ID :
170229
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 11:28
Auther :

Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

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Clinton calls for N. Korea to give constructive response on nuke talks
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday called for North Korea to make a constructive response to the international efforts to revive the six-party nuclear talks that have stalled over the North's provocations in recent years.
"We are working with our six-party partners, including Japan, to try to make sure that North Korea returns to the negotiating table," Clinton told Japan's Fuji television. "It's in everyone's interest, including theirs, that they do so. So we hope that this will lead to a more constructive response by them."
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(2nd LD) Energy costs to face upward pressure on Japan quake: minister
SEOUL -- Japan's earthquake will likely exert upward pressure on energy prices over the short term as the disaster, along with unrest in Arab countries, increases market volatility, the finance minister said Wednesday.
"The massive earthquake in Japan is expected to disrupt supply and demand of major energy resources over the short haul, possibly causing price fluctuations," Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun said at a policy coordination meeting.
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S. Korea unable to check radiation levels of Japanese imports
SEOUL -- South Korea cannot check radiation levels of imported Japanese products because it does not have necessary scanners at seaports and air cargo terminals, officials said Wednesday.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said that while passengers and luggage are being checked, no screening takes place for manufactured goods.
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USFK employees arrested in crackdown on oil tax refund scam
SEOUL -- Seoul police said Wednesday that they have busted a ring of oil tax refund scammers led by South Korean employees of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), accusing them of stealing more than 110 billion won from the tax authorities over the past decade.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said its investigators have arrested seven people and booked nine others, including two Korean employees hired by USFK and one gas station owner, on charges of stealing massive taxes by doctoring tax-free oil coupons offered to Korean contractors in charge of construction projects at USFK compounds nationwide.
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(News Focus) Lee leads Samsung's bold, nimble moves
SEOUL -- Lee Kun-hee's return to the chairmanship of Samsung Electronics Co. a year ago was a grim reminder to its employees and observers that the tech giant was faced again with a crisis though it was on track to post record earnings.
Upon taking the helm at South Korea's most valuable company by market capitalization, Lee said, "Now is a real crisis. Global companies are collapsing. In the next decade, most of Samsung's main businesses and products will be gone."

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