Investigator Suspended

[Anchor Lead]

The former chief of the team investigating the National Intelligence Service’s interference in last year’s presidential election has been slapped with a one-month suspension.

[Pkg]

The Ministry of Justice has laid down a one-month suspension on Yun Seok-yeol, the former head of the task force probing the NIS's political involvement, and a month's-worth pay cut to Park Hyeong-cheol, the task force assistant chief. The Ministry's disciplinary committee made the decision yesterday after a nine-hour review. Yun protested that it was illegal and unjust for his superiors to order him to not arrest the NIS employees involved in the political scandal. He also claimed that his request for changing the arraignment for former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon had been pre-approved by the head prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office. His appeal was not accepted.

[Soundbite] Yun Seok-yeol(Fmr. Head, Investigation Team on Election Scandal) : "(Is there any change to your position today?) Facts have no reason to be changed."

[Soundbite] "(Does this mean you're considering taking legal action?) I’ll decide on that later."

Nam Gi-chun, Yun's attorney, requested the removal of Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn from the disciplinary committee, arguing that Yun cannot be reviewed fairly by the very person who pressured him into conducting a shoddy investigation. But his appeal was denied. He had also asked the Ministry of Justice to again question Cho Young-gon, Yun's former boss, as a witness, but this request was also rejected. Justice Minister Hwang did not preside over yesterday's disciplinary committee meeting due to talks with the Prime Minister.

2. Gag Order

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea has issued a nationwide gag order on the topic of Kim Jong-un’s once-powerful uncle Jang Song-thaek. Following his execution, the mere mention of his name is forbidden.

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North Korean news outlets branded Jang Song-thaek as a traitor for all ages following his shocking purge and execution. They vented anger and lashed out against the once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

[Soundbite] North Korean Central TV(Dec. 13) : "Jang Song-thaek, a human piece of trash worse than a dog, committed unpardonable treason against the party."

However, the North Korean media did not cover any more stories about Jang after December 15th. The North Korean regime reportedly warned its people that they will face serious punishment if they are found to have talked about Jang even at personal gatherings. Analysts say North Korean authorities are wary of unexpected repercussions caused by the execution of Jang.

[Soundbite] Jeong Seong-jang(Senior Researcher, Sejong Institute) : "It seems that the North Korean regime is afraid of the spreading of anti-government sentiment among it’s people, following Kim Jong-un's immoral execution of his uncle, Jang Song-thaek."

Radio Free Asia reported that right before his execution, Jang had asked for meetings with his wife Kim Kyong-hui and the young North Korean leader. However, his requests were turned down. The U.S.-based broadcaster also said that the atmosphere appears to be unstable and unsettled inside North Korea's Workers' Party. Experts say that the execution of Jang has caused considerable aftereffects in North Korea.

3. Youth Employment

[Anchor Lead]

President Park Geun-hye is driving a new initiative to boost youth employment, saying that the government should take the lead on creating jobs for young people.

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President Park Geun-hye chaired the second meeting of the presidential youth committee on Wednesday. The committee reported to the president measures to boost youth employment. First off, interns of small and mid-sized companies will receive greater government subsidies if they become regular employees of the firms. The subsidies will be given to those working in the IT, electric and electronics sectors as well as production workers. The amount of government support will also gradually increase. Colleges' special admissions quota for laborers with high-school diplomas will jump from this year's five-thousand-500 to ten-thousand by 2016. Small and mid-sized companies will receive government incentives if they re-hire their former male employees who want to return after fulfilling their mandatory military services. Businesses hiring more employees will receive preferential treatment when bidding for government-issued projects A 95-million-U.S.dollar fund will be created to aid young people who want to start their own businesses. A center will be established to help young entrepreneurs that have once failed but are willing to start up again. President Park said that although the employment rate has been improving, the labor market for young people is still tight.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye(President) : "Boosting youth employment is one of the top tasks that the government needs to resolve for the future of young job seekers, the sustainable growth of the Korean economy, and the integration of our society."

She stressed the need for reforming the current education and employment systems that drive students to make college entrance as their most important life goal. Park asked the committee to proactively support young people to start up their own businesses or find jobs abroad.

