(LinkAsia: October 26, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
This week, South Korean police rushed to contain groups of North Korean defectors and activists after Pyongyang threatened to attack them. The police were trying to stop the groups' plans to launch balloons carrying aid and propaganda into North Korea. They've done this several times in the past, but this is the first time that North Korea has threatened violence against them. Here's NHK with more.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: October 22, 2012

Reporter:
South Korean police cordoned off the road leading to Imjingak, a town near the demarcation line. They got into scuffles with the activists who protested against the move. Most of the activists are defectors from North Korea. They started chanting slogans against the north once it was clear they would have to give up on their leaflet campaign. Activists say they managed to release some of the balloons on Monday evening from an area not guarded by the police. The South Korean government's intervention in cases like this one is rare, but relations with the north have been more tense than usual. North Korean leaders have been making provocative moves ahead of South Korea's presidential election in December.

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Yul Kwon:
North Korea has often tried to influence presidential elections in South Korea. The most notorious incident occurred during South Korea's first democratic election in 1987. Two weeks before the election, two North Korean agents blew up a Korean Air passenger plane, killing all 115 people on board.

(LinkAsia: October 19, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Japan and China have a big economic stake in each other. Their trading relationship is worth over $300 billion every year. But now, anti-Japan sentiment in China has driven down the sales of Japanese cars to the point that some Japanese brand names are disappearing from Chinese roads. For more on this story, here's Japanese broadcaster NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: October 16, 2012

Reporter:
Nissan Motors unveiled a new passenger car last month, developed especially for the Chinese market. Nissan is a top seller of Japanese cars in China. The price of the 1600 c.c. Runabout starts from about $11,000 - almost the same as Chinese models. Nissan kept costs down by using more locally-made parts. Nissan executives hoped the new car launch would jump-start sales in the country. But the timing couldn't have been worse. Anti-Japanese sentiment is running high. Company managers say the impact on sales has been larger than expected.

Carlos Ghosn:
This is the kind of crisis we really that we really don't like because it is completely outside the reach of the companies. You know, political situation is very emotional between the two countries, and you're caught in the middle.

Reporter:
Japanese automakers have been forced to keep a lower profile since the Senkaku issue erupted. That means less, sometimes no product promotion. This motor show held in Tianjin last month is a key event on the industry calendar. But Honda, Mitsubishi and Fuji all pulled out at the last moment. The situation is made worse by a spreading consumer boycott targeting Japanese products.

Anonymous:
Because of the Senkaku issue, I'm going to buy a German car.

Anonymous:
Given the political problems I don't think it's a good idea to buy a Japanese car now.

Reporter:
One dealer of European cars is offering what they call "a patriotic service." It's a discount offer. Customers who replace their Japanese vehicles get more than $700 off the sticker price.

Anonymous:
We offer the patriotic service to peoplereplacing Japanese cars, no matter what brand they are.

Reporter:
Declining sales are now affecting output. Toyota and Nissan scaled back local production from September through October. Some plants cut operating days or shortened operating hours. More assembly lines could follow suit. Managers of Japanese automakers say they hope the sale slump is just a 'bump in the road' for their Chinese operations. But that could all depend on an improvement in Japan-China relations and there's no sign of that happening anytime soon. Akirhiro Mikoda, NHK World, Tianjin.

Yul Kwon:
Due to poor sales, Toyota is closing its Tianjin production plant for five days next week. Toyota's sales in China fell by almost 50 percent in September.

(LinkAsia: October 19, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
In Myanmar, the former military regime has ushered in tremendous reforms over the past year. Less media censorship, along with the release of more than 700 political prisoners, have led the US to ease economic sanctions against the country. It seems the pro-democracy movement, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, is succeeding. But some are still skeptical. Here's NHK with more.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: October 16, 2012

Reporter:
This is where Aung San Suu Kyi used to live while under house arrest. Back then, walking along this street was prohibited, but now it's become a bit of a tourist attraction.

Tourist:
A Nobel Prize winner lives here, which is interesting. You can also see that people are extremely positive about changes, and that is a really good thing.

Reporter:
Images of Aung San Suu Kyi used to be banned, but her face is everywhere at this souvenir shop at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy Party. From coffee cups to umbrellas, these items earn the party about 500 US Dollars a day, that's about half the amount most ordinary people in Myanmar make in a year. Visitors from overseas seem happy that Myanmar is opening up. But what about Democracy activists inside the country? I visited Min Ko Naing, he was a key member of the '88 Generation, the group that led the anti-military movement of 1988. He spent more than 15 years prison.

Min Ko Naing:
Whether or not people say these changes are real. We must be active and force them to become real. Actions are more important than words. Aung San Suu Kyi chose to enter parliament and is moving forward, and that encourages me too to do what I can in my own way, because I want everyone in Myanmar to join this movement for Democracy. That's my motivation.