a north korea with more nuclear weapons, a north korea with more missile delivery systems a north korea that continues to proliferate, so these negotiations haven't been successful. lets be brutally blunt about that. but that does' mean we stop. >> while the international community navigates policy options - changes within north korea might have the most far-reaching implications >> there is so much curiosity in south korea about what is happening in the north that as you can see hundreds of people come here every day to take a peek at the other side. >> our main glimpse of life in the provinces... we were shown in a cafe in seoul >> fault lines was shown exclusive footage from a north korean smuggler. he asked us not to reveal his identity. >> in this clip, a group of people are waiting outside a train station in suncheon city, north of pyongyang. we were told they were waiting for merchants to arrive with chinese goods that need to be brought to market... things like shampoos electronics and smuggled dvds. >> we are told if caught filming the markets... you could go to prison or worse

>> you're all welcome to korea to see the reality of korea. which will be different for you from what you've heard. by the way have you found people that have horns, and red face? >> (laughs) no we haven't. we were given one chance to sit down and ask questions with party members. our guides insisted it wasn't an interview, just a conversation >> in the western world, especially in the united states, there is a lot of criticism of this country about what happens to those who oppose the government so we wanted to know his opinion about what other countries say about human rights here in this country. >> in december the un general assembly voted to refer north korea to the international criminal court for alleged crimes against humanity. the question is now on the permanent agenda of the security council. kim il sung square was filled with thousands of people in a government rally against the united states and the united nations. >> andrei lankov is a historian who has studied north korea for decades. >> north korea is a notorious human rights a

♪ ansan is an industrial city in the republic of korea.very morning brokers recruit day laborers and take them to factories. this is due to a chronic labor shortage as young south koreans shun low paid manual work. to resolve this problem, the government has been accepting foreign laborers for the last ten years under an employment system. the number of foreign workers exceeded 500,000 in 2012. and the government announceded that it will open the nation's doors to more. in fact, the country's manufacturing industry would literally collapse without foreign labor. this policy of employing foreigners to p protect domestic industry is efficiently managed by the government. while it's received high paz global bli, various problems are rising to the surface. >> this episode of "asia insight" follows korea's global employment system which has been attracting attention around the globe. ansan is some 30 kilometers southwest of seoul. in the district of wongok-dong, over 35% of the population is made up of foreign residents. wongok-dong immigrants

, the level of tension with north korea, and north korea in the past has sent agents into south korea to kidnap people and the like. without presidential level security though there's really no way to prevent something, somebody getting close to another person. is there? >> there's not. there's always a balance here between access and security. and those security is never going to be absolute. it's going to be relative. but the guest who just spoke, i agree with his assessment there. i think we have to look at countries we traditionally consider safe. you know france, south korea. we're going to have to reconsider having an ambassador there on his own without a diplomatic representative. i think that's a really poor decision. the profile of the country alone with the ambassador creates a threat profile significant enough to warrant or at least one agent. >> mike the fact that this guy reportedly attacked the ambassador at least vocally saying something about joint military drills between south korea and the united states disturbed in other ways is that i mean i ask the ambassador hill

france south korea. we're going to have to reconsider having an ambassador there alone without a secret service representative. i think that's a really poor decision. the profile of the country alone, along with the ambassador, creates a threat profile significant enough to warrant at least one agent. >> the fact that this guy reportedly attacked the ambassador at least vocally saying something about joint military drills between south korea and the united states whether or not this guy is disturbed in other ways is that a -- i asked the ambassador hill about this a little bit. how controversial a sentiment is that there? how controversial are these exercises these days? >> people on the left are critical of the alliance some who are openly sympathetic to north korea and the kind of emotional issue, emotionally charged issue, division of the korean peninsula since the korean war, and there are people on the left itself in the south in south korea that blame the wraits for that division so things get -- f

this is not just an attack that happened in north korea -- in south korea.h korea. they will look at different possibilities, whether or not there was an attack against the united states whether or not it was north korea related. there are a number of different implications with this attack whether or not this was just a lone attacker who had problems. it's really too early to tell. police say they do not know at this point. they are questioning the man. he is under investigation. he has been detained. he is with authorities right now. they are talking to him right now to try and find out why he did this. >> according to south korea's news channel -- let me share with our viewers what they are reporting. ambassador was about to deliver a speech at a breakfast being held at a hall in seoul. one eyewitness claims to have heard someone yelling something like north korea and south koreacore ree ya should be unified. then the ambassador was rushed to hospital. the suspect is identified only by the last name kim, which is a very common korean name. he was detained

