Yonhap News Summary

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

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Seoul urges Pyongyang not to use PSI to justify war threats
SEOUL -- North Korea is "severely distorting" the intention behind South Korea's
recent decision to join a U.S.-led anti-proliferation campaign, Seoul's foreign
ministry said Thursday, while urging Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear and missile
programs.
South Korea initially made the decision to join the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI) on Tuesday following the North's April 5 rocket launch, but it
had delayed a formal announcement in consideration of its efforts to resume
dialogue with the communist neighbor. Government officials said there was no
reason to wait any longer as North Korea carried out another nuclear experiment
on Monday.
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(News Focus) N. Korean nuclear test renews concerns over U.S.-S. Korean alliance
SEOUL -- North Korea's recent nuclear test has renewed concerns of a possible
lapse in the joint deterrence capabilities of South Korea and the United States
after the allies complete the readjustment of their military partnership in 2012.
But such worries could backfire and benefit the belligerent North while
undermining preparations for what may be the most important change in the
decades-old alliance, analysts and officials say.
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(LEAD) Seoul stocks end 2.21 pct higher on bargain hunting
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks closed 2.21 percent higher Thursday after bargain
hunting outweighed North Korean nuclear jitters, analysts said. The local
currency rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 30.15 points to
1,392.17. Volume was heavy at 609.91 million shares worth 6.86 trillion won
(US$5.5 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 467 to 364.
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(News Focus) Hyundai Motor stands to gain from GM bankruptcy: analysts
SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor Co. may not have to worry much about a bankruptcy filing
by General Motors Corp. as troubles at the world's No. 2 carmaker are widely
expected to help the South Korean company boost sales in the U.S., analysts said
Thursday.
They note, however, that it is unclear whether Hyundai and its affiliate Kia
Motors Corp. would be able to maintain long-term gains in the U.S. market if a
restructured, post-bankruptcy GM regains momentum with more fuel-efficient
compact cars.
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S. Korea eases guideline for bank capital ratio
SEOUL -- South Korea has lowered its guideline for banks' minimum capital ratio
to 10 percent from 12 percent in an effort to spur lenders to make more loans,
the financial watchdog said Thursday.
Lenders were urged to keep their capital adequacy ratios above 12 percent to
cushion themselves from a rise in bad debts. The ratio measures the percentage of
a bank's capital to its risk-weighted credit.
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S. Koreans to bid farewell to former leader Roh at royal palace
SEOUL -- Thousands of South Koreans will gather Friday in Seoul's historic royal
palace for the funeral of former President Roh Moo-hyun.
The liberal leader, who held office from 2003 to 2008, leapt from a mountainside
rock at his regional hometown Saturday, ending his own life amid a bribery
investigation.
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(2nd LD) S. Korea confirms one more flu case
SEOUL -- South Korea's health authorities said Thursday they confirmed one more
case of Influenza A late in the afternoon, bringing the number of reported
infections here to 33.
According to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, a 31-year-old
Korean man was confirmed to have been infected with the H1N1 virus after
returning from the United States late last week.
(END)