[Anchor Lead]
A parliamentary committee has held a general meeting for the first time since opposition lawmakers began occupying the committee's conference room. Rival political parties remain at loggerheads over the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.
[Pkg]
The National Assembly committee on foreign affairs and trade convenes a general meeting in another room. Opposition lawmakers occupy its main conference room. Ruling and opposition legislators first pass a budget bill for next year. They then begin a heated dispute over the investor-state dispute provision in the free trade deal with the U.S. Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan has ruled out holding a renegotiation with the U.S. on removing the provision.
[Soundbite]Kim Sung-Hwan (Foreign Affairs & Trade Minister): “It’s next to impossible for the government to hold new negotiations with the U.S. over the ISD provision.”
Korea and the U.S. agreed last month to set up a service investment committee. So Kim says discussing or correcting problems stemming from the investor-state dispute provision is possible, Seoul's rejection of renegotiation with Washington has caused Korea's ruling and opposition parties to remain divided over ratification of the deal.
[Soundbite]Yoo Ki-june (Congressman, Grand National Party): “The parties are wasting time over the matter; it's not going to happen.”
[Soundbite]Lew Seon-ho (Congressman, Democratic Party): “We're never going to agree with the ratification unless the ISD provision is removed from the trade pact.”
Certain ruling party lawmakers are urging National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae to invoke his authority to put the agreement to a vote. But Park is turning a deaf ear to this request.
2. Job Growth
[Anchor Lead]
Despite the global economic recession, in Korea hundreds of thousands more people landed jobs last month compared with the same period a year ago.
[Pkg]
This job fair was organized by a district government in Seoul. This large shopping mall plans to hire 2,500 new salespeople. It received more than four thousand visitors on Wednesday alone.
[Soundbite]Kim Seong-guk (Hiring Company Official): “About 20 to 30 people have visited us and there's no problem hiring about six of them.”
Last month, the number of employed people rose 501-thousand year-on-year as a result of robust hiring in the service sector. The number surpassed the 500,000 mark for the first time in 17 months.
[Soundbite]Bahk Jae-wan (Strategy & Finance Minister): “You can say, using the latest expression, that it's a giant hit.”
Employment in the wholesale and retail, lodging, dining and service sectors has surged, whereas in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors it has declined. The number of employed people in their 30s was down 66,000. Among those in their 50s and 60s, employment has surged, with 300,000 more people in their 50s landing jobs. As a result, the October unemployment rate fell to 2.9 percent. The rate fell below the 3 percent mark for the first time since November 2002.
[Soundbite]Yun Sang-ha (LG Economic Research Institute): “Considering the worsening external economic facts and the possibility of low domestic demand, the growth in the number of employees may slow down in the future.”
But the employment rate of people in their 20s and 30s has either declined or remained unchanged, pointing to severe youth unemployment in the nation.
3. Photo Tech
[Anchor Lead]
Police have caught a man who allegedly held up 12 convenience stores in the Seoul metropolitan area wearing a hood and mask. State-of-the-art technology has turned a blurry photo of the suspect's car into decisive evidence that helped catch him.
[Pkg]
A masked armed robber enters a convenience store. He threatens the cashier with a weapon, takes the equivalent of 440 U.S. dollars from the cash register, and leaves. The man hides his identity through his hood and mask.
[Soundbite](Convenience Store Owner (Voice Modified)): “I don't remember exactly. Who wouldn't be scared in that situation?”
The suspect did the same in Bucheon and Incheon. He's known to have held up 12 convenience stores over the past three months. His car was caught by a nearby surveillance camera installed to monitor a former president's home. The license plates came out in the video footage.
[Soundbite]Supt. Choe Jong-sang (Mapo Police Station): “It used to be hard to identify (the numbers) with the naked eyes because the image was captured while the car was moving.”
The National Institute of Scientific Investigation has developed technology to magnify and clarify images from surveillance cameras. This was the breakthrough that helped catch the armed robber. A clear image of the license plate was obtained after 24 hours and delivered to police. Investigators tracked down the registration record of the car and caught the suspect three months after his crime spree began. Police ask the crime investigation think tank to clarify 100 surveillance camera images a year in Seoul alone.
4. College Shutdown
[Anchor Lead]
In the wake of the Ministry of Education announcement that Sunghwa College and Myungshin University are to be closed, students and faculty are in shock. Classes are not running normally and local businesses are also taking a hit.
