Today's headlines_Dec 19

- Justice Minister Kim Sung-ho said the ministry is mulling over a measure to exempt a company from criminal punishment if it owns up to deceptive accounting practices to inflate its earnings.

- Samsung Electronics exerts huge influence in the foreign exchange market as it proves to be a big driver behind pushing up won price by putting out a huge amount of dollars in the market.

- Former GNP leader Park Geun-hye said she would lower public apartment price by 30-40 per cent if elected.

- Competition for low-end LCD monitors looks to be fierce as Dell Computer introduces a 22-inch LCD monitor in step with the launch of ‘Window Vista,’ at market’s lowest price.

- Korea Communications Commission decided to impose a fine of W3.8 bn, W10.3 bn and W10bn on SK Telecom, KT, and LG Telecom, respectively for providing illegal handset subsidies.

- Korea’s chief FTA negotiator with the US Kim Jong-hun hinted at a possible compromise in the sensitive areas of automobiles and pharmaceuticals if the US resolves trade remedy issues.

- Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-goo ranks top in the list of richest businessmen in Korea in terms of stock value, with a W2.5 trillion worth of stock, followed by Lee Kun-hee with W1.7 trillion. According to Korea Exchange, a total volume of stock owned by CEOs of top ten companies in Korea amounts at W6.6 trillion, down 5.93 per cent from last year.

- Kang Pal-moon of Construction Ministry labeled a hotly-debated ‘half-price’ apartment as being ‘exaggerated’ and ‘misleading’ the public to have unrealizable dream.