what do you think about south korea's decision to join the aiib? >> well think it's a good decision. korea has been looking to infrastructure construction exports as one of its major export industries. but with these multilateral banks, sometimes it's very difficult for your company to get financing if your country is not a member of these banks. so joining the aiib will give opportunities to these banks to -- to these companies to get financing. also korea has been reluctant to join the aiib because of the governance problems, whether china would have too much power. but because the european countries joined i think they felt that governance problems will not be as big an issue. so given that problem going away, because of the europeans, there was really not a reason for korea not to join the aiib. >> i see. and i also wanted to ask you, professor, about recent monetary moves, policymakers at the bank of korea, they've been working to stimulate the economy, and they surprised markets by cutting the base rate to record low, 1.75%. do you think this

and south korea. they fired two ballistic missiles off their east coast drawing a swift protest from tokyo. officials in seoul say the short-range missiles were launched monday morning from the western port city of nampo. they estimate the missiles traveled for about 500 kilometers before landing in the sea of japan. japanese prime minister shinzo abe instructed his officials to work closely with their counterparts in the u.s. and south korea to gather and analyze information. and he said the launch posed a serious threat to safety at sea and in the sky. >> translator: the launch is a violation of the japan north korea pyongyang declaration. the joint statement of six-party talks, and u.n. security council resolutions. we lodged a strong complaint with north korea right away. >> north korean leaders repeatedly demanded the two countries scrap the exercises. they suggested they would respond with military action. south korean officials are on the lookout for further provocations by north korea. >>> tho

it's seen as a deterrent to north korea but also a barrier to north korea. mark relationshipert is a popular figure in south korea. this attack will almost certainly lead to review of security for him being are al jazeera, washington. >>> exposhts are dropping off and people should be encouraged to buy locally made goods. lee chafng has been addressing, at the l economic conference. >> preerm leepremier li kachung china's comefs is going to continue the slow. last year, the economic growth rate was 7.4%. the premier says that china is encumbering whatentering a new normal, that means moo period of stellar economic growth is over. china's economy is beginning omature. economists say the danger is this. what happens if china's economic growth rate falls below 6%? that could cause massive losses in the economic sector, social instability. the premier touched on unemployment says he hoped the unemployment could stay below 4.5. clearly this is a prime minister with an awful plot on his plate. >> opposition parties say they are ready to lead. >> hello again, welco

south korea's concerns for north korea and the nuclear threat that they propose. i would just say we work very close in hand with the republican of korea. in fact, their chief of defense visited me at the u.s. strategic command headquarters last year. and we had great discussions there. associated with what u.s. strategic command has overall in our operations for strategic deterrence and assurance. so we work very closely clearly with u.s. pacific command and u.s. forces korea. >> do you think south korea need some system against north korean missile threat? >> i still -- >> oh, the thad system. i know there are discussions going on with that today. i'm not going to get in front of those discussions. i think south korea has to determine what it needs. they're a great partner we have worked with in multiple dimensions and we'll continue to do so. >> the chief of staff, general dempsey will be in south korea this week, thursday. what is the official agenda between south korea and united states? were they talking about the -- >> i won't get into what chairman dempsey

every year south korea military shows off its fire power in drills like this and every year north koreaesponds and this time it got in early, launching two short range missiles before the south korean drills began. >> translator: a deliberate provocation and seen as protest and ready to respond immediately, if it takes actions our military will react strongly so north korea will react bitterly. >> reporter: missiles landed in the sea off japan coast and enough to get a reaction from the government. >> translator: north korea missile launchers are a major problem for flights and shipping vessels and transgression of the sixth party talks and severe condemnation in north korea. >> reporter: the threats don't always work on ping-yang as the launchers show and says the joint military drills by the u.s. and south korea are a rehearsal for an invasion. within hours of north korea's missile launch peace campaigners gathered outside the capitol seoul condemning both sides. >> translator: we are against all military actions taking place in the korean peninsula, if the exercise is to pressure nor

mark ambassador in south korea.ed away from the breakfast forum where he was attacked by a man with a knife. according to south korea's news agency, pushed on to a table and went at him with the blade. the ambassador taken to the hospital where he's reported to be in stable condition. president obama called him there a short time ago. his injuries thankfully not life-threatening as you can see. however, the attack on which is a normally safe city was obviously terrifying. according to local media,

