Knife Attack

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The site of a shocking knife attack on the US ambassador to Korea on Thursday quickly turned to pandemonium. We have reconstructed the accident based on witness testimonies. Take a look.

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A lecture began early Thursday morning at 7:30 AM. The lecturer, U.S. ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert, appears 3 minutes later. He is seated at the guest of honor table at the center of the first row. Ten people were seated at this table and the guests were reportedly making friendly talk about the ambassador's new born first son.

[Soundbite] Rep. Chang Yoon-seok(Witness, Saenuri Party) : "Amb. Lippert said he wanted to have his second child in Korea and everyone at the table laughed."

Breakfast began at 7:40. Then a man dressed in a modern style Korean traditional costume, hanbok suddenly gets up. He's seated at table 6 behind the ambassador to the right side. His name is Kim Ki-jong. Kim quickly moves toward the ambassador mumbling some words. When Lippert stood up toward Kim, the man attacks him with a weapon. Lawmaker Chang Yoon-seok and officials from the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation immediately pushed Kim to the floor and subdued him. Ambassador Lippert was escorted out of the meeting hall. Then chaos ensued as Kim, who continued his shouts, entangled with officials. Kim was under police custody at 7:50 am. An early morning lecture event wishing for peace on the Korean Peninsula turned into turmoil in just ten minutes.

2. Extreme Politics

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So, who is Kim Ki-jong, the knife-wielding man who attacked Ambassador Mark Lippert? Here are some of the key incidents that have defined this man’s extreme political past.

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Kim Ki-jong was mainly engaged in radical anti-Japanese activities while serving as the head of Uri Madang, a progressive civic group. In 2010 he threw two chunks of cement block at then-Japanese Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie and was sentenced to two years in prison and three years' probation.

[Soundbite] "Bring a warrant. Bring a warrant."

He was arrested for throwing eggs in front of the Japanese Embassy and changed his address to Dokdo in 2006. The target of Kim's criticism recently shifted to the United States. He claimed through his blog postings that the reason a reunion of North and South Korean families failed to take place on the lunar New Year's Day was because of the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises. He was also involved in an argument with EXO fan club members at the boy band's concert in January and ended up assaulting a public official dispatched to inspect the event. He was booked without detention over that incident. In total he has six prior records and did not have many associates.

[Soundbite] Acquaintance of Kim Ki-jong's(Voice Modified) : "He was very odd at our gatherings. He really didn't like that we didn't think highly of him."

Kim also seemed to be struggling financially, as he was designated a welfare recipient.

3. Corruption Law Challenge

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A controversial anti-corruption law is headed to the Constitutional Court even before the new law formally goes into effect. The Korean Bar Association has filed a petition with the Constitutional Court challenging some parts of the anti-corruption law.

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On behalf of the Journalists Association of Korea and other groups, the Korean Bar Association has filed a petition with the Constitutional Court regarding the so-called Kim Young-ran Law. The bar association has taken issue with Articles 2 and 5 of the law. Article 2 includes journalists among those subject to the law, while Article 5 stipulates the definition of "illegal favors." The group said that only subjecting journalists to the law among other civic players serving a public purpose may infringe on the constitutional principle of equal rights for all. It also said the concept of illegal favors is so inclusive that it may violate the clarity principle under the criminal code. The bar association also filed a petition against the clause that forces spouses to report bribes received by their partners and punishes them if they fail to do so. The group says this provision violates the freedom of thought or conscience guaranteed in the Constitution. The Constitutional Court has said it will first have to decide when the Kim Young-ran Law can even be subject to a petition as it's scheduled to take effect after a grace period of 18 months.

4. Day Care Child Abuse

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More incidents of child abuse at a day care center have been captured on video. Video footage from a government-funded childcare center in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province depicted seven teachers abusing children under their care.

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A teacher pinches a three-year-old child's cheeks, and then picks him up to put him in a corner where he is mercilessly poked. She grabs another child and shakes him for not following the choreographed dance moves. Another teacher holds a child by his ears and drags him for two or three meters. She forces a child to eat the tangerine piece he spat out and for no apparent reason sprays a child playing with a toy.

[Soundbite] Ms. Koo(Mother, Abused Child) : "There is no way to find out about child abuse without surveillance cameras."

Police have confirmed 72 child abuse incidents from the center's CCTV footage recorded over 15 days.

[Soundbite] Sen. Ins. Park Bok-dul(Goseong Police Station) : "Childcare instructors claim that they weren't aware of abusing the children and that they hit the children simply to teach them a lesson."

Police arrested seven out of eight center teachers for child abuse and the center's director for negligent supervision. In addition, the county government of Goseong has decided to cancel its contract with the center director and instructors and to suspend their childcare instructor licenses.

5. G-PIN System Hacking

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The government has been widely promoting the use of the government version of the Internet Personal Identification Number dubbed the Government Personal Identification Number, or G-PIN. But over 750-thousand of the so-called G-PINs have been found to have been illegally issued due to hacking. It's the first such incident in Korea, reflecting the vulnerability of G-PIN security.

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This is the Internet site that issues what's called the Government Personal Identification Number used for online transactions. Ever since the online use of resident registration numbers was banned last August, the use of the Internet Personal Identification Number, or I-PIN, has been sharply on the rise. But during three days of hacking attacks on the I-PIN system that started Saturday, some 750-thousand I-PINs were illegally issued. The issuance procedure starts with entering one's personal information followed by an ID verification. But the assailants hacked the system to appear as if a person's identification was verified without providing personal data. It's also likely that resident registration numbers that were leaked online in past incidents may have been misused. About 120,000 of the illegally issued I-PINs were found being used at three online game sites to gain new memberships or modify information of an existing member's account. The government said that existing memberships of the game sites were immediately withdrawn and no damage was inflicted. The government has also confirmed that some 2,000 domestic IP addresses were used in the hacking as well as a Chinese version of a computer program, and has requested a police investigation.

