other interesting headlines_August 30

- Rumors are whirling that North Korea leader Kim Jong-il visited China as some media reported that North Korea’s special train was spotted to arrive in China. Regarding the matter the government said it can’t confirm whether it is true. But one government official familiar with the matter said” we received some intelligence regarding Kim’s visit to China.”

- CEO of Lone Star said in an interview with Bloomberg that the deal with KB can be cancelled if the prosecutors’ investigation doesn’t finish by September 16. Some say his remark aims at putting blame on the Korean government and assuaging US fund investors.

- Prime Minister Han Myung-sook said today, “there will be no need to increase tax burden by 2010.” “Tax raise should be based on national consensus.” Vision 2030, the government’s long-term social welfare project, is “aimed at providing medium to long term welfare vision to people and openly discussing the matter,” said the prime minister.

- Regarding the GNP’s recent remark that the early transfer of wartime command is a present that North Korea is most happy about, a North Korean website severely criticized the remark, saying it is very provocative and absurd. “The transfer is meaningless as long as the US continues occupying South Korea by force.”

- Parents will be able to check out information on the performance of their children via internet. The ministry of education offers an internet service for parents from September 1.

- Ssangyoung Motors failed to strike a deal with its labor union. The strike has been going on since July 14, causing the company W380 bn in sales loss.

- Supreme prosecutor’s office of Suwon district arrested three people on charges of running illegal internet gambling sites and developing gambling software. It is the first time for prosecutors to actually arrest a game program developer.

- According to Payopen, internet site for salary information, financial sector employees receive the highest amount of salary 10 years after entering the company, with the average yearly salary amounting to W40.31 m, followed by law/accounting/advertising/PR/ company workers with W40.06 m and computer/internet company employees with W38.45 m.