NIS Hacking Claims

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The National Intelligence Service claims to have uncovered the North Korean illegal weapons trade through the use of a hacking program. The South Korean spy agency has reportedly made roughly 300 such hacking attempts.

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The U.S. government discovered that a shipping company in Singapore was involved in weapons trading with North Korea and listed the company on its sanctions list. An official of the ruling Saenuri Party said that South Korea's National Intelligence Service used a hacking program to track such illegal weapons trading by North Korea. He said that, according to an NIS report, the illegal weapon dealings were discovered by using this hacking program on foreigners associated with North Korea. This program was also reportedly used to gain information on North Korean diplomat's business dealings to make money abroad and North Korean drug trafficking inside China. The NIS is said to have disclosed information that roughly 300 hacking attempts were made to gain intelligence on North Korea. The governing Saenuri Party argued that the recent controversy surrounding the hacking program should be halted for the sake of national security. But the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy repeatedly asked for more materials.

[Soundbite] Rep. Moon Jae-in (Chairman, NPAD): "The NIS should not hide behind national security and deny everything, but be validated."

On August 6th, the two sides agreed to hold a meeting on the hacking controversy with NIS officials and intelligence experts.

2. Lotte Sibling Rivalry


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With the Lotte Group sibling fight over succession rights escalating further, former Lotte Holdings Vice Chairman Shin Dong-joo has returned to Korea. His younger brother, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, has been trying to normalize the group's operations but the sparks are still flying.

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Former Lotte Holdings Chairman Shin Dong-joo and his wife appear together at Gimpo Airport. His return to the country comes two days after he left for Japan with his father, Lotte Group general chairman Shin Kyuk-ho. Shin Dong-joo did not answer reporters' questions regarding his ongoing feud with his brother over succession rights, and hurriedly left the airport.

[Soundbite] "Do you agree with the board of directors' decision? Did you take your father to Japan with his consent?"

Sources say Shin arrived in Korea a day earlier than scheduled. During his stay in Korea, he will likely focus on bringing together the Lotte Group shareholders and board of directors, as well as persuading his father. It is also likely that Shin will try to convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and hold a vote to rebut the decision of Lotte Holdings' board of directors in Japan. As Lotte Group general chairman Shin Kyuk-ho has yet to clarify his stance, attention is focusing on who the Lotte family will side with and what steps the two siblings will take next.

3. Phasing Out Bankbooks

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Most bank transactions nowadays take place online, making bankbooks almost obsolete. Noting this trend, financial authorities have decided to phase out paper bankbooks within the next five years. Here’s more.

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Most people visiting banks for financial transactions only bring their ID cards, not their bankbooks.

[Soundbite] Jo Won-geun (Bank Customer): "I don't use a bankbook except when opening an account. Transfers and loans can be done on my smartphone."

In the last year alone, more than 163 million U.S. dollars were spent to make the little-used bankbooks. At last, the Financial Supervisory Service announced that the paper bankbooks will be phased out.

[Soundbite] Park Se-chun (Deputy Governor, FSS): "Using bankbooks for financial transactions is inconvenient and incurs unnecessary costs to both consumers and financial companies."

Starting this September, bank customers who open accounts without getting bankbooks stand to receive incentives in interest rates and fees, or prizes. Paper bankbooks will not be issued to customers under 60-years-old from 2017, and over the next five years, their production will be scaled back and they'll be completely phased out by 2020.

4. Pyongyang Style Bands

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Bands comprising women musicians emulating the famous North Korean Moranbong Band have formed at North Korean restaurants located along the North Korea-China border region. Overseas media outlets have dubbed them "Pyongyang style" and raised the issue of human rights violations as these bands are being used to earn foreign currency.

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A trio of North Korean women performs an exciting song. The enthusiastic audience dances along. The band also performs a tap dance in high heels and skillfully sings famous folk songs. A growing number of restaurants in hotels located in the border area between North Korea and China such as Hunchun are hiring young women in their 20s as singers and dancers. Their costumes and performance style bear close similarities to those of the famous North Korean band Moranbong. Overseas media have dubbed them "Pyongyang style" and said that North Korean restaurants are using the young performers as a desperate measure to earn foreign currency. The foreign media also raised the issue of the performers' human rights, pointing out that they are no different from thousands of North Korean workers who are dispatched to overseas construction sites to earn foreign currency.

5. American Soldier Arrest

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An American army private pulled a knife on his fellow soldiers at a night club in Itaewon. He had fled immediately after the assault, but the incident was captured on a surveillance camera, leading to his arrest ten days later.

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A fight breaks out under the flashing lights in a night club. A brawny man beats another man with his fists and brandishes a knife. People around them scatter as the man wields his weapon, but he soon flees the scene. The assailant was an American private stationed at the U.S. army base in Yongsan. The private claimed that he was struck by someone at the crowded night club around midnight on July 18th. He is accused of wielding a 20-centimeter knife on innocent bystanders. The assailant stabbed a higher-ranked private first class from his unit and was responsible for injuring another serviceman's wrist. The two soldiers were not fatally injured.

[Soundbite] Club Owner (Voice altered): "People were scrambling and making noise as if there was a fight. The sound was muffled because the music was so loud."

