Yonhap News Summary

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

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'Art of negotiation' needed to put nuke sampling in writing: minister
SEOUL -- North Korea and its five dialogue partners at the nuclear talks should
first "acknowledge" the need for sampling to check the accuracy of Pyongyang's
recent nuclear claims, and how the common understanding will be put in writing
hinges on "art of negotiations," South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday.
Yu Myung-hwan also said that North Korea has agreed to join the six-way talks
expected to resume in Beijing next Monday, although host China has yet to
announce a schedule.
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S. Korea to complete pullout from N. Korea
SEOUL -- South Korea will complete the withdrawal of hundreds of its nationals
from North Korea Thursday after the communist nation ordered them out.
The North earlier demanded that, starting this week, the number of South Koreans
working at the joint industrial and tourism zones in Kaesong and Mount Kumgang be
halved to 880 and 100, respectively. The communist nation said the cutback is
part of its initial retaliatory measures on Seoul's hard-line policy toward
Pyongyang.
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Cheong Wa Dae denies rumor of financial meltdown in March
SEOUL -- Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, on Thursday denied as groundless
a rumor that a fresh foreign exchange crisis will break out in South Korea next
March due to a massive exodus of foreign capital.
A rumor has been circulating that South Korea's financial system will face
intense stresses in March 2009, as Japanese banks will massively sell their bonds
issued by the South Korean government to settle their accounts before March.
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Seoul set to supply more liquidity via state agencies
SEOUL -- South Korea will supply more liquidity to the market through policy
lenders and other state agencies to help regain financial stability and boost the
slumping economy, the top financial regulator said Thursday.
In a keynote speech to an international investment conference, Jun Kwang-woo,
chairman of the Financial Services Commission said more speedy and sustainable
measures are necessary to cope with the current market situations.
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Watchdog unveils additional measure for exporters
SEOUL -- South Korea's financial watchdog said Thursday that state agencies will
expand guarantees on trade financing to help cash-strapped exporters facing
falling demand.
The Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and other state agencies will guarantee up to 10
billion won (US$6.76 million) in loans and financing per company that exporters
have from banks, according to the Financial Services Commission. The previous
ceiling was 3 billion won.
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(LEAD) Court issues arrest warrant for ex-president's brother accused of bribery
SEOUL -- The prosecution detained the elder brother of former President Roh
Moo-hyun on Thursday after a court issued a warrant for his arrest, a decision
certain to expand prosecutors' investigation into allegations that he took bribes
for a business favor in 2006.
Roh Gun-pyeong, 66, is suspected of influencing the state-run National
Agricultural Cooperative Federation, or Nonghyup, to take over an ailing
securities firm and accepting as much as 3 billion won.
(END)