."Now, new tastes have
expanded around the world, and people are much more willing to try new
things," said Klara Farkas, the director of marketing for Taco Bell
International.Prices have also come down, with items such as beef tacos
going for just 1,500 won and bean burritos for 1,700 won.Taco Bell
currently has just 240 locations outside the U.S., but it hopes to
increase that number rapidly. Company officials view Taco Bell Korea, the
chain's only location in East Asia, as a stepping stone to other markets
in the region. "Korea is such a vibrant, trendsetting market; if we're
going to make a go into Asia, we definitely wanted to start here," Farkas
said.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English --
Website of English-language daily which provides English-language
summaries and full-texts of items published by the major center-right
daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distribut ed as an
insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

112) Back to Top
Business Confidence At 8-year High - JoongAng Daily Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:47 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Business confidence among Korean manufacturers increased
in June, while the outlook for July remains optimistic due to the economic
recovery.

However, exporters are more upbeat than companies focused on the domestic
market.According to the Bank of Korea, the business sentiment index in
June was 105 points, up 2 points from May.This is the highest confidence
reading in eight years. The last time business sentiment was this high was
in the second quarter of 2002, when it stood at 114 points. The outlook
for July is 104 points.Business confidence among exporters last month was
117 points, up from 109 in May. This is the highest for exporters since
119 points in the fourth quarter of 1999.However, for companies that are
heavily dependent on the domestic market, the confidence reading fell to
97 points from 100 points, indicating negative sentiments. The outlook for
July among exporters was 113 points, while that for domestic businesses
was 98 points."Business confidence has been positive in the last couple of
months, particularly driven by the strong export," said an official at the
BOK."However, the sentiment of companies heavily dependent of the domestic
market has gone down because despite the economic recovery the domestic
market has seen a slower recovery than exports.&qu ot;But the value of the
won remained the biggest concern for manufacturers, with 18.9 percent of
the companies surveyed saying this was a main issue, while rising raw
material costs came in second.The BSI is based on a survey conducted on
2,435 manufacturers between June 17 and 24.According to Statistics Korea,
industrial production in May continued to grow for the 11th consecutive
month.In May, industrial production rose 21.5 percent from a year ago due
to brisk demand for semiconductors and machinery.The average plant
utilization rate was 82.8 percent, which is 0.6 percentage points higher
than in April.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in
English -- Website of English-language daily which provides
English-language summaries and full-texts of items published by the major
center-right daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed
as an insert to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune;
URL: http://joongangdaily.joins.com)
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113) Back to Top
Samsung Battles Apple With Galaxy S Smartphone - Dong-A Ilbo Online
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:46:46 GMT
(DONG-A ILBO) - When Apple launched its new smartphone iPhone 4 June 8,
Samsung Electronics released its smartphone Galaxy S without prior notice.

The Korean electronics maker said, "This is the culmination of our
company's 20-year history of handset manufacturing."

People in and out of the company said Samsung timed the release with
Apple's launch of the iPhone 4 to compete squarely with Apple. Aware of
the "Apple sh ock" triggered by the iPhone's entry into Korea in November
last year, Samsung reacted in an orderly manner this time to prevent a
recurrence, experts said.

Many people wonder what happened inside of the company after the shock.

 Paradigm shift in product development

The Dong-A Ilbo interviewed Monday Kim Hak-sang, director of the platform
development department in the company's wireless division who led the
development of the Galaxy S, and Ahn Won-ik, head of a software platform
group at Digital City of Samsung Electronics in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.
Kim led hardware development and Ahn software development.

A task force to develop the Galaxy S was set up in October last year
shortly before the iPhone arrived on the Korean market. The team designed
the hardware at first, but had difficulty choosing an operating system.

Kim said, "We applied many operating systems and concluded that consumers
and mobile carriers want Google's An droid."

The task force is different from the previous handset development team in
the company's wireless division. Samsung allowed flexibility in its
guidelines on developing new products.

Ahn said, "In the past, there were clear guidelines for product
development and they never changed, so what we had to do was to strictly
follow the guidelines. This time, however, they are constantly changing."

"From the beginning of development, we sent a prototype to power users not
only in Korea but also in the U.S. and European countries and based on
their feedback, we've improved the product."

The sense of touch and electricity consumption were improved based on such
feedback.

By actively incorporating opinions of the product planning and marketing
departments, the team changed the smartphone's design seven times.

The timing of the release was set, but developers were embarrassed because
of constantly changing guidelin es.

Ahn said, "At one point, we received more than 1,000 pieces of feedback
from overseas power users," adding, "We felt increasingly burdened since
we had to choose from them those that deserve attention and discuss
whether corrections were necessary."

 Big change in decision making

It is difficult to achieve flexible product planning and rapid production
at the same time. To meet these two goals, the company simplified the
decision-making and reporting processes.

Kim said, "Previously, the staff members in charge submitted well-written
reports to executives. Now, they have meetings with staff members with
rough draft reports."

This was to save time in drawing up reports and spend more time developing
products.

