LAST-MINUTE ELECTION CAMPAIGNING

LAST-MINUTE ELECTION CAMPAIGNING

[Anchor Lead]
It was the last weekend before the general election, and both parties intensified their election campaigns. Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung emphasized accountability and the demand for action against misuse of power. Meanwhile, Han Dong-hoon, interim chairman of the People Power Party, called for support to prevent the rise of hypocrisy.

[Pkg]
Targeting the government and ruling party, Democratic Party chair Lee Jae-myung said that the people did not elect a king but a servant.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): If the reps entrusted with tasks betray the master, oppress the master with the given power, cause sufferings, they should be scolded so they will not do so again.

While saying that he too hopes for the success of the Yoon administration, Lee stressed the need to judge the administration through Wednesday's general elections. By quoting a philosopher's saying that those giving up the right of voting will end up being ruled by someone inferior, the main opposition leader even said that if punishment is not enough, they should be stripped of power.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): If they are coddled and forgiven for committing wrong doings, hitting and stealing, they will eventually become murderers.

Targeting Lee, People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon said that the nation will go down and fail if it defends and supports an offender.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee): Do you want the government to be overturned, end up in chaos? To criticize the government, bring a state of anarchy, leave the nation in turmoil? That is what they want.

Regarding controversy over a photo Lee posted on social media, claiming that he ate pork, Han criticized the DP head as a perpetual liar. While denouncing Lee, DP candidates Yang Moon-seok and Kim Jun-hyuk as well as Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Han asked voters if they want to see the arrival of the era of hypocrisy

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee): Is Korea's level as low as Kim Jun-hyuk's? Is it at the level of Lee Jae-myung or Cho Kuk? We deserve someone better than them. Are we going to bring Korea down to their level?

The rival parties staged a dispute with each other over the record-high turnout for early voting and spinned it to their advantage.

RIVAL PARTIES RALLY SUPPORT

[Anchor Lead]
With the general elections just two days away now, both ruling and opposition parties are observing shifts in their electoral prospects. The People Power Party assesses that the negative perception of the incumbent government has bottomed out and is now rebounding, considering the full mobilization of its support base as crucial for election outcomes. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, previously optimistic about securing over 200 seats, has moderated its ambitions. Now aiming for a simple majority, it seeks to rally support.

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Three key candidates from the People Power Party -- Kweon Seong-dong, Yoon Sang-hyun and Na Kyung-won - convened press conferences one after another. They expressed concerns that if the opposition bloc wins majority in parliament, it could paralyze state affairs and even lead to presidential impeachment.

[Soundbite]
Yoon Sang-hyun (People Power Party (April 7)): In the past 4 years, parliament has been dominated by DP's bullet-proofing, rude rhetoric and obstructionism.

The atmosphere this time seems to be different from when the ruling party was calling solely for support in winning the number of seats needed to prevent constitutional amendment.

[Soundbite]
Kweon Seong-dong (People Power Party (April 7)): I expect we will exceed the threshold to prevent constitutional amendment. So I ask for your support to clinch a majority.

Some in the ruling party believe the PPP's approval ratings have rebounded after various issues, such as the controversy over the former ambassador-designate to Australia Lee Jong-sup, were settled. PPP emergency committee chief Han Dong-hoon also urged party supporters to pull together as approval ratings in some of the highly contested regions seem to be reversing. The Democratic Party maintains its prospect of leading in 110 electoral districts and contesting closely in about 50 districts. However, with the elections just around the corner, the party says more electoral districts where it used to lead are becoming closely contested as the ruling party supporters are joining forces. The DP added the controversy surrounding candidates Yang Moon-seok for the Ansan-gap District and Kim Jun-hyuk for the Suwon-jeong District has not affected the party's approval ratings.

[Soundbite]
Han Byung-do (Democratic Party (April 4)0: No significant changes have occurred in the past few days. Our approval ratings are unchanged in Gyeonggi-do Province.

The prospect of the opposition bloc winning more than 200 seats prompted the DP to raise its guard. Now it aims to win majority on its own, both in its electoral districts and proportional representation constituencies.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party(April 7)): The DP must win majority on its own to ensure swift decision-making and effective implementation.

