somebody's in. >> [speaking korean] >> [speaking korean] >> first impressions aren't too promising. well, that looks like it's another refusal--people telling us they're simply too busy or the internet is too crucial to their daily lives to take part. eventually, we find 2 families who agree to cut the umbilical cord for a few days. first, meet the kims. the 2 boys are classic products of the internet generation. for them, being disconnected is almost unimaginable. >> [speaking korean] >> these days, i go on the internet as soon as i wake up. i'm developing my own home page, and there's things i need to find out on the net. sometimes, i work online all day, past sunset. on average, i probably use it for about 6 hours a day. >> [speaking korean] >> i use the internet for about 5 hours a day, mostly playing computer games. if i can't do that, i might get cravings. >> here we go, then. this is switch-off day, um, one week without the internet, starting from now. how do you feel? what are your hopes and fears looking ahead to this week? >> [speaking korean] >> i stay in touch by checkin

administration when he dealt with that korean -- north korean problem. even the clinton administration over two terms was a little softer. that is the positive path. and they don't seem to want to take it. what can be done in the interim? i think the most important thing that could be done is to try to get more information into north korea. more information in terms of what is going on in the outside world. in terms of marketization and the internet and cell phones. i think this is the only way, really, to make inroads into seeing any change in the country. from the perspective of leadership, economic reform is a double edged sword. on one the one hand, they need economic reform and the need money and food in the sorts of things. on the other hand, when regimes like this open up, it releases all sorts of political forces that inevitably lead to a loss of political control. and even possibly the collapse of the regime. that is not a bargain that leadership, particularly with new leadership, the price is political control, that's the last thing that they r

accounts and north korean money and so that has also caused north koreans themselves to think whether they want to be seen as being this finally liable asset that every bank regulator or bank president doesn't want to see in their institution. >> host: and one of the other cases that's related to that that you had direct experience with is the bank of delta asia situation where the u.s. treasury issued an advisory about that bank and the possibility that it was engaging in money laundering or handling counterfeit notes. how do you see, and, of course, that occurredded in a point in time when it looked like there was going to be progress in negotiations, but then it seems like everything stalled out. how do you see -- do you think that was the case with bda that is stalled the diplomacy and, you know, as we look today at, you know, more satellite launches, possibly a third nuclear test by thort -- north korea, people are calling for re-examination of the financial area. is it rep -- reproducible from your view today? >> guest: yeah. the first thing i point out is the irony in the descr

a north korean shop them succeed? >> well you know, i had many friends when i talk to those friends they are always optimistic about the prospects for north korea, and i never understood why. when you ask them they say it's very clear why because they have to study china and they have seen china come from where it came in the cultural revolution and the great leap forward to be in the country does today and a big country like china as complex and as complicated as it is can do that, then certainly north korea can do that. but again i think there are two big differences here. the first is that china had gone shopping and as you say, he was a charismatic leader and a larger than life figure. he is not in north korea. it's an inexperienced 29-year-old running the country now it's that is the first problem. the second problem is the chinese said to get rich and glorious and making money was okay even if it meant giving up a degree of political control, and for the current leadership at least for the foreseeable future the

but the north koreans say they do not see one in their future. state media is reporting that they never considered another test, and they're focused instead on putting a satellite into space. >> the state-run korean central news agency said the official warned north korean officials will have to take countermeasures if the u.s. continues to press for tougher sanctions. the senior u.s. diplomat for north korea is leaning on chinese leaders for their help. glen davies wants them to use their influence with officials in pyongyang to stop further provocations. davies made the comments after meeting with china's special representative for the korean peninsula. the six-party talks will take place. >> both china and the united states really have the same fundamental interests when it comes to the peninsula and in north korea, which is peace, stability and the pursuit of denuclearization. >> davies will head to tokyo later in the day with tks with japanese officials. >>> a japanese research institute said satellite images show that north korea is buildin

