Northern Origin

[Anchor Lead]

South Korean and U.S. experts have determined that a number of unmanned aerial vehicles found in multiple locations in the south came from North Korea. Using GPS data stored inside the drones, the experts have determined their origin.

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When the UAVs were first discovered, the South Korean military had pointed to North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau as the operator of the drones. In three weeks, officials have found conclusive evidence to prove the drones were from North Korea once again. A joint South Korea and U.S. investigative team analyzed data such as coordinates of the geographical positioning system stored in the aircraft. The three drones found in the South each took off in North Korea five kilometers northwest of Kaesong, 27 kilos southeast of Haeju and 17 kilos east of Pyonggang. The coordinates of their arrival in the North, if they did not crash south of the border, are also identical as the takeoff points. The drone found in Paju toured around key facilities in the Seoul region including the presidential office and captured 193 photos. Whereas the drone that fell on Baengnyeong Island surveyed a South Korean military unit on the Yellow Sea and photographed a total of 119 images. The pathway of the photos that were taken were exactly the same as the travel path programmed into the drones in advance. Officials also confirmed the specifications and functions of the three drones were nearly identical to those of Chinese made UAVs. The South's military believes North Korea imported Chinese drones via Hong Kong and fixed them according to the Korean geography. The South says the North's drone incursion is a clear provocation that violates the Armistice Agreement and the inter-Korean Non-Aggression Agreement. Seoul will sternly respond to the North's provocation including issuing a warning through the United Nations Command.

2. "Smoking Gun"

[Anchor Lead]

The GPS data stored inside the North Korean drones offered conclusive evidence of where they came from. Here’s a closer look at what authorities have called the “smoking gun.”

[Pkg]

Unmanned aerial vehicles fly to their destination without the help of pilots. Computer chips inside the drone contain the flight itinerary, such as the coordinates and altitude of their destination. Since its takeoff, a drone in is real time contact with a GPS satellite to exchange information on its location and a navigator helps it find its way. Data, such as flight altitude, takeoff and arrival points and satellite contact times, are all recorded in the geographical positioning system (GPS). The North Korean drones had their flight plan files saved in memory chips inside the cockpit. Investigators secured the chips when the drones were found in March but it took experts quite some time to analyze them as the chips are Chinese made and rarely used in South Korea. There were other challenges. If the chip was separated, the data could be automatically deleted or the chip could destroy itself, which are some defense mechanisms that could have been in place. The chip therefore had to be connected to another device to extract the data indirectly.

[Soundbite] rof.IM JONG-IN(Korea University) : "A circuit diagram was needed to find out how the drones received orders and how to decipher internal data. It took time to figure all of this out."

All of the data retrieved from the drones were the evidence needed that conclusively determined the planes came from North Korea.

3. Racist Attack

[Anchor Lead]

A highly inflammatory racist tirade against American President Barack Obama: who else could be behind it but North Korea? However, recent remarks calling President Obama a monkey sink to new lows even for Pyongyang.

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North Korea's National Defense Commission issued a statement on May 2 via the Central News Agency in which it unleashed criticism targeting U.S. President Barack Obama. Pyongyang called Obama a "monkey of unclear blood." The racist remark is the North's response to the U.S. president's concerns about Pyongyang's provocations and a warning message that he sent at the latest South Korea-U.S. summit. The Washington Post reported that the North's disparaging statement was found belatedly on the personal blog of an American scholar. The daily added that North Korea usually uses racist language to stress racial purity. The Washington Post said, "If North Korean women who cross into China looking for work or an escape become impregnated and later forcibly repatriated to the North are subject to either forced abortions or infanticide." A recently disclosed report drafted by the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea also criticizes the North for violating its citizens' human rights. The Washington Post also pointed out that Pyongyang is unabashed in its verbal attack because Washington and Pyongyang have had no talks over the past two years. The U.S. government responded by telling Pyongyang to look first on itself.

[Soundbite] MARIE HARF(Deputy Spokeswoman, U.S. Dept. of State)

The Washington Post criticized North Korea for its duplicity by saying, "The North maintains active ties with several African countries... and this year welcomed a team of former NBA players — most of them African American — for an exhibition basketball game attended by leader Kim Jong-un."

4. Defense Bill

[Anchor Lead]

The U.S. House Armed Services Committee has approved the Defense Authorization Bill for next year, stipulating that North Korea’s denuclearization be achieved in a peaceful way. Some U.S. lawmakers also urged the Japanese government to apologize to its former sex slaves.

