Nut Rage Trial

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The prosecution has asked for three years in prison for former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah. Chief purser Park Chang-jin testified at trial on Monday's that Cho assaulted and verbally abused him and a flight attendant.

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The prosecution asked for three years in prison for former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah for changing the flight route. Prosecutors asked for a prison term, because the airline heiress still keeps blaming the flight attendant and chief purser as the cause of the whole incident. They also added that she apologized and appeared to be remorseful only in front of the press, not because she was truly sorry, but because she couldn't silence the public outrage. Chief purser Park Chang-jin took to the stand dressed in his uniform and testified that Cho's order to disembark, as well as her assaults and verbal abuse, were all true. He also said that he had never made a mistake in cabin service and the ex-VP must has known that the plane was moving when she ordered him off the plane. However, Cho argued that the flight attendant definitely did not follow the service manual and that she didn't know the plane was moving. She added that she had indeed told the chief purser to get off the plane, but the final decision had been left up to the pilot. But Cho did apologize that her eagerness to better perform her job had prevented her from being considerate of others. Her sentencing will take place on February 12th.

2. Changing Labor

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Last year the number of high school graduates who landed jobs surpassed 10 million people for the first time, as fewer people pursue higher education. More elderly people with just a high school education are finding employment.

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Kim Han-sol graduated from a high school specializing in tax accounting a year ago. Directly upon her graduation, she landed a job at a bank.

[Soundbite] Kim Han-sol(IBK Employee) : "I think it's okay to enroll in college after finding a job ahead of my peers and getting used to it."

Last year the number of newly employed high school graduates surpassed 10 million people. The rise is due to a growing perception that higher education is just an option, rather than a necessity. The college enrollment rate in Korea soared to 84 percent in 2008, but has been declining ever since, falling to 71 percent last year. One of the reasons lies in public agencies, which have been hiring more high school graduates over the past three years. Another factor is the rising employment rate among people in their 50s and over, as a high percentage of them has only high school diplomas. However, the wage gap remains wide - at over 60 percent - with high school graduates earning significantly less than those with college degrees.

[Soundbite] Lee Jang-won(Researcher, Korea Labor Institute) : "By changing the labor market structure with a priority on work responsibilities, we can help high school graduates change their jobs and secure promotions."

To help high school graduates acquire professional knowledge, it is necessary for employers to help them earn college degrees even after landing jobs.

3. Auto Parts Surplus

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Korea's automotive parts trade with Japan saw a surplus for the first time last year, after years of chronic deficits. The Korean automotive parts industry's turnaround is particularly meaningful as it comes in spite of the forced devaluation of Japanese currency, and because Korea has long struggled to catch up with Japanese automotive parts makers.

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The machines produce components that keep a car's engine temperature at a proper level. This company won a deal to supply parts for Japan's top automaker Toyota two years ago. Last year, the company's exports to Japan amounted to nearly 5.5 million U.S. dollars, and this year it aims to more than double that figure.

[Soundbite] Kang Hyeok-jin(Exec. Dir., INZI Controls) : "We project more than USD 13.6mn this year. With the order from Toyota, we expect our growth to double in size."

Owing to a number of thriving manufacturers, Korea's automotive parts trade with Japan saw a surplus of 23 million dollars last year. Just five years ago, Korea had posted a deficit of one billion dollars. This is the first time that Korea has overturned the chronic deficit with Japan. Ever since the devastating earthquake in eastern Japan in 2011, Japanese automakers broadened its pool of parts suppliers to include overseas companies. Korean automotive parts manufacturers capitalized on that opportunity. The Korean automotive parts industry's first trade surplus with Japan demonstrates that the challenge of the devalued Japanese currency can be overcome with competitive products.

4. Rice Supplies

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Rice consumption has been on steady decline in Korea, yet production continues to grow, further exacerbating anxiety among farmers. To make matters worse, Korea must import a certain amount of foreign rice this year, which may result in oversupply.

[Soundbite] "Your bulgogi set is ready."

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A growing number of Koreans these days prefer fast food for lunch instead of rice.

