Cash Withdrawals

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A KBS investigation has discovered roughly 1.4 million dollars in withdrawals from Keangnam Enterprises' affiliates between 2011 and 2012. The prosecution noted that major political events, such as a general election and presidential race, took place over those two years.

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The prosecution has confirmed that nearly three million dollars of questionable nature have been drawn out of Keangnam Enterprises affiliates from October 2007 to October 2014. The prosecution has obtained a statement from an accounting executive, who claims to have withdrawn the money on the late Keangnam Chairman Sung Wan Jong's order and given it to the company chief. Most of the withdrawals were made between 2011 and 2012. Money was withdrawn from the affiliates in hundreds or thousands of dollars from year 2007 to 2010. But from January 2011 to December 2012, every withdrawal was suddenly in tens of thousands of dollars. The fund withdrawn over the two years amount to roughly 1.4 million dollars, almost half of the total outflow of 2.9 million dollars. A special investigative team probing the so-called "Sung Wan-jong list" is noting the fact that when large sums of money were taken out of Keangnam affiliates from 2011 to 2012, Keangnam Enterprises had completed its workout process and a number of major political events took place. The investigation team plans to summon Keangnam accounting officials shortly to find out why unusually large amounts of money were taken out over the two years and where it was spent.

2. SK-Turkmen Ties

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President Park Geun-hye held a summit with the president of Turkmenistan in Seoul on Monday. The two leaders agreed to boost cooperation between their countries in energy, construction, finance and investment.

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Trade between South Korea and Turkmenistan has grown by a factor of 25 since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992. The heads of the two countries stressed that the combination of South Korea's capital and technology and Turkmenistan's abundant resources will further boost cooperation.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye(President) : "Relations between South Korea and Turkmenistan are developing rapidly. We are expanding reciprocal, cooperative ties for co-prosperity in all sectors, including finance."

The Cheong Wa Dae announced that the two countries signed an M.O.U. on a scale of six billion U.S. dollars aimed at building gas liquefaction plants and modernizing oil refineries. A separate M.O.U. on financial cooperation and an accord to prevent double taxation were also approved to support corporate activity. South Korea will also support Turkmenistan's hosting of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games by boosting personnel and cultural exchange. Additionally, the two countries agreed to upgrade the South Korea-Central Asia cooperation forum, a vice ministerial level group launched in 2007, to a ministerial-level consultative body.

3. Remembering the Sewol

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Tuesday marked the beginning of the official memorial period for the first anniversary of the Sewol ferry sinking. Koreans are remembering the tragedy on a national level with many visiting Paengmok Harbor in Jindo to pray for the victims.

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A memorial altar for the victims of the Sewol accident has been set up at Paengmok Harbor in Jindo. A steady stream of visitors came to the harbor in spite of the rain to pray for the victims. They can't help tearing up as they see the photos of young student victims. A man plays a soulful tune with his harmonica to wish them eternal happiness in heaven.

[Soundbite] Kang Hyeong-gu(Visitor) : "It was hard for me to keep my emotions in check. So I played my harmonica again."

People also stop by the 170-meter-long Wall of Memories. Honoring the victims, the memorial wall is made up of tiles with drawings and messages sent from all across the country. Visitors weep in mourning for the victims as they read each of the stories written on more than 5,000 tiles.

[Soundbite] Lee Suk-ja(Visitor) : "It's so sad and frustrating. The government should step up and do something."

On Monday alone roughly 500 visitors came to the seawall at Paengmok Harbor where yellow ribbons tied in memory of the victims flutter in the wind.

4. Sinkhole Trauma

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A series of sinkholes, cases when the ground suddenly gives way, have been reported recently across Seoul. Those who have experienced a sinkhole accident complain about serious psychological trauma afterward.

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After getting off a bus, a man and a woman fall suddenly into a hole three meters deep. A 25-ton truck collapses sideways onto a pedestrian sidewalk. They were sudden, unpredictable accidents. A man in his 20s fell into a hole two meters deep. He is now so frightened that he can only look down at the ground as he walks. Eventually, he decided to seek medical attention. An examination lasting more than three hours revealed that he is in a pre-stage of post-traumatic stress disorder.

[Soundbite] Prof. Cho Cheol-hyun(Korea Univ. Anam Hospital) : "The incident clearly caused psychological trauma for him, because it occurred suddenly and unexpectedly."

Approximately 3,300 sinkholes have been reported across Seoul over the past five years. In particular, the Songpa, Guro and Jung Districts are categorized as regions of high risk. In most cases, the holes formed when the ground sank due to worn out sewage pipes. Replacing the sewage pipes is made difficult by a limited budget. Citizens' concerns are mounting over the continued appearance of sinkholes.

5. Waiting for Reward

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Korea has a system which rewards up to 90,000 dollars to anyone who helps discover historical and cultural properties. But two men who provided crucial information that led to the excavation of some 800 Goryeo celadon pieces have not received their due reward for five years now. Here is their story.

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An underwater excavation of cultural relics took place in waters off Yeongheung Island in Incheon for three years starting in 2010. The excavation project discovered a part of a trader ship dubbed the Yeongheungdo from the 8th-century Unified Shilla Dynasty. With the ship's remnants were also some artifacts. At the same location some 800 pieces of Goryeo-era celadon were recovered as well. The ceramic items appear to have sunk to the bottom of the sea in the 12th century. The discovery of such precious cultural relics was attributed to two civilian divers.

[Soundbite] Yun Eun-seok(First Finder, Sunken Ship) : "There were loads of ceramic pieces at the bottom of the sea, lots of them."

