Nut Rage Trial

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Former Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah's first day at trial took place on Monday. Cho, who is also the daughter of the airline’s CEO, was charged for ordering a plane to return to the gate after it had already begun moving.

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Former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah appeared at the court building in a prison bus. Her defense attorney said that the airline heiress is deeply regretful, but denied most of the key charges launched against her, claiming that her actions did not deserve to be punished by law. The attorney also argued that the charge of changing the flight route is inapplicable in this case, because the term "flight route" refers to the route in the sky, so the plane changing its course on the ground does not fall under the term 'change in flight route.' As for the charge of her meddling in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport investigation, she claimed that she only received routine reports about work progress from Director Yeo, and never instructed anyone to make false testimonies. However, the prosecution argued that the Aviation Security Act defines "flight route" completely different from "air traffic service route," and thus includes on-ground segments as well. Prosecutors also stressed that she had clearly committed obstruction of public duty, because Korean Air's attempts to destroy evidence could have kept investigators from uncovering the truth. The prosecution submitted evidence at Monday's trial, such as a text message sent by a flight attendant to her acquaintance. The text message read she was "instructed by the company to tell things as she was told." The court has called chief purser Park Chang-jin and flight attendant known only as Ms. Kim as the witnesses for the second trial slated for January 30th.

2. Missing Teen in Turkey

[Anchor Lead]

An 18-year-old South Korean went missing near the Turkey-Syria border ten days ago. Amid speculations that he may have crossed into Syria to join the militants of Islamic State, the South Korean Foreign Ministry is working together with Turkish police to find out where he is.

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An 18-year-old South Korean boy identified by his family name "Kim" went missing ten days ago in the southern Turkish city of Kilis near the border with Syria. Turkish police believe it likely that the South Korean teenager secretly crossed into Syria to join the radical Sunni Islamist militant group Islamic State (IS). They base their presumption on the fact that Kim went to the Turkey-Syria border region, which is not a popular tourist destination, to meet a Turkish person who he had become acquainted with via the Internet. The city of Kilis is a major route for foreigners secretly crossing the border to join ISIS. A hundred U.S. dollars is enough to secure passage through the border through a broker.

[Soundbite] Syrian Refugee : "Jihadists of foreign nationalities from Europe and Russia frequently cross the border into Syria."

South Korean police are also taking note of the fact that Kim exchanged messages with a Turkish person through a secure, encrypted messenger program. ISIS is known to recruit foreign teenagers as new members of its organization through messenger programs. However, no material evidence has yet been found to back speculations that Kim crossed the border into Syria.

3. Inter-Korean Train

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The government has decided to hold a pilot run of the cross-peninsula train connecting Seoul to Sinuiju and Rajin in North Korea around Korean Independence Day on August 15th. President Park Geun-hye said that real talks between the two Koreas must begin as soon as possible.

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The pilot operation of the Seoul-Sinuiju line is set to resume around Korea's Independence Day on August 15th. The cross-border rail service was suspended after operating a single time in 2007. The South Korean government is reviewing two routes. One starts in Seoul and travels through Pyongyang to arrive at Sinuiju, and the other heads to the logistics center of Rajin from Pyongsan, through Kowon and Kilju.

[Soundbite] Ryoo Kihl-jae (Unification Minister) : "I believe this will be easy once N. Korea accepts it. This could lead to the realization of the "Eurasia Initiative"."

The plan is to transport cultural figures and artists on the train and to hold large joint events in Seoul and Pyongyang. Three channels - the people's livelihood, environment, and culture - will be opened and inter-Korean cultural centers that serve as cultural exchange hubs will be established in both Seoul and Pyongyang. President Park Geun-hye urged North Korea to show a positive response, while stressing that real dialogue between the two Koreas must take place as soon as possible in order to improve inter-Korean relations and prepare for unification.

4. Gyeongsang Airport

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Five mayors and governors in the Gyeongsang Provinces have agreed to give the central government full discretion on building a new airport there. In a meeting held in Daegu on Monday, the local government heads said that they would not compete to host a new airport, leaving all decisions in the hands of the central government.