north korean officials claim the plant will be used to produce electricity. >>> with tensions rising over north korea's activities, the united states and south korea are working together to keep their militaries ready. air force personnel from the two countries are staging their largest ever joint drill on the korean peninsula. about 50 fighter jet bess longing to both countries are taking part in exercises nicknamed max thunder. the drills began on may the 7th and continue through friday. the allies' air forces holds regular drills twice a year to prepare for the possible aift confrontation with north korea or attacks on the south's military bases. during one exercise, f-15 and f-16 jet fighters took off from south korea's air base. the pilots performed role play exercises taking the parts of ally or enemy. guided bombs were displayed at the air base. the weapons can be loaded on fighter jets to attack enemy aircraft or ships. >> and when we train together, we know that there's no force that can beat us. >> translator: any power that threatens peace on the korean peninsula will be t

the attack targeted the then-south korean president who survived. 21 south koreans were killed including cabinet ministers. lee criticized north korea for denying involvement in the bombing and in the sinking of a south korean naval vessel in 2010. accusations of fraud were made against opposition lawmakers close to the north during a preliminary election that took place last month. analysts say lee apparently hopes to eliminate any influence on the part of the north in a presidential election to take place in south korea in december. >>> china's ruling communist party has expelled a former railway minister. the party's disciplinary watch dog found him guilty of corruption. the state run xinhua news agency said monday the party's central commission for discipline inspection will refer liu zhijun to prosecutors. the commission said he abused his power and received large sums of money as bribes. he oversaw investment in china's booming railway sector over the last decade. he was removed from his ministerial post in february of last year. the ministry came under harsh criticism after a fata

he specializes in security issues and the korean peninsula. north koreans have been reporting that it's not planning a nuclear test. it seems to be a reversal of what it's been saying so far. what do you make of this latest statement now? >> well, quite interesting statement. especially the last sentence which the -- actually they said only if the case, u.s. will continue to tougher sanctions and the pressure on them. they would be left wit no options but to take corresponding measures. only if is quite important. likely that north korea will see another possibility. if the u.s. will move toward the start of negotiations or the talks with the dprk, maybe they can change their course or direction or they will not take corresponding measures. >> north korea also says it may take countermeasures for defense purposes. what kind of measures do you think that is? is there going to be another ballistic missile launch? >> oh, yes. first of all, we have to say that the -- for the time being, it's almost no possibility north korea will take on as a nucl

: i have a good impression of south korean brands. >> translator: the difference between south korean and japanese products is narrowing. >> translator: it's natural to focus on selling popular products. sales will continue to grow for south korean brands if the bilateral trade pact comes out. >> reporter: the competition between japan and south korea to capture the chinese market is sure to get even more intense as south korean brands step up their marketing offensive. >>> we're seeing lovely blue skies here in tokyo but apparently not for long. here's rachel ferguson with the weather forecast. >> we're in for another round of storms across much of japan. yesterday we saw the same thing come 3:00, 4:00, you get those pop-up thunderstorms during the heat of the day. and some nasty thunderstorms at that. today we're actually going to be seeing even more rain. i'll break it down for you. you can see much of the country is going to be affected by these storms. heavy rain, damaging gusts, hail and even potentially tornadoes as well. here in the red is where the hot spot is going to be whe

chinese media say a north korean gun boat captured the ships on may 8th in the yellow sea. the boats came from dalian in northeastern china. the reports say officials in the north are demanding money for the release of the 29 crew members. chinese foreign ministry spokesperson hong lei says his government is trying to resolve the problem. >> translator: we are demanding that north korea observe the legitimate rights of the crew members. >> hong declined to say whether the north korean government or the military may be involved in the seizure of the fisng ats. the traditionally friendly relationship between the two countries soured temporarily after an incident in 2010. north korean border guards fired on a chinese ship on the yalu river and killed three crew members. this latest dispute comes as chinese leaders are urging north korea's regime to refrain from conducting its third nuclear test. >>> an international group of exiled uyghurs ended its four-day general assembly in tokyo with an agreement to boost aid for the ethnic minority in china. the world uyghur congress dec

