NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The Korean Health and Medical Workers Union has warned to launch a general strike from Thursday. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said public concern is growing over the strike and the government is holding talks with the union and will do its best to the very end. Kim said progress is being made on some key issues such as working conditions but differences still remain apart regarding matters that require major finances or a careful review in the mid to long term.
South Korea's rival political parties on Tuesday tentatively agreed to put the controversial revisions to the press arbitration law to a vote at a plenary session on September 27. They previously held four rounds of negotiations on Monday but failed to narrow their differences. But in the last round, both sides managed to present viable solutions. The agreement was made during a meeting presided over by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeung-seug and attended by the floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party(DP) and the main opposition People Power Party(PPP). The parties plan to set up an eight-member consultative body involving the rival parties and media experts to seek ways to further revise the disputed bill.