[Pkg]

In its Defense Authorization Bill, the U.S. House Armed Service Committee included stipulations regarding the Korean Peninsula. The bill expresses the committee's deep concerns over North Korea's nuclear program and ballistic missiles. It says that the North's denuclearization must be achieved in a peaceful way. It also stresses that the committee supports Seoul's goal to achieve Korea's reunification by means of peaceful methods based on democracy and free market economy. It also calls for close collaboration between Seoul and Washington on North Korean matters. The bill was adopted unanimously. The paragraphs on the Korean Peninsula underscore the willingness of the U.S. House to cooperate in resolving inter-Korean issues. The bill stands a high chance of being passed later this month at the plenary session. In an unprecedented move, some of the committee members called on the Japanese government to apologize to the former sex slaves of the Japanese army.

[Soundbite] LORETTA SANCHEZ(U.S. Representative)

Representative Loretta Sanchez said that the issue of former "comfort women" must be solved properly in order to support Washington's "Pivot to Asia" policy. The House's expression of concerns over North Korea and former comfort women will inevitably put pressure on the Obama administration.

5. Arrest Warrant

[Anchor Lead]

Investigators have requested arrest warrants for Chonghaejin Marine CEO Kim Han-sik for condoning the practice of overloading ferries like the Sewol. It also seems his inaction in the midst of the sinking could have exacerbated the tragedy.

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Chonghaejin Marine's CEO Kim Han-sik was arrested in his home in Gyeonggi Province and taken to Mokpo, where the joint investigation team is headquartered.

[Soundbite] KIM HAN-SIK(CEO, Chonghaejin Marine) : "I'm really, really sorry. I've committed a deadly sin."

The team has requested his arrest warrants on the charges of manslaughter by negligence and overloading of cargo. His charges were the same as the four other Chonghaejin Marine executives already under detention. The investigators assume that the Sewol was able to carry more cargo than allowed 139 times since its maiden voyage in March 2013, because the CEO had approved or condoned it. The ferry operator's director testified during questioning that he had reported the ferry's poor recovery problem to Kim, but the management did not take any actions. The probe has revealed what had happened in the wheelhouse during the ferry's sinking. A helmsman testified that the operation crew had radioed the steering house to ask what to do about the passengers, but the second mate did not reply even after hearing the question. A Filipino performer couple, who were also in the pilot house at the time, reportedly stated the operation crew did not take any actions for the passengers and just told them to wait. The joint investigation team is questioning the surviving crew members to verify whether these statements are true.

6. Mayoral Debate

[Anchor Lead]

Incumbent Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon assumed responsibility for the recent subway accident in his first televised debate ahead of local upcoming elections. He added that new safety measures will be put in place to ensure public safety in the future.

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At the start of the TV debate, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon assumed responsibility for the recent subway accident. He said that nothing is more important than public safety.

[Soundbite] PARK WON-SOON(Seoul City Mayor) : "It's totally my responsibility. I will put in place appropriate safety measures, starting from square one."

When asked why the faulty automatic brake system was not discovered during a safety inspection, he answered that the authorities had been lax about safety measures.

[Soundbite] Prof. HAN DU-YONG(Hansung University) : "I can't help but suspect that the subway safety system was not properly managed."

[Soundbite] PARK WON-SOON(Seoul City Mayor) : "I believe the underlying cause is our indifference toward safety, thinking that the subway has been safe yesterday and today, so it will be safe tomorrow, too."

To a question accusing him of being too detail-minded and failing to see the big picture, Mayor Park referred to the deadly ferry disaster and stressed that small things matter.

[Soundbite] "People demand that I draw the big picture, but how can a person who can't take care of the details carry out big tasks?"

The mayor also promised to do away with conventional campaigning, like using trucks with loudspeakers to drum up support, in the run up to the June 4th local elections.

7. Leaving the Nest

[Anchor Lead]

In a recent survey roughly half of Korean respondents say living away from your parents is most desirable. Three out of four say they’d prefer to live separately from their children even in old age.

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The Planned Population Federation of Korea surveyed 14-hundred married men and women nationwide last month about their thoughts on looking after their elderly parents. Forty-five percent said living separate is the right thing to do. Some 44 percent said the children who can afford to do so should live with parents while 11 percent said the eldest or sons should be the ones responsible for caring for parents. There was a big difference in gender as 34 percent of men and 7 percent of women believed this responsibility lay on the eldest child. When asked if they would live with their children when older, 77 percent said they wouldn't want to even if the children asked for it. As for giving spending money to parents, 62 percent of respondents said they only give allowance on birthdays and holidays. Twenty-nine percent regularly gave money to their folks. Of those who regularly gave allowance to their parents, about half, some 55 percent, said they gave to both parents of the husband and wife. Forty-two percent gave about 100 to 200 dollars while 27 percent said they gave 200 to 300 dollars. Three out of four people said they never lived with the parents of his or her spouse under one roof for more than three months after marriage. The Planned Population Federation that conducted the survey says people must plan for their later life and the government should set up a senior welfare system for stable life in one's later years in Korea's aging society.