(Description of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga.com)

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114) Back to Top
(News Focus) Seoul's New Education Chief Faces Daunting Test in Reform
Drive - Yonhap
Thursday July 1, 2010 00:20:28 GMT
(News Focus) Seoul's new education chief faces daunting test in reform
drive

By Kim HyunSEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's new education chief, who has
a reputation for championing egalitarian reform, faces a tough road ahead
as his sweeping manifestos, including free school meals, are at od ds with
the government's pro-market policy and even financially uncertain.As Kwak
No-hyun took office as superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of
Education on Thursday, all eyes were on his key election promise that all
students will be entitled to "environment-friendly free meals." Despite
strong concerns about the budget, Kwak has vowed to implement the pledge
no matter what starting in elementary schools next year.The former policy
advisor under the late President Roh Moo-hyun's administration has been a
vocal critic of President Lee Myung-bak's education policy that seeks to
improve achievements by fostering competition and awarding the elite."My
first goal is to cut off the bequest of educational poverty between
generations," Kwak said in an earlier interview with Yonhap News Agency.
"Education so far produced the talented out of the rich. My goal is to
realize the potentials of children beyond the fortunes of their parents or
the regi ons where they are born."Some officials at the Seoul education
office and the education ministry are weary Kwak's free meal pledge will
trigger serious budget problems. Its expected annual cost of 390 billion
won (US$320 million) may prompt budget cuts in other areas, they say."We
have conveyed our opinion to the superintendent-elect that there could be
a balloon effect," a senior official at the metropolitan education office
said earlier this week, on condition of anonymity.In its annual budget of
6.3 trillion won, the pure portion for education policy minus fixed
expenses or facility support amounts to just 650 billion won and thus
cannot cover free meals for every student, the metropolitan education
office says. Currently, free meals are provided for children from
low-income families, which make up about 10 percent of the total 1.37
million students in kindergartens, special schools and elementary to high
schools in Seoul.Concerns have mounted that the sele ctive aid scheme
openly shames recipients and can miss those in need. To implement the
unconditional free meal policy, the Kwak side plans to scale down
"ineffective" education projects and get funding from district offices as
well as the Seoul Metropolitan Government."We can sufficiently accommodate
the budget by cutting back ineffective projects," Kim Yong-il, an
education professor at Korea Maritime University and advisor to Kwak,
said.Furthering his egalitarian reform, Kwak also plans to abolish school
management support charges paid by parents in all middle schools in Seoul
next year.Another contended part is Kwak's objection to the education
ministry's launch of the teacher assessment system earlier this year.
After a decade-long debate, the ministry finally implemented the
assessment in 1,310 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide, in
which teachers are given a score by colleagues, school principals,
students and parents.All teacher organiz ations, both right-wing and
left-wing, howled at the assessment that they say only fosters competition
at the expense of quality education.The ministry, however, argues parents
overwhelmingly welcome the assessment, citing a survey that showed support
by 86.4 percent. The grades will not affect teachers' pay or promotions
and will be used to reward high-graded teachers and place badly performing
ones in training programs, it said.Kwak opposes the government-initiated
teacher grading system, but still believes there should be an objective
way to watch over teachers. First, he will see what results will come out
of the ongoing assessment and consider reform."Teaching is quasi-sacred. I
don't agree with lining up teachers according to their grades and linking
the grades to their pay and promotions," Kwak said in the interview with
Yonhap. "But the reason why parents and the ordinary people overwhelmingly
support the teacher assessment is that teachers are an abso lute power in
the classroom. Absolute power that is not watched over is bound to
degenerate."Another hot issue is the decision by the education ministry
last month to fire 134 public school teachers for gaining membership to
the minor opposition Labor Democratic Party in violation of a law that
bans civil servants from political activity.Kwak, a law scholar, said the
mass firings are "too much." He vowed to change the disciplinary system in
the Seoul education office, which may reverse the ministry's dismissal for
some teachers in Seoul.

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115) Back to Top
Half of Students in Seoul Take 2 Shots At University Entrance - Chosun
Ilbo Onli ne
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:10:59 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - Over 80 percent of graduates from three prestigious high
schools in Seoul took a gap year to have a second crack at the university
entrance exam, a survey shows.

Graduates from Whimoon, Joongdong and Youngdong High Schools in the city's
affluent Gangnam district which send a large number of students to
prestigious universities like Korea, Seoul National, and Yonsei
Universities, typically take a year out, resulting effectively in four
years of high school. That suggests that the nominally strong performance
of Gangnam high schools is mainly due to a year of cramming after
graduation.Analysis of university entrance exam performance of 469 high
schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province by the Chosun Ilbo and Hanul
Education shows that 43,181 students in Seoul or 45.7 percent retook the
exam. The proportion was a whopping 68.2 per cent in the Gangnam
district.Gangnam and Seocho districts in southern Seoul, which had higher
proportions of retakers, saw more students enter prestigious universities.
Among 4,110 students from high schools in Seoul who were accepted by
Korea, Seoul National, or Yonsei Universities this year, 1,270 or 31
percent were from those two districts, so a large percentage would have
been retakers, according to experts.One teacher at Whimoon High School
said, "Among graduates who entered Korea, Seoul National, or Yonsei
Universities in 2010, more than 30 percent were retakers." Hanul Education
executive Lim Sung-ho said, "The proportion of retakers in different
regions tends to be associated with the level of income of the
neighborhood, because parents have to be able to afford to support their
children for an extra year."The vast majority of literature points to
private education as the reason for the wide discrepancy in academic
achievement between areas south and north of the Han River, but this new
study is the first to highlight the effect of an extra year spent cramming
for the exam.The phenomenon is largely caused by the failure of schools to
do their job, according to Jo Hyo-wan, a teacher and co-president of an
association of teachers guiding high-school seniors into university. "It's
a huge waste of human resources as it delays young people's entry into
society by at least a year, not to mention the costs averaging W10-20
million (US$1=W1,232) a year that are spent an extra year," he said.The
survey was based on data by the Education Ministry released earlier this
month and the information on test takers in the 2010 Scholastic Aptitude
Test.(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English --
English website carrying English summaries and full translations of
vernacular hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo,
which is conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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116) Back to Top
Hyundai Department Holds IR Sessions in Hong Kong, Singapore - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:48:14 GMT
Hyundai Department holds IR sessions in Hong Kong, Singapore