[Pkg]
Fall semester hasn't ended but lecture halls are empty. At the announcement of the school's shutdown, classes have all stopped. It's not easy to transfer students to another college.
[Soundbite]Chae Min-hyeon (Student, Sunghwa College): “It's got no runways, but we have planes and a runway. It's not fair to let us transfer to that school.”
About 180 faculty members of Seonghwa and Myungshin Universities are on the verge of losing jobs. Educational facilities worth millions of dollars are to be abandoned.
[Soundbite]Prof. An Gyeong-su (Sunghwa College): “A large budget was invested and it was built with students' tuition; but now, it's useless.”
Local businesses are also seeing a big blow. Half of some 40 local businesses including restaurants and poolrooms have gone out of business with the drop of student customers. What will be done with the school buildings after the schools' shutdown is another issue. The buildings of former Kwangju Arts University in Naju which was closed in 2000 still remains abandoned for more than a decade. The university shutdown is causing repercussions among students and faculty members and dwindling local economy.
5. Olle Festival
[Anchor Lead]
Korea's leading tourist island is hosting a trekking festival. Hikers are flocking in enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jeju Island in late fall while walking along the Olle path.
[Pkg]
Korean and foreign tourists climb a hill 300 meters above sea level. A small concert awaits trekkers who reach the peak. Only trekkers on the so-called olle path can see the concert against the backdrop of a panoramic ocean view overlooking Jeju Island.
[Soundbite]Melissa Taylor (American)
Some 1,000 people braved the drizzling rain to attend this year's olle trekking festival, the second of its kind. Visitors are greeted by refreshing cultural events when they feel tired from the long walk. They are attracted by a traditional cultural show about Jeju's female divers. The hikers regain the energy to march again on a full stomach. The trekking festival is a good opportunity to promote Jeju at home and abroad ahead of the selection of the world's seven most beautiful regions. The festival ends Saturday.
6. K-Food Boom
[Anchor Lead]
K-pop is spreading around the world. And with the spotlight on the music, the interest in Korean food is growing as well.
[Pkg]
Contestants are mincing Korean hot peppers and mix the seasonings. The dishes they're preparing are pumpkin porridge called hobak tarakjuk and thinly sliced pancake wraps eaten with vegetable fillings called gujeolpan. These are part of the traditional royal court cuisine of Korea. Many different recipes have been presented including dakgalbi, or spicy marinated chicken, and soy bean paste stew called deonjangjjigae. Dishes such as noodle dish jabchae and sugar filled pancakes hoddeok also appeared.
[Soundbite]Jesse Day (American): “They said, "Yukhoe for free!" So I said thank you and kept eating.”
Korean dishes are gaining more attention because they are more healthy. Amid the Korean Wave, exports of Korean farm and food products have increased nearly 30 percent.
[Soundbite]Kim Jae-su (CEO, Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.): “We exported US$5.9 billion last year and this year we're going to export agriculture and food products worth $7.6 billion.”
The Korean Wave in the food industry, dubbed K-Food, is having tourists open their purses. Laver is selling like hot cakes among Japanese visitors.
[Soundbite]Gato (Japanese Tourist): “It's good. There's no seaweed in Japan that tastes like this.”
At the food section of this department store, eight out of ten customers buying kimchi are tourists from China or Japan. The Korean food fever is spreading worldwide.
7. Sweet Snacks
[Anchor Lead]
Hundreds of thousands of high school students took Korea's national college entrance exam today. Many students snack on chocolate and candy while studying for the big exam. Sweets do help relieve anxiety and stimulate the brain, but can also have a downside.
[Pkg]
A large variety of chocolates attracts shoppers. They're popular as good-luck gifts for national college entrance exam takers as the sweetness helps relieve nervousness. Sweets like chocolate and candy do help enhance scholastic ability because they contain a large amount of sugar that activates brain activity.
But nutritionists say don't eat too much of them. Insulin maintains normal sugar level in the body. Overproduction of insulin can cause lethargy and drowsiness. The recommended daily allowance for an average adult is 40 to 50 grams.
[Soundbite]Prof. Im Gyeong-suk (University of Suwon): “Since it contains lots of sugar, it increases the blood sugar level quickly. The hormone called insulin is produced to lower the blood sugar level and it causes you to get into a bad mood.”