The U.S. military said the assailant will be disciplined according to due process and the military is investigating how he came in possession of the weapon. South Korean police arrested the perpetrator and handed him over to the U.S. military police.

6. Wild Boar Invasion

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Ten wild boars appeared in a village in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. No casualties were reported, but the locals had to wait in terror until the animals were caught.

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A sounder of ten wild boars appears on the slopes near a rural village. They include mother-boars weighing over 150 kilograms each and their young offspring. When morning arrives, the animals head to the village en masse in search of food. The incident was reported to police by a farmer in his 70s, who ran away after seeing the boars approach him.

[Soundbite] Jin Jung-seop (First Witness): "They started running towards me. There were ten of them running from all sides. It's too scary for an old man like me."

The boars moved all the way to the farmer's greenhouse and roamed in the village for about 20 minutes. Police fired five shots, killing one of the animals. A civilian protection group managed to kill six other boars that had fled to the nearby mountain. Police and the civilian protection group will kill the remaining three animals as soon as they are discovered to ensure residents' safety.

7. Korean Tour Destinations

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We're back with the KBS series on introducing tourist destinations in Korea. Today we take you to the underwater world beautifully sculpted by volcanic activity on Jeju Island. Follow us through an amazing geological journey into the deep sea.

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Divers have gathered to explore the underwater world below the Global Geopark on Jeju Island.

[Soundbite] "We are going to explore rocks near the tuff cone that were formed following a volcanic eruption."

Following a briefing on the topography of the ocean floor, they descend and the exploration begins. A bed of tuff rocks is seen all around. Volcanic matter repeatedly layered over the years and have created a spectacle, leaving the divers in awe. The crew follow a fish to find rainbow colored corals shaped in flowers and trees. This is just a glimpse of the stunning underwater world of the volcanic island of Jeju.

[Soundbite] Shuichi Kobayashi (Diver): "The solidified lava-turned geography was dynamic. The caves and soft corals were fascinating."

The vista can be viewed even in shallow waters appealing to novice divers as well. Volcanic creations resulting from violent eruptions under the sea 5,000 years ago are becoming a new tourist resource.

8. Yeonpyeong Film Screening

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The Korean film "Northern Limit Line" was shown on Yeonpyeong Island Wednesday and Thursday. The border island is the place most connected to the movie, so how did locals and soldiers stationed there see the film?

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A school gym turned into an impromptu theater quickly fills up. Residents of Yeonpyeong Island, including the elderly, soldiers and children have gathered for a movie screening. The movie begins, and they are brought back to that day 13 years ago. Sorrow and regrets fill the gym during the intense battle scenes. The Second Battle of Yeonpyeong with North Korea took place in waters just 14 miles off Yeonpyeong Island. At the time, islanders transported injured soldiers on their fishing boats. The Marine Corps Yeonpyeong Unit arrived as reinforcement to support the Navy from the rear.

[Soundbite] Lee Gyeong-mi (Yeonpyeong Resident): "It's true. We are here thanks to the soldiers who fought."

[Soundbite] Oh Jong-seok (Private First Class, Marine Corps Yeonpyeong Unit): "We will defend the northwestern islands with our lives to the very end, as our seniors did."

Yeonpyeong residents raised over 17-thousand dollars in donations two years ago to help with the movie's production. In return, the producers repaid them for their assistance with the free movie screening. The film "Northern Limit Line" topped six million viewers on Wednesday, the first day of its release on Yeonpyeong Island.

9. Beating Cellulite

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Staying in shape and maintaining a healthy weight is a big challenge for many. When it comes to weight, we often think about health as well as the way we look. Today we're taking a look at how to prevent and get rid of cellulite.

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Cellulite, which is also known as "orange peel syndrome", is a condition when the skin looks lumpy due to visible fat deposits. Body slimming products containing caffeine are widely used to get rid of cellulite because caffeine is known for its fat-decomposing properties. Such products are availiable in various forms, including gels, patches and rollers. We tested their efficacy. A body slimming product was applied to the left arm and leg, while nothing was applied to the opposite side. Then a 30-minute massage was performed. After conducting this procedure repeatedly for one week, we found that the body fat percentage has declined slightly, but the level of swelling has not changed significantly.

[Soundbite] Dr. Kim Ji-young (Dermatologist): "Slimming products alone cannot remove cellulite because they do not absorb the subcutaneous fat tissue. They can only be used as a supplementary or preventive remedy. "

Exercise is one of the ways to get rid of cellulite. First - an abdominal exercise. In a sitting position stretch one of your legs and touch it with the opposite hand. Repeat ten times. Hold both hands together in the shape of a gun, raise one of your legs and move the arms sideways.

[Soundbite] Cho Young-seon (Trainer): "This exercise prevents bodily waste by keeping the drooping skin together and removing the fat."

Next, a hip exercise. Raise your legs above the floor and cross them. Remember to keep your feet above the floor. Using dumbbells also helps. Bend your arms over your shoulders and lift the dumbbells in turns behind your head. If you don't have time to exercise, perform stretching exercises whenever you have time. Cellulite is hard to get rid of once it appears. So prevention and a healthy lifestyle are key.