north korean officials carried out nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. the country's state-run media has claimed north korean is now a nuclear power. earlier i spoke with our reporter hiroki yajima who has been covering issues on the korean peninsula. hiroki, why they did put in the constitutional phrase stating now it is a nuclear power. >> kim jong-un wants to convince his people and the international committee that he will continue the military first policy. he also seems to hope the move will help tighten his grip on power. but what is also noteworthy is a phrase laid out for kim jong-il kim jong-un's father, for transforming the country into a nuclear power. the new leader also seems to be aiming to boost his prestige by making clear that he is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, kim il-sung, as well. in fact, kim jong-un referred to the country's nuclear weapons when he first made a speech in public at the military parade last month. the new leader looked confident about the country declaring itself a nuclear power. north korea began ext

and that angers south korean lee myung-bak.or its first time, he's criticized pyongyang supporters in his country, he's accusing them of believing the authorities in the north who say they haven't been involved in terrorist activities. >> translator: the north is problematic, but pro-north korea groups in our country who blindly follow the north are a greater problem. >> the president made the criticism during his latest address, reporting on his visit to myanmar earlier this month. lee said he visited a site in yangon to mourn for the south korean victims of a 1983 terrorist bombing. the attack targeted then south korean president chun doo-hwan. chun survived but 21 south koreans were killed including cabinet ministers. lee criticized north korea for denying involvement in the bombing and the sinking of a south korean naval vessel in 2010. accusations of fraud were made against opposition lawmakers close to the north during a preliminary election that took place last month. analysts say that lee apparently hopes to eliminate a

a south korean government official says they disclosed the deals with the south korean president. the first south korean leader was the first to visit in almost three decades. he denied suggestions they are cooperating with counterparts in north korea on such a project. the president acknowledged officials in myanmar bought conventional weapons from north korea before the two countries restored diplomatic ties four years ago. >>> the president of south korea is visiting myanmar 29 years after one of his pre decessors survived a bomb attack there. >> myanmar visit is the first since the so-called incident in 1983. lee on tuesday met with pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi who was elected to the parliament. after talks with the leaders of china, and japan, the next day he met aung san suu kyi and expressed support for myanmar's democratic reforms. aung san suu kyi responded that economic prosperity and freedom should go hand in hand. it's been 29 years since a south korean president visited myanmar. in 1983, president chun du fong was targeted in a bomb attack in the former capit

she attended a south korean university in 2009 majoring in international trade. she now analyzes import/export data. >> i work with korean company, maybe somehow i can help this company to become like bigger and globalize and establish one company in my country. >> reporter: as more companies cultivate talent from overseas, foreign students may soon have a greater presence in south korea's economy and corporate life. anna jung, nhk world, seoul. >>> japan's current account surplus for the fiscal year through march showed a record percentage drop. the surplus is down to half of what it was the year before. the finance ministry said the current account surplus was down 52.6% from fiscal 2010. this is the first drop in three years and the biggest since 1985 when comparable data became available. the drop in surplus was led by a weak trade balance. exports fell 2.8% amid a global economic slowdown while imports increased 14% due to higher imports of fuel. that's because of the shutdown of nuclear reactors following the accident at fukushima. the current account balan

the attack targeted then south korean president.e survived but 21 south koreans were killed including cabinet ministers. president lee criticized north korea for denying involvement in the bombing and in the sinking of a south korean naval vessel in 2010. oppositi oppositi opposition lawmakers were accused of fraud during a political election last month. lee wants to eliminate any influence on the presidential election in december. >>> u.n. arab lead kofi anan returned to syria to try to salvage a u.n. mediated cease fire. he's back in the country after government forces attacked near the central city of homs on friday. more than 100 people died in the attack. many of the casualties were women and children. the former u.n. secretary general said he will meet syrian president al assad on tuesday. >> it must end. and it must end now. >> the government forces continued indiscriminate attacks on citizens over the weekend. a local human rights group says nearly 70 people were killed on sunday and monday. >>> a fire has swept through a hi

