Stopping Leaks

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Fraud is rampant in the wake of an unprecedented leak of personal financial information. The authorities have placed a temporary ban on email or phone solicitation by financial companies.

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More than 11 million people went into the homepages of three credit card companies to find out whether their personal information had been leaked. This man also logged on to his credit card company's webpage to check his status, but instead he got scammed out of roughly 2,800 U.S. dollars. He was deceived by phony homepage that accidentally made him hand over his information that hadn't even been leaked. There was also a case where a customer was fooled by a scammer pretending to be an investigator that made him hand over his password. Nearly 46 thousand dollars were taken from his account. There has also been a spike in text messages convincing people to make small-sum payments, following the recent information leak scandal. But customers must remember that they should never reveal their financial information over the phone or online under any circumstances.

[Soundbite] Jang Hong-tae (Financial Supervisory Service Official) : "Even if the caller says he is from a financial firm or public agency, it's a complete scam if he asks for your credit card password or bank account."

Financial authorities have toughened measures to prevent secondary losses. Starting today, financial firms will be banned from engaging in telemarketing activities, such as recommending loans over the phone, text messages, or emails. It will be a temporary restriction that will continue until March, but could be extended. As of yesterday, more than 5.3 million cancellation and re-issuance requests were made to the three targeted credit card companies.

2. Flu "Standstill"

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As the spread of bird flu shows no sign of abating, the government has issued a “standstill” administrative order on several provinces and two cities.

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The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs issued a temporary "standstill" order this morning for Gyeonggi, North and South Chungcheong Provinces as well as the cities of Daejeon and Sejong.

[Soundbite] Yeo In-hong (Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs) : "The decision comes after detections of a highly pathogenic bird flu virus in Buyeo chickens and reports of a suspected virus in Cheonan, as well as the possibility of sporadic contaminations."

The latest order bans chickens, ducks, poultry farm workers and farm vehicles from moving around for 12 hours, starting from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. There are 230,000 farms and 40,000 vehicles that are now subject to the ban. It's the second "standstill" order that the Agriculture Ministry has issued. The first order was issued on January 19 for the southwestern region of the nation. The measure comes in response to the confirmation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus at poultry farms in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province and Haenam, South Jeolla Province. The government has also announced measures for people who will be visiting their hometowns for the lunar New Year holiday. The government is asking them to refrain from visiting livestock farms and stopover sites for migratory birds. When inevitably visiting such places, people are urged to disinfect their cars and to to be careful of not stepping on animal feces.

3. Passed Away

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Sad news as a well-known and widely revered woman who had been forced into the Japanese sexual slavery program has died. She was one of the few living comfort women, still waiting for an apology.

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People come together to pay respect to the late Hwang Geum-ja. Hwang was 90 years old when she passed away yesterday. Her great wish of receiving an official apology from Japan never came true.

[Soundbite] Kim Jeong-hwan (Gangseo District Official) : "The most heartbreaking thing is that she passed away before getting an apology or compensation from Japan. "

Hwang was born in Hamgyong Province of North Korea. She was forced into becoming a comfort woman for the Japanese army when she was 17. Though she was able to return home after Korea's independence from the Japan's colonial rule, she spent the rest of her life alone, unable to overcome the pain. She lived on the money that she earned by just collecting empty bottles and discarded paper. She received basic living subsidies from the government but instead of spending them she saved up and donated them as scholarships. The total amount reached 92-thousand U.S. dollars. In her will Hwang requested that all assets including the deposit for her public housing apartment be donated in the form of scholarships. Even in the face of adversity and loneliness, she never gave up helping others. The news about her death drew scores of people to her funeral. Only 55 of the 237 Korean comfort women now still remain.

4. New Party Support

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Independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo dropped in on a traditional market in Busan on his tour to ramp up support for his new party. He made it clear he would field a candidate for the June local elections.