military presence in korea. american troops and south korean troops have just started a joint exercise involving 200,000 personnel. the american embassy is a fortress, like all american embassies, but the event the ambassador was attending is just across the street walking distance, in the same neighborhood, and that may have led to a false sense of security. the ambassador when he took up his post indicated he wanted to be much more open out there with the people. that policy will now be rethought. the ambassador was taken to hospital, but his injuries are not life threatening. all the same the attack highlights just how strong emotions about a divided korea remain even though the civil war that splits this peninsula ended with a cease-fire more than six decades ago. >> a short time ago, stephen, our seoul correspondent, gave me an update on the incident. >> the ambassador well he's clearly not very well after the attack. 80 stitches. but he's tweeting and he's tweeting that he's going to be back asap to keep w

ambassador to south korea. he was about to give the speech to a commission on peaceful reunification. he became the victim of a vicious and apparently politically motivated attack. a horrifying scene blood dripping down the face of u.s. ambassador to south korea, mark lippert. the diplomat undergoing nearly three hours of surgery overnight, receiving more than 80 stitches on his face alone. >> i'm bleeding here. >> lippert slashed by a ten-inch knife in the face and arms moments before delivering a speech in seoul on wednesday. the weapon slicing open his left forearm, damaging the nerve system for his fingers. the gash on his right cheek four inches long and an inch deep. south korean surgeons say if the facial injury was any deeper it could have been life-threatening. >> he's one of our top asia policy experts in the u.s. government. >> according to witnesses, the suspect, 55-year-old king ki jeong pushed the diplomat on to a table before assaulting him. bystanders tackling him to the ground as police rushed

they could have it because of buying it from north korea. >> you think north korea could supply otherntries? if iran has a nuclear weapon then of course the report suggest that there is a major arms race in the middle east. they need the technology. >> the syrian reactor that the israelis destroyed was north korea designed and probably that was paid for by iran. there is a program going on and not only in iran and north korea. but a number of different countries. >> and you talk about the nuclear threat from north korea. what is different in 2015 versus what we have talked about in the past several years. we have covered the topic? >> it is time. with time a country is able to perfect its weapons and north korea was given that time and agreed framework with the deal the clinton administration put in place and same as the iranians. to give them time in order to develop not only their nukes, but their long- range missiles. >> time is the most valuable bargaining chip. what do we do about this? >> you need to embargo the iranians and look at north koreans. iranians can be developing nuke

and every year without fail, north korea responds.s time it got in early launching two short range missiles before the south korean drills even began. >> translator: this is a deliberate provocation seen as an armed protest. we are ready to respond immediately. if it takes provocative actions our military will react firmly and strongly so north korea will regret bitterly. >> reporter: they landed in the sea off japan's coast. hitting zero targets. but it was enough to bait tokyo as well. >> translator: north korea's missile launches are a major problem. from the point of view of safety issues for flights and shipping vessels but also a trans stkpwrepbgs of the six-party talks. we have lane wered a severe condemnation of north korea. >> reporter: but threats don't always work on pyongyang, it says the joints military drills are a reversal for invasion. and within hours of that statement, peace campaigners gathered outside the u.s. embassy in the south korean capital, condition determining both sides. >> translator: we are against all m

. >>> an american ambassador slashed in south korea. why north korea is calling it punishment. we'll talk about that next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ great rates for great rides. geico motorcycle see how much you could save. 80% of the poor in africa are rural farmers. 96% of them are doing rain-fed agriculture. they're all competing with each other; they're all making very low margins making enough to survive but not enough to get out of poverty. so kickstart designs low cost irrigation pumps enabling them to grow high value crops throughout the year so you can make a lot of money. it's all very well to have a whole lot of small innovations but unless we can scale it up enough to where we are talking about millions of farmers, we're not going to solve their biggest challenge. this is precisely where the kind of finance that citi is giving us is enabling us to scale up on a much more rapid pace. when we talk to the farmers and ask them what's the most important thing. first of all they say we can feed our families. secondly, we can send our children to school. it's really that first s

korea until the fall of the soviet union, then north korea shifted, deftly shifted to being a clients between china and north korea are souring and north korea's looking for a new patron and russia especially with bad boy vladimir putin in charge is their best bet. so the two countries are very rapidly coming together. >> beyond just coming together what do you think these two guys are cooking up here? >> from the north korean perspective, as i said they need a new patron. for the russians they see an opportunity to get north korea as a client. on one hand you would say why would anybody want north korea as a client state but from a russian perspective, if they begin arming north korea, re-arm north korea with better weapons than the north koreans have had in the past they have a tool. if relations between russia and the west worsen they can make sure that relations between north korea and everybody else worsens. if the west treats russia nicer, they can do what they can to help facilitate better relations between north korea and the west. so in russia and in putin, assuming this bad

