Loose change for January 2, 2010

 Economic news 

• South Korea's average export value per working day rose to $1.51 billion in December.
• The Joongang Daily says South Korea's economy is on the upswing, but some caveats remain.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• This report is suggesting that North Korea was able to hack into US-ROK war plans when a South Korean officer left a USB device in his computer when he switched from a restricted intranet to the Internet. 

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Kyŏng•in, the year of the White Tiger, is said by fortunetellers to be a promising year. 
• A majority of Koreans support a visit by Japan's Emperor Akihito.
• The Korea Herald talks about the importance of recognizing the short-lived Great Han Empire (Taehan Cheguk) as an important part of South Korean history.
• The Christian Post talks about how Korean Christians are divided over the crossing of Robert Park into North Korea. 
• Supporters of Robert Kim Park launch balloons into North Korea. 
• With German former Misuda personality Vera Hohleiter as a focus, John Glionna of the Los Angeles Times focuses on South Korea's cyber bullies. 
• The Korea Herald has a focus on the highlights of "100 years of Korean ascendancy." Okay, yeah, a lot has happened and Korea's rise has been truly amazing, but words like ascendency are just grating. 
• Former President Kim Youngsam talks about one way in which South Korea remains a backward country.
• Actress Kim Heesun is preparing to make a comeback. 
• A group of English teachers in South Korea has made a move to list good and bad schools. 
• The Donga Ilbo focuses on the Imperial Japanese effort to "eradicate" the Korean language. 
• The Donga Ilbo also focuses on the deadly peak known as Annapurna.
• More Tokto map silliness. 
• The Foreign Ministry plans to raise South Korea's stature further. As if this attempt is any surprise. 

 Miscellany 

• The Chosun Ilbo asks if China is poised to make a jump like South Korea did following 1988. 
• Former presidents Roh Moohyun and Kim Daejung make the BBC's list of famous people who died in 2009.