Banding Together

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South Korea and the United States have agreed to ramp up cooperationon North Korea, saying the road to restarting six-party nuclear talks dependson Pyongyang.

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After laying a wreath to the monument of Korean War veterans in Washington, National Security Chief Kim Jang-soo headed off for a meeting with U.S. officials.With U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice, the two sides discussed on how to collaborate regarding North Korean issues.They agreed to join hands in prompting China to play a bigger role in resolving the regime's nuclear issue, and said that Pyongyang must first change its attitude if it wishes to resume the six-party talks.Their statement is being viewed as a call for China to further pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to express his willingness to abandon the nuclear program, like the Iranian leaders had recently done.

[Soundbite] Kim Jang-soo(Chief, National Security Office): "Since the inauguration of President Park Geun-hye,the North Korean nuclear and missile issues have effectively been a threat."

In his meeting with U.S. Representative Ed Royce, Kim Jang-soo also reiterated that the North must change its attitude in order to resolve the nuclear issue.Kim also brought up the South Korean government's request to postpone the transfer of the wartime operational control, and requested the U.S.'s cooperation on this matter as well.

2. Complex Visit

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South Korean lawmakers will visit the inter-Korean KaeseongIndustrial Complex in North Korea during the parliamentary audit period.Pyongyang has agreed to the cross-border visit.

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At first, it seemed unlikely that North Korea would allow South Korean lawmakers in the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee to inspect the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North. However, Pyongyang has agreed to it.A Unification Ministry official in Seoul says the North conveyed the consent Thursday via the inter-Korean joint committee on complex operations.This comes eight days after South Korea made the proposal on October 16th.A parliamentary delegation of 57 people, 24 of whom are lawmakers, will make the trip to the complex on October 30th.Ruling and opposition parties in Seoul have immediately welcomed North Korea's decision.

[Soundbite] Rep. Min Hyun-joo(Spokeswoman, Saenuri Party): "Our party will focus on parliamentary supportto advance the Kaesong complex."

[Soundbite] Rep. Lee Un-ju(Floor Spokeswoman, Democratic Party): "The visit will be a stepping stone towardtrue trust building on the Korean Peninsula."

The Unification Ministry and the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee have also started to hammer out the details of the itinerary.The lawmakers are expected to tour South Korean firms based at the complex and meet with company officials. Encounters with North Korean workers are also expected to take place naturally.It has yet to be seen if the delegations can meet with North Korean officials at the complex.Another issue that is drawing attention is whether Saenuri Party Representative Cho Myung-chul, a North Korean defector, will be among the visiting delegates.

3. Chopper Parts

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Cobra attack helicopter pilots are not getting the proper trainingthey need due to a lack of necessary parts to keep them in repair.Parliamentary audits have raised concerns.

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The Cobra helicopter was introduced to the Korean Army 25 years ago.It's equipped with anti-tank missiles and Vulcan cannons to ward off armored enemy forces.The army has 69 of them but training is not being held properly as there aren't enough helicopter parts for repair. The problem is that manufacturers are no longer producing these parts.In a report to the National Assembly Defense Committee, the army said that since the Cobra was decommissioned in the US in 2001, production of its parts had also stopped and it's unclear how to secure the 178 pieces of the helicopter.A project to domestically develop an armed chopper is also being delayed making it so that the army can't afford to decommission the Cobra.The army aims to expand virtual training equipment to make up for the fewer actual training hours but it's being viewed as just a stopgap measure.The 500MD attack helicopters are another issue. They've been deployed since the 1970s and are ageing.There were 31 emergency landing incidents involving the 500MD in the past five years while three pilots were killed in crashes in the past three.

4. Big Data

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Mobile call history, credit card payments, can be used bygovernments to hack public policy. Now small venture firms and universities aregetting into this “big data” in search of big payoffs.

