S. Korea's corporate failure up in September

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's corporate bankruptcy increased in
September as more manufacturers and builders went belly-up, the central bank said
Friday.
The number of companies that filed for bankruptcy rose to 203 in September from
178 a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea.
The number of start-ups, meanwhile, dropped for a second consecutive month to
3,671 from August's 3,713, it said, adding to the growing signs of an economic
slowdown.
The central bank also said the default rate on corporate bills -- bonds, checks
and promissory notes -- remained flat at 0.02 percent from August