By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top three refiners are poised to
increase their spending on petrochemical plants and oil exploration projects this

(ATTN: RECASTS lead, slug; MODIFIES paras 2-8; ADDS para 11; TRIMS)
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- Mothers, office workers, merchants and political

(ATTN: ADDS reaction from prosecutors, blogger's attorney from para 7)
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- A leading South Korean newspaper apologized Tuesday

(ATTN: ADDS vice finance minster's quote on labor market at bottom)
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- A record number of working-age South Koreans "simply"

SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co.
said Tuesday it will set up a joint venture with a sister company to jointly

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, UPDATES with Beijing operator's quotes on ongoing
practice, number of foreign visitors)
By Kim Hyun

SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- Unlike its usual focus on leader Kim Jong-il, this
year's ruling party editorial honoring his birthday repeatedly emphasized the

SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean brokerage firms' earnings more than
halved in the third quarter of fiscal 2008 as a global credit crisis pummeled the

Feb. 18

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency
on Tuesday.