KORUS FTA

[Anchor Lead]
Korean Ambassador to Washington Han Duck-soo says he expects progress in the additional talks with the U.S. regarding the bilateral free trade agreement before the Group of 20 Seoul summit opens next month. Han says whatever progress is made should be accepted by both sides.

[Pkg]
Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Han Duck-soo has ruled out renegotiation of the bilateral free trade deal. But he also told a parliamentary inquiry into the Korean Embassy in Washington that a solution can be found before next month's G20 summit in Seoul. On if Seoul will make more concessions to Washington, Han says the terms of the deal must be acceptable to both sides.

[Soundbite] Han Duk-soo (Korean Ambassador to U.S): The two sides will discuss a mutually acceptable plan. The format may be a creative one which however won't pursue further market opening.

The ambassador was also grilled on fighting personnel management corruption within the Foreign Ministry and the potential side effects of excessive Korean reliance on the U.S.

[Soundbite] Lee Yoon-sung (Grand National Party): The Foreign Ministry has reeked with corruption. It's said that everything was done as one wanted.

[Soundbite] Moon Hee-Sang (Democratic Party): We must be attentive to losses Seoul may burden in the sharing of defense cost.

On North Korea's power succession process, Han says that because the process is ongoing, the U.S. is observing it and analyzing the impact.

2. Foreign Currency

[Anchor Lead]
Competition for setting the agenda of the G20 summit in Seoul is heating up amongst member-nations as each country wants to pursue its own interests. The discussion of the foreign currency issue will be inevitable at the summit given its gravity.

[Pkg]
The foreign currency issue has shaken the global economy recently. But even the IMF and the World Bank failed to include it in their joint statement at their latest annual meeting. Industrialized nations have continuously raised the issue because China's trade has been recording a massive surplus thanks to the Chinese government's currency intervention. At the upcoming G20 summit in Seoul, the foreign currency issue will likely top the agenda. South Korea's stance is closer to that of China, because Korea is also an emerging economy. But as the host-nation of the summit, it cannot blindly pursue its own interests.

[Soundbite] Yoon Jeung-hyun (Minister of Strategy & Finance): We'll stress the importance of collaboration, reconciliation and compromise because each nation has its own interests.

The foreign currency issue will likely be discussed when world leaders discuss collaboration in achieving sustainable and balanced growth. Concerns that the upcoming G20 summit could become a venue of the "currency war" are rising, placing a heavy burden on Korea as the host-nation.

3. Farmers' Strike

[Anchor Lead]
Farmers have staged a one-day strike as the price of rice continues to drop. In certain areas, farmers have even plowed up their own rice paddies in protest of the plummeting prices.

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] Resume rice aid to North Korea immediately!

Combiners at this rice field stand still even though it's harvest season. Farmers in Boseong County, South Jeolla Province, stage a one-day strike as the price of rice continues to fall. Instead of celebrating their harvest, they're worried about ending up in debt.

[Soundbite] Gwon Yong-sik (Head, Boseong Farmers Assn.): If you ignore farmers' right to live, you have to deal with their anger.

Rice is sold at 115 U.S. dollars per 80 kilograms on farms. That's down nearly 20 percent from last year. Farmers blame the government for worsening the situation by suspending rice aid to North Korea and taking its time paying farmers after buying rice. Farmers in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, even plowed up their rice paddies in protest of the plunging price of rice.

[Soundbite] Jo Yong-u (Rice Farmer): Prices of rice have remained almost unchanged over the past 20 years.

The falling price of rice due to oversupply has farmers worried instead of happy in this year's harvest season.

4. Cabbage Prices

[Anchor Lead]
Although cabbage prices are stabilizing, people are still worried about making their own kimchi for the upcoming winter season. The National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, or Nong-hyup, sold cabbages at 1 dollar and 80 cents per head through an online reservation system, which lead to an instant sell out of the product.

[Pkg]
Phone calls begin to pour in from 10 a.m.

[Soundbite] Hello, this is Nonghyup. / Yes I'd like to place orders to buy cabbage.

After one phone call, the phone immediately rings again.

[Soundbite] Can I buy one more batch in my daughter's name? / We're sorry but it's only one order per customer.

Online orders also surged with 300-thousand cabbages sold out in seven minutes. People can place orders through October 21st. 300-thousand cabbages are sold daily for a total of three million cabbages.

