Missiles to Sea

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea fired 25 short-range missiles toward the East Sea yesterday. It’s the second volley of missiles this month alone, but Pyongyang did not issue navigational warnings or alerts.

[Pkg]

North Korea fired three rounds of short-range missiles, 25 in total, towards the East Sea on Sunday afternoon. Ten missiles were launched to the waters off to the east of the Kalma Peninsula, near Wonsan, for a span of 10 minutes, starting at 6:20 in Sunday evening. Eight more were fired at around 8 PM, and additional seven at about 9:30. The South Korean military said that the rockets appear to have flown for about 70 kilometers before falling into the territorial waters. The missiles are believed to be Soviet-designed FROG rockets, a series of short-range ground-to-ground missiles unequipped with a guidance system. The last time North Korea fired short-range missiles was 12 days ago, on March 4th. It is reported that North Korea again had not declared any advance shipping bans or issued navigational alerts near the area where the rockets fell. South Korean authorities believe that the recent series of missile tests is considered to be North Korea's protest over the joint ROK-U.S. Foal Eagle exercise and a part of the regime's winter military drill. The South Korean military is beefing up its surveillance for more missile tests from North Korea, while urging the regime to immediately stop these provocations which only fuel military tension on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Complex Pay Hike

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea is demanding a ten percent pay hike for North Korean workers at the inter-Korean joint venture at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. South Korean firms are on alert.

[Pkg]

On March 14th, the management committee of the Kaesong Industrial Complex sent a notice to 120 South Korean companies operating their factories there. The notice says that North Korea's Central Guidance Bureau for Special Zone Development is demanding a ten percent pay increase for the North Koreans working at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The North wants the South Korean to raise the wages for their North Korean employees by five percent in March and another five percent in August. South Korean employers give their North Korean workers a five percent pay raise annually. But this time, North Korea wants ten percent to make up for the annual five percent raise that was missed last year in light of the shut-down of the factory park. South Korean companies say that it is hard to accept North Korea's demand, because only six months have passed since the resumption of operations at the inter-Korean joint venture.

[Soundbite] Official, South Korean Firm in Kaesong (Voice Modified) : "South Korean companies are still suffering from the repercussions left by the shut-down of the industrial park last year, so they have not considered increasing the wages for North Korean workers. They’re stunned by North Korea's demand."

North Koreans working at the Kaesong Industrial Complex receive a salary of one-thousand-585 U.S. dollars a year. In total, their annual wages comes to 82 million U.S. dollars. So a ten percent raise means that South Korean companies will have to shell out eight-point-two million U.S. dollars more to North Korean workers. The South Korean government has made it clear that the North's demand is unacceptable and that the two Koreas should hold wage negotiations in July, as they have in the past. A law on the operation of the Kaesong Industrial Park stipulates that North Korean workers can receive a pay raise of up five percent a year.

3. Hunt for Meteorites

[Anchor Lead]

Two unusual rocks discovered in Jinju are in fact meteorites. The news inspired many, including foreign residents in Korea, to embark on a search for the rare rocks.

[Pkg]

These rocks were found in the city of Jinju after a shooting star was spotted in the night sky on March 9. These rocks were checked through a microscope by the researchers from the Korea Polar Research Institute and the Seoul National University. And they concluded that the rocks were meteorites according to their structure. They contain about 15-20 percent of iron, which is more than the amount of iron in rocks found on Earth. The meteorites were found in the nation for the first time since the last discovery in Duwon, South Jeolla Province in 1971. The latest discovery is expected to have a high academic value.

[Soundbite] Prof. CHOE BYEON-GAK (Seoul National University) : "We found that these rocks had several characteristics that were not typical for regular rocks. They contained more iron and had small components that are only found in chondrites."

The meteorites found in Jinju are classified as regular meteorites, which are found in 80 percent of the time. They presumably fell off the asteroids located between Mars and Jupiter. Given the similarities between the two rocks, they most likely used to be one meteorite before they split into two parts. The researchers say the possibility of finding more meteorites is high. In fact, another rock presumed to be a meteorite has been found in Jinju lately.

[Soundbite] LEE JU-YEONG (Discoverer) : "I brought a magnet after I heard these rocks contained iron. This rock stuck to the magnet and had burned traces on it, then I reported it to the authorities."

As many people including foreigners called 'Meteorite Hunters' rushed to Jinju for meteorites, the government has decided to devise measures to prevent their illegal trade and smuggling out of the country.

4. AI Disruption

[Anchor Lead]

The pandemic of avian influenza has far-reaching consequences for Korea’s food supply. The prices of eggs have surged with the massive culling of chickens.