8. Samsung Inheritance

[Anchor Lead]

Samsung Group subsidiary Samsung SDS goes public this year. The value of the company’s shares surged 120-fold in a scheme that appears to be laying a foundation for inheritance of the company by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

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Lee Jae-yong acquired a stake in Samsung SDS using three methods. In 1996 he bought a 7.4-percent stake in Samsung SDS for 4.3 million U.S. dollars, even though he wasn't even a shareholder. That was possible because Samsung's subsidiaries gave up the acquisition of the shares for their nominal value. Three years later, in 1999, Lee Jae-yong increased his stake to 8.8 percent by buying bonds with warrant for 4.6 million dollars. The price per share was around seven dollars, which was just an eighth of the over-the-counter value. In December last year Lee invested 1.5 million dollars, becoming the largest shareholder of the network solution provider Samsung SNS through an M&A. This move enabled him to raise his stake even further. As a result, Lee raised his stake in Samsung SDS to 11.25 percent.

[Soundbite] PARK JU-GEUN(CEO, CEO Score) : "Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong held a 48-percent stake in Samsung SNS. Through a merger and an acquisition, he tried to further increase the value of his shares."

The value of Samsung SDS's shares multiplied, their over-the-counter price reaching 146 dollars per share. If Samsung SDS is listed on the stock exchange, Lee's investment in its shares will surge 120-fold in just ten years, reaching 1.2 billion dollars. Samsung's owning family has already been found guilty by the court of its illegal inheritance process that utilized forfeited stocks and bonds with warrant. Lee Jae-yong's attempt to use his Samsung SDS assets in order to inherit Samsung from his father will likely spark yet another controversy.

9. Great Photo Spots

[Anchor Lead]

With the rise of mobile devices, most people can snap a photo anytime, anywhere. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced a list of great spots to take photos. Here are two of them in Gyeonggi Province.

[Pkg]

This is one of the photogenic sites chosen by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It's Gosam Reservoir in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. With a circumference of 13 kilometers, it is the largest lake in the region. The islet at the center of the lake adds a layer of beauty. We're fortunate to have an expert to guide us around Anseong. It's photographer Eom Tae-su.

[Soundbite] EOM TAE-SU(Photographer) : "This is one of the photogenic sites chosen by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Many people come to take photos of the lake. But this is a favorite of fishers."

The lake is famous for it's foggy early mornings. It's the perfect time to take beautiful, dream-like photos. More than 120 fishing spots can be found around the reservoir. Getting to the fishing spots in a rowboat offers a unique, romantic experience. The quiet fishing spots are like heaven on earth for fishers.

[Soundbite] LEE GYU-BONG(Fisher) : "I like this place. I come here once a week."

He got one! This is a perfect moment to take a photo. He even gives his catch of the day a little kiss. Next, let's go to a wide grassland. This farm has a rye field measuring nearly one-point-three million square meters. Many people come to take photos of the farm's exotic landscape. The field produces rye for farm animals. There are some 30 varieties of animals on the farm. Visitors have the chance to feed the animals themselves.

[Soundbite] PARK JIN-A(Visitor) : "It’s good to touch and feed the animals."

There is another good destination for a one-day trip near Seoul. This is Yongin in Gyeonggi Province. This is a favorite of many photographers.

[Soundbite] GWON JONG-SU(Visitor) : "There are lots of wild flowers. Huts and terraced rice fields are here. There are lots of good things we can take photos of."

The park features some 300 kinds of flowers and an old rural village. Small huts serve as good resting places. In spring, flowers are the most popular among photographers. Here are some of the shots. Lastly, a camping site. But this place is famous for its survival training facility.

[Soundbite] "I want to make him stronger!"

Campers can enjoy unique experiences while crossing a rope net bridge and zipping down a wire cable. Many people are with their families. Children are usually the most excited. First, they may be a little scared. But soon, they become thrill seekers.

[Soundbite] "It feels like I’ve became a spy."

This is also a great moment to pull out cameras and take photos to bring home the vivid memories of your family outing.

[Soundbite] LEE SEUNG-HO(Visitor) : "I never knew that there was such a good place for a one-day trip. It’s really good."

Taking photos with your loved ones is always the best way to capture great moments. Schedule a family outing this weekend before it gets too late. Spring is the perfect time to do so.