Seasonal fruits like tangerines or apples are preferable as they contain sugar as well as vitamin C, which is good for relieving fatigue.
8. Helping Hands
[Anchor Lead]
Negative local sentiment is growing against the United States Forces Korea in the wake of a string of crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. But some American soldiers are fighting the negativity by volunteering as coal briquette delivery men to help their Korean neighbors in need.
[Pkg]
Early in the morning, men in military uniforms gather at a flobhouse neighborhood in Yeongdeungpo. They put on plastic coats and gloves and are passing over charcoal briquettes. U.S. soldiers based in Yongsan Seoul are volunteering. Forming a long line though the narrow alleys, they keep passing down the charcoal briquettes. Currently, concerns are rising in Korea over crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. Peter Cha has returned to Korea as a commissioned officer after immigrating to the U.S. with his parents at age five. Captain Cha says he wants to make friends in Korea.
[Soundbite]Cpt. Peter Cha (United States Forces Korea)
The residents of neighborhood are thankful.
[Soundbite] “This way, we can use three (briquettes) a day. We can stay much warmer and won't catch a cold.”
This year, a total of 4,000 briquettes were delivered to help the neighbors stay warm this winter.
9. English Fever
[Anchor Lead]
Learning English is an obsession in Korea, and whether or not you do well on English tests can determine which college you get into and which job you get. Nowadays, kids start learning English in kindergarten or even earlier. In this intense environment, some mothers are studying so they can help their kids get a leg up.
[Pkg]
Won Mi-hui has a three and four year old. Her biggest interest these days is English.
[Soundbite] “I'm not good at English and neither are my kids. So let’s just say that we're learning little by little together.”
Her efforts to help her kids learn English can be seen all around the house.
[Soundbite] “I know words like "sugar" or "salt." But other things like chopped green onion and chopped garlic are hard to express. So I stick them up and explain to my child while I’m working that we’re having things like doenjang jjigae and fried fish.”
Accordingly, she has bought thousands of English books. Simple conversations are all spoken in English.
[Soundbite] “It's great, as my child can learn everyday English naturally. And it's a bit embarrassing for me but if I have the chance to go abroad, I'll be able to speak English naturally with people there.”
Like her, many mothers have begun studying English themselves to help out their children. Mothers are taking an English class at this language institute. After class, several remain and have a chat in English.
[Soundbite] “As my child grows, she'll do better in English than me. I got scared of having to say "I don't know" when she asked me something. It hurts my pride.”
Kim Yeong-sil's daughter is now in elementary school. Kim learns English at a language institute to help her daughter with her studies. While doing the housework she carries her English notes. She doesn't have much time to study, so she uses every moment she can.
[Soundbite] “About 100 words? It's not that many because even after memorizing them I keep forgetting, so I try to memorize at least 100.”
After the rest of the family has gone to bed, the mother stays up to study English. Even her husband can’t stop her.
[Soundbite] “She studies till late in the night and wakes up early to listen to the radio. She studies that hard.”
She says trying to learn English can be stressful.
[Soundbite] “If I had studied like this when I was in school, I would’ve gone to Seoul National University or Harvard.”
Korean parents believe that studying English is not an option, and will go to great lengths so their kids don’t get left behind.
A parliamentary committee has held a general meeting for the first time since opposition lawmakers began occupying the committee's conference room. Rival political parties remain at loggerheads over the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.
[Pkg]
The National Assembly committee on foreign affairs and trade convenes a general meeting in another room. Opposition lawmakers occupy its main conference room. Ruling and opposition legislators first pass a budget bill for next year. They then begin a heated dispute over the investor-state dispute provision in the free trade deal with the U.S. Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan has ruled out holding a renegotiation with the U.S. on removing the provision.
[Soundbite]Kim Sung-Hwan (Foreign Affairs & Trade Minister): “It’s next to impossible for the government to hold new negotiations with the U.S. over the ISD provision.”
Korea and the U.S. agreed last month to set up a service investment committee. So Kim says discussing or correcting problems stemming from the investor-state dispute provision is possible, Seoul's rejection of renegotiation with Washington has caused Korea's ruling and opposition parties to remain divided over ratification of the deal.
[Soundbite]Yoo Ki-june (Congressman, Grand National Party): “The parties are wasting time over the matter; it's not going to happen.”
