DETERRENCE STRATEGY REVISED
입력 2023.11.14 (14:59)
수정 2023.11.14 (16:45)
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브라우저에서만 사용하실 수 있습니다.
DETERRENCE STRATEGY REVISED
[Anchor Lead]
In a landmark meeting yesterday, the Defense Ministers of South Korea and the United States convened for the Security Consultative Meeting, an annual forum designed to discuss pressing security issues facing both nations. They revised their strategic guidelines for the first time in a decade, strengthening their response to North Korea's escalating nuclear threat. This key update includes heightened participation from South Korea in the joint deterrence strategy.
[Pkg]
The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States signed a bilateral security agreement at the 55th Security Consultative Meeting. They revised the Tailored Deterrence Strategy for the first time in 10 years since its adoption in 2013. The TDS contains South Korea-U.S. strategies on North Korea’s weapons at all stages from the regime’s threats and actual use of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction against the two nations. It’s the only bilateral strategic document to be signed by Washington with any of its allies. The two countries will jointly plan military exercises in line with it. The allies had been working to revise the document over the past two years, as it hadn’t been updated to reflect Pyongyang’s escalating nuclear threats. The defense chiefs issued a joint statement, saying the revision makes the TDS a flexible and robust document that will help prepare the allies respond to North Korea’s possible use of nuclear weapons. Unlike the original document, which relied on the nuclear capabilities of the U.S. Army, the revision stipulates the use of South Korea’s conventional weapons to respond to the North's nuclear weapons.
[Soundbite]
Shin Won-sik (Minister of Nat’l Defense): Based on the Washington Declaration, we will evolve into a joint extended deterrence by executing national conventional support for U.S. nuclear operations.
The defense chiefs also agreed to share early warning data from the U.S. military’s reconnaissance satellites in real time to respond to Pyongyang’s advancing missile threats. The early warning satellites operated by the U.S. Space Force can prevent detection restrictions, such as curvatures on Earth’s surface. The South Korean military says if data from the satellites is shared in real time, the operation reaction time will likely be shortened.
EASING 52-HOUR WORKWEEK
[Anchor Lead]
In response to concerns about a return to longer working hours, the government has committed to revising its initial plan for the 52-hour workweek system. While maintaining the 52 hour work hours, the government will apply the flexible workweek rules on specific industries.
[Pkg]
The gist of the work hour reform plan the government announced in March was a more flexible operation of the 52-hour workweek system. However in the face of criticism that the plan allows maximum 69 hours of work per week, even the president ordered a review of the initial proposal.
[Soundbite]
Yoon Suk Yeol (President (March, Cabinet meeting)): I stand by the stance that a workweek exceeding 60 hours will harm people’s health.
Withdrawing the original plan, the labor ministry promised to gather more public opinion on the issue, the results of which were unveiled Monday. In a survey of six thousand people, 48 percent said the current 52-hour system has been helpful in easing long work hours while 55 percent said it's difficult to reflect the various labor needs for different sectors with the current scheme.
[Soundbite]
Lee Sung-hee (Vice Minister of Employment and Labor): The survey shows the 52-hour workweek system has settled in for the most part while some sectors face struggles.
On whether to implement the work hour policy monthly instead of weekly, the government said the survey shows support for this idea is 10 percentage points higher than those who oppose it among both employers and employees. The manufacturing sector had the highest rate of support for flexibility when it came to overtime work. Regarding the weekly work hour limit, over 70% of employers and employees chose a 60 hour cap. Citing the results, the government proposed maintaining the current 52 hour framework while introducing more flexibility for certain business sectors so workers can work more during the busy season and rest more in the off season. Taking a step back eight months after presenting the initial reform plan, the government has shifted its stance from adopting flexible work hours for "all sectors" to "select industries." It will further flesh out the details in consultation with labor and management before laying out a new workweek reform plan.
FIRST EV PLANT IN KOREA
[Anchor Lead]
Hyundai Motor has inaugurated the groundbreaking ceremony of South Korea's first dedicated electric vehicle factory. This marks the company's first new factory construction in the country in 29 years. We take a look at its impact on the future of electric mobility and Hyundai's role in this rapidly evolving landscape.
[Pkg]
The construction of a dedicated electric vehicle factory has begun in the test-drive section of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan factory. It's the automaker’s first new plant in Korea in 29 years. Hyundai has invested two trillion won in the new facility, which is slated for completion in 2025. The new factory will produce about 200,000 EVs annually. Manufacturing is set to begin in early 2026 with the production of a large Genesis electric SUV.
[Soundbite]
Chung Eui-sun (Chair, Hyundai Motor Group): Electrification is the first gateway to future mobility. The EV factory in Ulsan will usher in an era of 50 years of electrification.
Hyundai plans to conquer the domestic and overseas markets with the new factory as the outpost of its electrification strategy. With the smooth supply of rechargeable batteries being a decisive factor in the competitiveness of EVs, the firm has decided to expand its production facilities in Korea, because it is home to battery manufacturing factories. Another advantage is lower labor costs, as the manufacturing process is simpler than that of internal combustion engines. Recently, even overseas brands have been eyeing Korea as their production base. The Swedish EV carmaker Polestar has announced plans to manufacture its major models at Renault-Samsung’s Busan factory from 2025.
[Soundbite]
Thomas Ingenlath (CEO, Polestar (Nov. 9)):
But demand remains an issue. Pundits say the EV market is currently stagnated due to high prices and inconveniences in charging vehicles.
[Soundbite]
Cho Chul (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade): Prices of EVs are a problem now, as countries around the world are cutting subsidies.
