Closing Mass

[Anchor Lead]

Pope Francis presided over yesterday's closing Mass for the Asia Youth Day held in Haemi Fortress in South Chungcheong Province. During his sermon the pontiff asked Asia's young people to wake up and resist the pressures of sin and temptation.

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People gather at Haemi Castle where Korean Catholics were martyred long ago.Before the Mass begins young people from all over Asia carry crosses up to the stage.Sixteen crosses symbolizing love and peace make up the altar.Pope Francis, in his white papal regalia, signals the beginning of Mass.He appears more enthusiastic than any other moment during his visit.

He delivered his sermon in English, not Italian, so that many more Asian youths would understand.His voice contained strength and each gesture embodied all that he was trying to say.

[Soundbite] "Pope Francis"

He also emphasized the spiritual mindset needed to resist temptation.

[Soundbite] "Pope Francis"

The Mass was held in the open amid an energetic and cheerful mood. Asian bishops, youths and many others were invited to hear the Pope's message of hope.

2. Papal Baptism

[Anchor Lead]

Pope Francis personally baptized a member of one of the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry tragedy. He chose the baptismal name of Francis. It was the first instance of a Korean Catholic being baptized by the pope in 25 years.

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Pope Francis baptizes a Korean man named Lee Ho-jin, who lost his son in the Sewol ferry tragedy.He pours holy water on Lee's head and wipes it firsthand.The pope then draws a cross on the man's forehead.

[Soundbite] Father JEONG JAE-CHEON (Interpretation) : "You have now become light through Christ."

Lee is the father of late Danwon High School student Lee Seung-hyun, who died in the Sewol tragedy. The man's baptismal name is the same as the pope's - Francis.After the ceremony, which lasted nearly an hour, Pope Francis held hands with the perished student's father and offered his condolences.To meet the pope, Lee had walked 900 kilometers from Ansan all the way to Jindo and then back to Daejeon, carrying a cross throughout his journey.Lee met with the pope in Daejeon shortly before a mass and asked to be baptized.

[Soundbite] LEE HO-JIN (Bereaved Family Member) : "I would like to be baptized. Please tell me whether I am qualified."

The pope appeared somewhat surprised, but he accepted Lee's request after learning that he had prepared for baptism for two years.Lee is the first Korean Catholic to be baptized personally by the pope in 25 years.

3. NK Pays Respects

[Anchor Lead]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a wreath to commemorate the 5th anniversary of late President Kim Dae-jung's death. The wreath was delivered by Director of United Front Department Kim Yang-gon, who is in charge of South Korean affairs.

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A wreath from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is delivered to South Korea to mark the 5th anniversary of late President Kim Dae-jung's passing.A delegation led by the North's Director of United Front Department Kim Yang-gon welcomes South Korean officials.Kim remained out of the public spotlight for some time, raising speculations about his

[Soundbite] KIM YANG-GON (N. Korea's Director of United Front Department) : "Good to see you. (It's been a long time.)"

The wreath delivery ceremony was held at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The South Korean delegation included former Unification Minister Lim Dong-won, Representative Park Jie-won and late President Kim Dae-jung's younger son, Kim Hong-eop.

[Soundbite] Rep. PARK JIE-WON (New Politics Alliance for Democracy) : "You look the same as you did five years ago."

[Soundbite] KIM YANG-GON (N. Korea's Director of United Front Department) : "You haven't changed, either."

After the ceremony, the delegations discussed inter-Korean issues for around 50 minutes.Sources say Kim Yang-gon expressed discontent over President Park Geun-hye's speech marking Independence Day where she called on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

[Soundbite] Rep. PARK JIE-WON (New Politics Alliance for Democracy) : "Secretary Kim told us to make an unconditional decision and showed a sensitive reaction to the Independence Day speech."

However, Kim didn't respond to Seoul's proposition made on August 11 to hold a second round of high-level inter-Korean talks.The North Korean delegation didn't comment on whether the North Korean team would participate in the Incheon Asian Games, and only reiterated.

4. Bullying in the Barracks

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The son of Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil has been accused of bullying his subordinates in the barracks. Governor Nam issued a public apology for his son's misbehavior.

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The eldest son of Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil has been found to be responsible for a military bullying case that occurred in the Army's 6th Division in Cheolwon, Gangwon Province.The son, a corporal, is currently under investigation for allegedly hitting a subordinate routinely since April as punishment for failure to perform his duties properly. He is also suspected of sexually harassing another subordinate since mid-July, for example by hugging him from behind.