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The Seoul City government operates buses at night for passengers who have to commute late in the evening.The buses operate in the areas with the largest floating population. They were selected based on the call histories of mobile phones, which had more than three billion calls on record.Convenience stores and bakeries create their sales strategies on a daily basis, according to weather conditions.That's because consumers prefer certain products depending on what the weather is like at that moment. They set their strategies with the help of the massive amount of data from research linking the weather with product demand.So called "big data" comes in handy when devising public policies and even when bolstering the competitiveness of businesses. But to venture firms, which lack infrastructure and professional expertise, using such big data is just a dream.

[Soundbite] Lee Gyeong-il(CEO, Mid-Sized Firm): "Preparing all this and using this in business isvirtually unfeasible for small- and mid-sized firms."

A professional analysis center has been set up recently to help small businesses and universities utilize big data.It provides all kinds of data free of charge, including programs, servers, telecommunications, health care and real estate.

[Soundbite] Choi Moon-ki(Minister of Science, ICT & Future Planning): "This center will play a pivotal role in expandingsuch infrastructure as support for business startups, research, education and personnel training."

Firms and universities can apply for big data on the center's Web site.

5. Revealing Robots

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It may sound like science fiction, but robots that can rescuepeople in times of disaster or even perform surgery could be a reality soonerthan you think. We take you to a robot exhibition.

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A robot climbs a staircase and closes a gas valve using its hand.Thanks to more than 50 sensors, this robot can accurately measure the distance and detect slopes on the way. It was developed to rescue people during emergencies, like the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

[Soundbite] Han Jae-gwon(Senior Researcher, Robotis): "This robot was designed to climb laddersand drive cars."

This robot accurately removes a head tumor using four-millimeter tweezers through a tiny incision in the skull.It can also precisely repair fractured bones without damaging the muscle tissue.These state-of-the-art medical robots will be commercialized within five years at the latest.This exhibition also showcases more "sentimental" robots that can dance to the latest hit songs.

[Soundbite] Choe Si-eun(Visitor): "It's amazing to see them move like thatand even dance to music."

There are also those that can chat with the audience wearing the traditional Korean clothing called "hanbok" and reenact traditional rituals. It a combination of robot technology and culture.

[Soundbite] Park Cheol-hyu(Korea Inst. for Robot Industry Advancement): "Ten years from now there will be an era where one robotwill be in each household accompanying them in every way."

Korea's robot industry has now reached nearly two billion dollars and ranks fifth in the world, becoming a potential growth engine for the Korean economy.

6. TripitakaKoreaner Festival

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Fall foliage will be at its peak this weekend, and already over amillion visitors have seen the TripitakaKoreana Festival near Haein Temple inHapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

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This valley at Gaya Mountain has turned red in light of the turning of the leaves. A walk through the breezy valley will bring you to Haein Temple, home to the famed TripitakaKoreana woodblocks.During the festival, a ceremony was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of the Venerable SeongCheol, a prominent figure in Korean Buddhism. Baengryeonam, the site where the priest is laid to rest, was unveiled to the public for the first time, and visitors crowded the place, seeking a piece of wisdom from the late monk.

[Soundbite] GwonYeong-geol(Visitor): "It's wonderful to come here wherethe Venerable SeongCheol had stayed."

As of Tuesday, the TripitakaKoreana Festival drew one million people in 26 days since its opening. The original Tripitaka woodblocks as well as the Avatamsaka Sutra are on display. A statue of Buddha on a rock cliff, unveiled after 12-hundred years, attracts droves of parents who are wishing that their children will have high scores on their college entrance exams.

[Soundbite] Kim I-su(Chairman, Festival Executive Committee): "With the foliage peaking this weekend, people fromacross the country are expected to visit the festival."

The festival will continue until November 10th in hopes to impart the philosophy and wisdom of the Tripitaka.

7. Coal Frenzy

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As winter nears, workers at charcoal briquette factories arebeginning to feel the crunch. This winter is expected to be a frigid one, andmany people rely on the briquettes to heat their homes.

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Machines here that have had a long break during summer are back to work.Amid forecasts that this winter will be colder than before, briquette manufacturers have begun their production.

[Soundbite] Min Sun-hong(Executive Director, Briquette Factory): "Since we have around 30,000 tons of anthracite,we'll be able to supply briquettes till February or March."

