Today's headlines_Dec 15

- An international school for offspring of multiracial marriage couples will be set up for the first time in Korea. In the school, Korean, English, and a third language will be used. The preparation committee comprised of 20 people from religious, diplomacy, law, and business sectors said it had secured land for school and expected to receive around 50 students from 2008.

- A nude picture of a North Korean woman who defected to South Korea was posted on a website run by another North Korean defector. The site, which proclaims to promote human rights in the North, provides general pictures of North Koreans but asks visitors to pay $25 if they want to see the nude photo. The site runner says “there are a number of sites regarding North Korean human rights but very few people actually is interested in and visit those sites….so I came up with the idea (posting a nude picture) to draw attention from society.”

- A large number of North Korean women who flew the regime and took shelter in China is reported to fall victim to human traffickers and end up sex slaves in rural China. A Chinese broker says the demand for those women in Hebei region is highest so the price is also highest with W2.6 m per head while the price is the lowest in Yanji area with W0.26 m~W0.39.

[Chosun Ilbo]

- Daily NK reported that there are an increasing number of cases reported for looking for a missing North Korean waitress in a North Korean restaurant in China. North Korean restaurants in China are run by the North regime and most of waitresses are elites with formal education. They are believed to run away.

- Samsung Electronics will provide its TV products to the British Monarchy. The company said yesterday it has been formally requested from the monarchy to supply 100 LCD or PDP TVs. The monarchy is known to have used TVs which were leased or donated from international electronics companies.

- Former GNP leader Lee Hoi-chang is believed to make a comeback to the political scene early next year.

[Maeil Business Daily]

- The supply of apartment in the metropolitan area will increase 55.5% next year.

- A first trial between Samsung Motor creditors and Samsung Group will begin January 25 next year. 14 creditors including Seoul Guarantee Insurance Co., Woori Bank, and Industrial bank, filed a W4.7 trillion lawsuit in the most expensive in its kind in Korean history against Lee Kun-hee and 28 Samsung affiliates on December 10 last year, asking for debt and interest payment. The creditors argue they suffered a great loss after the insurance company failed to be listed. They had received shares of Samsung Life Insurance in return for writing off Samsung Motor’s debt of W2.45 trillion.