By Kim Young-gyoHONG KONG, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Department Store
Co., South Korea's third-largest department store by sales, has held
investor relations sessions in Hong Kong and Singapore, company officials
said Thursday.The company said it discussed its growth strategies and
financial status d uring the non-deal road shows held Thursday through
Wednesday with 27 institutions.A non-deal road show refers to a large
meeting or conference put together for the purpose of meeting potential
clients without a specific agreement being discussed or agreed
upon."Investors' interest in Hyundai Department Store was much better than
the last meeting held in September 2009, as they showed more confidence in
South Korea's economy," said a financial source who was present at the
meetings.Sales at South Korea's department stores rose in May from a year
earlier due to greater consumer demand for sporting goods and clothing, a
recent government report showed.Hyundai Department Store Group said
earlier this month that it is aiming for 20 trillion won (US$16.3 billion)
in sales by 2020, nearly a three-fold gain from this year's target.The
company said it will increase the number of its department store outlets
to 23 from the current 11 as part of efforts to achieve its sales
target.Hyundai Department also has been seeking to acquire a foreign
company in order to expand its presence in China and Southeast Asia.Its
larger rival Shinsegae Co. has been aiming to open 100 discount stores in
China by 2014, as part of its aggressive push into the world's
fastest-growing economy.

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New Community Movement to Power Green Growth - The Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 23:00:59 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - Korea must adopt a "Green Growth" policy as a second
"Saemaeul Undong," or new community movement, to t ackle various global
challenges caused by the environment, Lee Maan-ee (Yi Man-u'i), minister
of the environment, said Wednesday.

In a written interview with The Korea Times, the minister said a
low-carbon green growth policy will be the key for Korea to turn various
environmental challenges - massive carbon emissions leading to climate
change, and a shortage of fossil fuels among others - into new
opportunities.Saemaeul Undong was a campaign designed to develop rural
areas in the 1970s, and this played a significant role in the country's
economic development.By adopting the spirit of Saemaeul Undong, Lee said,
the current and next generations will create a better environment as it
will encourage every member of society to participate in burden-sharing
for mutual prosperity."The enlightenment movement pulled Korea from
poverty and frustration into prosperity and hope. It has been listed in
the Encyclopedia Britannica and many developing countries have localized i
t for their own national campaigns," the minister said. "Like Saemaeul
Undong, a green growth strategy can lay the firm foundation to overcome
challenges and social obstacles through combined efforts by all people and
ultimately turn them into an opportunity for a new takeoff."Taking the "me
first to take responsibility" attitude, the government has unveiled
numerous policies already.Lee said Korea faces growing global challenges
triggered by environmental changes and needs a fresh impetus from the
community for sustainable and environment-friendly growth."We must adopt
green growth as a 'second' new community movement," he said.Lee said the
ministry's initiation of the "Green Start Campaign" will provide leverage
for green growth to take root as a new movement as it is designed to
induce support from both citizens and businesses."Like Saemaeul Undong,
the government should take the lead and, at the same time, work together w
ith all citizens as well as the business community," the minister
noted.The declaration of green growth by the Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak)
administration in 2008 was aimed at transforming the existing industrial
structure to a low-carbon one, and establishing a virtuous circle between
economic development and environmental preservation.Korea has become the
first nation to enact a law on green growth - The Basic Act on Low Carbon
Emissions. This encourages a low-carbon society, promotes a green
lifestyle and builds on public-private partnerships for green growth.It
has also established a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center for
monitoring gas emissions and the development of green growth related
facilities. Green building, green consumption as well as green
transportation for the purpose of encouraging a green lifestyle among
citizens are also being promoted.Lee said the plan is already getting
positive reviews. "The Declaration on Green Growth was adopted at the OECD
Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in June 2009. And the U.N. Environment
Program (UNEP) published the Overview of the Republic of Korea's Green
Growth Strategy in April, 2010, which highly assesses Korea as a country
to lead green growth worldwide," he said.(Description of Source: Seoul The
Korea Times Online in English -- Website of The Korea Times, an
independent and moderate English-language daily published by its sister
daily Hanguk Ilbo from which it often draws articles and translates into
English for publication; URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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118) Back to Top
President's Confidant to Run in July 28 Assembly By-elections - The Korea
Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 22:54:52 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - Lee Jae-oh, 65, one of President Lee Myung-bak`s closest
confidants, said Wednesday that he will step down as chairman of the
Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) to run in the July 28
National Assembly by-elections.

