KOSPI 1,607.94 UP 8.61 points (close)
(END)

(ATTN: CHANGES slug; RECASTS headline; UPDATES with minister's comments throughout)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense chief tried Friday to quell a

MOUNT KUMGANG, North Korea, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea did not suffer any
major flood damage from summer's torrential downpours, a Pyongyang official said

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's electronics giant Samsung Electronics
said Friday several of its home appliances have topped a U.S. customer
satisfaction survey.

(ATTN: RECASTS paras 2,11-12; UPDATES with remarks by BOK official in paras 6-7)
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea posted a current account surplus for the

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES with new pool report on progress in talks)
By Kim Hyun
MOUNT KUMGANG, North Korea, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea were

(ATTN: CORRECTS headline)
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- A group of North Korean officials visited Los

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded 0.56 percent higher late
Friday morning as investors hunted for bargains after falls in the previous
session, analysts said.

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR) as posted
by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news and information arm of Yonhap News Agency,
at 11:00 a.m.

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks started stronger Friday as
investors took comfort from overnight gains in U.S. markets, analysts said.