Taking it Back

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A newly elected Saenuri Party lawmaker had announced that he will leave the party over allegations that he plagiarized an academic paper for his doctorate thesis. But now, he has gone back on the decision.



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The ruling Saenuri Party has referred lawmaker-elect Moon Dae-sung to its ethics committee. Moon is suspected of having plagiarized an academic paper for his doctorate thesis. Party spokesman Lee Sang-il accused Moon of causing great confusion by reversing his decision to leave the party. Moon said Wednesday that he will delay his departure from the party until the results are announced from a review on his doctorate thesis by Kookmin University, where he received his doctorate degree.



[Soundbite] Moon Dae-sung (Lawmaker-Elect, Saenuri Party): “Chairwoman Park Geun-hye said she will make a decision after Kookmin University announces its stance. So will I.”



Moon also complained that attacks on him were unfair, given that the main opposition Democratic United Party’s lawmaker Chung Sye-kyun has also been accused of plagiarism.



Kim Hyung-tae, another Saenuri Party lawmaker-elect, left the party on Wednesday over allegations that he attempted to rape the wife of his late brother a decade ago. He said that he did not want to burden the party and acting party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye with his unfortunate family affair. Kim said that he believes an investigation will reveal the truth and prove his innocence and that he hopes to return to the party after dispelling suspicions against him and wrapping up his legal issues.



However, the main opposition party is urging the two lawmakers-elect to give up their parliamentary seats, saying that their departure from the ruling party is insufficient.



2. Street Politics



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The Democratic United Party’s acting chairman, Moon Sung-keun, has launched a nationwide tour to get the citizens back on the party’s side.



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The acting chairman for the Democratic United Party, Moon Sung-keun, has launched efforts to appeal to the public. He apologized to the public for his party’s defeat in the general elections. He said that the DUP obtained higher approval ratings than the Saenuri Party but had a weaker position in Busan. Moon also sharply criticized the Saenuri Party for changing its attitude after winning the general elections.



[Soundbite] Moon Sung-keun (Interim Chairman, DUP): “The Saenuri Party has been at the height of arrogance since winning the general elections.”



Meanwhile, as the party is to elect its new floor leader on May 4, competition over the position is heating up amongst the different factions and regions. Candidates are expected to join forces because the elected floor leader will be quite influential in the selection of the party’s chairperson and presidential candidates. Some say that the selection of the party floor leader could turn into a power struggle between party members who share late President Roh Moo-hyun’s views and those who don’t.



3. Teenage Murder



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A group of teenagers has been caught by police for beating a peer to death and burying her.



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This hill is located just 100 meters away from a local middle school. 18 year-old high school drop out Kim was found buried here, 12 days after she was killed. Suspects caught by the police are nine teenagers about the same age as Kim.



[Soundbite] Supt. Baek Seung-eon (Gyeonggi Ilsan Police Station): “They beat the victim to death for talking behind their backs about boyfriend matters.”



The teenagers are charged with beating Kim to death with bats and other weapons on the afternoon of Apr. 5, and burying the body around 2 a.m. on Apr. 7. In police investigations, the suspects said they wanted to reprimand her for her conceited attitude and for talking ill of them. Most of the teenagers are runaways living together at the home of an 18 year old boy identified as Gu. The police are performing an autopsy on the body and have requested arrest warrants for five of the members, including 19 year old girl Gu, booking four others without detention.



4. Hack and Shop



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An Internet shopping site’s payment system has fallen victim to a hacker.



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This Internet shopping mall specializes in car audio systems and parts. The KBS investigative team placed an order costing 2.25 million won, or nearly two thousand dollars, and paid for it with a credit card. When the payment window popped up on the screen, the KBS team executed a hacking program that had been used by a hacker who is in his 20s and changed the price of the order to 225 won. Surprisingly enough, the system accepted the payment. The hacker bought products on more than 20 Internet shopping malls practically for free by using this hacking technique. It enabled him to modify the prices of the products to his discretion.