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In order to speed up construction of a new airport, the heads of five cities and provinces in the Yeongnam region agreed to defer a preliminary study on the validity of the project to the central government. They will entrust the government with the discretion to decide on all matters related to the new airport which had previously been bones of contention among the five local governments, including its function and size. They asked the central government to commission the validity study to an expert foreign agency and wrap it up within a year.

[Soundbite] Kwon Young-jin (Daegu mayor) : "On the foundation of this agreement, a new airport will soon be built to realize the long-cherished wish of Yeongnam people and promote prosperity and development of the region."

The five mayors and governors also agreed to actively cooperate with the central government for the smooth progress of the validity review, promising not to compete to host the new airport. Their decision reflects the urgent need to build an airport in the area, following the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's August prediction that the demand for international flights will surge in the Yeongnam region. With the agreement, the new airport project, which has been stalled for the last five years, will likely regain momentum.

5. College Admissions

[Anchor Lead]

Korea's college admissions system is facing a barrage of criticism as a series of errors were found in the annual college scholastic ability test in the past couple of years. Here's what students actually think about the country's current education system.

[Soundbite] Jeong Joo-hun (College Student) : "The college entrance exam felt like a factory to me."

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Students are trained to solve problems like machines instead of learning the basic concepts. They memorize in bulk Education Broadcasting System texts, where most of the CSAT questions are from, and study not from textbooks, but from EBS study materials. Students have criticized that this is not how public education should be carried out.

[Soundbite] Lee Tae-su (High School Junior) : "Because of the realistic pressure of the CSAT, we study with EBS study materials instead of textbooks."

They also griped about the tightly controlled school life. Korean students are forced to keep their school grades up, study for the annual college entrance exam, and get involved in several extracurricular activities. Moreover, the college admissions system changes every year and differs too widely by college, preventing the students and teachers from making any projections.

[Soundbite] Lee Seong-wu (High School Senior) : "The evaluation methods differ too much from last year to this year. I can't figure out how they're carried out."

The participants of the meeting said that students seek out private education because the public school system fails to provide sufficient information. They proposed that detailed materials be provided by universities and colleges. One student slammed past and present education ministers by saying that they don't seem to know what is actually going on in schools because they lack on-site experiences.

6. Business Support

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In an effort to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, some low-income Koreans start their own businesses. But they need support when it comes to promoting their products and developing the market. Here’s more.

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Park Chan-i, who lives on government subsidies, is busy repairing a broken bicycle He participated in a self-support labor program for the past seven years, and even obtained a level-one repair license. He recently opened a bicycle store in partnership with others in similar circumstances.

[Soundbite] Park Chan-i (Self-Support Company Owner) : "I want to earn a lot of money before my children grow up. I will need it in the future when they get married."

A woman is busy making a lamp with traditional Korean paper called "hanji." This is a hanji crafts company started up by two low-income neighbors. Their goal is to overcome their poverty by selling the products they make.

[Soundbite] Choi Jun-beom (Social Economy Projects Manager) : "These people will secure stable jobs and income through self-help companies."

There are more than 1,300 self-support companies across the nation, in fields that include medical care, construction, maintenance and childcare. With mounting attention to social economy, an increasing number of low-income citizens are starting their own businesses to get back on their feet and seek new hope.

7. "Digital Welfare"

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In the digital era, where smartphones are an essential daily item, telecom fees are a big financial burden for many households. In an example of "digital welfare", local governments have begun providing free WiFi services in neighborhood buses.

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This neighborhood bus operates in the Guro District in Seoul. A sticker posted inside says that passengers are allowed to use the free WiFi service on the bus. Some of the passengers even use their tablet PCs to take advantage of the free data network.

[Soundbite] Oh Hee-won (Office Woker) : "I surf the Internet a lot while commuting by bus. This way I can save on telecom fees because the WiFi service is free."

Free WiFi services are now provided on 84 neighborhood buses in Guro District. In the future, such services will also be available at bus stops, on the streets, and in parks.