[Soundbite]Lew Seon-ho (Congressman, Democratic Party): “We're never going to agree with the ratification unless the ISD provision is removed from the trade pact.”
Certain ruling party lawmakers are urging National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae to invoke his authority to put the agreement to a vote. But Park is turning a deaf ear to this request.
2. Job Growth
[Anchor Lead]
Despite the global economic recession, in Korea hundreds of thousands more people landed jobs last month compared with the same period a year ago.
[Pkg]
This job fair was organized by a district government in Seoul. This large shopping mall plans to hire 2,500 new salespeople. It received more than four thousand visitors on Wednesday alone.
[Soundbite]Kim Seong-guk (Hiring Company Official): “About 20 to 30 people have visited us and there's no problem hiring about six of them.”
Last month, the number of employed people rose 501-thousand year-on-year as a result of robust hiring in the service sector. The number surpassed the 500,000 mark for the first time in 17 months.
[Soundbite]Bahk Jae-wan (Strategy & Finance Minister): “You can say, using the latest expression, that it's a giant hit.”
Employment in the wholesale and retail, lodging, dining and service sectors has surged, whereas in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors it has declined. The number of employed people in their 30s was down 66,000. Among those in their 50s and 60s, employment has surged, with 300,000 more people in their 50s landing jobs. As a result, the October unemployment rate fell to 2.9 percent. The rate fell below the 3 percent mark for the first time since November 2002.
[Soundbite]Yun Sang-ha (LG Economic Research Institute): “Considering the worsening external economic facts and the possibility of low domestic demand, the growth in the number of employees may slow down in the future.”
But the employment rate of people in their 20s and 30s has either declined or remained unchanged, pointing to severe youth unemployment in the nation.
3. Photo Tech
[Anchor Lead]
Police have caught a man who allegedly held up 12 convenience stores in the Seoul metropolitan area wearing a hood and mask. State-of-the-art technology has turned a blurry photo of the suspect's car into decisive evidence that helped catch him.
[Pkg]
A masked armed robber enters a convenience store. He threatens the cashier with a weapon, takes the equivalent of 440 U.S. dollars from the cash register, and leaves. The man hides his identity through his hood and mask.
[Soundbite](Convenience Store Owner (Voice Modified)): “I don't remember exactly. Who wouldn't be scared in that situation?”
The suspect did the same in Bucheon and Incheon. He's known to have held up 12 convenience stores over the past three months. His car was caught by a nearby surveillance camera installed to monitor a former president's home. The license plates came out in the video footage.
[Soundbite]Supt. Choe Jong-sang (Mapo Police Station): “It used to be hard to identify (the numbers) with the naked eyes because the image was captured while the car was moving.”
The National Institute of Scientific Investigation has developed technology to magnify and clarify images from surveillance cameras. This was the breakthrough that helped catch the armed robber. A clear image of the license plate was obtained after 24 hours and delivered to police. Investigators tracked down the registration record of the car and caught the suspect three months after his crime spree began. Police ask the crime investigation think tank to clarify 100 surveillance camera images a year in Seoul alone.
4. College Shutdown
[Anchor Lead]
In the wake of the Ministry of Education announcement that Sunghwa College and Myungshin University are to be closed, students and faculty are in shock. Classes are not running normally and local businesses are also taking a hit.
[Pkg]
Fall semester hasn't ended but lecture halls are empty. At the announcement of the school's shutdown, classes have all stopped. It's not easy to transfer students to another college.
[Soundbite]Chae Min-hyeon (Student, Sunghwa College): “It's got no runways, but we have planes and a runway. It's not fair to let us transfer to that school.”
About 180 faculty members of Seonghwa and Myungshin Universities are on the verge of losing jobs. Educational facilities worth millions of dollars are to be abandoned.
[Soundbite]Prof. An Gyeong-su (Sunghwa College): “A large budget was invested and it was built with students' tuition; but now, it's useless.”
Local businesses are also seeing a big blow. Half of some 40 local businesses including restaurants and poolrooms have gone out of business with the drop of student customers. What will be done with the school buildings after the schools' shutdown is another issue. The buildings of former Kwangju Arts University in Naju which was closed in 2000 still remains abandoned for more than a decade. The university shutdown is causing repercussions among students and faculty members and dwindling local economy.
