Updated  01/05/11

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Korea to Have Ethnic Genetic Map by 2007 2-3-05 The Korea Times
Korea is looking to complete a genetic map of its nationals by 2007 in the hope of gaining insight into which people are vulnerable to specific diseases like cancer or diabetes.

China's WTO entry, Olympics boost Korean industry 9-11-01 Korea Herald
Despite Korean pop culture winning wider acceptance in China in recent years, a recent report suggests that it has yet to hit its peak as China is set to witness an explosive market expansion in line with the country gaining a WTO membership and winning the rights to host the 2008 Olympics.

Gov't to designate Busan as duty-free zone 9-11-01 Korea Herald
President Kim Dae-jung said yesterday that the government will designate Busan as a duty-free zone by the end of this year to help develop the southern port city into a hub of distribution in Northeast Asia.

17-year-old Filipina a midshipman at Annapolis 9-11-01 ManilaTimes.net
Annapolis, Maryland—This Filipina weighs only 95 pounds, but Rea Dacanay, a 4th-class midshipman at the United States Naval Academy here, can do 60 push-ups in under two minutes, and follow it up with 65 sit-ups.

Korea Kim wants Japan to ease tension for World Cup  9-10-01 China Daily
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung said on Monday he hoped Japan would take responsible steps to resolve issues such as the controversy over Japanese history textbooks ahead of the 2002 World Cup.  South Korea and Japan are co-hosting the soccer finals, the world's biggest sporting event, but relations between the two countries have frayed because of the textbooks and the visit last month by Japan's prime minister to a war shrine.

Negotiations for Chinese kidnap victims ongoing: military chief  9-10-01 China Daily
Negotiations are underway to win the release of a Chinese engineer and a Filipino guide held captive by Muslim gunmen in the southern Philippines, armed forces chief General Diomedio Villanueva confirmed on Monday.

Unification Minister Lim hit with no-confidence motion 9-04-01 Korea Herald
The National Assembly yesterday passed a no-confidence bill on Unification Minister Lim Dong-won, dealing a serious blow to President Kim Dae-jung's "sunshine" policy toward North Korea and casting a cloud over domestic politics.

Friendly ties with DPRK to intensify 9-04-01 China Daily
President Jiang Zemin Monday started his three-day official goodwill visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), expressing support for reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.

Gas pipes ruled out as cause of Kabukicho blaze 9-04-01 Japan Times
An inspection of the gas pipes in the Meisei 56 Building in Shinjuku where 44 people died in a Saturday morning fire has ruled out the possibility the blaze was triggered by a gas explosion stemming from corroded pipes, Tokyo Gas Co. said Monday.

US may acquiesce to build-up of China's missiles 9-03-01 Taipei Times
The Bush administration, seeking to overcome Chinese opposition to its missile defense program, intends to tell leaders in Beijing that it has no objections to the country's plans to build up its small fleet of nuclear missiles, according to senior administration officials.

Japan, U.S. agree to new auto talks 09-03-01 JapanTimes
MEXICO CITY (Kyodo) Japanese trade minister Takeo Hiranuma and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick agreed Saturday to start a new round of auto trade talks, a Japanese official said.

Minister Lim's fate set to have impact on N. Korea ties, politics 9-03-01 Korea Herald
The result of today's parliamentary no-confidence vote on Unification Minister Lim Dong-won will have significant repercussions not only on inter-Korean relations but on domestic politics also, analysts said yesterday.

Assembly to cast no-confidence vote on unification minister today 9-03-01 Korea Herald
The National Assembly will cast a no-confidence vote on Unification Minister Lim Dong-won today, with its result expected to have a major influence on Korean politics.

Fire in Tokyo nightspot kills 44 09-01-02 China Daily
Japanese authorities are checking if a gas leak or arson could have caused an explosion and fire that killed 44 people in a small nightclub building in central Tokyo early on Saturday.   It was the worst such tragedy in nearly 30 years.