[Soundbite] Military Official : "In the past, soldiers remained silent about bullying if they were not victims. But now, they are taught to talk about bullying at the barracks. Corporal Nam was found to be a bully when soldiers wrote about him in a survey."

Corporal Nam admitted to the beatings but is denying the charges of sexual harassment, saying that it was merely friendly horseplay.The accused corporal's father, Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil, issued a public apology in a news conference.

[Soundbite] NAM KYUNG-PIL (Gyeonggi province Governor) : "It is all my fault, for I did not educate my son properly. I sincerely apologize to the victims, their families and the people."

The governor also posted an apology on his Facebook page, saying that as the corporal's father, he would accept any criticism and atone for the offense. The governor said that he will have his son punished in accordance with the law, based on investigation results.Military authorities are questioning Corporal Nam and the victims separately, and will decide on a punishment for Nam as soon as investigation results are finalized.

5. Japanese Brides

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Some Japanese women married Korean men during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. However, they have faced discrimination and many hardships as a result of their choice. Here are some of their sad stories.

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Seventy years ago when she was 19 years old, Aoki married a Korean mine worker brought over from Korea to Japan. Korea achieved independence the next year and she came to Korea with her husband, although she could not speak the language. Aoki was not happy in Korea, as she was ill-treated and abused by her husband. She tried to return to Japan but couldn't, since she had no official documents proving that she was Japanese.

[Soundbite] TSUNE AOKI : "I sold fish and other things in a market to make a living. It was really hard because I could not speak Korean."

A 96-year-old woman named Enomoto married a Korean man in Osaka despite her family's opposition.She came to Korea the next year after Korea's liberation and settled down in Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province. However, she returned to Japan in the 1970s after not being able to endure the harsh discrimination in Korea.But she and her family faced the same treatment back in Japan.

[Soundbite] IM OK-HEE (Daughter of MichihoEnomoto) : "We could not speak Japanese. People refused to rent to me and my mother."

Japanese women who married Korean men and settled down in Korea formed an organization 50 years ago to keep in touch with one another.But the number of members has plunged from over 3000 to three, as many of them have passed away or have lost contact.These Japanese women chose love over their mother country, but they've had to endure many.

6. Helping Others

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We often think that helping out the less fortunate is the domain of the well-off. But a survey conducted by the charity group "Community Chest of Korea" shows that more low-income seniors have promised to donate all they have after they die than their wealthier counterparts.

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98-year-old Kim Jeong-yeon has sold the spicy rice-cake snack "ddeokbokki" in a market for 60 years. She earns less than ten dollars a day, but she has readily given free "ddeokbokki" to hungry people, and even donated money to support students who cannot afford tuition.She has promised to donate all of her personal property, worth approximately 20-thousand U.S. dollars, after she dies.

[Soundbite] KIM JEONG-YEON (Donor) : "I used to sleep on the bare floor even in the winter, since I didn't have any bedding. I want to help those in need who are struggling with financial difficulties as I have."

An elderly woman named "Kim Hwa-kyu" who lives on government subsidies has also promised to donate all she has after she dies.She has saved almost 5,000 U.S. dollars, by scrimping and saving on food and clothing."Im Hong-geon" who has little to his name apart from a single underground room, has also decided to donate all of his property once he dies. He will even donate his very body for medical research.Since 2005, the Community Chest of Korea has been receiving promises from people to donate all of their personal property after they die. A total of 52 people have made such promises and 30 of them are elderly low-income earners.

[Soundbite] IM HONG-GEON(Donor) : "There are people who as poor as I am. But there may be people who are even poorer."

The heart-warming and generous acts of these elderly donors are helping people think again about the true meaning of sharing.

7. Brazilian Pop

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Teenage Brazilian fans of K-pop have created their own music group inspired by Korean pop, attesting to the skyrocketing popularity of Korean music in Latin America.

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These girls practice their dance hard ahead of their debut.They are the members of the Brazilian girl group Lollipop, and are to debut early next year.The girls' dreams are to publicize Brazilian pop music by combining singing and dancing, much like K-pop.

[Soundbite] Lollipop Member : "We will succeed because we are original. Dance groups present a new genre in the Brazilian market where singing skills are considered very important."

The first Brazilian pop group Champs, which debuted back in May, gained high recognition and was even nominated for the best artist award of 2014.Brazilian pop music artists wish to localize K-pop in Brazil by receiving choreographic training in Korea and using melodies composed by Korean songwriters.KBS' magazine K-Wave is now being published in Brazil as well.It features news about Korean stars and introduces stories of Brazilian fans.

