Bribery Probe

[Anchor Lead]
As the Grand National Party bribery scandal widens, an arrest warrant has been sought for a former secretary to National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae. The ruling party whistleblower says a bribe delivered from Park's camp in 2008 was returned to the secretary.

[Pkg]
Prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for a former aide to parliamentary speaker Park Hee-tae. Ruling party lawmaker and bribery scandal whistleblower Ko Sung-doug says a bribe offered to him by Park's camp was returned to this aide after two to three days. The aide was a secretary to Park when the latter ran for ruling party chairman in 2008. The aide now serves another ruling party lawmaker. This person of interest has cut off all external contact since the scandal erupted. He's told media that he simply doesn't remember.

[Soundbite] (Fmr. Secretary of Park Hee-tae (Voice Modified)) : "(You didn’t recall receiving anything?) I'm trying to think. I was so busy back then."

Prosecutors will look into the aide's receipt of the cash-filled envelope and how he handled it afterward. Investigators will also try to confirm if the aide is the same person as a man wearing horn-rimmed glasses who allegedly first gave the envelope. Prosecutors say they can narrow down the identity of the aide by showing his photo to staff at lawmaker Ko's office.

2. Further Fallout

[Anchor Lead]
And things are only getting worse for the GNP, as further allegations have emerged that lawmakers have used bribes during the presidential primaries as well. The embattled party is considering entrusting the National Election Commission with the entire in-party election process to prevent corruption.

[Pkg]
"The 2007 presidential primaries were not an exception, either." That is the statement tweeted by former Grand National Party lawmaker Won Hee-ryong, telling people that during the 2007 presidential primaries, the competition between then-candidates Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye was cutthroat and probably involved some money.

[Soundbite] Rep. Won Hee-ryong (Grand National Party) : "It's easy to fall into the temptation to win over the representatives. This structure exists in presidential primaries as well."

Former Grand National Party chairman Hong Joon-pyo also says that the last presidential primaries were manipulated. The Grand National Party is scrambling to come up with ways to eradicate corruption in the wake of a bribery scandal involving its lawmakers. The party says it'll ask the National Election Commission to oversee its party conventions, including the voting and ballot counting stages. To that end, the National Assembly Political Reform Committee must enact a party law so that only the voting and ballot counting can be entrusted to the NEC. The Grand National Party brought up the matter to address the issue at the Wednesday meeting of the Political Reform Committee.

3. Building Collapse

[Anchor Lead]
A building in the process of being demolished has collapsed in southern Seoul, killing one worker and seriously injuring another. Accidents during building demolitions are common in Korea because safety regulations are often ignored.

[Pkg]
The ceiling of this seven-story building undergoing demolition has a large hole. All of the other floors have also been pierced. When the accident occurred, the debris poured outside and created a pillar of dust. The floor on one side collapsed under the weight of the piled-up debris. The debris pierced all of the seven floors. Two workers were buried under the debris in seconds. One of them was rescued an hour later but remains unconscious. The other was found dead six hours later. The building was undergoing demolition, a process that began from the top floor. Similar accidents occurred last year in the Seoul neighborhoods of Cheonho-dong and Chang-dong. Such mishaps are quite common as anyone can demolish a building after simplying notifying authorities. There's also no legal obligation to abide by safety rules when demolishing buildings.

[Soundbite] Lee Sang-won (Korean Structural Engineers Association) : "Accidents can be prevented if demolitions are conducted according to regulations and overseen by experts."

Calls for the introduction of demolition permits are gaining strength as a result of the latest incident.

4. Enzyme Found

[Anchor Lead]
Korea’s cold winters are extremely dry, and under such conditions, many people suffer from respiratory illnesses. With a view to helping such people, domestic scientists have discovered an enzyme that causes the inflammation that comes with such respiratory issues.

[Pkg]
This woman in her 20s has suffered from chronic rhinitis since her school days. When the air is even slightly bad, her nose gets stuffy.