World Shipping Indus Concerns Seen Over Rescues At Sea 8-30-01 Suratkabar.com
Australia's refusal to accept a Norwegian cargo ship that rescued 438 Afghan refugees from a sinking ferry endangers the time-honored practice of saving people at sea, the shipping industry warned Wednesday.

S. Korea to introduce Asia's first privately run prison 8-30-01 Korea Herald
South Korea plans to introduce what it says will be Asia's first privately run prison by 2004, to help ease overcrowding in state jails.

Foreign textbooks, other than Japan's contain inaccurate accounts of Korea 8-30-01 Korea Herald
School textbooks used in foreign countries other than Japan contain a great deal of incorrect information regarding Korea, according to an Education Ministry report submitted to lawmakers.

US expert: Bush puts China policy back into main channel 8-30-01 ChinaDaily.com
US President George W. Bush is neither slow on the uptake nor putty in the hands of hard-right advisers when it comes to China policy, rather he appears ahead of his predecessors in bringing ties with Beijing back to track after initial fluctuations, a well-known China policy expert said.

Cover up or else, Kashmir women told 8-29-01 CNN.com
Muslim women are rushing to buy veils in Indian Kashmir for safety's sake as a deadline to abide by a strict Islamic dress code draws near.

President Jiang to visit North Korea early September 8-28-01 chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese President Jiang Zemin will visit North Korea from September 3 to 5, announced Yu Hongjun, spokesman of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.  The goodwill visit will take place at the invitation of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il, said the spokesman.

U.N. to conduct nutrition survey on N. K. children in 2002 8-28-01 Korea Herald
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and Children's Fund (UNICEF) will conduct a joint nationwide nutrition survey of North Korean children next year, the visiting head of WFP said in Seoul yesterday.  Catherine Bertini said she reached an agreement with senior Pyongyang officials on the survey plan during her visit to the communist country Aug. 18-21, her fourth trip to North Korea.

Korea rules against song-sharing 8-27-01 CNN
A South Korean court has ordered the operator of a defunct file-sharing Web site to pay $75,300 ($98 million won) to two local record labels for violating copyrights.

Koizumi's China visit linked to conciliatory pledge 8-27-01 JapanTimes
BEIJING (Kyodo) China said Saturday its acceptance of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's proposed visit to Beijing depends on whether Japan takes real action to restore the trust of the people of Asian countries victimized by Japanese aggression in the last century.

Korean boxer fights for unified homeland 8-27-01 Asahi.com
For Masamori Tokuyama, there was more at stake than just boxing when he defended his World Boxing Council Super Flyweight title in Seoul on May 20. The ethnic Korean, born and raised in Japan, successfully defended his title for the second time in what he considers his real homeland. On that night in Seoul he was declared winner under his birth name, Hong Chang Su.

IOC President looks forward to superb Olympiad in Beijing  8-27-01 China Daily
Though thinking Beijing will face many challenges to organize an Olympiad, Jacques Rogge, newly-elected President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), expressed his full confidence that the Chinese capital will put on a successful Games in 2008. 

Korean Government reacts coldly to Koizumi plan to visit Korea  8-27-01 Korea Herald
The South Korean government has given a lukewarm response to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's plan to visit Seoul before a meeting of Asian and Pacific leaders in Shanghai in October.   "It is difficult to anticipate a summit meeting between the two countries unless Japan takes action to cultivate a favorable atmosphere for his visit," said a government official.

Megawati Asserts Her New Authority, Surprising Many Critics in Indonesia
8-13-01 Suratkabar
JAKARTA, Indonesia (SuratkabarCom) - As Indonesia's new President Megawati Sukarnoputri settles into her job, there is growing evidence that she may have been underrated.

S. Korea vows strong action if Koizumi visits shrine 8-13-01 Korean Herald
South Korea will take strong action if Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits a controversial war shrine, Seoul officials said yesterday. They said it would make little difference even if he selects a date other than the Aug. 15 anniversary of the end of World War II.

Tokyo police raid anti-textbook HQ 8-13-01 CNN
Police have raided the headquarters of a Japanese ultra-leftist faction in connection with last week's bomb attack on the office of nationalist history textbook authors.

