President in Ethiopia

[Anchor Lead]

President Park Geun-hye has arrived in Ethiopia, on the first leg of her trip to three African countries and France. She will take part in a Korea-Ethiopia summit later on Thursday and deliver a special speech at the headquarters of the African Union on Friday.

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President Park Geun-hye has arrived in Ethiopia, the first leg of her trip to three African countries and France, on Thursday. Ethiopia is the sole African nation that sent ground forces to fight in the Korean War for South Korea. Later on Thursday, Park will hold a summit with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to discuss major bilateral pending issues. She is also scheduled to have a separate meeting with Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome. On Friday, Park will visit the headquarters of the African Union and present policy visions toward Africa. In a contribution to a Ethiopian state-run media outlet, she proposed to further strengthen the two countries' relations, saying that South Korea will be a reliable partner for the African country on its way toward growth and development. Starting with an official welcome ceremony on Thursday night, Park will begin her schedule in Ethiopia.

2. Marriage Ruling

[Anchor Lead]

The Korean court has handed down the country's first ruling on the legality of same-sex marriage. The court has determined that marriage between two people of the same sex cannot be recognized in Korea under current law.

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Film director Kim Jho Gwang-soo and movie production company CEO Kim Seung-hwan gained attention with their same-sex wedding three years ago.

[Soundbite] Kim Jho Gwang-Soo(Film Director/2013) : “I hope our marriage will allow homosexual couples to choose marriage like heterosexual couples.”

The couple filed an application for a marriage license at their district office, but it was rejected by the local authority. The rejection was based on a Constitutional provision that stated marriage and family life should be established upon gender equality between a man and a woman. The couple followed up by filing the country's first lawsuit on same-sex marriage, which would allow them to register their marriage at the district office. However, the court dismissed the couple's case after two years of deliberation. Since there are no clear stipulations on same-sex marriage in the existing law, the judges determined that a same-sex union cannot be legally recognized as a marriage.

[Soundbite] Na Sang-hun(Publicity Judge, Seoul Western District Court) : “When designating the parties to marriage, we use such terms as husband and wife. Even in Supreme Court precedents, marriage is basically considered a union between a man and a woman.”

The Supreme Court has emphasized through five deliberations that marriage is a union based on affection between a man and a woman. The Constitutional Court has also ruled twice before that marriage refers to unions between men and women based on affection and trust.

3. Pyongyang Gap Year

[Anchor Lead]

A British student spent his gap year studying at Kim Il-sung University in North Korea. The school does admit students from Russia and China, but Allesandro Ford was the first westerner to attend. In an interview, he shared some highlights from his time studying in the world's most reclusive country.

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Alessandro Ford studied in North Korea two years ago. As the first Western student to study in the world's most secretive country, he was shocked every morning by his North Korean colleagues' expression of worship for the Kim family.

[Soundbite] Alessandro Ford(Studied at Kim Il-sung University)

A BBC journalist crew also had a shocking experience while visiting Kim Il-sung University during their stay in Pyongyang to cover the congress of the North Korean ruling Workers' Party. All North Korean guards made a deep bow toward a statue of Kim Il-sung and suddenly stopped the British journalists' reporting activities.

[Soundbite] Rupert Wingfield-Hayes(BBC Correspondent)

Ford also criticized North Korea's tight control of information, saying that neither the Internet nor foreign TVs are allowed there.

[Soundbite] Alessandro Ford(Studied at Kim Il-sung University)

While denouncing the North Korean regime in an international lecture, he stressed that change and freedom are what North Koreans desperately need.

4. Solar Flare Risks

[Anchor Lead]

A solar flare on the sun's surface can cause serious damage to Earth's communication links, electronic devices and satellites. A recent study has ranked Seoul as the seventh most vulnerable city to solar flares, but Korean and American scientists have joined hands to reduce that risk.

