PRESS DIGEST - South Korean newspapers - June 16
SEOUL, June 16 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of major South Korean newspapers on Monday, prepared by Reuters in Seoul. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not guarantee their accuracy.
JOONGANG ILBO
South Korea's main construction union, which includes operators of dump trucks, concrete mixers and excavators, is set to start a strike on June 16, with some 14,000 members expected to stage a demonstration in Seoul, an union official said.
CHOSUN ILBO
The country's main port of Busan has been seriously disrupted by a truckers' strike, reaching 86 percent of cargo capacity, according to the Land Ministry.
The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan have agreed to establish a trilateral channel to prevent and manage natural disasters and will reveal details of the initiative soon, a diplomatic official said.
MAEIL BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
Dongbu Group, the parent firm of Dongbu Steel (016380.KS) and Dongbu Insurance (005830.KS), is poised to sell a 40 percent stake in unlisted unit Dongbu Metal, worth 600 billion won ($573.2 million), and will receive applications for bids by June 23, the company announced.
Chemicals and trading firm Hanwha Group said that it would press ahead alone with a planned purchase of the world's third largest shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Co Ltd (042660.KS), adding that it planned to raise the necessary funds by listing its construction and life insurance units.
KOREA ECONOMIC DAILY
The U.S. Congress may call for renegotiation of the car industry segments of a free trade deal with South Korea if South Korea demands renegotiation on the resumption of American beef imports, a South Korean official who recently visited the United States said.
($1=1046.7 Won)