5. Olle Festival
[Anchor Lead]
Korea's leading tourist island is hosting a trekking festival. Hikers are flocking in enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jeju Island in late fall while walking along the Olle path.
[Pkg]
Korean and foreign tourists climb a hill 300 meters above sea level. A small concert awaits trekkers who reach the peak. Only trekkers on the so-called olle path can see the concert against the backdrop of a panoramic ocean view overlooking Jeju Island.
[Soundbite]Melissa Taylor (American)
Some 1,000 people braved the drizzling rain to attend this year's olle trekking festival, the second of its kind. Visitors are greeted by refreshing cultural events when they feel tired from the long walk. They are attracted by a traditional cultural show about Jeju's female divers. The hikers regain the energy to march again on a full stomach. The trekking festival is a good opportunity to promote Jeju at home and abroad ahead of the selection of the world's seven most beautiful regions. The festival ends Saturday.
6. K-Food Boom
[Anchor Lead]
K-pop is spreading around the world. And with the spotlight on the music, the interest in Korean food is growing as well.
[Pkg]
Contestants are mincing Korean hot peppers and mix the seasonings. The dishes they're preparing are pumpkin porridge called hobak tarakjuk and thinly sliced pancake wraps eaten with vegetable fillings called gujeolpan. These are part of the traditional royal court cuisine of Korea. Many different recipes have been presented including dakgalbi, or spicy marinated chicken, and soy bean paste stew called deonjangjjigae. Dishes such as noodle dish jabchae and sugar filled pancakes hoddeok also appeared.
[Soundbite]Jesse Day (American): “They said, "Yukhoe for free!" So I said thank you and kept eating.”
Korean dishes are gaining more attention because they are more healthy. Amid the Korean Wave, exports of Korean farm and food products have increased nearly 30 percent.
[Soundbite]Kim Jae-su (CEO, Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.): “We exported US$5.9 billion last year and this year we're going to export agriculture and food products worth $7.6 billion.”
The Korean Wave in the food industry, dubbed K-Food, is having tourists open their purses. Laver is selling like hot cakes among Japanese visitors.
[Soundbite]Gato (Japanese Tourist): “It's good. There's no seaweed in Japan that tastes like this.”
At the food section of this department store, eight out of ten customers buying kimchi are tourists from China or Japan. The Korean food fever is spreading worldwide.
7. Sweet Snacks
[Anchor Lead]
Hundreds of thousands of high school students took Korea's national college entrance exam today. Many students snack on chocolate and candy while studying for the big exam. Sweets do help relieve anxiety and stimulate the brain, but can also have a downside.
[Pkg]
A large variety of chocolates attracts shoppers. They're popular as good-luck gifts for national college entrance exam takers as the sweetness helps relieve nervousness. Sweets like chocolate and candy do help enhance scholastic ability because they contain a large amount of sugar that activates brain activity.
But nutritionists say don't eat too much of them. Insulin maintains normal sugar level in the body. Overproduction of insulin can cause lethargy and drowsiness. The recommended daily allowance for an average adult is 40 to 50 grams.
[Soundbite]Prof. Im Gyeong-suk (University of Suwon): “Since it contains lots of sugar, it increases the blood sugar level quickly. The hormone called insulin is produced to lower the blood sugar level and it causes you to get into a bad mood.”
Seasonal fruits like tangerines or apples are preferable as they contain sugar as well as vitamin C, which is good for relieving fatigue.
8. Helping Hands
[Anchor Lead]
Negative local sentiment is growing against the United States Forces Korea in the wake of a string of crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. But some American soldiers are fighting the negativity by volunteering as coal briquette delivery men to help their Korean neighbors in need.
[Pkg]
Early in the morning, men in military uniforms gather at a flobhouse neighborhood in Yeongdeungpo. They put on plastic coats and gloves and are passing over charcoal briquettes. U.S. soldiers based in Yongsan Seoul are volunteering. Forming a long line though the narrow alleys, they keep passing down the charcoal briquettes. Currently, concerns are rising in Korea over crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. Peter Cha has returned to Korea as a commissioned officer after immigrating to the U.S. with his parents at age five. Captain Cha says he wants to make friends in Korea.
[Soundbite]Cpt. Peter Cha (United States Forces Korea)
The residents of neighborhood are thankful.
