North Korean Hacking

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We begin today’s program with a report from the National Intelligence Service that says North Korea hacked into the smartphones of high-ranking South Korean government officials and conducted cyber attacks on other targets early this year. On Tuesday Seoul convenes an emergency meeting to counter the rising cyber threat from Pyongyang in the wake of the U.N. Security Council's sanctions.

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The National Intelligence Service, or NIS says North Korea continued its cyber attacks on the South this year as well. The North hacked the smartphones of high-ranking South Korean government officials and launched a cyber attack on the railway authorities but it was intercepted later. Security experts are voicing concerns that unlike in the past, when North Korea attacked unspecified people, the latest attacks targeted government officials, pointing to the severity of the situation. The NIS says that Pyongyang is more likely than ever to use cyber terrorism to express its protest against the U.N. Security Council's latest sanctions in response to its fourth nuclear test. Sources say the North's Reconnaissance General Bureau, which oversees South Korea affairs, has already begun preparations for terrorist attacks, following Kim Jong-un's order to bolster the regime's cyber terror capabilities targeting the South. The NIS plans to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the government's response to the rising cyber threat from Pyongyang.

2. President’s Warning

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President Park Geun-hye says that the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military drill should deliver the message that North Korea will have to pay the price if it engages in further provocations. She also made a case to the South Korean people to come together and solidify national unity. Here is the story.

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Chairing a meeting with her senior secretaries, President Park Geun-hye issued two requests regarding the largest-ever joint military drill held by South Korea and the U.S. She first stated that public trust in national security must be boosted, and that North Korea must be shown clearly what consequences will follow misguided delusions, given its recent threats of preemptive attacks and preparation for the use of nuclear warheads.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye(President) : "We must clearly show that North Korea will have to pay the price if it engages in additional provocations."

The president repeatedly emphasized the importance of fully implementing Security Council resolutions while pressuring the North from all sides through additional bilateral and multilateral sanctions. Park said that internal unity is of particular importance in such grave situations, urging the political sector not to use national security as a subject of political wrangling. Noting the lack of any laws to address the real threat of cyber provocations, the president called for parliamentary approval of a bill against cyber terror attacks, which has been pending at the National Assembly for ten years.

3. NK Protests Sanctions

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Pyongyang is stepping up its efforts to bolster the public's loyalty to the regime in the face of the tough sanctions from the international community. However, the repercussions of the sanctions can already be felt within the country, as prices soar amid short supply.

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North Korean railway workers staged a rally to protest the U.N.'s sanctions against the regime. The rally even involved college students who vowed to protect their country's independence. The North Korean regime is stepping up efforts to strengthen solidarity of its people.

[Soundbite] (N. Korean Resident) : "We have faced U.N. sanctions many times before. We don't care about them whatsoever."

The North Korean regime says it will overcome the hardships stemming from sanctions by bolstering its self-reliance.

[Soundbite] Park Hoe-man(Chief, Fertilizer Factory) : "Our enthusiasm during the 70-day loyalty rally will be unwavering. Look here! We exceeded the fertilizer production goal dozens of times today as well."

However, one media organization specializing in North Korean affairs says that grocery prices at North Korean markets have soared since rumors spread that the country was likely to face yet another crisis. That's reportedly prompted residents to stock up on food and daily necessities. Despite the regime's efforts to minimize the impact of economic sanctions, the effects are gradually gaining strength.

4. Fighting Fine Dust

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A South Korean research team says it has confirmed for the first time that China is responsible for nearly 90 percent of heavy metals contained in fine dust polluting the skies in Korea. Here is more.

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This is an electron microscope image of the cross-section of fine dust. White particles can be seen clearly between soot which results from combustion. The particles are lead, a heavy metal and neurotoxin. Where do heavy metals in fine dust come from? Lead has different isotope ratios, depending on where it was produced. The isotope ratio of lead in the fine dust detected in Korea was found to be most similar to that of Chinese lead. Based on this finding, a Korean research team used a calculation formula to discover that 87 percent of heavy metals in fine dust originate in China.

[Soundbite] Dr. Lee Pyoung-koo(KIGAM) : "Fine dust is found to contain a high level of heavy metals, because it flies into Korea via industrial complexes in China's east coast region."

The Korean government is expanding joint projects to minimize the influence of pollutants from China, but there are few effective measures currently in place. Some are voicing the opinion that Seoul should demand stronger measures from China, as prolonged accumulation of heavy metals in the human body can be fatal.

5. Medical Breakthrough

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Korean researchers have achieved a world first by developing plastic for medical use, with applications in surgical thread and other medical tools, using bacteria. The discovery has been published in the online edition of the journal Nature Bio Technology.

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This plastic looks ordinary at a glance, but in fact it's bio plastic called "poly lactic-co-glycolic acid," or PLGA. The material was extracted from colon bacillus that was metabolically engineered to accumulate PLGA in cells. The PLGA is collected after it accumulates during a metabolic process when the bacteria, which don't exist in natural conditions, are cultivated using glucose and wood sugar extracted from waste wood. The material was developed for the first time in the world by a team of researchers led by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Professor Lee Sang-yup. The new plastic can be hardened or stretched according to the required size. It contains zero toxins and is biodegradable, posing no threat to the environment. Another advantage of this innovative material lies in the fact that colon bacillus can be fed substances extracted from waste wood or rice straw, which are easy to find. The researchers plan to increase the recovery efficiency rate of PLGA, which makes up 50 percent of the colon bacillus' weight, to 80 or 90 percent, and commercialize the material about five years from now.

