Yonhap News Summary

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

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N. Korea criticizes maritime blockade at U.N. meeting
SEOUL -- North Korea argued in a recent U.N. agency meeting that maritime
blockades by "certain" countries are threatening the freedom of navigation, the
North's media said Monday, in what appeared to be criticism targeting the U.S.
North Korea had sent a delegation, led by Ko Nung-du, to the 26th general
assembly of the International Maritime Organization held in London on Friday.
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Dubai fallout unlikely to trigger global crisis: trade agency
SEOUL -- The debt crisis in Dubai is worrisome, but unlikely to spread around the
world because the global financial system can contain the Dubai fallout, South
Korea's government trade agency said Monday.
The announcement on Wednesday that Dubai's business conglomerate, Dubai World,
had called for a repayment moratorium on US$60 billion in debt has sent
shockwaves through global financial markets.
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Lee calls for greater South Korean assistance to global community
SEOUL -- President Lee Myung-bak urged his country on Monday to increase its
support and economic aid to the international community, saying it's time for the
world's 15th largest economy to act more responsibly.
Lee also welcomed Seoul's recent entry into the OECD's Development Assistance
Committee, calling it an event that marks the country's becoming one of the
wealthiest nations from one of the poorest.
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S. Korea to run daily monitoring system to gauge fallout from Dubai crisis
SEOUL -- South Korea will run a daily monitoring system to gauge the fallout from
the unfolding Dubai crisis on the nation's financial markets in a bid to stave
off possible market turmoil, a senior financial policymaker said Monday.
"We will establish a daily monitoring system to throughly watch developments in
each related area until the Dubai debacle comes to a sure end," Vice Finance
Minister Hur Kyung-wook told an emergency meeting attended by high-ranking
officials from the central bank and economy-related ministries.
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Lee asks ruling party to back revision of Sejong City plan
SEOUL -- President Lee Myung-bak on Monday urged his ruling Grand National Party
(GNP) to show its leadership on a variety of issues dividing the nation, renewing
his call to change, or improve, plans for a new administrative city under
construction in the central region of the country.
Lee said such a division will seriously undermine the country's overall
competitiveness while all other countries in the world are struggling to move
forward.
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N. Korean soldier in S. Korea after boat drifts south: officials
SEOUL -- A North Korean soldier who drifted into South Korean waters off the west
coast will be sent back home later this week, officials here said Monday.
The soldier, whose identity defense ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae declined to
give, wishes to return to his country and is under the custody of South Korean
intelligence authorities.
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S. Korean listed firms' exports climb 2.2 pct in Jan-Sept
SEOUL -- Exports of South Korean-listed companies inched up 2.2 percent in the
first nine months of this year, driven by strong overseas sales by the
electronics sector, the bourse operator said Monday.
The outbound shipments of 385 manufacturers listed on the Seoul main bourse stood
at 244 trillion won (US$206.4 billion) for the January-September period, compared
with 238.8 trillion won in the same period last year, the Korea Exchange said in
a report.
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