President ial Office Sources as saying that at one time choi was free to come and go to government offices without passing through security. They allege she was given the same clearance as the president. Local media are saying the scandal could weaken the administration and have a negative impact on its diplomatic policies. Foreign Ministry Officials say the issue will have no impact on National Security and diplomatic affairs, including President Parks planned visit to japan later this year for a threeway summit meeting, including china. Choi soonsils personality is not well known. While its says shes a businesswoman involved in real estate management, a lot of her life has been shrouded in mystery. She became close to the south korean president during the leaders early adulthood, as park geunhye explained in her autobiography. Heres the details from seoul. Translator choi soonsil helped me during a difficult time in the past. Reporter that difficult time for President Park began in that theater in central seoul. It was august 15, 1974. There was an assassination attempt against her father. The then south korean President Park chunghee was in the midst of making a speech on stage when the shot rang out. Parks mother was shot dead with a bullet intended for her father. After the assassination, park took on the role of acting first lady. The sudden death of her mother deeply affected her. Translator as i organized my mothers belongings one by one, my heart bled for her passing. It was around this time she became acquainted with religious figure choi taemin. Park met choi for the first time after receiving a letter from him. He wrote that parks mother appeared in his dreams and park decided to take him on as a sort of spiritual advisor. This video shows park participating in a meeting of his religious organization. Choi soonsil is his daughter. Park became like a sister to her, always providing her with support. Park was involved in a Political Initiative known as the new seoul movement. It was started by choi the elder. The movement stressed the nation must advance not just economically but that people must also develop spiritually. Park and soonsil participated actively in this movement. In 1979, parks father was assassinated by his head of intelligence. The assassin later told a court that one of the reasons why he killed his boss was because of choi taemins corrupt activities and his closeness to the president s daughter. Those formally close to parks father suddenly began to leave her side. Translator it was a shock to have even those closest to my father suddenly desert me. Reporter with this incident, park geunhye disappeared the from the political scene. Even after leaving the president ial office, soonsil was always by parks side during her period of obscurity. In 1997, park made an unexpected comeback in politics. In 2012, she made it back to the president ial office and, as always by her side was her longtime friend and confidante choi soonsil. Nhk world, seoul. Chinese president xi jinping has met with taiwans Opposition Leader and stressed the importance of stibing to the onechina principle. President xi held talks on tuesday with the chairperson of the nationalist party. He said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are inseparable. Translator to ensure National Integrity and protect the fundamental interests of the chinese nation is the common will of all chinese people. Hung hsiuchu presented an idea for concluding a peace treaty that would end the strained relations between taiwan and china. We resolutely oppose the Taiwan Independence policy with policies aimed at peace that will benefit the people. We actively play the role of promoting the institutionalization of crossstrait peace. She expressed hope of deepening the nation of one china to eliminate the risk of unrest triggered by a Pro Independence movement in taiwan. Taiwanese president tsai ingwen of the democratic progressive party, refuses to accept the onechina principle. The ties between she and hong appear to be aimed at putting pressure tsai. The president ial Office Released a statement. Tsai ingwen said the leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should show wisdom and flexibility and overcome their differences to achieve a winwin future. Tsai repeated a call for the resumption of dialogue that china suspended. Two of chinas Stealth Fighter jets made their debut at an air show in the countrys south. The j20 jets performed a series of maneuvers as beijing showed its newest military hardware to the public for the first time. Chinese media say the plane has capabilities to avoid detection by radar and may be deployed as early as next year. Theyre expected to be sent to the south china sea. Beijing has claimed sovereignty over much of the area. Other planes featured in the show included the y20 transport aircraft. China says it can carry large amounts of cargo and personnel. Chinas latest Weapons Systems and domestically produced drones were also on display. The u. S. Military says one of its Ballistic Missile submarines has arrived at a port in the western Pacific Island of guam. It says the visit demonstrates the u. S. Commitment to its allies in the indo asiapacific region. The u ss pennsylvania made port on sunday in the u. S. Territory. Such submarines are capable of carrying Nuclear Missiles and constitute part of the u. S. Deterrence triad along with strategic bombers. Its rare for the military to publicize the whereabouts of its submarines. U. S. Military officials said such submarines provide a critical, stabilizing, and highly effective element of the u. S. Nuclear deterrent force. The u. S. Military and japans selfdefense forces have been conducting joint drills in guam and its surrounding waters since sunday. The u. S. Military has frequently sent strategic bombers to