ID :
187126
Wed, 06/08/2011 - 08:33
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/187126
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Yonhap News Summary
The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.
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U.S. worried about distribution of possible food aid for N. Korea: State Dept.
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government voiced concerns Tuesday about the possibility that North Korea's powerful military will hog food that Washington may deliver for hunger-stricken citizens there.
In a press briefing, State Department spokeswoman Mark Toner reiterated, however, that his government has not made any decision on whether to resume humanitarian aid for the North, which is refusing to apologize for two deadly attacks on South Korea last year.
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Congress proposes another bill on tougher sanctions against N. Korea
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bipartisan bill on reinforcing sanctions on North Korea, along with Iran and Syria, for their proliferation activities, a senior congresswoman said Tuesday.
The bill, co-drafted by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) calls for the expansion and strengthening of sanctions against the so-called rogue states.
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N. Korea test launched short-range missile near Yellow Sea last week
SEOUL -- North Korea test-fired a short-range missile off its western coast last week, an intelligence source said Wednesday.
"North Korea fired a KN-06 short-range missile off its west coast in the middle of last week," the source said on the condition of anonymity. "The launch is seen as a test to improve the KN-06 missile."
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Finance minister urges unified policy front
SEOUL -- South Korea needs more cooperation among policymakers, the top economic chief said Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of a unified front in swiftly dealing with the nation's major pending economic issues.
During his first economic policy coordination meeting after taking office as the nation's finance minister last week, Bahk Jae-wan also reaffirmed that the government will do its best to stabilize the livelihoods of ordinary people and create jobs.
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GM Korea to spend US$5.27 bln in 3 yrs to improve vehicles, services
SEOUL -- GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Co., plans to spend up to 5.7 trillion won (US$5.27 billion) over the next three years to greatly improve its customer services under its ongoing efforts to boost its market share, a senior company official said Wednesday.
The amount includes the cost of developing new vehicles as well as expanding and improving the company's service centers, according to Ankush Arora, GM Korea's vice president for vehicle sales, marketing and aftersales.
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S. Korea's nuclear envoy heads for China
SEOUL -- South Korea's chief nuclear envoy said Wednesday he will discuss details of a so-called three-step approach with his Chinese counterpart to revive long-stalled nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
Wi Sung-lac will meet his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei on Thursday during a two-day visit to Beijing from Wednesday for discussions on the six-party talks that have been stalled since late 2008.
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(2nd LD) S. Korean economy grows revised 1.3 pct in Q1
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean economy grew at a marginally slower pace than previously estimated in the first quarter on weak domestic demand, but its growth momentum gathered ground, the central bank said Wednesday.
The country's gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic performance, grew a revised 1.3 percent in the January-March period from the previous quarter, less than an earlier 1.4 percent estimate, but the highest quarterly gain in three quarters, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
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S. Korean builder sentiment rises for June
SEOUL -- Business sentiment among South Korean builders improved for June from the previous month thanks to hopes of increasing orders in the public sector, but it remained weak amid a sluggish property market, a report showed Wednesday.
The monthly construction business sentiment index (CBSI) for June rose to 80.4 for this month from 66.3 in May, according to the report by the Construction and Economy Search Institute of Korea (CERIK).
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DP leader vows sweeping reform of prosecution
SEOUL -- Opposition leader Sohn Hak-kyu pledged Wednesday to carry through a series of measures to reform the prosecution, including scrapping a powerful investigation unit, accusing prosecutors of politically oriented, biased probes.
Reforming the prosecution has emerged as a hot political issue in South Korea after a parliamentary judicial reform subcommittee passed a proposal last week to scrap the Central Investigation Unit at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that has handled big corruption cases.
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Army holds send-off ceremony for 350 troops bound for Afghanistan
SEOUL -- South Korea's Army held a send-off ceremony Wednesday for 350 troops set to depart for Afghanistan to replace its military contingent protecting the nation's aid workers on a mission to help rebuild the war-torn nation, officials said.
The South Korean unit, dubbed "ashena," which means "friend" or "colleague" in the local language, has been based in Afghanistan's Parwan province since last year for reconstruction and rehabilitation.
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Watchdog pushing to roll over bad property loans
SEOUL -- South Korea's financial watchdog said Wednesday it is pushing to extend the maturity of soured property loans the government purchased from savings banks as part of efforts to prop up the ailing sector.
Under the plan, the maturity of those problem loans made to finance construction projects will be extended to five years from three years in the second half of this year, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said. Affected bad loans are estimated to reach 5 trillion won (US$4.6 billion) to 6 trillion won.
