And South Korean accounting rules can make the picture seem worse than it is: for example, unlike their western counterparts, South Korean car makers carry their customers' car loans on their own books, which Mr Bae estimates nearly doubles their debt ratios.

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Ultimately, Mr Enkhbayar admits, just as the Democrats did, that a liberal business climate that welcomes western, Japanese and South Korean investment is the best guarantee of national security.

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U.S. officials say Iran recently received North Korean missiles capable of reaching Western European capitals.

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The fact that his song is largely in Korean would make it an unlikely pick for any western music company as a potential hit.

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Don Southerton is a consultant, marketing strategist, and researcher for top Korean-based corporations with global business, along with major western firms that have ventures in Korea and Asia Pacific.

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But there are precedents, as Western intelligence services were a year and half in the fog regarding a North Korean uranium enrichment plant.

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Though parking lots were jammed with Chinese tour groups and Korean families on day trips, the DMZ appeared to have fewer Western visitors than usual.

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"Western sites are often perceived to be too function-orientated and somewhat crass to Korean users who are accustomed to a 'cute' and 'decorative' user interface, " explained Dyne Lee, assistant manager of Cyworld.

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President Barack Obama is visiting the western Michigan town of Holland Thursday for the groundbreaking on the latest factory: Compact Power, a subsidiary of Korean battery maker, LG Chem.

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