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Independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo returned to his hometown of Busan a month after his last visit. He met with citizens at a traditional market, which was bustling with shoppers picking up things before the holidays. Ahn's latest visit to the nation's second largest city was to check the public opinion of Busan residents before he launches a new political party. Another purpose of his visit was to drum up support for a candidate who will be fielded by his new political party for the June mayoral race.

[Soundbite] Ahn Cheol-soo (Independent Lawmaker) : "I'm planning to visit many other places. (Are you meeting the candidates for Busan mayor?) I'm meeting a lot of people for that reason."

At a public forum with the local citizens, Ahn said that Busan, which has traditionally supported the ruling party, can no longer provide a safe haven to old politics. Then he upped his criticism of the Saenuri Party by pointing a finger at how it rescinded its pledge to scrap the party nomination system for the local elections. Ahn's New Politics Promotion Committee has decided on Monday to tentatively name the new party the "New Politics Party." It will also form an organizing committee for Ahn's new party soon. Then the establishment of the New Politics Party will be notified to the National Election Commission. The party plans to use the temporary name until it is launched. It will get its permanent name after getting feedback from the public.

5. Marking Naro Launch

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A year has passed since the successful launch of Korea’s Naro rocket. To mark the milestone event, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute has opened the doors to the Naro Space Center for the first time.

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The Naro rocket blasts off with a roar and a plume of fiery smoke. Nine minutes after the takeoff, the Naro successfully separates itself from the rocket and enters into orbit. The next day the satellite successfully communicates with ground control, placing Korea among the world's aerospace giants. In celebration of this momentous occasion, the Naro Space Center has been opened to the public for the first time. Visitors can check out the command center where the launch was supervised, the tracking radar, which pursued the Naro up to 2,000 meters in altitude, and the launch pad where the rocket blasted off.

[Soundbite] Gwon Byeong-dae (Visitor) : "It was nice to actually see it and spend a good time with my family."

People were particularly excited to see the models of the Arirang 5 satellite and a Mars exploration robot on display at the Space Science Museum. The exhibition will be free of charge until February 2.

[Soundbite] Lee Jeong-won (Korea Aerospace Research Institute Official) : "People were curious about the launch site of the Naro, so we organized this event to mark its first anniversary."

It's already been a year since the groundbreaking launch of the Naro, but Koreans still recall the excitement and wonder of that day.

6. UNESCO Campaign

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The Cultural Heritage Administration is pushing for the inclusion of Jeju Island’s “haenyeo,” or women-divers, on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. But there’s competition from Japan.

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Women-divers on Jeju Island continue to work hard well into the winter by enduring the icy water. This kind of culture, where women work together in harsh conditions to make a living, is hard to find anywhere else in the world. But the number of women-divers on Jeju Island has plunged recently, prompting the government to push for their inscription on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2015. However, such efforts are being hampered by Japan. The government of Japan's Mie Prefecture is trying to add the Japanese diving culture, known as "ama," to the same UNESCO list. Japan is actively publicizing its diving culture through the international media, such as the French daily Le Monde and the AFP. Recently the Japanese broadcaster NHK even started broadcasting a TV show about ama divers. That's yet another reason for the Korean government to step up its efforts to publicize women-divers on Jeju Island.

[Soundbite] Prof. Go Chang-hun (Jeju National University) : "Jeju Island already has enacted an ordinance on women-divers, but now we need the nation's support because it's on the representative list of Korea's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."

Last month the Cultural Heritage Administration set up a council to promote the listing of Jeju women-divers as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, and then in March, it will submit the first application to UNESCO.

7. Holiday Preparation

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The Lunar New Year’s holiday is just four days away. Koreans around the country are busy making their preparations.

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Ahead of the Lunar New Year's Day, many paid visits to their ancestors' graves for memorial services. Along with their parents, children bow in front of the graves. Food is placed on a memorial stone. Family members gather to remember and pay tribute to their ancestors. Shoppers flocked to markets ahead of the Lunar New Year's Day. Their hands are full of shopping bags. A street vendor is also busy, as shoppers stop by to get some snacks. A fisheries' market is also in business. Fresh fish are up for sale and customers look around and make deals. Merchants and customers haggle over prices, but their smiles show how excited they are of the approaching holiday. This performance of a traditional Korean music group adds festivity to the air. The nation is gearing up for the Lunar New year's Day and is anticipating what the holiday may bring.

