New Leader

[Anchor Lead]
Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook is the new leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party. She's now in charge of reforming and integrating the opposition camp.

[Pkg]
Han Myeong-sook has been elected the first leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party. The former lawmaker has also served as prime minister and minister of gender equality and family and the environment.

[Soundbite] Han Myeong-sook (Chairwoman, Democratic United Party) : "I will try to meet the people's expectations with innovating policies and by pursuing change through a vote revolution."

Public participation in the election for party leader and the adoption of mobile voting have weakened the power of organized voting. New politician Moon Sung-keun came second in the party election. Park Young-sun came in sixth in voting by party members, but third in the public vote. These three and Park Jie-won, Lee In-yeong and Kim Boo-kyum will comprise the new leadership of the main opposition party.

The party's first task will be seeking victory in the April general elections. Their competence will be tested in how they reform party human resources and unify opposition candidates. Full-fledged discussions on reforming the party and its policies toward a vote bribery scandal will also begin. The main opposition party's new leaders will also have to integrate former members of the now-defunct Democratic Party, civic groups and labor.

2. Reform Plan

[Anchor Lead]
The ruling Grand National Party is pushing to introduce an open primary system ahead of the general elections in April. Here’s more.

[Pkg]
The Grand National Party's Political Reform Subcommittee is seeking to introduce an open primary system. If the system is adopted, 80 percent of party candidates running for the April general elections will be picked through an open primary. The subcommittee will also introduce criteria for evaluating the political performance of incumbent lawmakers to be nominated for the elections. The party will significantly strengthen its ethical criteria. Grand National Party Emergency Committee Chairwoman Park Geun-hye has ordered the subcommittee to submit a draft of open primary reforms by Monday. Last week, Park said the party will forgo its vested interests, including her own, when nominating candidates for the April general elections.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye (Chairwoman, GNP Emergency Committee) : "The reform measures will be submitted on Monday. We will finalize them before the holiday by collecting opinions."

But the reform-minded members of the party call for the abolition of the party's central headquarters and party leadership because the emergency committee's activities fall short of expectations.

[Soundbite] Rep. Nam Kyung-pil (Grand National Party) : "The heart of the reform is for a parliamentary-centered party system to take root."

The emergency committee will finalize measures to overhaul the party's candidate nomination process by Thursday. Attention is focusing on whether the ruling party will be able to overcome this political crisis caused by bribery scandals that involve its senior members.

3. Banned Items

[Anchor Lead]
Many Koreans are planning to travel overseas over the Lunar New Year. In the wake of last year’s massive outbreak of foot and mouth disease, quarantine procedures on agricultural, livestock and maritime products will be stepped up.

[Pkg]
A quarantine dog is on duty at the baggage claim area of Jeju International Airport. The dog is on the lookout for banned agricultural, livestock and maritime products in baggage. Suspicious items are found though they've gone through X-ray inspection. Bringing in unfrozen fruits and processed meat is illegal.

[Soundbite]

Ask him if he knew that these items are banned.

[Soundbite] (Chinese Tourist) : "I didn’t know that. I brought them to eat here."

The volume of illegal items found at the Jeju Airport rose significantly last year. Illegal imports of livestock products also doubled. The smuggling of agricultural products nearly tripled. About 95 percent of the illegal imports were from China. That is due to the surge in the number of Chinese tourists and stronger quarantine measures.

[Soundbite] Lee Byeong-seon (Jeju Quarantine Station) : "Cases of foot-and-mouth disease are frequently reported in China. So brining pork and other meat products from there into Korea is banned."

Quarantine will further be strengthened over the Lunar New Year holiday given that many Koreans will go abroad and many ethnic Koreans from overseas will visit Korea.

4. Holiday Burden

[Anchor Lead]
The Lunar New Year is one of Korea’s biggest holidays. It’s a famously difficult and stressful time for homemakers because of the amount of work they do in getting ready for the influx of family members. As such, bladder inflammation cases have been found to rise during this period.

