Also. . .

* Days after one of its cargo planes crashed in England, Korean Air said this weekend that it plans to replace 15 aging planes with brand-new aircraft next year. “Korean Air plans to sell off 15 aging planes and purchase 17 new ones from airplane manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus,” spokesman Lee Seung-yon said. After replacing the planes, all of which are 20 years or older, Korean Air will have 109 planes, which are 8.1 years old on average, Lee said. Lee denied the measure came in response to the crash Wednesday in which four crewmen were killed. The cause of the crash was still under investigation.

* On Friday, most U.S. financial markets, including the stock market, will be open half the day, closing at 10 a.m. PST.