the island this year. The submarines visit is also seen as a show of deterrence as north korea conducts nuclear and Ballistic Missile tests and china increases its maritime activities in the region. N. The latest business news, uncertainty about the u. S. Election has been dragging down prices. Ai, the election is only about a week away. How are the latest developments affecting the markets . Well, investors dont like uncertainty, but theyve been getting a lot of that ever since last week, actually, when the fbi decided to look into democratic nominee Hillary Clintons email use again. Thats given the republican president ial candidate donald trump momentum. And latest polls show clintons lead is narrowing. In fact, some polls show trump is leading. So this uncertainty, especially so close to the election itself is a big drag on sentiment, on wall street. Both major indices fell more than half a point each as some see the option of a President Trump and his policies as a red flag for the economy. Ramin, how are markets opening . Pretty negative. Investors very nervous ahead of the u. S. Elections as weve been talking about and pretty much in a riskaverse mode. Lets have a look at the opening levels for the nikkei and the broader topix. You can see the nikkei is down 1 . The broader topix, down 1. 2 . So a nervy start. On tuesday, the nikkei ended slightly higher. It didnt have much of an impact on tokyo stocks, but the Energy Sector was lower on cheaper oil prices, but Earnings Reports from Major Companies are really moving markets now. I want to talk about sony. Executives say net profit for the april to september period fell nearly 80 year on year. The stronger yen hurting overseas earnings. The recent earthquake damaged a plant in southwestern japan as well, affecting sony. We should also mention about sharp, it reported brighter prospects for its future after its Earnings Report on tuesday, following strinkent costcutting measures by hon high precision, otherwise known as foxconn, as it took over sharp. Steel makers are suffering with higher prices of coal and slowing demand. Full year profits are expected to be lower. And speaking of Earnings Reports, the stronger yen would always influence these reports. Tell us where some of the key levels are this morning . Exactly. The dollar yen pair, closely watched by most investors. 104. 06. It meal fr well see how that trades and keep a close eye. Traders are buying the yen as the currency of choice, usually in times of market tension, so it has risen against the dollar. Thats due to uncertainty about the u. S. Elections. This could again weigh on exporters here. Ill keep track of that, obviously. A quick look at indexes that are open right now across the asia pacific. Seouls kospi is trading down lower, 0. 72 and sydneys index, down just over 1 . In japan, Earnings Reports from mazda, olympus and yamaha motors. Well keep an eye on those companies and the related sectors as well. But for now, thats all from me. Back to you. Thanks for keeping us up to date. Japanese Business Leaders are in china, where theyve met the premier and local counterparts. Chinese officials have indicated a desire to improve ties with japan for the sake of their economy. The top Corporate Executives and officials from japan and china kicked off their annual meeting at the great hall of the people in beijing on tuesday. The japanese delegation comprises of 30 people. They include former Prime Minister fukuda and the chairman of the Japan Business federation. Chinese premier li ker chung told the visitors that restoring ties would be beneficial for both sides. He added that frank exchanges can lead to closer economic ties and reduce uncertainties. Well, an Economic Partnership agreement between japan and mongolia came into force in june. One of the products on which import tariffs were lifted is cashmere. Companies in both countries that deal in cashmere are increasing their trade. This Clothing Store is jammed with tourists from chinas, the United States and other parts of the world. Cashmere is the draw. Mongolia is the worlds second largest producer of the luxury fiber. The hottest seller are coats of 100 cashmere coats. Theyre also popular in japan for their quality and affordable price. Makers of cashmere expect the trade deal to boost exports to japan. This major manufacturer is one of them. The company produces about 10,000 cashmere coats a year. However, it lacks the technology for highend processing of delicate cashmere fibers. So it commissions the processing work to a company in japan. Translator using japanese processing, we hope to make products that are competitive in the global market. Reporter they sent their orders to this osaka textile mill. The mill processes about ten kinds of naturally produced wool, including cashmere, using a technique thats almost a century old. That technique is what attracted the mongolian maker. Sharp teeth on rollers catch and lift surface fibers to make it fluffy and soft. Skilled workers monitor the humidity of the work station, to ensure quality control, the pressure has to be repeatedly adjusted in response to those factors. Translator we have to check constantly. Its really difficult. Reporter the president has preserved the labor intensive technique even has other mills have shuttered due to competition from lowerpriced foreignmade products. The companys earnings have grown by 10 thanks to the processing deal with the mongolian maker. And it has already received orders for next year. Translator we hope to deepen ties with our mongolian clients and increase our orders. Well need to do more to meet their quality demands. Reporter with the japanese help, the mongolian manufacturer now aims to produce ten times the volume of coats it did before. Together the two companies are working to stay competitive in the global