Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency
on Monday.

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U.S. says inter-Korean tour projects not affected by U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang
SEOUL -- Inter-Korean tourism projects, if restarted, will not impede the
international community's efforts to impose sanctions on North Korea for its
nuclear and missile programs, a senior U.S. official said Monday.
The North's recent proposal for a resumption of South Korean tours to Mount
Kumgang on its east coast and the ancient border city of Kaesong has raised
concerns over a steady inflow of cash to the North.
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(LEAD) Cheong Wa Dae denies report of N. Korean leader's summit proposal
SEOUL -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is fully prepared and ready to hold
an inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il if conditions are
met, but no such summit has been proposed by either side, the presidential office
Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.
The remarks came in response to reports by the country's major dailies that the
North Korean leader proposed a summit with Lee in a verbal message delivered
Sunday by a group of North Korean delegates who came to pay respects to late
former President Kim Dae-jung.
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North not responding to inter-Korean phone link: officials
SEOUL -- North Korea was failing to respond to calls from South Korea on a direct
phone channel on Monday after briefly reconnecting the line during a visit by a
North Korean delegation to Seoul, officials said.
North Korea had asked the South to open a cross-border hotline ahead of its
delegation's visit to Seoul last Friday to pay condolences to late former South
Korean President Kim Dae-jung. Pyongyang later accepted Seoul's proposal to use
the suspended Red Cross channel at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom.
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New S. Korean anti-piracy unit starts operations in Somali waters
SEOUL -- A fresh contingent of 300 South Korean troops has begun operating off
the Somali coast, replacing an anti-piracy unit that had been deployed there
since April, officials said Monday.
The Dae Jo Yeong destroyer took over on Saturday from the 4,500-ton Munmu the
Great, which has escorted a total of 300 boats and is due to return to South
Korea by mid-October, Joint Chiefs of Staff officials here said.
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Net external debt of state firms hits record high in Q2
SEOUL -- The net external debt of South Korean state-run firms rose to a record
high in the second quarter as they sold a large amount of overseas bonds amid
easing global financial turmoil, data by the central bank showed Monday.
State firms owed US$10.24 billion more than the value of their assets held
overseas as of the end of June, up 26.3 percent from the previous year, according
to the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the first time that the figure surpassed
$10 billion mark.
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(Rocket Launch) S. Korea to conduct last-minute check on first space rocket
SEOUL -- South Korea was to move forward with a final "rehearsal" in preparation
for the launch of its first space rocket this week, the government said Monday.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said a comprehensive check on
the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) will be carried out throughout the day
so engineers can examine all mechanical, fire control and electronics systems.
The launch time has tentatively been set at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
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At Seoul film fest, a nod of respect to late former president
SEOUL -- Top filmmakers and celebrities from around the world will be walking on
a green carpet when they enter the opening ceremony of Seoul's Chungmuro
International Film Festival (CHIFFS) Monday, in tribute to late former President
Kim Dae-jung, who died last week.
Organizers chose the color to represent peace, feeling that black was too
mournful a color in honoring the life of Korea's only Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
(END)