ambassador to south korea hurt in a knife attack in seoul. also coming up, could the goldplated employment contract be a thing of the fast? we will take a look at how things are going for 51% of the population that are not men. more on that on the way. but first our top stories. ♪ anchor: you witness reports say militants have set fire to oil wells outside of the town of tikrit. they are trying to block air raids. it is now day four of the move to take tikrit from the islamic state. the drive from the army into the sunni area has provoked fears it will only deepen religious divide. reporter: fighting to retake to create -- tikrit, now in the hands of the islamic state group. the biggest operation with some 30,000 forces mobilized. fighters from different communities. >> the shia militias. do have some sunni tribal men. and you have the iraqi army. the concern is about the population because they are not happy with that. and then i don't think they can take ground and stay there. reporter: in a country torn apart, the offensive has raised fear

latest dispute between south and north korea.und 20 south korean business men who manage factories at the industrial complex have traveled to the area in an attempt to settle a pace dispute. theying preokaypay dispute. >> reporter: the industrial complex often find itself on the wrong side of the troubled relationship between north and south korea. back in 20 13, for example, it was close today a number of months. the since then work has resumed it's very important to north korea employing some 50,000 is workers, but at the end of last month, pyongyang announced it was raising the minimum wage for the workers there from around $70 to $74 a month. now, that is one and a half times what a north korean worker can expect in north korea. but it is very low according to the north koreans, for example it says its workers can expects to be paid 300 u.s. dollars in china. from south korea's points of view, it's not so much the amount of wage rise that is at issue. it is, after all only 5%. but the fact that it was announced unilaterally b

. >>> and north korea shows off its own missiles ahead of south korea's military exercises with the u.s. >>> hello, everyone i'm errol barnett. hello, and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. this is "cnn newsroom." >>> we are watching washington this week to see how thing play out between the israeli prime minister and the u.s. president. benjamin netanyahu landed in the u.s. sunday evening, and at the top of his agenda a speech to congress warning again an agreement on iran's nuclear program. he says a bad deal could threaten israel's future. his visit has ied a number of democrats -- irked a number of democrat in watch who plan to skip the speech. o rain lieberman joining us from jerusalem. we know that mr. netanyahu was making final changes to his speech during the flight on is not. what can we -- on sunday. what can we expect him to say in front of congress? >> the content of the speech won't be too much of a surprise. we expect him to talk about the threat of a nuclear iran not own only to israel and the security of israel but to peace in the middle ea

and every year north korea gets angry.. but seoul and washington have consistently said that they're routine and defensive in nature. these war games last two months. u.s. commanders say they run through these scenarios every single day essential training to prepare for any eventuality. >> we've got to capitalize on any opportunity. and so we're doing that now. >> reporter: after the firing comes the debrief. soldiers from both countries encouraged to talk about what went wrong as well as right. >> i think at the end of the day, both of us not only are we improving our relationships, but we're getting better, and we're learning from each other in the process. >> reporter: preparing for a war they hope will never come. but one they have to be ready for. and that was one of the keywords that the u.s. commanders was using, which was readiness, the fact that both sides have to be ready for whatever eventuality they are asked to participate in. and they have to make sure that they can work well side by side. zain? >> and speaki

and south korea. mark lib period was slashed across the face while leaving a conference in seoul. >> mark lib period probably wishes he'd turned down the invitation. this was filmed seconds after he was slashed in the face. surgeons operated on the ambassador for two hours. he needed 80 stitches. >> if the cut was deeper than now, it could damage the carotid artery turning it into an emergency situation. it could be life threatening. >> it took four men to hold down the suspect on lookers say was wielding a small fruit knife. he too was rushed to hospital. >> the war exercise must be stopped. we must stop the drills now. >> he's talking about this, the joint drills taking place with south korean and american troops. he had another gripe to make public. >> the separated families are currently unable to meet each other. our unification with north korea is postponed. we need to stop the drills! >> here is kim when he was arrested before, about five years ago, he threw a piece of concrete at the japanese

