Nominees Named

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The president-elect has completed her cabinet line-up for the new administration. Here are the additional nominees.

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President-elect Park Geun-hye named Hyun Oh-seok, the Korea Develop Institute chief, as the deputy prime minister of economic affairs as well as the minister of strategy and finance. The former World Bank economist is an expert in macroeconomics. Kim Jeong-hoon, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs and Corporate Strategy, was nominated as the head of the newly founded Future, Creation and Science ministry. Chairman of the Korea Association of North Korean Studies Ryoo Kihl-jae was chosen as the new unification minister. Ryoo is known to have studied on North Korean issues for nearly 30 years. Korea Rural Economic Institute president Lee Dong-phil was named as the agricultural and livestock minister, and first vice minister of knowledge and economy Yoon Sang-jik as the minister of industry, trade and resources. The transition committee deputy chief Chin Young was chosen as the new welfare minister who will be in charge of the new government's welfare policies for starting an age of the people's happiness according to one of the president-elect's key pledges. Yonsei University professor Suh Seung-hwan who is also a transition committee member will head the ministry of land and transport. Bang Ha-nam, a senior researcher of the Korea Labor Institute was nominated as the new administration's labor minister. Hanyang University Professor Yoon Seong-gyu who drew up Park's election pledges on environmental issues was named as the environment minister. President-elect Park Geun-hye's spokesman Cho Yoon-sun will be heading the ministry of gender equality and family, while Korea Maritime Institute’s director of marine policy research Yoon Jin-sook was chosen to head the ministry of marine and maritime affairs.

[Soundbite] Kim Yong-joon (Chairman, Presidential Transition Committee) : “We had to announce additional ministerial nominees since public offices may grow more unstable if we delay the parliamentary procedures for governmental reorganization.”

Presidential office staff nominees are expected to be announced this week.

2. Citizenship Controversy

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Future Creation and Science minister-nominee Kim Jeong-hoon has been found to have regained his Korean citizenship recently. He now holds dual citizenship - Korean and American, which could be an issue when it comes to his nomination.

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Future Creation and Science minister-nominee Kim Jeong-hoon holds an American citizenship status and has even served in the U.S. Navy for seven years. Currently, Kim holds dual citizenship. The Justice Ministry says Kim regained his Korean citizenship on February 14. Under Korean law, people with dual citizenships and even foreigners are qualified to become ministers. The State Public Officials Act stipulates that foreign citizens can serve as government officials unless the area of their service involves national security and highly classified information. The opposition parties say they will thoroughly discuss the matter at a parliamentary hearing because the Ministry of Future Creation and Science oversees the nation's state-of-the-art technologies. The opposition camp has expressed concerns over Kim's nomination, because Kim has lived as a foreigner for a long time and a leak of technological information would run counter to Korea's interests. The opposition parties are also questioning Kim's ability to understand and represent Korean IT companies, as Kim used to work only for the U.S. information and communication sector.

[Soundbite]  Yoon Gwan-seok (Spokesman, DUP) : "The overwhelming shock makes us wonder whether this can apply to Korea’s situation and is a concern."

An official from the presidential transition committee says Kim is preparing for his parliamentary hearing and will decide whether or not he will renounce his American citizenship.

3. Insa-Dong Fire

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A huge fire broke out in Insa-dong, Seoul, on Sunday night. Seven people suffered from smoke inhalation and eight buildings were burned.

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Flames rise into the sky with a sound of an explosion. A fire burns down a building in an instant. People rush to evacuate. Although dozens of fire trucks water, the conflagration isn’t going down without a fight. The fire broke out at 8:20 p.m. on Sunday. It started at a diner in a restaurant district in Insa-dong, Seoul.

[Soundbite]  Jang Gyeong-min (Witness) : "I heard the sound of a gas tank exploding two or three minutes after the fire broke out. A couple of minutes afterwards, there were two or three more explosions."

The fire immediately spread to nearby buildings.

[Soundbite] Choe Yu-sik (Witness) : "The fire quickly got stronger. It began spreading uncontrollably to neighboring buildings."

