By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korean media on Friday reported brisk work in its
agriculture and energy industry, following Pyongyang's New Year message that

Jan. 3

1951 -- South Korea's government begins pre-censorship on publications

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

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean manufacturers' financial conditions
deteriorated to a record low in December and are expected to worsen as a global

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonha) -- South Korean stocks inched up 0.08 percent late Friday
morning in the first session for 2009, lifted by a shipbuilder rally, analysts
said.

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean court ordered the government to
officially approve a civic group working to bring back the mortuary tablets of

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean lenders need to restructure nonviable
companies as quickly as possible in order to supply much-needed funds to viable

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (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.

(ATTN: ADDS more information from para 6)
By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea posted its first trade deficit in more than

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean currency plunged 4.98 percent against
the U.S. dollar on the first trading day of 2009 Friday on strong dollar demand