HEAVY RAIN, GUSTY WIND DAMAGE

HEAVY RAIN, GUSTY WIND DAMAGE

[Anchor Lead]
Last weekend marked the start of the monsoon season. It brought heavy rain and strong winds. Across the nation, we've seen widespread damage, including apartment facades being torn off and rocks tumbling from hillsides into residential areas.

[Pkg]
The wall of an apartment building has been ripped like paper. Debris scattered in a parking lot. These are the traces of gusty winds of over 20m/sec that hit Jejudo Island along with torrential rain at night.

[Soundbite]
Kim Jong-yeol (Jeju resident): The wall fell off with a loud noise. Then the wall covering split off and debris fell all over the place.

A tall tree fell on a four-lane motorway. A construction site fence was also blown away by the strong wind. Heavy rain in Daedeok-gu District of Daejeon caused a landslide on a mountain.

[Soundbite]
Kim Myung-ae (Daejeon resident): I used to pick up brick-size stones that fell when it rained. But this time it's large rocks.

Rocks rolled down all the way to a residential area. Thanks to the guardrails, no one was injured, but residents of six households had to evacuate to a senior residents' hall to avoid further damage. Mud from an apartment construction site in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province, covered three houses, prompting four residents to evacuate. A fence in a residential area in Jungnang-gu District of Seoul collapsed in an alley. Luckily, no one was hurt. A ten-meter section of a road and a sidewalk near a construction site in Yeonsu-gu District of Incheon sank into the ground and cracked. Police have closed the road. They believe the ground settlement is a result of soil runoff caused by the heavy rain.

NK FIRES 2 BALLISTIC MISSILES

[Anchor Lead]
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles early today. This comes five days after their last launch. Previously, North Korea claimed success in a multiple warhead separation test, but, the South Korean military assessed the launch as a failure.

[Pkg]
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea fired two ballistic missiles from the Jangyon area in Hwanghaenam-do Province in a northeasterly direction on Monday morning. According to the JCS, the first ballistic missile was launched at 5:05 a.m. and flew some 600 kilometers. Ten minutes later, another ballistic missile was fired and flew 120 kilometers. The South Korean military immediately detected the launches and tracked them. While sharing related information with the U.S. and Japan, South Korea is comprehensively analyzing the details of the missiles. The JCS denounced the missile firing as a clear provocation that threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. It also pledged to closely monitor the North's various activities and maintain capabilities and readiness posture to overwhelmingly cope with any provocation under solid joint defense alliance with the U.S. This is the North's first missile firing in five days. The regime fired a ballistic missile last Wednesday. That was what Pyongyang called a successful multi-warhead missile test. But Seoul and Washington dismissed the claim as a deception and exaggeration, noting the projectile's unstable flight in the initial ascension and mid-air explosion.

KIM JONG-UN'S SOLO PORTRAIT BADGE

[Anchor Lead]
In North Korea, a badge known as the ‘portrait insignia’ exists. It features the faces of the Kim family, symbolizing the idolization of the so called loyal family ‘Paektu bloodline.’ Recently, an insignia with Chairman Kim Jong-un's solo portrait debuted officially. We look into what kind of significance this holds.

[Pkg]
A media coverage of a plenary meeting of North Korea's ruling Workers' party. All key officials in attendance are seen wearing a badge with a portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It is the so-called portrait insignia that all North Koreans from the general public to high-ranking officials must put on. This is the first time, Kim Jong-un's portrait insignia appeared in an official event. Through a North Korean official's remarks, it was identified that Kim Jong-un's solo portrait pin was already created in 2012. However, no North Koreans were spotted wearing it until recently. The portrait insignia of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung was produced and distributed after the 1970s. The portrait pin of his son and successor Kim Jong-il was first created in 1992 and then put into wide use in the 2000s. After Kim Jong-il died, a double portrait of him and his father was extensively used. A portrait badge is a representative item symbolizing North Korea's cult of personality for the Kim family.

[Soundbite]
Hong Min (Korea Institute for Nat’l Unification): For North Koreans, a solo portrait insignia means he is the sole symbol of the regime that no one can replace.

North Korea is accelerating the personality cult for Kim Jogn-un. This year, it downgraded the official name of the birthday of its national founder Kim Il-sung from the Day of the Sun to just ‘April 15.’ Another example is the display of Kim Jong-un's portrait that is hung alongside that of his grandfather and father on the outer wall of the Central Cadres Training School. North Korea is predicted to revise party rules and its Constitution to legally stipulate Kim Jong-un's absolute status.

FIRE VICTIMS' FAMILIES DEMAND TRUTH

[Anchor Lead]
It's been a week, since a fire and explosion at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do Province. Bereaved families, citing inadequate safety training, demand thorough investigations and information disclosure. Amid ongoing police probes, the Minister of Employment and Labor vowed on a KBS show to severely punish any illegal dispatch discovered.

[Pkg]
[Soundbite]
We want the truth. Reveal the truth. (Reveal the truth!)

Bereaved families of the Hwaseong factory fire victims gathered to announce eight demands, such as disclosing the results of a probe and devising measures to help the victims.

[Soundbite]
Kim Tae-yun (Representative of Aricell plant fire victims' bereaved families): We demand the labor ministry and Aricell disclose new findings in the probe every day. We have the right to know the cause of...the fire and what measures will be taken.