"I am very sorry to leave the post before the end of my term," he said in
a speech at the Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul. "I hope you
understand that I have no choice but to choose the rough road ahead."The
former three-term lawmaker suffered an embarrassing defeat to Moon
Kook-hyun, then leader of the minor opposition Creative Korea Party, in
the Eunpyeong district, Seoul, in the 2008 parliamentary elections.He was
appointed as ACRC chairman last September.In 2002, he worked as chief of
the campaign headquarters for Lee when the latter was running fo r mayor
of Seoul.He also served as secretary general of the Grand National Party
(GNP) in 2003, GNP floor leader in 2006 and special presidential envoy to
Russia in 2008.Eight Assembly seats are up for grabs in the forthcoming
elections, including one for the Eunpyeong district as Moon was stripped
of his post last year for taking money in return for promising to provide
a proportional representation seat in parliament.Seven other seats remain
vacant in constituencies in Incheon, Gwangju, Gangwon and
Chungcheong.(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in
English -- Website of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate
English-language daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from
which it often draws articles and translates into English for publication;
URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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119) Back to Top
Close Confidant of President Lee To Run for July Parliamentary By-Election
Article by Song Sang-ho: Lee Jae-oh to Run For July Parliamentary
By-election - The Korea Herald Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 13:08:20 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Herald Online in English --
Website of the generally pro-government English-language daily The Korea
Herald; URL: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr)

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120) Back to Top
China's PLA Navy Starts Live-Ammunition Training in West Pacific
Updated version: adding Urgent tag, rewriting Subject line; Xinhua: "PLA
Navy Starts Live-Ammunition Training in West Pacific" - Xinhua
Wednesday June 30, 2010 12:02:05 GMT
(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English -- China's official news
service for English-language audiences (New China News Agency))

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121) Back to Top
48 Civil Servants Face Discipline for Election Campaign
Unattributed article: "48 Civil Servants Face Discipline For Election
Campaign" - The Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 11:25:21 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in English -- Website
of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate English-language daily
published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from which it often draws
articles and translates into English for publication; URL:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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122) Back to Top
ROK Labor, Management Fail To Produce Agreement on Minimum Wage
Article by staff reporter Kwon Mee-yoo: "Minimum Wage Talks Keep Falling
Apart" - T he Korea Times Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 11:12:09 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in English -- Website
of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate English-language daily
published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from which it often draws
articles and translates into English for publication; URL:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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123) Back to Top
Korean Public Firms Cut 4,600 Jobs Last Year: Gov't - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 09:01:04 GMT
public sector-job cuts

Korean public firms cut 4,600 jobs last year: gov'tSEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap)
-- South Korea's state-run companies cut 4,600 jobs last year as part of
efforts to bolster labor efficiency and reduce waste in the public sector,
the government said Wednesday.The job cuts left the total number of excess
workers in the public companies at around 9,400 in late 2009, the finance
ministry said.In March last year, the ministry said 128 public companies
such as the Korea Railroad Corp., Korea Water Resources Corp. and Korea
Energy Management Corp. had around 14,000 excess workers whose dismissal
would not affect operations. These corporations are authorized to hire a
total of 153,000 workers."The dismissal of about 4,600 workers last year
represents 35 percent of the reduction plan being carried out," a ministry
official said.He said that the goal for 2010 is to reduce excess workers
to 5,600, with another 2,800 to be cut by the end of 2011 before the
complete reduction target is reached the following year.The government
started to push for the reduction of redundant workers with the aim of
removing all excess employees by 2012.The ministry, meanwhile, said that
reductions do not automatically translate into direct firing since workers
leaving after reaching retirement age are included along with those who
voluntarily leave.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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124) Back to Top
Hyundai Rotem Wins Railcar Order From U.S. City - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:34:3 7 GMT
Hyundai Rotem-order

Hyundai Rotem wins railcar order from U.S. citySEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) --
Hyundai Rotem Co., a South Korean train maker, said Wednesday it has
clinched an order worth around 200 billion won (US$160 million) to supply
50 new railcars to Denver, Colorado.The order was placed by the U.S.
city's public transportation bureau that is building three electric
railways for completion in 2016. The railcars will be delivered by 2013,
Hyundai Rotem said.The company said the U.S. city is expected to place an
order for an additional 34 railcars.The deal comes as the South Korean
train maker is seeking to take part in U.S. projects to build 11
high-speed railways by 2012, worth a combined $9.3 billion."Hyundai Rotem
will work to secure an upper position in the bid for the high-speed
railway project in Florida by successfully delivering top-quality railcars
to Denver," the company said in a press rel ease.(Description of Source:
Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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125) Back to Top
Samsung's Smartphone Galaxy s to Hit U.S. in July - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 08:05:57 GMT
Samsung's smartphone Galaxy S to hit U.S. in July

