FLOOD AND LANDSLIDE ALERT

FLOOD AND LANDSLIDE ALERT

[Anchor Lead]
Heavy rains have led to a flood alert in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, along the Nakdonggang River basin. Around twenty residents were temporarily isolated and later rescued in areas like Andong and Cheongsong. Multiple roads are currently closed.

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The entire stream is filled with muddy water. It is overflowing, and the current is quite strong. Due to a downpour, a flood alert was issued in the Nakdonggang River area in the northern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Some of the local residents were stranded. The Nakdong River Flood Control Office issued a flood warning for the area near Cheongamgyo Bridge in Yeongyang-gun County, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, at 4 a.m. Monday, and flood watches for areas around Hucheongyo, Hwagyegyo and Iangyo bridges in Sangju. Residents in inundated villages were stranded at one point. At around 3:30 a.m. Monday, eight of 19 stranded residents of Wi-ri and Daegok-ri villages in Imdong-myeon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, were rescued. Eleven others were evacuated. Two residents of Namhu-myeon and two of Waryong-myeon in Andong were also rescued. Landslide warnings were issued for Andong, Mungyeong, Sangju and Yecheon. Landslide watches are in effect for Gumi, Yeongyang, Uljin and Yeongdeok. Residents of some areas of Andong, Cheongsong and Yeongyang were advised to evacuate due to the risk of flash floods. At 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Korea Forest Service raised its landslide advisory to the third highest 'caution' level not only for Sejong, Chungcheong and Gyeongsangbuk-do but also for the capital region including Seoul as well as for Gangwon, Jeollabuk-do and Daejeon regions.

"NO PENALTIES FOR JUNIOR DOCTORS"

[Anchor Lead]
In response to medical trainees who have left their posts for five months over the medical school expansion policy, the government has announced an exemption for about 10,000 resident doctors from administrative penalties. The government will lift penalties such as their license suspension. This decision prioritizes their return to address patient anxieties caused by the gap in medical services.

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The government has decided not to take administrative measures against striking trainee doctors. This came in a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Monday. The government had planned penalties for residents who left in February to protest the medical school expansion plan, but now says it is withdrawing them.

[Soundbite]
Cho Kyoo-hong (Minister of Health and Welfare): In order to minimize the inconveniences of patients and people, the govt will maintain and strengthen the emergency medical service system. We will do our best to have dialogue with doctors. We will promote a medical reform that put healthcare services on track in provincial regions.

It will also ease related restrictions and allow resigned trainee doctors to take tests hospitals will hold in the second half of this year to hire new trainee doctors. This means the government will revise a current rule banning trainee doctors from returning to the same department and grade within a year after resignation. The government believes that encouraging the voluntary return of residents is the best way to prioritize patient safety and address the prolonged medical service gap. But it remains uncertain how many striking trainee doctors will return even after the government makes the conciliatory move. According to the government, just eight percent of trainee doctors showed up for work as of last week. Most residents have neither returned to work nor resigned, leaving things at a standstill.

LEE JAE-MYUNG AND WIFE SUMMONED

[Anchor Lead]
The prosecution, investigating allegations of corporate credit card misuse during Lee Jae-myung's tenure as Gyeonggi-do Province governor, has summoned Lee and his spouse. The allegations claim they personally used the provincial budget for purchases like sandwiches and fruits. If Lee attends, it will be his seventh appearance for questioning.

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The Suwon District Prosecutors Office last Thursday notified former Democratic Party chair Lee Jae-myung and his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, to appear for questioning over breach of duty charges. The date of questioning has yet to be determined. Sources say it will be negotiated further. The allegation of credit card misuse during Lee's tenure as the governor of Gyeonggi-do Province was initially reported to the media by former Gyeonggi-do provincial public official Cho Myoung-hyun. He said Lee and his wife used the provincial budget for personal shopping by having a public official surnamed Bae pay for their errands, such as buying sandwiches and fruits, with the provincial government's corporate credit card over a course of one year from 2018 when Lee was serving as the provincial governor. Police launched a probe and later transferred the case to prosecutors. Police said the suspected credit card amount used by Bae in this manner reached 20 million won, or around 14,000 dollars in today's currency.

[Soundbite]
Cho Myoung-hyun (Former Gyeonggi-do Prov. official (Oct. 2023)): What Lee and his wife committed is not simply a misdemeanor and it must not be condoned. It's clearly a crime.

It's the first time the prosecutors summoned Lee for questioning over the credit card misuse allegation. If the former DP leader appears for questioning, it will be his seventh appearance at the prosecutors' office after the previous interrogations into the allegations of Seongnam FC illegal donations and Wirye and Daejangdong land development projects. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office said the appearance notice is just a legally based investigative procedure and its sole purpose is to hear Lee's testimony and give him a chance to explain his stance. Bae, who served as Kim Hye-kyung's secretary, was indicted for allegedly violating the Public Official Election Act in relation to the corporate credit card misuse, and was sentenced to ten months in prison with two-year probation.

PPP LEADERSHIP RACE SPARKS FEUD

[Anchor Lead]
The controversy over People Power Party candidate Han Dong-hoon, accused of ignoring First Lady Kim Keon-hee's text, is escalating. Amid calls for his withdrawal, Han's camp alleges party interference. The party's election commission has stepped in. The presidential office has urged keeping the president out of the leadership race.

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Amid disputes over former People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon ignoring First Lady Kim Keon-hee's text messages, some non-lawmaker party heads planned, then canceled, a press conference to demand Han withdraw his bid for the party chairmanship. There were also revelations that they had asked other party members about participation in the press conference. Han's camp labeled it a second petition campaign against him and raised suspicions of party interference from the top office.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Candidate for PPP chair (July 6, SBS' YouTube channel)): Creating and spreading such stories is dangerous, as many may see it as abnormal interference in the party convention or party affairs.