[Soundbite] “This way, we can use three (briquettes) a day. We can stay much warmer and won't catch a cold.”
This year, a total of 4,000 briquettes were delivered to help the neighbors stay warm this winter.
9. English Fever
[Anchor Lead]
Learning English is an obsession in Korea, and whether or not you do well on English tests can determine which college you get into and which job you get. Nowadays, kids start learning English in kindergarten or even earlier. In this intense environment, some mothers are studying so they can help their kids get a leg up.
[Pkg]
Won Mi-hui has a three and four year old. Her biggest interest these days is English.
[Soundbite] “I'm not good at English and neither are my kids. So let’s just say that we're learning little by little together.”
Her efforts to help her kids learn English can be seen all around the house.
[Soundbite] “I know words like "sugar" or "salt." But other things like chopped green onion and chopped garlic are hard to express. So I stick them up and explain to my child while I’m working that we’re having things like doenjang jjigae and fried fish.”
Accordingly, she has bought thousands of English books. Simple conversations are all spoken in English.
[Soundbite] “It's great, as my child can learn everyday English naturally. And it's a bit embarrassing for me but if I have the chance to go abroad, I'll be able to speak English naturally with people there.”
Like her, many mothers have begun studying English themselves to help out their children. Mothers are taking an English class at this language institute. After class, several remain and have a chat in English.
[Soundbite] “As my child grows, she'll do better in English than me. I got scared of having to say "I don't know" when she asked me something. It hurts my pride.”
Kim Yeong-sil's daughter is now in elementary school. Kim learns English at a language institute to help her daughter with her studies. While doing the housework she carries her English notes. She doesn't have much time to study, so she uses every moment she can.
[Soundbite] “About 100 words? It's not that many because even after memorizing them I keep forgetting, so I try to memorize at least 100.”
After the rest of the family has gone to bed, the mother stays up to study English. Even her husband can’t stop her.
[Soundbite] “She studies till late in the night and wakes up early to listen to the radio. She studies that hard.”
She says trying to learn English can be stressful.
[Soundbite] “If I had studied like this when I was in school, I would’ve gone to Seoul National University or Harvard.”
Korean parents believe that studying English is not an option, and will go to great lengths so their kids don’t get left behind.
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- FTA Battle
-
- 입력 2011-11-10 17:48:26
[Anchor Lead]
A parliamentary committee has held a general meeting for the first time since opposition lawmakers began occupying the committee's conference room. Rival political parties remain at loggerheads over the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.
[Pkg]
The National Assembly committee on foreign affairs and trade convenes a general meeting in another room. Opposition lawmakers occupy its main conference room. Ruling and opposition legislators first pass a budget bill for next year. They then begin a heated dispute over the investor-state dispute provision in the free trade deal with the U.S. Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan has ruled out holding a renegotiation with the U.S. on removing the provision.
[Soundbite]Kim Sung-Hwan (Foreign Affairs & Trade Minister): “It’s next to impossible for the government to hold new negotiations with the U.S. over the ISD provision.”
Korea and the U.S. agreed last month to set up a service investment committee. So Kim says discussing or correcting problems stemming from the investor-state dispute provision is possible, Seoul's rejection of renegotiation with Washington has caused Korea's ruling and opposition parties to remain divided over ratification of the deal.
[Soundbite]Yoo Ki-june (Congressman, Grand National Party): “The parties are wasting time over the matter; it's not going to happen.”
[Soundbite]Lew Seon-ho (Congressman, Democratic Party): “We're never going to agree with the ratification unless the ISD provision is removed from the trade pact.”
Certain ruling party lawmakers are urging National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae to invoke his authority to put the agreement to a vote. But Park is turning a deaf ear to this request.
2. Job Growth
[Anchor Lead]
Despite the global economic recession, in Korea hundreds of thousands more people landed jobs last month compared with the same period a year ago.
[Pkg]
This job fair was organized by a district government in Seoul. This large shopping mall plans to hire 2,500 new salespeople. It received more than four thousand visitors on Wednesday alone.
[Soundbite]Kim Seong-guk (Hiring Company Official): “About 20 to 30 people have visited us and there's no problem hiring about six of them.”
Last month, the number of employed people rose 501-thousand year-on-year as a result of robust hiring in the service sector. The number surpassed the 500,000 mark for the first time in 17 months.