[Soundbite] Kim Byeong-su (Nonghyup): There have been some difficulties in the online order process. We'll improve it for customers to easily fill in the information.

But recently, cabbage prices which have skyrocketed have noticeably fallen. The wholesale price of a cabbage head dropped 30 percent within a day from 4 dollars 70 cents to 3 dollars 40 cents. The retail price also fell from 11.60 dollars to 7.60. Government-imported Chinese cabbages will also begin sale next week and prices are expected to further stabilize.

5. Per Capita GDP

[Anchor Lead]
Per capita income in Korea is at the 20-thousand U.S. dollar level this year. However, based on purchasing power, the figure then rises to 30-thousand dollars. The purchasing power of Koreans is similar to that of the Japanese due to lower prices in Korea.

[Pkg]
A bowl of noodles costs more than six dollars at this Seoul restaurant, but Japanese tourists hardly mind. A stuffed pancake goes for just 40 cents on the street, a price unimaginable in Japan.

[Soundbite] (Japanese Tourist): The cost here is only a third or half of prices in Japan. It's really cheap.

For the same money, a person can buy 2 1/2 burgers in Korea but just one in Norway. Lower prices of food and commodities in Korea translate into stronger purchasing power for the same income. Korea's per capita income is around 20-thousand dollars this year but is closer to 30-thousand dollars based on purchasing power parity. Japan's per capita income is 42-thousand dollars but real purchasing power is just 4-thousand dollars higher than Korea's. The Korean Strategy and Finance Ministry attributes this to lower utility costs, food prices and service charges than in more advanced economies.

[Soundbite] Kang Jung-gu (LG Economic Research Institute): Inflation in Korea is lower than in other industrialized nations and the Korean currency is also undervalued.

The International Monetary Fund says Korea's per capita income based on purchasing power parity will reach 38-thousand dollars by 2015 in inching closer to Japan's 40-thousand dollars.

6. Type Restored

[Anchor Lead]
Forty-four metal printing types of the Joseon Dynasty have been restored and will soon be shown to the public. The unveiling of the types is expected to contribute to publicizing Korea's superb ancient printing technologies to the world.

[Pkg]
The printing type of King Sejong the Great, which he created in memory of his wife, has been reborn into a metal type. Forty-four ancient printing types that were regarded as missing have been restored by masters and experts. They include printing types with records about Joseon's geography and living customs, Joseon's first metal type "gyemija," and the annals of the 15-year reign of King Hyeongjong, who was the 18th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty.

[Soundbite] Prof. Nam Gwon-hui (Kyungpook National Univ.): We focused on restoring the types based on theories and principles.

The majority of the printing types were produced by the royal court. They were used to publish annals and handbooks. The printing types were restored according to a traditional method using foundry clay and rusty water.

[Soundbite] Im In-ho (Important Intangible Cultural Asset): "Yongjaechonghwa" describes how the gyemija type was produced during King Seongjong's reign.

The metal types were not just duplicated but restored based on the ancient casting and typesetting methods, which continue to stun the world to this day.

[Soundbite] Hwang Jeong-ha (Cheongju Early Printing Museum): We restored Korean metal types based on the relics of the Joseon Dynasty.

The centuries-old metal types of the Joseon Dynasty will soon be shown to the public.

7. PIFF GV Movies

[Anchor Lead]
A major feature of the Pusan International Film Festival is the meetings between the fans and the directors and cast of the movies screened. These Q&A events make those particular films at the event the most popular.

[Pkg]
The director and actors come out on stage after the screening of their film. The audience applaud the popular director and cast, who hail from Thailand. Then a slew of questions about the film is asked.

[Soundbite] (Audience Member): A underground secret society closely connected with politicians was depicted in the movie. Is it the same in the original work?

The director wins over the audience by answering even the heaviest questions with wit.

[Soundbite] Wisit Sasanatieng (Director, "The Red Eagle"): I think politicians are the most evil people in the world. Of course, I can say this because I'm in Korea.

Among the films screened at the Pusan International Film Festival, those marked "GV" on the program feature sessions in which the audience can speak to the director and cast after their movie ends. Because of this, such films sell out the fastest.

