Obama working hard to pass Korea FTA through Congress: Gary Locke  [English, OYS]
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/03/31/0200000000AEN20110331000500315.HTML

Summary: WASHINGTON, March 30 (Yonhap) -- The Obama administration is working hard to get the pending free trade deal with South Korea cleared through Congress, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has said.

"We are working hard to get this deal through the U.S. Senate, and if it passes, it could boost annual U.S. exports to Korea by $11 billion and support at least 70,000 American jobs," Locke told the National Export Initiative Small Business Conference Tuesday, according to a transcript released by the Commerce Department Wednesday. "America's economic output is expected to grow more from the U.S.-Korea agreement than from our last nine trade agreements combined."

BOK vows to focus on maintaining price stability [English, OYS]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/03/31/0200000000AEN20110331006500320.HTML

Summary: SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's central bank reiterated Thursday it will focus on keeping prices stable by taking into account economic and financial conditions at home and abroad.

In March, the Bank of Korea (BOK) raised the key rate by a quarter percentage point to 3 percent to tame inflationary pressure. The bank has hiked the borrowing costs in four steps since July last year from a record low of 2 percent.

S. Korea set to discuss minimum wage guideline  [English, OYS]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/03/31/0200000000AEN20110331003100315.HTML

Summary: SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean labor panel is set to discuss the hourly minimum wage for next year, a divisive issue that could spark a heated debate between labor and management.

The 27-member panel composed of labor, management and experts is scheduled to hold its first meeting on April 8 to review the minimum wage, a process that could last for up to 90 days.

S. Korea's industrial output grows 9.1 pct in Feb. [English, OYS]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/03/31/0200000000AEN20110331001100320.HTML

Summary: SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industrial output grew for the 20th straight month in February, indicating that the nation's economy is continuing to expand, a government report showed Thursday.

According to the report by Statistics Korea, production in the mining and manufacturing industries rose 9.1 percent last month from the same month a year earlier. Output has increased since July 2009.

Exports of Korean daily necessities to Japan soar after quake [English, CSY]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2011/03/30/64/0502000000AEN20110330012800320F.HTML

Summary: Exports of some South Korean daily necessities to Japan have soared this month following Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami, a government report said Wednesday.   According to the report by the Korea Customs Service, exports of South Korean kelp to Japan posted a nearly eight-fold increase from March 12-19 from a year ago thanks to an awareness that marine algae helps decrease negative health effects from exposure to radioactive iodine.  Exports of seaweed nearly tripled during the same period, while those of bottled water recorded a more than seven-fold rise.

Low-incomers' food spending hits 5-year high  [English, OYS]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/03/31/0200000000AEN20110331003800320.HTML

Summary: SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean low-income earners' spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages surged to a five-year high last year due mainly to mounting inflation, government data showed Thursday.

According to the data offered by Statistics Korea, the Engel's coefficient for people in the lowest 20 percent income bracket stood at 20.5 percent last year, the highest level since 2005 when it was 20.7.

Fishmongers hit hard by Japan disaster [English, CSY]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/03/117_84163.html

Summary: The radiation leakage from the damaged nuclear power plant in the neighboring country is heightening concerns over the contamination of fish products imported from Japan, scaring customers away from the market.  “I came here to buy some seafood, but I’m trying to be careful to check where they came from,” Jeon Bok-hee, one of customers in the market, said. “I know the radiation contamination is not so serious yet, but I’m a bit nervous.”   She said she is really concerned about what to eat, after a series of epidemics such as the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease and bird flu recently hitting the nation as well as the possible sea water contamination resulting from the disaster in Japan.

S. Korea's oil product exports jump 63.5 pct in Feb. [English, OYS]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/03/31/0200000000AEN20110331003900320.HTML

Summary: SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports of refined oil products shot up 63.5 percent on-year in February, fueled by steady economic growth and higher energy prices, the government said Thursday.

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said overseas shipments of such products as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, naphtha and Bunker-C oil topped US$3.46 billion last month from $2.12 billion a year earlier.