[Soundbite] Jang Kun-hee(Office Worker) : "I eat rice for breakfast once a week, and fast food for lunch about twice a week."

Many customers ordering Korean food eat less than one full bowl of rice.

[Soundbite] Dong Hye-mon(College Student) : "I usually remove some rice, because eating the whole bowl seems too much."

Last year the annual per-capita rice consumption in Korea hit a record-low of 65.1 kilograms. That's just 178.2 grams of rice a day. By contrast, rice production reached 4,240,000 tons in 2014, an increase of 11,000 tons from the previous year. Taking into account the amount of rice Korea is required to import, the nation is highly likely to face an oversupply of rice this year. As a result, the producer price of one 80-kilogram sack of rice fell approximately 8 U.S. dollars in just one year to around 151 dollars. The Ministry of Agriculture plans to launch yet another campaign promoting rice consumption. But experts say that the government should start increasing rice exports, which have been low so far, in line with the opening of the nation's rice market.

5. Identity Theft

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What would you do if you found out that your college acceptance was suddenly cancelled by someone else who stole your personal information via the Internet? The police have arrested a young woman who posed as an online friend to her identity theft victim.

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A female student with the surname Ryu was accepted into college late last year and uploaded a photo of her college acceptance letter on the Internet. But about two weeks later, her college acceptance was cancelled. Somebody had stolen her identity to request a refund of her tuition deposit, which led the college to cancel her admission.

[Soundbite] Ms. Ryu(Victim, Identity Theft) : "I was devastated. I was so happy when I was accepted, but that was wiped out in an instant."

The identity thief turned out to be a 19-year-old girl identified by her surname Kim. Kim and Ryu were so-called online friends, who had become friends on the Internet, but had never met in person. Kim used Ryu's personal information made available on her online account. The agency that submitted Ryu's college application forms was deceived in a phone call by Kim, who knew Ryu's personal information very well.

[Soundbite] College Application Submission Agency(Voice Modified, Dec. 2014) : "Are you 000? Give me your mobile phone number. I sent you a password to this number. You may log in again."

Kim logged in to the college homepage with the new password and Ryu's college acceptance was cancelled in an instant.

[Soundbite] Ms. Ryu(Victim, Identity Theft) : "I felt like I was back-stabbed. She even congratulated me when I posted my acceptance letter online."

During police questioning, Kim said that she became jealous of Ryu when she saw that Ryu had been accepted by the college that she had failed to get into. Meanwhile, Ryu was re-admitted to the college in question after her case was reviewed by the school in an admissions meeting.

6. Feature Phone Spotlight

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One in every five Koreans use low-end mobile phones, known as "feature phones." Here's more on the popularity of older cell phone models.

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Homemaker Lee Ju-ye has been using her folder-type phone for eight years now.

[Soundbite] Lee Ju-ye(Homemaker) : "The battery lasts longer, the fee is quite cheap and it's also easy to use."

Some 13 million people in Korea are using older models of mobile phones instead of smartphones. That's one in every five users. A growing number of younger adults and teenagers are also gravitating to low-end "feature phones" to prevent smartphone addiction and privacy leaks. Compared to smartphones, feature phones are easier to carry around and use, as they have only the most essential functions. The latest models of foldable feature phones even offer Internet banking and social networking functions.

[Soundbite] Kwon Myeong-jin(PR Director, LG Uplus Corp.) : "These models will likely be popular among users who are accustomed to buttons, as well as those who miss the old flip phones."

But issues remain in the market which must be addressed. Finding low-end feature phones is not easy these days, as producers and cellphone dealers shun them due to low profitability.

7. Adapted Musical Drama

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Here’s the story of a musical drama, newly adapted and transformed to help visually impaired audiences better understand what they are hearing. Here are some scenes from the show.

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After the show begins with a cheerful, exciting song and dance, a married couple has an argument over the issue of memorial services the woman has to prepare for her husband's ancestors. A special version of the music drama begins again after the original show ends. There is no dancing in the show. But a commentator adds explanations of each scene for the special audience.

[Soundbite] Commentator : "The husband walks angrily, holding shopping bags in his hands. The wife begins to grumble as soon as she sits on the bench at the bus stop."

