Today's headlines_Nov 23

- Microsoft Korea’s recent poll on 25,000 from seven Asian countries shows Korean internet users are very well aware of blog, prefer a technology-related blog, and weekly spend 1-2 hours in ‘blogging.’ The percentage of people who answered they know what blog is was highest among Korean ‘netizens,’ with 83 per cent compared to the Asian average of 66 per cent.

- RAND's Public Policy Expert Charles Wolf told to the RFA that about $200m is believed to be annually wired to North Korea from Koreans living in Japan through banks in a third country. He said the money does not necessarily show their support for Kim’s regime but is aimed to help poor relatives living in the regime.

- North Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minster Kang Seok-Ju told to reporters in Beijing that North Korea would never give up its nuclear.

- The government is bracing itself for a possible labor dispute in a joint industrial complex in Kaesung amid the number of North Korean workers passing 10,000 as of Nov 21. A Unification official predicted “in the coming two-three years, their voice will be louder,” A South Korean official at Kaesung said “some North Korean workers who did never care about how much money their colleagues received now care about it.” The Unification Ministry is reported to have commissioned a study to Korea Labor Institute on the matter.

- The prosecution is expected to release its investigation result as early as next weekend.

- Chun Hyo-suk, president’s nominee for the head of Constitutional Court expressed her willingness to a high-ranking governmental official to give up on the post. She is believed to have said she didn’t want to be a ‘burden’ for President’s handling of administration.