[Soundbite] Lee Sung (Guro Major) : "Telecom charges are a burden, so it's part of our public welfare program to give everyone access to information without having them worry about expensive charges."

The free WiFi network is predicted to benefit the Guro Digital Complex, which is a center of economic growth in the area. It's also expected to contribute to improving the district residents' standard of living by providing for free a service that would cost an individual about 28 U.S. dollars each month.

8. Entertainment News

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Controversy over large film distributors dominating the market and leaving no room for smaller firms continues to rise in Korea. The CEO of a small film distribution firm has resigned, while a signature collecting campaign is underway on the Internet to urge that a film distributed by the firm be screened at more theaters.

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This movie about a girl who steals a wealthy family's pet dog in order to find her missing father and help her family regain their home has been lauded for its heartwarming plot. But only some ten theaters in the nation are screening the film, and the screening schedule is different on different days.

[Soundbite] Shin Min-young (Moviegoer) : "I heard that this movie is very interesting. But few theaters are screening it. CGV and Lotte theaters are not screening it."

The film was distributed by a company that had been set up by small and mid-sized film distributors in a bid to overhaul the current film distribution structure, which is dominated by conglomerates. The company's CEO recently announced his decision to resign because large theaters screen the film at unpopular time slots and have cut the number of times it's being screened. Operators of a large theater chain argued that the film was released at the wrong time and lacked promotion.

[Soundbite] Staff from Conglomerate-Owned Theater (Voice Modified) : "If a film has a small share in the first week, we consider it to have a slim chance of success. Screening it at more theaters is simply unfeasible."

The public outcry criticizing large theater chains continues to rise. A petition urging more theaters to screen the movie has been launched online, while several celebrities and civic groups even paid for the film's screening out of their own pockets.

9. "Naked Marathons"

[Anchor Lead]

So-called "naked marathons" have made a splash in Korea this winter. It’s not quite as provocative as it sounds, but you’ll see soon why these runners have to make sure to fully stretch their muscles and warm up before the race to prevent injuries. Let’s take a look.

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These people seem to be busy warming up for a race. But then they suddenly start taking off their tops.

[Soundbite] Jeon Guk-hee (Chairman, Daegu Assoc. of Masters Athletic) : "This is the New Year's naked marathon. Anyone over 19 years old can participate. Men must be topless, but women can wear anything. The race is meant to get a more energetic start to the New Year."

Unlike in ordinary marathons, male runners have to tuck their back numbers in their shorts, since they're running topless. They also have to warm up and stretch their muscles completely before the race to prevent the loss of body heat. And they're off! Roughly 700 participants of all ages run 10 kilometers. They're so fired up that even the freezing winds cannot deter them.

[Soundbite] "It's great. I want to do this often. It reminds me of my military days 30 years ago."

It's obviously not easy to run with no top on and the frigid wind nipping at your bare torso. But still they run with big smiles on their faces and before long they cross the finish line.

[Soundbite] "Honey, I've survived. You made it! I made it!"

Another naked marathon took place in Daegwanryeong, down from the high plains of Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-hyeon (Participant) : "It's really cold, but I'm going to fire up my passion at this romantic place with the snow falling."

Some 1,200 runners from all over the country are off to an enthusiastic start. Although they're scantily dressed, their bodies radiate with heat and passion.

[Soundbite] "It's refreshing."

It's really inspiring to see them run, not minding the wind and snow. About 30 minutes into the race, runners began arriving at the finish line one by one. Today's first-place finisher was Bryan.

[Soundbite] Bryan (1st place in Naked Marathon)

There is even a man whose hair was frozen solid like icicles in the sub-zero temperatures.

[Soundbite] "My heart is refreshed."

But some people lingered near the finish line even when most of the runners had completed the race. They were waiting for the day's oldest participant, Min Pyeong-shik.

[Soundbite] Min Pyeong-shik (Oldest Participant) : "What am I going to do by finishing first? I just need to complete the race."

Just like he says, every runner in the naked marathon deserves first place and every one of them is a champion.