Seoul - Shares fell 1.39 per cent Thursday on the Seoul stock exchange as concerns over the global economy persisted despite the US Senate's passing a rescue package for the troubled financial sect

Seoul - The first military talks between North and South Korea in eight months ended shortly after they began Thursday with no significant progress and North Korea accusing the South of spreading propoganda in its territory, South Korean media reports said.

Pak Rim Su, the leader of the North's delegation, accused the South Korean side of not being prepared to solve problems at the talks in Panmunjom, a village inside the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

North Korea called the talks to protest propoganda leaflets that South Korea has been disseminating in his country, Pak said.

Seoul  - Military officers from North and South Korea are to meet Thursday for the first time in eight months, the Defence Ministry in Seoul said.

On the agenda at the talks in Panmunjom, a village inside the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas, is the implementation of agreements already made between the neighbours' militaries, the ministry said Wednesday.

In a surprise move last week, North Korea proposed to hold the discussions Tuesday, and South Korea's military later accepted but moved the talks back two days.

It was the first offer by North Korea to hold such a dialogue since conservative South Korean President Lee Myung Bak took office in February.

Seoul - Christopher Hill, the chief US negotiator in the North Korean nuclear talks, arrived in the communist state Wednesday in an attempt save an agreement on the disablement of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

The US embassy in Seoul said Hill crossed the border between South and North Korea Wednesday mid-morning. He is attempting to overcome the current stalemate in bilateral talks.

Seoul - The United States' top negotia

Seoul  - Shares edged down Tuesday on the Seoul stock exchange following the US House's rejection of a 700-billion-dollar rescue package for the troubled financial sector.