By Lee YoukyungSEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said
Wednesday it will launch the Galaxy S smartphone, the company's biggest
bet to take on Apple Inc.'s iPhone, in the U.S. via four major mobile
carriers starting in July.Samsung hopes its Android- powered Galaxy S
model will help it gain a stronger footing in the lucrative smartphone
segment. Samsung, the world's No. 2 mobile phone maker after Nokia Corp.,
has so far failed to deliver a megahit smartphone model."A simultaneous
supply of a single model to all four major mobile carriers in the U.S. is
unheard of, which proves the superiority of the Galaxy S," JK Shin,
president of Samsung's mobile communications division, was quoted as
saying in a statement.The move contrasts with Apple's choice to offer its
iPhone 3GS exclusively to AT&amp;T, the second-largest mobile carrier in
the U.S.Wireless carriers will fine-tune Samsung's new model with slight
variations and brand them with different names, Samsung said.Verizon
Wireless, the largest U.S. wireless service company, will offer Fascinate
Galaxy S, while AT&amp;T will name the model Samsung Captivate.The
country's third-largest mobile carrier, Spring Nextel Corp., will call the
phone Epic 4G and off er a computer-like qwerty keyboard and support for
the high-speed wireless broadband known as mobile WiMAX.No. 4 mobile
service provider T-Mobile USA plans to call the model Vibrant.Meanwhile,
the battle is heating up between Galaxy S and the iPhone on Samsung's home
turf of South Korea, where the iPhone become the first megahit phone made
by a non-Korean company when it debuted locally at the end of 2009.Sales
of the Galaxy S, released in South Korea last week, topped 100,000 units
within six days of its launch, according to SK Telecom Co., the top mobile
carrier in the country. Apple has sold more than 800,000 units of its
iPhone 3GS model in South Korea as of Saturday.Analysts said supplying one
model to multiple carriers at the same time will help boost sales. They
were also upbeat about sales prospects of the Galaxy S both at home and
abroad."We think the Galaxy S will lead the domestic smartphone market
until the iPhone 4 is introduced," Yang Jong-in, an anal yst at Korea
Investment &amp; Securities, wrote in a report Monday. The iPhone 4 will
be launched in South Korea sometime in July, but the exact date has not
been set yet, said Apple's local operator KT Corp.Around 5 million units
of the Galaxy S are predicted to be sold in the July-December period, said
Nicolas Guadois, an analyst at UBS, in a report dated June 23.

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126) Back to Top
Newly Elected Mayors, Governors, Education Chiefs to Take Office Thursday
- Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 07:49:49 GMT
Newly elected mayors, governors, education chiefs to tak e office Thursday

By Shim Sun-ahSEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- Hundreds of new local
administrative leaders and educational chiefs across the country will take
office Thursday after winning the June 2 local elections in which the
opposition took the majority.A total of 244 city mayors, provincial
governors, and heads of lower-level administrative offices, as well as 15
of the 16 educational superintendents elected, will begin their terms, the
Ministry of Public Administration and Security said Wednesday. The
educational superintendent-elect of the city of Gwangju will take office
in November when the term of his predecessor expires.Some 4,000 officials
were elected in the June 2 race.Oh Se-hoon of the ruling Grand National
Party (GNP), who was re-elected as Seoul's mayor, will hold a "modest"
ceremony, his aides said, mirroring a choice made by many other officials
for their inauguration.Kim Doo-gwan, an independent who was elected as
governor of South Gyeongsan g Province, will open his inaugural ceremony
in front of the local government building to all provincial residents,
officials said.Jeju Governor Woo Keun-min, also an independent, invited
students from remote elementary schools on the island to his
ceremony.Meanwhile, Gangwon Province Gov. Lee Kwang-jae will be unable to
assume duty. The former lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party
(DP) and a close confident to former President Roh Moo-hyun was sentenced
to a suspended jail term on charges of receiving illegal political
funds.By law, governors given jail terms are suspended from their duties
until the ruling is finalized. A confirmed jail term or a fine of more
than 1 million won (US$818) removes an elected official from his or her
seat.

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127) Back to Top
S. Korean Drug Firm Sees Headway in Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Research -
Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 07:22:09 GMT
pancreatic cancer-vaccine

S. Korean drug firm sees headway in pancreatic cancer vaccine
researchSEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean biopharmaceutical
company said Wednesday it has made "significant" headway into the
development of the world's first pancreatic cancer vaccine, raising hopes
for the treatment of the terminal disease.Pancreatic cancer is one of the
most difficult cancers to treat with a three-year survival rate after
diagnosis standing at around 30 percent. In the United States alone, more
than 35,000 people die every year from the disease for which there is
virtually no cure.In an interim report, KAEL-GemVax Co. said phase-three
clinical trials for its vaccine candidate material "GV1001" is about 70
percent complete with an independent data monitoring committee confirming
that test results are promising.The report, based on the tests carried out
at the University of Liverpool, said the candidate material has been found
to suppress the telomerase enzyme that can help patients fight tumorous
growth and therefore prolong life.In normal cells, telomerase is very
rare, but scientists have detected the enzyme in 80-90 percent of all
cancerous cells.Of the 1,100 patients that are to be checked as part of
the clinical trials, 755 have been given the new drug material. At current
pace, the phase-three tests are expected to be completed by October 2011,
KAEL-GemVax said, adding that mass production would be able to begin,
based on conclusive test results.Though more tests need to be carried out
to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the candidate material, all
reports so far are very encouraging and could create opportunities to
market the material as a drug in both the local and overseas market, the
company said."Once all the data is out, efforts will be made to get
authorization for the sale of the drug," a company executive said. "Many
foreign companies have started to take notice of the test results with the
international Oncology Business Review publishing an article about the
candidate material earlier in the year."In addition to pancreatic cancer,
"GV1001" has shown to have an effect on lung and liver cancers,
KAEL-GemVax said.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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128) Back to Top
Smaller KBS Union to Walk Out in Pay Dispute - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 07:04:44 GMT
Smaller KBS union to walk out in pay dispute

