Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

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(ITU) (Yonhap Interview) Huawei official says Samsung's struggle no surprise

BUSAN -- South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co.'s faltering smartphone business in face of tougher global competition is no surprise because that's the nature of the fast-changing mobile industry, said a senior official at Huawei Technologies Co., the local company's rising Chinese handset rival.

Wen Tong, vice president of Huawei Canada R&D Center, made the remark as Samsung Electronics, the world's largest handset maker, has come under growing pressure from the rise of Chinese gadgets in the lower end, while being outclassed by Apple's iPhones in the high-end market.

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(ITU) (Yonhap Interview) U.S. aims to narrow digital divide through ITU

BUSAN -- The United States hopes to narrow the digital divide around the world to give people the opportunity to create a future for themselves, even those living under authoritarian rule, its chief delegate to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) conference said.

"The main goal of the United States government... is to ensure the ITU and its member states focus on bridging the digital divide," said Daniel Sepulveda, Deputy Assistant Secretary of U.S. Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

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(LEAD) APEC finance ministers tackle worries over global slowdown

BEIJING -- Pacific Rim finance ministers began talks on Wednesday to discuss ways on how to play a role in stimulating the global economy, which has shown signs of another slowdown.

The meeting of the finance ministers or their deputies from the 21-member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum comes ahead of the APEC's annual summit meeting in November.

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Seoul tears down controversial Christmas tree tower at border

SEOUL -- South Korea has demolished a Christmas tree tower at the tensely-guarded border, a defense official said Wednesday, removing a recurring source of inter-Korean conflict amid hopes of a thaw in ties.

In an annual Christmas ritual, South Korea used to cover the metal tower on Aegibong hill near the western front-line border area with colorful lights as part of propaganda efforts against North Korea. The tower could be seen as far away as the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

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BOK chief stresses financial stability amid uncertainties

SEOUL -- Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol on Wednesday emphasized the need to bolster financial stability to brace for a negative change of course in the global economy.

Speaking at a financial forum in Seoul, Lee told participants that Asia's fourth-largest economy should improve its economic fundamentals as well as resilience to effectively cope with negative spillover effects stemming from changes in external circumstances, according to documents released by the BOK.

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(2nd LD) American citizen released from N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- North Korea has released one of three American citizens detained in the communist nation, U.S. officials said Tuesday, a decision seen as a gesture of goodwill toward Washington amid stalled nuclear negotiations.

Jeffrey Edward Fowle, who had been detained since entering the North in late April, was on his way home after leaving the North, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. The 56-year-old had been accused of leaving a Bible in a hotel.
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