north korean leaders are expected to protest against the agreement. south korean authorities are also trying to sign a similar accord with the japanese government, but domestic disapproval of the linkup prompted the defense minister kim kwan-jin to postpone his visit to japan later this month. spokespersons say negotiions are still going on. >>> a roadside security camera captured video of a bus accident in china. the crash injured 14 people. it happened as a passenger was arguing with the driver about her payment. the bus was traveling sunday in the eastern province of zhejiang. it veered off the road and slammed into a fire station. the fee meal driver was among those injured. local media say a 49-year-old woman got into a dispute with the driver over whether she'd paid by swiping her electronic card. the passenger took her seat, but soon she returned to the driver to demand an apology. the media reports say the driver lost control of the bus, after the woman tugged her arm. police arrested the passenger monday. she's quoted as saying she might have

north korean leaders are expected to protest against the agreement. >>> south korean authorities also are -- are also trying to sign a similar accord with the japanese government, but domestic disapproval of the linkup prompted defense minister kim kwan-jin to postpone his visit to japan later this month. spokespersons say negotiations are still ongoing. >>> nato leaders say their missile defense system for europe is inching closer to becoming fully functional. they're building the shield to protect the continent against possible threats from iran. the leaders of 28 nato member countries agreed on the first day of the summit in chicago to implement the system. the alliance's secretary general declared the shield now has interim capability. >> it is the first step towards our long-term goal of providing full coverage and protection for all nato european populations -- territory and forces. >> u.s. officials say the system's current capability is limited to interceptor missiles on an aegis equipped war ship in the mediterranean and a radar system in turkey. nato plans to deploy intercep

army on korean life, for which i was spectacularly ill equipped. but it gave me an opportunity to travel around the country in the middle of the korean war. the country was devastated. the largest building in seoul was the headquarters of the japanese government that had since been turned down. no one would have believed it possible that a day would come that a secretary general of the united nations would be a distinguished korean leader or that korea would look as it does today. it would have seemed totally improbable that a korean diplomat would travel around the world, acting in some respect as a conscience of mankind, a secretary general of the united nations who is active in places as far-flung as syria, sudan, burma, seeking to mediate and allay suffering. that this was possible at all is a tribute to the faith and dedication of the korean people who had the vision to overcome their suffering and their destruction and emerge as one of the leading countries of asia and of the world. and it is equally true due to the qualities of the secretary

we're using the korean conflict as an excuse to invade china. and so his response is to send flood after flood of chinese troops across the border to support the north koreans to stop the americans. by 1950, we get bogged down. the united states is not only fighting north korean communists, but now we're fighting chinese communists. and this war is going to go on until 1953. but the most significant military action occurs here in this first year, and by the summer of '53, we agree to end this conflict with a permanent division of the country. at the 38th parallel. south of the 38th parallel, south korea will be a free democratic and capitalistic state. north of the 38th parallel, north korea will be a totalitarian communist state, and it's still that way today. it's a divided country today and one of the great flash points. i mean, you've got this lunatic in north korea who every now and again threatens nuclear warfare against somebody waiting for countries around the world to pay him off. well, it's a flash point today. its origins is here in t

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this is the first south korean presidential visit to the country for 29 years.he offer the country a wide- ranging package seen as a reward for the political reforms that the military-backed leadership has put in place over the past year. with more on the visit, we are joined from singapore by a visiting fellow at an institute of southeast asian studies. thank you so much for joining us. first of all, this is significant, the first visit by south korean leader for about 30 years. >> very significant. helping to build their new economy. i would highlight the investment in myanmar and also the powers of korea in infrastructure construction in this part of the world. these are both ways in which korea could be a very important partner for myanmar today. >> and the european union also lifting sanctions against burma, but the asian economies, particularly the likes of the chinese and the south koreans, they want to be one step ahead. >> yes, and we have to remember that the president has been interested in this country since the beginning of his presidency. and his f