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- A minor labor union of national broadcaster KBS
said Wednesday it will launch an indefinite strike starting midnight,
after negotiations with management broke down over wage increase and
broadcasting reform.KBS has two labor unions, with the bigger, older one
having a membership of 4,200. The new one, established last year, has 845
members, mostly reporters and producers at the broadcaster's
headquarters.The smaller union voted in favor of the strike earlier this
month. Over its demands for a wage increase and "balanced broadcasting"
and that management withdraw its recent restructuring of the broadcaster,
the union has engaged in fu tile negotiations with management that ended
earlier Wednesday."All the union members will suspend their news coverage,
editing, recording and live broadcasting, and act in accordance with
strike guidelines by the union's emergency measure committee," the union
said in a statement.Although small in scale, the new union makes up about
50 percent of reporters and 80 percent of producers at the KBS
headquarters in Seoul.

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129) Back to Top
Civilian Watchdog to Monitor Rights Violations Against Migrant Workers -
Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:58:38 GMT
Civilian watchdog to monitor rights violations against migrant workers

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- A civilian watchdog has been launched to
monitor human rights violations against migrant workers ahead of the
government's crackdown on unregistered foreign workers, a representative
for the body said at a press conference Wednesday."Cats-Eye," launched
jointly by NGOs such as the Migrants' Trade Union (MTU) and the Korea
Confederation of Trade Unions, will launch a campaign to raise public
awareness about the rights of migrant workers. It also hopes to publicize
cases in which human rights have been violated and also invite ordinary
citizens to become monitors."It is very important to have this kind of
organization that allows people to volunteer," an organizer from the MTU
said at the press conference. "There is a very small number of people who
are involved in this kind of work."The Justice Ministry announced it will
crack down on illegal workers and their employers after a grace period
expires at the end of August as part of government efforts to enhance
security ahead of the G-20 summit in November.An estimated 180,000
foreigners are believed to be in South Korea illegally.

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130) Back to Top
Rights Watchdog Voices Concern Over Airport Full-body Scanner - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:22:04 GMT
Rights watchdog voices concern over airport full-body scanner

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- The national human rights watchdog recommended
Wednesday that the transportation ministry cancel its pl an to install
whole-body scanners at Incheon International Airport and other major
airports this year, citing human rights violations.The Ministry of Land,
Transportation and Maritime Affairs announced earlier this year that it
was planning to deploy full-body scanners at major international airports,
including Incheon International Airport, this year to conduct tightened
safety inspections."It is hard to understand the necessity of the device
that definitely violates the privacy of passengers, and lacks evidence
that it prevents terrorism more effectively than existing security check
systems," said the National Human Rights Commission in a statement.The
scanner, aimed at identifying knife-wielding hijackers and bomb-laden
terrorists, violates privacy by showing images of passengers' naked bodies
and even prosthetics placed inside their bodies, the commission said.It
added that the images can be leaked out and used for crime.The commission
cited a case in which a B ritish airport official was accused of taking
pictures of his female colleague with the full-body scanner.Moreover,
international health organizations have warned that radiation from the
fluoroscope is very harmful to the human body and even causes cancer, said
the commission.The watchdog further pointed out that passengers can face
discrimination just because they come from a certain country because of
rules that would allow operators to decide who must pass through the
scanner.

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131) Back to Top
ROK Postpones Unveiling Woori Finance Sale Plan Until Mid-July 2010
Updated version: Replacing 0308 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0542 GMT; Yonhap headline: "(LEAD) Seoul to delay unveiling Woori
Finance sale plan till mid-July (RECASTS lead; ADDS details in paras 3-4,
7-10)" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:15:59 GMT
210.120.38.20/kp/prince/prodcr8.nsf/B6 37CEBAA19CDFD800257752001F677D0

(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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132) Back to Top
Dongkuk Steel to Raise Steel Price Next Month - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:48:29 GMT
Dongkuk Steel-price hike

Dongkuk Steel to raise steel price next monthSEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) --
Dongkuk Steel Co., South Korea's third-largest steelmaker, said Wednesday
that it plans to raise the price of steel plate by 4.5 percent reflecting
increased costs of raw materials.The price of steel plate used for
shipbuilding and automobiles will be raised to 950,000 won (US$776) per
ton from the current 900,000 won starting on July 1, the steelmaker
said.Last week, POSCO, the country's leading steelmaker, said it will
raise prices of steel products for the third quarter by 6 percent to
reflect increased costs of raw materials.The price hikes are expected to
have a considerable impact on large steel consumers such as carmakers and
shipyards, analysts said.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English
-- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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133) Back to Top
Opposition Parties Form Alliance Against New Union Law - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:38:17 GMT
opposition-union wage system

Opposition parties form alliance against new union lawBy Kim
Eun-jungSEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- The opposition parties forged an
alliance Wednesday to abort a new law on labor unions that limit wage
payments to full-time unionists.The main opposition Democratic Party (DP),
four splinter parties and the country's umbrella union said they will work
together to have the law revised.The move came a day before the set of new
regulations aimed at slimming down the nation' s labor unions takes effect
from Thursday. Under the "time-off system," the number of paid full-time
union members at local companies will be limited to a maximum of 24
people, depending on the size of the company's workforce.Critics have
charged that this is an unlawful restriction on the rights of unionists
and their activities as well as a ploy to weaken the unions."The labor
ministry is taking the lead to break down foundation of the basic labor
right," the parties said in a joint statement."Autonomy is the most
desirable in relations between labor and management, but the government is
unilaterally pushing for the time-off rules," DP chairman Chung Sye-kyun
(Cho'ng Se-kyun) said. "The current situation is unbearable as the
government's suppression on unions is developing into political
suppression."(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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(News Focus) Showdown on Sejong City May Not Be Over - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:06:57 GMT
(News Focus) Sejong City