As concerns grow over the sluggish EV market, it remains to be seen if the nation’s first EV factory will be able to boost the competitiveness of Korea’s EV sector.
NEWS BRIEF
[Anchor Lead]
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of two major umbrella unions in the country, has decided to rejoin a tripartite dialogue channel with management and the government after suspending its participation five months ago. In a statement Monday, the group said it decided to return to the Economic, Social and Labor Council at the request of the presidential office. In June, it declared a boycott of the council in protest over the police arrest of an affiliated union official for staging a sit-in.
South Korea's exports logged over 18.2 billion dollars during the first ten days of this month, rising 3.2% from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. Monthly outbound shipments continued to decline from last October to this September before bucking the trend last month for the first time in 13 months. And the on-year rise appears to be holding in November as well. By item, exports of semiconductors rose 1.3%, posting positive growth for the first time in 14 months.
USIM CHIPS IN DUBIOUS PARCEL
[Anchor Lead]
In a concerning development, police were alerted to a suspicious package delivered to a residential address. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the contents of the parcel were USIM chips intended for use in burner phones by a voice phishing syndicate.
[Pkg]
A police substation in Jeju-do Island received a report on October 18th. The person calling in the report said he contacted the sender for the misdelivered package. The sender, in inarticulate Korean, asked the recipient to hand it over to a guest house in a neighboring village. Police checked who the intended recipient was but only found the name of a Chinese person who could not be reached. The parcel sender also, at this point, was no longer responding to phone calls. Police visited the guest house in question and found a 20-something year old Chinese guest.
[Soundbite]
Kim Dae-geun (Guest house owner): When asked about the package, the guest denied ownership. The police said the suspect’s phone number was on it.
Police officials took the Chinese person at the guesthouse to the substation and questioned the suspect on spotted social media conversations on the suspect's phone. This led to the admission of parcel ownership.
[Soundbite]
Kang Moon-bo (Hallim Police Substation): The messages were about customs clearance and police investigations into parcels. So we interrogated and it led to a confession.
Inside the parcel were 20 mobile phone USIM chips to be used for burner phones in voice phishing scams. The questioned Chinese suspect told the police of a job ad in China, which offered a monthly wage of 2.3 million won after relocating to Jeju. Upon arriving at Jeju Airport, the suspect received a mobile phone from someone and was waiting for follow-up instructions. Police booked the Chinese suspect on charges of violating the telecommunications business act. They then investigated further to track down the mastermind. However, they hit a snag. This is because an emergency request to ban foreign suspects from leaving the country can be applied only when they commit offenses subject to at least three years in prison. Police will analyze the results of digital forensics on the seized mobile phones to continue their investigation.
SALMON RETURN HOME
[Anchor Lead]
Salmon, having ventured far into the open seas, are now making their return to the Seomjingang River to spawn. This year, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of these returning salmon, reversing the trend of declining numbers seen in recent years.
[Pkg]
The Seomjingang River is the nation's southernmost spawning ground for salmon. A salmon as large as an adult's forearm bounces up in a net. Salmon fry were released into the Seomjingang River years ago. Having become adults, they are back at the river to spawn. They have traveled some 15,000 kilometers from Alaska and the Bering Sea in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
[Soundbite]
Ki Se-woon (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): Along with releasing many young salmon every year, the conditions for salmon to return, such as the amount of water, have been created.
Salmon fry were first released into the Seomjingang River in 1998. After reaching a peak in 2018, the number of returning adult salmon declined. But the number has bounced back to top 600 this year. The jump is attributed to the increased inflow of river water and clean level 1 water quality. Salmon die after spawning in a natural environment. Due to the low hatching and survival rates, female salmon are captured alive and their roe are taken out for artificial hatching. The eggs hatch in 48 days and the fry receive care for three months and then released into the Seomjingang River next spring.
[Soundbite]
Kim Min-kyung (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): I’ve been farming first eggs on Oct. 19, with about 530,000 collected. I think the number can reach 600,000.
Just 0.1 percent of the released fry return to the river. The journey takes three to five years. Salmon will continue to come back to the Seomjingang River until late this month.
COLLEGES WIN GLOCAL FUNDING
[Anchor Lead]
Culminating a major educational reform effort, the government's Glocal University Project will fund ten selected non-capital area universities with 100 billion won over five years. This initiative, responding to financial challenges from declining student numbers, has faced criticism for its rapid execution and perceived insufficient evaluation.
[Pkg]
This is Gyeongsang National University in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The region is known as a hub of the aerospace and defense industries. So by stressing cooperation between the academic sector and industry, the school was selected as one of the ten winners of the government's Glocal university funding project. Nine other winners include Kangwon National University, Pusan National University, Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Chungbuk National University, Postech and Hallym University. The education ministry explained that it highly assessed these universities' efforts to cooperate with local communities, remove academic barriers and integrate colleges.
[Soundbite]
Kim Woo-seung (Glocal Univ. Selection Committee): They offered innovative plans to work with local communities, industries, reform organizations, go global and manage performance.
Each winner will be given 100 billion won over the next five years starting as early as late this month. Having been struggling with financial difficulties amid a decline in student numbers, the winners appear to be relieved to receive the funding.
[Soundbite]
Park Ju-sik (University of Ulsan): The external environment is tough. So it was more critical for us whether or not we could be selected for this project.
But critics say that the project was carried out in a top-down approach without proper social discussions and assessments.
[Soundbite]
Yoo Jin-sang (Federation of Nat’l Univ. Professor Association): Despite our requests to education ministry, no public hearings were held on this issue. They just held a perfunctory meeting with us.
