ID :
46725
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 14:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/46725
The shortlink copeid
Yonhap News Summary
The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
-----------------
(LEAD) S. Korea to strike back if N. Korea provokes armed clash: defense minister
SEOUL -- South Korea will sternly respond to any preemptive attack by North Korea
along the disputed maritime border in the Yellow Sea, Seoul's defense chief said
Friday.
"We will clearly respond to any preemptive artillery or missile attack by North
Korea," Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee said at a parliamentary hearing, vowing to
strike the military installations from where the attacks originate.
-----------------
Seoul to delete account of N.K. nuke in defense white paper
SEOUL -- An upcoming South Korean defense white paper will not include an account
of North Korea's alleged possession of nuclear weapons, the defense ministry said
Friday, in an effort to downplay Pyongyang's demand that it be recognized as a
nuclear state.
"We will only state three things, that it reprocessed nuclear fuel rods, the
information on the amount of North Korean plutonium reserves shared by the U.S.
and South Korea and that North Korea conducted nuclear tests," a defense ministry
official said during a meeting of the parliament's National Defense Committee.
-----------------
(News Focus) Clinton clarifies contrasting stances on two Koreas
SEOUL -- On her first trip to South Korea as the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary
Clinton appears to have made good on her promise to "listen" to what Seoul says.
Her stance here on the North Korean nuclear issue and some thorny alliance issues
drew keen attention as a litmus for the tone of ties between the two nations
under the Barack Obama administration.
Making public statements after her one-hour talks with Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan on Friday, Clinton fully supported South Korea's position on the
communist country's nuclear program, missile threats, and strained inter-Korean
ties, while sidestepping tricky bilateral agendas including the delayed
ratification of the free trade agreement and whether South Korea should play a
military role in Afghanistan.
-----------------
(News Focus) Clinton touches on North Korean succession in sensitive time
SEOUL -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went further than other U.S.
officials in touching upon a possible succession situation in North Korea on
Friday, saying the sensitive topic is "something you have to think about."
The top U.S. diplomat affirmed that current leader Kim Jong-il is Washington's
negotiation partner, but her unusual remarks on uncertainty in Pyongyang
suggested that the new U.S. government is taking into account what could happen
in the post-Kim era as it shapes policy on North Korea, analysts said.
-----------------
(LEAD) Won hits 3-month low against U.S. dollar
SEOUL -- The South Korean won tumbled to a three-month low against the U.S.
dollar Friday as renewed concerns over a credit crisis prompted foreigners to
dump local shares, dealers said.
The local currency closed at 1,506 won to the greenback, down 25 won from the
previous session and marking the ninth straight day of decline. It was the first
time since late November for the won to breach the 1,500 mark.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul shares plummet 3.72 pct on currency woes
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks plunged 3.72 percent Friday as foreign investors
dumped shares on jitters over the local currency, analysts said. The won fell to
a three-month low against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) sank 41.15 points to
1,065.95. Volume was heavy at 580.75 million shares worth 4.1 trillion won
(US$2.72 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 751 to 103.
-----------------
S. Korea orders recall of U.S. chocolates on health concerns
SEOUL -- South Korea's health authorities said Friday that they have ordered a
recall of U.S. chocolate products on fears that they may have been contaminated
with Salmonella bacteria.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said that the recall will be
applied to the "Milk Chocolate Peanuts" produced and sold by Marich Confectionary
here.
(END)
-----------------
(LEAD) S. Korea to strike back if N. Korea provokes armed clash: defense minister
SEOUL -- South Korea will sternly respond to any preemptive attack by North Korea
along the disputed maritime border in the Yellow Sea, Seoul's defense chief said
Friday.
"We will clearly respond to any preemptive artillery or missile attack by North
Korea," Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee said at a parliamentary hearing, vowing to
strike the military installations from where the attacks originate.
-----------------
Seoul to delete account of N.K. nuke in defense white paper
SEOUL -- An upcoming South Korean defense white paper will not include an account
of North Korea's alleged possession of nuclear weapons, the defense ministry said
Friday, in an effort to downplay Pyongyang's demand that it be recognized as a
nuclear state.
"We will only state three things, that it reprocessed nuclear fuel rods, the
information on the amount of North Korean plutonium reserves shared by the U.S.
and South Korea and that North Korea conducted nuclear tests," a defense ministry
official said during a meeting of the parliament's National Defense Committee.
-----------------
(News Focus) Clinton clarifies contrasting stances on two Koreas
SEOUL -- On her first trip to South Korea as the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary
Clinton appears to have made good on her promise to "listen" to what Seoul says.
Her stance here on the North Korean nuclear issue and some thorny alliance issues
drew keen attention as a litmus for the tone of ties between the two nations
under the Barack Obama administration.
Making public statements after her one-hour talks with Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan on Friday, Clinton fully supported South Korea's position on the
communist country's nuclear program, missile threats, and strained inter-Korean
ties, while sidestepping tricky bilateral agendas including the delayed
ratification of the free trade agreement and whether South Korea should play a
military role in Afghanistan.
-----------------
(News Focus) Clinton touches on North Korean succession in sensitive time
SEOUL -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went further than other U.S.
officials in touching upon a possible succession situation in North Korea on
Friday, saying the sensitive topic is "something you have to think about."
The top U.S. diplomat affirmed that current leader Kim Jong-il is Washington's
negotiation partner, but her unusual remarks on uncertainty in Pyongyang
suggested that the new U.S. government is taking into account what could happen
in the post-Kim era as it shapes policy on North Korea, analysts said.
-----------------
(LEAD) Won hits 3-month low against U.S. dollar
SEOUL -- The South Korean won tumbled to a three-month low against the U.S.
dollar Friday as renewed concerns over a credit crisis prompted foreigners to
dump local shares, dealers said.
The local currency closed at 1,506 won to the greenback, down 25 won from the
previous session and marking the ninth straight day of decline. It was the first
time since late November for the won to breach the 1,500 mark.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul shares plummet 3.72 pct on currency woes
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks plunged 3.72 percent Friday as foreign investors
dumped shares on jitters over the local currency, analysts said. The won fell to
a three-month low against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) sank 41.15 points to
1,065.95. Volume was heavy at 580.75 million shares worth 4.1 trillion won
(US$2.72 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 751 to 103.
-----------------
S. Korea orders recall of U.S. chocolates on health concerns
SEOUL -- South Korea's health authorities said Friday that they have ordered a
recall of U.S. chocolate products on fears that they may have been contaminated
with Salmonella bacteria.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said that the recall will be
applied to the "Milk Chocolate Peanuts" produced and sold by Marich Confectionary
here.
(END)
