this is a holiday edition of "newsline." ron madison in tokyo. 2012 marks the tenth year since the return of five japanese nationals that were abducted by north korea, but the fate of 12 others who the japanese government recognized as ab duck tees remains unknown. the abductions took place more than 30 years ago. the families of the missing have been calling on the japanese

government to take action. formal discussions between japan and north korea on the issue have been stalled since 2008. the families are aging. the average age of parents is over 85 years old. >> the change of leadership in north korea after the death of kim john-il is an opportunity to resolve the abduction issue. i urged the prime minister to use this chance. north korea's leader kim jong-un inspected a tank force on sunday. he was officially appointed supreme commander of the military on saturday, a position held by his late father. the country's state media said that the inspection was conducted along with kim jong-il's brother-in-law and the chief of the north korean people's army general staff. kim jong-un told the tank force to prepare for action and maintain its readiness to react to any situation as quickly as possible. our correspondent says that kim

jong-un visited a military unit as soon as possible to strengthen his position as successor to his father. an arab advisory body is calling for immediate withdrawal of arab league monitoring team in syria. the arab parliament of representatives from each of the member states released a statement sunday. the statement reads the mission of the arab league team has missed its aim of stopping the killing of children and ensuring withdrawal of troops from the syrian streets, giving the syrian regime coverage to commit acts under the noses of the arab league observers. monitors began their mission in syria to stop the military crackdown on anti-government protesters last tuesday, but a human rights group says more than 200 protesters have been killed in six days ending sunday. violent crackdowns by the government by the president show no signs of relenting.

arab league defended its mission, saying criticism is premature, and that it plans to have the team continue monitoring syria for at least a month. meanwhile, human rights groups and others step up their offensive against the monitors, challenging their competency, criticizing appointments of the team members. in iran, they tested a new air defense missile system near the strait of hormuz during massive military exercises. the iranian navy launched the surface-to-air missile from a ship. it says the missile was developed with home-grown technology. iran claims the new missile can down targets while evading jamming by enemy radar. the test launch comes as the united states is increasing pressure on iran, urging it to stop its nuclear development. recently the u.s. enacted a law to prevent countries from trading oil with iran and announced it will sell advanced f-15 fighter jets to saudi arabia. iran responded by warning it will block the strait of hormuz

if the european union imposes tougher sanctions against the country following the u.s. lead. the narrow passage in the persian gulf is a major sea lane for tankers carrying oil from the middle east. one story being watched closely in japan, tokyo police are questioning a former senior member of the aum religious cult arrested sunday. this after nearly 17 years on the run. 46-year-old turned himself in late saturday night. wanted in connection with the related abduction and murderer of a notary public in tokyo in february, 1995. he reportedly told police he is sorry for the man's death, but he is denying some of the charges against him, saying he only drove the car used for the abduction.

he told investigators that he wanted to stop being a fugitive after so many years had passed. police say he has kept silent about where he was hiding, saying he does not want to involve other people. they say he is denying involvement in the 1995 shooting of the national police agency chief. police believe the shooting was systematically master minded and conducted by the cult, but the statute of limitations for the case expired in 2010, without anyone being charged. they also suspect that hirata received help from other people because he had tens of thousands of yen on him when he turned himself in. a journalists has been reporting on the cult for years and says his decision to turn himself in may be aimed at delaying execution of the cult's leader. his death sentence has already been finalized.

>> translator: asahara may take the witness stand if hirata speaks about his connection with the cult leader. that might compromise the execution procedure. >> egawa also says it is natural to think that hirata received help from individuals or organizations as he was at large for 17 years without having any plastic surgery. the japanese government says it will work closely with the electronics industry to develop an international standard for internet tv. the communications ministry says it will cooperate with firms, including home appliance makers to develop an international standard and maintain japan's technological competitiveness. japan, several european countries, and the united states are members of a group that will soon begin drafting a global standard for internet tv. the final decision will affect japan's production and exports of tv sets and other hardware. the japanese government will select the best formats and test them during the london olympic games. it aims to promote their use during the fiscal year that begins in april 2014.