Another candidate, Won Hee-ryong, called Han's use of the term petition campaign inflammatory, urging the release of the text messages and an apology instead of accusing others of interfering in party affairs.

[Soundbite]
Won Hee-ryong (Candidate for PPP chair): How can the party and top office recover their relationship if this becomes a dispute over interference?

Calling it a clash between factions, Na Kyung-won, who is also running for the chair position, highlighted Han's misjudgment in handling the first lady's text messages.

[Soundbite]
Na Kyung-won (Candidate for PPP chair): It made us realize that some prioritize personal interests over the party and that a party leader needs better political judgment.

Another candidate, Yoon Sang-hyun, also criticized Han, that conflict between the party and top office would destroy them both in the current situation.

[Soundbite]
Yoon Sang-hyun (Candidate for PPP chair): Both interpret party interference and misconduct in their own self-serving ways. They should reflect on themselves.

A senior presidential official said there was no interference in the party convention and urged not to involve the presidential office in the party's election campaign. The party's election commission also warned that it will sternly deal with any acts that can damage internal integration of the party. Starting Monday in the Honam and Jeju regions, the PPP will begin its election schedule with regional joint speeches and five televised debates for the party leader.

K-POP CHOREOGRAPHY COPYRIGHTS

[Anchor Lead]
For those who know, one of the key aspects of K-pop its choreography. Recently, the global craze for ‘dance challenges’ on social media has fueled K-pop's popularity. But unlike songs, choreographers who come up with all the moves actually don't receive any financial compensation for their creations. We look into why.

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Psy's horse dance rocked the world in 2012. The move seems simple but the idea didn't come out of the blue.

[Soundbite]
Lee Ju-sun ('Gangnam Style' Choreographer): There was no hand gesture when I first thought of the dance. And then the steps came to me.

K-pop captivated the world with music you watch.

[Soundbite]
Choi Young-jun (K-pop Choreographer): We used to learn choreography from the U.S., considered the home of dance and hip hop. These days more people turn to Korea instead.

Lately, dance challenge fads are sweeping the world. People upload videos of them dancing key moves from a song on their social media sites. Profits from music streaming over the past ten years grew four folds to over 400 billion won or some 290 million U.S. dollars. But choreographers don't see any money coming to them.

[Soundbite]
Park Jin-ik (Attorney): Profit automatically goes to music copyright holders. It doesn't work the same way for choreography.

[Soundbite]
Lia Kim (Choreographer): We choreograph the moves, but 100% of the ad profit goes to the music copyright holders.

Contracting practices of management agencies are undermining the choreographers from obtaining copyrights.

[Soundbite]
Back Koo-young (Choreographer): All agencies have a clause that turns choreography copyrights over to the agencies.

Choreographers plan to establish an organization to protect their copyrights and the government is to devise associated measures and a standard contract.

[Soundbite]
Poppin Hyunjoon (Choreographer): If there's a law that guarantees and protects our rights, this industry will be completely different.

RED GINSENG APPEALS TO WORLD

[Anchor Lead]
The global craze for K-Food is now sweeping through South Korea's native health supplement, red ginseng. A strategy to reduce its bitterness has resonated well with Western palates.

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Foreigners are surprised by the bitterness of hongsam or red ginseng.

[Soundbite]
"So strong~~"

The reactions are totally different from this video from two years ago. Hongsam products dominate the top ranks in Amazon's health supplement category and their sales at Costco are growing more than 20% every year.

[Soundbite]
Kien (California resident, U.S.)

This year, Korean red ginseng also entered premium U.S. retail stores that primarily handle eco-friendly and organic products. This is the first time that a Korean health supplement occupied a space at this American retailer. Leveraging the advantage of being a caffeine-free, herbal-based health food, hongsam's bitterness was reduced to suit local tastes.

[Soundbite]
Lee Heung-sil (Korea Ginseng Corporation): Despite its excellent ingredients and functions, we thought a better-tasting hongsam would appeal more to American consumers.

Meanwhile, grapefruit-flavored hongsam has been introduced to the Japanese market. Korea keeps developing hongsam products added with flavors that are familiar to foreigners, such as lemon or pomegranate. Interest in Korean health foods is spiking in the global health supplement market, which grew exponentially in the post-pandemic era.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jong-won (Korea Health Functional Food Assoc.): Korean culture or Korean food is expanding the scope of health supplements and has a lot to do with gaining popularity among consumers.

Hongsam is undergoing change to suit the tastes of people around the world. Venturing out to the global market is no longer a choice, but an inevitable challenge Korea has to face.

PSY FANS FAINT AT HIS CONCERT

[Anchor Lead]
Now turning to cultural news. Singer Psy's annual concert, also known as the 'Summer Swag', is once again causing concern. This time, it's about the safety of the audience. Here are the details.

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People started fainting at Psy's concert in Gwangju. The Gwangju Fire Headquarters announced that four people were sent to the hospital after suffering from dehydration during Psy's Summer Swag concert held at the World Cup Stadium in Gwangju last Saturday. Seventy-eight other spectators who complained of heat-related symptoms were given salt or necessary treatment at the concert. Psy's Summer Swag has been his most iconic annual summer concert since 2011. He has been touring nine cities across the nation since June 29th. The signature events of this summer festival involves spraying a vast amount of water at the spectators. The excessive use of water sparked controversy when Psy went ahead with the concerts in the midst of such disasters as serious droughts or the pandemic.