Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency
on Thursday.

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Obama to eliminate N. Korean nukes through tough, direct diplomacy: White House
WASHINGTON -- The new Barack Obama administration will get rid of North Korea's
nuclear weapons programs "through tough and direct diplomacy," the White House
said Wednesday.
The administration plans to "use tough diplomacy -- backed by real incentives
and real pressures -- to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to
eliminate fully and verifiably North Korea's nuclear weapons program," according
to a foreign policy agenda posted on the White House Web site.
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N. Korea clue to tackling global nuclear threat: report
SEOUL -- North Korea could prove to be the first clue to resolving global nuclear
threats for the new Barack Obama administration if Washington acts swiftly, a
pro-Pyongyang newspaper in Japan said Thursday.
Quoting a pledge Obama made during his inaugural speech to "lessen the nuclear
threat," the daily Choson Sinbo that usually conveys Pyongyang's views said
denuclearization of North Korea is not a difficult task.
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S. Korean economy shrinks most in almost 11 years in Q4
SEOUL -- The South Korean economy posted the biggest contraction in almost 11
years in the fourth quarter of 2008 due to faltering exports and sluggish
domestic demand, the central bank said Thursday.
The country's real gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 5.6 percent on-quarter in
the October-December period, compared with a 0.5 percent expansion in the third
quarter, according to an advance estimate by the Bank of Korea (BOK).
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Trade minister reiterates 'no renegotiations' of KORUS FTA
SEOUL -- South Korea's top trade official said Thursday that the government would
not respond to a possible demand from the United States to amend a bilateral free
trade accord.
"Even if the U.S. proposes renegotiations of the free trade deal, we don't need
to respond to it," Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon said on a local radio program.
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President calls for efforts to win foreign investment
SEOUL -- President Lee Myung-bak Thursday called for efforts to encourage foreign
businesses to increase their investment in Korea as the government struggles to
fight dire economic conditions and job losses.
Lee said the country may not be doing enough to promote its investment-friendly
regulations already in place, according to an official at the presidential
office.
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UNICEF to replace vaccine refrigerators in N. Korea: report
SEOUL -- The United Nations Children's Fund plans to replace its vaccine storage
refrigerators across North Korea, after the outbreak of a measles epidemic in the
North in 2007 was attributed to its poor medical infrastructure, the Voice of
America said Thursday.
The relief agency launched a 10-year project this year to replace all outdated
U.N. vaccine refrigerators in North Korea with new ones, the U.S.-based radio
station said, quoting Kamrul Islam, chief of health and nutrition at UNICEF's
branch office in Pyongyang.
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