ambassador to south korea. it was at a breakfast meeting that mark lippert was knifed by a man, calling for the reunification of north and south korea. it left him needed 80 stitches. the north has described the attack as just punishment for u.s. warmongers. our correspondent in seoul is stephen evans. >> reporter: the attack was vicious and serious. ambassador lippert was struck with a knife at a breakfast meeting the at an arts center in the south korean capital. a 55-year-old man lunged at him, slashing him twice, once in the face and once across the body. >> i'm bleeding here. i'm bleeding here! >> okay. >> i'm bleeding here! >> reporter: bleeding from his face the ambassador was rushed from the building and taken to hospital. the attacker was arrested and pinned down. he'd shouted that he wanted a unified korea. he also voiced anger at the large u.s. military presence in korea. american troops and south korean troops have just started a joint exercise involving 200,000 personnel. the south korean governmen

in seoul south korea, where the u.s. am is recovering from successful surgery after a bloody knife attack. >> mark lippit of about to give a speech when a man lunchled with a small knife, cutting his face. needed 80 stitches to close the wound. south korea's president calls it an attack on the u.s./south korean alliance. >> state media say the suspect of angry about joint u.s./south korean military exercises. he has been arrested before. back in 2010 he was detaineded after he threw a chunk of concrete at the japanese ambassador. >> let's bring in paula happenncocks now. joining us live from seoul. paula, a violent act during an otherwise typical breakfast meeting in a country where this type of violence is rare. what are we learning about the suspect and his views of the ongoing u.s./south korean military drills? >> reporter: this has taken many people by surprise. this is simply not something you expect to happen in south korea. it is -- although it's technically still at war with its neighbor, north korea it is a rela

most people view south korea as a relative safe place. can you tell us more about the security situation for ambassadors in the country? >> yes. ambassadors are usual lyly -- ambassadors are not usually for the public to access. but they are mainly in secure locations like embassies where they have security personnel protecting them. i've been many times to the u.s. embassy in seoul and i can tell you the security is tight. i must hand over my press i.d. for inspection when arriving. and then go through a metal detector and have my belongings carefully examined. lippert has a busy job attending meetings. he's famous for having casual talks with his neighbors while working from his residence to the embassy. police say in this case there were about 30 police officers around the home. but they say they didn't check people's belongings before going into the breakfast meeting. >> witnesses say the suspect was screaming he was against the military drills between the u.s. and south korea. what effect do you think that played? >> most people in s

he had traveled to north korea.is sharply contradicted by the government here and the police. take a listen to an excerpt from a police briefing earlier today. >> he went to north korea seven times in december of 2011 he tried to build a monument to kim jong ii. >> could there have been some kind of links to north korea? though north korean state media has been very quick to respond to this news. basically applauding the attack calling it a knife attack of justice. >> right. seoul there is a relatively peaceful city considering that it's not very far from north korea. >> if you look at the editorials they vary from calling this a diskras to warning what the impact could be on the close alliance between south korea and the u.s. security forces for failing to intercept this attacker for allowing a knife to get into this gathering that was held on thursday morning. there are also some questions about the chief suspect because for about four years from 2007 to 2011 he was a member of what is described as the reunificati

diplomats in south korea >>> the u.n.'s mediator has been meeting and is disappointed that shia houthi rebels ignored demands to control the crisis. they want houthis to release those under house arrest and stop taking unilateral action. they warned no group could take control over yemen. >> i warned the coup that operatives are working towards undermining negotiations, and i informed the security council, that no one side will be able to dominate by the use of force. and any party is deluded and pushing to a long-term conflict. >> to syria, where an explosion killed 20 members and 14 rebel fighters. >> the blast in aleppo appears to have targeted an air force intelligence building. it was a joint operation. the government fighter jets responded with air strikes on rebel positions. >> iran's foreign minister says a nuclear deal could be closed. there are major gaps that need to be filled. u.s. and iranian officials rapped up three days of negotiations over the programme. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry has been hold

is on display in south korea. we look at the hidden treasures. here is a recap of stories in al jazeera. a rescue mission is under way. families of dozens of people are missing outside the coal mine in the city of donetsk. according to reports 30 are dead and others trapped below grouped. u.s. and iranian negotiators are in briton coming after a people by prime minister binyamin netanyahu urging the u.s. congress to block a deal. >> indonesia transferred 11 convicted drug smugglers to an island where they'll face a firing squad. australia prime minister said he is revolted by the prospect of the ex-uses. >> returning to the -- executionses. returning to the story. john hendren is outside the mine. >> the latest we have is the separatist government says it appeals there's no foul play involved in the explosion. the donetsk people's rub lake says -- republic says it looks like methane gas may be responsible for the explosion that killed about 30 people we believe so far. we know there were 200 or so underground at t