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This is a video recorded by NASA's solar monitoring satellite. A red flare caused by the explosion of a sunspot spreads out to the corona, the sun's outer atmosphere. It takes at minimum 8 minutes for the solar storm to reach Earth. The speed of a solar flare's impact necessitates a prompt and accurate warning system. The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute held an agreement ceremony with NASA to carry out joint studies on solar activity.

[Soundbite] Steven Clarke(Director, NASA Heliophysics Div.)

At the top of the agenda is the joint development of a corona graph, a corona monitoring device, which will be installed on the exterior of the international space station.

[Soundbite] Cho Kyung-suk(Director, KASI Space Science Div.) : “Since the background of space is dark, we can better see weak and faint coronal ejections.”

It will be the first time that a Korean-made monitoring device is installed on the international space station, with a target completion date around 2020. Communication disruptions and satellite damage are likely to be minimized if the constant monitoring of the sun's corona improves the accuracy of solar storm forecasts.

5. Himalayas Climb

[Anchor Lead]

South Korean climber Hong Sung-taek is making another attempt to scale the south wall of Lhotse in the Himalayas. It’s a daring climb few have ever conquered. Meet the climber that hopes to scale the mighty peak.

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South Korean climber Hong Sung-taek is practicing rock climbing with his colleagues. It is a very treacherous section. However, he and his team must complete the training in preparation for their plan to climb the south wall of Lhotse in September.

[Soundbite] Hong Sung-taek(Mountaineer) : “Basically, we have to train a lot in preparation for passing vertical and rocky sections when climbing the south wall of Lhotse in the Himalayas.”

Many experienced, veteran climbers have failed in their attempts to scale the south wall of Lhotse, which is located right next to Mt. Everest. It is extremely difficult to climb the peak, since the 2,600-meter-long section from Camp one to the summit at an altitude of 8,516 meters is rocky and nearly vertical with an inclination of 70 to 80 degrees. Hong reached the point at 8,200 meters above sea level in his fourth attempt last year. However, he had to give up midway, as all tents were swept away by gusty winds.

[Soundbite] Hong Sung-taek(Mountaineer) : “The issue for mountaineers worldwide is whether they can scale the south wall of Lhotse, the sole peak remaining unconquered, with human strength and technique.”

With strong confidence, the climber will make his fifth attempt to conquer the peak, which has yet to be accessed by humans.

6. Kosher Food Market

[Anchor Lead]

Kosher foods that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations are emerging as a new market sector in Korea. The Korean government is also stepping up its efforts to support kosher certification.

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This kimchi for overseas markets has been certified as kosher according to Jewish laws. It does not contain traditional Korean fermented fish sauce, as Jewish dietary restrictions ban pork, shellfish, and animal blood. A yeast substance called multirom powder was used to ferment the kimchi instead, and a rabbi was employed to oversee the production process.

[Soundbite] Lee Yong-ho(Global Business Dept., Daesang FNF) : “We constantly post notifications of our yearly production schedules, and surprise inspections are conducted at least four times a year.”

The kosher market worldwide amounts to 250 billion U.S. dollars. 40% of the food items in American supermarkets have been certified as kosher.

[Soundbite] Jeon Han-yeong(Export Promotion Div., MAFRA) : “Americans appear to think that kosher-certified foods are healthy and safe.”

At present, about 20 Korean businesses have been kosher-certified. The Korean government has decided to provide full support to buyer consultations and road shows held for kosher certification in order to broaden overseas markets for Korean food.

7. AI Music Compositions

[Anchor Lead]

While artificial intelligence is gaining ground in various fields, most believe that the arts, and particularly music, are exclusively human domains. However, Korean music sites have for the first time unveiled some musical compositions written by artificial intelligence. Let’s check it out.

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The composer of this melody is EVOM - artificial intelligence created by a team of researchers from a domestic university. It's the first melody created by artificial intelligence to be unveiled on music sites. EVOM found the ideal musical combination using evolutionary computation. First, it learned popular melodies and then created hundreds of thousands of rhythms and melodies based on them.