[Soundbite] Ins. Kim Hui-su (Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency): “The suspect has stolen 270 million won (US$237,000) on 521 occasions over 16 months, since January last year. And he used the stolen products personally or resold them.:



The hacker later re-sold the purchased items and spent the money on a luxury foreign-made car and travel overseas. He took advantage of the fact that the Internet shopping sites usually don’t check the actual amount paid for the purchased items. The police are urging Internet shopping malls to beef up their unencrypted payment systems, which are vulnerable to hacking.



5. Brown Rice



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Brown rice is widely known for its health benefits. Research shows that germinated brown rice, in particular, can help prevent geriatric diseases.



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Brown rice is the main ingredient of the food served for lunch at this buffet restaurant.



Brown rice has become an indispensable ingredient of healthful foods recently, including baked products. Research and development of new, fortified breeds of brown rice is in full gear. Germinated brown rice, in particular, is at the center of the research. The Rural Development Administration has found that germinated brown rice sprouts grown to 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters contain up to 15 times more GABA, or gamma aminobutyric acid, which helps prevent high blood pressure and diabetes. Samgwang rice and Keunnun rice have been cited as ideal rice breeds for producing germinated brown rice. These breeds have a softer texture that largely curbs the rough taste of typical brown rice. The Rural Development Administration will expand the area of brown rice cultivation by contract from the current 50 hectares to 70 hectares within this year as brown rice production has emerged as a lucrative revenue source for farmers.



6. Dementia Rising



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As Korea’s elderly population rapidly increases, the number of dementia patients is rising too. When the condition is discovered at an early stage, the development of the disease can be delayed through treatment. Here’s more.



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This 70 year old woman was hospitalized as her memory became impaired and because she frequently got involved into arguments for not being able to trust others. Her symptoms improved after getting some help for dementia.



In 2008, the number of dementia patients who are 65 years old or older totaled 420,000. In 2012, the figure increased 24 percent to 520,000. But more than half of dementia patients are not getting diagnosed or are being treated. This is due to the lack of knowledge of the symptoms of dementia. Signs of early stage dementia include symptoms such as forgetting recent events, having a hard time performing mundane routine tasks, and making frequent mistakes during calculations. Dementia is not easy to cure completely, but its development can be delayed by using drugs during the condition’s early stage.



[Soundbite] Dr. Choe Hui-chan (Neurologist): “Anti-dementia drugs are effect in improving the patient’s cognitive abilities such as memory. And they reduce roaming about and aggressive behaviors that can cause difficulties for the family.”



In order to prevent dementia, regular aerobic exercise such as walking or mountain climbing is recommended as it improves blood circulation to the brain. Doctors also advise that while thorough management of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels are important, the graying population should also continuously try to stimulate themselves intellectually, such as by reading, as a good way to prevent or delay the illness.



7. Bullfighting Fest



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The Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival has begun to find the strongest bull in Korea.



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Here, at the world’s one and only domed bullfighting stadium, the atmosphere is charged with the heavy breathing of the bulls and the roars of spectators. Match-ups for the round of 16 in each weight division took place on the first day of the event. A female trainer seems happier than her bull itself upon victory. Some bulls are not interested in fighting. The trainer vaily tries to make it fight by pulling at its nose ring but it immediately runs away.



[Soundbite] : “It looked boring on TV, but seeing it with my own eyes, it’s very exciting and fun.”



Amazingly, one bull that had fled after an attack to the side regroups and returns to resume the fight. During the festival, which runs through this coming Sunday, tournaments will be held for six weight divisions and visitors will be allowed to bet money for games held on weekends and holidays. Also drawing attention are a theme park showcasing the history of bullfighting and various hands-on events.



[Soundbite] Lee Joong-geun (Cheongdo County Mayor): “Gambling and the festival are held at the same time. We also built a bullfighting theme park for visitors to see the history and get more experience.”