Thai floods claim 73 as search intensifies 8-13-01 CNN
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Officials began using dogs and heavy machinery Sunday in the grim search for further victims of a flash flood in northern Thailand which claimed at least 73 lives.

China: US offer on spy plane "unacceptable" 8-12-01 China Daily
China said Saturday that the "decision" made by the US side to pay $34,000 in support costs for its spy plane is unacceptable, and China has expressed the utmost dissatisfaction with the US side.

13 pandas expected to give birth 8-12-01 China Daily
Thirteen pandas in China's southwestern province of Sichuan are likely to give birth in the next few months, expert at China's Giant Panda Breeding Technology Commmittee said.

Central Taiwan counting the cost of Typhoon Toraji  8-02-01 Taipei Times
Government officials touring the worst-affected areas have promised to pull out all the stops in an effort to help those who suffered during Taiwan's most devastating typhoon in four decades

Japanese public schools yet to adopt rightist textbooks 8-02-01 Korea Herald
Not a single public middle school in Japan has adopted the controversial history textbook authored by a group of rightist scholars as of the end of July, a major Japanese daily newspaper reported yesterday.

Up to 300 may be trapped in tin mine accident 08-02-01 ChinaDaily
Authorities in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region yesterday confirmed a reported water leak in a tin mine in Nandan County but refused to say how many people were trapped inside.

Indonesian landslide toll 'at least 100'  08-01-01 CNN
Relief workers fear that at least 100 people have been killed by floods and landslides that have crushed several villages on a remote Indonesian island popular with surfers.

Typhoon kills 46, leaves 150 missing in Taiwan 7-31-01 China Daily
At least 46 people have been killed and 150 are missing in Taiwan after Typhoon Toraji caused floods, mud and rock slides, and devastated farmlands in eastern and central parts of the island, officials said on Tuesday.

Asia's Power Women: Indonesia's Megawati and the Philippines' Arroyo 07-30-01 CNN.com
Less than twelve uncertain hours after her controversial predecessor declared a state of emergency, Indonesia's Megawati Sukarnoputri faced the nation's top lawmakers and swore an oath of office making her Indonesia's fourth president in the past three years.

Chinese swimmer crosses English Channel  07-30-2001 China Daily
Swimmer Zhang Jian became the first Chinese person to swim cross the English Channel early Monday morning as he successfully landed in Calais, France, after a 12-hour journey from Dover, Britain.

US Powell: US welcomes the transfer of power in Indonesia 07-24-01 Suratkabar.com
The U.S. government fully supports the economic reform agenda of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday.

The 34^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-34) ended in Hanoi on July 24, after two days.  07-24-01 Nhan Dan

Seoul, Tokyo caught in fishing row South 06-27-01 AsiaTimes
Korea has warned Japan it will sever its fisheries cooperation with the country by banning Japanese fishing boats from operating in South Korea's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) unless Tokyo retracts its decision to ban Korean fishing boats from operating in waters off the Sanriku region of northeastern Japan.

Chinese, Russian Presidents Meet, Friendship Treaty to Be Signed
06-14-01 People'sDaily
The two leaders exchanged opinions concerning Sino-Russian relations and major issues of common concern in a sincere and friendly atmosphere...

KAL Pilots End Two-Day Strike 06-14-01 DigitalChosun
The chairman of the board of directors of Korean Air Shim I-taek and the representative of its pilot union Yang Han-woong signed an agreement Wednesday evening to end two-day old strike...

Mexican President to Visit Korea June 3-5 05-22-01 KoreanTimes
Mexican President Vincente Fox Quesada will pay a state visit to Seoul at the invitation of President Kim Dae-jung on June 3-5, Chong Wa Dae said yesterday.

ASIAN MARKETS: Rebalancing act 05-22-01 AsianTimes
A reshuffling of the world's most widely tracked indexes on Saturday by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) did not adversely effect regional bourses, in spite of playing up the importance of markets in the United States and the United Kingdom...

