Kim Jong-il Dies

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died, according to the Korean Central News Agency, the state broadcaster. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak convened a meeting of the National Security Council, and the country’s military and police have been placed on high alert. Citizens of the North are being urged to support the former leader’s son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-un. The South, meanwhile, is preparing for any potential instability or provocations from its reclusive neighbor. The South Korean KOSPI index slid 3.4 percent on the news of Kim’s death, and other Asian markets also dipped.



2. Summit Talks



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President Lee Myung-bak has urged Japan to act on the matter of Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military in World War II. But Tokyo’s stubbornness is likely to keep bilateral relations cool for the time being.



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President Lee has urged Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to make a political decision on the sexual slavery issue. President Lee says development of a future-oriented bilateral relationship such as through free trade agreement and military cooperation is impossible until the matter is resolved.



[Soundbite]Lee Myung-bak (President): “I think your country needs the true courage to first of all resolve the sex slave matter, which is an obstacle.”



Noda says the matter will be handled with wisdom from a humanitarian viewpoint, and asked that a peace monument in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul be removed. President Lee responded by saying a second and third monument could be built if the matter remains unresolved, urging action by Tokyo. Bilateral ties are likely to remain cool given that the sexual slavery issue is a main agenda item. The Korean presidential office says it’s now up to Japan to decide if a future-oriented bilateral relationship can be developed since President Lee has urged Tokyo to act.



3. Unified DP



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A unified opposition party launched on Sunday. Key opposition figures are gearing up for the election of the newly merged party’s leaders, which is slated for next month.



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Political opposition forces have merged and launched a new party, which in Korean literally means the "Democratic Integration Party." Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and opposition presidential hopefuls attended the first meeting of the new party. They vowed to win next year’s general elections and take power.



[Soundbite]Sohn Hak-kyu (Fmr. Chairman, Democratic Party): “We should build a nation where all people become better off together.”



[Soundbite]Moon Jae-in (Chairman, Roh Moo-hyun Foundation): “We should think that this is the first step toward reform.”



Prominent opposition figures are already competing to win leadership posts at the merged party. Former Prime Minister Han Myoung-sook and actor-turned-politician Moon Sung-geun have announced their intentions to run for party leadership posts. Former Democratic Party Floor Leader Park Ji-won and lawmaker Kim Boo-kyum will also join the race. Kim has also announced that he will run in Daegu for next year’s general elections. Former member of the Democratic Party’s supreme leadership council Lee In-young as well as lawmakers Woo Je-chang and Lee Jong-geol are also expected to announce their candidacies soon. Former lawmaker Shin Ki-nam blamed Park Ji-won for a recent violent incident at the National Convention of the Democratic Party. The leadership hopefuls are trying to hold their rivals in check and get a head start in the race.



4. Debt Alert



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Entrepreneurs in Korea are taking out billions of U.S. dollars in loans as more retired baby boomers are going into business for themselves. Combined household debt is nearing 774 billion dollars, fueling fears of yet another credit bubble.



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This restaurant opened Sunday but no customers are seen there. The worried owner says he borrowed some 30,000 dollars to cover 30 percent of the startup costs.



[Soundbite]Kim Min-ho (Restaurant Owner): “I don’t afford to repay the principal of the loan. I sometimes put off paying my employees’ wages and rent.”



The volume of loans taken out by the self-employed has jumped more than eight-and-a-half billion dollars this year to top 88 billion dollars. This is growth of nearly 11 percent, which is two and a half times higher than that of bank debts secured by households. Borrowing by the self-employed used to be considered loans for small and mid-size companies. But they’re the same as household debts since business owners must repay.



[Soundbite]An Sun-kwon (Korea Economic Research Institute): “It’ll become a problem for the nation’s financial system and make domestic consumption more sluggish.”



The combined volume of household debt is nearing 774 billion dollars in Korea. More loans taken out by the self-employed are causing worry at a time when fears are growing over sluggish domestic consumption.



5. Tuberculosis



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Tuberculosis is usually regarded as a disease of underdeveloped countries. Korea had once overcome its tuberculosis problems, but recently it has been found to have the most tuberculosis patients among OECD member-countries. What’s more, Korea also has the largest number of drug resistant tuberculosis patients, who are harder to cure.