(News Focus) Showdown on Sejong City may not be overBy Shim Sun-ahSEOUL,
June 30 (Yonhap) -- The clock turned back 10 months on Tuesday when the
National Assembly struck down the administration's attempt to reverse a
plan on relocating some government ministries and agencies outside of
Seoul.The conditions for the revived relocation plan, however, are not the
same as before, and a delay is more than likely as the government wrangles
with the plan that critics say utterly lacks incentives to bring people
and business to the city.The construction of the new administrative city
called "Sejong," initiated by former President No Mu-hyo'n (Roh Moo-hyun)
and approved by the parliament, began in 2007 to house nine ministries and
four government agencies. The goal was to decentralize the capital city,
where about a fifth of the country's population of 50 million resides, and
to promote balanced regional development.The 8.5-trillion-won (US$6.87
billion) project envisioned the new city with a 500,000 population in
South Chungcheong Province, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, with
government offices, universities, research institutes, museums, cultural
and industrial facilities.Initial anticipation was to have the town
naturally boom into a major provincial city within years, attracting more
corporate investors and creating at least 84,000 new jobs.Construction
plans have been suspended sinc e October, when the Lee Myung-bak (Yi
Myo'ng-pak) government said it wants to abort the plan. The Lee
administration argued that relocating government offices is tantamount to
creating a second capital and would cause administrative
inefficiency.Sejong City would instead be built as a science-business hub,
and the government would spend an additional 26 billion won to create what
is called "an international science-business belt" in the country.Now that
the revision has been dropped, the relocation of government offices is
supposed to begin in 2012, which officials say is virtually
impossible.Construction has been slow, and except for a building for the
prime minister's office, much of the designated area remains empty with
only 27 percent of the construction completed as of the end of May."Its
physically impossible to carry out the plan at present," an official for
the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said. "So the
relocation can be delayed."Questions also remain on how to supplement the
original plan to lure corporate investors.Soon after Tuesday's
parliamentary vote, Samsung Group and three other large corporations that
had pledged to invest a total of 4.5 trillion won in the project declared
the withdrawal of their plans. They said the original relocation blueprint
does not have the right incentives, such as the cheap supply of land to
build factories and rewards for making investments.The Lee administration
had offered the incentives in order to attract corporate giants, and to
successfully turn the Sejong City into a science and technology
hub.Political watchers say Tuesday's vote has only restarted a
second-round battle as the administration, the main opposition Democratic
Party (DP) and Lee's rival faction within the ruling Grand National Party
(GNP) jump in with individual and conflicting versions on how the problems
should be solved.The opposition bloc had demanded as an alternative that t
he government give tax benefits and other motivations for companies to
build new facilities in the city as part of a science-business belt. The
government and the ruling party, however, dismissed the demands.On
Wednesday, the GNP floor leader, Kim Moo-sung, declared that the
discussion was over and that the opposition party should not make further
demands now that the parliament has voted.Park Hyung-joon, chief
presidential secretary for political affairs, said Tuesday's rejection of
the revisions means Sejong City can no longer be an international
science-business town.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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135) B ack to Top
Listed Firms Closing Books in March See Soaring Profits in 2009 - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:06:53 GMT
listed firms-2009 earnings

Listed firms closing books in March see soaring profits in 2009SEOUL, June
30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's listed companies that close their books in
March saw their combined earnings nearly double in 2009 thanks to a solid
economic recovery, the bourse operator said Wednesday.The combined net
profit of 35 financial firms and 15 manufacturers came to 4.95 trillion
won (US$4.1 billion) in fiscal 2009, which ended at the end of March this
year, up 95 percent from the previous year, the Korea Exchange (KRX) said
in a report.The strong earnings growth was mainly driven by securities
houses and insurance companies, which basked in the rebounding stock
markets at home and abroad, as well as the solid economic recovery, the
KRX said.The companies' combined sales also grew 6.2 percent on-year to
114.8 trillion won in fiscal 2009, the report showed.The South Korean
economy expanded 8.1 percent on-year in the first three months of this
year as exports and domestic demand posted strong recoveries.(Description
of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK;
URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

136) Back to Top
Seoul Seeking to Boost Service-Sector Exports
Updated version: Replacing 0200 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0514 GMT. Yonhap headline: "Seoul seeking to boost service-sector
exports (ATTN: CORRECTS date for the launch of a KITA committee in last
para)" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 06:06:53 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

137) Back to Top
ROK's National Pension Service To Pour $9.93 Billion Into Stocks - MK
English News Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:42:29 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul MK English News Online in English -- Website
of the En glish subsite of the leading economic daily Maeil Kyo'ngje
(Daily Economy) published by "Maeil Business Newspaper &amp; MK Inc.";
URL: http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

138) Back to Top
Parliament Rejects Bill to Nix Government Relocation - Dong-A Ilbo Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:27:19 GMT
The revision to a special law on building the new administrative region
Sejong City in Yeongi, South Chungcheong Province, was rejected by a
164-105 vote with six abstentions. Of 291 incumbent lawmakers, 275
participated in the ballot.