apple, google, and other u.s. companies are said to be keenly interested in the business potential of internet tv. south korea achieved record high exports in 2011. the south korean government hopes to expand exports through a free trade agreement with the united states that will take effect this year. in a preliminary report released on sunday, the ministry of knowledge economy said exports in 2011 were worth about $557.8 billion. up nearly 20% from the previous year. this is the first time south korea's exports have surpassed $500 billion. a key factor behind the increase was expanded exports of vehicles, ships, and steel products mainly to emerging countries. by region, exports to the ten-member association of the southeast asian nations grew 35% from a year earlier and to china by 16%. exports to japan increased by 41%, with sales of smartphones and other mobile phones nearly

doubling from the previous year's figure.exportof petroleu products ao rose after the march earthquake and tsunami. the trade deficit with japan dropped to $27.7 billion, down $8 billion from the year before. some adventurous athletes took on the himalayas in a marathon run and trek event on sunday. 165 people from 25 countries showed up for the race in nepal. that was the largest number of competitors since the event was introduced in 1995. it was the sixth running of the event. participants ran courses stretching 50, 70 or 100 kilometers. those taking part in either of the longer events reached an altitude of over 3,000 meters above sea level. that's more than 2,000 meters higher than the starting line.

the weather added to the racers' hardships with rain falling at the starting line that turned to snow as they climbed the treks. one japanese man explained his new year's resolution. let's check now the weather in a city near you.

that's all this hour on "newsline." p my gi my girl doesn't cook. or anything. >> i work from morning 'til night. even on holidays. but i never get a raise. it's not fair. >> my boyfriend is a women p. -- a wimp. when he is angry, he takes it out on me and cries.

>> grumbling. complaining about things beyond one's control. today on documentary 20 minutes, we'll listen to the grumblings of ordinary people on the streets. shinsaibashi is busy in osaka and streets are bustling with people. they come here after work for a drink. i was strolling the streets after the last train had left, looking for something interesting. what's this? >> translator: we listen to people grumbling.

>> that's interesting. >> now they are friends from high school. they're 23 years old. every friday from 11:00 at night to 5:00 in the morning they sit on the sidewalk and listen to people gripe. let's hang out and see how they do it. >> you listen to grumbling? >> yes, we do. >> seeing two handsome guys, a lot of girls stop by to talk. >> translator: will you listen to me? wow. i can't seem to find a boyfriend. boys these days irritate me. they're all sissies.

so if a boy likes a girl and she has a steady, he just gives up, or waits around until the two split up. i really don't know what he's thinking. why doesn't he go and get her? >> how could she tell something like that to strange young guys? >> you listen for free? i have a heap of things i want to say. >> a man this time. >> where i work, your pay depends how many years you're with the company. ability doesn't matter. some workers may have been employed for 10, 20 years, but they haven't learned anything. but the longer you've been with the company, the more you get.

if you're young, you don't get paid much, even if you're good at the job. what i want to say is get rid of the employees that can't do their jobs. >> well, you'll need a lot of guts to say that on the job. people come one after another. the two will listen for hours, free of charge. but i wonder, why do they do this? >> translator: i have a kind of phobia about people, and i can't carry on a conversation. but i want to be honest and even

talk about things that are painful to me. i didn't know how to go about it. so i thought i could learn from others by listening to them. >> the two listen to strangers now, but they used to be really shy and afraid of people. when he was in high school, he wasn't good at connecting with people, so he often skipped school. after graduation, he just hung around doing odd jobs now and then. but he decided to change by talking to people on the street and asked his friend to join

him. >> translator: there's so much work to be done, but they hardly ever pay me for overtime. i know it's grumbling. >> translator: it's depressing to think i am so insignificant. >> everybody has something to complain about, so the two decided to become good listeners. >> translator: good evening. will you listen to my story? >> a middle aged man stopped by. >> translator: i am fed up. but what's the use of saying all this? the steel industry, you know, isn't doing so well. >> this man runs a small factory. >> translator: it's like this.

a worker says he has to go home early because he has to drive his wife somewhere. and another one calls to say his wife has a cold, so he can't come in. things like that aren't unusual any more. people my age would never do something like that. when we were young, our seniors would scold us if we did that. they would take us out for a drink and lecture us how important work is. but if we do that now, young people would just laugh at us. >> i wouldn't laugh, never. i'd be pleased knowing that you're thinking about me. i would thank you.

