Bird Flu Outbreak

[Anchor Lead] The bird flu outbreak spreading nationwide is dealing a blow to the distribution of eggs and chicken. This and more in our business news roundup. [Pkg] The spread of the avian influenza is dealing a harsh blow to the supply of eggs, which are now even running out of stock. Retail giants Home Plus and Lotte Mart say that egg supply is at just 60 to 70 percent of the normal level, as egg production has plunged in recent days. The price of eggs rose by five percent on average at the big three retail stores last week, and an additional five percent this week. Chicken sales which were not much affected by the bird flu epidemic are now also down. With fewer customers opting for chicken, the cost of raw chicken in the producing areas has fallen nearly 20 percent from a month ago. In other news, the rate of increase for apartment prices in Seoul has dropped for the 8th straight week. According to the Korea Appraisal Board, Seoul apartment prices rose 0.01 percent as of this past Monday, compared to the previous week. The growth rate is down for the 8th consecutive week. This is believed to be due to the government's real estate policies, stronger loan regulations and slowing property transactions amid the sluggish economy. Over one billion dollars worth of deposits have been found to be held in dormant bank accounts in Korea not retrieved by the owners. The Financial Supervisory Service has said the total amount in 55 million dormant bank accounts is nearly 1.2 billion dollars. The FSS will conduct a campaign through January in cooperation with banks and financial firms to help people locate their forgotten financial assets.