FIRST YOON-LEE MEETING

FIRST YOON-LEE MEETING

[Anchor Lead]
President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the opposition leader for the first time in two years since taking office. President Yoon and Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, had an open-ended discussion that lasted about an hour. While the meeting’s outcomes were not immediately clear, their first encounter is quite significant in opening up communication.

[Pkg]
President Yoon Suk Yeol held a meeting with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung at the presidential office in Yongsan at 2 p.m. Monday. It is the first-ever one-on-one meeting they held since the president took office two years ago. Three aides from each side, including presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk and the DP head’s chief of staff, Chun Joon-ho,were present at the meeting. The meeting over tea was planned to take place for an hour, with no time limit set. The DP chair was predicted to propose doling out 250,000 won or some 182 U.S. dollars each to the entire population to help restore their livelihoods. But the president will likely prefer giving out the financial aid only to a selection of low-income earners, as he has expressed negative views about cash handouts, saying that populism is like narcotics. The rival parties staged a war of nerves until Sunday with only a day left to the meeting. The main opposition party called for a complete shift in the Yoon administration’s state management, insisting that what the public wants was reflected in the results of the latest general elections.

[Soundbite]
Park Sung-joon (Senior Spokesperson, Democratic Party): To dispel various suspicions, President should agree to introduce special counsels. He should refrain from exercising his authority to veto bills…and respect parliament and the people.

However, the ruling People Power Party denounced its demand, saying that elated and blinded by the victory in the elections, the DP is distorting public opinions.

[Soundbite]
Kim Min-soo (Spokesperson, People Power Party): The public will watch whether DP chair has been sincere about the livelihoods of the people, or it was a political show which was driven…by his extreme selfishness, will put the nation in peril.

They plan to each hold a press briefing on the results of the meeting. But the meeting will unlikely produce tangible outcomes, as no specific agenda and formal format have been set.

CIO HEAD-NOMINEE STARTS WORK

[Anchor Lead]
Oh Dong-woon, nominee for Chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, started his tenure yesterday. On his first day, he vowed to establish the CIO as an independent investigative body. Regarding the investigation into suspected external pressures on the ‘Private Chae’s Death’ case, he committed to conducting the probe, adhering to law and principles.

[Pkg]
The first day at work for the chief prosecutor nominee of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. Oh Dong-woon stressed that the CIO should be established as an independent investigative body.

[Soundbite]
Oh Dong-woon (CIO Chief Prosecutor Nominee): I will work hard to establish the CIO and make it effective as an independent investigative organization. Since former chief Kim Jin-wook retired in January and the deputy chief finished his term, the CIO has been run under an acting leadership system. Amid a 100-day leadership vacuum causing investigation delays, and considering early criticisms about the CIO’s investigative effectiveness, Oh announced he will appoint a new deputy chief prosecutor.

[Soundbite]
Oh Dong-woon (CIO Chief Prosecutor Nominee): It will be someone with excellent investigative skills who works well with me.

However, he refrained from talking about the allegation that outside pressure was applied while investigating the death of a marine during a flood last year.

[Soundbite]
Oh Dong-woon (CIO Chief Prosecutor Nominee): I was not briefed on it yet. I plan to investigate the case thoroughly according to the law and principles.

Oh said he didn’t think deeply about what led the politicians to discuss the possibility of naming a special prosecutor for the case. The CIO questioned the defense ministry’s general counsel Yoo Jae-eun, a key suspect in the alleged interference of the probe into the marine’s death. The CIO summoned her again today to find out more about the case.

FM LIKELY TO VISIT CHINA ON MAY

[Anchor Lead]
South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs says South Korea and China are in talks to arrange a visit to China by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul next month. The announcement comes after some news outlets reported that Cho would likely visit Beijing before a trilateral summit among South Korea, China and Japan expected to take place in late May. The ministry said Seoul and Beijing have been in close discussions based on the agreement that high-level exchanges are necessary and important. Therefore, it is highly likely that the foreign minister will visit China before the trilateral summit.