A Korean research team has found the enzyme that causes such respiratory problems. It's dual oxidase 2, or DUOX2, which is found in the cell membrane. When bacteria penetrates the nose membrane, this enzyme responds and reactive oxygen species are produced. The reactive oxygen species stimulate the cell’s defense mechanism to trigger an excessive inflammatory response. It has been confirmed that inflammation did not occur in mice that do not have the DUOX2 enzyme.

[Soundbite] Prof. Joo Jung-hee (Yonsei University) : "Our study shows that reactive oxygen species are a main element that controls inflammatory response."

Additionally, the research team discovered that the same enzyme also plays a big part in allergic rhinitis and asthma that are triggered by house mites.

[Soundbite] Prof. Yoon Joo-heon (Yonsei University) : "If we develop a substance to restrain reactive oxygen species, many patients suffering from such diseases can benefit."

The study results were published in the international journal Antioxidant & Redox Signaling.

5. Joint Development

[Anchor Lead]
Small and mid-size companies are at a huge disadvantage in raising competitiveness because of insufficient capital and personnel. So, smaller companies have been joining forces to develop new technologies, and such efforts have bore fruit.

[Pkg]
This furniture testing center is operated by a kitchen furniture cooperative. This is the first test center that the cooperative has opened to receive international certification.

[Soundbite] Kim Hui-gap (Small-sized Furniture Company) : "The cost is 30-40% lower than other agencies. And we also receive advice on technical support or improving quality control."

Small-scale Korean furniture makers are reeling from a flood of cheaper competitors and imports of famous foreign brands. The manufacturers seek to survive by improving product quality with help from the certification center.

[Soundbite] Jang Yeong-mok (Korea Kitchen Equipment Industry Cooperative) : "Cheap furniture floods in from China and Southeast Asia. By we differentiate ourselves from the untested products through this certificate system."

Small publishers have also organized a cooperative and introduced a order-based publishing method. They've digitalized publications and produced volume solely on an as-needed basis. Individual companies are struggling to raise competitiveness but cooperation has greatly helped smaller players.

6. Bully Crackdown

[Anchor Lead]
Bullying is a hot topic these days, and now police have nabbed a group of bullies who extorted money from some 700 middle and high school students in the Gangnam area in southern Seoul. Here’s more.

[Pkg]
At this secluded park in Gangnam, southern Seoul, a young man, known by his surname Kim, is a high school drop out. He had frequently beaten up people who are younger than him and didn't listen to his orders. The police have rounded up six teenagers, including the 18-year-old Kim, on charges of violence and extortion. A 21-year-old man named Lee, who directed those orders of violence and extortion, is also arrested.

[Soundbite] (Suspect (Voice Modified)) : "I was told to get him money for his birthday. I was desperate because I would get beaten up if I didn't."

Their behavior is similar to that of organized gangs. Lee, a former judo instructor, used violence against Kim and extorted money from him. Then Kim did the same to his other students. This created a vicious pyramid scheme. There are over 700 victimized students from some 20 middle and high schools in the Gangnam area. Although 43,000 dollars in damages and losses have been reported, the police estimate the actual figure is well over 90,000 dollars as many victims have not come forth with their attacks.

[Soundbite] Sen. Ins. Kim Bu-seok (Seoul Seocho Police Station) : "They demanded orders, re-subcontracted and exploited juniors to extort money."

The police believe there are many more similar cases and are expanding their investigation.

7. Self Defense

[Anchor Lead]
The rise in school violence has prompted more children to take martial arts for self-defense. But this in turn has fueled fears of a vicious cycle in which kids grow increasingly aggressive.

[Pkg]
Children's voices resonate loudly at this taekwondo training center. About 90 percent of them are elementary and middle school students. The center has seen the number of students surge 30 percent this winter vacation year-on-year. The increase apparently stems from growing fears over school violence.

[Soundbite] Kim Cheong-il (Taekwondo Instructor) : "Parents want us to teach self-defense skills these days and we teach some easy-to-follow self-defense techniques."

