Ferry Investigation

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A long-awaited and debated parliamentary investigation into the Sewol ferry disaster finally kicked off on Monday, but it’s off to a shaky start as the rival parties failed to agree on a schedule.

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This gymnasium in Jinso Island is where families of the still missing victims of the ferry incident are gathered together waiting for news. Lawmakers of a special parliamentary committee on the probe into the disaster paid a visit here as the very first item on their schedule. But the lawmakers were in for harsh words from the families. The backlash was in response to the rival parties' failure to coordinate the trip, with only the nine opposition members of the 18 member committee making the visit. Families strongly protested the incomplete visit, expressing their frustration over the ruling and opposition parties' inability even to set a date. They asked the lawmakers to visit Jindo again in a bipartisan group and discuss how to locate the victims who are still missing. They also requested the legislators to carry out the investigation with the families' best interests in mind. After the lawmakers left the island, the families made an additional plea through their legal representative for rival camps to stop halt their political conflict and adhere to the probe through efficient communication. Opposition committee members were briefed on the search progress at Paengmok Port after which they issued a statement. They promised thorough efforts to get to the bottom of the incident.

[Soundbite] KIM HYUN-MEE (Sewol Ferry Parliamentary Probe Team) : "We vow to build a safer Korea to prevent a disaster like the Sewol incident from ever happening again."

Lawmakers have disappointed families of the victims from day one of the parliamentary probe. They pledged to reschedule the timetable as soon as possible for a joint visit to Jindo Island.

2. Industry Warning

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Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Son Jae-hak issued a warning to the ferry industry on Monday. He said ferries and ferry operators that fail to abide by minimal safety standards will be expelled from the sector.

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He held a news conference with ferry operators at the Sejong Government Complex and stressed the strict application of a zero tolerance policy on violators of safety regulations. He said starting this month, surprise inspections will be carried out to survey overall safety conditions on coastal ferries. The vice minister also pledged to draft new regulations that meet global standards in all stages of vessel management including their purchase, inspection and operation. The new rules will also seek to improve the qualifications and responsibilities of the shipping crew.

3. Local Elections Tomorrow

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The ruling and opposition parties continue to stump the nation ahead of the local elections, which take place tomorrow. They also clashed over the resignation of one of the candidates for Gyeonggi Province governor.

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The competition is heated for the post of Gyeonggi Province governor. The resignation of Unified Progressive Party candidate Baek Hyeon-jong has emerged as a hot issue. The Saenuri Party's candidate Nam Kyung-pil compared Baek's resignation to an earlier situation involving the Unified Progressive Party's former presidential candidate Lee Jung-hee, who tried to undermine then-candidate Park Geun-hye during the last presidential race.

[Soundbite] NAM KYUNG-PIL (Gyeonggi Gubernatorial Candidate, Saenuri Party) : "He told voters not to cast a single vote for the Saenuri candidate. The goal of his resignation is to defeat me. It's similar to candidate Lee Jung-hee's attempt to defeat Park Geun-hye during the last presidential race."

Candidate Kim Jin-pyo from the New Politics Alliance for Democracy responded by saying he had been sure Baek would finish the race. He brushed away speculations that his party was trying to ally with the Unified Progressive Party.

[Soundbite] KIM JIN-PYO (Gyeonggi Gubernatorial Candidate, NPAD) : "Given his enthusiasm at the televised debate I was sure he would finish the race. I believe that the Unified Progressive Party and its candidate Baek himself made this political decision having considered various factors."

In the Seoul mayoral race, which is also heating up as election day draws closer, candidates Park Won-soon and Chung Mong-joon are focusing their efforts on obtaining swing votes. The Saenuri Party's Chung Mong-joon is stepping up his attack, judging that the disclosure of pesticides in school meals has helped him win votes from parents of students. In contrast, candidate Park Won-soon of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy is blaming Chung for exaggerating the issue of school meals. He also stressed that he's the right person to be responsible for the city's management. Incheon mayoral candidates are also struggling to woo swing voters. The Saenuri Party's Yoo Jeong-bok appealed to voters by asking them to help him make Incheon a better place by managing city affairs in a stable manner and paying off its debts. Meanwhile, candidate Song Young-gil from the New Politics Alliance for Democracy pledged to build a bridge connecting Ganghwa and Yeongjong islands in a bid win supporters.

4. Searching for New PM

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In a meeting with her senior advisers, President Park Geun-hye said she's still looking for the right person to take the post of the nation's prime minister. She says she needs someone who can meet the needs of the public even though her plan to make a fresh start by reshuffling the cabinet and overhauling state affairs has been delayed.

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Park's statement is intended to clarify her determination to find a person who can eradicate the deep-rooted problems uncovered by the Sewol ferry disaster while also meeting the public's moral standards for a prime minister. While political circles believe that the next prime minister will be picked from among politicians, some also say that it might be a veteran from academia or a reputed, highly moral and reform-minded person with vast experience as a member of civic groups.

