at 18:30 (JST), September 28

Asian View
"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.





https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20230928183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : north released
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230928_N01/

A US soldier who fled to North Korea in July has been released. On Wednesday, US officials said he is under their custody.

Private Travis King was stationed in South Korea and he ran across the border into the North after joining a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area at the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas.

He had previously spent time in prison in South Korea for assault and was supposed to return to the US to face further discipline.

On Wednesday, North Korean authorities said King felt the US Army's treatment of him was "inhuman" and that he grew "disillusioned." They had found him guilty of "illegally intruding."

Officials with the Biden administration said King is in "good spirits and good health."

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller added that North Korea refused to communicate over the matter but stressed that the US made no concessions to secure his release. He thanked diplomats from Sweden and China for their help.

Miller said, "I do not see this as a sign of some breakthrough. I think it's a one-off with them be willing to return this private."

The Defense Department still has to decide what will happen to King.

Key words : nhk requested
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230927_31/

NHK says it will not make new requests to entertainers from scandal-tainted Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates to perform in its programs for the time being.

NHK President Inaba Nobuo announced the policy at a news conference on Wednesday.

The talent agency earlier this month apologized and admitted that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually abused minors over many years.

Inaba said the public broadcaster asked the agency last week to appropriately and promptly compensate the victims and take action to prevent recurrences.

On Johnny & Associates' entertainers, the president said those who already have contracts with NHK will continue appearing in its programs.

But he said the broadcaster will not make new requests for the agency's entertainers to take part in its programs until it is confirmed that the agency has thoroughly implemented compensation to the victims and measures to prevent recurrences of the abuse.

A team of legal and sexual abuse experts enlisted by the agency has pointed out the Japanese media's silence on the issue, saying it played a role in the problem.

Some Japanese commercial broadcasters have also urged compensation and action against recurrences. They requested the agency to consider a name change.

Key words : tension china vietnam
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230927_37/

Tensions between China and Vietnam are rising in the South China Sea. The Vietnamese government has lodged a protest against Beijing. It criticized China for installing vessel identification systems in the waters around the disputed Paracel Islands.

Chinese media outlets have reported that the authorities installed automatic identification stations at two locations. They say the step was taken to ensure that ships can operate safely around the islands.

A Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson released a statement on Monday. She said that China's move infringes on Vietnam's sovereignty. The official called on Beijing to fully respect the sovereignty of her country. She also urged China not to repeat the violation.

Beijing claims that it has jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea. That includes the Paracel isles.

Territorial disputes between China and other Southeast Asian nations are also causing concerns.

The Philippine Coast Guard announced that it conducted a "special operation" on Monday. It said it removed a floating barrier that China had installed near the Scarborough Shoal.

The shoal is located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. But it has been effectively controlled by China since 2012.

Key words : russia suspension seafood
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230927_34/

Russia's health authorities say they are considering the suspension of seafood imports from Japan following the release of treated and diluted water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The authorities issued a statement on Tuesday. It says they are considering joining Chinese restrictions on the supply of seafood from Japan, taking into account the possible risks of radiation contamination.

China started the suspension after the release began on August 24.

The Russian authorities also revealed that they have discussed with Chinese officials the safety of seafood exported by Japan.

The officials said they sent a letter to Tokyo to call for negotiations on the matter and asked the Japanese side to provide information by October 16 on the method of checking tritium and other radioactive materials.

The Russian authorities said the final decision will be made after negotiations with Japan.

The officials have announced they would tighten quarantine and distribution controls on Japanese marine and processed products.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered a triple meltdown in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Water used to cool molten fuel at the plant has been mixing with rain and groundwater.

The accumulated water is treated to remove most radioactive substances, but still contains tritium. Before releasing the treated water into the sea, the plant's operator dilutes it to reduce tritium levels to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water.

Key words : tourism agency limited impact
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230928_08/

The head of the Japan Tourism Agency says the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has so far had only limited impact on the number of Chinese holidaymakers coming to Japan.

There were concerns that the water discharge, which began late August, would deter Chinese tourists from visiting their near neighbor.

Beijing has been staunchly opposed to the release.

Japan's tourism chief Takahashi Ichiro spoke to reporters ahead of the Friday start of China's National Day holiday period.

Takahashi said a survey of travel agencies in China found that some have seen a certain number of cancellations but others have more reservations than in the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.

He said: "We are aware the situation is different for each travel agency in terms of whether or not they are affected, and to what extent. We are seeing that the impact may be limited at the moment."

Takahashi added that his agency will monitor the situation and continue to work on attracting visitors from China.

Key words : cybersecurity warning
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230928_03/

Police in Japan and the government's cybersecurity center have warned that China-linked hackers are launching attacks on governments and firms.

The National Police Agency and the Japan National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity, or NISC, on Wednesday released an advisory concerning the BlackTech hacking group with the US National Security Agency and other US entities.

The group has been active since 2010. It is believed to be attacking governments in East Asia, including Japan's, as well as the US administration, to steal sensitive data. The telecommunication sector has also been subject to attack.

The NPA says suspicions that BlackTech has carried out attacks against Japanese organizations have surfaced.

The warning notes that the hackers have exploited routers when targeting companies by gaining access to the internal networks of their overseas subsidiaries to infiltrate the headquarters' networks, their primary targets.

The advisory recommends upgrading devices and monitoring for changes to firmware.

Key words : researcher india unmanned
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230927_38/

Researchers in India have been unable to communicate with the country's unmanned lunar probe, since it entered a dormant state earlier this month. Chandrayaan-3 became the first probe in history to successfully land near the lunar south pole in August.

A rover attached to the lander went exploring after the probe touched down. It spent two weeks examining soil and rock components on the surface.

The solar-powered vehicle was put into 'sleep mode' when night fell on the moon. The duration of both a lunar day and night is two weeks.

The Indian Space Research Organisation expected the probe to wake up when the sun came out last Friday. But it says it still cannot make contact with Chandrayaan-3.

The temperature near the moon's south pole can drop to minus 150 degrees Celsius or lower after sunset. Observers say the probe may not have been able to withstand the extremely harsh environment.

ISRO believes it may be extremely difficult for the vehicle to resume operations. But the organization has praised the probe's achievements. It says Chandrayaan-3 will remain on the moon forever as India's "lunar ambassador," if it does not wake up.