[Pkg]
Homemakers shop at a conventional market ahead of the lunar New Year holiday. The mere thought of having to work hard in the kitchen to prepare for ancestral worship ceremonies and cook for family and relatives is stressful for them.

[Soundbite]

I'm stressed out physically and mentally. Men have no idea. Women end up falling ill after holiday preparations.

Many homemakers suffer from the so-called "holiday syndrome." A growing number of them seek medical help because of cystitis. They easily contract the disease because their immune system is weakened by fatigue. The number of female cystitis patients grows 5 percent every year. In 2010, it exceeded 1.3 million. That's 15 times as many as male patients. The increase can be ascribed to the growing number of elderly female patients, who are particularly susceptible to inflammation. Cystitis is easy to treat. But if left untreated, it can develop into severe sepsis.

[Soundbite] Dr. Park Seo-yong (Urologist) : "Cystitis symptoms include painful and frequent urination and urgent need to urinate."

Drinking plenty of water and going to the bathroom often can help prevent cystitis.

5. Quitting Aids

[Anchor Lead]
One of the most common New Year's resolutions is quitting smoking, and a popular method to do this is nicotine substitutes. But a study has shown that such products don’t actually help you kick the habit.

[Pkg]
This company is urging smoking employees to stop in the New Year, and 370 workers have pledged to do just that. They drink or eat something whenever they feel the urge to smoke. Others use aids in the form of chewing gum and nicotine patches.

[Soundbite]

I think I don't have to smoke even if I take off (the patch); it serve as a psychological deterrent.

But these nicotine substitutes have limited effect. A joint study by Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts conducted a six-year study on 780 people. Test subjects were divided into two groups: one that used nicotine patches and the other that didn't use aids to quit smoking. But about 30 percent of people in both groups failed to kick the habit.

[Soundbite] Dr. Seo Hong-gwan (National Cancer Center) : "Smoking is related to many factors other than nicotine. So nicotine substitutes have limited effects."

The most important factors in kicking the habit are motivation and determination to suppress the urge to smoke. The effects of aids to quit smoking are maximized when used under the supervision of medical experts.

6. Economy Update

[Anchor Lead]
Politically themed stocks are gaining popularity recently. A survey has shown that many private investors have taken out loans to invest in them. Here's more from the world of daily economics.

[Pkg]
The number of people receiving loans in order to invest in the tech-heavy KOSDAQ market has recorded the largest increase in four and a half years. The Korea Financial Investment Association says the credit loan balance of the KOSDAQ market reached 1.6 billion dollars as of December last year. It's the largest amount since July 2007, when the balance hit 1.7 billion dollars. The credit loan balance surged because a growing number of people take loans to invest in politically themed stocks.

Last year, Korea's exports and imports hit an all-time high. The Korea Customs Service says last year the nation's exports rose more than 19 percent from 2010, recording 556 billion dollars. The nation's imports surged more than 23 percent year-on-year as a result of the soaring prices of raw materials, recording 524 billion dollars.

7. Alterantive Heat

[Anchor Lead]
Flower farms are suffering from rising heating fees amid high oil prices. One solution is to cultivate plants that grow in low temperatures. Another option is a geothermal heating system.

[Pkg]
Beautiful purple and white flowers are in full bloom. This is statice, a popular material in floral arrangements. A bundle goes for roughly six U.S. dollars. The flower can grow from December to June to ensure a stable income source for flower farms. The flower blooms between eight and 12 degrees Celsius, and so demands less heating than roses.

[Soundbite] Jang Il-ho (Farmer) : "I can earn more income, since they grow at a low temperature, helping cut management costs."

This farm has also introduced a geothermal heating system to slash production costs 70 percent. Water runs through pipes buried underground to heat greenhouses. A huge investment is needed to install the system. But farmers can receive government subsidies to cover 80 percent of equipment investment. So they can recoup the cost in three years.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-sin (Gangjin Agri-Tech Center) : "The geothermal heating system reduces heating costs by 70%, compared to oil heating."

Cultivation of plants growing at low temperatures and use of the geothermal heating system will help farmers reduce heating costs at a time of rising oil prices.