8. Endangered Bird

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An endangered species of pigeon has been discovered at a Buddhist temple in Mount Jiri. There may be only 100 of this particular bird left in the entire country.

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The thousand-year-old Cheoneun Temple is located in Mount Jiri. The pond in front of the temple's gate is home to Mandarin ducks, which are regarded as a natural monument. A bird rushes to a ledge under the roof to take shelter from the snow. An endangered species of pigeon is found among them. One of the dark-grey birds looks like a dove at first glance. However, the white belt in the middle of its tail shows that it's not a dove. It is an Eastern Rock Pigeons. The endangered species is known to live in Mongolia and the Himalayas. However, there are no known details as to how they breed. They were seen at Hwaeom Temple in 2007. They then disappeared from the public eye. It is the first time in seven years that the rare species has been spotted. A maximum of 16 Eastern Rock Pigeons live near Cheoneun Temple. Some of them are sitting on eggs. It seems that the birds chose the old wooden temple as their habitat because of its complex structure. No one knows why the number of the species has dropped. It is believed that only some 100 Eastern Rock Pigeons live on South Korea's islands. Their droppings are bad for the old temple, but Cheoneun Temple is the birds' last shelter on land. The nation should take measures to protect the endangered pigeons.

9. Red Beans

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Red beans are known to be a good food for the winter, since people believe that they help them brace for the cold. The beans are used in a variety of foods from bread to rice cake and porridge. Let's take a look.

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Some snacks are particularly popular during the Korean winter. Three representative snacks include white steamed bread "hoppang," toasted, fish-shaped "Bungeoppang" and a bowl of porridge. They all have something in common. Each is made with red beans. Red beans are in the spotlight again. Foods made with red beans are sold even at cafes. There are shops specialized in red bean foods. Red beans used be thought of as a food only old people enjoyed. But modernized variations of red bean foods are appealing to young people.

[Soundbite] Yeon Ji-won (Customer) : "I like foods that are good for health. I avoid cakes made with flour and sugar. I prefer places that offer healthy foods."

Red bean foods are not too sweet. So they suit the taste of young people. In addition to their soft and mild taste, red beans are also good for health.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Mi-jeong (Seoul Women's University) : "They are red because of a pigment called anthocyanin, which is an antioxidant. It has the effect of preventing diseases or chronic ailments in adults. Red beans are also rich in saponin, a major component of ginseng. Red beans help improve the blood circulation and prevent cardiovascular diseases, a stroke and artery hardening."

Red bean porridge has been modernized as well with the changes of the time. Porridge with rice was popular in the past. But the modernized version is thinner and made with finely ground red beans. Red beans are used in a variety of foods ranging from soup to bread. Red bean foods have transformed to meet the demands of younger generations. The cold weather makes people vulnerable to vascular disease. Rich in vitamin B1, red beans help boost the circulation of blood.

[Soundbite] Kim Dong-hwan (Customer) : "I can eat red beans cold with shaved ice. I eat a warm bowl of red bean porridge. It's good. "

Red beans are also good for women. A woman shares her secrets to staying in good health and in good shape with the help of red beans.

[Soundbite] Park Ye-seon (Homemaker) : "We can use red beans in various ways other than eating them. Today, I’m going to share my special secrets."

First, we are going to make red bean juice. Boil red beans and water together. After it's boiled, separate the water from the red beans to remove impurities. Put the red beans in a pot with fresh water. Boil them on medium heat for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat when the water turns red. Red beans also serve as a diuretic. It helps people discharge unnecessary water from the body and lose weight. You will avoid overeating if you satisfy your hunger with boiled red beans and red bean juice before a meal. But be careful; excessive intake of red beans can cause diarrhea. Red beans are appealing to more and more people with their mild taste and nutritious features. Stay healthy this winter with this natural food.