TEMPTING SHOPPERS WITH DESSERTS

[Anchor Lead]
Department stores and convenience stores are now highlighting their offerings as top dessert destinations. Their focus on universally popular items like breads and pastries not only appeals across all ages and genders, but apparently, it also boosts overall sales of the brand. Here’s more.

[Pkg]
A department store in Seoul. A long line has formed at this dessert park where some 40 Korean and foreign dessert brands are housed together.

[Soundbite]
One sesame! It’s four in all!

These people are waiting for freshly baked pastries offered four times a day. It took only about ten minutes to sell 200 pastries. Nearly 50,000 people visit the dessert park every day, boosting sales by more than 170% since the same time last year.

[Soundbite]
Kim Ye-bin (Icheon Resident): I come here every time I visit Seoul. It’s easier to shop and move around.

More than half of the new customers are in their 20s and 30s. The department store believes that this group helped drive up the overall sales of the department store by over 20%.

[Soundbite]
Lee Han-ju (○○○ Department Store): I think they are shopping for other items too. High growth is seen in fashion for young people or sports and outdoor wear which they like.

A department store in central Seoul upgraded its dessert section to cater to its considerable foreign tourist clientele. So-called K-dessert shops selling traditional treats like yakgwa and ddeok were expanded to indulge foreigners, resulting in a steady growth in their sales.

[Soundbite]
Miwa Yamamoto (Japanese Tourist): Korean traditional treats are popular in Japan, so I bought some since I’m in Seoul. I’m excited to taste the Ddeok inside the persimmon.

Convenience stores are joining the sweet trend by marketing baked goods made with leading bakery companies or private brand ice cream. Desserts appear to be the goose that lays the golden eggs for the retailers.

“GOV’T TO PAY ABUSE VICTIMS”

[Anchor Lead]
A court has once again ruled that the state must compensate the victims of the Brothers Welfare Center incident in Busan, a case involving the forced detention of innocent individuals during the military regime era. The panel decreed that a total of approximately 4.6 billion won, that’s around 3.3 million dollars be paid to 15 victims.

[Pkg]
A court has ordered the state to compensate the victims of human rights abuses at a now-defunct detention facility in Busan. The Seoul Central District Court has ruled that the state must pay 4.6 billion won, or around 3.3 million dollars, in damages to 15 victims who filed the suit. That is about 70 percent of the 6.6 billion won, or 4.8 million dollars, that the victims were seeking. Each of the victims will receive between 3 million won, or over 2,100 dollars, and 1.1 billion won, or 798,000 dollars. As was the case with last year’s initial verdict, around 80 million won, or 58,000 dollars, will be paid out annually. The court noted that despite claiming to be a welfare state, the government categorized the socially vulnerable victims suffering from poverty or illness as vagrants and isolated them from society under the guise of crackdowns. The court also said condoning unconstitutional crackdowns and human rights violations for a long time reflects a neglect of duty by public officials and cannot be justified. It emphasized the duty to compensate for the mental harm caused by violating the freedom of the individual and human dignity. Regarding the amount of compensation, the court said it took into account the fact that most of the victims were still minors, younger than 15, when their rights were abused, and they still struggle financially because they were deprived of the right to receive education. The victims of human rights abuses at the detention facility in question have filed 34 lawsuits so far. Since the court’s recognized the state’s liability for the first time last December, the victims have continued to win their initial trials. The case involves the forced detention of individuals during the military regime era. The second Truth and Reconciliation Commission said in 2022 that 657 of the detainees died, and concluded it was a case of human rights violations by the government.

GATEWAY FOR N. KOREAN DEFECTORS

[Anchor Lead]
In South Korea, there are approximately 34,000 North Korean defectors, which means one in every 1,500 residents is a defector. The first stop for these individuals when they arrive in the South is the North Korean Defector Protection Center. This facility is tasked with providing necessary protection and conducting thorough investigations into the defectors’ backgrounds.

[Pkg]
The North Korean Refugee Protection Center, which opened in 2008, is the first place defectors from the North stop by. Here, they are investigated to check the authenticity of their qualifications as defectors and eligibility for protection. Since the center’s opening, some 19,000 North Korean defectors have been investigated here. More than 190 of them were found to have fake credentials, and 11 turned out to be spies.