market. Well, tokyo markets are in the negative this morning. Ill leave you with a check on those numbers. Olympic officials in japan are taking a creative approach to promoting the 2020 tokyo games. Theyve organized a performance called the land of the rising sun that showcases a countrys traditions and culture. As youll see, some of japans top creative talent, and a diverse range of artists, got into the act. Nhk worlds maria naka has the details. Reporter director myomoto is attending the rehearsal a day before the performance. His plays have been performed all over the world, including on broadway. But this is his first time creating a play for an international conference. Creative artists, using cutting edge digital art, are in charge of visual displays, used for the stage scenery. The cast includes a diverse range of people, including popular kabuki actors. Rather than explaining with words, let me invite you to experience it. Reporter then comes the day of the performance. After the big bang, the gods, two figures from ancient japanese folk tales appear on stage. Theyre said to be the creator of japan and its gods. The deity of the moon which stills the night is followed by the deity of the sun who rules the daytime. Abundant nature created by the sun and the moon. The people give thanks for their blessings. The peace, however, is destroyed by a deity who brings natural disasters. He arrives amid serpents and overwhelms the audience with his presence. Translator i hope that everyone would unite to Work Together so i joined to play a part in the show. Reporter volcanos erupt in the background, a hellish scene in which everything burns. Then an egret appears and gives a rice plant to a young girl. The people stand up with a renewed sense of hope. Translator i want to show the spirit of the japanese people, which explains why we are so patient as we move toward the future, despite suffering natural disasters. Reporter the performance also showcases changes in fashion over time, from nobles in ancient times to women in the edo and meiji periods. And on to today. This virtual idol falls down from the heavens. Never forget the dream within you. Reporter the half hour show closes with cheers from the audience. [ cheers and applause ] marie yanaka, nhk world. A great display there. Health officials in japan are urging people to see their doctor if they have a nagging cough. They say the number of patients suffering from a bacterial infection called mycoplasma pneumonia are on the rise. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases says 758 cases were reported in the week of october 23 by 500 institutions across the country. Thats the highest since record taking began in 2009. The infections usually occur during the autumn and winter. It can also cause encephalitis or inflammation of the brain, although such cases are rare. About 80 of patients are children under the age of 14. Japanese space officials are preparing for the launch of a weather observation satellite. And while some people are excited about the satellite, others are excited about whats on the outside of the rocket. The rocket was moved to a launch pad at the space center in southwestern japan on wednesday. And if you look really close, you can see some special art work. The creator of the manga series space brothers has sold about 17 million copies. He rated images to be put on the rocket. And if you look even closer, you can see theyre also mosaics. He invited children to send in pictures and photos that represent their dreams. A total of 30,000 are now heading to space. Translator im so excited to see the rocket, to draw the exhaust trails, just the same as everybody who sent in their drawings or pictures for the artwork. Reporter the rocket and its artwork are expected to lift off on wednesday afternoon. For any satellite launch, of course, weather conditions play a key role. We check in with our meteorologist robert speta for the latest in world weather. Its going to be on the chilly side at least over the next several days. A little bit of a warmup, but i would still maybe have a cup of nice warm tea with you, if you are headed out and about through the rest of the week. Especially in northern japan. Tokyo in the high teens by the Time Thursday comes around. More snowfall for parts of hokkaido. You can see in the satellite picture, northwesterly winds moving through. And upper level low bringing warmer temperatures from the south, but its not that much. So Northern Areas of honshu and hokkaido, this is adding moisture. So it means cool rain for parts of tokyo. But snow for northern honshu and most of hokkaido, the white stuff. These northwesterly winds, at least for wednesday here, is some good news. And the reason for that is that you have this coming in from the northwest and pushing down towards the south, and that means some semi clear skies expected across southern areas of kyushu. This is great news especially for the weather tripleteam here. We have the satellite launch today, that is the backup, or the secondary to the next generation weather satellite. So another tool in the garage that we can use to show you some of the information displayed here for our weather forecast. And the good news, the weather looks pretty decent for it. Sunny skies, high of 22, wind, watch out for that, about 30 kilometers per hour. But its coming from the northwest. Something to watch out for, its going to be airing here about 3 00 p. M. This afternoon, there out of tan ga shima. Back towards the northwest, we have High Pressure dominating much of china, keeping things on the cool side, but also rather stale. High of about 12 there. Some sunny skies in beijing. Seoul with a high of 10. And shanghai up to 17. Want to take your attention over here towards the scandinavian peninsula. We do have basically this area of low