ID :
199253
Fri, 08/05/2011 - 08:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/199253
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Yonhap News Summary
The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
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Ruling party gearing up to submit U.S. trade bill this month
SEOUL -- The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) will push to submit the long-pending free trade deal with the U.S. to the National Assembly this month, in a move to keep pace with Washington's effort to get the deal through Congress in September, officials said Friday.
The move comes shortly after U.S. Congressional leaders said they have agreed on a path to approve the trade agreement with South Korea, which was also backed by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
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N. Korea pushing to use ferry to attract foreign tourists
SEOUL -- North Korea appears likely to use a ferry to try to attract foreign tourists, a source familiar with the issue said Friday, in what could be an attempt to earn much-needed hard currency.
For decades, the Mankyongbong-92 served as the only shuttle between North Korea and Japan, which have no diplomatic relations, and was mostly used by pro-North Korean residents in Japan.
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USFK Commander Thurman calls for safety ahead of joint exercise
SEOUL -- The commanding general of the U.S. forces in South Korea on Friday called for safe execution of an upcoming joint exercise between South Korean and American forces.
In a statement posted on the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Web site, Gen. James Thurman said that all participants of the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) must remember that "even routine tasks can be hazardous and caution is a lifesaver."
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Eximbank, KDB join hands to fund overseas projects
SEOUL -- South Korea's two state-run policy lenders said Friday that they agreed to help local companies win more big-ticket overseas projects by providing massive financing.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) and Korea Development Bank (KDB) will cooperate to support local companies win more bids for big overseas projects, they said in a statement.
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S. Korea's currency remains below pre-crisis level: IMF
SEOUL -- The South Korean currency has appreciated markedly over the past few months but its value still remains lower than the pre-financial crisis level, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Friday.
South Korea's won has appreciated about 6.5 percent against the greenback since the start of this year, raising concerns that the strong currency could hurt the nation's export-driven economic growth.
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Samsung, LG remain atop N. American mobile market
SEOUL -- South Korean mobile phone giants Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. retained their leading positions in the North American market for a 12th straight quarter in the April-June period, an industry report showed Friday.
Samsung, the world's second-largest cellphone maker, sold 13.8 million units of mobile devices in the United States and Canada in the second quarter, extending its dominance for 12 straight quarters, according to the report by market research firm Strategy Analytics.
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(LEAD) KT reports marginal rise in Q2 net profit on stake sales
SEOUL -- South Korea's telecom titan KT Corp. said Friday that its second-quarter earnings marginally rose from one year ago mainly due to the sale of its entire stake in its Russian unit.
Net profit reached 420.6 billion won (US$396.2 million) in the April-June period, compared with a revised 419.5 billion won a year earlier, the country's second-largest mobile carrier said in a regulatory filing.
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Ruling party gearing up to submit U.S. trade bill this month
SEOUL -- The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) will push to submit the long-pending free trade deal with the U.S. to the National Assembly this month, in a move to keep pace with Washington's effort to get the deal through Congress in September, officials said Friday.
The move comes shortly after U.S. Congressional leaders said they have agreed on a path to approve the trade agreement with South Korea, which was also backed by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
-----------------
N. Korea pushing to use ferry to attract foreign tourists
SEOUL -- North Korea appears likely to use a ferry to try to attract foreign tourists, a source familiar with the issue said Friday, in what could be an attempt to earn much-needed hard currency.
For decades, the Mankyongbong-92 served as the only shuttle between North Korea and Japan, which have no diplomatic relations, and was mostly used by pro-North Korean residents in Japan.
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USFK Commander Thurman calls for safety ahead of joint exercise
SEOUL -- The commanding general of the U.S. forces in South Korea on Friday called for safe execution of an upcoming joint exercise between South Korean and American forces.
In a statement posted on the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Web site, Gen. James Thurman said that all participants of the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) must remember that "even routine tasks can be hazardous and caution is a lifesaver."
-----------------
Eximbank, KDB join hands to fund overseas projects
SEOUL -- South Korea's two state-run policy lenders said Friday that they agreed to help local companies win more big-ticket overseas projects by providing massive financing.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) and Korea Development Bank (KDB) will cooperate to support local companies win more bids for big overseas projects, they said in a statement.
----------------
S. Korea's currency remains below pre-crisis level: IMF
SEOUL -- The South Korean currency has appreciated markedly over the past few months but its value still remains lower than the pre-financial crisis level, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Friday.
South Korea's won has appreciated about 6.5 percent against the greenback since the start of this year, raising concerns that the strong currency could hurt the nation's export-driven economic growth.
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Samsung, LG remain atop N. American mobile market
SEOUL -- South Korean mobile phone giants Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. retained their leading positions in the North American market for a 12th straight quarter in the April-June period, an industry report showed Friday.
Samsung, the world's second-largest cellphone maker, sold 13.8 million units of mobile devices in the United States and Canada in the second quarter, extending its dominance for 12 straight quarters, according to the report by market research firm Strategy Analytics.
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(LEAD) KT reports marginal rise in Q2 net profit on stake sales
SEOUL -- South Korea's telecom titan KT Corp. said Friday that its second-quarter earnings marginally rose from one year ago mainly due to the sale of its entire stake in its Russian unit.
Net profit reached 420.6 billion won (US$396.2 million) in the April-June period, compared with a revised 419.5 billion won a year earlier, the country's second-largest mobile carrier said in a regulatory filing.
