Yonhap News Summary

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

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S. Korea, Japan fall short of forging military info sharing pact: Seoul

SEOUL -- South Korea shied away from forging a military intelligence sharing pact with Japan during talks between the leaders of the two countries in Laos, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The long protracted issue of signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was discussed during the summit meeting between President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Vientiane, on Wednesday, Cho Jung-hyuck, spokesman of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs, said during a regular briefing.

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(2nd LD) Creditors unlikely to extend new financing to Hanjin Shipping

SEOUL -- Creditors of cash-strapped Hanjin Shipping Co. are unlikely to provide fresh financial aid to the ailing shipper currently under court receivership, industry sources said Thursday, further worsening the outlook for its already crippled cargo shipment.

According to the sources, the state-run Korea Development Bank, the main creditor for Hanjin, has reached a conclusion that new funding to the nation's leading and the world's seventh-largest container shipping line is not possible without collateral from its parent Hanjin Group.

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(News Focus) Smartphones lack variety as innovation slows

SEOUL -– The latest premium smartphones unveiled by Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and Apple Inc. have similar functions, such as dual-lens cameras and waterproof features.

The trend has been increasingly noticeable in the global smartphone industry since last year, with some analysts saying that innovative variations among smartphones are likely to reach their peak.

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(LEAD) Seoul stocks almost flat on profit-taking

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks closed almost flat Thursday, as investors sought to lock in recent gains, which were offset by a rise in top market cap Samsung Electronics, analysts said. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.85 points, or 0.09 percent, to close at 2,063.73. Trade volume was moderate at 651 million shares worth 5.58 trillion won (US$5.11 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 526 to 277.

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ICAO sends warning over N. Korea's unannounced missile launches: Seoul

SEOUL -- The United Nations' air navigation regulator, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has issued a warning to North Korea for its recent ballistic missile launches that came without the necessary advance notifications, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

"The ICAO has sent a letter of warning to North Korea under the name of the chairman of its board," Cho June-hyuck, spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a regular briefing.

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(News Focus) Pro hockey coaches predict 'surprise' for S. Korea at PyeongChang Winter Games

SEOUL -- South Korea will face an uphill battle when it makes its Winter Olympic men's hockey debut on home ice in 2018, but the coaches of three professional hockey clubs here said Thursday the country could still surprise a few people.

South Korea will face Canada, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, in the group stage. If the National Hockey League (NHL) decides to send its stars here for the Olympics, then South Korea will stand virtually no chance of being any of its opponents.

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