5. Deadly Fire Testimony

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New testimony has emerged regarding the deadly fire late last month at a nursing home in South Jeolla Province. Some patients there claimed to have had their hands and feet tied. Victim’s families want the people in charge arrested for questioning.

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This is a photo of a patient's wrist at the nursing home in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province. The dark wrist is in clear contrast with the ankle of a lighter tone. The images were released by families of the 21 victims of the nursing home fire.

[Soundbite] Investigation Team Official (Voice Modified) : "The mark isn't evident to the naked eye, which is why we requested an examination by the National Forensic Service."

Police secured testimony from a nurse at the hospital that some patients were regularly tied down. The nurse said that patients subject to this treatment included those receiving nasal injections of nutrients and those who demonstrated physical resistance, such as kicking the medical staff or removing needles. Such tying of hands and feet was believed to be under doctors' orders. The patients would be restrained for two hours followed by a 15 minute break. In the wake of the fire, the hospital said there were no patients who were tied up. But families of the deceased and injured are calling for an investigation under detainment of hospital officials and related parties.

[Soundbite] LEE GWANG-UN (Representative, Hyosarang Hospital Bereaved Families) : "Regardless of arson, the hospital is largely responsible. We call for hospital officials to be investigated under detainment."

According to the Health and Welfare Ministry's guidelines on the safety and rights protection of nursing home patients, doctors can use tools to suppress physical mobility of a patient if it is deemed necessary.

6. Boosting Manpower

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Prosecutors are giving themselves a boost in manpower in order to arrest the de facto owner of the ill-fated Sewol ferry, Yoo Byung-eon.

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At the order of Prosecutor General Kim Jin-tae, ten prosecutors and investigators have been newly added to the special investigative team looking into business irregularities involving Yoo. Prosecutors presume that the 73-year-old businessman is hiding out near Suncheon, South Jeolla Province. But they haven’t ruled out the possibility that he went back to Geumsuwon in Gyeonggi Province, the headquarters of the religious sect believed to be led by Yoo. Some staunch members of the religious sect are believed to be actively helping Yoo remain at large. Prosecutors are mulling arresting these members and carrying out another raid into the religious compound.

7. Protest in Tokyo

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The Japanese government has been reviewing the Kono Statement, which acknowledges Japan’s forced mobilization of so-called comfort women. Meanwhile, the victims of this sex slave program and their supporters staged a protest in Tokyo, with members representing eight countries in the region.

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Victims of the Japanese army's sexual slavery made their voices heard in the heart of Tokyo.

[Soundbite] "Let's win a legal solution to the comfort women issue!"

Former comfort women from eight countries, including Korea, China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the Netherlands, gathered in downtown Tokyo. They made four demands, such as an official apology from the Japanese government and the inclusion of the issue of comfort women in school textbooks.

[Soundbite] "Military Sexual Slavery Issue Activist: Japan ruined the lives of comfort women such as this woman here as well as the lives of other Filipino people."

Dubbed the "Asian Solidarity Conference for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan," the organization blamed Tokyo for using the issue of "comfort women" as an excuse for its strained relations with Seoul. The participants will visit seven universities in Japan to demand that the Abe administration solve the issue of former comfort women in a peaceful way.

[Soundbite] LEE YONG-SU (Comfort Women Victim) : "Prime Minister Abe, if you have eyes, open them wider and you'll see how old we've become!"

It's been 23 years since the issue of former comfort women surfaced when it was first brought up in 1991 by one of the former sex slaves, the late Kim Hak-soon. More than 1,100 rallies have been staged on Wednesdays in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, and the international community including the United States has been criticizing Japan for what has become a worldwide issue of women's rights. But the Abe administration is going against the grain by attempting to review the Kono Statement, which acknowledged Japan's forced mobilization of comfort women.

8. KBS President Speaks

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The president of the Korean Broadcasting System is again urging reporters to end their all-out strike and return to their work. In a special statement on Monday, KBS President Gil Hwan-young denied the allegations that the presidential office wielded influence over KBS news production and personnel affairs, calling the accusations groundless and fabricated. He even said that he would be willing to testify before a parliamentary probe on the sinking of the Sewol ferry to dispel the suspicions.

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He stressed that he will sternly address the workers' strike and boycott on producing programs. Gil said that the public is demanding harsh punishment against those on the strike. In response, KBS' two labor unions denounced the president for pressuring them with threats of impending layoffs. The labor unions say that Gil transferred some senior officials to provincial branches in retaliation for their backing of the striking workers. The unions pledged to seek a provisional injunction on the personnel move, which they called unfair and unjustified.

