MEDICAL LICENSE SUSPENSION

MEDICAL LICENSE SUSPENSION

[Anchor Lead]
The government has initiated the process of suspending the licenses of thousands of resident doctors who have not returned to the medical field despite orders to do so. The orchestrators of the collective action will be dealt with strictly and swiftly, and it was emphasized that this measure will be irreversible.

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The government has begun taking administrative measures to suspend the medical licenses of trainee doctors who are refusing to return to work. On Monday, the health ministry visited 50 major hospitals, including Seoul's five biggest general hospitals, and conducted a final check to see if striking trainee doctors had returned. When first to fourth year residents at 100 major teaching hospitals were surveyed as of 8 p.m. Monday, 8,983 out of 9,970 resident doctors or nearly 90 percent had not returned to work. The ministry will also carry out on-site inspections on 50 hospitals Tuesday. The government has begun taking steps to suspend their medical licenses, stressing that the suspension would be irreversible. However, as it is logistically difficult to simultaneously suspend up to 8,000 doctors' licenses that are subject to the penalty, the leadership of the walkout will likely become the first to see their medical licenses suspended.

[Soundbite]
Park Min-soo (Second vice minister of Health and Welfare): We will take stern measures quickly against key figures leading the collective action that disrupted medical services.

In the meantime, trainee doctors will be able to evade the government's return-to-work order or file an injunction on the license suspension. The Korea Medical Association has expressed support for trainee doctors.

[Soundbite]
Joo Soo-ho (Korean Medical Association's emergency committee): As we reiterated, we will take all possible legal measures if the government begins taking administrative steps.

The government warned that once the administrative measures take effect, medical licenses will be suspended inevitably for at least three months and this will also postpone the process of becoming a board-certified specialist by more than a year.

MILITARY HOSPITALS FOR CIVILIANS

[Anchor Lead]
As the acceleration of medical service gaps in private hospitals continues, the number of patients turning to military hospitals is also on the rise. In the two weeks since military hospitals opened their emergency rooms to civilians, approximately 120 individuals have received treatment. Among them was a man in his 50s facing the dire possibility of having both ankles amputated and an octogenarian who underwent emergency surgery for a broken hip joint.

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On February 28, this man in his 50s fell down during work and was transported to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital for medical attention. During the fall, his ankles were nearly cut off by a sharp and heavy object. After a 10-hour surgery, he is now recovering with his toes functioning normally.

[Soundbite]
Ahn Joo-seok (Armed Forces Capital Hospital): We faced difficulties in saving the limb, but his condition is stable, and we anticipate a positive outcome from the ongoing treatment.

On February 20, an 80-something cancer patient was moved to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital to receive medical treatment for his broken hip joint. After a fall resulting in the need for surgery, and facing multiple rejections from private hospitals, the patient eventually sought treatment at a military hospital.

[Soundbite]
(Patient's guardian): I watched the news that the military hospital opened its emergency room to the public. So I contacted it and was told to come without hesitation.

Following the surgery, he is now recovering. Since 12 military hospitals nationwide began receiving civilian patients on February 20, they have treated a total of 125 civilians. Military hospitals nationwide have streamlined entry procedures and opened special reception desks for civilian patients. The defense ministry says it is reviewing additional measures, including allowing military hospitals to treat civilian outpatients and dispatching military doctors to public hospitals.

"N. KOREANS STOLE COURT DATA"

[Anchor Lead]
In connection with the "Judiciary Computer Network Hacking Incident" that occurred last year, the Supreme Court has announced that entities presumed to be North Korean infiltrated the computer network. The Supreme Court has expressed a high possibility that court documents among others may have been leaked due to this hacking incident, and has issued an apology statement.

[Pkg]
Last year, an allegation was raised that a North Korean hacking group infiltrated a South Korean judiciary server. As speculation arose that hundreds of gigabytes of court data had been leaked, police and other investigative legs launched a probe. The police and the National Intelligence Service believed the hacking attack was carried out by a North Korean hacking group known as the Lazarus Group. National Office of Investigation chief Woo Jong-soo said chances were high the hacking attack was conducted by Lazarus judging by its criminal patterns. Although it was not specified what kind of data was leaked, sources say one of the attacked files contained 26 kinds of official documents including resident registration abstracts and local tax assessment certificates. The National Court Administration has issued an apology and acknowledged the fact. It elaborated, "It's been confirmed that an attacker believed to be associated with North Korea broke into a judicial server, and court documents were highly likely leaked outside." The statement reverses the administration's previous stance, which denied the allegation. It has been also found that the Supreme Court had received multiple warnings of hacking attacks from the NIS over five years, but took only in-house measures to address the situation. The information security sector believes Lazarus Group approached the South Korean judicial server to steal the personal information of key political and economic figures. The National Court Administration has apologized to the public and promised to take all necessary measures to protect personal information as well as implement follow-up measures.

HOME PRESALE PRICES RUN HIGH

[Anchor Lead]
Amid high interest rates and soaring inflation, housing prices are on a downward trend, while apartment presale prices continue to climb. This has further accelerated the polarization of the presale market.

[Pkg]
This apartment in Seoul that was pre-sold last month was on sale for an average price in the 60 million won range, or above 45-thousand US dollars, per 3.3 square meters. Despite the high presale price, public interest ran high with the competition rate in subscriptions recording a staggering 442 to 1. Observers believe this was because the price was still relatively lower than surrounding areas with a presale price cap system in effect. The presale price of 84-square-meter apartment units to be built in this plot in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province has surpassed one billion won, or 750-thousand dollars. Even though its presale price was 1 to 2 billion won, or 75-thousand to 150-thousand dollars, higher than the surrounding market price, the property ranked number one in subscription rate.