[Soundbite] Prof. Ahn Chang-wook(Sungkyunkwan Univ.) : “Evolutionary computation is about creating countless melodies and further developing the ones that sound and feel similar to the songs that had been heard before.”

The researchers predict that in the near future music written by artificial intelligence will be used in videos and games. But professional composers have responded skeptically.

[Soundbite] Yoon Il-sang(Composer) : “It doesn't sound like it was inspired by something. It's like a simple arrangement of melodies.”

With artificial intelligence gradually expanding its presence even to creative areas, expectations and concerns are rising regarding how it will change the world of art in the future.

8. Muti Music Academy

[Anchor Lead]

World-renowned Italian conductor Riccardo Muti has opened his first academy in Asia in Korea. Find out more about this highly regarded conductor known for his perfectionism and why he chose Korea.

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Riccardo Muti is the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, highly acclaimed for his interpretations of Italian opera. He has recently visited Korea and personally chose local conductors, vocalists and opera coaches to spend eight days practicing Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata."

[Soundbite] Riccardo Muti(Conductor) : “I am happy to act as a "musical bridge” between Italian and Korean music. I believe I will be able to unearth new potential through this academy because there are many talented musicians in Korea.”

Befitting his reputation as a staunch perfectionist, the conductor allows not even the slightest mistake. Muti chose Korea to hold his first academy in Asia, demonstrating a particular affection for Korean musicians.

[Soundbite] Hong Joo-young(Soprano) : “He is very friendly and humane. We can feel how much he loves music.”

On May 27 Riccardo Muti will conduct the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, and on May 29 he will perform "La Traviata”with the students from his Asian academy.

9. Sushi Spotlight

[Anchor Lead]

Sushi is a favorite food among people around the world who like fresh seafood. In today’s edition of YumYum TV, we take a look at the diverse and fun ways to enjoy sushi. Check it out.

[Pkg]

Rose-shaped sushi made by rolling slices of tuna. Bunny-shaped sushi made with shrimp tails and fish-shaped sushi made with squid. These varieties of sushi look more like pieces of art. There are many fun ways to enjoy sushi these days.

[Soundbite] “Here's your sushi.”

This is not your standard sushi dish. It's called "chirashi sushi”and served in a bowl, eaten with a spoon.

[Soundbite] Kim Sung-tae(Sushi Chef) : “We use different kinds of fish in different seasons. We developed scattered sushi so that our customers can try various kinds of fish.”

First, sprinkle steamed rice with water mixed with some sugar and vinegar. Let the rice cool and put it in a bowl. Then top it with fish, eggs and vegetables.

[Soundbite] Park Sung-hyun(Customer) : “I like scattered sushi because you can take as much of it as you need. It also has a softer texture compared to regular sushi because rice is not lumped together.”

This wooden frame is used to make sushi.

[Soundbite] Kim Sung-tae(Sushi Chef) : “This frame made of cedar is indispensable in making pressed sushi.”

This sushi dish is made by placing rice and salted fish in the wooden frame, and pressing them. Unlike regular sushi, this dish is made by marinating fish in salt and vinegar for 30 minutes. Mackerel is an ideal fish variety for this dish because its fishy smell is dissipated when it marinates.

[Soundbite] Choi Hyung-ju(Customer) : “It's amazing that this sushi was cut with a knife and had no fish odor. It was very delicious.”

Some restaurants specializing in meat also serve sushi. Just when the beef is almost ready to eat, steamed rice is served. Customers can make their own sushi as they wish. In addition to beef, you can also make sushi with grilled seafood and fruit.

[Soundbite] “It's fun to eat and delicious because I can make it as I like.”

From scattered to pressed to self-made sushi - you can choose from a wide variety of sushi dishes to enjoy them to the fullest.