PRESS DIGEST - South Korean newspapers - March 19

SEOUL, March 19 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of major South Korean newspapers on Wednesday, prepared by Reuters in Seoul. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not guarantee their accuracy.

CHOSUN ILBO

Thai government asked in January South Korea to take as many North Korean defectors as South Korea can handle, in order to solve an overcrowding problem in its immigration camp, according to Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Unification.

South Korea is invited to the Group of Eight (G8) summit in July in Japan as one of 15 guest countries, announced Japan's Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura.

About 680 ready-mixed concrete companies are set to strike for an indefinite time from Wednesday until the construction industry accepts their request to raise product prices, Korea Federation of Readymixed Concrete Industry Co-Operatives said.

MAEIL BUSINESS NEWSPAPER

South Korean government is expected to promptly carry out selloff of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) (004940.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) within the year, considering its stance to ease regulations on financial market, according to a high-ranking official from financial industry.

Korea Resources Corporation (KORES) won the contract to explore and develop a copper mine in Bolivia and will sign a formal agreement with state-run Bolivian mining company in two weeks, said an official from KORES.

KOREA ECONOMIC DAILY