The consumer price of a single briquette is about 42 cents. This factory is planning to produce around 15 million this winter till next March. That's around 130,000 a day.As demand increases due to the rise of oil prices, the plant has expanded productions. It has already made 2 million briquettes.95% of the briquettes are used for home heating.

[Soundbite] Lee Gwang-sun (Resident): "It costs 225,000 won (US$212) for 500 briquettesfor the whole winter so I'm relieved. Nationwide, around 200,000 homes use briquettes for heating. The government froze their price since 2011 to help lower-income families keep warm throughout the winter."

8. Entertainment News

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In show business, actor Lee Joon-gi will go on tour to meet thefans starting from December, and K-Pop group TVXQ has released concert DVD that’stopped the Oricon daily chart in Japan.

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Actor Lee Joon-gi will be kicking off a two-month concert tour around Asia. Lee will meet with his fans in Korea, Japan, and China. Starting with a concert in Seoul on December 14, he will then go onto Nagoya, Osaka, and Beijing. The title of the concert is "Lee Joon-gi Asia Tour JG Night." K-pop group TVXQ's Japan tour concert DVD topped the Japanese Oricon daily chart selling more than 90,000 copies on its first day of release. The DVD contains footage of the group's performances at Japan's top five stadiums, including Tokyo Dome.

9. Modest Matrimony

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Many young lovers dream of a lavishwedding ceremony, but extravagant weddings can be a massive hit to a couple'spurse. More and more of the betrothed are choosing an alternative.

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A growing number of couples are choosing smaller wedding ceremonies. This couple decided to hold their wedding at a facility run by the Seoul city government. This facility costs just over sixty U.S. dollars to use. That's a great deal. But certain conditions do apply.

[Soundbite] No Jae-yong(Seoul Citizens Hall Operating Team): "We accept couples who will invite some 100 guestsand spend only up to 5-6 million won (US$4,700-5,600) on their wedding ceremonies."

There are no wedding gifts. There's no officiant: the bride and groom lead their own ceremony and vow eternal love for each other. Instead of preparing expensive flower arrangements, they gave away small flowerpots to their guests as gifts. They didn't buy exorbitant wedding jewelry, but instead prepared gifts for their parents. As for the parents, at first the opposed this low-key plan, but now they are proud of the decision.

[Soundbite] Ha Hye-hyeon(Bride): "The wedding culture in Korea is much tooostentatious. I thought I would regret it if I had a meaningless wedding ceremony,That was just the same as other people's weddings."

Hard-covered wedding albums and photo books cost a fortune. It's a burden, but without a wedding album, something is missing. Here is a practical option. Taking just a few necessary photos to commemorate your wedding will slash prices to a third of the usual cost.

[Soundbite] Park Cheol-gyu(Wedding Photographer): "Big studios need a large amount of moneyto maintain their facilities and staffs. But we’re small and can save money in maintenancecosts. So we can offer couples good quality photos."

You don't need to go to famous, expensive studios for your wedding albums; even on a tight budget you can get some beautiful shots. Also be on the lookout for ways to make your wedding more eco-friendly.

[Soundbite] Hwang Myeong-hwan(Eco-Friendly Wedding Item Designer): "This wedding gown is made of paper and nettles.There were no chemical processes to make it.So it easily decomposes in soil."

These wedding invitations were manufactured and printed with natural materials like soybean oil and fruit extracts. Instead of buying high-priced flowers, some couples elect for reusable potted plants. Amid the long economic slump, pragmatism is spreading even among young lovers.

[Soundbite] Gang Hak-jung(Head, Institute for Family & Home Management): "It’s really meaningful to have a wedding ceremonywhere the bride and bridegroom think over the real meanings of marriage. Without beingostentatious, having a simple, small wedding ceremonycan be your own way to celebrate your marriage."

Wedding ceremonies are among the most meaningful moments in our lives. Look beyond the hackneyed luxurious spectacle of most modern weddings for your own way to celebrate.