6. Makgeolli & Health

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A new study shows that the traditional Korean rice wine makgeolli contains an ingredient that can help prevent stomach cancer. Don’t start celebrating over a bottle just yet; this is not a pretext for excessive drinking. Two-thirds of a glass per day is more than enough to enjoy the positive effects.

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Makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, pairs well with various foods and is mild to drink. It is a favorite among foreigners as well as women.

[Soundbite] Marilyn(Swiss Student) : "It doesn't feel strong, which makes me think it's okay to keep drinking. But it's a different story the next morning."

A team at the Korea Food Research Institute injected makgeolli with the alcohol removed into lab mice transplanted with human cancer cells. The researchers dilluted 500 milligrams of makgeolli powder per one kilogram of the mice's body weight. Daily injections reduced the tumor to a fourth of its original size in seven weeks. Cancer cells also decreased by 30 percent when powdered makgeolli was directly applied to a culture fluid. In particular, it was confirmed that beta-sitosterol, a component in makgeolli that comes from rice, is directly related to fighting cancer. The research team explained that there is no need to drink makgeolli excessively in order to prevent cancer, as the amount injected in the lab mice is equivalent to two thirds of a glass a day for humans.

7. Rejuvenating Business

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Some local malls stand empty, after losing out to competition from large supermarket franchises. The city of Ansan is providing vacant mall spaces to young startup businessmen to use as their offices and revitalize the commercial district.

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She carefully writes letters with a brush on a piece of white paper. Her calligraphy works are put through a computer program to be used in various accessories and artworks. These young entrepreneurs found big relief from financial burden ever since they moved into this mall. Because they were able to save on office rent.

[Soundbite] Lee Yo-seop(Calligraphy Business CEO) : "I used to pay about 300 dollars in monthly rent, but now I pay none. So I save a lot of money."

His office is located inside a commercial building. Most of the stores in the building had to shut down after a large supermarket franchise opened nearby. This new space is named "Youth Cube." Gyeonggi Province and the city of Ansan assumed the remodeling cost of nearly 2 million U.S. dollars and the Ansan government subsidizes roughly 83,000 dollars in annual rent for 30 businesses here.

[Soundbite] Je Jong-geel(Mayor of Ansan) : "Youth unemployment is very serious. The city needs new challenges and the community needs to be revived. This project can achieve all three goals."

Youth Cubes, currently set up in two college neighborhoods, are going to soon open up all over the city of Ansan.

8. Entertainment News

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Lee Seung-chul, who has been dubbed the emperor of live performances, stood on the Opera House stage in Sydney, Australia to perform for some 3,000 K-pop fans. We bring you this and more in today's show biz news.

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Vocalist Lee Seung-chul held a solo concert at the Sydney Opera House in Australia last Saturday. Only a handful of Korean artists, including soprano Jo Su-mi and K-pop vocalist Kim Bum-soo, have stood on Australia's iconic Opera House stage. Lee Seung-chul sang about 30 of his hits for the K-pop fans who had packed the 3,000-seat concert hall to capacity. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut, K-pop group Big Bang are planning a large-scale concert in a stadium in Japan. The group's two-day super concert is slated for late July at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, with an audience of some 110,000 fans. Big Bang will also hold concerts celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut in Korea this summer. Commonly used furniture has been transformed into artworks with vivid colors and patterns.

[Soundbite] Lee Yeo-wun(Exhibit Organizer) : "We experience a range of colors that exist around us through various ways and find out how the colors influence our lives."

Colors combine with different materials and designs, the variations of which provide a whole new array of experiences.

9. Spring Refurbishing

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When you are tidying up the house, it’s not unusual to find things lying around that you don't use anymore, but are in too good a condition to throw away. Today, we share tips on how to recycle and re-use these worn-out goods. Here is more.

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Frying pans are piled up here and there inside this factory. This factory does the job of re-coating old, peeled-off frying pans. What will happen to this badly scratched frying pan? First, the handle is separated from the pan, which will be then baked at a temperature of 350 degrees Celsius.

[Soundbite] Kwon Dae-eun(Frying Pan Recoating Expert) : "We burn it to remove the old coating agent left on the frying pan."

The coating agent and impurities left in the pan are removed inside a high pressure sandblaster. Next, the pan is covered with a new coating agent and baked in high heat again. After going through all these procedures, the pan has been reborn. The recoating costs about six U.S. dollars. Do you see the transformation of the frypan? The cookware is as good as new. Eggs won't stick to this pan. Let's move on to a place that makes a winter necessity brand new. It is filled with boxes deleivered from across the nation. Inside the boxes are padded coats. This is a repair shop that refills old padded coats with goose feathers. Goose down coats are usually considered best quality when downy hair accounts for 90 percent of the filling. This refiller uses quality Hungarian goose down with downy hair of 90 percent. A small opening is made on a side of the jumper to fill in new goose down. Some 350 grams of goose down are needed to fill a jumper of this length. It costs approximately 125 U.S. dollars. Additional fees of 25 to 41 U.S. dollars can be charged, based on length. A customer visits the repair shop.

[Soundbite] "Its filling is cotton. I want it to be replaced with goose down feather."

Cotton or duck down filling can be replaced with goose down. First, completely remove the old filling and refill the coat with goose down feathers. Now, it's a warm and light goose down coat. There are brilliant ways to recycle and re-use old, worn-out goods. Find out if there's a way to restore your things before wastefully throwing them away.