Lieutenant's Arrest

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We begin with news of the arrest of police lieutenant Park Gwan-cheon. He is believed to have drafted a presidential document alleging President Park’s former aide was meddling in political affairs. Prosecutors have concluded that Park, who once worked for the top office, leaked the document and circulated it among his colleagues.

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Police superintendent Park Gwan-cheon who was checked into a hospital in Seoul's Dobong district was arrested by prosecutors at 11:40 pm on Tuesday. He's charged with leaking some 100 presidential documents including the one about Jeong Yun-hoe, when he returned to the police force in February after working for Cho Eung-chon, presidential secretary for civil service discipline. Prosecutors believe Park leaked the documents including ones he drafted himself to the intelligence unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. A police officer surnamed Han who belonged to the unit is then believed to have secretly made copies. Investigators believe an officer surnamed Choi who committed suicide leaked these copies to the local daily Segye Times. The prosecution has applied against Park charges of violating the Presidential Records Act and concealing public documents. Prosecutors are known to request a warrant for his detention as soon as they finish further investigation. Investigators will also look into whether Park's immediate boss Cho Eung-chon, knew about Park's document leak.

2. “Nut Rage” Fallout

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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported former Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah to the prosecution, deciding to impose penalties of operation suspensions or fines on Korean Air in response to the so-called nut rage controversy. However, many critics say the ministry’s investigation did not go far enough.

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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed through its investigation that former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah did indeed scream and verbally abuse flight attendants aboard the plane. The Ministry reported Cho to prosecutors for violating the Aviation Security Act, which stipulates that passengers must cooperate with flight operation. As for Korean Air, the government decided to take administrative measures after confirming that the airline had forced flight attendants to make false statements.

[Soundbite] Lee Gwang-hee(Aviation Safety Div., MOLIT) : "Operation suspension would be 21 days long and fines about USD 1.33 billion. There could be a 50% increase or reduction."

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, however, failed to confirm allegations that Cho had assaulted crew members. It was difficult for the summoned flight attendants to tell the truth, because the Ministry had summoned crew chief Park Chang-jin, who was kicked off the plane, and other crew members through Korean Air. Moreover, company executives accompanied the witnesses to the government hearing.

[Soundbite] Park Chang-jin(KAL Cabin Crew Chief (Dec. 12)) : "The airline told us to gather at the company before the investigation. That was a thinly disguised order."

The inclusion of two former Korean Air employees among the six-member investigation team also gave rise to skepticism over the probe's fairness. The Ministry had said immediately after the event that the so-called "nut rage" incident did not merit an investigation, but belatedly started one after widespread public uproar. The government's apparently inadequate investigation has fueled criticism that the Ministry has played spokesman for Korean Air.

3. Lotte Tower Death

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A worker died Tuesday at the construction site of the second Lotte World in southeastern Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has ordered suspended access to the movie theater and aquarium at Lotte World Tower & Lotte World Mall, where water leaks and cracks in the ceilings have been reported since they opened.

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The fatal accident took place at the construction site of a concert hall on the 8th floor of the Lotte World Mall. The worker, a 63-year-old surnamed Kim, is believed to have taken a ten-meter fall while removing scaffolding.

[Soundbite] Kim Jong-sik(Director, Lotte E&C) : "There was no coworker or witness. We're looking into the cause of the accident."

The construction of the second Lotte World has been rife with incidents big and small, including a leak at the aquarium, ceiling cracks and reported tremors in the theater. Now with the latest worker's death, Seoul city has taken bold action. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has ordered the full suspension of the movie theater and aquarium. Construction will also be halted at the concert hall site where the accident occurred. City authorities will allow construction to resume when preventive measures are found to be in place during special inspections.

[Soundbite] Kim Ji-su(Citizen) : "Honestly, I don't understand why they're handling it now, this late."

To minimize public jitters and inconvenience, the city government will promptly conduct an inspection. And if potential hazards continue to be detected, officials may even consider rescinding their approval of the tentative opening of the second Lotte World and close it to the public.

