Yonhap News Summary

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

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(2nd LD) S. Korea raps Japan over teacher's guide on Dokdo

SEOUL/TOKYO -- South Korea denounced Japan's revision Tuesday of education material to intensify its territorial claim over the Dokdo islets in the East Sea.

Earlier in the day, the Japanese government announced an amendment to the teacher's guide for use at high schools in the direction of further clarifying its position that Dokdo belongs to Japan.

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N.K. leader seems to use carrots-and-sticks approach to boost social unity

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to take a carrot-and-stick approach to vitalizing the social atmosphere, as he has recently unveiled the North's first general amnesty in three years and at the same time reprimanded party and cabinet officials in charge of economic development, analysts said Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, North Korean media outlets carried extensive reports on Kim reproaching officials for their incompetence during a recent inspection of the construction site for Orangchon hydroelectric dam and other economic development projects in the country's northeastern province of Hamkyong.

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Shinsegae to open its first independent hotel in Seoul this week

SEOUL -- Shinsegae Chosun Hotel, the accommodation arm of South Korean retail giant Shinsegae, said Tuesday it plans to open a new boutique hotel in Seoul this week, marking the first time that the business group will operate an independent hotel brand.

Hotel L'Escape, located next to Shinsegae's main department store in downtown Seoul, will open to the public on Thursday. Shinsegae Chosun Hotel currently runs Westin Chosun hotels in Seoul and Busan, along with Four Points by Sheraton in the capital.

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Interim leader vows to fight factionalism in main opposition party

SEOUL -- The new interim leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) on Tuesday pledged to fight factional and ideology-biased politics to rebuild the conservative party tattered in corruption scandals and electoral debacles.

The party's national committee approved Kim Byong-joon, a former senior policy secretary to late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, as the head of its emergency leadership committee, one day after the professor was nominated Monday.

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Sunken Russian naval ship discovered after 113 years

ULLEUNG ISLAND, South Korea -- A Russian naval cruiser that was scuttled in the early 20th century has been discovered under seas off South Korea's eastern Ulleung Island, its South Korean finder said Tuesday.

"We found the body of the Dmitrii Donskoi 434 meters deep in seas 1.3 kilometers off Ulleung Island at around 9:50 a.m., Sunday," Shinil Group said.

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(LEAD) Seoul stocks end lower on lack of leads

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks ended lower Tuesday, as investors moved sideways in search of fresh momentum amid lingering concerns over global trade protectionism, analysts said. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 4.07 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 2,297.92. Trade volume was slim at 365 million shares worth 4.69 trillion won (US$4.17 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 473 to 332.

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LG Electronics acquires robot firm in diversification

SEOUL -- LG Electronics Inc., South Korea's second-biggest tech company by sales, said Tuesday it has acquired Robostar Co., a local robot company, as part of its business diversification strategy.

LG Electronics took over a controlling 30 percent stake in the robot manufacturer. It invested in a 20 percent stake by purchasing 1.95 million common stocks worth about 53.6 billion won (US$47.6 million) and bought a 10 percent stake held by the firm's executives.

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(LEAD) Animal activists call for ban on dog meat consumption

SEOUL -- Animal activists filed a petition with the office of President Moon Jae-in and held a rally featuring one of Moon's pet dogs on Tuesday to call for a ban on dog meat consumption on the first of the summer's three hottest "dog days."

Tuesday is "chobok," one of 24 seasonal markers on the lunar calendar, and forms "sambok" or the three hottest days together with two other dog days. It has been a tradition in Korea to eat stamina foods, such as ginseng chicken soup, on those days to fight the heat.

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