Today's headlines_Jan. 16

- A high court judge was injured after a disgruntled plaintiff, a former professor at SungKyunKwan University, shot a crossbow at him in an apparent move to show his discontent with the ruling against him. The shot left a 7-8mm wide wound on the left side of the judge, but internal organs were not harmed.

- US ambassadors to Korea, Japan, and China will meet in Seoul from January 28 for two days to talk about various issues in Northeast Asia.

- Samsung Group is to announce new presidents for some of its affiliates today. Five or six presidents in electronics, chemical, and service sectors are said to be replaced in the personnel changes.

- Hyundai Motor’s unions started its partial strike yesterday in the face of criticism from the public. The company filed a lawsuit against 21 union leaders for illegal strikes and work disruption.

- The government’s measures announced yesterday to cap the appreciation of the won might disrupt the exchange market in the long term.

- “The Labor Ministry is looking to make a manual to deal with illegal strikes, which will allow the government to automatically charge illegal strikers,” said Labor Minister Lee Sang-soo in an interview with Maeil Business Daily.

- Kim Jae-rok was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of stay of execution, and a fine of W2.67 bn for taking bribery from three companies in return for helping them get east access to loans.

- It is reported that Japanese PM Shinzo Abe rejected an offer made by President Roh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to hold a summit between three nations on a regular basis.

- The Judicial Research and Training Institute revealed yesterday the number of female judicial apprentices who manage to get hired as judges and prosecutors after the completion of the two-year-long course hit a record high with 24.8 per cent or 242 among a total number of 975. Female accounted for 64.4 per cent of would-be judges, and 44 per cent of prosecutor hopefuls. The job assignment is determined based on academic performance throughout the training course in the institute.

- President Roh missed a lunch hosted by Philippines President Arroyo after he did not attend a gala dinner on previous night. The presidential blue house explained he was excused because the supposed working lunch changed to a social one.