The bereaved families expressed frustration that no proper safety training was provided to factory workers.

[Soundbite]
(Bereaved family member): When I worked there, we never received safety training. We just started working with our heads down.

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and mourners visited a memorial altar for the fire victims on Sunday. The families plan to hold public vigils every day from 7 p.m. in front of Hwaseong City Hall starting Monday. Police are investigating factory workers' testimonies that no safety training was provided to them. They are also analyzing seized documents to find out if the company hired illegally dispatched workers. Five suspects including the Aricell CEO are set to be summoned for questioning as early as this week. Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik, who appeared on KBS on Sunday, vowed to take harsh punitive measures if Aricell is found to have hired illegally dispatched workers.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jung-sik (Minister of Employment and Labor): We are investigating violations and forgery in workers' dispatching and outsourcing. Any violations will be strictly punished.

The labor ministry also pledged to intensify safety training for migrant workers.

HOTTER SEA DRIVES AWAY SQUIDS

[Anchor Lead]
Squid, once abundant around Ulleungdo Island, are increasingly vanishing due to rising sea temperatures caused by climate change. We report on-site for details.

[Pkg]
As the sun rises, Fishing boats return to port after a night of squid fishing, drawing a crowd of fishmongers.

[Soundbite]
(85,100 won (USD 61).) Wow, that's a record high.

Despite fetching the highest price, the captain doesn't seem pleased. He is concerned that the squid catch isn't as big as in previous years.

[Soundbite]
Park Yun-sang (Fishing Boat Captain): Fishermen in Ulleungdo will all starve, so there should be other solutions.

[Soundbite]
(Fisherman in Ulleungdo): There are no squids in the sea. I went fishing at 5:00 a.m. but only caught this much.

The squid hauls from Korea's east coast, including Ulleungdo Island, drastically shrank since 2010. The problem grew even more serious this year. It is believed the trend is driven by rising seawater temperature brought on by climate change. Squid fishing grounds form at the locations where warm sea currents meet with cold ones. Driven by higher water temperatures in the East Sea, the squids have moved up north toward North Korea. The number of days when the sea surface temperature registered 25 degrees Celsius or higher in the East Sea increased thirty times over the past six decades. This trend is also bringing dramatic changes in the food chain among the aquatic species.

[Soundbite]
Kim Yun-bae (Chief, Ulleungdo·Dokdo Ocean Science Station): The East Sea is becoming subtropical, causing bad changes in the food chain, which subsequently affect the squids.

Fishermen's troubles grow, but no effective solutions can be found unless climate change is stopped.

TOURISTS FLOCK TO SUDAL-GIL

[Anchor Lead]
Hwacheon in Gangwon Province is famed for its 'salmon trout'. Yet, it boasts another attraction, 'Paroho Lake' and 'otters'. Recently, a trail called 'Sudal-gil' was made. This scenic spot, where untouched forests meet the lake, is drawing tourists.

[Pkg]
Paroho Lake is an artificial lake built with the water flowing down from North Korea. It is surrounded by the mountains standing as tall as 1,000 meters above sea level. A long tree tunnel is created along the lake. Pine and oak trees as tall as 20 meters stand side by side to provide shades from the blazing summer sun. A sparkling blue lake peeks out from between the majestic trees.

[Soundbite]
Shim Eun-hyo (Namyangju resident): It's nice because the trail is shaded and cool. Unlike other trails, you can enjoy beautiful scenery here.

There are no steep inclines...and small resting spots appear just when you need it. Even a child can take a walk along this trail. The Sudal-gil trail along Paroho Lake in Hwacheon-gun County has been off-limits to outsiders for several decades since the lake was built, allowing nature to keep its pristine form. The Korean Otter Research Center is home to 15 otters rescued from the wild. The Sudal-gil trail stretches for 10 kilometers roundtrip. If you are lucky, you can even see wild otters. Within just two months since the trail opened, word of mouth has spread, attracting many tourists.

[Soundbite]
Jo Hyeon-suk (Hwacheon-gun resident): We are proud of it. We are grateful that we have Paroho Lake in our village and that the Sudal-gil trail was built.

The trail is the combined outcome of Hwacheon-gun County's two local attractions - otters and Paroho Lake. This trekking course is expected to help turn the area into an ecological tourist destination.

JIMIN AND LISA RETURN AS SOLOS

[Anchor Lead]
Now turning to entertainment news. From BTS to BLACKPINK, artists representing the K-POP world have made their comeback as solo artists. Here's more.

[Pkg]
Jimin of BTS and Lisa of Black Pink each released a solo last Friday. Jimin pre-released a song from his second solo album set to hit the market later this month. The track is titled 'Smeraldo Garden Marching Band,' a big band music with a touch of hip-hop. Jimin's song placed fourth in the global chart of the world's largest music platform Spotify...and topped Japan's Oricon digital singles chart...as well as the iTunes charts in 108 countries. Lisa who made a comeback turned heads with a shocking makeover. 'Rock Star' is the first album produced by the company she founded herself. Music critics say that the album is suggestive of a global pop star, scaling down her identity as a member of Black Pink. However, the song turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, topping the charts only in her homeland of Thailand.