The education ministry plans to select a total of up to 20 schools as Glocal universities by 2026.
[Anchor Lead]
In a landmark meeting yesterday, the Defense Ministers of South Korea and the United States convened for the Security Consultative Meeting, an annual forum designed to discuss pressing security issues facing both nations. They revised their strategic guidelines for the first time in a decade, strengthening their response to North Korea's escalating nuclear threat. This key update includes heightened participation from South Korea in the joint deterrence strategy.
[Pkg]
The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States signed a bilateral security agreement at the 55th Security Consultative Meeting. They revised the Tailored Deterrence Strategy for the first time in 10 years since its adoption in 2013. The TDS contains South Korea-U.S. strategies on North Korea’s weapons at all stages from the regime’s threats and actual use of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction against the two nations. It’s the only bilateral strategic document to be signed by Washington with any of its allies. The two countries will jointly plan military exercises in line with it. The allies had been working to revise the document over the past two years, as it hadn’t been updated to reflect Pyongyang’s escalating nuclear threats. The defense chiefs issued a joint statement, saying the revision makes the TDS a flexible and robust document that will help prepare the allies respond to North Korea’s possible use of nuclear weapons. Unlike the original document, which relied on the nuclear capabilities of the U.S. Army, the revision stipulates the use of South Korea’s conventional weapons to respond to the North's nuclear weapons.
[Soundbite]
Shin Won-sik (Minister of Nat’l Defense): Based on the Washington Declaration, we will evolve into a joint extended deterrence by executing national conventional support for U.S. nuclear operations.
The defense chiefs also agreed to share early warning data from the U.S. military’s reconnaissance satellites in real time to respond to Pyongyang’s advancing missile threats. The early warning satellites operated by the U.S. Space Force can prevent detection restrictions, such as curvatures on Earth’s surface. The South Korean military says if data from the satellites is shared in real time, the operation reaction time will likely be shortened.
EASING 52-HOUR WORKWEEK
[Anchor Lead]
In response to concerns about a return to longer working hours, the government has committed to revising its initial plan for the 52-hour workweek system. While maintaining the 52 hour work hours, the government will apply the flexible workweek rules on specific industries.
[Pkg]
The gist of the work hour reform plan the government announced in March was a more flexible operation of the 52-hour workweek system. However in the face of criticism that the plan allows maximum 69 hours of work per week, even the president ordered a review of the initial proposal.
[Soundbite]
Yoon Suk Yeol (President (March, Cabinet meeting)): I stand by the stance that a workweek exceeding 60 hours will harm people’s health.
Withdrawing the original plan, the labor ministry promised to gather more public opinion on the issue, the results of which were unveiled Monday. In a survey of six thousand people, 48 percent said the current 52-hour system has been helpful in easing long work hours while 55 percent said it's difficult to reflect the various labor needs for different sectors with the current scheme.
[Soundbite]
Lee Sung-hee (Vice Minister of Employment and Labor): The survey shows the 52-hour workweek system has settled in for the most part while some sectors face struggles.
On whether to implement the work hour policy monthly instead of weekly, the government said the survey shows support for this idea is 10 percentage points higher than those who oppose it among both employers and employees. The manufacturing sector had the highest rate of support for flexibility when it came to overtime work. Regarding the weekly work hour limit, over 70% of employers and employees chose a 60 hour cap. Citing the results, the government proposed maintaining the current 52 hour framework while introducing more flexibility for certain business sectors so workers can work more during the busy season and rest more in the off season. Taking a step back eight months after presenting the initial reform plan, the government has shifted its stance from adopting flexible work hours for "all sectors" to "select industries." It will further flesh out the details in consultation with labor and management before laying out a new workweek reform plan.
FIRST EV PLANT IN KOREA
[Anchor Lead]
Hyundai Motor has inaugurated the groundbreaking ceremony of South Korea's first dedicated electric vehicle factory. This marks the company's first new factory construction in the country in 29 years. We take a look at its impact on the future of electric mobility and Hyundai's role in this rapidly evolving landscape.
[Pkg]
The construction of a dedicated electric vehicle factory has begun in the test-drive section of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan factory. It's the automaker’s first new plant in Korea in 29 years. Hyundai has invested two trillion won in the new facility, which is slated for completion in 2025. The new factory will produce about 200,000 EVs annually. Manufacturing is set to begin in early 2026 with the production of a large Genesis electric SUV.
[Soundbite]
Chung Eui-sun (Chair, Hyundai Motor Group): Electrification is the first gateway to future mobility. The EV factory in Ulsan will usher in an era of 50 years of electrification.
Hyundai plans to conquer the domestic and overseas markets with the new factory as the outpost of its electrification strategy. With the smooth supply of rechargeable batteries being a decisive factor in the competitiveness of EVs, the firm has decided to expand its production facilities in Korea, because it is home to battery manufacturing factories. Another advantage is lower labor costs, as the manufacturing process is simpler than that of internal combustion engines. Recently, even overseas brands have been eyeing Korea as their production base. The Swedish EV carmaker Polestar has announced plans to manufacture its major models at Renault-Samsung’s Busan factory from 2025.
[Soundbite]
Thomas Ingenlath (CEO, Polestar (Nov. 9)):
But demand remains an issue. Pundits say the EV market is currently stagnated due to high prices and inconveniences in charging vehicles.
[Soundbite]
Cho Chul (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade): Prices of EVs are a problem now, as countries around the world are cutting subsidies.
As concerns grow over the sluggish EV market, it remains to be seen if the nation’s first EV factory will be able to boost the competitiveness of Korea’s EV sector.