[Pkg]

High-quality eggs sell for 15 cents per egg in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, marking a rise of more than 14 percent from a month earlier. The wholesale prices of eggs have jumped an average of seven percent a week since the start of this month. Distributors attribute the surge to a decrease in the supply of eggs, following the culling of some three million chickens due to the spread of bird flu. People can receive rewards if they report cases of personal information leaks to the authorities. As an effort to prevent leaks of personal information and fraudulent financial transactions, authorities will provide rewards of over nine-thousand U.S. dollars to those who report the illegal collection and sale of personal data.

5. Engineered Plants

[Anchor Lead]

Have you ever seen roses without a thorn, or cacti with soft, fur-like spines? These ingenious flowers and plants developed right here in Korea are making waves around the world.

[Pkg]

These roses developed four years ago appear just like any other roses. But a closer look reveals that these roses do not have thorns. Unlike other roses, there is no risk of getting hurt while pruning them. Seedlings of these thorn-less roses have been exported to ten countries, including Ecuador and Colombia, for 900 thousand U.S. dollars.

[Soundbite] LEE YEONG-SUN (Thornless Roses Developer) : "So far we’ve sold 1.5 million rose seedlings and we expect to sell one million more."

Seventy-thousands of these magical roses, which change color when heated, have been exported to Japan last year.

[Soundbite] IM JU-WAN (Magical Roses Developer) : "Flowers need not remain one color. I thought it would be more pleasant to see varied colors."

This cactus has spines that are so soft that it doesn't hurt at all to touch. These cacti come in various colors and they are especially popular overseas, taking up 70% of the global grafted cacti market.

[Soundbite] LEE HAE-GIL (Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services) : "We developed a high value-added product through innovative thinking. I hope these will help boost farmers' incomes."

These creative ideas are transforming flower growers into lucrative exporters.

6. "Flip Classrooms"

[Anchor Lead]

So-called “flip classrooms” are gaining popularity in the U.S. and Europe. It’s where students learn new materials at home and do their homework in the classroom. A middle school in Korea has adopted the method and has made impressive gains.

[Pkg]

Many of the students in this middle school are dozing off or daydreaming during their Korean language class. To tackle the situation, the school adopted a new method. The students were split into groups of four to carry out projects after watching video lectures about the topics covered in their textbooks. They have their hands full with debates and consultations with their teacher. Even at 2 p.m., which is when teenagers usually start to feel sleepy, you can't see a single student dozing off in this classroom. The results of this new system was remarkable. In just one semester, the class's average language arts performance rose 12 points. Some of the students scored 56 points higher than they did in the previous semester.

[Soundbite] YU JEONG-MIN (Fmr. Middle School Student) : "It was amazing to see myself actually studying. My friends were also surprised because I received a high score all of a sudden."

[Soundbite] LEE HYEOK-GYU (Dean, Cheongju National University of Education) : "This experiment teaches how we can transform the students' view of the classroom as being a boring or meaningless place to one where they can learn and play."

Only 30 percent of students concentrate on their studies in classrooms. The flip classroom method could hold the answer to boosting the students' performance and raising their interest in school.

7. Trend in Film

[Anchor Lead]

Reality TV has long been a lucrative and amusing media trend, but unscripted movies? Here’s a look at the emerging trend in film.

[Pkg]

Here, filming of a KBS weekend reality show is underway. Filming crew hide in in the room and shoot the participants' every move. This show is filmed in an unscripted, unobtrusive shooting method.

[Soundbite] GANG BONG-GYU (KBS Producer) : "Viewers have seen just about everything in variety shows, so they want something new. These documentaries effectively fulfill that need. "

This film is about the trials and tribulations of young entrepreneurs in the fashion industry. Everything that happens in the movie happens to be real.


[Soundbite] "You're doing what you want to do! (Then should the company go bankrupt?) Why are you being so pessimistic?"

The film shows difficulties a new startup company can face in a real world. On a vast white cloth a painting by French artist Jacques-Louis David begins to take shape. This is a work of a photographer who recycles garbage to make artwork. The film captured the photographer's three-year project. Audience is left to their own interpretations after watching a travel film about four young men spending a year in Europe with only 800 dollars among them.

[Soundbite] Prof. MIN HWAN-GI (Chung-Ang University) : "The audience can be amused and think about the situations and realities of these people from a distance."

Viewers find it refreshing and sometimes even inspiring to see real people showing genuine reactions to natural surroundings.

8. Temperature Springs Up

[Anchor Lead]

Temperatures in Korea surged to about 20 degrees Celsius yesterday. The spring weather comes much to the delight of Korea’s active population looking forward to getting back outdoors.