With rival parties running neck-and-neck in some 50 districts, the outcome of the elections will likely hinge on the solidarity of each support base.

EARLY VOTING BALLOTS KEPT SAFELY

[Anchor Lead]
The early voting for this general election, which took place over the course of two days up to the 6th, has recorded the highest voter turnout in the history of general elections. With approximately two days remaining until the start of the vote counting on the evening of the 10th, the ballots from the concluded early voting are now stored in locations with enhanced security measures, including a 24-hour surveillance system, until the day of counting.

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The early voting turnout was 31.28% for the 22nd general election. That means more than three out ten voters cast their votes already. Are the marked ballots being stored safely? Just like in other elections, the marked ballots from early voting are divided into in-district and out-of-district ones. The out-of-district ballots are put into return envelopes before being sent to the districts under jurisdiction in a ballot box. Observers watch over the process, checking one by one if the number of voters and ballots match before they're sealed. In-district ballots are sealed in the ballot box and then moved immediately to the election committee offices in the respective areas. Two thousand police officers nationwide were assigned to escort the transport vehicles. A 24-hour surveillance system was put in place for this election to dispel 'ballot tampering' concern and other mistrust issues associated with early voting. The National Election Commission placed various anti-tampering and anti-forgery measures at the ballot box storage rooms, which were locked so that nobody can turn off the lights or open the door. The storage rooms are filmed and recorded around the clock with surveillance cameras and the control center at the NEC monitor the locations in real time.

[Soundbite]
Im Seong-Jae (Nat'l Election Commission): The storage rooms are disclosed around the clock on large screens at city, prov. election commission offices so that anyone can check the situation.

The ballot boxes will be kept for four days until they are moved to the ballot count locations under the watchful eyes of observers at 6:00 p.m. on April 10th when the voting ends. Since the early voting ballot boxes are kept close to the ballot count locations, counting will begin with the early voting ballots.

2ND SPY SATELLITE ENTERS ORBIT

[Anchor Lead]
South Korea has successfully launched its second military spy satellite. The ministry of national defense said that the satellite abroad a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, at 8:17 a.m. Monday Korean time. The satellite separated from the launch vehicle at 9:2 a.m. and entered the target orbit.

DELAYS IN CANCER SURGERY

[Anchor Lead]
As the healthcare gap prolongs due to the absence of trainee doctors who walked out in protest of the government's decision to increase medical school admission quotas, the agony of cancer patients is intensifying. Despite the severity of cancer, it is not considered an emergency condition, leading to these patients being deprioritized for surgery. The crux of the issue is that a mere month's delay in surgery can significantly increase the mortality rate.

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This woman in her 40s was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year. She waited to receive surgery at one of the nation's top five hospitals. But her March appointment has been postponed to July, and she has been told that surgery might only be possible next year. She eventually decided to seek help in a partner-hospital specializing in cancer treatment where she was operated on 10 days later.

[Soundbite]
Lee ○○ (Breast cancer patient (VOICE MODIFIED)): I was determined to go to a university hospital, but my surgery was delayed by one year. I was scared my cancer could spread.

To cancer patients, the timing of surgery is critical. An analysis conducted by Seoul National University shows when surgery is delayed by more than a month after cancer diagnosis, the long-term mortality rate surges 1.6 times in case of breast cancer, 1.3 times for rectal cancer, and 1.2 times for pancreatic and lung cancers. As surgery is delayed, the likelihood of cancer cell proliferation and metastasis increases, potentially lowering the chances of being cured. So, how long can cancer surgery be safely postponed? Recent overseas studies show that for colon, lung, and gastric cancers, surgery should occur within 5 weeks of diagnosis. For breast cancer, within a maximum of 6 weeks, and for cervical and ovarian cancers, within 7 weeks to ensure safety. In case of pancreatic cancer, surgery should not be delayed by more than three weeks.