[Soundbite] It's great that I can ask the director why he did certain things with the film I've been wondering on the spot.

Those who cannot get tickets for a GV film can still take part in the Q&A session after the movie.

8. Record Setters

[Anchor Lead]
Setting a new record is a significant accomplishment not only in the contemporary era, but also for the coming generations. The record setters of various feats have gathered from all over Gyeonggi Province. Let’s take a look.

[Pkg]
This unusually shaped, bright blue truck is a 65-year-old GMC. It was made in 1945, the year of Korean independence. It's the oldest truck in Gyeonggi Province. Inside, there are marks of the old age in repair and repainting. Gauge boards and some parts are missing but the truck is still running strong, transporting wood nationwide.

[Soundbite] Kim Chang-ha (Truck Owner): After driving for almost 3 days, I repair the truck for another 3 days.

This is a downhill road, looking from both in and out of a car. But this car rolls up the hill with its engines off. It's one of the roads, with illusionary effects caused by the landscape, that also exist on Jeju Island.

[Soundbite] The car moves more slowly on the similar road on Jeju Island. Here, it's faster.

This chair located inside an apartment complex looks too big for a person. It is a super chair that appears in the Korean Guinness book of records. Mr. Kim Do-seon is the oldest man in Gyeonggi Province at 108 years old. Gam Jeong-su and his wife Ham Eun-jo have eleven children, five sons and six daughters. The youngest hair stylist in the province, 9 year old Lee In-ju, also has her name in the Gyeonggi book of records. The Guinness book of Gyeonggi records holds 121 titles. The province published this book for the first time this year. It will continue to discover more incredible, but outstanidng, records.

9. Deodeok Benefits

[Anchor Lead]
Seasons are now changing and many people may think that having nutritional supplements or health boosters are necessary. Medicinal health boosters are good. But taking in the right nutrients through proper foods naturally is actually better for you. In Korea, it is now is the season of deodeok or co-do-nop-sis lance-o-lata. Deodeok is a perennial, flowering plant that is part of the bonnet bellflower family. Here’s more on the nutritional benefits of deodeok.

[Pkg]
Many hikers come to Mt. Yongmun in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. They bring their own tools with a purpose.

[Soundbite] We're going to find deodeok.

People say that one can smell deodeok from a distance.

[Soundbite] I smell deodeok. How about you?

People follow the scent to reach a site where deodeok is known to grow aplenty. They all pour their focus and energy into digging out the plant. With plenty to go around, the deodeok is soon found here and there, much to the excitement of the diggers.

[Soundbite] I love the bittersweet smell.

Deodeok looks like ginseng. But it is thicker, bigger and firmer. Deodeok is renowned for its great nutritional benefits. The roots are the best part in particular, since they contain a good deal of saponin, a natural immunity booster. Like wild ginseng, deodeok is better when it is aged.

[Soundbite] Cho Nam-sang (Deodeok Farmer): Aged deodeok has lots of wrinkles and vestiges of sprouts.

Sticky sap is seen in good deodeok when it is split into two. People look pleased as they dig out as much of the good deodeok they want.

[Soundbite] This is the famous deodeok mustache.

A kilogram of deodeok costs up to 88 U.S. dollars in the market. But here, people can buy it for 26 dollars. The smell and taste of fresh deodeok are most potent when it is eaten raw on the spot. Shake off dirt and wash deodeok in the stream. And dip it into hot pepper paste gochujang and take a bite. The mouth will then be filled with the bittersweet taste of fresh deodeok. The smell of deodeok gets richer when it is cooked with rice. But don't peel off the deodeok skin.

[Soundbite] Jeong I-an (Oriental Medicine Doctor): Deodeok contains lots of nutrients underneath its skin. Don't peel off the skin. Just wash it thoroughly.

Here is a bowl of hot deodeok rice. The scent of deodeok fills the air.

[Soundbite] I love deodeok's smell.

The most popular dish made with the plant is deodeok gui, in which the root is marinated in gochujang and then grilled. Deodeok and gochujang are a good match, since the hot pepper paste is rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is not contained in deodeok. Deodeok juice is a good snack. You can make this by blending together deodeok root with milk and grain powder. The modernized versions of these deodeok dishes offer new, unique tastes. The fall is the best season to enjoy deodeok. Don't miss the chance to try this natural health booster.