NEWS BRIEF
[Anchor Lead]
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of two major umbrella unions in the country, has decided to rejoin a tripartite dialogue channel with management and the government after suspending its participation five months ago. In a statement Monday, the group said it decided to return to the Economic, Social and Labor Council at the request of the presidential office. In June, it declared a boycott of the council in protest over the police arrest of an affiliated union official for staging a sit-in.
South Korea's exports logged over 18.2 billion dollars during the first ten days of this month, rising 3.2% from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. Monthly outbound shipments continued to decline from last October to this September before bucking the trend last month for the first time in 13 months. And the on-year rise appears to be holding in November as well. By item, exports of semiconductors rose 1.3%, posting positive growth for the first time in 14 months.
USIM CHIPS IN DUBIOUS PARCEL
[Anchor Lead]
In a concerning development, police were alerted to a suspicious package delivered to a residential address. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the contents of the parcel were USIM chips intended for use in burner phones by a voice phishing syndicate.
[Pkg]
A police substation in Jeju-do Island received a report on October 18th. The person calling in the report said he contacted the sender for the misdelivered package. The sender, in inarticulate Korean, asked the recipient to hand it over to a guest house in a neighboring village. Police checked who the intended recipient was but only found the name of a Chinese person who could not be reached. The parcel sender also, at this point, was no longer responding to phone calls. Police visited the guest house in question and found a 20-something year old Chinese guest.
[Soundbite]
Kim Dae-geun (Guest house owner): When asked about the package, the guest denied ownership. The police said the suspect’s phone number was on it.
Police officials took the Chinese person at the guesthouse to the substation and questioned the suspect on spotted social media conversations on the suspect's phone. This led to the admission of parcel ownership.
[Soundbite]
Kang Moon-bo (Hallim Police Substation): The messages were about customs clearance and police investigations into parcels. So we interrogated and it led to a confession.
Inside the parcel were 20 mobile phone USIM chips to be used for burner phones in voice phishing scams. The questioned Chinese suspect told the police of a job ad in China, which offered a monthly wage of 2.3 million won after relocating to Jeju. Upon arriving at Jeju Airport, the suspect received a mobile phone from someone and was waiting for follow-up instructions. Police booked the Chinese suspect on charges of violating the telecommunications business act. They then investigated further to track down the mastermind. However, they hit a snag. This is because an emergency request to ban foreign suspects from leaving the country can be applied only when they commit offenses subject to at least three years in prison. Police will analyze the results of digital forensics on the seized mobile phones to continue their investigation.
SALMON RETURN HOME
[Anchor Lead]
Salmon, having ventured far into the open seas, are now making their return to the Seomjingang River to spawn. This year, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of these returning salmon, reversing the trend of declining numbers seen in recent years.
[Pkg]
The Seomjingang River is the nation's southernmost spawning ground for salmon. A salmon as large as an adult's forearm bounces up in a net. Salmon fry were released into the Seomjingang River years ago. Having become adults, they are back at the river to spawn. They have traveled some 15,000 kilometers from Alaska and the Bering Sea in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
[Soundbite]
Ki Se-woon (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): Along with releasing many young salmon every year, the conditions for salmon to return, such as the amount of water, have been created.
Salmon fry were first released into the Seomjingang River in 1998. After reaching a peak in 2018, the number of returning adult salmon declined. But the number has bounced back to top 600 this year. The jump is attributed to the increased inflow of river water and clean level 1 water quality. Salmon die after spawning in a natural environment. Due to the low hatching and survival rates, female salmon are captured alive and their roe are taken out for artificial hatching. The eggs hatch in 48 days and the fry receive care for three months and then released into the Seomjingang River next spring.
[Soundbite]
Kim Min-kyung (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): I’ve been farming first eggs on Oct. 19, with about 530,000 collected. I think the number can reach 600,000.
Just 0.1 percent of the released fry return to the river. The journey takes three to five years. Salmon will continue to come back to the Seomjingang River until late this month.
COLLEGES WIN GLOCAL FUNDING
[Anchor Lead]
Culminating a major educational reform effort, the government's Glocal University Project will fund ten selected non-capital area universities with 100 billion won over five years. This initiative, responding to financial challenges from declining student numbers, has faced criticism for its rapid execution and perceived insufficient evaluation.
[Pkg]
This is Gyeongsang National University in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The region is known as a hub of the aerospace and defense industries. So by stressing cooperation between the academic sector and industry, the school was selected as one of the ten winners of the government's Glocal university funding project. Nine other winners include Kangwon National University, Pusan National University, Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Chungbuk National University, Postech and Hallym University. The education ministry explained that it highly assessed these universities' efforts to cooperate with local communities, remove academic barriers and integrate colleges.
[Soundbite]
Kim Woo-seung (Glocal Univ. Selection Committee): They offered innovative plans to work with local communities, industries, reform organizations, go global and manage performance.
Each winner will be given 100 billion won over the next five years starting as early as late this month. Having been struggling with financial difficulties amid a decline in student numbers, the winners appear to be relieved to receive the funding.
[Soundbite]
Park Ju-sik (University of Ulsan): The external environment is tough. So it was more critical for us whether or not we could be selected for this project.
But critics say that the project was carried out in a top-down approach without proper social discussions and assessments.
[Soundbite]
Yoo Jin-sang (Federation of Nat’l Univ. Professor Association): Despite our requests to education ministry, no public hearings were held on this issue. They just held a perfunctory meeting with us.
The education ministry plans to select a total of up to 20 schools as Glocal universities by 2026.
