NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea has criticized UN special rapporteur on North Korean human rights Elizabeth Salmón as a "political maid" of the U.S. over her remarks about holding the North legally accountable for its grave human rights violations. In a message posted on its website, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said the UN official has seriously insulted North Korea during a meeting of the UN General Assembly Third Committee. It claimed that Salmon's report was based on false data fabricated by forces who deny even North Korea's existence.
Financial Services Commission chairman Kim Joo-hyun says his agency was monitoring market conditions on a daily basis regarding concerns of a crunch in short-term funds and was taking immediate measures as problems are detected to help stabilize the market. He made the remark today following a meeting with the heads of the country's five major financial holding companies. But Kim was careful about making hasty remarks concerning market stability, citing many risk factors worldwide.
According to the trade ministry, exports in October fell 5.7% on-year to 52.4 billion dollars while imports rose 9.9% to over 59 billion, resulting in a deficit of 6.7 billion dollars. This is the second largest deficit to date following a record figure in August and it is the 7th consecutive month South Korea has posted a trade deficit.