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S. Korea aims to improve auto parts logistics with Japan, China
SEOUL -- South Korea will seek to improve auto parts-related logistics infrastructure with Japan and China to fuel exports and bolster industrial competitiveness, the government said Wednesday.
The plan announced by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy at the government's economic policy coordination meeting calls for the setting up of "milk runs" with the two neighboring countries to facilitate the sale of auto parts.
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S. Korea, China to meet over trade and economic issues
SEOUL -- South Korea and China will hold high-level talks next week to discuss a variety of economic and trade issues, including possible free trade talks, Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday.
During the one-day meeting on June 15 in Jeju, South Korea's southern resort island, both sides will discuss ways to cooperate on renewable energies and resources development.
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Woori Finance inks business tie-up with Chinese bank
SEOUL -- Woori Finance Holdings Co., South Korea's No. 2 banking group, said Wednesday it has signed a preliminary agreement to forge a strategic partnership with China's Bank of Communications.
Under the accord, the two financial institutions will sell financial products by tapping each other's sales channels and expanding exchanges in information.
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Hollywood star Richer Gere to visit S. Korea for temple stay
SEOUL -- American actor Richard Gere will visit South Korea later this month to experience traditional Korean Buddhist temples, the country's largest Buddhist sect said Wednesday.
Gere, a practicing Buddhist, will come to South Korea on June 20, in time for his photography exhibition titled "Pilgrim," featuring photos of Tibet, the Jogye Order said. He will have a meeting with Venerable Jaseung, head of the Jogye Order, and then travel down to Bulguksa in Gyeongju, about 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for a temple stay program.
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Top FSC official arrested on bribery charges
SEOUL -- A high-ranking financial regulator has been arrested for allegedly receiving bribes from a scandal-ridden bank in return for helping thwart audits into the bank's illegalities, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Kim Gwang-soo, commissioner of the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit under the control of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), is accused of receiving a total of 40 million won (US$37,088) from Busan Savings Bank over the past five years, they said.
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Police to toughen punishment for drunk driving
SEOUL -- Police said Wednesday it will stiffen the punishment for drunk driving in an attempt to curb traffic accidents.
The National Police Agency (NPA) said that the government revised the punishment for offenders, imposing different amounts of fines or jail terms depending on the blood-alcohol level and the number of offenses.
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U.S. worried about distribution of possible food aid for N. Korea: State Dept.
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government voiced concerns Tuesday about the possibility that North Korea's powerful military will hog food that Washington may deliver for hunger-stricken citizens there.
In a press briefing, State Department spokeswoman Mark Toner reiterated, however, that his government has not made any decision on whether to resume humanitarian aid for the North, which is refusing to apologize for two deadly attacks on South Korea last year.
-------
Congress proposes another bill on tougher sanctions against N. Korea
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bipartisan bill on reinforcing sanctions on North Korea, along with Iran and Syria, for their proliferation activities, a senior congresswoman said Tuesday.
The bill, co-drafted by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) calls for the expansion and strengthening of sanctions against the so-called rogue states.
-------
N. Korea test launched short-range missile near Yellow Sea last week
SEOUL -- North Korea test-fired a short-range missile off its western coast last week, an intelligence source said Wednesday.
"North Korea fired a KN-06 short-range missile off its west coast in the middle of last week," the source said on the condition of anonymity. "The launch is seen as a test to improve the KN-06 missile."
-------
Finance minister urges unified policy front
SEOUL -- South Korea needs more cooperation among policymakers, the top economic chief said Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of a unified front in swiftly dealing with the nation's major pending economic issues.
During his first economic policy coordination meeting after taking office as the nation's finance minister last week, Bahk Jae-wan also reaffirmed that the government will do its best to stabilize the livelihoods of ordinary people and create jobs.
-------
GM Korea to spend US$5.27 bln in 3 yrs to improve vehicles, services
SEOUL -- GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Co., plans to spend up to 5.7 trillion won (US$5.27 billion) over the next three years to greatly improve its customer services under its ongoing efforts to boost its market share, a senior company official said Wednesday.
The amount includes the cost of developing new vehicles as well as expanding and improving the company's service centers, according to Ankush Arora, GM Korea's vice president for vehicle sales, marketing and aftersales.
-------
S. Korea's nuclear envoy heads for China
SEOUL -- South Korea's chief nuclear envoy said Wednesday he will discuss details of a so-called three-step approach with his Chinese counterpart to revive long-stalled nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
Wi Sung-lac will meet his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei on Thursday during a two-day visit to Beijing from Wednesday for discussions on the six-party talks that have been stalled since late 2008.