[Soundbite]
Kim Sung-won (Chair, Daerim St. Mary's Hospital): The sooner the better, although there is a period recommended by the government. It's one month after cancer diagnosis.

With the prolonged absence of trainee doctors, university hospitals have sharply reduced surgeries. To get timely surgery, seeking treatment at secondary hospitals is an option. To help cancer patients, the government plans to designate 47 hospitals specializing in cancer treatment and surgery, and expand their number to over 70.

"MEETING WITH YOON MEANINGFUL"

[Anchor Lead]
The emergency committee of the Korean Medical Association has assessed that last week's meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and the head of the Korean Intern Resident Association's emergency body was meaningful. It also said that the doctors' organization, medical professors, trainee doctors and medical students will hold a joint press conference to announce stances on a unified proposal as requested by the government.

RETAILERS MARKET VALUE MEALS

[Anchor Lead]
As dining out becomes increasingly expensive, office workers and university students are facing growing concerns. In response, retailers have launched single-serving convenience meals that keep prices stable while boosting quantity, leading to a notable rise in sales. This trend reflects a significant shift towards seeking greater value in meals without increasing costs.

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A convenience store located near a university. Students grab a big-sized triangular gimbap for a meal. It's 32% bigger than other triangular gimbaps of the same price.

[Soundbite]
Choi Seo-wu (College Freshman): I buy them three times a week because they're convenient and cheap.

In contrast to 'shrinkflation,' referring to an item decreasing in size while the price remains the same, the good-value triangular gimbap with no price increase are selling so well that it has led the sales of overall triangular gimbaps.

[Soundbite]
Lim Jae-young (BGF Retail): These are our best-selling and 2nd best-selling products. The sales of our triangular gimbap grew 24.3% on-month.

Another company released for a limited time boxed lunches with nearly 50% more banchan or side dishes at the same price. These affordable boxed lunches are selling three times more than other boxed lunches. As more people look for affordable meals in this age of high prices, the food industry is beginning to join the 'get-more-for-your-buck' trend. One food company increased the serving size of convenient cup snacks from 30 grams to 40.

[Soundbite]
Kim Do-hee (Dir.,, Nongshim Kellogg): During this difficult time of high prices, we released these products believing that consumers who overcome this period could help boost our sales.

As dining out costs more these days, retailers are competing to woo customers who want meals that give them more value for their money.

DAUGHTER'S LETTER GOES VIRAL

[Anchor Lead]
Last month, the heartrending scene in which the daughter of a deceased Cheonan naval vessel hero read a letter to her father during the West Sea Defenders Day ceremony captured widespread attention. Now, as she embarks on her college journey, the video of her reading the letter has been shared on a social media platform, quickly approaching ten million views.

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A woman walks up to the podium on March 22nd, the 9th West Sea Defense Day. She is Kim Hae-bom, the youngest daughter of the late Sergeant Major Kim Tae-seok who died during the sinking of the Cheonan naval vessel in 2010.

[Soundbite]
Kim Hae-bom (Daughter of late Master Sergeant Kim Tae-seok): Dad, it's already spring.

She tearfully reads a letter filled with longing for her father, who left early in the dawn and never returned. She was only five years old at the time of the tragedy. She is now a college freshman.

[Soundbite]
Kim Hae-bom (Daughter of late Master Sergeant Kim Tae-seok): Watch over me as I blossom in this warm spring together with you. Like the spring sun, I will visit you like the harbinger of flowers.

Her moving letter is still going viral. Her video posted on the official social media account of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has already garnered over 9.98 million views. It's rare for a social media posting of government agencies to get nearly 10 million views. The video also had more than 20 million comments, mostly encouraging ones like 'We will never forget,' 'Thank you,' and 'We will always remember the warriors of the West Sea.' The letter of the grown-up daughter who has seen many springs come and go without her father has again reminded Koreans of the sacrifices made by the 55 sailors who died while defending the West Sea.

[Soundbite]
Kim Hae-bom (Daughter of late Master Sergeant Kim Tae-seok): Watch over me. I hope you know you're my strength. I love you, Dad. From your youngest daughter, Kim Hae-bom.