Murder in Philippines

[Anchor Lead]

A Korean college student studying in the Philippines has been found dead. She was missing for a month, held for ransom, and is the fourth Korean national to die in the island nation this year.

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Early last month a female Korean student, known only by her last name Lee, was kidnapped in Manila. She was found dead about a month later. Her abduction occurred around 9:20 p.m. on March 3. Then she was on her way to meet her friends in a taxi. The kidnappers made about ten calls to her family over the next two days and demanded a huge ransom.

[Soundbite] PARK YONG-JIN (South Korean Consul to Philippines) : "This wasn't done by a single person, but by several accomplices. They kidnapped her just for the money."

The local police attempted to contact the kidnappers three times and managed to capture only one of them on Tuesday. Judging from the advanced state of decomposition of Lee's body found at the kidnappers' hideout, the police suspects that she was killed during an in-fight that erupted among the perpetrators immediately after the abduction. Four Korean nationals were killed in the Philippines so far this year. Last year there were twelve Korean victims. But the arrest rate is very low, because of the Filipino law enforcement's poor investigative capacity and a lack of crime preventive infrastructures such as closed-circuit surveillance cameras. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to increase the manpower of the local police taskforce investigating the crimes targeting Korean nationals and open additional legations in Cebu in the Philippine's southern region.

2. Drone Response Blasted

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The National Assembly’s Defense Committee has blasted the military for its lame and late response to the North Korean drones crashing in the South.

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Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition camps pointed out that South Korea has fallen victim to the North Korean drones that crashed in the South recently. The military has yet to make an official response to the accusation. The lawmakers took issue with the fact that the national defense minister was notified about the drones only after the media reported that the drones were likely to have been made in North Korea.

[Soundbite] Rep. BAEK KUN-KI (New Politics Alliance for Democracy) : "The report, you learned about it from media reports. Is that right? (That was the assumption.)"

The lawmakers criticized the military for its late report, which was made after the discovery of the suspicious drones, which should have raised a red flag immediately given that Kim Jong-un had been shown many times on TV touring the North Korean drone division and aiming at targets.

[Soundbite] Rep. HAN KI-HO (Saenuri Party) : "I myself served in the military, too. But this is way too pathetic. They must report even when they find a balloon. This is outrageous."

What's more, nine of the 56 fingerprints on the drones were found to belong to South Korean officials who participated in their examination.

[Soundbite] Gen. LEE JAE-SU (Defense Security Commander) : "The nine fingerprints have been found to belong to the officials who participated in the examination. (So they touched the drones with their bare hands?)"

National Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin has admitted that small drones could not be detected by the air surveillance radars. Meanwhile, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Cho Bo-geun was told to leave the venue of the meeting for giving duplicitous answers.

3. Beauty Speaks Out

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The Miss International pageant winner from 2012, who happens to be Japanese, set off a firestorm among Japanese netizens for remarks that she was ashamed by Japan’s failure to apologize for its wartime sexual slavery.

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Ikumi Yoshimatsu was the winner of the Miss International 2012 beauty pageant. Last month she appeared on a CBS radio show in the U.S. The show was hosted by the internationally renowned feminist Robin Morgan. She asked Yoshimatsu about the so-called "comfort women." Morgan called them "sex slaves." Yoshimatsu first made comments about Japan's right-wing politicians.

[Soundbite] Ikumi Yoshimatsu (Miss International 2012 Winner)

She also pointed out that their attitude was wrong.

[Soundbite] Ikumi Yoshimatsu (Miss International 2012 Winner)

After the show aired, some of the Japanese Internet users unleashed their criticism toward the former Miss International by calling her "ignorant" and "ill-mannered." Yoshimatsu wrote on her blog that there must have been a misunderstanding stemming from translation errors, but that every person also has the right to express his or her opinion. She also reiterated on social networking sites that she felt sad about the plight the comfort women endured in the past.

4. U.S. expressed concerns about instability and possible coup in Thailand

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The Thai foreign minister says Washington has expressed concerns about the possibility of a military coup and political turmoil in Thailand.