[Pkg]

Thousands of marathoners start running when given the signal to begin their journey. Participants include gray-haired seniors and even foreign expatriates. Most of the marathoners wear short-sleeved shirts and shorts, but they can't feel the chill at all. Some 20,000 people participated in the marathon on Sunday, showing off their running skills after a long winter.

[Soundbite] PARK YONG-HO (Member, Marathon Club) : "It's nice to run after a long winter. Spring is the best season to set records."

Members of a soccer club enjoy practicing in the warm rays of the sun.

[Soundbite] PARK BYEONG-CHEOL (Member, Soccer Club) : "When playing outdoors, we sweat more and feel much better."

In the parks, couples play games and ride bikes. Although the dust pollution was severe yesterday, it didn't stop people from enjoying the spring weather.

[Soundbite] CHOE JUN-GEOL (Visitor) : "I was worried about the air pollution, but I don't feel like I'm breathing in the dust. My kids and I are having a lot of fun."

Temperatures around Korea rose to around 20 degrees Celsius on Sunday, bringing people outside after the cold winter.

9. Cheap Eats

[Anchor Lead]

What can you buy with a 1000 Korean won note anymore? It comes to about 90 cents on today's exchange rate and the answer is not much, especially when it comes to food. Here's a look at some places with eye-popping prices.

[Pkg]

At this restaurant in Gyeonggi Province, it can be hard to find a seat during lunchtime. There must be a reason. It's because their black noodle jajangmyeon dish costs only 90 cents while it usually costs close to 5 dollars elsewhere. The key to their rock bottom price is cost-cutting. The restaurant doesn't deliver food and also saves on labor cost. There're no waiters here serving water or the side dish of pickled radish. Thanks to which, they sell over 200 bowls of jajangmyeon each day.

[Soundbite] GANG BYEONG-HEON (Customer) : "All you can buy is red bean paste bread and a drink with 1,000 won (US$0.93). Here I can have jajangmyeon."

[Soundbite] KIM U-SEUL (Customer) : "A filling meal at less than 5,000 won (US$4.66) is wonderful for students."

How much is the sweet and sour pork? It's 5000 won, or less than 5 dollars, and served with a complimentary bowl of jajangmyeon. You can also switch the black noodles with the spicy red soup noodle dish 'jjamppong.'

[Soundbite] GANG SEUNG-HUN (Customer) : "We eat and eat but are always hungry. So anything cheap is the best for us."

This restaurant located in a residential area has also become a hot spot for families thanks to its affordable price. What is the most beloved menu item here? It's pork belly 'samgyeobsal,' the king of all dining out options in Korea. One helping of pork belly is two dollars 80 cents. And no worries, the meat is not paper thin. This places runs a restaurant and a butcher shop together and is therefore able to sell fresh, thick cuts of meat at prices of less than 3 dollars. But still, how is it possible?

[Soundbite] IM JIN-HYEOK (Owner, Samgyeopsal Restaurant) : "We used to sell 200 grams of pork belly at over 10,000 won (US$9.32). But we lowered this by 30% to 3,000 won (US$2.80) per 100 grams. Also the economy's bad and people's spending is tight. Our marketing plan took that into consideration."

[Soundbite] GANG JI-SEON (Customer) : "Everyone loves pork belly. It's great we can enjoy it at this low cost."

When people visit this market, they invariable stop by this restaurant. The hall is packed.

[Soundbite] O YONG-HUN (Customer) : "You're surprised at the taste and then at the price."

A bowl of noodles in clear soup is a mere dollar 40 cents. The chopped noodle dish in thicker broth called 'Kalguksu' is two dollars 80 cents. But cheap doesn't mean less flavor. The flour dough is matured three times. Then it's manually rolled out and cut into noodle slices. The base broth is also rich and savory made from anchovies and radishes boiled in water for half a day.

[Soundbite] JEONG MUN-JA (Customer) : "In the old days, we rolled out the dough with our hands using a rolling pin. I come here thinking of that nostalgic taste."

The government has recently begun to support this rock-bottom priced eatery. Individuals or local governments can apply for state aid for stores that sell at prices below the regional average. The Security and Public Administration Ministry will deliberate applied cases and designate winners as a "good restaurant."

[Soundbite] PARK E-SANG (Ministry of Security & Public Administration Official) : "We designated Good Restaurants as those that offer quality service at an affordable price despite inflation in labor and raw material cost these days. These places will benefit from discounts in public utility fees. They also receive safety and sterilization inspections for free."

When you're a bit down and short on your dough, treat yourself to one of these places. It might be just what you need to cheer you up and get things going again.