4. German Sojourn

[Anchor Lead]

In 1960s Korea, poverty was rife and jobs were in short supply. Against this setting, many Korean miners and nurses were sent to Germany to make much needed cash. Here’s a look at their lives.

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Korean women in their early twenties arrived in a strange land.

[Soundbite] Westdeutscher Rundfunk(West German Broadcasting) : "This morning, young Korean women disembark from a plane after a very long flight."

Everything in Germany was alien to them, but these young Korean nurses were soon recognized for their diligence. Things were even tougher for Korean miners, who had to work in the mine shafts 1,200 meters underground. Most of the money earned with their sacrifice and hard work were sent back home.

[Soundbite] Daehan News : "Their monthly earnings are between 650 and 950 marks. That means they can send an average of US$100 per month to their families."

Marking the 50th anniversary of sending Korean miners and nurses to Germany, the Korean government plans to oversee the archiving of records concerning ethnic Koreans living in Japan, China, Russia and other parts of the globe.

[Soundbite] Yoo Jeong-bok(Security and Public Administration Minister) : "We can look back on Korea's past by reviewing the historical records of their sacrifices."

This exhibition highlighting the Korean miners and nurses who were dispatched to Germany 50 years ago is scheduled to run until December 29th.

5. Gender Shift

[Anchor Lead]

A recent study shows that public perceptions about gender are shifting in Korea; with more than half saying this is no longer a male-oriented society. Many expecting parents would even prefer a daughter over a son.

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This mother is having the time of her life raising her baby daughter. It's an even happier occasion, because she and her family had wanted a girl to begin with. A survey on the awareness and values of Koreans showed that people preferred girls over boys. If you could only raise one child, 66.2% of the respondents replied that they would want to have a girl, double that for a boy. This reflects the changes in Koreans' awareness on gender equality. When asked whether Korean society is a gender-equal one, more than half the respondents said yes. This result is quite different from previous surveys. Furthermore, the younger the respondents, the closer they felt to the maternal side of the family, rather than their paternal side.

[Soundbite] Kim Dae-gyun(Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Official) : "With greater awareness of the social participation of women and gender equality, we can expect Korean society to become more matriarchal."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism commissions the Hankook Research organization to conduct a survey on national awareness every five years. Interviews were carried out on some 2,500 individuals for a month since October. The survey's margin of error was ±2.9%p with a confidence level of 95%.

6. Sochi Olympics

[Anchor Lead]

Sochi, Russia is gearing up to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The city has unveiled the facilities for the upcoming sports extravaganza.

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Sochi is a resort city located on the coast of the Black Sea. Some 100 journalists from around the world had a preview of the facilities for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, including large ski slopes on the Caucasus Mountains. The construction of the biathlon and cross-country facilities will soon be finished. Artificial snow is sprinkled on the ski slopes. Russia has spent more than 50 billion U.S. dollars to build the world's largest Winter Olympic facilities. The spending is more than double the amount London had spent to prepare for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

[Soundbite] Andrey Markov(Spokesman, Sochi Olympics Organizing Committee) : "The facilities here, including the ones for the biathlon and the ski slopes, are the largest in the world."

The average January temperature is five degrees Celsius in Sochi. So most of the event sites will be covered with artificial snow. There is a giant facility for snow storage, which was built in preparation for a possible shortage of snow. The media center and the Olympic village for athletes are ready. Reporters didn't have access to the ice rink, which is now under construction. The Russian media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a huge investment to prepare for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games as a way to boost Russia's status on the international stage.

7. Visual Link

[Anchor Lead]

A Korean research team has developed a new technology linking your smartphone to various devices via image. The practical applications are wide, and it’s a trick you have to see to believe.

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When the user touches an image on his device, a video file stored in it is broadcast instantly on the TV. Korean researchers have developed a technology that turns this movie scene a reality. When a person attending a meeting takes a picture of her coworker using a smartphone, her phone is immediately connected to the coworker's and begins transmitting data. Gadgets with such built-in data transmission devices can connect to each other via screen. Customers at restaurants can place their orders using smartphone screens. This technology can also be used in televisions, printers and other communication gadgets. When several objects are shown on the screen, the user can connect only to one of them by accurately pinpointing it with his or her fingers.