>> translator: really? you gave me a new view. i have to change my way of thinking. i thought all kids were the same. >> hey, they did it! the boss is rethinking things. but there are some people that are really hard to handle. >> i'm happy. that's why i have no complaints about my job, and i don't think that you two can make people happy, because you're both green. >> he's really sarcastic, but it won't turn into a quarrel. they make it a rule never to contradict a person. they just keep on listening, and

then -->> translator: i basically like people, just tired that's all. i want to grumble about how tired i am. i work on holidays, too. i'm just tired. >> i guess it is easier to show your weakness to a stranger. they have listened to the complaints of 700 people. >> some people look very serious in the beginning, but after talking for awhile, they start to smile and even laugh. watching them made me realize that if you let your troubles get to you, then everything will be miserable. but if you can laugh at your

misfortune, things may not seem that bad. >> some people come in the wee hours of the morning. >> when i am home, my wife doesn't speak to me. >> he started to grumble about his family. >> translator: i have two daughters, but they don't care about me at all. when i'm home, my wife and daughters ignore me. they stay in their rooms and i'm alone in the living room, watching tv, talking to people on tv. they just need me for money.

if i lose my job, they're going to dump me! the only thing i'll have left is the mortgage. they'll probably say don't worry about us and leave. i am so miserable. >> his complaints about his family seem endless. >> you know, i like dogs, so i asked her can i get a dog? and she says no. she tells me that our daughter is allergic, so you can't keep a dog in the house. i thought if i had a dog, then it would be my only friend, but i can't even do that. so now you know my lonesome

fate. >> he grumbled over an hour. he was the last customer. well, that's it for today. >> listening to them takes time. i wanted to hear more. >> do they really want to listen to gripes from people their parents' age? they're so young. so i wonder why? he lives with his grandparents in osaka, away from his parents who also live in the city. when he was little, his father neglected the family and his parents always quarrelled, so he learned not to show his

feelings. that's probably why he doesn't know how to communicate with others. >> bon appetite. >> he says listening to the grumbles of older people has changed him. >> translator: many people in their 50s and 60s come to talk to us, even though they're much older and experienced in life. they talk about their jobs, their families. listening to their stories made me realize that maybe my parents felt the same way about me.

i thought my father must have had troubles and anxieties like these people. things like that were beyond my imagination or interest at the time, but little by little i realize mom and dad had their difficulties and that i wanted to know about them. >> he has listened to 700 people grumbling to understand his parents. that's a lot of listening. sometimes regulars drop in. this girl brought a pack of snacks. she has gripes about her job at

a cafe. >> translator: kids employed after me get better jobs. my boss still doesn't let me do the accounting. maybe i'm not good enough. >> he nods and let's her talk as ch as she wants. >> translator: the snacks are good. i haven't eaten anything since last night. i felt sick thinking about my job. >> he changes how he interacts depending on the person. >> translator: i can't get any sleep these days. i work all week long and go to college, too. what should i do? >> this college student works nights to earn his tuition.

that's tough. >> i'm very worried about you. if you can, maybe you could skip school? >> translator: i'll try that. i'm glad i talked to you. >> he doesn't just listen, he's learned to give advice. >> oh, it is the man complaining about his family. he is back. >> your wife still won't let you have a dog? >> no. >> no welcome home, bow wow?

>> translator: my daughters won't even come near me. tomorrow is father's day and i wonder what they'll give me. nothing probably. >> you know, i had a hard time relate to go my father. i had many things to tell him, but i couldn't. >> he started talking about himse himself. >> when i talk to you, it reminds me of my dad>> translator: why is that? >> i felt lonely because i couldn't talk to my father. if you can't get along with your father when you're little, it doesn't change much when you get older. i was frustrated not being able to say what i wanted to.

and now? now i knew how difficult it must have been for my father to work and support us. i knew it in my mind, now i feel it in my heart, it must have been hard. >> translator: >> it is. >> now i see how hard my father worked for us and i want to let him know, but it is still hard to say the words. i think your daughters are the same. they're probably shy and can't say thank you, even though they want to. when i get married, i want my kids to be able to thank their father. >> translator: good for you. the father works so that you don't have to. life is difficult, but you kids shouldn't give up. we older folks are giving all we've got to support our families, no matter how we're treated. i tell you, it's good to have a

family. >> he grumbled about his family, but talking made him smile. >> translator: thanks for everything. >> please come again. >> translator: it is sometimes difficult to complain to people close to you. i'm like that, too. it's probably easier to speak to someone that knows nothing about you. i think everybody is like that. >> grumbling may not solve anything, but it's amazing to see people smile, just from talking about their troubles. hmm, i think