Seoul - The first direct talks between the governments of North and South Korea in more than a year were delayed Tuesday because of differences over procedural issues, South Korea said.

Seoul's delegation to the talks in the North Korean border city of Kaesong was initially unsure of who would take part from the North Korean side, a spokeswoman for the South's Unification Ministry said.

The two sides could also not agree in which building the discussions should be held, she said.

Seoul - A South Korean court Monday acquitted a man who had stood accused of damaging the country's economy with his critical reports as a blogger.

The court said it could not be proven that the man's articles had contained intentionally erroneous information.

Even if he had known the information was false, it could not be proven that he intentionally was seeking to damage the country's economy, the judge was cited by the Yonhap agency as saying.

Seoul - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak called a meeting Monday of the members of his cabinet responsible for security, a day before the first talks between North and South Korea in more than a year.

The focus of the meeting was the inter-Korean discussions planned for Tuesday in North Korea and security issues, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a government official in Seoul.

Seoul, Apr. 18 : Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has confessed that he feels fatigue from his tough schedule, the communist state''s official media said on Friday.

"A man is not made of iron and must take care of his own body. But I have no time to do so," the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun quoted Kim, long regarded as the country's benefactor, as saying.

Kim, 67, is widely believed to have suffered a stroke last August.

Seoul  - South Korea's government has not written off the six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme although Pyongyang withdrew from the negotiations, South Korea's prime minister said Wednesday.

"We think that six-party talks are the only forum where the North Korean nuclear issue can be discussed and be solved," Han Seong Soo said in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa in Seoul, a day after North Korea vowed never to participate in the talks again.

Seoul - Hyundai is showcasing its Blue-Will hybrid concept study with plug-in technology and a panoramic roof with integrated solar cells for additional power to the battery at the Seoul Motor Show. The Blue-Will has a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an additional 100 kW electric engine with a continuously variable transmission sending power to the wheels.

The lithium ion polymer battery packs are fitted with the petrol tank underneath the rear seats. They can be charged from any electric plug.