6. Consumer Profile

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With Korean society aging rapidly, people in their 50s and 60s are emerging as a key consumer group. In keeping with the changing consumer demographics, the cultural industry is introducing various novelty products to appeal to their buying power.

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This is a musical theater in Seoul. Weekday performances are generally held in the evenings, but curiously this theater has opened in the afternoon. It was for the benefit of the rapidly increasing audience of viewers in their 50s and 60s. More than half of the seats were filled by senior citizens with plenty of free time.

[Soundbite] Kim Sung-hee(Visitor) : "I enjoy cultural activities. There aren't many venues people my age can visit."

Targeting seniors who are internet-savvy, the so-called "filial love keyboard" has hit the market, featuring keys that are much larger than conventional ones. Book publishers have also released large-print editions with bigger letters. The font size in ordinary books is on average 10 points, but the large-print editions use a 17-point font, nearly double the conventional font size. The larger fonts are used to make reading easier for older people. These large-type books were originally developed for people with poor eyesight, but by word of mouth advertising, roughly 3,000 titles were published in large print and some 40,000 copies were sold in 2014 alone. Consumers in their 50s and 60s with ample spending power have emerged as a key consumer group, and competition in the cultural sector to court them is heating up.

7. River Exhibition

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Now for a trip to the Bukhan River, which is home to an unusual art exhibition held outdoors against the scenic backdrop of nature. Let’s take a look.

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It's still chilly on the banks of the Bukhan River. Next to Suwon poplar trees, you can see something curled up on the ground. A flock of birds is waiting for the right time, enduring the icy winds. This is the way they endure the cold winter.

[Soundbite] Choi Woon-young(Artist) : "The purpose of sleep is to awaken. You're still alive even when you asleep."

Everything here looks like it belongs right here. Nobody will strike a conversation with you first, and nobody will reproach you for passing by without noticing. Even the pine nut shells scattered all over the place look like a piece of art. This outdoor art exhibition has been held on the bank of the Bukhan River for 34 years. These one-of-a-kind artworks harmonizing perfectly with the natural scenery have become a part of the Bukhan River landscape, which is now preparing to welcome the spring.

8. Entertainment News

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Fans of the late singer Shin Hae-chul, who died much too young, continue to mourn his death. In addition to tribute concerts, a street dedicated to the singer is also under construction. Here's more from the world of show business.

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The city government of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province has decided to create a street dedicated to the late singer Shin Hae-chul. The street will stretch 160 meters long in Sunae-dong of the Bundang District, where the late singer's studio was located. The Seongnam City government will model the street after the one dedicated to late singer Kim Kwang-seok in the city of Daegu. Visitors will be able to pay homage to Shin Hae-chul and enjoy popular culture. Ticket sales for moonlight tours at Changdeok Palace for the first half of 2015 will begin on March 10. The tours have enjoyed enormous popularity each year since their launch. This year 37 moonlight tours will be held at the scenic ancient palace. Tickets can be purchased online on Interpark. Four new episodes of the one-act-play TV show "Drama Special" will air on KBS 2TV every Friday at 9 p.m. starting March 13, one episode at a time. The production team said that each episode of the new season lasts 100 minutes, and that the viewers will hopefully receive the impression of watching big-screen movies.

9. Breaking the Habit

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Many Koreans have made New Year's resolutions to quit smoking, spurred on by the recent cigarette price hike. But oftentimes their determination to quit fizzles out after a few days. Here are some effective ways to help you quit the bad habit.

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Quitting smoking is at the top of many people's New Year's resolutions, but this year more smokers are motivated to abandon their habit, as the cigarette prices have gone up and no-smoking zones have been expanded. Subsequently, the number of people registering for smoking cessation programs has more than tripled since last year. Then what kind of exercise helps with smoking cessation? Lie down on the floor and lift your abdomen like a bow. When your muscles feel tense, lower your back and relax. Next, stand up straight and put a hand behind your head. Then lean sideways until you feel your side stretching. Lastly, lie down on the floor with your face down and lift up your upper body with your arms supporting the weight. This exercise relaxes the head and neck and stretches the back. The most difficult obstacle for smokers looking to quit is the withdrawal symptoms. But such withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke can be eased by exercising your brain. Seoul National University Hospital and the Korea Institute of Brain Science have found that merely shaking your head side to side can suppress your cravings for cigarettes. Food also plays a crucial role in relieving the withdrawal symptoms. Slice a block of devil's tongue jelly into 3 millimeter slices and cook them in a microwave oven. Don't cover the container with plastic wrap to add some crunch. Add some soy sauce seasoning and cook in the microwave oven again for another 10 minutes to enjoy devil's tongue jelly chips. The next recipe is beans and chicken breast salad. Season the sliced chicken breast with white wine, salt, and pepper and fry the chicken in a pan. Pour some salad dressing over the black and red beans and chicken breast.

[Soundbite] Prof. Yoon Taek-joon(Yuhan College) : "Chicken breast and beans rich in protein can prevent the stress-induced weakening of the immune system."

Physical strength is just as necessary for smoking cessation as mental resolve. We hope everyone determined to quit smoking this year succeeds in this very challenging endeavor.