8. Bear Alert

[Anchor Lead]
Asian black bears living on Mount Jiri have gone into hibernation. Hikers need to be especially cautious because when awakened, the animals can be quite dangerous.

[Pkg]
It's an early winter morning on Mount Jiri. After the sunrise, the landscape looks quite different. Snowflakes blanket the mountain. Water flowing in scenic ravines beneath ice makes an alluring sound. But hikers climbing Mount Jiri must look out for Asian black bears hibernating all over the mountain. Hibernation is a biological state during which bears don't eat or excrete feces.

[Soundbite] Dr. Jeong Dong-hyeok (Korea National Park Service) : "When they burn their energy, their bodies accumulate waste matter, which they recycle inside their bodies. The principle is yet unknown."

Bears usually hibernate in areas that are hard to reach for humans, such as beneath cliffs or in caves under trees. But they are easily awakened by noise. When awakened from their winter sleep, bears can hurt not only themselves but humans as well because of the excessive use of energy.

[Soundbite] Kim Jong-dal (Dir., Species Restoration Center) : "When approached by humans, they become stressed out and can attack them all of a sudden."

Hikers are advised to take only designated routes and refrain from making noise. It's been eight years since black bears were released to the wild on Mount Jiri. To help them adapt to the wilderness, humans must learn how to coexist with the animals.

9. Pyeongchang Tour

[Anchor Lead]
Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province is a popular destination in Korea during the winter. Before it won the 2018 Winter Olympics, few had heard of it outside of the country, but now it’s preparing to host the world. We take you now to Pyeongchang.

[Pkg]
Situated at 700 meters above sea level, Pyeongchang is to be the host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

[Soundbite]

The scenery is stunning.

There’s lots to see, do and eat in the winter in Pyeongchang. First of all, there's the Trout Festival, which draws scores of visitors from across the country. You can try catching trout in the ice cold water with your bare hands. You can also give ice fishing a try. But it's no easy task to make your hole in the ice.

[Soundbite]

It'd be better to just buy the trout.

Once you’ve got your hole, all you have to do is drop your fishing line through and wait.

[Soundbite]

I caught one after three hours.

And you can cook up the catch of the day on the spot. The festival continues through Feb. 5. Another adventure in Pyeongchang is snow rafting through the fields.

[Soundbite] Kim Jin-gyu (Local) : "A highland cabbage field in the summer turns into a snow playground run by local residents in the winter."

Clear away the snow cover on the ground and you see the dormant cabbage field. Once snow falls on the 10,000 square meter cabbage field, the farmland turns into a sledding spot.

[Soundbite]

It's fun and exiting riding the sled.

Adults have just as much fun as the kids.

[Soundbite]

It brings back childhood memories. It's a thrilling, entertaining, and fun.

After a day in the cold, roasted sweet potatoes make a great snack.

[Soundbite]

I ate a lot of this when I was young. It's the taste what my mom made.

As the Winter Olympics will be held here, of course there’s a ski slope. The resort has a gondola as well. It’s the second-longest in the country and gives you a full view of Pyeongchang's snow-capped landscape.

[Soundbite]

My heart is opening up. It’s good.

It takes 20 minutes to get here, the peak of Mount Balwang which is 1,450 meters above sea level. From this perch, the scenery is stunning.

[Soundbite]

It feels like a new beginning; the snowy landscape is exquisite like a fresh white canvas.

[Soundbite]

I'm just grateful to enjoy such beautiful scenery in our country.

A special winter delicacy is also a common sight in this region. Dried pollack called hwangtae matures into a golden hue as it repeatedly freezes and thaws in the famous snowstorms of the Daegwallyeong mountain pass.

[Soundbite]

This is what I’m talking about.

There are lots of ways to prepare hwangtae, such as grilling it in sweet and spicy seasoning. It’s a big hit with the kids.

[Soundbite]

Grilled hwangtae is the best!

Add some mushrooms and you get hwangtae bulgogi. Steamed hwangtae is a particularly representative dish of Daegwallyeong. Pyeongchang fought hard to win the Winter Games, succeeding on its third attempt. Now, the region is ready to open its arms to the world.