Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.

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China hopes Koreas produce 'fruitful results' at next month's talks

BEIJING -- China on Friday welcomed the agreement by South and North Korea to hold vice minister-level talks next month, voicing hope that the upcoming talks could produce "fruitful results."

Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to hold talks on Dec. 11 in North Korea's border city of Kaesong, in a fresh bid to ease cross-border tensions, after concluding a working-level meeting earlier in the day at the truce village of Panmunjom.

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Content industry is nation's new growth engine: PM

SEOUL -- Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn vowed efforts to cultivate the local content industry Friday, saying it will serve as a new growth engine for the country in the future.

The content industry is an umbrella term encompassing publishers, broadcasters, advertisers and firms producing music, computer games, animations, movies, musicals and other creative media experiences.

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S. Korea, U.S., Japan to discuss N. Korean nuclear issue

SEOUL -- Top South Korean, U.S. and Japanese nuclear envoys will hold a trilateral meeting in Washington next week to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program, a diplomatic source said.

It's part of regular consultations among the regional powers seeking to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. Related six-party talks also involving China and Russia have been stalled for seven years.

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Vessel monitoring officials acquitted of negligence over ferry sinking

SEOUL -- The nation's top court ruled on Friday that vessel monitoring officials should not be criminally punished for their failure to properly monitor the ferry Sewol when it sank off South Korea's southwest coast.

Upholding a lower court ruling, the Supreme Court acquitted the chief of the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) in Jindo Island, located near the site of the sinking, and 12 of his subordinates of negligence charges.

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(LEAD) Rival parties seek to ratify FTA with China

SEOUL -- South Korea's rival parties agreed Friday to try to ratify the country's free trade deal with China during a full parliamentary session next week, the parties said.

Floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) said they agreed during a breakfast meeting to hold the main parliamentary session on Monday to discuss the ratification.

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KAI makes first delivery of fighter jets to the Philippines

SEOUL -- Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Friday that it has made the first delivery of its multi-mission jets to the Philippines, further solidifying its status as an aircraft exporter.

The two FA-50PH took off from Sacheon, 437 kilometers south of Seoul, to make the 2,482 kilometer "ferry flight" to the Philippines. The pair are expected to arrive at Clark Air Base on Saturday, KAI said.

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(LEAD) Kim Jong-un inspects shoe factory, calling for world's best footwear

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a shoe factory and called for the production of the world's best quality shoes, the country's official news media said Friday.

"The ruling party demands everything intended for the people should be the world's best quality," Kim said during his visit to the shoe factory in the east coast port city of Wonsan, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)'s report.

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Elton John to hold concert in Seoul

SEOUL -- British pop star Elton John will perform for his fans in South Korea on Friday as part of his world tour that started earlier this year.

The Seoul leg of his "All the Hits" tour is scheduled for 8 p.m. at UNDERSTAGE, a small venue in the expat neighborhood of Itaewon.
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