(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, UPDATES story with expert's view, appearance count
slightly different according to monitors, CORRECTS date of Kim's first appearance

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government has drawn fire from
progressive activists here for its latest deal with the United States that would

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly fell into deeper deadlock
Wednesday ahead of a bleak holiday season as rival parties failed to overcome

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- The global economy is expected to show a mild recovery
in the second half of 2009 after a pronounced decline and a sideways move, the

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld an appellate
court ruling that convicted a maverick former presidential hopeful of circulating

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's human rights watchdog urged the nation's
top carrier to drop its policy of banning males from applying for flight crew

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) rejected a news
report Wednesday that a consortium led by it has won a US$4.7 billion power

(ATTN: CORRECTS Japanese prime minister's name in 2nd para)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- After months of renewed tension over a territorial

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's plan to send a warship to the Somali
waters to help fight pirates remains unchanged, and a related motion will be

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- The government said on Wednesday it plans to inject
more than 5.4 trillion won (US$4.06 billion) into the nation's job market next