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- DETERRENCE STRATEGY REVISED
-
- 입력 2023-11-14 14:59:19
- 수정2023-11-14 16:45:11

DETERRENCE STRATEGY REVISED
[Anchor Lead]
In a landmark meeting yesterday, the Defense Ministers of South Korea and the United States convened for the Security Consultative Meeting, an annual forum designed to discuss pressing security issues facing both nations. They revised their strategic guidelines for the first time in a decade, strengthening their response to North Korea's escalating nuclear threat. This key update includes heightened participation from South Korea in the joint deterrence strategy.
[Pkg]
The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States signed a bilateral security agreement at the 55th Security Consultative Meeting. They revised the Tailored Deterrence Strategy for the first time in 10 years since its adoption in 2013. The TDS contains South Korea-U.S. strategies on North Korea’s weapons at all stages from the regime’s threats and actual use of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction against the two nations. It’s the only bilateral strategic document to be signed by Washington with any of its allies. The two countries will jointly plan military exercises in line with it. The allies had been working to revise the document over the past two years, as it hadn’t been updated to reflect Pyongyang’s escalating nuclear threats. The defense chiefs issued a joint statement, saying the revision makes the TDS a flexible and robust document that will help prepare the allies respond to North Korea’s possible use of nuclear weapons. Unlike the original document, which relied on the nuclear capabilities of the U.S. Army, the revision stipulates the use of South Korea’s conventional weapons to respond to the North's nuclear weapons.
[Soundbite]
Shin Won-sik (Minister of Nat’l Defense): Based on the Washington Declaration, we will evolve into a joint extended deterrence by executing national conventional support for U.S. nuclear operations.
The defense chiefs also agreed to share early warning data from the U.S. military’s reconnaissance satellites in real time to respond to Pyongyang’s advancing missile threats. The early warning satellites operated by the U.S. Space Force can prevent detection restrictions, such as curvatures on Earth’s surface. The South Korean military says if data from the satellites is shared in real time, the operation reaction time will likely be shortened.
EASING 52-HOUR WORKWEEK
[Anchor Lead]
In response to concerns about a return to longer working hours, the government has committed to revising its initial plan for the 52-hour workweek system. While maintaining the 52 hour work hours, the government will apply the flexible workweek rules on specific industries.
[Pkg]
The gist of the work hour reform plan the government announced in March was a more flexible operation of the 52-hour workweek system. However in the face of criticism that the plan allows maximum 69 hours of work per week, even the president ordered a review of the initial proposal.
[Soundbite]
Yoon Suk Yeol (President (March, Cabinet meeting)): I stand by the stance that a workweek exceeding 60 hours will harm people’s health.
Withdrawing the original plan, the labor ministry promised to gather more public opinion on the issue, the results of which were unveiled Monday. In a survey of six thousand people, 48 percent said the current 52-hour system has been helpful in easing long work hours while 55 percent said it's difficult to reflect the various labor needs for different sectors with the current scheme.
[Soundbite]
Lee Sung-hee (Vice Minister of Employment and Labor): The survey shows the 52-hour workweek system has settled in for the most part while some sectors face struggles.
On whether to implement the work hour policy monthly instead of weekly, the government said the survey shows support for this idea is 10 percentage points higher than those who oppose it among both employers and employees. The manufacturing sector had the highest rate of support for flexibility when it came to overtime work. Regarding the weekly work hour limit, over 70% of employers and employees chose a 60 hour cap. Citing the results, the government proposed maintaining the current 52 hour framework while introducing more flexibility for certain business sectors so workers can work more during the busy season and rest more in the off season. Taking a step back eight months after presenting the initial reform plan, the government has shifted its stance from adopting flexible work hours for "all sectors" to "select industries." It will further flesh out the details in consultation with labor and management before laying out a new workweek reform plan.
FIRST EV PLANT IN KOREA
[Anchor Lead]
Hyundai Motor has inaugurated the groundbreaking ceremony of South Korea's first dedicated electric vehicle factory. This marks the company's first new factory construction in the country in 29 years. We take a look at its impact on the future of electric mobility and Hyundai's role in this rapidly evolving landscape.
[Pkg]
The construction of a dedicated electric vehicle factory has begun in the test-drive section of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan factory. It's the automaker’s first new plant in Korea in 29 years. Hyundai has invested two trillion won in the new facility, which is slated for completion in 2025. The new factory will produce about 200,000 EVs annually. Manufacturing is set to begin in early 2026 with the production of a large Genesis electric SUV.
[Soundbite]
Chung Eui-sun (Chair, Hyundai Motor Group): Electrification is the first gateway to future mobility. The EV factory in Ulsan will usher in an era of 50 years of electrification.
Hyundai plans to conquer the domestic and overseas markets with the new factory as the outpost of its electrification strategy. With the smooth supply of rechargeable batteries being a decisive factor in the competitiveness of EVs, the firm has decided to expand its production facilities in Korea, because it is home to battery manufacturing factories. Another advantage is lower labor costs, as the manufacturing process is simpler than that of internal combustion engines. Recently, even overseas brands have been eyeing Korea as their production base. The Swedish EV carmaker Polestar has announced plans to manufacture its major models at Renault-Samsung’s Busan factory from 2025.
[Soundbite]
Thomas Ingenlath (CEO, Polestar (Nov. 9)):
But demand remains an issue. Pundits say the EV market is currently stagnated due to high prices and inconveniences in charging vehicles.
[Soundbite]
Cho Chul (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade): Prices of EVs are a problem now, as countries around the world are cutting subsidies.
