By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan has
canceled his visit to Washington next week for "strategic dialogue" with his

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to buy bad loans from local banks and
other financial companies as a deepening economic slump is set to turn more loans

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's finance minister on Friday brushed aside
a fast-spreading rumor that the country may suffer a fresh foreign exchange

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks started higher Friday as investors
snapped up steel and financial shares, shrugging off overnight falls in U.S.
markets, analysts said.

KOSDAQ-open

KOSDAQ 299.82 UP 0.90 points (open)
(END)

KOSPI-open

KOSPI 1,017.48 UP 10.94 points (open)
(END)

FOREX-open

Dollar opens at 1,480.0 won UP from 1,477.0 won
(END)

-TURKISH STATE MINISTER SAYS GAP BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES GROW 

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, UPDATES lead, paras 3-6, 13-16 with details)
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution detained the elder brother of former

(ATTN: UPDATES story from 3rd para with judge quote, detail)
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution detained the elder brother of former