Today's headlines_Nov 22

- The FT reported yesterday that Lone Star is close to ditch the KEB deal.

- Shin Ji-ho, president of the Liberty Union, argues that North Korea is now in the phase IV in the ‘nation dismantlement’ process. He divides the phase into five categories; economic failure(I); loosened social order(II); increasing discomfort against the regime(III); intensifying power struggle(IV); and regime dismantlement(V).

- Samsung Electronics successfully introduced the world’s thinnest LCD panel of 0.82mm into the market. The product is 0.07 mm thinner than that of Sharp which announced last month that it had made 0.89 mm panel. The company will churn out the products from the later half of next year.

- Inconvenience from severe traffic jam is expected today due to a series of protests slated to take place in downtown Seoul. The Police expect the number of demonstrators to be around 13,000.

- Chinese Xinhwa reported that North Korea promised Nigeria to help the country enhance railroad system.

- Four out of ten Seoul citizens think the next government can’t solve real estate bubble either and house prices will continue to go up, a research by Hyundai Economic Research Institute shows. Respondents point out government’s failed property policy is the biggest factor behind the rising house prices

- The Health Ministry is set to pass a piece of legislation under which a woman can donate her egg for research purpose only three times in her lifetime and a man can donate his sperm 10 times.

- Financial experts don’t think Lone Star is going to actually annul the deal but rather try to lead the whole situation to its advantage and put pressure on prosecutors by raising the possibility of doing so. Kookmin Bank hasn’t issued any statement regarding the speculation.