As concerns grow over the sluggish EV market, it remains to be seen if the nation’s first EV factory will be able to boost the competitiveness of Korea’s EV sector.
NEWS BRIEF
[Anchor Lead]
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of two major umbrella unions in the country, has decided to rejoin a tripartite dialogue channel with management and the government after suspending its participation five months ago. In a statement Monday, the group said it decided to return to the Economic, Social and Labor Council at the request of the presidential office. In June, it declared a boycott of the council in protest over the police arrest of an affiliated union official for staging a sit-in.
South Korea's exports logged over 18.2 billion dollars during the first ten days of this month, rising 3.2% from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. Monthly outbound shipments continued to decline from last October to this September before bucking the trend last month for the first time in 13 months. And the on-year rise appears to be holding in November as well. By item, exports of semiconductors rose 1.3%, posting positive growth for the first time in 14 months.
USIM CHIPS IN DUBIOUS PARCEL
[Anchor Lead]
In a concerning development, police were alerted to a suspicious package delivered to a residential address. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the contents of the parcel were USIM chips intended for use in burner phones by a voice phishing syndicate.
[Pkg]
A police substation in Jeju-do Island received a report on October 18th. The person calling in the report said he contacted the sender for the misdelivered package. The sender, in inarticulate Korean, asked the recipient to hand it over to a guest house in a neighboring village. Police checked who the intended recipient was but only found the name of a Chinese person who could not be reached. The parcel sender also, at this point, was no longer responding to phone calls. Police visited the guest house in question and found a 20-something year old Chinese guest.
[Soundbite]
Kim Dae-geun (Guest house owner): When asked about the package, the guest denied ownership. The police said the suspect’s phone number was on it.
Police officials took the Chinese person at the guesthouse to the substation and questioned the suspect on spotted social media conversations on the suspect's phone. This led to the admission of parcel ownership.
[Soundbite]
Kang Moon-bo (Hallim Police Substation): The messages were about customs clearance and police investigations into parcels. So we interrogated and it led to a confession.
Inside the parcel were 20 mobile phone USIM chips to be used for burner phones in voice phishing scams. The questioned Chinese suspect told the police of a job ad in China, which offered a monthly wage of 2.3 million won after relocating to Jeju. Upon arriving at Jeju Airport, the suspect received a mobile phone from someone and was waiting for follow-up instructions. Police booked the Chinese suspect on charges of violating the telecommunications business act. They then investigated further to track down the mastermind. However, they hit a snag. This is because an emergency request to ban foreign suspects from leaving the country can be applied only when they commit offenses subject to at least three years in prison. Police will analyze the results of digital forensics on the seized mobile phones to continue their investigation.
SALMON RETURN HOME
[Anchor Lead]
Salmon, having ventured far into the open seas, are now making their return to the Seomjingang River to spawn. This year, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of these returning salmon, reversing the trend of declining numbers seen in recent years.
[Pkg]
The Seomjingang River is the nation's southernmost spawning ground for salmon. A salmon as large as an adult's forearm bounces up in a net. Salmon fry were released into the Seomjingang River years ago. Having become adults, they are back at the river to spawn. They have traveled some 15,000 kilometers from Alaska and the Bering Sea in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
[Soundbite]
Ki Se-woon (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): Along with releasing many young salmon every year, the conditions for salmon to return, such as the amount of water, have been created.
Salmon fry were first released into the Seomjingang River in 1998. After reaching a peak in 2018, the number of returning adult salmon declined. But the number has bounced back to top 600 this year. The jump is attributed to the increased inflow of river water and clean level 1 water quality. Salmon die after spawning in a natural environment. Due to the low hatching and survival rates, female salmon are captured alive and their roe are taken out for artificial hatching. The eggs hatch in 48 days and the fry receive care for three months and then released into the Seomjingang River next spring.
[Soundbite]
Kim Min-kyung (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): I’ve been farming first eggs on Oct. 19, with about 530,000 collected. I think the number can reach 600,000.
Just 0.1 percent of the released fry return to the river. The journey takes three to five years. Salmon will continue to come back to the Seomjingang River until late this month.
COLLEGES WIN GLOCAL FUNDING
[Anchor Lead]
Culminating a major educational reform effort, the government's Glocal University Project will fund ten selected non-capital area universities with 100 billion won over five years. This initiative, responding to financial challenges from declining student numbers, has faced criticism for its rapid execution and perceived insufficient evaluation.
[Pkg]
This is Gyeongsang National University in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The region is known as a hub of the aerospace and defense industries. So by stressing cooperation between the academic sector and industry, the school was selected as one of the ten winners of the government's Glocal university funding project. Nine other winners include Kangwon National University, Pusan National University, Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Chungbuk National University, Postech and Hallym University. The education ministry explained that it highly assessed these universities' efforts to cooperate with local communities, remove academic barriers and integrate colleges.
[Soundbite]
Kim Woo-seung (Glocal Univ. Selection Committee): They offered innovative plans to work with local communities, industries, reform organizations, go global and manage performance.
Each winner will be given 100 billion won over the next five years starting as early as late this month. Having been struggling with financial difficulties amid a decline in student numbers, the winners appear to be relieved to receive the funding.
[Soundbite]
Park Ju-sik (University of Ulsan): The external environment is tough. So it was more critical for us whether or not we could be selected for this project.
But critics say that the project was carried out in a top-down approach without proper social discussions and assessments.
[Soundbite]
Yoo Jin-sang (Federation of Nat’l Univ. Professor Association): Despite our requests to education ministry, no public hearings were held on this issue. They just held a perfunctory meeting with us.