Jobless rate drops to 3.8% in April  05-18-01 KoreaHerald
The nation's unadjusted jobless rate sank to 3.8 percent in April from 4.8 percent in March as the construction, farm and service sectors took on more workers, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said yesterday

Korea, Japan agree to expand currency swap 05-11-01 KoreaHerald
Korea and Japan have agreed to expand their currency swap agreement from $5 billion to $7 billion, the Finance and Economy Ministry said yesterday.

Daewoo Motor posts 1st profit in 34 months 05-09-01 KoreaHerald
Daewoo Motor last month posted a monthly operating profit of 6.7 billion won ($5.15 million) for the first time in nearly three years, brightening the outlook for its international sale, its chairman said yesterday.

China builds new missile platforms to deter US forces  05-07-01 TaipeiTimes
The People's Liberation Army is building ballistic missile launch sites so it can cover US military targets in the Pacific...

N.K. leader deeply concerned about U.S. stance 05-07-01 KoreaHerald
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il expressed deep concern about the U.S. administration's hard-line stance on his country during summit talks with European leaders in Pyongyang last week, a top government official in Seoul said yesterday.

Seoul to implement long-term strategy over textbook issue as review nears end 
04-24-01 KoreaHerald
The government reaffirmed its stern position on the Japanese textbook issue yesterday as experts were racing to sort out erroneous or deliberately distorted accounts which Seoul will ask Tokyo to rectify.

Bush defers destroyer sale to Taiwan 04-24-01 ChinaDaily
Despite increasingly tense US-China relations, President Bush has decided he will not let Taiwan buy super-sophisticated naval destroyers this year...

Korea, China resolve garlic dispute 04-22-01 KoreaHerald
South Korea agreed Saturday to buy 10,300 extra tons of garlic from China, ending a two-week bilateral trade dispute.

Lee Bong-ju wins Boston Marathon  04-18-01 KoreaHerald
South Korea's Lee Bong-ju, the narrowest loser in Olympic marathon history, pulled away in the last two miles here Monday to win the 105th Boston Marathon and snap a 10-year victory...

Korean envoy to stay in Seoul as protest over textbooks 04-16-01 KoreaHerald
The recalled South Korean ambassador to Japan will stay in Seoul for a few more days, a move aimed at ignoring Japanese Emperor Akihito's planned attendance in a Korean opera that will open in Tokyo today, officials said yesterday.

Korean Government to Employ All Methods Over Textbook 04-13-01 DigitalChosun
In a dramatic turnaround Thursday, the government announced that it would use all available methods and measures to pressure Japan into revising a controversial, middle-school, history textbook, that contains distortions, inaccuracies and omissions, while apparently glorifying that country's actions prior to and during World War II.

Four candidates file for LDP presidency (Japan) 04-13-01 JapanTimes

Cambodia's First Lady Is Voice of Charity 04-12-01 KoreaTimes
Bun Rany Hun Sen, who left Korea yesterday after a three-day stay accompanying her husband Premier Hun Sen of Cambodia, is more than the wife of the most powerful man in Cambodia...

Kim Urges Japan to Straighten Distorted History Textbooks 04-12-01 KoreaTimes
Korea President Kim Dae-jung yesterday called on Japan to straighten out distorted descriptions of its wartime behavior in new middle school history textbooks that have recently been authorized for publication.

US Spy Plane Did Violate China's Airspace 04-11-01 PeopleDaily
Powell US Secretary of State Colin Powell has admitted that the ill-fated US EP-3 surveillance plane did violate China's airspace, and said he was sorry for that.

Asian Shares Close Mixed After Wall Street's Gains  04-11-01 Suratkabar.com
Shares closed mixed across the Asian-Pacific region Tuesday, with select markets taking cues from Wall Street's rebound Monday.

Seoul stepping up pressure on Japan, civic groups call for Tokyo to resolve textbook problem 04-11-01 KoreaHerald
South Korea stepped up pressure on Japan over the textbook issue yesterday as the government, parliamentarians, and civic groups made concerted efforts in calling for Tokyo to resolve the problem.