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The Bangkok Post quoted Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul as saying that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra relayed Washington's concerns after a meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel on April 8. The Thai foreign minister says Russel delivered a letter from Secretary of State John Kerry expressing Washington's concerns about the political instability in Thailand and the possibility of a military coup. Anti-government demonstrations flared up again in Thailand at the end of 2013, prompting speculation about the possibility of a coup.

5. Energy Storage Systems

[Anchor Lead]

Korea suffers from energy shortages almost every summer and must activate emergency measures to cut back energy consumption and prevent blackouts. Energy storage systems could be the answer to this perennial problem.

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Some 30 thousand solar panels are lined up in a field. Some of the electricity produced here is collected and used at night or on a rainy day. This is made possible by the ESS, short for energy storage system. The principle behind the ESS is just like that of a battery charged with electricity for later use. The storage system saves power costs and serves as an emergency power generator.

[Soundbite] KIM JEONG-RAE (CEO, LG Solar Energy) : "When the power supply from KEPCO is disrupted, ESS could serve as an emergency power supply system."

In general only 95% of the thermal power generators in Korea are in operation to deal with fluctuations in power demand. But if the power plants are run at full capacity and 5% of the power output is saved in the ESS, 1.5 million kilowatts of electricity can be obtained additionally.

[Soundbite] Prof. MUN SEUNG-IL (Seoul National University) : "It amounts to 1.5 million kilowatts altogether. That's same as building a new nuclear power generator."

The ESS is regarded globally as a future growth engine. The ESS market share is expected to grow up to 116 billion dollars by 2030. The ESS is being tested by roughly 20 businesses in Korea, but the burden of high initial costs is discouraging companies from investing in the system. Energy experts advise that the government should provide subsidies and incentives to companies adopting the ESS and revise the related laws so that the electricity stored in the ESS can be marketed.

6. Amur Grass Fuel

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Bio-energy derived from corn and beans has emerged as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. The development of bio energy using Amur silver grass is gaining speed.

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Tall Amur silver grass sways in the wind. It's double the size of regular silver grass. After it's harvested with tractors, the grass is used to produce bioethanol. One ton of this silver grass is enough to produce 180 liters of bioethanol. With that amount of fuel, a car with the engine capacity of 1.6 liters can run more than 3000 kilometers. The pilot silver grass complex harvests 4,000 tons of grass, which enables Korea to replace 120,000 barrels of exported crude oil annually.

[Soundbite] AN JONG-UNG (Rural Development Administration) : "We have completed experiments and reached the level of a pilot plant. We are just a step away from the commercialization of bioethanol."

While many criticize how the production of bio-fuel uses food items such as corn and beans, silver grass generally serves as a valuable tourism item that can be processed as an environmentally-friendly construction material as well.

[Soundbite] YU CHO-SUN (Iksan Committee for Promoting Yongmeori Area) : "We can recycle by-products after harvesting the grass. This also enables residents to make profits and benefit in many other ways."

Until recently, silver grass used to be discarded as a waste product, but now it is emerging as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.

7. Creative Tours

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Creativity is touted as a crucial factor in industrial development in modern society. Bright ideas can bring big changes. This is also the case with tourism. So-called creative tours have international appeal.

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Cycle rickshaws run along Changdeok Palace. Rickshaw drivers guide tourists around Bukchon Hanok Village.

[Soundbite] "This was the house of the nation's fourth President Yun Bo-seon."

The tour program first started with two rickshaws. In a matter of two years, the number of rickshaws has jumped to 14. More than ten-thousand people have used the service, which are convenient and fun for tourists unfamiliar with the area.

[Soundbite] YUN HUI-SUK (Visitor) : "We have children. So we could not have toured all of it if we walked around. It was really a good experience."

This company provides good, detailed information on tourist attractions across the nation. The service appeals to people who want to get reliable information about their destinations with several clicks on their mouse before they leave their homes.

[Soundbite] JEONG IL-HUI (CEO, Tour Information Provider) : "You can see everything about your destination at your home. The information is reliable and vivid."