The education ministry plans to select a total of up to 20 schools as Glocal universities by 2026.
[Anchor Lead]
In a landmark meeting yesterday, the Defense Ministers of South Korea and the United States convened for the Security Consultative Meeting, an annual forum designed to discuss pressing security issues facing both nations. They revised their strategic guidelines for the first time in a decade, strengthening their response to North Korea's escalating nuclear threat. This key update includes heightened participation from South Korea in the joint deterrence strategy.
[Pkg]
The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States signed a bilateral security agreement at the 55th Security Consultative Meeting. They revised the Tailored Deterrence Strategy for the first time in 10 years since its adoption in 2013. The TDS contains South Korea-U.S. strategies on North Korea’s weapons at all stages from the regime’s threats and actual use of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction against the two nations. It’s the only bilateral strategic document to be signed by Washington with any of its allies. The two countries will jointly plan military exercises in line with it. The allies had been working to revise the document over the past two years, as it hadn’t been updated to reflect Pyongyang’s escalating nuclear threats. The defense chiefs issued a joint statement, saying the revision makes the TDS a flexible and robust document that will help prepare the allies respond to North Korea’s possible use of nuclear weapons. Unlike the original document, which relied on the nuclear capabilities of the U.S. Army, the revision stipulates the use of South Korea’s conventional weapons to respond to the North's nuclear weapons.
[Soundbite]
Shin Won-sik (Minister of Nat’l Defense): Based on the Washington Declaration, we will evolve into a joint extended deterrence by executing national conventional support for U.S. nuclear operations.
The defense chiefs also agreed to share early warning data from the U.S. military’s reconnaissance satellites in real time to respond to Pyongyang’s advancing missile threats. The early warning satellites operated by the U.S. Space Force can prevent detection restrictions, such as curvatures on Earth’s surface. The South Korean military says if data from the satellites is shared in real time, the operation reaction time will likely be shortened.
EASING 52-HOUR WORKWEEK
[Anchor Lead]
In response to concerns about a return to longer working hours, the government has committed to revising its initial plan for the 52-hour workweek system. While maintaining the 52 hour work hours, the government will apply the flexible workweek rules on specific industries.
[Pkg]
The gist of the work hour reform plan the government announced in March was a more flexible operation of the 52-hour workweek system. However in the face of criticism that the plan allows maximum 69 hours of work per week, even the president ordered a review of the initial proposal.
[Soundbite]
Yoon Suk Yeol (President (March, Cabinet meeting)): I stand by the stance that a workweek exceeding 60 hours will harm people’s health.
Withdrawing the original plan, the labor ministry promised to gather more public opinion on the issue, the results of which were unveiled Monday. In a survey of six thousand people, 48 percent said the current 52-hour system has been helpful in easing long work hours while 55 percent said it's difficult to reflect the various labor needs for different sectors with the current scheme.
[Soundbite]
Lee Sung-hee (Vice Minister of Employment and Labor): The survey shows the 52-hour workweek system has settled in for the most part while some sectors face struggles.
On whether to implement the work hour policy monthly instead of weekly, the government said the survey shows support for this idea is 10 percentage points higher than those who oppose it among both employers and employees. The manufacturing sector had the highest rate of support for flexibility when it came to overtime work. Regarding the weekly work hour limit, over 70% of employers and employees chose a 60 hour cap. Citing the results, the government proposed maintaining the current 52 hour framework while introducing more flexibility for certain business sectors so workers can work more during the busy season and rest more in the off season. Taking a step back eight months after presenting the initial reform plan, the government has shifted its stance from adopting flexible work hours for "all sectors" to "select industries." It will further flesh out the details in consultation with labor and management before laying out a new workweek reform plan.
FIRST EV PLANT IN KOREA
[Anchor Lead]
Hyundai Motor has inaugurated the groundbreaking ceremony of South Korea's first dedicated electric vehicle factory. This marks the company's first new factory construction in the country in 29 years. We take a look at its impact on the future of electric mobility and Hyundai's role in this rapidly evolving landscape.
[Pkg]
The construction of a dedicated electric vehicle factory has begun in the test-drive section of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan factory. It's the automaker’s first new plant in Korea in 29 years. Hyundai has invested two trillion won in the new facility, which is slated for completion in 2025. The new factory will produce about 200,000 EVs annually. Manufacturing is set to begin in early 2026 with the production of a large Genesis electric SUV.
[Soundbite]
Chung Eui-sun (Chair, Hyundai Motor Group): Electrification is the first gateway to future mobility. The EV factory in Ulsan will usher in an era of 50 years of electrification.
Hyundai plans to conquer the domestic and overseas markets with the new factory as the outpost of its electrification strategy. With the smooth supply of rechargeable batteries being a decisive factor in the competitiveness of EVs, the firm has decided to expand its production facilities in Korea, because it is home to battery manufacturing factories. Another advantage is lower labor costs, as the manufacturing process is simpler than that of internal combustion engines. Recently, even overseas brands have been eyeing Korea as their production base. The Swedish EV carmaker Polestar has announced plans to manufacture its major models at Renault-Samsung’s Busan factory from 2025.
[Soundbite]
Thomas Ingenlath (CEO, Polestar (Nov. 9)):
But demand remains an issue. Pundits say the EV market is currently stagnated due to high prices and inconveniences in charging vehicles.
[Soundbite]
Cho Chul (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade): Prices of EVs are a problem now, as countries around the world are cutting subsidies.
As concerns grow over the sluggish EV market, it remains to be seen if the nation’s first EV factory will be able to boost the competitiveness of Korea’s EV sector.
