- Asked what the Korean economy should focus on at this point, Lee Kun-hee told reporters nurturing talents, R&D, and deregulation. Especially underlining the importance of deregulation, he said “Korea can fast become a developed nation when it aggressively pursues deregulation.”

- A high-ranking government official said “Wooribank and Kyungnam and Kwangju banks failed to produce synergy effects, so we think they have to be separately sold.”

- Due to sluggish property market, two mid-sized construction companies in Jellabukdo and Pusan respectively went bankrupt.

- The six party talk is likely to resume on September 27 for 3 or 4 days, said a person close to the talk.

- The government declared typhoon-stricken Jeju Island a special disaster zone to give it financial supports for clearing up damages.

- While meeting with US senators, former President Kim Dae-jung said Kim Jong-il had told him in the first summit that Pyongyang would dispatch soldiers in case there were not enough workers in the Kaesung Industrial complex.

- A research shows when apartment prices increase, it is often dramatic, but only slightly when it falls. For example, Kangnam’s housing prices shed only 1.25 per cent this year while rising 21.27 per cent last year.

- The Seoul government considers proposing a bill to include AIDS patients in the category of the disabled, in order to broaden medical, welfare supports for them.

- The construction ministry is to buy 5,000 unsold apartments nationwide by next year to use them as long-term rental as well as reserved public apartments .