hankyoreh

The US is preparing to restart talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program to prevent further provocations by the communist regime.
South Korea‘s Yonhap News quoted a diplomatic source Monday saying that a high-level dialogue between North Korea and the US will be held in Geneva around next Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that the second meeting became clear after last week’s summit between Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Barack Obama and the recent talks between the two Koreas in Beijing.
(Arirang News)　　
　　
Samsung seeks ban for iPhone 4S in Japan and Australia 　
Samsung Electronics said Monday it filed for a sales ban on Apple’s latest iPhone 4S in Japan and Australia, claiming its rival violated its patent rights. Samsung has already requested iPhone 4S’s sales ban in France and Italy.
In Japan, Samsung is also seeking to ban the sales of Apple’s hugely popular iPad 2.
Meanwhile, Samsung said the accumulated sales of its Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 smartphones have exceeded 30 million worldwide. Samsung announced Monday that the sales of Galaxy S reached 20 million after it emerged in June and that Galaxy S2 sales approached 10 million in September after its release in April, 2011. The combined sales surpassed 30 million, Samsung reported. This figure well exceeds the total　domestic smart phone sales for the year.
Galaxy S2 reached 10 million in the shortest time period in Samsung’s cell phone sales history. Galaxy S was declared “Cell Phone of the Year” in British IT media’s T3 Gadget Award 2011 and Mobile Choice Consumer Award 2011.
Samsung officials said, “Although it has been 16 months since the Galaxy S was released, its sales are steady. The Galaxy series boosted our brand value to second in the global smartphone industry in the second quarter.”
(Hankyoreh)　

Five S.Korean films win awards at Sitges　
Five South Korean films, including “The Yellow Sea” and “Leafie, a Hen into the Wild”　simultaneously received awards at the Stiges International Fantage Film Festival that took place in Spain from the Oct. 6 through 16. Sitges announced on its website that Na Hong-jin received the Best Director Award for his film, “The Yellow Sea.”
In Noves Visions section, “Night Fishing” by Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong　received the Best Motion Picture Award. “Invasion of Alien Bikini,” by Oh Young-doo received　the Discovery Motion Picture Diploma.
In the Casa Asia section that targets Asian films, “The Unjust,” by Ryoo Seung-wan was awarded the Best Motion Picture. In the animation section, “Leafie, a Hen into the Wild” received the Best Family Film Diploma.
(Hankyoreh)　
　
Prosecutors seek detention warrant for former vice culture minister
The Seoul prosecution requested arrest warrants Monday for a former vice culture minister and a local businessman for investigation into allegations that the former official received a huge amount of money from the businessman in return for influence peddling, prosecutors said.
Shin Jae-min, the ex-vice minister and close confidant to President Lee Myung-bak, is suspected of taking more than 1 billion won ($851,788) in cash and gift certificates from SLS Group Chairman Lee Kuk-chul over the past decade.
(Yonhap News)