north korea praises a gruesome attack on the u.s. ambassador to south korea, mark lippert. this was the scene earlier in the capitol city of soule. authorities say this man, a 55-year-old north korean sympathizer, ran up to the ambassador screaming anti-american sentiments and then slashed him with a 10 inch knife. officials believe the suspect was protesting current joint south korea/u.s. military drills. plus this new information shows the suspect leaving his home and arriving at the venue moments before the attack. this morning the american ambassador is in good condition. surgeons say if the injuries had been any deeper they could have been life threatening. andrew stevens is live in hong kong with more. >> reporter: yeah carol, 80 stitches and that was just in the facial wound alone on the right side of the face there. he also suffered deep cuts to his left forearm and surgeons are saying he could suffer nerve damage there. luckily though no lasting damage in that cheek wound. the man who is now in police custody was known to police carol. he had actually been sentence

they prohibit north korea from engaging in trade with japan. this isn't the first time japanese officials have been frustrated in their efforts to find out what happened to the abductees. nhk world's tomoko kamata explains. >> reporter: japanese delegates sat down a year ago with their north korean counterparts. it was the first face-to-face meeting in nearly a year and a half. japanese officials urged the north koreans to launch a fresh investigation into the fate of the abductees. but the delegation from pyongyang insisted the issue has already been resolved in 2002 when they returned five abductees. then in may, the two sides met again, and this time the talks seemed to reach a turning point. officials from the north promised a new, comprehensive investigation into the fate of hundreds of missing japanese. >> translator: we've managed to reach an agreement. it's important to resolve this issue in a more positive way by deepening mutual trust. >> reporter: in july north korean authorities presented an outline. they said they would form a spec

. >> korea's formula one circuit trying to figure out a future without formula one. >> the stream, >> your digital community >> you pick the hot topics and express your thoughts the stream it's your chance to join the conversation only on al jazeera america >> you're watching al jazeera. saudi arabia and its allies targeted houthi in western yemen. anti air defense systems in northern yemen ever also been hit, part of a second round of airstrikes against the shia group. the houthi-controlled health ministry said 39 have been killed in the past 24 hours. >> >> german police searched the family home and apartment of the germanwings co he pilot believed to have deliberately crashed germanwings. all 150 onboard were killed. >> syria's president is open to dialogue with the united states. bashar al assad mailed the comment in a television interview, but said no pressure should be put on syria's sovereignty. >> campaigning is winding down ahead of nigeria's presidential election leading candidates now delivering final messages before saturday's vote. opposition leader is challenging good lu

, and north korea. people are governed by the national security la. legislation designed to prohibit. the use over recent years from what the photograph called ironic re-tweeting. but for proponents it's a tool in a long battle. communist ideology is a scheme designed to grab power by capitalizing on social underdogs, it's a grand scam. there are many south koreans prone to scans. for organizers it's about a long term financial investment not politics. but for a man that lived inside north korea, the bright innocence and beauty depicted here brings back darker memories. >>> let me remind you you can keep up to date with all of the news blogs from the correspondents. the address aljazeera.com. claz >> hello and welcome, i'm phil torres, talking about innovations that can save live. we'll do it in a unique way. this is a show about scientists. let's check out the team. kyle hill is an engineer. he's on the trail of something decimating bee population. >> crystal dilworth is a molecular neuroscientist.

korea on the formula one racing map. but after just four grand prixs the racing world has largely forgotten it is here. unable to generate the local support or the revenue needed to keep formula one here, the operators have been looking for other events. still the operators insist that the circuit should not be viewed simply in dollars and cents. >> a facility like this should not be seen as a social investment. instead of a business that has to earn revenue. the central government has subsidizes various supports, but the motorsports is not yet popular and the government does not feel it is obliged to sponsor us. >> the root of the problem is planning it is located in remote south in a country that has limited interest in motorsports. a lack of foresight seems to be a national failing. >> when it comes to planning, you really have to look at how to make these venues or the surrounding towns as a preferred or favorite destination place as opposed to a single venue. but i'm not sure if it's done a good job of planning that

ambassador to south korea a deserved pun ibment in relation to drills held by south korea and u.s. the ambassadors was in surgery for 2.5 hours after being slashed in the face. >> reporter: this is the ambassador after the attack. the shock was clear to see. mark lip ter was attending a breakfast contrade. a man rushed forward and slashed him. a man rushed saying no drills. south korea and north korea should be identified. he would only be identified as a man called kim. the condition was described as not threatening. u.s. and south korea are carrying out extensive operations continuing until next month, defensive in nature. they have been branded provocative in nature by the north koreans. the u.s. bases more than 20,000 troops in south korea, along the world's most fortified border. it's seen as an attempt, but some in the south see them as a barrier to a unified career. mark lipped is a popular vigor, his wife gave birth in seoul and he gave his son a korean middle name. he received a call from president obama, who wished him a speedy recovery. that will lead to a re view of him