9. Milk & Health

[Anchor Lead]

Milk is a versatile cooking ingredient used to make ice cream, candy, cakes and all kinds of deserts. Milk is also available in various flavors. For some, milk can be detrimental to health, but to others it’s an indispensable part of a healthy diet. Here's more.

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Bakeries use milk on a daily basis to produce all kinds of baked goods.

[Soundbite] "One milk cake, please."

This white cylinder is a milk cake. It contains 60 percent more milk than regular cakes. It's almost like a glob of milk baked into a cake.

[Soundbite] KIM BO-RAM (eputy Manager, Bakery) : "Milk has a strong reputation as a health product. Sales of milk cakes are about three times higher than the sales of regular cakes."

Milk is widely used to make bread and puddings. The snow-white color can even be attributed to the high milk content. This frozen dessert is made with pure shaved frozen milk, not a mix of milk and ice. Milk is an indispensable ingredient in desserts these days.

[Soundbite] GANG MIN-HYE (Customer) : "I believe that milk makes me healthier. That's why I keep buying it."

Milk is known for its multiple health benefits, but it's also a cause of health concerns for some. Here are some of the myths and truths about milk.

[Soundbite] SEO GYE-HYANG (Homemaker) : "My youngest child is still growing and needs to drink milk. But it causes stomach problems. I wonder if it's okay for my children to drink milk or if we should just avoid it.

In some people milk causes indigestion and stomachache."

[Soundbite] Prof. CHOE CHANG-JIN (Seoul St. Mary's Hospital) : "Many Koreans suffer from bloated stomach and stomachache after drinking milk because they don't have enough enzymes to decompose lactose. If you have such problems, you should drink less milk in one go. You can increase it gradually by half a glass or less than one glass a day."

So what is the recommended milk consumption for adults?

[Soundbite] Prof. PARK MIN-SEON (Seoul National University Hospital) : "Calcium contained in milk makes bones stronger because it's easily absorbed. However milk also contains large amounts of fat and protein, which can cause the body to discharge calcium. Therefore it's recommended to drink about 200-400cc of milk daily."

Many people think that milk helps soothe a burning sensation in the stomach. Experts say that the protein contained in milk helps alleviate the pain temporarily by protecting the outer mucous membrane of the stomach. But in the long term it can be detrimental to health.

[Soundbite] Prof. CHOE CHANG-JIN (Seoul St. Mary's Hospital) : "Many people drink milk when they have hearthburn. But it's not right because calcium and protein contained in milk stimulate the production of gastric acid even more."

Extra caution is required when taking stomach medicine with milk, because the excessive consumption of calcium can cause you to throw up. Nevertheless, milk also has a calming effect.

[Soundbite] GANG TAE-HUI (Office Worker) : "I've been stressed out recently. I'm drinking plenty of milk these days because I heard it helps get rid of stress."

Milk is known to help fight insomnia.

[Soundbite] Prof. CHOE CHANG-JIN (Seoul St. Mary's Hospital) : "Milk is rich in the essential amino acid called tryptophan. It is used as a source of the neurotransmitter called serotonin, which regulates your mood. Serotonin can be switched to the substance called melatonin, which regulates the body's sleep. All this explains how milk increases the body's resistance to stress and regulates your mood."

To test this, we measured the stress index. We compared the stress levels before and after drinking milk. The results showed that the stress levels were reduced after drinking milk, which can be seen through this graph. This woman drinks plenty of milk. We found four kinds of milk in her refrigerator.

[Soundbite] RYU JEONG-HWA (Homemaker) : "Everybody in my family likes milk. I buy high-calcium and DHA milk for my growing child. For me personally I buy low-fat milk because I’m pregnant and need to keep my body weight under control."

Milk is available in various flavors these days. Here's how to choose the right variety of milk for you.

[Soundbite] Prof. PARK MIN-SEON (Seoul National University Hospital) : "High-calcium milk contains two to three times more calcium than regular milk, so it's recommended to drink two glasses of regular milk or one glass of high-calcium milk daily. As for milk containing DHA, which is good for brain health, it only provides one tenth to one 20th of the recommended daily amount of DHA. So it's important to consume DHA through other sources, such as fish that are rich in DHA."

Here's how to check if milk is spoiled or not when it doesn't have any particular odor. Get some water in a translucent bowl and pour in some of the milk. If the milk is fresh, it doesn't really mix with the water, whereas spoiled milk will make the water white in no time. Here's what to do with leftover milk.

[Soundbite] "I'll show you how to make jam with milk."

Mix 500ml of milk and heavy cream at the ratio of 1-1. Add 200 grams of sugar and boil.

[Soundbite] RYU JEONG-HWA (Homemaker) : "Boil this over medium to low heat for one or one and a half hours, and make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan."

When the mass turns brown and becomes as thick as starch syrup, it's ready. You can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. With so many kinds of milk available in stores these days, you can choose the right type for yourself and enjoy the benefits to your health.