a south korean government official says thein sein disclosed the deal with south korean president lee myung-bak. president lee became the first south korean leader to visit myanmar in almost three decades. thein se in told him officials in myanmar have no plans to develop nuclear arms. he denied suggestions they are cooperate with counterparts in north korea on such a project. the president acknowledged officials in myanmar, bought conventional weapons from north korea before the two countries restored diplomatic ties five years ago. >>> she works in paint. the brighter, the better. has a passion for flowers and fruit and brings freight containers to life. those are the broad strokes of this week's "road ahead." the story of a shop designer who is adding a splash of color to a troubled town. >> reporter: dazzling oranges. luscious apples. this cheerful cafe is an oasis of color. in a town turned gray, this is a temporary shopping mall in rikuzentanaka. a shop designer has come to town. naoko is from iwate prefecture. she oversaw the cafe renovation. her mission is to brighten up the d

north korean space officials conducted what they call a satellite launch last month. the attempt failed, but many nations said it was a missile test. as a result, the u.s. government suspended planned food aid for the north. the possibility of another nuclear test is keeping tensions high. north korean foreign ministry spokesperson said his country will take countermeasures if the obama administration presses for tougher sanctions. >>> members of a u.s. research institute say authorities in the north are pursuing a project that could be cause for concern. the experts argue that satellite images show construction crews are working on a missile launch site in the country's northeast. a team from the u.s. korea institute at johns hopkins school of advanced international studies held a press conference on the results of their analysis of the photos of the site taken on april 29th. the researchers believe the work to upgrade the site began last summer. they say the images show the concrete foundations of a launchpad and buildings designed to enclose the fuel. the most prog

they'll be using the h2a rocket to send a south korean satellite into space. it will blast off from the tanegashima space center in southwestern japan. jaxa engineers used the same type of device last december to put a domestic information gathering satellite into orbit. that operation brought the h2a success rate to 95%, the international threshold for reliability. observers say a smooth liftoff friday will help japan secure launch orders from other countries. europe and russia currently control 80% of the international market. the rocket will also carry a japanese water observation satellite to monitor climate change. that device will orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers. it will capture very weak radio waves emitted by water on the earth's surface. researchers hope the data will help them calculate fluctuations in ocean surface temperatures which can affect the earth's climate and arctic ice masses. >>> next, we go to patchari raksawong in bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> a program to get taliban fighters to return to civilian life is

a south korean official tells nhk that disruptions apparently originate from north korea. south korean maritime police say more than 120 vessels including patrol boats in the yellow sea reported problems with navigation systems since late april. the government says the disruptions have also affected more than 410 aircraft leaving and arriving at airports. an official says the signals apparently originate from around the north korean border town of kaesong. south korea is working to locate the exact source of the signals before filing a protest with the north through international organizations. >>> a senior u.s. defense department official has said the united states plans to start relocating its marine corps in okawa to guam within two to three years. the country is planning to transfer 9,000 marines out of the japanese island prefecture to guam, australia, and other locations in the region, as part of the realignment of u.s. forces in japan. u.s. deputy assistant secretary of defense robert scher said in an official news release that the move will increase the military's

the koreans will be able to determine their future and their fate. and we both did. the difference is, when we pulled out, we basically took everything with us. when the soviet union pulled out, they left behind a stockpile of weapons. the most modern military technology that they had at the time, and that's the temptation that was going to be used the following summer, 1950, north korea with the use of soviet military armaments and try take possession of the entire country. this is exactly what kennan warned up about the soviet union is not content. they're going to expand into other areas. this is expansion trying to take over the southern part of korea. we must respond. he doesn't go to congress to ask for a declaration of war. he thought that might set a bad precedent. whenever i need to send troops to some place, i don't want to have to go to congress and ask them every time. so what he does is he goes to the united nations. asks for a force to be sent to prop up, to support, to defend the people of south korea. now, the united states is going to do all the heav