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This man in his fifties had suffered from cold symptoms for over a month. His X-ray shows that he has tuberculosis.



The number of tuberculosis patients in Korea jumps up by 35-thousand every year. Of those, 2,300 die. The number of tuberculosis patients per 100,000 people in Korea is 30 times higher than that of those in the United States and Greece. It’s also the highest among the OECD member-countries.



[Soundbite]Prof. Kwon Sun-seok (Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital): “This disease usually occurs in households where several family members share the same room or in densely populated and destitute areas.”



The number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients, those who are resistant to many prescription medications and thus hard to cure, is also the highest among OECD member-countries. Tuberculosis management in the nation has been loose since surveys on the disease were abolished in 2000. Exacerbating the situation was the patients’ failure to seek proper medical treatment.



[Soundbite]Lee Dong-han (Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention): “It’s important to remain on medication for at least six months because many of cases develop into drug resistance tuberculosis.”



Experts say people who suffer from coughs for more than two weeks should seek medical help to check whether or not they have tuberculosis.



6. Coffee Fever



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Coffee in Korea has never been more popular than it is today. The country has spent a record half a billion U.S. dollars on importing coffee this year.



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A cup of coffee after lunch is a common routine among young Koreans. The growing popularity of the drink has led to a surge in imports. Korea spent a record 5-hundred-8 million U.S. dollars on coffee imports from January through last month. Imports of Vietnamese coffee for making instant coffee has fallen but those of higher quality coffee from countries like Brazil have increased. This is because of the rise of specialized cafes selling expensive coffee products. Specialized coffee shops are popular among those considering opening a business.



[Soundbite]Kim Dae-myeong (Coffee shop Owner): “It seems promising; many people drink coffee and the demand for coffee beans is increasing, so I started one.”



Around 9,400 coffee shops were running in Korea late last year, and coffee fever continues to expand the domestic coffee market.



7. Land Collapsing



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At a village near a lime mine, land continues to collapse, leaving the locals living in fear.



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On a mountain behind a village, a huge 20 meter deep hole was formed. It looks as if the mountainside was sucked into the ground.



[Soundbite]No Kwan-wu (Local): “Since April, it started to collapse little by little and as time went by the size grew bigger and bigger.”



A huge hole has formed in the middle of a paddy field. Cracks began to appear on around ten houses located at the nearby village and a fence that was in good condition also fell down. All this is assumed to be caused by the lime mine located about 100 meters away from the village, but mine authorities deny any responsibility for the occurrences.



[Soundbite](Limestone Mine Official (Voice Modified)): “I told you I don’t know anything. There’s no case of land collapsing.”



In 2008, the front lawn of a welfare facility had suddenly collapsed. Last year, 3,000 tons of water in a reservoir had suddenly disappeared overnight. Damages on land and facilities continue to occur in villages near the mine, but local authorities have yet to come up with any measures.



[Soundbite](Middle Mine Security Official (Voice Modified)): “The Mine Reclamation Corporation said it should be handled as a civil affair.”



As residents wait for safety measures to be implemented, they continue to live in fear, not knowing when and where their land will collapse.



8. Korean Ginseng



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Korean ginseng is enjoying growing popularity around the world. But Canadian ginseng holds the largest share of the global market, and China is also another key exporter of the root. Experts say a better strategy is necessary to boost global sales of Korean ginseng.



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[Soundbite] “I’d like red ginseng- flavored soy milk ice cream.”



This ice cream contains ginseng that is said to help warm the body. This ginseng cocktail is good for a hangover. Skin therapy uses the root’s moisturizing effect. These products are part of strategies to boost the sale of Korean ginseng, which is considered a natural health supplement.



[Soundbite]Aika Hirano (Japanese): “I like the flavor of Korean ginseng. After the skin care session, I can smell the lingering scent of ginseng at home.”