Some 100 business start-ups run creative tour programs. They are still in a nascent stage but are focused on simple and easy ways to achieve tangible results in a short period. Experts say that the businesses needs to sharpen their international competitiveness and actively develop programs that can attract foreign tourists.

8. Entertainment News

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The new KBS drama “Golden Cross” has debuted to a warm response. Critics have praised its solid storyline and strong performances. This and more coming up.

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"Golden Cross" is the name of a clandestine club that only has a handful of powerful, influential figures as its members. The drama "Golden Cross" is about the top financial elite, which schemes to secretly influence and control the nation's economy. It also depicts the tragedies faced by ordinary families who are casualties in the wake of these power-hungry individuals' actions. The drama stars Kim Kang-woo, Uhm Ki-joon and Jung Bo-seok. Foreign films have dominated the South Korean box office chart. The Korean Film Council says that foreign films are occupying the top five spots. Among Korean films, "Elegant Lies" came in the highest ranking at sixth place. Another Korean movie "Mr. Perfect" has also made it to the top ten list. Foreign movies captured more than a 50 percent share in the South Korean market in the first quarter of this year. The figure is a surge from 30-point-six percent in the same period last year. Big-name boy bands will make a comeback. "Infinite" will return to the stage in April, following a nine month hiatus. "Beast" will also come back with a new album next month after a ten-month break.

9. Keeping Eyes Young

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Your eyes play an important role in making a first impression. A growing number of people are going in for laser treatments to keep them looking younger. Let's take a look.

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Your eyes are the first part of your body to show your age. The skin around the eyes is also prone to disease because its so thin. Dark circles forming around your eyes can be a major headache. This man in his early 40s says it's a real problem for him.

[Soundbite] LEE JAE-HUN (Office Worker) : "Even when I go to bed early, my coworkers say that I look tired at work. My kid is only four years old, so I want to look young."

Dark circles usually appear because the skin around the eyes is so thin and sensitive. They look even darker when the body is tired. People with rhinitis are also prone to dark circles because of poor circulation in the nasal cavity. This man sought medical help to find out the cause of his dark circles. An exam revealed that dermatitis was the root cause of his dark, puffy eyes. In this case, the dark circles are usually brownish in color. You can lighten the dark circles with the help of laser treatment, but if you also have rhinitis you should treat that as well. The skin around the eyes can be affected by several skin problems at once. This woman, who is six months pregnant, has tiny bumps around her eyes. They're called milia, and they look like tiny grains. They appear when the pores become clogged by cosmetics or lumps of dead skin. If you try to squeeze them, you can cause inflammation and even a scar. So the best solution is to seek the help of a dermatologist. But not all bumps around the eyes are diagnosed as milia.

[Soundbite] "This patient has syringoma around his eyes and several milia."

Here's how to tell milia and syringoma apart.

[Soundbite] Prof. PARK JI-HYE (Kangbuk Samsung Hospital) : "Milia can appear naturally or due to skin irritation and excessive removal of dead skin. They appear in the form of one or two bumps of the same color as the skin. As for syringoma, it mostly affects middle-aged women and appears under the eyes as several lumps of the same color as the skin."

In a nutshell, milia are small bumps measuring about one millimeter in size and located at certain intervals from one another, whereas syringoma refers to benign bumps that are formed in clusters. Th easiest way to prevent bumps around your eyes is by washing your face thoroughly. Here's how to take care of the skin around the eyes. Keeping the area well-moisturized is a must. When going outside, don't forget to apply sunscreen. If the bags under your eyes get worse, apply cold and hot towels. If the skin under your eyes looks swollen, press on the bone under your eyes and the starting point of your eyebrows with your fingers. This also helps relieve eye fatigue. Eating plenty of tomatoes and broccoli is also good for your eyes, because they're rich in minerals and vitamins. Fish containing lots of omega-3 fatty acids also helps keep the skin around your eyes healthy. By leading a healthy lifestyle and getting the exact cause of the drooping and dull skin around your eyes diagnosed, you can look younger and healthier.