ID :
37895
Tue, 12/30/2008 - 10:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/37895
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Yonhap News Summary
Yonhap News Summary
The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency
on Monday.
-----------------
Kim Jong-il in power, everything normal in N. Korea, Seoul's minister says
SEOUL -- The recent increase in North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's public
appearances suggests his leadership is stable and that everything is normal,
South Korea's unification minister said Monday as rumors continue to circulate on
Kim's health.
"Considering such circumstances, I think the North Korean leadership is stable,"
Kim Ha-joong, Seoul's chief policymaker on Pyongyang, said in a meeting with
reporters.
-----------------
Vice FMs of S. Korea, Japan meet over nuke, upcoming summit
SEOUL -- Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan met on Monday for talks
over the North Korean nuclear issue and the upcoming summit between their
leaders, officials said.
The neighboring nations launched the strategic dialogue in 2005 to promote
bilateral cooperation. The latest round, the seventh of its kind, came ahead of a
summit expected to take place Jan. 10-12 between South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul shares inch down on bank, builder losses
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks ended lower for a fifth straight session on Monday
as investors unloaded banks, builders and other large-cap shares amid a dimmed
economic outlook. The local currency sharply rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 0.27 points or 0.02
percent to 1,117.59. Volume was moderate at 308.5 million shares worth 2.58
trillion won (US$2.04 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 527 to 296.
-----------------
(LEAD) Korean currency jumps 2.9 pct to dollar
SEOUL -- The South Korean currency jumped 2.85 percent against the U.S. dollar
Monday on suspected intervention by foreign exchange authorities to boost the
won's year-end value, dealers said.
The local currency closed at 1,263 won to the greenback, up 36 won from Friday's
close, after jumping as high as 1,260 won at one point. Daily trading volume
reached US$3.36 billion.
-----------------
(LEAD) Hyundai Motor cuts output, 2,000 jobs in India
SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Monday it has
slashed production at its Indian plant by as much as 25 percent amid sinking
demand for new vehicles.
Since Monday, Hyundai's Indian plant has worked for 16 hours in two shifts a day,
down from a previous 23 hours in three shifts, an official at Hyundai said.
-----------------
(LEAD) Number of S. Korea's newborns plunges in October
SEOUL -- The number of babies born in South Korea fell sharply in October from a
year earlier despite the government's efforts to encourage childbirth, a
government report showed Monday.
According to the report by the National Statistical Office, the number of
newborns totaled 40,000 in October, down 5,600 or 12.3 percent from a year
earlier. In the first 10 months of this year, 397,200 babies were born, down 5.1
percent from the same period a year before.
-----------------
Excess trans fat found in 16 pct of foreign snacks
SEOUL -- Nearly one out of every five imported snacks sold in Seoul contains
excessive amount of trans fat, a major cause of heart disease, according to a
food health report released Monday.
Trans fat, commonly associated with fast foods, cakes and biscuits, is considered
harmful to human health and is believed to increase the risk of heart disease
(END)
The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency
on Monday.
-----------------
Kim Jong-il in power, everything normal in N. Korea, Seoul's minister says
SEOUL -- The recent increase in North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's public
appearances suggests his leadership is stable and that everything is normal,
South Korea's unification minister said Monday as rumors continue to circulate on
Kim's health.
"Considering such circumstances, I think the North Korean leadership is stable,"
Kim Ha-joong, Seoul's chief policymaker on Pyongyang, said in a meeting with
reporters.
-----------------
Vice FMs of S. Korea, Japan meet over nuke, upcoming summit
SEOUL -- Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan met on Monday for talks
over the North Korean nuclear issue and the upcoming summit between their
leaders, officials said.
The neighboring nations launched the strategic dialogue in 2005 to promote
bilateral cooperation. The latest round, the seventh of its kind, came ahead of a
summit expected to take place Jan. 10-12 between South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul shares inch down on bank, builder losses
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks ended lower for a fifth straight session on Monday
as investors unloaded banks, builders and other large-cap shares amid a dimmed
economic outlook. The local currency sharply rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 0.27 points or 0.02
percent to 1,117.59. Volume was moderate at 308.5 million shares worth 2.58
trillion won (US$2.04 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 527 to 296.
-----------------
(LEAD) Korean currency jumps 2.9 pct to dollar
SEOUL -- The South Korean currency jumped 2.85 percent against the U.S. dollar
Monday on suspected intervention by foreign exchange authorities to boost the
won's year-end value, dealers said.
The local currency closed at 1,263 won to the greenback, up 36 won from Friday's
close, after jumping as high as 1,260 won at one point. Daily trading volume
reached US$3.36 billion.
-----------------
(LEAD) Hyundai Motor cuts output, 2,000 jobs in India
SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Monday it has
slashed production at its Indian plant by as much as 25 percent amid sinking
demand for new vehicles.
Since Monday, Hyundai's Indian plant has worked for 16 hours in two shifts a day,
down from a previous 23 hours in three shifts, an official at Hyundai said.
-----------------
(LEAD) Number of S. Korea's newborns plunges in October
SEOUL -- The number of babies born in South Korea fell sharply in October from a
year earlier despite the government's efforts to encourage childbirth, a
government report showed Monday.
According to the report by the National Statistical Office, the number of
newborns totaled 40,000 in October, down 5,600 or 12.3 percent from a year
earlier. In the first 10 months of this year, 397,200 babies were born, down 5.1
percent from the same period a year before.
-----------------
Excess trans fat found in 16 pct of foreign snacks
SEOUL -- Nearly one out of every five imported snacks sold in Seoul contains
excessive amount of trans fat, a major cause of heart disease, according to a
food health report released Monday.
Trans fat, commonly associated with fast foods, cakes and biscuits, is considered
harmful to human health and is believed to increase the risk of heart disease
(END)