[Soundbite]
(Investigator at N. Korean Refugee Protection Center (VOICE MODIFIED)): In 2010 three agents from the Reconnaissance General Bureau tasked with assassinating Workers’ Party secretary Hwang Jang-yop entered the South.

The defectors stay at the center for about 60 days on average. There are also human rights protection officers here. Their role is to prevent human rights violations. In 2013, a defector named Yoo Woo-sung was forced to provide false testimony and was accused of espionage.

[Soundbite]
Kang Myung-sun(Pseudonym) (N. Korean defector (VOICE MODIFIED)): In N. Korea, everyone is terrified of the security bureau there. It’s scary at first. But here we can receive a lot of support and encouragement.

The defectors spend most of their time at the center in living quarters equipped with commodities like refrigerator and television. They also receive daily necessities and treatment.

[Soundbite]
Yang Ju-kyung(Pseudonym) (N. Korean defector (VOICE MODIFIED)): My child had anemia when we arrived here. The center had her examined and gave medications every morning.

The defectors get to enjoy various hobbies, prepare for driving tests using a simulator, and learn how to open bank accounts. In other words, they learn how to live in a capitalist society.

[Soundbite]
Kang Myung-sun (Pseudonym) (N. Korean defector (VOICE MODIFIED)): Will you be able to open a bank account on your own?

[Soundbite]
Hong Jung-ho(Pseudonym) (N. Korean defector (VOICE MODIFIED)): I will if I learn how to do it here.

Last year 196 North Korean defectors came to the South. Their annual number dropped to 60 at one point, but it has been on the rise recently. Currently, some 34,000 North Korean defectors reside in South Korea. As the gateway to South Korea for North Korean defectors where they can receive protection before going to a settlement support center named Hanawon, this place has overcome controversy over human rights abuses and emerged as the first guidepost for life in the South.

FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS REBOUND

[Anchor Lead]
Nearly 1.5 million foreign tourists visited South Korea last month, reaching the highest monthly level since the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry of tourism said that 1.49 million foreigners visited South Korea in March and the number of foreign tourist arrivals rebounded to about 97 percent of pre-pandemic levels. By country, over one million Chinese people visited South Korea in the first quarter of this year. The number of Japanese visitors was tallied at 666,000 in the same period.

FARMS FILLED WITH WASTE

[Anchor Lead]
As the full warmth of spring unfolds, rural communities are deeply engaged in their farming preparations, leveling the ground and planting new seedlings. However, a significant problem looms over these areas. Various types of waste from last year’s farming activities have yet to be collected and now lie scattered across the fields, emerging as a major nuisance in these villages.

[Pkg]
Recyclable waste from a rural village, such as discarded plastic sheets and pesticide bottles, are piled up. This garbage mound, four meters tall and weighing 100 tons, was collected in just one week. There is much more waste left on the field. Discarded cement blocks are piled up along the edge of a field for over 100 meters. They were not collected, because they are non-recyclable items like ropes, shading nets, and dead crops. Insulation covers for greenhouses are a headache as well. The covers should be discarded in standard garbage bags, but they are too bulky to fit into even a 50-liter bag, the largest size available in the village.

[Soundbite]
Nam Han-eok (Farmer): The covers are very bulky, so we cannot throw them away.

Farmers sometimes drive two hours to a waste disposal plant and back to throw away the garbage themselves.

[Soundbite]
Hwang Ik-hyun (Farmer): Only a few kinds of garbage are collected. It’s not easy for us to deal with all the waste produced.

Perhaps this is why there are traces of trash burning seen near the fields. It is also concerning that the amount of non-recyclable farming waste increases with the development of farming technology.

[Soundbite]
Jeon Young-kwon (Cheorwon-gun County Office): With a lot more greenhouses, there are subsequently more discarded vinyl sheets and non-recyclable items.

Vinyl waste from rural regions amounts to an average of 310,000 tons a year and pesticide bottles 70 million. These can be tabulated solely because they are collected by the authorities. Rural communities are worried about the growing mountains of waste as they face a busy farming season.