Seven women who were staying in a hotel behind the restaurant inhaled smoke and had to receive medical treatment. 19 stores in eight buildings were burned and destroyed. Some fifty fire trucks and 180 firefighters were dispatched to extinguish the fire, but couldn’t easily put it out, as the blaze was too strong and old buildings packed tightly together . Police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire based on testaments from witnesses.

4. Takeshima Day

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A Japanese prefecture marks "Takeshima Day" on Feb. 22 every year. Takeshima is the Japanese name for Dokdo, the Korean-controlled islets that have long been claimed by Japan. The Japanese government is reportedly planning to send a vice minister-level official to the regional Takeshima Day event. The move is expected to again raise tensions between the two countries over this hot-button issue.

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Japanese media are reporting that a vice minister-level official will attend an event hosted by Shimane Prefecture to mark Takeshima Day on Friday. Councilor and Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office Aiko Shimajiri will attend the Takeshima Day event as a government representative. Since 2006, Shimane Prefecture has held the event every year on February 22nd. However, the central Japanese government has never sent a high-ranking representative to the regional event. Although thirteen ruling and opposition lawmakers attended last year's event, there was no government representative among them. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is working to improve Japan's relations with South Korea. He recently sent an envoy to South Korean president-elect Park Geun-hye. However, a government representative's attendance in the regional Takeshima Day event could further aggravate the relations between the two countries. But Japanese media say that Tokyo has chosen a government representative to send to the event. This means the Japanese government is delaying upgrading the event as a state event hosted by the central government, which was Abe's campaign pledge. Attention is being paid to what response the South Korean government will make to Japan's move.

5. Paying Up

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Starting today, large retailers will no longer allow credit card users to pay with interest-free installments. But so-called VIP customers are an exception.

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Cashiers' desks at a large supermarket are bustling with customers. A notification attached to the desk says that Sunday is the last day of the interest-free installment payment services for customers that pay using their credit cards. The decision came as credit card companies and retailers failed to reach an agreement on sharing credit card commissions. However, the card companies say they will continue to provide interest-free installment services for their VIP customers whose annual expenditures exceed a certain level. This means that ordinary consumers, who need these benefits the most, are being given the cold shoulder.

[Soundbite]  "I wish I could pay it all at once if I had enough money. But many consumers can’t do that, so this is very unwelcome news."

Internet sites, including Twitter, are flooded with messages criticizing credit card companies for their unfairness. Consumers will have to bear the brunt of the clash between credit card companies and retailers, as the financial authorities aren’t stepping in to resolve the issue.

6. Keeping Track

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Sales of household ledgers have surged 20 percent this year, as more consumers tighten their belts amid the sluggish economy.

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Bubble wrap is attached to all the windows in the living room of this apartment.

[Soundbite] Seon Jeong-a (Homemaker) : "I did this to save heating costs. (How much did you save?) About 60,000 won (US$55)."

Even empty bottles help make money.

[Soundbite] "A beer bottle cost 50 won, while a soju bottle cost 40 won."

A growing number of thrifty homemakers keep household ledgers these days.

[Soundbite] Kim Hye-won (Homemaker): "I decided to keep a household ledger this year since it was hard to keep track of what I’ve been spending, while money is constantly being withdrawn from my account."

The demand for personal ledgers has soared, as consumers look for ways to save money amid the economic uncertainty.

[Soundbite] Je Yun-gyeong (Financial Consultant): "You have to set up clear guidelines regarding your spending, which will keep your budget stable. If you plan it on a monthly basis, just using your money once or twice can break your balance."

Expenditures are classified into various categories, such as fixed monthly expenditures, housing costs, unplanned expenses and others. High-tech household ledgers are also available in the form of smartphone applications. When the user enters a spent amount, the application automatically calculates the result. It also allows one to track all kinds of financial products and credit card usage. Household ledgers are seeing their second heyday amid the prolonged recession.

7. Home Remedies

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It is cold season right now, so today we have some home remedies that can help you make it through the winter.

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This woman is seeing an Oriental medicine doctor for her cold. She complains about her symptoms.

[Soundbite]  "I feel cold, my body aches, I have a fever and a sore throat and a cough. "

Symptoms of a cold can be eased with food ingredients that are easily available in the refrigerator A bowl of porridge cooked with the roots of green onions is great for those who suffer from a fever and an aching body.