-------
(2nd LD) S. Korean economy grows revised 1.3 pct in Q1
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean economy grew at a marginally slower pace than previously estimated in the first quarter on weak domestic demand, but its growth momentum gathered ground, the central bank said Wednesday.
The country's gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic performance, grew a revised 1.3 percent in the January-March period from the previous quarter, less than an earlier 1.4 percent estimate, but the highest quarterly gain in three quarters, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
-------
S. Korean builder sentiment rises for June
SEOUL -- Business sentiment among South Korean builders improved for June from the previous month thanks to hopes of increasing orders in the public sector, but it remained weak amid a sluggish property market, a report showed Wednesday.
The monthly construction business sentiment index (CBSI) for June rose to 80.4 for this month from 66.3 in May, according to the report by the Construction and Economy Search Institute of Korea (CERIK).
-------
DP leader vows sweeping reform of prosecution
SEOUL -- Opposition leader Sohn Hak-kyu pledged Wednesday to carry through a series of measures to reform the prosecution, including scrapping a powerful investigation unit, accusing prosecutors of politically oriented, biased probes.
Reforming the prosecution has emerged as a hot political issue in South Korea after a parliamentary judicial reform subcommittee passed a proposal last week to scrap the Central Investigation Unit at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that has handled big corruption cases.
-------
Army holds send-off ceremony for 350 troops bound for Afghanistan
SEOUL -- South Korea's Army held a send-off ceremony Wednesday for 350 troops set to depart for Afghanistan to replace its military contingent protecting the nation's aid workers on a mission to help rebuild the war-torn nation, officials said.
The South Korean unit, dubbed "ashena," which means "friend" or "colleague" in the local language, has been based in Afghanistan's Parwan province since last year for reconstruction and rehabilitation.
-------
Watchdog pushing to roll over bad property loans
SEOUL -- South Korea's financial watchdog said Wednesday it is pushing to extend the maturity of soured property loans the government purchased from savings banks as part of efforts to prop up the ailing sector.
Under the plan, the maturity of those problem loans made to finance construction projects will be extended to five years from three years in the second half of this year, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said. Affected bad loans are estimated to reach 5 trillion won (US$4.6 billion) to 6 trillion won.
-------
S. Korea aims to improve auto parts logistics with Japan, China
SEOUL -- South Korea will seek to improve auto parts-related logistics infrastructure with Japan and China to fuel exports and bolster industrial competitiveness, the government said Wednesday.
The plan announced by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy at the government's economic policy coordination meeting calls for the setting up of "milk runs" with the two neighboring countries to facilitate the sale of auto parts.
-------
S. Korea, China to meet over trade and economic issues
SEOUL -- South Korea and China will hold high-level talks next week to discuss a variety of economic and trade issues, including possible free trade talks, Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday.
During the one-day meeting on June 15 in Jeju, South Korea's southern resort island, both sides will discuss ways to cooperate on renewable energies and resources development.
-------
Woori Finance inks business tie-up with Chinese bank
SEOUL -- Woori Finance Holdings Co., South Korea's No. 2 banking group, said Wednesday it has signed a preliminary agreement to forge a strategic partnership with China's Bank of Communications.
Under the accord, the two financial institutions will sell financial products by tapping each other's sales channels and expanding exchanges in information.
-------
Hollywood star Richer Gere to visit S. Korea for temple stay
SEOUL -- American actor Richard Gere will visit South Korea later this month to experience traditional Korean Buddhist temples, the country's largest Buddhist sect said Wednesday.
Gere, a practicing Buddhist, will come to South Korea on June 20, in time for his photography exhibition titled "Pilgrim," featuring photos of Tibet, the Jogye Order said. He will have a meeting with Venerable Jaseung, head of the Jogye Order, and then travel down to Bulguksa in Gyeongju, about 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for a temple stay program.
-------
Top FSC official arrested on bribery charges
SEOUL -- A high-ranking financial regulator has been arrested for allegedly receiving bribes from a scandal-ridden bank in return for helping thwart audits into the bank's illegalities, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Kim Gwang-soo, commissioner of the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit under the control of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), is accused of receiving a total of 40 million won (US$37,088) from Busan Savings Bank over the past five years, they said.
-------
Police to toughen punishment for drunk driving
SEOUL -- Police said Wednesday it will stiffen the punishment for drunk driving in an attempt to curb traffic accidents.
The National Police Agency (NPA) said that the government revised the punishment for offenders, imposing different amounts of fines or jail terms depending on the blood-alcohol level and the number of offenses.