Seoul recalling ambassador in Japan over textbook  04-10-01 KoreaHerald 
In the strongest response over the Japanese textbook issue yet, the South Korean government has recalled its ambassador, officials said yesterday

Jiang: China Never Gives in to Outside Pressure  04-10-01 PeopleDaily
President Jiang Zemin said Monday in Buenos Aires that China "never gives in to any outside pressure on principle issues related to China's state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China Airlines officials again avoid charges over 1994 crash 04-10-01 JapanTime
NAGOYA (Kyodo) The Nagoya District Public Prosecutor's Office said Monday it has again opted not to indict four senior China Airlines officials over the April 1994 crash of an Airbus A300-600R at Nagoya airport that killed 264 passengers and crew members.

GNP Calls for Boycott of Japan Products 04-06-01 KoreaTimes
Seoul - Outraged by the Japanese government's approval of distorted history textbooks, the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) yesterday urged citizens to launch a campaign to boycott Japanese products.

Jiang Zemin: Crew safe and sound, US arrogant conduct unacceptable
04-06-01 ChinaDaily
Chinese President Jiang Zemin said on Thursday in Chile that China and the United States should place the highest priority on bilateral relations in resolving their spy plane dispute.

S. Korea officially protests Japanese history textbooks 04-05-01 KoreaHerald
Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo summoned the Japanese ambassador yesterday to convey Seoul's concerns over Tokyo's approval of school textbooks that Koreans criticize as publications that whitewash history.

U.S. Losses Hit Asian Shares Malaysia's Index Drops 6.2% 04-05-01 Suratkabar.com - Asian-Pacific markets finished mostly lower Wednesday following a selloff on Wall Street on Tuesday. Malaysian stocks were the hardest hit, plunging 6.2%.

Powell sends personal letter to Chinese vice premier 04-05-01 CNN
A personal letter from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is the latest effort by the Bush administration to end the standoff with Beijing over the U.S. Navy plane and its crew being held by China.

FM spokesman gives full account of air collision 04-03-01 ChinaDaily
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao Tuesday night gave a full account of the recent mid-air collision between US and Chinese military planes, and stated China's stance on the incident.

Seoul Criticizes Tokyo for Authorizing `Distorted' Textbooks 04-03-01 KoreaTimes
South Korea yesterday unleashed its well-calculated ire over the Japanese government's authorization of controversial history textbooks authored by a group of right-wing scholars and others attempting to justify its war of aggression and colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

Korea Government to Assist Hyundai's Kumgang Tour 04-02-01 DigitalChosun
In a reversal of its previous stance the government will assist Hyundai Asan in its North Korean Mount Kumgang tour project a high ranking official revealed Sunday.

U.S. aircraft collides with Chinese fighter, forced to land 04-02-01 CNN
A U.S. reconnaissance plane carrying a crew of 24 collided with a Chinese fighter Sunday, forcing the U.S. craft to make an emergency landing in the People's Republic of China. 

Japanese textbook dispute sparks cyber attack 03-31-01 CNN
South Korean Internet users launched a cyber attack on the Japanese Education Ministry's website Saturday in protest against the publication of a controversial history textbook, police in Seoul say.

Politics off menu for Dalai's trip 03-31-01 TaipeiTimes 
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to arrive in Taipei this afternoon for an 11-day visit, his second such trip to Taiwan since March 1997.

Korean Gov't Taking Steps Over Japan Textbooks 03-30-01 KoreaTimes
Korean government is poised to take a series of anti-Japanese measures, including the scrapping of ``friendly projects,'' if Tokyo endorses middle school textbooks containing distorted descriptions regarding atrocities it inflicted on neighboring countries before and during World War II.

Japan's Weak Yen Hurts Countries That Depend On Exports 03-30-01
HONG KONG (Suratkabar.com) - Asia has already caught a cold from the U.S. Now it could catch the flu from Japan.

Smooth opening for Seoul's Incheon airport 03-30-01 CNN
South Korea's Asiana Airline's passenger plane from Bangkok made a graceful landing at the new Incheon International Airport just before five in the morning, christening the first day of operations.