Yonhap News Summary

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

-----------------
Childhood photo of N. Korean leader's son unveiled amid succession rumors
SEOUL -- A childhood photo of Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of North Korean
leader Kim Jong-il, was released by a South Korean broadcaster on Thursday, the
first picture to be made public of someone believed to have been tapped as his
father's successor.
The photo, taken when Jong-un was 11 years old, was given to KBS by Kenji
Fujimoto, a former Japanese sushi chef for the North Korean leader, the
broadcaster said.
-----------------
(News Focus) N. Korean leader displays his power with military shakeup
SEOUL -- In a rare extensive military shakeup, North Korea said its leader Kim
Jong-il appointed a new defense minister and chief of General Staff, spawning
speculations about his intentions as cross-border tension mounts.
Unusual in that it was even announced, the reshuffle reported by the state-run
media on Wednesday has drawn attention because of the sensitive timing.
-----------------
S. Korean minister threatens sanctions over N. Korean missile test
SEOUL -- South Korea's foreign minister on Thursday urged North Korea to stop its
reported preparations for another missile test, warning it would otherwise face a
slew of international sanctions.
Yu Myung-hwan echoed strong warnings by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates against Pyongyang's latest provocative
moves, saying a missile launch would "seriously imperil not only inter-Korean
relations but also the security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia."
-----------------
(2nd LD) Gov't eyes tax breaks to promote job sharing
SEOUL -- The government plans to provide tax benefits to companies introducing a
job sharing scheme in order to ease job losses amid a deepening economic slump,
officials said Thursday.
The tax incentive comes as the local job market is deteriorating at a
faster-than-expected pace. On Wednesday, the government reported a loss of
103,000 jobs last month from a year earlier, the sharpest fall in more than five
years.
-----------------
Gov't finds harmful bacteria in French baby formula
SEOUL -- The government said Thursday that it has found harmful bacteria in a
French powdered milk product that can pose health risks to infants.
The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) said it
discovered traces of the enterobacter sakazaki (E. sakazaki) bacteria in a 135
kilogram package of canned organic infant formula made by Vitagermine S.A.
-----------------
Gov't pushing to make identities public in violent criminal cases
SEOUL -- The government and ruling party agreed on Thursday to revise laws to
allow the identities of suspects in brutal criminal cases to be made public.
The agreement reached during a meeting of Justice Ministry officials and Grand
National Party (GNP) leaders comes on the heels of the arrest of Kang Ho-sun, a
suspected serial killer who has confessed to murdering seven women in suburban
areas south of Seoul over the past four years.
(END)