fighting for their country during the korean war. no soldiers have been repatriated since both sides signed an armistice in 1953. president lee myung-bak and relatives of some of the soldiers gathered for a ceremony at an airport near seoul. 12 sets of remains and personal belongings arrived from the u.s. american forces excavated it all in north korea between 2000 and 2004, according to the terms of a bilateral agreement. president lee told the relatives that finding the remains of those who sacrificed their lives for south korea is something his government must do until the end. the korean war began in 1950, and the fighting stopped three years later. an estimated 130,000 soldiers from the south are still listed as missing in action. >>> top officials from japan and the united states plan to increase their pressure on north korean authorities in an effort to resolve a decade old issue. agents from the north kidnapped japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. they're goal was to learn about the abductees' language and culture. u.s. e

the suspects had made contact with people in the south korean military industry. they say they tried to collect data on jamming devices. they've been charged with violating the country's national security law. earlier this month, hundreds of commercial jets and ships in south korea experienced a gps disruption for more than two weeks. the south korean government says the north was responsible, but north korea denies any involvement. >>> investors are not getting any relief over their eurozone debt concerns. ai a pretty grim picture overnight for stocks. >> absolutely catherine. investors' concerns deepening and not lessening. u.s. markets were on the further fallout for the euro. the dow jones ended down 1.28%. 12,419. in fact all three major indices on wall street fell over 1%. so for how stocks are trading this morning here in japan, let's go to ramin mellegard. ramin, the yen's recent surge has not been good for japanese exporters. how are we starting off today? >> good morning to you, ai. a negate startre. let'go straito the opening levels for the nikkei and t

these are the graves of north korean and chinese soldiers killed during the korean war 60 years ago, all part of south korea's past but also part of its present because remains like these are being found here all the time. the war the soldiers fought in has never formally ended. north and south korea are bound by an uneasy truce. along this frontier region, reminders of korea's military pastor being revised -- past are being revised like this fence built 40 years ago to keep out north korean agents. it was taken down in minutes. the military tensions are stubbornly hard to erase. lucy williamson, bbc news in seoul. >> thank you for watching. we will see you again tomorrow. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to use their expertise to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of international commerce. we put our extended global network to work for a wide ra

it's a mixed message. >> davies urged north korean leaders to commit to fulfilling the promises they have made in the past. >>> talks on iran's nuclear program have entered a second day after rejecting proposals by six countries to halt its uranium enrichment. negotiators from iran, the united states and other countries started their second day of talks in baghdad. the countries urged iran to stop producing highly enriched uranium as the material could be used for nuclear weapons. in return, the countries proposed easing sanctions against iran, including an embargo on u.s. aircraft parts. in response, iran presented a package of five proposals and demanded the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. the talks resumed in april after a 15-month break. the negotiators are trying to reach an agreement that would allow the discussions to continue. western diplomatic sources say breaking off the dialogue is not an option. >>> aung san suu kyi will make her first trip abroad in 24 years next week. myanmar's opposition leader and pro democracy campaigner is heading to an international m

similarly dry across the korean peninsula as well as northern half of china. down towards the south, a seasonal rain band is still affecting much of southeastern china, as well as taiwan and additional 100 millimeters of rain is in the forecast in hainan area but unsettled weather should remain for the next few days. down toward southeast asia, scattered thundershowers across much of indochina, particularly wet in northern and central sections of thailand as well as laos today. now moving over to the americas, a low-pressure system is sliding along the u.s./canada border producing scattered showers across parts of western canada, northern plains, as well as the central rockies. rain could become heavy at times on your friday. to the south, very strong, hot and dry winds are blowing -- flowing into this area raising the risk of wildfires in and around the four corners region. out towards the east, you could be seeing some pop-up showers across the southeastern corner of the u.s. during the heat of the day. to the north, clear conditions and less windy condition

