PPP LEADER’S LAST DITCH EFFORT

PPP LEADER'S LAST DITCH EFFORT

[Anchor Lead]
The general election is now just a day away. Han Dong-hoon, People Power Party's interim leader, made his final push in the battleground regions of the capital area yesterday. During his campaign tour, he voluntarily sought out an interview with KBS, where Chairman Han declared this general election to be a pivotal one that will decide the fate of the nation.

[Pkg]
The ruling People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon campaigned diligently on Monday, canvasing eleven battleground areas in the capital region. Wherever he went, Han asked voters to pass judgment on the main opposition Democratic Party's arrogance, mentioning candidates Yang Moon-suk and Kim Jun-hyeok, each running for Ansan-gap and Suwon-jung constituencies in Gyeonggido Province.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee): The DP is so arrogant to say whether they’ll find a hall enough to fit over 200 lawmakers. If voters don't step up, such an event can happen...in which case they will crush this country.

He said that if the opposition camp wins more than 200 seats, DP chair Lee Jae-myung and Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk will grant self-pardons for themselves.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee): With constitutional amendment, parliament will allow pardon powers so Lee or Cho can exonerate themselves from wrong doings.

This is what Lee earlier said after campaigning in Gyeyang-gu district in Incheon.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): I pretended to work hard. Oh my back...

Han picked up on it and continued to aim Lee while visiting a restaurant in Gyeyang from where the opposition chief took a photo eating pork belly or Samgyeopsal and posted on social media.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee): I really want to work for the people. We will not pretend to work or pretend to eat pork belly while actually enjoying beef. We won't impersonate prosecutors or feign urgency to get a helicopter ride.

Also in an interview with KBS which Han asked for as he moved from one campaign site to another, he characterized the nature of this election as follows.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee): People don't see the election as just another one that arrives in several years. I agree with such view. Voters feel a sense of crisis for the desperate, precarious state of the country.

Regarding Cho Kuk, Han likened him to Adolf Hitler.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Chair, PPP Emergency Committee:): (In Germany then,) extremists joined public resistance against mainstream forces to create huge synergy. I find similarities. All that Cho is saying is taking revenge on the system of South Korea.

On the last day of campaigning Tuesday, the PPP interim chief will exert last ditch efforts in the heart of Seoul at Cheonggye Plaza.

DP CHAIR URGES PUBLIC TO VOTE

[Anchor Lead]
Meanwhile Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, launched an all-out campaign effort in Seoul and Incheon. He emphasized to the voters that the ballot they will receive on election day is akin to a "yellow card," suggesting that the time may come when a "red card" will be necessary to hold the current administration accountable.

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Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung started by greeting the public during the morning commute in his electoral district. He then visited the Dongjak-eul District, where DP candidate Ryu Sam-young is running against his PPP rival Na Kyung-won. It's Lee's sixth visit to the district. It is presumed to reflect his belief that the district serves as a barometer of the election outcome in the entire city of Seoul.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): We must hold the gov't responsible for its mismanagement in the past 2 years.

Lee once again called on voters to cast their ballots to judge the Yoon administration. He said the public has the power to prevent the country from moving backward instead of growing, and that the incumbent administration must be held accountable.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): The ballots on the 10th is your yellow card. If they continue foul play, a red card might eventually be necessary.

Lee urged voters to encourage everyone around them to vote so that the DP can win majority.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): I ask you to consider if the Yoon administration is fit to revive the economy and if it's right for the PPP to win majority.

Lee also warned against the PPP's attempts to sway the public through pitty, as dozens of electoral districts remain highly contested and the election outcome there will be determined by a very slim margin of just one or two percent.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): I'm not saying this simply to win more seats. We're in a real crisis and losing legislative power means the country faces severe trouble.

On Tuesday evening, the DP chairman is to stump Yongsan, where the presidential office is located.

SPURRING VOTER SENTIMENT

[Anchor Lead]
Following the conclusion of early voting for the General Elections, which saw a record-high early voting rate, efforts are underway to sustain this voting momentum through tomorrow's main voting day. Across the country, initiatives are being rolled out, such as special allowances for voting employees and discount coupons for voters, to encourage electoral participation

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A hospital in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province. Employees receive 10,000 won in special compensation after presenting proof of early voting. The same amount of special benefit will be paid to those casting their ballots on election day.

[Soundbite]
Choi Ha-neul (Nurse): Regardless of the amount of the money, the benefit encourages us to vote more actively.

This hospital introduced the special compensation beginning with the 2018 local elections to encourage staffers to vote.

[Soundbite]
Ki Young-jin (Hospital president): Life gets in the way so people tend to have less headspace for politics. It is to support and encourage employees to cast their precious votes.

This buffet restaurant at a hotel offers a 15 percent discount to customers who cast their ballots for the general elections. At a nearby aquarium, visitors who have voted receive a discount of 20 percent on admission fees on election day. One theater gives out tickets or discount coupons to those who cast their ballots.

[Soundbite]
Lee In-bok (Theater director): I wanted to create a festive atmosphere. In order to encourage voter turnout, I hold this event every election.

Some resorts also offer discounts on their rooms or amenities. These special events are held to encourage voting and attract customers at the same time.

GOV'T OPEN TO MED QUOTA CHANGE

[Anchor Lead]
Now we turn to the ongoing dispute between the government and the medical sector regarding medical school admission quotas. The government has expressed its willingness to reconsider the number of increased admissions if the medical community presents a unified stance. However, it has drawn a firm line against the proposal to delay the increase for a year. Amidst plans for a joint press conference to show a united front, signs of internal division are emerging within the medical community.