The festival is heating up with fighting bulls from across the nation competing to take home the top prize.



8. Air Force Aid



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Air Force soldiers have visited elderly people who live alone to help them repair their houses.



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Soldiers from the nation’s Air Force are busy repairing an elderly woman’s house at the foot of a mountain. The boiler, which kept breaking down during the winter, is fixed in no time. The soldiers covered the shabby walls with new panels and replaced the light bulbs so that the house can now be well-lit.



[Soundbite] : “They visit me often and always ask me what kind of help I need. I’m very grateful to them.”



These soldiers are from the Korean Air Force’s 19th Fighter Wing division. Led by high-ranking officers, they have been volunteering their services to the community for three years by using their professional skills related to construction, civil engineering and electricity. They even raise their own money to pay for the construction materials.



[Soundbite] SMSgt. Kim Yeong-sam (ROK Air Force 19th Fighter Wing): “We’re proud of our volunteer activities, where we use our skills. We want to continue to use our skills to help elderly people living alone in this area as much as we can.”



The volunteers currently provide technical support to some 30 elderly people who live alone. They are more than happy to aid others as well should more requests come in.



9. Posture Tips



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Few people know that poor posture can cause partial obesity. That also means that just by improving your posture, you can get rid of extra pounds. Here’s more.



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Getting rid of fat in some body parts is especially hard, even with the help of exercise.



[Soundbite] : “This part - my arms.”



[Soundbite] : “My upper body is fat - the central part.”



Experts say the primary cause of partial obesity is none other than poor posture.



[Soundbite] Prof. Park Yong-wu (Sungkyunkwan University): “Fat builds up easily under the chin, on the arms, sides, belly and hips because these parts are pulled down by gravity. That’s why when you maintain good posture, fat can’t accumulate easily on your body, whereas poor posture makes it easier for fat to build up.”



This woman says she wants to get rid of fat on her shoulders and hips. An exam shows that she is obese. But her stooped posture was found to be an even bigger problem. It’s apparently the biggest culprit behind her obesity. The woman’s poor habits explain her health problems. She sits for hours in front of her computer stooping severely, and after having a meal she usually lies down leaning on a cushion.



[Soundbite] : “In that case, without improving your posture, it’s not easy to shed extra pounds on certain body parts. In other words, just by maintaining good posture you can get rid of fat on certain body parts.”



Partial obesity can be classified into four types. The first is upper body obesity. In this case, fat easily builds up on the back and arms because of the stooped shoulders.



[Soundbite] : “When you pull in your stomach in when you’re standing, your upper body straightens up on its own. That’s the desirable posture. But you stoop severely.”



The second type is caused by a protruding belly in a standing position. This type causes constipation and lower back pain. That’s why it’s important to pull your stomach in when standing. The third type is when fat accumulates on the body. The shoulders are stooped and the stomach protrudes. This type requires efforts to keep the stomach in and the upper body straight. The fourth type is lower body obesity. It’s usually caused by problems in the hips.



[Soundbite] Prof. Song Mi-yeon (Kyung Hee University Hospital): “People with obese lower bodies who also suffer from pain in the hips and pelvis and swelling usually have problems with their pelvis position due to poor posture. They can improve their condition by improving this point.”



Keeping good posture is enough to get rid of partial obesity. People with an obese upper body should make sure that their neck, back and hips are all aligned when they sit. Those with obese stomachs and bodies should raise one knee when sitting on the floor to keep their spine straight. People suffering from lower body obesity should spread their body weight evenly on both feet when standing.



Here are a few exercises that can help get rid of any type of partial obesity. The first exercise helps strengthen the core abdominal muscles.



[Soundbite] Jeong Hui-gyeong (Pilates Instructor): “Fix your pelvis so it doesn’t move and stretch your legs by alternating them.”



And this exercise will help you keep your rib muscles tight. Raise your upper body, exhale and cross your legs like this.



To stay slim, just improving your posture can work wonders.