[Soundbite] Bang Seung-chan(Electronics & Telecommunications Research Inst.) : "When you choose an object on the screen, four antennas form a beam and shoot it towards it."

The technology can connect to objects located as far as 70 meters away because it uses radio waves. This "eye communication" technology is expected to be applied to Google glass and wearable computers in the future since it greatly maximizes user convenience.

8. Ballet Leadership

[Anchor Lead]

Art director Choi Tae-ji is stepping down from the Korean National Ballet after 12 years at the helm, passing the torch to ballerina Kang Sue-jin. Here’s more on this significant change in leadership.

[Pkg]

"The Nutcracker" performed by the Korean National Ballet mesmerizes the audience with its choreography and cast. Korean National Ballet director Choi Tae-ji adopted the choreography from Russia in 2000. This performance is particularly meaningful to her because it wraps up her 12-year-long career as an art director. Choi was the youngest person to head the Korean National Ballet - she was 37. She introduced a star system and worked hard to bring ballet closer to the public. As a result, the average occupancy rate for paid seats at her productions exceeded 90 percent.

[Soundbite] Choe Tae-ji(Artistic Director) : "I believe she will do her best to publicize our ballet company to the world. I hope she will help our performers get a fresh start."

The person who will take over for Choi is renowned ballerina Kang Sue-jin. She's 46 but she still performs. Kang says she wants to breathe new life into Korean ballet.

[Soundbite] Kang Sue-jin (Director-Nominee, Korea National Ballet) : "It's the right time. I’m sure I can motivate the students even more by teaching them so that each and every one of them can develop their skills."

The generation switch from Choi Tae-ji to Kang Sue-jin will serve as a turning point in the history of Korean ballet, which is poised to achieve more milestones in the future.

9. Earphone Hazard

[Anchor Lead]

It's convenient to listen to music on the go, but using earphones can be a hazard to your health and safety. To find out why, and what to do about it, here's more.

[Pkg]

It's not uncommon to see people wearing earphones listening to music or radio programs on the move. This woman, crossing the street with earphones on, was nearly hit by a motorcycle because she couldn't hear it coming. This man, distracted by his music, didn't hear the car behind him until the driver blew the horn. How effective are earphones at blocking outside noise? These test subjects attempted to write down the words spoken to them from five meters behind them.

[Soundbite] "Morning News Time."

The speaker's voice registered around 92 decibels. That's about as loud as a light tap on a vehicle horn. The test subjects put on two types of earphones available in the market. The music was turned up to between 80 and 90 decibels, the most common listening level.

[Soundbite] "Out of the way."

And could they hear that? The subjects didn't even attempt to write anything down as if they couldn't hear anything at all. The music volume was turned down to half the previous level.

[Soundbite] "Look out."

One subject started writing down the phrase. The other still didn't seem to notice a thing, even with the volume down by half. So, how loud is 80 to 90 decibels anyway?

[Soundbite] Prof. Bae Myeong-jin(Sound Engineering Research Center, Soongsil Univ.) : "People pump in 80-90 decibel sounds into their ears to override the sounds from outside. But that's as loud as the sound of thunder coming from afar."

After years of listening to loud music through their earphones, some people start to recognize problems. This young man, only in his 20s, is at the doctor's office to check out his hearing. He says he usually listens to loud music through earphones.

[Soundbite] "Push the butter if you hear a sound, even a very small sound."

So how is his hearing? Here's the result of his test.

[Soundbite] Dr. Kim Seong-geun(Otolaryngology) : "Normal hearing should not go over 20. But his hearing fell below 20, especially in the 4 kHz range. This indicates typical noise-induced hearing loss."

In the case of noise-induced hearing loss, it's almost impossible to get your hearing back to normal. Frequent use of earphones is causing accidents and health problems.

[Soundbite] "There is no appropriate sound level when using earphones, because they are inserted into your ears to overcome the noise around you. So earphones should be used in a quiet environment. It's dangerous to wear both earphones when walking, so it's better to use just one earphone."

You should consider reducing the sound level to as low as possible and refrain from using earphones at all when you're out at night or riding a bicycle or roller blades.