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It has been almost eight weeks since trainee doctors submitted resignations en masse. The number of regional emergency medical centers where treatment of serious illnesses including ob-gyn and eye diseases is limited has now grown to 16. Amid the prolonged healthcare crisis, the government again stressed it is willing to discuss the matter with the medical sector. It also hinted at the possibility of modifying the medical school quota increase before colleges finalize their admissions guidelines for this year.

[Soundbite]
Park Min-soo (Second vice minister of Health and Welfare): We can discuss this with an open attitude. Changes are possible until the admissions guidelines are set.

However, the government said it would be difficult to accept the KMA's request to halt increases for sincere dialogue. The government also said at first it would deliberate the proposal to postpone the quota increase by one year, but as controversy started brewing, it convened an emergency briefing and made it clear it had no intention to deliberate the matter. The medical sector announced earlier it would hold a joint press conference on Thursday, the day after the general elections, but the opinion-gathering process appears to be challenging. The head of the Korean Intern Resident Association's emergency committee, Park Dan, said he is discussing the matter with the KMA and the Medical Professors Association of Korea, but no agreement has been reached on a joint press conference yet. He also denied he would have another meeting with the president. The newly elected KMA president, Lim Hyun-taek, who is known for his hard-line stance, sent a letter to the KMA saying he will personally head the emergency committee and asked for cooperation. Colleges must announce their admission guidelines for the 2025 academic year by the end of May at the latest. They will state the medical school enrollment quota as well. This means the government and the medical sector have only one month left to adjust the quota increase.

MEDICAL SCHOOLS RESUME CLASS

[Anchor Lead]
Medical schools, which had postponed classes due to widespread leave of absences, are beginning to open their lecture halls once again. This move is aimed at averting a mass flunking crisis due to insufficient classroom days. There is a growing interest in how many medical students will return to school.

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The medical school at Jeonbuk National University has not been able to conduct class since students collectively submitted leave-of-absence applications. Classes began Monday, about 40 days later than the originally scheduled first day. Both in-person and online classes were given simultaneously. But, not many students took part.

[Soundbite]
Lee Dong-heon (Dean of academic affairs, Jeonbuk Nat'l Univ.): No students attended in-person classes in the morning. We resumed classes because students will flunk out if they continue to not attend class.

As of Monday, 14 medical schools across the nation, including those at Jeonbuk National University and Kyungpook National University, resumed classes. 17 other medical schools, including the Catholic University of Korea, Chonnam National University and Pusan National University, will start on April 15. Despite medical students' action to take leave of absence collectively, medical schools are resuming classes in order to avoid flunking students en masse. At most medical schools, students are given an F and eventually flunked when they miss a third or a quarter of classes. According to an enforcement ordinance on higher education, schools have to hold classes for 30 weeks a year. This means one semester consists of 15 weeks. Therefore, medical schools have no choice but to start classes within this month to meet the required number of days. This is why some medical schools have decided to acknowledge students downloading class materials online as attendance. The government says there is no problem with the measure.

[Soundbite]
Park Min-soo (Second vice minister of Health and Welfare): We will work to hold dialogue to the last to avoid mass flunking of students.

The presidential office asked medical students to return to school as future doctors who will take care of the life and health of the people.

NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]
Foreign investors' net purchase of domestic stocks hit an all time high in the first quarter. According to a tally by the Financial Supervisory Service, foreigners net purchased 15.8 trillion won or some 11.6 billion dollars worth of locally listed shares in the January to March period, a record high figure since related statistics began to be compiled in 1998. Foreign investors continued net buying for the 5th consecutive month through March. By country, U.S. and UK investors were the largest buyers with net purchases exceeding two trillion won or 1.4 billion dollars respectively.
The Korea Communications Commission has warned of a rising number of investment fraud and resulting damages and victims that involve perpetrators disguising as financial experts or famous celebrities. The commission urged citizens, when they come by exaggerated advertisements promising high return or featuring celebrity investments, to check with the Financial Supervisory Service to see whether the company is a formally reported entity. They are also advised to verify whether suspicious shopping malls or consumer centers are legitimate sellers reported with the Fair Trade Commission.

INDOOR GARDENING BOOM

[Anchor Lead]
The trend of having pets has now extended to plants, with more people bringing green companions into their homes. This rise in nurturing plants for companionship has coined new terms like 'plant butler' and 'flower butler,' highlighting a growing community that finds joy and companionship in caring for plants.

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Kim Soo-mi fills in a treatment agreement at a hospital. She is not the patient to receive medical attention. It is her coffee tree. Leaves bitten by a cat are trimmed and a prop is set up to support an overgrown basil tree. Plants are always there to greet their owners. Kim now calls herself a butler for plants.

[Soundbite]
Kim Soo-mi (Seoul resident): Coming home to plants growing in their usual spot can be healing and provides a sense of comfort on tough days.

Kim Min-hee who works from home is also a so-called "plant butler." She purchased a soil-less plant cultivator and subscribed to a service that delivers flower seedlings every two months.

[Soundbite]
Kim Min-hee (Seoul resident): Being a working couple, we can't have pets, but companion plants seem ideal for our limited time.

Seedlings are delivered after being cultivated at smart farms for a month so most of them develop fully to produce flowers. As an increasing number of people adopt companion plants, the volume of the indoor farming market, including smart plant cultivators, is growing. It is predicted to near one trillion won, or about 740 million U.S. dollars, by next year, which is a surge from 120 billion won, or over 88 million U.S. dollars, in 2021.

[Soundbite]
Lee Soo-jin (Smart plant cultivator firm): Focused on emotional and psychological stability. It also greatly contributes to interior design.

More young people began growing plants at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is another factor that promotes the culture of adopting companion plants.