Ruling Grand Na tional Party lawmakers supporting former party chief Park
Geun-hye and opposition legislators rejected the bill as expected. This
means more than a dozen government ministries and agencies will be
relocated to Sejong City following the original plan.

Before the voting, 12 lawmakers debated the bill, which was introduced by
66 ruling party lawmakers. In an unusual move, Park, who has insisted on
sticking to the original relocation plan, directly took part in the
debate, stressing that the government's promise to the people must be
kept.

"I hope we will close this time-consuming debate and work together for a
new future after today`s vote," she said.

Upon hearing the news, President Lee Myung-bak, who was on an official
visit to Panama, expressed "deep regret" over the bill's rejection,
according to his spokeswoman Park Eun-hye. She quoted the president as
saying he will respect the National Assembly's decision.

"I hope we c an all let the appraisal of the National Assembly's decision
to be left to history and go beyond the conflict over Sejong City and
march together for the country's advancement," he was quoted as saying.

(Description of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga.com)

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139) Back to Top
S. Korea's Cargo Handling to Grow 73% in 10 Years - MK English News Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:54:42 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul MK English News Online in English -- Website
of the English subsite of the leading economic daily Maeil Kyo'ngje (Daily
Economy) published by "Maeil Business Newspaper &amp; MK Inc."; URL:
http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

140) Back to Top
ROK Parties Fail to Amend Demonstration Act; Overnight Rallies Allowed
From 1 Jul
Original headline: "Overnight Outdoor Assemblies to Be Allowed From July
1" - Chosun Ilbo Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:42:30 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

141) Back to Top
PRC Military Drill 'To Counter' US-ROK Military Exercise
Updated version: adding editorial note on additional information from a 28
June 2010 Hankyoreh article to the very end of this report; Unattributed
report: "Chinese Drill to Count er S.Korea-u.S. Exercise" - Chosun Ilbo
Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:21:13 GMT
(Seoul Hankyoreh in Korean of 28 June 2010 carried the following
additional text in an article entitled, "China Gives Notice of a Live-Fire
Drill To Be Conducted Right Under the Nose of 'ROK-US Joint Exercise'":
"While saying that 'it is true that the PRC has raised issues concerning
the ROK-US joint military exercise in the West Sea to our side,' an
official concerned at the ROK Embassy (in the PRC) said that 'considering
that on 10-15 July of last year, the People's Liberation Army conducted a
drill in this vicinity, and the timing of the ROK-US military exercise has
yet to be fixed, it is premature to interpret the (PRC's) drill as
targeting the ROK-US military exercise.'")

(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translations of vernacular
hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

142) Back to Top
The Original Sejong City Plan - Dong-A Ilbo Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:21:13 GMT
The decision by parliament and lawmakers must be respected. Regardless of
the voting results, however, the original plan to disperse government
agencies is ill-conceived. In this sense, lawmakers also made t he
incorrect decision by striking down the revised bill, which aimed to
rectify wrongs. Along with lawmakers who voted for the bill, those who
voted against should take political and historical responsibility. Some
opposed the vote itself but to not put a major bill like this to a
parliamentary vote is not responsible politics.

The original Sejong City plan to relocate 13 government agencies,
including the Office of the Prime Minister and economy-related ministries,
is nothing less than a political strategy to secure votes in the
Chungcheong provinces. In substance, the original plan is another form of
relocating the capital. Political interest might be a high priority for
politicians, but the burden of relocating government agencies will
ultimately be shouldered by the people. Regionalism can bring immediate
benefits, but as seen by the "Sejong City incident," it will result in
tremendous losses to regions and the nation. The original plan to build a
govern ment agency-centered city will not contribute to more balanced
regional growth.

The original plan also has no precedent in the world. It is simply
inefficient to have the capital with the presidential office and an
administrative city with the prime minister's office in a territory equal
to the size of a U.S. state and a Chinese province. If ministers stay in
Seoul to attend the National Assembly and meetings at the presidential
office, their offices in Sejong City will remain vacant. If there is no
choice but to follow the original plan, the government must minimize
confusion and waste stemming from the relocation of state agencies.

(Description of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

143) Back to Top
Fears of Rate Hike Dwarf Direct Financing - MK English News Online
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:42:29 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul MK English News Online in English -- Website
of the English subsite of the leading economic daily Maeil Kyo'ngje (Daily
Economy) published by "Maeil Business Newspaper &amp; MK Inc."; URL:
http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be direc ted to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

144) Back to Top
ROKG Seeks to Discipline Civil Servants for Election Campaign Activities
By Kim Eun-jung: "Gov't seeks to discipline civil servants for election
campaign activities" - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:42:29 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

145) Back to Top
ROK Manufacturers' Business Confidence Stays Flat for July
Updated version: Replacing 2101 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0104 GMT - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:27:19 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

146) Back to Top
ROK PM To 'Take Full Responsibility' for Sejong City Bill; No Mention of
Resignation
Updated version: Replacing 0236 GMT version with update provided by source
at 0314 GMT - Yonhap
Wednesday June 30, 2010 05:21:14 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.