summary of major stories

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

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(LEAD) N. Korea threatens 'preemptive strike' more powerful than nuclear weapon
SEOUL -- North Korea on Tuesday threatened to strike South Korea with means "more
powerful than nuclear weapons" at the slightest sign of an attempt by Seoul to
preemptively strike the communist nation.
The threat came one day after Pyongyang, in a brief military dialogue with the
South, accused the Seoul government of ignoring, if not actively promoting, the
spread of what it called anti-communist propaganda leaflets by South Korean civic
organizations.
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(2nd LD) N. Korean leader well enough to get back to work: intelligence chief
SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appears to be quickly recovering from a
stroke he reportedly suffered and is well enough to resume his ordinary duties,
South Korea's intelligence chief was quoted as saying Tuesday.
North Korea's high-profile leader has been absent from the public eye since Aug.
14, with foreign doctors reportedly entering the country that month to conduct a
medical operation. The communist state has been denying reports of its leader's
illness.
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(LEAD) Seoul shares soar 5.57 pct on bargain hunting
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks ended 5.57 percent higher Tuesday as institutions
went bargain hunting after recent plunges, analysts said. The local currency
tumbled against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 52.71 points to
999.16 after opening over 3 percent lower on overnight U.S. losses. Volume was
heavy at 642.6 million shares worth 6.18 trillion won (US$4.2 billion), with
gainers outpacing losers 624 to 230.
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(LEAD) Won hits 10-year low to dollar on stock sell-offs
SEOUL -- South Korea's currency plunged to an over 10-year low against the U.S.
dollar on Tuesday as foreign investors dumped local stocks, shrugging off the
central bank's efforts to calm markets by making a big rate cut, dealers said.
The local currency closed at 1,467.8 won to the greenback, down 25.3 won, or 1.7
percent from Monday's close and the weakest since April 6, 1998 when the Korean
currency closed at 1,473 won. The won has declined about 36 percent to the dollar
so far this year, putting upward pressure on inflation.
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Lee renews bid to boost domestic demand
SEOUL -- President Lee Myung-bak said Tuesday that his government will
intensively focus its fiscal spending on various social infrastructure projects
across the country in a bid to expedite economic recovery.
"The global economy is now under a serious threat and the international market
for Korean exports is shrinking. Thus, we'll have to intensively expand our
domestic demand in the next one to two years," said Lee during his visit to the
government of South Gyeongsang Province.
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N. Korean officer defects to S. Korea through land border: official
CHEOLWON, South Korea -- A North Korean soldier has defected to South Korea
through the inter-Korean border, a military official said Tuesday.
The North Korean, claiming to be a sergeant and presumed to be in his 30s or 40s,
crossed the border near this northeastern city Sunday and told South Korean
guards that he was seeking asylum, the official said, asking not to be
identified. He was handed over to the authorities and is being held for
questioning.
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(LEAD) Ramsar honors pioneering conservationists
CHANGWON, South Korea -- Awards honoring four pioneers in wetland preservation
were presented Tuesday during an international gathering in a provincial South
Korean city, officials said.
The four were given the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for actions that have
significantly contributed to the long-term preservation and sustainable use of
wetlands, according to the officials.