he's going to land there and cutoff the north korean forces in the southern part of the country. be very successful with that and then he decides not to be satisfied, but simply driving them out, he decides to invade into the northern part of the country. if you follow the arrow, she headed north. what's the country on the other side? that's china. you are mao. it's the summer of 1950 and you had been in power less than a year. you know the policy of the united states that is to contain communist expansion and all of a sudden here at the backdoor, you have a well-decorated united states general leading the united nations forces and they're getting closer and closer. if you are mao, you are as paranoid as stalin and if you are mao, you are thinking that this is all a means to an end. the war in korea is a means to an end and drive mao and the communist into the power in china. we are using the conflict as an excuse to invade china and so his response is to send flood after flood of chinese troops across the boarder to support the north koreans to stop the americans. by 1950, we go

in this market its main competitors are south korean makers. the poor performance of the u.s. subsidiaries also contributed to the decline. however in the current business year through march 2012, sony expects earnings to turn around and it estimates a net profit of $375 million. the company says its digital cameras and personal computers business will help shore up its profitability. that's due to the cost-cutting efforts on production lines. sony's chief financial officer emphasized his determination to see the company turn to the black after years of losses. >> translator: rebuilding our electronics business such as tv products is our most urgent task. fiscal 2012 will be a very important year for sony. >> olympus showed a net loss in the fiscal year through march. the company has been rocked by a cover-up of massive losses. the scandal hit japanese optical equipmentmaker announced a net loss for fiscal 2011 that came to about $612 million. the company says record high levels in the japanese currency and floods in thailand reduced profits. it also had to pay the extra costs

fighting for their country during the korean war. no soldiers have been repatriated since both sides signed an armistice in 1953. president lee myung-bak and relatives of some of the soldiers gathered for a ceremony at an airport near seoul. 12 sets of remains and personal belongings arrived from the u.s. american forces excavated it all in north korea between 2000 and 2004, according to the terms of a bilateral agreement. president lee told the relatives that finding the remains of those who sacrificed their lives for south korea is something his government must do until the end. the korean war began in 1950, and the fighting stopped three years later. an estimated 130,000 soldiers from the south are still listed as missing in action. >>> top officials from japan and the united states plan to increase their pressure on north korean authorities in an effort to resolve a decade old issue. agents from the north kidnapped japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. their goal was to learn about the abductees' language and culture. u.s. env

these are the graves of north korean and other soldiers, killed during the korean war 60 years ago, allt of the south korean pass, but also part of their present, because remains light these are being found here all of the time. -- remains likes these -- like these are the and found your all of the time. it is a reminder of the military past, being revised. built 40 years ago to keep out north korean agents. it was taken down. the military tensions themselves are hard to erase. bbc news, korea. >> i am not sure where i am going to be spending my holidays this summer. quickly before we go, reaching new heights with music, literally. one with his piano have been hoisted into the air with a musical stunt performers in san paolo. -- performed in san paolo. this was suspended up above the ground. that brings to this show to a close. you can find more on our website. and if you would like to reach me, you can find us on twitter. i am at katty kay d.c. -- bbc. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, verm

he said the most urgent tas i can is to prevent further tension on the korean peninsula. they worry north korean scientists will follow through on a third test of nuclear technology. chinese leaders are trying to persuade their allies not to follow through. the president hu jintao met were them last month. the former leader visited earlier this month. a former chinese diplomat says they will be challenged to get the north koreans to stop. >> reporter: north korea has a number of issues that make another test unavoidable. >> he says they will focus on getting north koreans to slow down the pace of the nuclear program. >>> noda reilt rated the islands in the east china sea belong to japan and rejected china's claim of sovereignty over the islands. noda and he met and announced a plan to buy the islands currently owned by a japanese citizen. he said it is important to respect each other's core interests and matters of great interest. noda said the islands are an integral part of japan from the viewpoint of history and international law. he also said it should not effect over