every year north korea responds. this time it fired two short- short-range missiles before the south korean drills even began. >> this is a deliberate provocation seened as an armed protest. we're ready to respond immediately. if it takes provocative action, our military will react firmly and strongly so north korea will regret bitterly. >> afraid things could escalate, a group of peace activists gathered within hours. their part of a south korean organization campaigning for both koreas to be reunited in one country. >> we're against military action taking place. if the exercise to pressure north korea continues and if north korea retaliates, a civil war similar to 2003 will once again an reality. >> we heard all this before, and even an analyst from the international crisis group isn't worried. >> kim jong-un has told them to be ready for war. but it's all in the context of deterrent. they're trying to gauge the reaction of the south and it's allies, and to see if they can coerce the south into changing its behavio

. >>> north korea has called the stabbing of the u.s. ambassador to south korea a knife attack of justice. that's a quote. >> that's right. and now south korean police are looking into that suspect's links to the north, as the news continues here on cnn. >>> south korean investigators are looking into possible links between the attack on the u.s. ambassador and the suspect's numerous trips to north korea. police say the suspect, seen there, opposes the joint u.s.-south korean military drills and claims he acted alone. ambassador mark lippert remains in the hospital, recovering from multiple wounds to his face, hand, and arm. cnn senior international correspondent ivan watson following the developments from seoul where the attack happened and apparently the suspect was known to police there. ivan? >> reporter: that's right. he had a history of one-man protests reportedly setting fire to himself once in a protest about a decade ago. he had suspended jail sentence for hurling a block of concrete at a japanese diplomat in 2010. and what poli

the idea that a sign a bus in a painting could provoke did devotion here in south korea for north koreaeem far fetched but people here are governed by the national security law. legislation designed to prohibit the promotion of north korean ideology. its ice over recent years such as in the failed prosecution of this photographer who he called ironic retweeting of north korean propaganda has come in to criticism. but for its proponents it's a vital tool nay long battle. >> translator: it's a scream to grab pow by capitalizing on social underdogs it's a meticulously crafted grand scam and many south koreans are prone to scams. >> reporter: no text in the works being shown. and for the organizers it's about a long-term financial investment. not politics. but for a man who has lived inside the real north korea the brightness and beauty of the one depicted here brings back darker memories. harry fawcett, al jazerra, south korea. >>> news updates and blogs can be found on our website the address aljazerra.com. >>> on "america tonight", this is the video sparking outrage cross the country, wh

military presence in korea.merican troops and south korean troops had just started a joint exercise involving 200,000 personnel. the south korean government was swift to condemn the attack. >> our government is shocked by the awful act that occurred against ambassador mark lippitt. such acts against the diplomatic delegations will not be accepted for any reasons, and we are taking this especially seriously as it was committed against the ambassador of the u.s., our most important ally. >> the ambassador indicated he wanted to be much more open, out there with the people. that policy will now be rethought. in seoul pro-u.s. demonstrators came onto the streets to condemn the attack. north korea said it was appropriate punishment of the americans. and some south koreans also voiced sympathy. >> i think many patriots in this country would agree that the attack on the ambassador was a good thing. the americans came to this country 70 years ago and divided the peninsula. the attack is a reflection of the grief. >> at

ambassador to south korea.. not particularly a high security event. there was no expectations of anything like this could happen. mr. lippert is putting on a brave and humorous face. he is tweeting about the event. tweeting in his name his wife and son and family dog. i'm deeply moved by the support i got from koreans. we will be back as soon as possible to advance u.s.-rok alliance. the south korean president park saying this is important on the relationship and military relationship as well. >> the president of the united states andrew reaching out to his ambassador. they go way back. they are friends from when the president was senator. andrew stevens, thanks for that. >>> 34 minutes after the hour. this overnight storm, it's not over. >> i can't take it. >> hitting from texas all the way up to the northeast. including new jersey. hometown of christine romans. 90 million people under serious series of winter watches and advisories. >> the weather is doing a number on travel. if you have a flight today, check