Parents say the only way to prevent school bullying is to teach their children self-defense. But critics say martial arts could make children more violent.

[Soundbite] Hwang Jeong-hyang (Dir., Daegu Youth Counseling Center) : "They’re underage and young. So they can’t handle the situations as adults and may end up becoming perpetrators."

Experts say teaching children consideration and respect for others is essential to prevent negative effects.

8. Snow Trains

[Anchor Lead]
A special Taebaek Mountain train tour is gaining popularity these days. On the tour, you can take in the winter view of the Baekdu mountain range and see other highlights of the highlands.

[Pkg]
Tourists gather to form a crowd on a usually quiet station platform. They have traveled over six hours by train from Busan and the North Gyeongsang Province region to observe the snow-covered Baekdu mountain range here. They create unforgettable winter memories on the peak of Mount Baekun, which is some 1,200 meters above sea level. The way station located at the highest altitude in Korea is also crowded with people. As crowds flock to enjoy the winter wonderland, it's difficult to find seats on the weekends and holidays on the approximately 30 so-called "snow trains" that are running this month. Another event that is scheduled to open is the Mount Taebaek Snow Festival, which will attract more tourists to this region.

[Soundbite] Kwon Gi-cheol (Taebaek Stationmaster) : "Over 70,000 tourists visit this area including Taebaek and Chujeon stations during the snow festival period."

Taebaek is a popular destination to see and enjoy the snow-capped mountains and its breath-taking winter scenery.

9. Shopping Tips

[Anchor Lead]
The fancy furniture and home accessories used in model houses goes on sale after the homes are taken down. You can also buy products seized by customs authorities from tourists who didn’t pay their duty. Here are some tips on buying quality products at rock-bottom prices.

[Pkg]
This model house is beautifully decorated. These workers have come to remove the furniture from the sample house.

[Soundbite]

The display period is over. So we’re going to take these items away.

Everything is moved somewhere else. This is where all the furniture and accessories end up.

[Soundbite]

I had visited before and there are lots pretty, good products so I came again.

This store resells the things used in model houses. Model houses are decorated with accessories designed to catch the eye, so you can pick up some rare and difficult to find items here. On top of that, discounts of up to 60 percent are offered.

[Soundbite] Yun So-mi (Store Owner) : "We recovered these items that were displayed at model houses. So we offer them at low prices."

Here is a tip on buying luxury products at duty-free prices. This is Incheon Airport. Overseas products worth more than 400 U.S. dollars are seized by customs officials. The customs office auctions off seized items if the owners don't pay the duty and come back to get them within a month after seizure. Items that aren’t sold at auction are moved to a shop run by the Korea Veterans Health Service. Alcohol, bags, clothes and shoes from all over the world await new owners. Profits from the sale are used to help veterans and patriots.

[Soundbite]

I'm going to buy them, since they’re cheaper than usual and look reliable.

[Soundbite] Kim Jong-cheol (Korea Veterans Health Service) : "Items seized by customs officials are transferred to us to use for prices including taxes and duties. So some of them are more expensive than in department stores, and some of them are cheaper. But we have a system to offer a 10% discount after a certain period."

It's better to visit the store after checking the available items online.

These people are heading to a school.

[Soundbite]

I came to this school to see a product I’ve been keeping an eye on. I really want to buy it!

They’re here for an auction. At auctions, people can pick up items offered by public agencies.

[Soundbite]

Here’s the thing I’ve been looking at. It's really good.

Dish washers and refrigerators are on sale today. A wide range of products from air conditioners to surveillance cameras, which were used at public agencies, are put on sale. Before making a bid, first check what items are on sale via the Internet and then visit the auctioneer to check the condition of what you want to buy.

[Soundbite] Tae Dong-guk (OnBid) : "You have to understand the legal procedures. But checking the real condition of items on sale is more important."

[Soundbite]

I saw and checked the items and they’re really good. I hope I can win the bid. This will be mine!

Purchasing quality products at low prices is a way of being a wise consumer when the economy is struggling.