japan, south korea, united states have submitted a list of 40 north korean firms. sources close to the u.s. say china has not said its reluctan provoke north korea. china is seen as having a decisive influence on the number of companies that will make the final list. >>> the u.n. peace heef keeping chief is urging member countries to send the cease-fire monitors to syria. they want to send 300 observers and the secretary-general says only half that number has been secured. >> the fact is that the numbers are still small at the moment, but already they have had a visible impact, an effective impact underground. >> he says u.n. observers are operating in five locations including damascus, the central city of homs and dara in the south. he said the observers have reported cease-fire violations, but he says the use of heavy weapons and shelling has subsided since the mission's arrival. they're negotiating the conditions with syrian authorities. he says the government has denied visas to some observers. >>> japan's foreign minister asked israel's leaders to show restrai

. >>> south korean police have arrested two men in a case involving spies. military technology and electronic jamming. they saw the men interfered with global positioning systems disrupting air and sea traffic. police say the two south korean businessmen came to their attention last july. they say the men are traitors and that north korean spies were giving them their orders. the police learned that the suspects contacted people in the south korean military industry. investigators say the men tried to collect data on military technology and jamming devices. police charged them with violating the national security law. >>> the gps jamming disrupted hundreds of commercial airplane and ships for more than two weeks. >>> now supporters of former thai prime minister thaksin shin watt are becoming more vocal in his demand he return to domestic politics. this is raising fears of renewed violence in the country. a group of thaksin's redshirt supporters rallied in bangkok on wednesday. they were celebrating the end of a ban on members of his thai party set to expire

it was a great way to start sunday >> chicago area veterans of the korean war are being honored this memorial day weekend. a ceremony was held this afternoon to honor veterans who served in the war 60 years ago. but commemoration included wreath laying and be as it provided by the 85th illinois national guard band. among those taking part in today's ceremony were representatives of the department of defense the south korean consulate in and local dignitaries >> at which from around the world in response to an apparent syrian attack on its own people >> and parts of the florida coast are bracing for an early arrival of tropical whether does your phone share what you are seeing and hearing right now with the touch of a button ? droid does. does it post it instantly to facebook with sound ? droid does. droid with color for facebook. it's the ultimate status update. get a droid razr maxx by motorola for only $199.99. and there's lots of cool stuff happening with progressive mobile. great! tyler here will show you everything. check out our new mobile app. now you can use your phone to sca

. >> obama and noda have also reaffirmed the need to warn north korean leaders against provocations. experts expect authorities in the reclusive nation will carry out their third nuclear test in the near future. >>> the japanese prime minister's washington agenda isn't just focused on politics. noda spoke sat a gathering held to thank americans who helped rescue survivors following last year's earthquake and tsunami. >> translator: i want to say thank you on behalf of everyone in japan. help came from all over the united states after the disaster. that was a testament to grassroots ties between japanese and u.s. citizens. >> noda mentioned japanese high school girl who lost her family in the disaster and is now scheduled to study in the united states. he said her story reflects the strong ties between the two countries. noda also met the parents and sister of an american woman who died in the 2011 disaster. he thanked them for what they've done to help survivors in japan's northeast. taylor anderson was teaching english when the tsunami hit the city. noda said anderson acted as a bri

and he was shipped off to the korean war.n oklahoma, the famous thunderbird division where many native americans served. mr. thunderbird was in that division. he was a forward observer for an artillery unit. so he was one of the first ones in at landing of enchon, douglas macarthur's famous maneuver to outflank the north koreans. he was one of the first to land there. and then he spent the miserable winter following that up on the hills as he will tell you. freezing and watching the chinese mobilize. again, he's one of our native warriors who's seen the worst of the worst in combat. and to think he was still a teenager suffering through all that at the time. but one of the things mr. emhoolah, it was not lost on him that he was fighting for the united states but he was also fighting for the kiowa nation. and when he came back from the war, he became a strong defender of tribal sovereignty. these treaties that tribal nations signed mean something to the tribes. they are enshrined, the agreements are enshrined in our constituti