4. Disaster Detection

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We can mitigate the damages wrought by natural disasters with early detection and even predictions. The government is developing technologies that could detect advance signs of disasters and apply them to key facilities.

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Incheon Bridge connects the international business district in Songdo with Incheon International Airport. This safety diagnosis sensor gives peace of mind to those traveling on the bridge even when the wind gusts up to typhoon level of 17 meters per second. The sensor analyzes the bridge's vibration and checks for abnormalities on a real-time basis.

[Soundbite] Yang Tae-hwan(Road Operation Team, Incheon Bridge Co.) : "We find out and analyze the values of typhoon or earthquake effects. Then we can easily determine the elements that affect safety."

Intelligent surveillance cameras installed in crime-plagued areas automatically sound out alarms when they capture someone climbing over a wall or assaulting a passer-by. Such smart closed-circuit TVs will also be introduced to areas devastated by natural disasters. The cutting-edge surveillance cameras automatically analyze scenes that are hard to distinguish with human eyes. This has made it possible to detect in advance forest fires, floods, and other natural disasters. The government has decided to develop such new technologies that can predict and prevent natural disasters and apply them to key national infrastructure.

5. Cross-Platform App

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Smartphone users are well aware of the compatibility issues between Android and Apple devices. Korean researchers have developed an app building technology using HTML, the standard markup language used to create web pages, to enable apps that can be used across various platforms.

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The most popular mobile applications out on the market typically have two types, one for Android and one for iPhone. That's because the two operating systems (OS) use different programming languages, which means an app built for one will not work on the other. However, an app built with HTML, the standard markup language used in websites, fixes this problem, although the drawback is its slow speed. The Korea-based Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute has resolved the speed issue by developing the world's first HTML web acceleration technology using the graphics processing unit (GPU). A program created using this technology is ten times faster in processing 3D graphics and 20 times faster in processing images when compared to the current standard. This speed is retained when applied to mobile apps regardless of the smartphone model or any other mobile device.

[Soundbite] Jeong Yeong-jun(Software Platforms Head, ETRI) : "The advantage is that once an app is developed using HTML, it can be used in diverse areas."

Also, the number of content developers based on HTML is four times that of the Android platform and eight times that of Apple's iOS, which implies this may have a considerable impact on the industry.

6. Leopard Spottings

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Korean leopards and tigers, once the top predators of the Korean Peninsula, were long believed to have disappeared from the region. However, recent sightings continue to feed speculation that leopards may still be found in Korea.

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Clear animal footprints were discovered on the sandy beach of the Seom River in Wonju, Gangwon Province in April of last year. Presumed to be from a predator bigger than a wildcat, some claimed that they were leopard footprints. However, experts concluded that it was hard to confirm that the animal was a leopard from the footprints alone.

[Soundbite] Han Sang-hun(Researcher, NIBR) : "The footprints were mixed up with others that did not belong to leopards, so it was hard to determine accurately from the photos."

There were so many leopards in Korea in the past that they were often featured in Joseon-era folk paintings. Records also show that 788 leopard skins were used during the Joseon period. However, reckless poaching under the Japanese colonial regime slashed the number of leopards in Korea. The leopard that was captured in the mountains of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province in 1970 is believed to have been the last one in Korea. Currently, about fifty leopards of the Korean lineage are living in the Maritime Province of Russia.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Hang(Seoul Nat’l Univ.) : "I believe it's very unlikely that leopards have survived in South Korea. We should take more interest in preserving the Korean leopards currently living near the borders of Russia, China, and North Korea."

Some argue that in order to confirm the existence of Korean leopards, an expert investigation team should be formed and surveillance cameras installed in areas with a high likelihood of leopard spotting, rather than relying on simple tip-offs or eyewitness accounts.

7. Smartphone Addiction

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Smartphones are now an essential part of many people’s lives. A think tank study shows that South Koreans are spending a daily average of more than three hours on their mobile devices, raising serious concerns. Let's take a look.

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People have their eyes glued to their smartphones. They are occupied with the gadgets even while walking.

