Seoul - Shares jumped Thursday

Seoul  - Shares surged 2.3 per cen

Seoul  - South Korean exports fell 21.2 per cent in March from the same month a year ago in their fifth-straight monthly decline as demand for the country's products weakened amid the global recession.

Exports from Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is largely dependent on exports, dropped to 28.3 billion dollars, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Wednesday.

Imports were down 36 per cent to 23.7 billion dollars, the balance creating a record trade surplus of 4.6 billion dollars.

Seoul - The football teams of North and South Korea meet for the fourth time in 2010 World Cup qualifying Wednesday as both countries continue their quest for a ticket to next year's finals in South Africa.

The previous three encounters have all ended in draws, the most recent result a 1-1 six months ago. However, the sporting encounters been the two teams have been overshadowed by the ongoing political tensions on the Korean Peninsula and Wednesday's match at the World Cup stadium in Seoul is proving no different.

Seoul - North Korea has arrested a South Korean citizen for allegedly criticizing the communist country's political system and trying to incite a North Korean woman to defect, Seoul said Monday.

According to the Yonhap agency, citing the South Korean Unification Ministry, the arrested man is an employee of the Hyndai Asan company which is involved in a joint industrial park project at the border city of Kaesong.

Seoul - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak spoke out against taking military action against North Korea's announced rocket launch in an interview published Monday.

All countries except for China and Russia have spoken out against the launch North Korea has slated between April 4 and 8, Lee told Britain's Financial Times newspaper.