Seoul  - Shares ended sharply down Monday on

Seoul  - Kia is offering the Cee'd with start-stop technology on the European market reducing fuel consumption and emission figures by up to 15 per cent, the South Korean car maker has announced.

The Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) system would be offered for a price of 300 euros (393 dollars) extra for the Vision and Spirit models with the 1.4 and 1.6- litre engines.

Kia would offer the ISG technology later this year also for the 1.6-litre diesel engine and for several 2010 models.

Seoul - South Korea plans an extra budget totalling 28.9 trillion won (20.3 billion dollars) to revive the country's flagging economy, officials said Tuesday.

The measures include cheap credits, infrastructure projects, job training and help for low income groups, the finance ministry said.

The government hopes the package will lead to the creation of more than 500,000 jobs and increase growth by 1.5 per cent.

Beijing - Chinese and South Korean officials met on Tuesday to discuss how to respond to North Korea's planned rocket launch next week, the Chinese government and South Korean media said.

Wi Sung Lac, South Korea's chief envoy at talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

Seoul - The European Union and South Korea on Tuesday postponed concluding a Free Trade Agreement after reaching a tentative deal on almost all points, officials said.

Talks over the outstanding issues are to continue in early April on ministerial level at the sidelines of the G20 meeting in London, the chief negotiators of both sides said after the end of the formal negotiations in Seoul.

Seoul - Shares climbed 2.4 per cent