[Soundbite] "The root and white part of green onions are called "chongbaek."

You have to boil the white section and roots of the green onions in water with deonjang, or soybean paste. Place soaked rice in the soybean paste water to make porridge. This dish makes the body warm and makes you sweat, bringing relief. Steamed pears with honey or peppers are good for coughs. Continually drinking honey ginger tea is effective for easing a sore throat. These home remedies are made from food, so they have no specific side effects. However, Oriental medicine doctors recommend that people take food remedies matching their body types.

[Soundbite] Song Mi-deok (Traditional Medicine Doctor) : "Your symptoms get worse if you eat food that doesn't match your body type. You should first consult a doctor and choose the foods that fit you."

Home remedies made from food only have the effects of easing symptoms or boosting immunity. When cold symptoms are serious, patients are advised to go to a hospital and see a doctor.

8. Sudden Inspiration

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A Korean cartoonist is gaining international attention for his impressive ability to draw a large-scale picture on the spot with no prior preparation.

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When asked to draw a picture of a typical day, the cartoonist begins without hesitation and without any preparations. A wall-sized paper is filled with various scenes from people's everyday life in a mere two hours.

[Soundbite] Kim Jung-gi (Cartoonist) : "When drawing a picture, the image that first comes to mind is usually the best one."

A video clip showing his impromptu drawing has attracted hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube. He has been invited by foreign countries, including China, France and Russia. Orders for his sketch collections are pouring in from overseas.

[Soundbite] "People might not believe that I can draw pictures on the spot without preparations or using references. They get surprised when seeing me draw the pictures so quickly."

His impromptu drawings are well-constructed and detailed. France has asked him to draw a cartoon. The Korean artist is also scheduled to deliver a lecture and hold an impromptu drawing show in Spain next month.

9. Morning Recipes

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Any working person has struggled with the choice between a bit more sleep in the morning and breakfast. So today we have some simple recipes that you can whip up when you have very little time.

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Finding time to eat while getting ready for work in the morning is a tall order.

[Soundbite] "I wish a wonderful dish would fall from the sky."

Professor Hwang In-cheol nicknamed the chef doctor will help us with this challenge today.

[Soundbite] Dr. Hwang In-cheol (Food Blogger): "This is called "don't skip your meals" shake. We often skip breakfast, right? This shake is whipped up with ingredients containing all the key nutrients we need in the morning."

Blend banana, nuts, tofu, milk and honey and in two minutes, you have a delicious tofu shake. Now we’ll make rice balls that will give you the energy you need to start your day. First throw some pickled radish in the rice and mix cooked ham with soy sauce. Finally roll the rice balls in some seaweed and the Korean-style snack is ready to go. Next up is a kimchi rice dish.

[Soundbite] "Korean meals have so many parts like rice, side dishes, and soup. One bowl dishes have all this in a bowl."

Sautee kimchi and meat in perilla oil, add rice and put a lid on the pan. Put in some bean sprouts before turning off the stove and your kimchi pot is done in 20 minutes.

[Soundbite] "Perilla oil helps bring out the taste of the sour kimchi and the savory meat. Soy sauce checks any smell and odor. It's so tasty."

This dish is a sort of rice stew. It's rice topped with soft tofu or bean curd. Put tofu, green onions and red pepper powder in anchovy stock and simmer. Then you add starch to add texture and boil again.

[Soundbite]  Jeong Hun (Cookbook Author): "Korean food is a hassle to prepare with the rice, soup and side dishes. But this dish is served in one bowl. It's nutritious and delicious."

Now here are ways to use up the leftover veggies in your fridge.

[Soundbite]  This dish I call : "empty-your-fridge ratatouille" You know the veggies that lie around in the fridge for over a week? Take them all out and stir-fry them altogether.

Take the vegetables out and slice them into bite size pieces. All you do is cook them up for about ten minutes and grate some cheese on top.

[Soundbite] "This dish is like magic. Men are clumsy in the kitchen. But when you want to get bring a restaurant into your kitchen, the magical dish of just cooking up a bunch of vegetables will do the trick."

All these recipies are quick and easy, and can help you make it through your busy day.