[Soundbite] K-pop Fan : "News about Korean stars used to be published in Korean and translations were inaccurate.Now I can find out about my favorite stars in my own language."

This localization strategy has made Korean culture closer to the Brazilian public.

[Soundbite] HONG SANG-PYO (Director, Korea Creative Content Agency) : "To promote Korean culture, we must use custom-made strategies since each region and each country has its own cultural preferences."

Rather than accepting Korean culture as is, Latin American countries are transforming it into a style of their own.

8. Uldolmok Currents

[Anchor Lead]

"Roaring Currents" became the highest-grossing film in Korean history over the weekend. Besides Admiral Yi Sun-shin's amazing wartime leadership, the turbulent and unpredictable currents of Uldolmok, where the battle took place, were considered vital to his victory. Here's a closer look at the secrets of the Uldolmok currents that enabled such a stunning triumph.

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Myeongryang Strait is a narrow waterway between Haenam County and Jindo Island in southwestern Korea. At its narrowest point, the strait measures only 294 meters across.Seawater from the expansive South Sea rushes into the cramped waterway, creating extremely rapid currents.Maximum speeds reach as high as 6.5 meters per second, more than four times faster than in other straits.The tidal currents in Uldolmok change their direction four times a day in sync with ebbs and flows.During the battle of Myeongryang, the Japanese battle formation fell apart when the Japanese naval ships were swept by the sudden strong currents and crashed into one another.There are also dozens of submerged rocks of various sizes in the area. Sudden whirlpools are created when the water runs into these underwater obstacles.This is the second reason why more than 100 Japanese vessels were rendered powerless.

[Soundbite] SEO HAN-GYEONG (Researcher, KIOST) : "The topography here is composed of rocks, not sediment. When water, which tends to move in a straight line, meets with these irregularly placed rocks, it surges and swirls to create whirlpools."

Taking advantage of these tidal characteristics, the Joseon navy was able to use a "shock and destroy" strategy to crush the enemy ships and triumph over the vastly larger Japanese fleet.

9. Summer Cave Escapes

[Anchor Lead]

Here, we have some information for those who have yet not selected their vacation destinations. They look ordinary at first glance but can be an attractive retreat for vacationers. We're talking about caves. Let's take a look.

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Ulju County near Ulsan has been famous as a producer of amethyst since Korea's three ancient kingdom era. The county used to produce and export quality amethyst. But the mine was closed down in 1987. Now the mine is a popular tourist destination.

[Soundbite] "We are here for a cave adventure."

Tourists get aboard a boat for an adventure. What is waiting ahead?

[Soundbite] PARK SOO-JIN (Guide) : "We are going to tour the cave in a boat along a waterway."

The tourists explore the mine traveling along a 500-meter waterway. The man-made waterway was created with ground water flowing near the cave. It looks like a scene from the Hollywood movie "Indiana Jones." The beam of a flashlight make pieces of amethyst shine from the walls of the mine. It is beautiful. The climax of the boat trip comes when it reaches a vortex. No one feels too hot with the cool winds blowing inside the cave.

[Soundbite] "The cave boat tour is the best!"

This is a cave in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

[Soundbite] BYUN JOO-NAM(Tourist) : "It's cool in here. It is very exotic."

The cave is full of fantastic paintings and sculptures.

[Soundbite] CHO HYUN-KOOK (Gallery owner) : "This used to be a train tunnel 20 years ago.But it was converted into a wine cellar. We also made it into a gallery by displaying artworks."

An abandoned train tunnel was converted into a cellar storing wine made with Korean wild grapes, which is a local specialty of Sacheon. There is a small bar for those who want to have small talk and a good time with their loved one over a glass of wine. How will it feel to drink wine in cave?

[Soundbite] "It is sweet and great. It is good for women."

The perfect temperature for keeping wine is between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, In the cave, the temperature hovers around 12 degrees Celsius. This is a naturally made wine refrigerator.

[Soundbite] KIM SOOK-JIN(Tourist) : "It is cold in here. I'm really cold."

While sipping wine, the visitors have a good time with their families and friends in the cave.

[Soundbite] SEO KYUNG-JA (Tourist) : "It is really great. I wonder how they came up with this wonderful idea."

Caves hide deep and various charms. You should visit a cave and have an enchanting moment this summer.