Yonhap News Summary

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

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U.S. urges N. Korea to try to improve inter-Korean ties
WASHINGTON -- The United States Tuesday urged North Korea to take steps to
improve inter-Korean ties and rescind its decision to expel international nuclear
inspectors.
The remarks by State Department spokesman Robert Wood come after North Korea
announced at a rare inter-Korean meeting earlier in the day that it will
reconsider preferential treatment to South Korean firms at the joint industrial
park in the North's border town of Kaesong.
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(2nd LD) N. Korea warned Seoul over PSI campaign at Kaesong meeting
SEOUL -- North Korea warned South Korea against joining the U.S.-led
anti-proliferation regime when the countries held their first official dialogue
in over a year at a joint industrial park in the communist state this week,
officials in Seoul said Wednesday.
At the meeting, the North Korean delegation said South Korea's joining of the
Proliferation Security Initiative will lead to "confrontation" between the
divided Koreas, said the officials, asking not to be identified.
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(LEAD) N. Korea says S. Korea moved border marker in 'serious military provocation'
SEOUL -- North Korea claimed Wednesday that South Korea has arbitrarily moved a
military demarcation line marker in a "serious military provocation" violating
the armistice of the Korean War.
The warning came as tension has mounted along the inter-Korean border following
Pyongyang's rocket launch and threats over an industrial complex jointly run with
South Korea.
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USFK commander reconfirms preparedness against N.K. provocation
SEOUL -- The U.S. Forces Korea is fully prepared for any contingency on the
Korean Peninsula and will remain so even after wartime operational command of
South Korean troops is transferred back to Seoul, its commander said Wednesday.
Seoul is vulnerable to a sudden attack from North Korean special forces and
artillery due to its geographical proximity to the inter-Korean border, Gen.
Walter Sharp said in an address at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
downtown Seoul.
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(News Focus) Future of inter-Korean industrial zone in jeopardy
SEOUL -- South Korean firms operating at a joint complex in North Korea indicated
Wednesday they may rebuff the North's recent demand for higher wages there.
At inter-Korean talks on Tuesday, which were delayed about 11 hours and ended
after 22 minutes, North Korea threatened to withdraw preferential contracts for
South Korean factories operating at the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which allow
cheap wages for North Korean workers and free land use.
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Credit risk for marginal firms lingers: experts
SEOUL -- A set of fiscal and monetary policies helped ease the strain on
corporate financing, but credit risks for marginal companies still exist, experts
said Wednesday.
"In this regard, a corporate restructuring for troubled companies will help
dispel uncertainty in the market," said a statement released after Bank of Korea
(BOK) Gov. Lee Seong-tae held a meeting with five economic experts.
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S. Korea's economy to recover faster than other major countries: official
SEOUL - South Korea's economy is expected to recover at a relatively faster pace
than advanced countries and other Asian rivals as it is showing some positive
signs of stabilization, a senior economic policymaker said Wednesday.
"Though we cannot rule out the worsening local labor market which will shed more
jobs down the road, some indicators are showing positive signs including recent
expansion in industrial output," Vice Finance Minister Hur Kyung-wook told a
local radio program. "Overall, we expect our economy to recover at a faster pace
than advanced nations and other Asian rivals."
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(LEAD) Serial murderer given death penalty for killing 10 women
ANSAN, South Korea -- A South Korean serial killer convicted of murdering 10
women, including his wife and mother-in-law, was sentenced to death Wednesday by
a court here.
Kang Ho-sun, 38, was found guilty of kidnapping and killing eight women in rural
areas south of Seoul and in a remote province between September 2006 and December
2008.
(END)