Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
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(REPLACEMENT) S. Korean activists to continue scattering anti-Pyongyang flyers
SEOUL -- South Korean activists said Tuesday they will continue sending
propaganda leaflets over the border into North Korea despite the communist
neighbor's threats and Seoul's pleas to stop sending them.
The decision came a day after North Korea announced it will, starting next week,
suspend tours to the North Korean border city of Kaesong, halt cross-border rail
service and ban South Koreans from coming to the North to protest. North Korea
sees the measures as retaliation for Seoul's "confrontational policy" toward
Pyongyang.
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(LEAD) U.S. hopes to formalize verification protocol in 6-way talks: State Dept.
WASHINGTON -- The United States wants the next round of six-party talks in early
December to formalize the verification protocol on North Korea's nuclear
facilities, the State Department said Monday.
"We hope and would expect that the verification protocol would be formalized in a
six-party sense at the next heads of delegation meeting, which my boss announced
just the other day," spokesman Sean McCormack told a daily news briefing.
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Kim Jong-il visits factories in border town with China: KCNA
SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has visited machinery and cosmetics
companies in a border town with China in his second public appearance in eight
days, North Korean media reported Tuesday.
Kim's visit to the companies in Shinuiju, North Pyongan Province, is the first
such visit outside of Pyongyang among a series of public appearances the
reclusive North Korean leader made in recent months apparently to quell rumors of
his health failure.
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(2nd LD) IMF lowers S. Korea's growth forecast to 2.0 percent for next year
WASHINGTON -- The International Monetary Fund Monday significantly lowered its
prediction for South Korea's economic growth rate for next year to 2.0 percent
from its earlier prediction of 3.5 percent, citing the ongoing global financial
crisis adversely affecting domestic spending and exports.
The lending agency had projected South Korea's growth rate for next year at 3.5
percent in October and 4.3 percent in July.
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S. Korea, China, Japan to discuss financial stabilization
SEOUL --South Korea, China and Japan will hold working-level talks this week to
discuss ways to stabilize their flagging financial markets, Seoul officials said
Tuesday.
During the workshop to be held in Tokyo on Wednesday, financial policymakers and
central bank officials from the three Asian countries will exchange opinions on
economic conditions and discuss ways to strengthen a monitoring system for
financial markets, according to the Finance Ministry.
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(Yonhap Feature) Anonymous economic prophet causes online storm
SEOUL -- An anonymous Internet pundit is being hailed as an economic prophet by
South Koreans suffering from economic turmoil and drawing a cult following among
the nation's netizens with his astringent critiques of government policy.
The handle "Minerva" has become the most talked about subject on Internet portal
Daum, which provides the largest online forum for South Korean Internet users,
after precisely predicting in a Sept. 10 posting that Lehman Brother would
collapse.
(END)