The World On arirang

Forget the grannies in the past who just sacrificed for their children and grandchildren! Now, stylish grannies who invest in themselves for their happiness are on the rise. More grannies are receiving beauty treatments in the aesthetic salons exclusive for those in their 50s and 60s, while colorful clothes that stand out are popular in outdoor clothing stores. In the baby nursing market, grannies who generously spend for their grandchildren are rising as a big player. Even online shopping malls for seniors have appeared. Urban grannies who still feel young in their hearts are seeking their own fabulous lifestyles. What's behind their emergence as the driving force of consumption?

Thanks to its abundance of nutrients, milk has been popular and called as the perfect food. But now, there are excess milk inventories everywhere in the world. In Korea, dairy farms are culling milk cows to curb excess milk production, while in the U.K., an increasing number of dairy farms are closing their businesses. China is discarding dozens of tons of milk a day. Just three years ago in early 2011, Korea had been worrying about a shortage of milk supplies. But now, the situation has reversed. Why is this happening? And are there any remedies that can resolve the worldwide slump in dairy farming?

Korean researchers have developed technology to dramatically raise production efficiency of graphene which is under the spotlight as being the dream material. Until now, there have been various limitations to mass produce graphene. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a way to transfer graphene as if stamping it, moving one step closer to its commercialization by actually using it in OLED display devices. We will find out about the mass production technology of graphene that is set to further vitalize the wearable smart device market going forward.

The Korean government has recently said it will quicken its steps to introduce specialized internet banks to offer banking services that transcend time and space. Accordingly, Korean banks are introducing various ICT-based financial services. We will meet diverse range of ICT-based banking services including wearable banking that uses smart watches to enable customers to check their bank accounts and transfer money, and electronic wallet services amid the fierce competition in the IT and financial sectors to take the lead in the financial technology, or fintech.

North Korea has recently been conducting a large-scale military exercise to practice combatting U.S. forces including an aircraft carrier. In particular, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that the communist regime is ready to wage a nuclear war against the U.S. and is able to attack its mainland. Some say such a threat is its resistance against U.S. President Barack Obama's comments that he believes North Korea will ultimately collapse. We will listen to experts' views on what's behind North Korea's provocations against the U.S. and how strong its military force, which it often shows off, actually is.