Local newspaper headlines

1. Chosun Ilbo

- Residents in hardest-hit Yangpyong 2, Yeong-deungpo-gu might file a class action lawsuit against the Seoul city government and the subway construction company for faulty embankment construction that caused 1,900 low-lying houses flooded and more than 5,000 residents evacuated. A resident known as his last name Hwang said “the damage is a clearly man-made disaster due to poor reconstruction of Anyang-cheon embankment.”

- ASEAN Regional Forum, slated to be held from July 26 in Malaysia, is also expected to adopt a statement condemning North Korea missile tests.

- The government is set to designate 280,000 pyong in green-belt of the Metropolitan area as public residential area.

- Korea and US intelligence suspect two newly-developed IRBMs (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) with range of 2,500 to 4,000 km were among the six missiles fired on July 5. A government source says “among six missiles excluding Taepodong 2, we perceived new electric wave far different from that of Nodong or Scud.”

2. Maekyung

- Vegetable price is skyrocketing due to expected supply shortage incurred by heavy rainfall in Gangwon area. Destroyed roads and cut-off railways disrupt the distribution of the products, further aggravating the situation.

- Labor strife is set to intensify in key sectors of medical, automobile and steel industries. A labor official says “we expect the move to settle negotiation between companies and labor unions starts in earnest near the end of July before vacation.”

- In an interview with Maekyung, Prime Minister Han Myung-sook said “if we revise real estate policies over and over again, it might cause confusion in the property market and provide chances for speculative investors. So the government should stick with its policy unless there is a huge mistake.” Regarding recent North Korean missile test fire, she says “the government has no option but to respond to the incident, but I don’t think it is desirable for the government to give up stable management of North Korean issues and cut off the dialogue link.

- Lee Young-seop, Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs, says he will ask the president today to designate 10 cities in Gangwon area as the special disaster-stricken area. If designated, the area will get financial supports and other measures that help the area be rebuilt more easily.