SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly passed on Saturday morning a
284.5 trillion won (US$206.8 billion) budget bill for 2009 despite strong

Baku, 12 December,(AzerTAj) Issues of cooperation between Azerbaijani and Iranian
businessmen will be discussed during the business-forum, which is to be held in

Baku, 12 December,(AzerTAj)The seventh meeting of Azerbaijan-Iran intergovernmental
economic commission will be held in Baku early next year.

BUSAN, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- Pacific nations on Friday agreed to cut their tuna
catches by 30 percent and ban fishing in international waters to protect tuna

SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea halted beef imports from a U.S.
packinghouse Friday after finding it has repeatedly shipped spoiled meat, the
quarantine agency said.

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; REWRITES paras 2-4,9; UPDATES with remarks by BOK's
deputy governor and deputy finance minister in paras 6-10)

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Friday urged South Korean
labor unions to learn a lesson from the insolvency crisis at General Motors and

SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- The shareholders of Korea Express Co. approved Friday
a company plan to take over Kumho Rent-a-car Co. for 307.3 billion won (US$224.3
million).

Jakarta, Dec 12 (ANTARA) - The government has asked fertilizer producers to establish cooperation with gas producers to smoothen the supply of raw materials.

Jakarta, Dec 12 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves now amount to US$50.6 billion or US$420 million more than last November 28, Bank Indonesia (BI or central bank) Governor Boedinono s