- New York Philharmonic is to have a concert in Pyongyang on February 26 next year, on request by the communist country.

- Inter-Korean train runs again today on Kyung-eui railway, 56 years after the Korean War broke out. Cargo trains are being loaded with raw materials and finished goods, running to and from Kaesung Industrial Complex, which is expected to save transport time and cost will be reduced by more than 30 per cent compared to shipping via road.

- An employer can be sentenced up to 2 years in prison or W10 m in fine if he or she refuses to allow an employee time to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

- Google Korea announced hottest search entry in 8 sectors this year. The result is Shin Jung-ah in People category, Samsung Electronics in Stock, Mirae Asset in Investment, Net Marble in Game, Job Korea in Job Searching, Yonsei University in University, Kookmin Bank in Bank, and Hyundai Motor in Automobile.

- Kyungsangbukdo said yesterday it will build ‘Korea Santa Village’ in Bonghwa-kun by 2010 with a budget of W50 bn to make it a world tourist spot. The project will benchmark Finland’s Rovaniemi village with a bit of ‘Korean touch.’

- LG’s high-end mobile product Viewty was introduced today with a price tag of W737,000. Market watchers say the phone might help LG establish high-end image but will not sell very much due to the price. But the company is confident that the phone will be the next ‘Chocolate Phone,’ the mega hit phone, saying it sold more than 200,000 units in the European market for the space of just three weeks after the launch.