PRESS DIGEST - South Korean newspapers - March 23

SEOUL, March 23 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of major South Korean newspapers on Tuesday prepared by Reuters in Seoul. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not guarantee their accuracy.

CHOSUN ILBO

Major South Korean banks including Woori Bank, Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank and Industrial Bank of Korea (024110.KS) said they would recruit about 2,500 new employees this year.

According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS) started taking orders on Monday for blood testing equipment developed by its advanced technology institute, officially marking its entrance into the healthcare market.

KOREA ECONOMIC DAILY

Insurance packages for electronic car owners will be launched with electronic vehicles officially allowed on regular roads from April 9, according to official and industry sources.

According to industry sources on Monday, South Korea's LG Display (034220.KS) has started to produce liquid crystal display (LCD) panels to supply Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) fourth-generation (4G) iPhone.

DONG-A ILBO

The World Gold Council recently confirmed the South Korean government held 14.4 tonnes of gold as of the end of 2009, the finance ministry said on Monday.