worries about north korea had eased. tokyo and beijing are at loggerheads over a string of islands claimed by both countries. yen weekend, and exporters rallied. that has been the correlation in japan. it is a logical one, but not anymore. this year has seen a significant change. john dawson is here to explain and to take a look ahead to the japanese gdp data due out this hour. >> let's begin with the topics-yen correlation -- topix-yen correlation. the stocks rise. the yen is generally weaker. this year so far, we have seen the topix rise 6.5% and the yen strength and 0.5%. that is quite different. topix, the broader benchmark for japanese stocks -- even so, the yen is stronger. exports are rising. the correlation, as you can see, usually it's a different direction, but you can see from this comparison chart, sing direction. it's interesting. demand domestically is quite strong. that is encouraging. abenomics is working. on the trading days so far this year, 58% have seen this kind of correlation happen. it is quite dif

korea's colonization by japan in the first part of the last century is remembered. independence fighters were imprisoned here. some tortured and executed. on this day there is a visiting group of japanese business people. the perception that japan has been trying to revise its account of the war adds to the pain the koreans and chinese suffered. >> from the japanese perspective, they do not want to see their past history in the same way as china and south korea. so we have a very different historical interpretation. >> south korea and china also have their own territorial disputes with japan over islands in the seas that separate them. at the back of all this is the competition between u.s. and china. china does not want to be faced with an u.s.-backed alliance of its asian neighbors. >> history and territorial issues made reasonable politics very complicated. >> the increasing number of chinese tourists in south korea as in japan are a reminder of the growing power of the chinese economy, and the importance to each other's economic futures. such considerations may

and south korea dispute that.cox got exclusive access -- hancocks got exclusive access to the drills. how aware is south korea and the united states of north korea's capabilities as they undertake these military drills? >> reporter: rosemary certainly both seoul and washington will be watching closely to see what -- what north korea can do. we know they've been firing short-range fwlim beginning of the drills. we know that just before as well they test fired new technology. and certainly those two countries -- around the region around the world, officials will be watching closely to see what capabilities they have. but as for these military drills that happen every year both washington and seoul say that they are routine and say they -- they don't say openly that they are preparing to defend themselves against north korea. they say more that they are preparing themselves to be able to work well together. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: firing at an unseen enemy, tanks moved closer to the threat to defend their position.

-south korea military exercises.orth korea military earlier today described the joint exercises as an encroachment on its national sovereignty and a dress rehearsal for invasion. statement warned any aggression would be dealt with quote, merciless strikes unquote. the joint u.s.-south korea war games involve largely computer simulated exercise that lasts 12 days and another operation that has ground air and sea components which last about eight weeks. now both seoul and washington say these exercises are defensive in nature. back to you. >> all right. we do these every year. north korea never happy about it. thank you. >> two men are taken intu custody outside of the white house in the past 12 hours. what they were doing that has security officials on high alert. >> and growing calls for an independent investigation after the leading critic of vladmir putin is gunned down on the streets of moscow. (mom) when our little girl was born we got a subaru. it's where she said her first word. (little girl) no! saw her first

they accuse the suspect of sympathizing with the communist regime in north korea. police are considering charging the assailant with the attempted murder of the ambassador. mark lippert for his part has since tweeted that he is in good spirits. his cohort from washington has condemned the attack as an act of violence. >> indonesia has rejected an offer of a prisoner swap over two australian death row convict . the men could be executed within days along with nine other conflict -- convicts from seven other countries. >> several appeals for mercy have been rejected. >> australia's top politicians hold a vigil. behind the scenes, the flurry of legal and diplomatic activities continues, but estoril yet is fast running out of options. >> absolutely no details but we are seeking the opportunity to explore every option that might be available to us, every avenue that might be available to save the lives of these two men. >> jakarta said no to a prisoner exchange. >> this is the right of every country. in international relations, we have to understand and respect without

he may also be some sort of activist in the unification of south korea and north korea.ve a lot of detail on that at this point. after this troubling attack, we're told tonight ambassador mark lippert was rushed to a local hospital. his injuries are said to be nonlife-threatening. joining us now live from seoul is june yun, asia's seoul correspondent. >> reporter: that's right. mark lippert was injured this morning by an assailant with a razor knife. sustaining injuries to his face and wrist. this happened at 7:40 a.m. local korea time on his way to his morning lecture. this happened while he was walking to the building, when the attack took place. witnesses from the scene are saying that the suspect came from behind and started assaulting him. the audience members stopped the attack, and the police immediately arrested the suspect at the scene. the suspect has been identified as 55-year-old mao kim jong. this suspect actually has a criminal record for a similar crime from five years ago. in july 2010, the suspect threw two pieces of concrete at a japanese envoy to seoul