Research and development projects have begun to further promote the benefits of Korean ginseng overseas. Good ginseng comes from good land. Land is plowed more than ten times and tested with other plants before ginseng is cultivated. Two years are needed to choose farming land for ginseng. A seven-step test is used to confirm the safety of ginseng. A new and more productive ginseng species has been developed to better compete in overseas markets. But another idea is to integrate the more than 400 ginseng brands nationwide under a single high-end name.



[Soundbite]Son Hyeon-ju (KT&G Central Research Institute): “We can’t call it a masterpiece unless we prove the benefits of the plant in line with global standards.”



Korea is where ginseng originated from, so efforts are going into making the product usable in daily life.



9. Elderly Bikers



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In agricultural villages, four wheeled ATVs are the main means of transport for seniors. A new law now requires a license to drive them, so the elderly are taking the test.



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An elderly woman, who is wearing a helmet, heads off on her four wheeled motorbike. But she steers the wrong way and drives out of the lane.



[Soundbite] “I just want one more test. I’m nervous and I’ve never done it before so I’m really shaky.”



They’re used to driving motorcycles all the time, but when taking the test, they can’t drive as well as they are used to. One test taker clenches her teeth and finally makes it past the curve. Those next in line are waiting for their turn and are anxious as well. They clap for those who pass the test. The law was changed, now requiring those who operate four wheeled motorbikes to obtain licenses, so authorities are visiting different regions to give tests to the elderly. In farm villages, the four wheeled motorbikes are the main mode of transportation for the elderly as these vehicles are relatively easy to control and drive. The motorbike license test clearly demonstrates how the aging population today is fearless.



10. Hot Sptings



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Winter has come, and as the mercury plummets, a hot bath is a pleasant respite from the cold. Here are some great hot springs to go to in Korea.



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This is Mount Jiri, one of the country’s most well-known mountains. It has a trail called Dulle-gil. A walk through the woods takes you to Hwaeom Buddhist Temple. If you walk past the temple along the Seomjin River, you come to an observatory for watching otters. After your walk, you can relax at the nearby hot spring.



[Soundbite] “It’s refreshing and wakes me up.”



[Soundbite] “The water and the air is good and the environment is outstanding.”



This hot spring is located at the Mount Bangjeong spring water site.



[Soundbite] “It relieves all your fatigue.”



The surrounding scenery is one of the attractions of this spring. The spring water containing germanium and minerals is said to be good for relieving fatigue and stress.



[Soundbite] “Bathing in the 100% natural spring water and receiving the energy of Mt. Jiri has relieved my fatigue and I feel like a Taoist.”



Here’s another hot spring where medical staff give advice on how to bathe according to your physical constitution. The visitor’s weight, height and blood pressure are measured and physical constitution examined to recommend a customized hot spring program.



[Soundbite] “Your physical constitution is of a so-yang type. When you go into the water, first scoop and pour water on your head and other parts to warm up.”



[Soundbite] “Giving such tests is really interesting.”



Now it’s time to go in! Visitors can enjoy four different tubs, each containing ingredients said to be good for each of the four traditional physical constitution types. The tub for the tae-eum contains schisandra berries, or omija, the tae-yang get grapes, the so-eum get mugwort and so-yang get mountain dates.



[Soundbite] Prof. An Taek-won (Daejeon University): “Those with lots of heat like the tae-yang and so-yang should avoid hot baths. And the so-eum who has weak stamina should warm the body by soaking halfway in the water and resting frequently. As for the tae-eum, it would be more helpful to start with a hot bath from the beginning to help emit energy.”



This is Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, which has a lot of hot springs. It’s is also famous for Korean beef. Visitors usually try out the beef before a dip in a spring.



[Soundbite] “It’s very juicy and melts in my mouth.”



As it’s near Seoul, it’s easy to get to, and the beef isn’t too overpriced. There’s also another benefit to eating here.



[Soundbite] “If you eat Pocheon beef, we give you discount coupons for the hot springs.”



This is the hot spring the coupon is for. The water here contains sulfur. Visitors say a soak makes them feel healthier.



[Soundbite] “It feels like my whole body is melting.”



[Soundbite] “They say the water’s pulled up from 800 meters underground. I’m going to scrub off all the filth and grime today.”



It’s a great time of year for a trip to a hot spring.