[Soundbite] Lee So-hee(Office Worker) : "I look at web cartoons or shop on my smartphone especially when subways are crowded and it's stifling and difficult to put up with."

A KT economic research institute study shows that South Korean people are spending a daily average of three hours and 39 minutes on their smartphones. The figure is up two-point-four times from two years ago. By age, those in their 20s spend the most time on their devices at 281 minutes a day. Those who spend the least amount of time on smartphones are those in their 50s at more than two hours daily. Of the total usage time, 15 percent is devoted to surfing the Internet, while 85 percent is for using social network services or other apps. All of this smartphone use has reduced the time people spend on meditation, relaxation or reading. Naturally, there are concerns about people's obsession with smartphones and their estrangement from books and newspapers. Twenty-five percent of South Koreans carry smartphones everywhere they go, and appears that those who overuse them are increasing in number.

8. Entertainment News

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With winter vacation approaching, a series of animated films to delight young children and parents alike are set to open at theaters nationwide. That and more on today’s entertainment news.

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The animated character Pororo the Little Penguin is nicknamed the kids' president for his enormous popularity. This time around, he and his friends set out on an adventure facing off with a lava monster. It is the second big screen appearance of Pororo, whose popularity stemmed from the animated TV series. Four other penguins leave Antarctica to save the world from a dangerous villain. The story is told in the fourth and last part of the Penguins of Madagascar series. The previous three movies earned approximately 1.8 billion U.S. dollars around the world. Main characters of fairy tales from around the world gather for a party. But the youngest dwarf's mistake turns all them into ice. The seven dwarfs launch an adventure to save the kingdom. Baro, a member of the Korean idol group B1A4, plays the part of the youngest dwarf in the Korean-dubbed version. Actor Sung Hyuk has donated to charity the prize money of over 46,000 U.S. dollars he earned in the KBS quiz show "One Vs. 100." His agency said that the actor made the donation to the Gangdong District Office and social welfare organization Holt for unmarried single mothers and young people in need. Singer PSY's year-end concert has been the top-selling show at online ticket reservation site Interpark for two straight years. Interpark explained that many fans have built up huge anticipation for his concert, which is widely known to be great fun.

9. Handwriting Returns

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The era of smart devices has made our lives much more convenient, but it has on the other hand deteriorated our hand-writing skills. It is still important to write legible answers on national exams or college essay tests, so here's more on why handwriting is still important and how to write legibly and beautifully.

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With the spread of smart phones and computers handwriting is gradually becoming obsolete. The problem is more serious among young students.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyeon-sil(Head, College Admissions Academy) : "Students oftentimes use computers to do their school homework or projects. So they don't have many chances to write by hand, which makes their handwriting even poorer."

It is important to write by hand often, especially for students. Because changes take place inside the brain when writing with a pen or pencil. The same sentences were written once on a smartphone and another time with a pen. Then brain activities were compared. The red markings are seen when the brain is actively engaged and working. More of them show up when writing with a pen. Cerebral activity figures were also more than twice as high in the handwriting portion of the experiment.

[Soundbite] Nam Jeong-wook(Korea Neuro Feedback Research Inst.) : "By typing, we write down words or thoughts passively whereas when writing by hand, we think more actively. These test results show that our brain activity nearly doubles when writing than when typing."

An increasing number of grown-ups are coming to private academies to correct their handwriting. Important national exams or job applications require people to write in their own handwriting, so writing neatly is also important for adults as well.

[Soundbite] Ryu Hyeon-ju(Specialist for Correct Handwriting) : "The most important thing is how you hold a pencil and your posture."

First hold the pencil with the tip of your pointer finger aligned with the starting point of the pencil's stem. Try to hold the pencil with a relaxed grip. Good posture can help lead to good handwriting. Straighten your back and place your arms in front of you as if you're bowing down.

[Soundbite] "If you sit up straight and write in a straight line, you can write neatly even on a non-lined notebook."

Try writing the old-fashioned way rather than typing sometimes, because handwriting can keep your brain more active and even help you better communicate your feelings.