other important headlines_Oct 31

- Based on a survey of 1000 households, Samsung Economic Research Institute said North Korea’s N-test didn’t have much influence on household spending and consumer confidence. Asked whether they will control their spending due to the test, 78.6 per cent said they would not, 20.1 percent said they would a little bit, and only 1.3 per cent said they would do so considerably.

- A person who hacked LG electronics website and leaked applicants’ personal information was arrested. He, a Master’s Degree holder, is said to have failed in the first round of the qualification process. He also hacked websites of Dongbu Group, Posco, and KTF. He said of the reason for the crime, “I thought myself capable enough to make it to the second round, but I failed and I was so upset, that is why.”

- Uri party Rep. Park Young-sun lambasted Industrial Bank of Korea for rehiring retirees in its subsidies. She said 16 IBK retirees moved to subsidies and took executive-level posts. She argued rehiring them was against the sprit of restructuring.

- As the number of children is getting reduced, employment of elementary school teachers is accordingly decreasing. The education ministry revealed the number of new teachers for 2007 is 4,049, far lower than 8,884 in 2003. For graduates from universities of education, automatic hiring as a teacher is becoming a thing of the past.

- President Roo Moo-hyun told members of Rosamo that he opposed to incorporation of Uri party and Democratic party. He is reported to have said “I neither agree with the merge with Democratic party, nor do I want to agree.”

- It is said that the government is likely to join the PSI but make an exception of excluding a North Korean vessel from the search. A government official close to the issue said “terrorist-related vessels except for a North Korean are subject to the PSI but we are considering putting a North Korean vessel under the subject of inter-Korean marine agreement, not the PSI.”

- A revised law which requires a divorced couple to divide their wealth equally will take effect as early as in six months. Along with the law comes a mandatory three-month ‘divorce consideration,’ during which a couple takes time to rethink whether a divorce is the best choice.