A reward of up to 90,000 U.S. dollars is given to anyone who has helped discover ancient artifacts. But the two divers still haven't been paid their due reward, although it's been five years since they reported the sunken ship to the authorities and two years since the excavation ended. That's because the city of Incheon is feigning ignorance, claiming that there are no records of the city government receiving their tip.

[Soundbite] Incheon City Hall Employee(Voice Modified) : "There is belief that they reported it, but no concrete evidence."

Critics say administrative incompetence is tarnishing the noble objective of the relic reward system.

6. Unmanned Aircraft

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Countries around the world are striving to develop unmanned aircraft. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute has developed the world's second unmanned aerial vehicle that is able to take off and land vertically. It also revealed other state-of-the art unmanned aircraft. Let's take a look.

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With the development of the TR-60 unmanned aerial vehicle, South Korea became the second nation in the world to launch a vessel of its type, following the U.S.

[Soundbite] "Automatic takeoff!"

It is capable of rising vertically, like a helicopter. After takeoff, the propellers tilt forward and flight is possible at speeds of up to 240 kilometers an hour. That makes it twice as fast as a helicopter, with a range of approximately 5 hours of flight. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute aims to commercialize the unmanned aerial vehicle by 2020. An electrically powered unmanned vehicle using solar cells was also revealed. Farming land can be seen clearly through a built-in camera. The unmanned aircraft can serve as a substitute for satellites in meteorological observation or disaster monitoring.

[Soundbite] Lee Yoong-kyo(Researcher, Korea Aerospace Research Inst.) : "It can fly around the clock because the built-in batteries are recharged during the daytime, and the aircraft can fly on the charge at nighttime."

The global market for unmanned aerial vehicles is expected to grow 30 percent each year, to nearly 12 billion U.S. dollars by 2023.

7. Korean Animation

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The original Korean animated film "Cloud Bread" is poised to establish a presence in the global animation market, which so far has been dominated by U.S. and Japanese productions. Take a look.

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The original Korean animation series "Cloud Bread" is about two kittens that get to fly into the sky after eating bread that their mom had baked for them. The innocent and rich imagination of the two characters - Hongbi and Hongsi - has captivated the hearts of many young viewers. Now "Cloud Bread" is poised to advance into the global animation market. The Gangwon Information and Multimedia Corporation, the producer of "Cloud Bread," has signed a production and distribution contract with a large U.S. animation company to lay a foundation for the series' advancement into the global arena.

[Soundbite] Ahn Yu-sepo(Gangwon Information & Multimedia Corp.) : "This series deals with universal subjects, such as family, friendships and neighbors."

"Cloud Bread" and "Piddley Pom" will start airing on more than 200 channels worldwide in the middle of this month. Attention is being focused on how successful the original Korean animation film will be in the global market.

8. Entertainment News

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Many artists these days donate their talents. Two singers who were popular back in the 1980s will hold a concert to help former sex slaves of the Japanese army. Here's more from the world of show business.

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Singers Lee Jung-seok and Lee Kyu-seok, popular artists in the 1980s and 90s, will hold a joint concert in New Jersey in June to help former sex slaves of the Japanese army. The purpose of the concert is to raise funds for the distribution of the testimonies of 12 victims compiled in the book "Can You Hear Us?” The Untold Narratives of Comfort Women," which was published last year. Soprano Sumi Jo will hold a concert for high school and college students free of charge on May 11 at the Seoul Arts Center, which can accommodate 2,500 viewers. Jo said she aims to present young, aspiring classical music artists with opportunities to appreciate her music, because they normally can't afford tickets to her concerts. "Who's Your Mama?" - the latest release from singer/producer Park Jin-young - has topped nine online music charts just a day after its release. "Who's Your Mama?" features straightforward lyrics and a powerful electronic beat.

9. Spring Dust & Health

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Spring brings high levels of pollen and dust so it can be a nightmare for people suffering from such allergic skin reactions like rashes or hives. Doctors say that leaving skin rashes untreated can seriously affect overall health. Here are some ways to prevent or treat skin rash conditions.

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Skin disorders caused by pollen or fine particulates in the air are particularly rampant in the spring. Skin rash is a common ailment that 15 to 20% of Koreans experience at least once in their lifetime. Hives or nettle rash appear as red swelling of the skin and are usually accompanied by itching.

[Soundbite] Dr. Yun Young-hee(Alergy & Derma-cosmetic Clinic) : "Hives and severe stinging can manifest when the autonomic nervous system becomes unbalanced or normal perspiration is disrupted."

The most common type of rash or hives is caused by food, such as peaches or peanuts. Such allergic skin reactions can be treated fairly easily and quickly. Sensitization refers to getting rashes after coming into contact with a substance that did not cause any problems in the past. Other allergic reactions include cold urticaria or hives that occur when exposed to cold weather and dermatographism, a skin disorder triggered when the skin is scratched or rubbed. Solar urticaria or hives caused by sunlight can occur frequently in springtime, when the ozone layer becomes thinner and ultraviolet rays stronger. Cholinergic urticaria is a skin condition that occurs when the body temperature climbs more than one degree from working out or excessive stress. Rashes can become a chronic ailment if not treated promptly.

[Soundbite] "If the symptom continues for more than 6 weeks without clear cause, it is diagnosed as a chronic rash. Prompt treatment is needed if the condition persists for more than 6 weeks."

Severe allergic reactions can cause pressure in the chest or breathing problems as well as severe swelling of the skin called angioedema. In order to prevent skin rashes, stay away from spicy or overly acidic food. And wear clothes made out of cotton rather than synthetic fabric. But the most fundamental way to treat skin rashes is to boost the immune system. Light exercise and regular meals can help strengthen the immune system to prevent skin rashes and other springtime ailments.