at 18:30 (JST), April 25

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/20220425183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : 11 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220425_18/

The Coast Guard and the Self-Defense Forces have expanded the search area for people who went missing in a boat accident off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.

The 19-ton tour boat, Kazu One, with 26 people on board, went missing on Saturday after making a distress call.

Seven men and three women have been pronounced dead. Coast Guard officials say one child pulled from the waters late Sunday night has also been confirmed dead at a hospital.

The Coast Guard is working to identify the 11 people.

A team of investigators from Japan's transport ministry has begun looking into what caused the accident.

Three marine accident investigators of the Transport Safety Board visited an on-site response center at the Utoro branch of Shari Town on Monday morning.

They told reporters they will gather information from ministry officials at the center before talking to members of a local fisheries association later in the day.

They said they had also talked with officials at a regional Coast Guard station earlier on Sunday.

The team's leader said what they can do now is limited as the rescue operations are underway, but they will do their utmost to collect the necessary information.

Key words : including two about to sink
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220425_07/

A child passenger aboard a sightseeing boat that went missing off the coast of Hokkaido on Saturday has been found unconscious.

The child was rescued by a Japan Coast Guard patrol ship around 11 p.m. on Sunday, and transported to a hospital.

The Kazu One was cruising off the Shiretoko Peninsula, northeastern Hokkaido, on Saturday. It was carrying 26 passengers and crew members, including two children.
So far, it's been confirmed that seven men and three women have died.

Coast Guard officials say the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula has cliffs and steep slopes, where the water depth reaches more than 100 meters, even along the coastline.
The officials have yet to locate the boat, whose crew reported it was taking in water and about to sink, before losing contact.

They suspect the vessel capsized before sinking into waters.

The Coast Guard continues its search operations for the remaining passengers and crew.

Key words : south prosecutor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220423_02/

The most senior prosecutors in South Korea have tendered their resignations following a political deal that could dramatically reduce their investigative powers.

South Korean media outlets say Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo spearheaded the extraordinary step on Friday. The other high-ranking officials include the chiefs of the nation's six high prosecutors' offices.

The ruling Democratic Party has been pushing to reform the country's state prosecution service. Last week, lawmakers submitted draft legislation that would transfer most investigative powers to the police.

The main opposition People Power Party initially opposed the idea, but the two parties reached a deal on Friday.
They now plan to approve the legislation next week.

Prosecutors in South Korea have used their powers to arrest and indict former presidents including Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak.

Some legal experts in the country say the reforms are aimed at keeping corrupt politicians in power.

Key words : north marks
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220425_02/

North Korea marks the 90th anniversary on Monday of the foundation of its military. Speculation is growing that the country will stage a major military parade in the capital Pyongyang for the occasion.

The late Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un, founded the Korean People's Revolutionary Army on April 25, 1932. It was the predecessor of the current Korean People's Army.

Ahead of the anniversary on Sunday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency stressed that only victory lies ahead for the country's military, which ushers in a new era under the unbeaten leadership.

Last week, a US research group released satellite images taken near Pyongyang. The images show thousands of troops and many vehicles moving in formation at an airport outside the capital. Military jets and helicopters could also be seen lined up at an international airport in the capital. The US group said its analysis points to the possibility that the North is preparing to stage a parade on the anniversary of the military's founding to showcase its latest weapons.

The last time North Korea held a parade involving its regular army was in January 2021.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that the parade may feature weapons such as an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, and a new short-range ballistic missile that can carry small nuclear warheads.

North Korea has repeatedly denounced the US-South Korea joint military drills that continue until next Thursday. International society is keeping a close eye on the North.

Key words : myanmar ceasefire
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220423_01/

The head of Myanmar's military has renewed his call for a ceasefire and peace talks with the leaders of armed ethnic minorities across the country.

The move is seen as an attempt to stop them from supporting the pro-democracy movement.

On Friday, state-run television repeatedly aired an address by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in which he invites the groups for dialogue and offers to meet them personally.

The junta chief asks them to register representatives by May 9. He also says the military will talk honestly and openly.

Myanmar has about 20 ethnic minority groups seeking broad autonomy.
They have mostly distanced themselves from clashes between the military and pro-democracy forces since last year's coup.

But some, mainly in the north and east, are joining hands with pro-democracy forces after being asked to provide combat training.

Key words : foreign minister aircraft
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220424_01/

Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa has inspected the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean.

Hayashi and US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel arrived on the carrier on Saturday. A strike group led by the vessel held joint drills with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force in waters near the country earlier this month.

Hayashi and Emanuel observed a take-off and landing exercise involving F-35 fighter jets. They also talked with the vice admiral commanding the US Navy's 7th Fleet and crewmembers.

Hayashi later told reporters that the exchange was very meaningful.

The minister said he told the US side that the carrier strike group's activities embody Washington's commitment to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific amid the increasingly severe security environment in the region.

Hayashi said the Japan-US alliance has been serving as the cornerstone of peace and stability in the region and in the international community.

Hayashi said Japan will continue to closely work with the US to further enhance their alliance's deterrence and response capability. He added Japan will also comprehensively strengthen its defense capability.

Key words : fishing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220423_05/

Japanese fishers are gearing up for the annual salmon season in the northern Pacific Ocean. They'll be setting off later than usual, due to delays in fishery talks amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Japan's Fisheries Agency said on Saturday that online negotiations with Russia had effectively concluded and the two sides plan to sign an agreement early next week.

Drift-net fishing for salmon and trout traditionally begins on April 10 in Japan's exclusive economic zone off its northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.

Ahead of the season each year, Japanese and Russian government officials meet to discuss operational details. The latest talks were delayed until April 11.

Japan has agreed to pay an annual cooperation fee to Russia of 1.6 million to 2.3 million dollars, depending on the catch. This is because most of the salmon and trout caught in the ocean originate in Russian rivers.

The minimum fee this year has been lowered by about 500,000 dollars amid declining catches in recent years.

The quota for this year will be set at 2,050 tons, the same as last year.

This year's talks are being seen as unusual, as countries including Japan have been imposing sanctions on Russia.

Key words : ukrainian arriving
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220425_15/

Ukrainians arriving in Japan after fleeing the Russian invasion can expect some help on the communications front. Japanese providers of automatic-translation services are starting to support the East European language.

Precision-equipment maker Konica Minolta is providing municipalities with an app that runs on tablets.

Ukrainian was added this month to its list of over 30 supported languages.

The app handles not just conversations, but specialized terms used in government procedures.

Ogasawara Takahiro of Konica Minolta says, "Evacuees from Ukraine come here unprepared, so we know how stressful it must be to deal with a totally different language. We'd be happy to help them."

Pocketalk has a dedicated handheld translation device. The company has donated 1,000 of them to the Ukrainian Embassy in Japan.

It is also making its Ukrainian support available through an app, from Monday.

Pocketalk officials say Ukrainian people can use their smartphones to have their voices translated into Japanese and several other languages.

More than 680 Ukrainian evacuees had arrived in Japan as of Saturday.