[Soundbite]
(Construction firm official): The location and other unique design aspects favorable to consumers are affecting demand.

In fact, home presale prices continue to rise. The unit price per 3.3 square meters of privately built apartment homes nationwide averaged in the 17 million won range, or over 12-thousand-700 dollars, in January, up 11% on-year. In particular, presale prices in Seoul jumped 21% to surpass 37 million won, or nearly 28-thousand dollars. This upward trend is led by rising construction costs. The standard construction expense for the month of March disclosed by the land ministry stands at over 2 million won, or 15-hundred dollars, per square meter, the first time to top this mark. Costs have risen 3.1% from 6 months prior and nearly 5% from a year ago.

[Soundbite]
Lee Eun-hyeong (Korea Research Institute for Construction Policy): Until now, presale prices rose in line with a hike in construction costs and this trend is expected to continue.

Despite the overall climb in presale prices, the number of unsold housing units in noncapital areas is also increasing, showing a clear polarization in the market.

APARTMENT REBUILDING SETBACKS

[Anchor Lead]
The surge in construction costs is casting a shadow over urban redevelopment projects, including rebuilding and redevelopment efforts. Even the redevelopment projects in the Gangnam-gu District, once considered the golden areas, are encountering disruptions at various stages due to the fallout from rising construction costs.

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This apartment complex in Songpa-gu District of Seoul is now 40 years old. Eight builders participated in a briefing session on its redevelopment, but none of them submitted a bid when an official announcement was made last month. The builders said the construction cost of slightly over 8 million won per 3.3 ㎡, or around six thousand dollars, proposed by the redevelopment union was too low to generate revenue.

[Soundbite]
(Realtor (VOICE MODIFIED)): I was baffled to hear no builder wanted to rebuild this complex despite its advantages. Things are tough these days.

This apartment complex in Seocho-gu District in Seoul is also having a hard time finding a builder. After the failed first attempt, its redevelopment union raised the construction cost and is currently waiting for applications from construction firms. This complex has already selected a builder, but the construction schedule has hit a snag. This happened because of a rift between the builder, which is demanding a raise in construction costs, and the redevelopment union.

[Soundbite]
(Redevelopment union official (VOICE MODIFIED)): It's commonplace these days. Builders do not even consider projects below their proposed costs.

Construction companies used to jump at opportunities to win low-cost orders as a way to boost their business record, but nowadays they are lowering their targets. They believe the situation will remain precarious for the time being due to high interest rates, the risk of project financing loans, and the soaring prices of construction materials. The government's measures to ease rebuilding and redevelopment regulations will likely take some time to yield results.

[Soundbite]
Lee Kwang-soo (Real estate analyst): As construction costs rise and projects hit snags, the current transaction prices are being increasingly questioned. It's part of a normalization process.

With rebuilding and redevelopment projects hitting major speed bumps due to rising construction costs, some are calling for stepping up monitoring on projects that have been actually realized.

NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]
An average South Korean spent over 40 hours on YouTube in January, surpassing this mark for the very first time, according to mobile market research firm WiseappㆍRetailㆍGoods. The monthly time spent on YouTube per person was 21 hours five years ago in January 2019. YouTube also overtook the messenger app KakaoTalk for the first time in December in the number of monthly active users who use the service at least once a month. It has maintained this lead also in January and February.
Services related to claiming one's retirement pension will be improved, including a new platform through which subscribers can easily look up the amount they have not yet retrieved. For this, a new portal will be created on the Financial Supervisory Service's website. Those not able to claim their pension such as due to workplace closures can contact a financial company to go through receipt procedures. As of late last year, 68-thousand-324 workers in the country didn't retrieve their retirement pension fund amounting to some 110 billion won or around 83 million US dollars.

NEW AFTER-SCHOOL CARE PROGRAM

[Anchor Lead]
Entrance ceremonies were held yesterday in most elementary schools across the nation. Concurrently, the government's newly introduced full-day care classrooms, known as "Neulbom Schools," have officially commenced operations. With a mix of anticipation and concern, we visited the Neulbom School on its first day of implementation.

[Pkg]
Children wearing golden crowns are gathered. They are 153 first graders who entered this elementary school this year.

[Soundbite]
Park Yong-kyun (Parent): It feels like he's grown up now, so I'm  relieved and excited.

Following the entrance ceremony, the students gather at their classrooms.

[Soundbite]
(Look, what is this?) It is a deer.

This is the first class of the so-called "Neulbom School," the government's new after-school program, which provides education and child care services throughout the day. From the new semester, some 2,700 elementary schools nationwide are offering Neulbom Schools, catering to first graders and running until as late as 8 p.m.. The program is aimed at easing the child care burden of working parents or those with multiple children. However, only six percent of elementary schools in Seoul are participating in the program. In most areas excluding Busan, Jeollanam-do and Gyeonggi-do provinces, the participation rate is below half. There are concerns over insufficient promotion and varying operating methods between schools.

[Soundbite]
Kim Joo-young (Parent): I haven't received detailed guidelines, which is disappointing. It's a good program so it could benefit from more publicity.

The increased workload for teachers is also an issue.

[Soundbite]
Choi Yeon-sun (Elementary teachers' union): Many teachers are burdened with more paperwork and we're often told, ‘You'll be in charge after school’.

Neulbom schools will expand to all elementary schools across the nation starting in the fall semester. The education ministry plans to take supplementary measures after checking the program's operations during a month-long trial period.