NEWS BRIEF
[Anchor Lead]
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of two major umbrella unions in the country, has decided to rejoin a tripartite dialogue channel with management and the government after suspending its participation five months ago. In a statement Monday, the group said it decided to return to the Economic, Social and Labor Council at the request of the presidential office. In June, it declared a boycott of the council in protest over the police arrest of an affiliated union official for staging a sit-in.
South Korea's exports logged over 18.2 billion dollars during the first ten days of this month, rising 3.2% from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. Monthly outbound shipments continued to decline from last October to this September before bucking the trend last month for the first time in 13 months. And the on-year rise appears to be holding in November as well. By item, exports of semiconductors rose 1.3%, posting positive growth for the first time in 14 months.
USIM CHIPS IN DUBIOUS PARCEL
[Anchor Lead]
In a concerning development, police were alerted to a suspicious package delivered to a residential address. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the contents of the parcel were USIM chips intended for use in burner phones by a voice phishing syndicate.
[Pkg]
A police substation in Jeju-do Island received a report on October 18th. The person calling in the report said he contacted the sender for the misdelivered package. The sender, in inarticulate Korean, asked the recipient to hand it over to a guest house in a neighboring village. Police checked who the intended recipient was but only found the name of a Chinese person who could not be reached. The parcel sender also, at this point, was no longer responding to phone calls. Police visited the guest house in question and found a 20-something year old Chinese guest.
[Soundbite]
Kim Dae-geun (Guest house owner): When asked about the package, the guest denied ownership. The police said the suspect’s phone number was on it.
Police officials took the Chinese person at the guesthouse to the substation and questioned the suspect on spotted social media conversations on the suspect's phone. This led to the admission of parcel ownership.
[Soundbite]
Kang Moon-bo (Hallim Police Substation): The messages were about customs clearance and police investigations into parcels. So we interrogated and it led to a confession.
Inside the parcel were 20 mobile phone USIM chips to be used for burner phones in voice phishing scams. The questioned Chinese suspect told the police of a job ad in China, which offered a monthly wage of 2.3 million won after relocating to Jeju. Upon arriving at Jeju Airport, the suspect received a mobile phone from someone and was waiting for follow-up instructions. Police booked the Chinese suspect on charges of violating the telecommunications business act. They then investigated further to track down the mastermind. However, they hit a snag. This is because an emergency request to ban foreign suspects from leaving the country can be applied only when they commit offenses subject to at least three years in prison. Police will analyze the results of digital forensics on the seized mobile phones to continue their investigation.
SALMON RETURN HOME
[Anchor Lead]
Salmon, having ventured far into the open seas, are now making their return to the Seomjingang River to spawn. This year, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of these returning salmon, reversing the trend of declining numbers seen in recent years.
[Pkg]
The Seomjingang River is the nation's southernmost spawning ground for salmon. A salmon as large as an adult's forearm bounces up in a net. Salmon fry were released into the Seomjingang River years ago. Having become adults, they are back at the river to spawn. They have traveled some 15,000 kilometers from Alaska and the Bering Sea in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
[Soundbite]
Ki Se-woon (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): Along with releasing many young salmon every year, the conditions for salmon to return, such as the amount of water, have been created.
Salmon fry were first released into the Seomjingang River in 1998. After reaching a peak in 2018, the number of returning adult salmon declined. But the number has bounced back to top 600 this year. The jump is attributed to the increased inflow of river water and clean level 1 water quality. Salmon die after spawning in a natural environment. Due to the low hatching and survival rates, female salmon are captured alive and their roe are taken out for artificial hatching. The eggs hatch in 48 days and the fry receive care for three months and then released into the Seomjingang River next spring.
[Soundbite]
Kim Min-kyung (Jeonnam Institute of Ocean & Fisheries Science): I’ve been farming first eggs on Oct. 19, with about 530,000 collected. I think the number can reach 600,000.
Just 0.1 percent of the released fry return to the river. The journey takes three to five years. Salmon will continue to come back to the Seomjingang River until late this month.
COLLEGES WIN GLOCAL FUNDING
[Anchor Lead]
Culminating a major educational reform effort, the government's Glocal University Project will fund ten selected non-capital area universities with 100 billion won over five years. This initiative, responding to financial challenges from declining student numbers, has faced criticism for its rapid execution and perceived insufficient evaluation.
[Pkg]
This is Gyeongsang National University in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The region is known as a hub of the aerospace and defense industries. So by stressing cooperation between the academic sector and industry, the school was selected as one of the ten winners of the government's Glocal university funding project. Nine other winners include Kangwon National University, Pusan National University, Gyeongbuk Provincial College, Chungbuk National University, Postech and Hallym University. The education ministry explained that it highly assessed these universities' efforts to cooperate with local communities, remove academic barriers and integrate colleges.
[Soundbite]
Kim Woo-seung (Glocal Univ. Selection Committee): They offered innovative plans to work with local communities, industries, reform organizations, go global and manage performance.
Each winner will be given 100 billion won over the next five years starting as early as late this month. Having been struggling with financial difficulties amid a decline in student numbers, the winners appear to be relieved to receive the funding.
[Soundbite]
Park Ju-sik (University of Ulsan): The external environment is tough. So it was more critical for us whether or not we could be selected for this project.
But critics say that the project was carried out in a top-down approach without proper social discussions and assessments.
[Soundbite]
Yoo Jin-sang (Federation of Nat’l Univ. Professor Association): Despite our requests to education ministry, no public hearings were held on this issue. They just held a perfunctory meeting with us.
The education ministry plans to select a total of up to 20 schools as Glocal universities by 2026.
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