The husband gets drunk and fall asleep on a street bench after drinking with a friend who was swindled. For the visually impaired audience, the commentator elaborately describes the wife who looks for her husband.

[Soundbite] Commentator : "The wife walks around looking for her husband and finds him looking like a beggar."

[Soundbite] "Look, Mr. Kang Bong-sik? No, I'm not."

The audience bursts into laughter and wipes the rolling tears from their faces every now and then.

[Soundbite] Ahn Seung-joon(Visually Impaired Viewer) : "I hope this kind of show will be staged more, so we can feel and enjoy the show, and share the atmosphere."

It was a rare and moving opportunity for visually impaired people to visit a theater for a show.

8. Entertainment News

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Movies offering a visual spectacle are popular every year. Some films entertain the eyes of moviegoers with panoramic natural landscapes or appetizing dishes. Here are a few examples of this beautiful trend.

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A woman in despair goes hiking as a way to recover from a recent crisis and find new hope. The course she selects is a precarious one, measuring 4,200 kilometers in length. The panoramic, scenic views in the film captivate moviegoers

[Soundbite] Kang Su-hyeon(Moviegoer) : "The scene was impressive because it made me feel as if I were actually there. It made me want to visit in the future."

Freshly baked bread and jam made with fresh fruit. There are also close-ups of fish sizzling on a grill and fresh tomato spaghetti. A feast of appetizing dishes and the sounds of cooking mixed with cheerful background music stimulate the eyes and ears of viewers.

[Soundbite] Park Eun-young(Moviegoer) : "The scene with the Cuban sandwiches made me want to go out and get one, if only they were for sale."

Vivid scenes appealing to all of the five senses are a recent cinematic trend. Experts say that while dealing with similar subjects, filmmakers must employ special strategies to make their movies stand out.

[Soundbite] Prof. Jang Il(Korea Nat’l Open Univ.) : "Even if a movie deals with a common topic, it can be more appealing to viewers if it offers something else to see."

Viewers are being treated to ever more fulfilling vicarious experiences through vivid scenes in the movies.

9. Seasoning and Spices

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Seasoning and spices play a crucial role in determining the taste of our food, but few people know how to store seasoning properly. Because they're made with various ingredients, different seasonings and spices can go bad. Here's more.

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When it comes to cooking, spices and seasonings are indispensable. Most homemakers store their spices and seasonings in easy-to-reach places in their kitchen.

[Soundbite] Prof. Choi Eun-jeong(Ewha Womans Univ.) : "Hot, humid areas with a lot of sunlight are a good breeding ground for bacteria and mold."

We checked how perilla seed oil changed when stored at room temperature versus a refrigerator.
At room temperature, its tendency to go bad increased sixfold.

[Soundbite] Lee Hak-tae(Dir., Green Food Safety Research Inst.) : "This shows that the oil becomes rancid faster when stored at room temperature. The rancidity level of perilla oil seed should be under 5.0."

Here's how to store spices and seasonings properly. Soy sauce and salted anchovy sauce should always be refrigerated to keep them fresh. Sesame and perilla seeds as well as red pepper powder should also be refrigerated in small amounts. When you have to store larger amounts for a long time, keep them in your freezer in air-tight containers.

[Soundbite] Song Ki-young(CEO, Moldoc) : "When stored in a humid place, red pepper powder can change in color, become lumped or covered with fungal hyphae. Contaminated pepper powder can cause symptoms of food poisoning."

Salted shrimp should be kept in the freezer as well. This way it always stays fresh but doesn't freeze because of its salinity. When it comes to oils, store them in cool, dark places. Honey and homemade extracts should be kept at room temperature in cool places because sugar lumps easily when refrigerated. As for salt and sugar, which absorb moisture more easily, place a few toothpicks in the containers or spread a kitchen towel at the bottom. You can also minimize moisture in the container by attaching a dehumidifying packet to the lid. To prevent sifter caps of spice jars from becoming clogged, put in a few rice grains. This helps prevent lumping and clogging. By keeping your spices and seasonings in the right place, you can prepare more healthful and delicious food at home.