[Soundbite]Bahk Jae-wan (Strategy & Finance Minister): “You can say, using the latest expression, that it's a giant hit.”
Employment in the wholesale and retail, lodging, dining and service sectors has surged, whereas in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors it has declined. The number of employed people in their 30s was down 66,000. Among those in their 50s and 60s, employment has surged, with 300,000 more people in their 50s landing jobs. As a result, the October unemployment rate fell to 2.9 percent. The rate fell below the 3 percent mark for the first time since November 2002.
[Soundbite]Yun Sang-ha (LG Economic Research Institute): “Considering the worsening external economic facts and the possibility of low domestic demand, the growth in the number of employees may slow down in the future.”
But the employment rate of people in their 20s and 30s has either declined or remained unchanged, pointing to severe youth unemployment in the nation.
3. Photo Tech
[Anchor Lead]
Police have caught a man who allegedly held up 12 convenience stores in the Seoul metropolitan area wearing a hood and mask. State-of-the-art technology has turned a blurry photo of the suspect's car into decisive evidence that helped catch him.
[Pkg]
A masked armed robber enters a convenience store. He threatens the cashier with a weapon, takes the equivalent of 440 U.S. dollars from the cash register, and leaves. The man hides his identity through his hood and mask.
[Soundbite](Convenience Store Owner (Voice Modified)): “I don't remember exactly. Who wouldn't be scared in that situation?”
The suspect did the same in Bucheon and Incheon. He's known to have held up 12 convenience stores over the past three months. His car was caught by a nearby surveillance camera installed to monitor a former president's home. The license plates came out in the video footage.
[Soundbite]Supt. Choe Jong-sang (Mapo Police Station): “It used to be hard to identify (the numbers) with the naked eyes because the image was captured while the car was moving.”
The National Institute of Scientific Investigation has developed technology to magnify and clarify images from surveillance cameras. This was the breakthrough that helped catch the armed robber. A clear image of the license plate was obtained after 24 hours and delivered to police. Investigators tracked down the registration record of the car and caught the suspect three months after his crime spree began. Police ask the crime investigation think tank to clarify 100 surveillance camera images a year in Seoul alone.
4. College Shutdown
[Anchor Lead]
In the wake of the Ministry of Education announcement that Sunghwa College and Myungshin University are to be closed, students and faculty are in shock. Classes are not running normally and local businesses are also taking a hit.
[Pkg]
Fall semester hasn't ended but lecture halls are empty. At the announcement of the school's shutdown, classes have all stopped. It's not easy to transfer students to another college.
[Soundbite]Chae Min-hyeon (Student, Sunghwa College): “It's got no runways, but we have planes and a runway. It's not fair to let us transfer to that school.”
About 180 faculty members of Seonghwa and Myungshin Universities are on the verge of losing jobs. Educational facilities worth millions of dollars are to be abandoned.
[Soundbite]Prof. An Gyeong-su (Sunghwa College): “A large budget was invested and it was built with students' tuition; but now, it's useless.”
Local businesses are also seeing a big blow. Half of some 40 local businesses including restaurants and poolrooms have gone out of business with the drop of student customers. What will be done with the school buildings after the schools' shutdown is another issue. The buildings of former Kwangju Arts University in Naju which was closed in 2000 still remains abandoned for more than a decade. The university shutdown is causing repercussions among students and faculty members and dwindling local economy.
5. Olle Festival
[Anchor Lead]
Korea's leading tourist island is hosting a trekking festival. Hikers are flocking in enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jeju Island in late fall while walking along the Olle path.
[Pkg]
Korean and foreign tourists climb a hill 300 meters above sea level. A small concert awaits trekkers who reach the peak. Only trekkers on the so-called olle path can see the concert against the backdrop of a panoramic ocean view overlooking Jeju Island.
[Soundbite]Melissa Taylor (American)
Some 1,000 people braved the drizzling rain to attend this year's olle trekking festival, the second of its kind. Visitors are greeted by refreshing cultural events when they feel tired from the long walk. They are attracted by a traditional cultural show about Jeju's female divers. The hikers regain the energy to march again on a full stomach. The trekking festival is a good opportunity to promote Jeju at home and abroad ahead of the selection of the world's seven most beautiful regions. The festival ends Saturday.
6. K-Food Boom
[Anchor Lead]
K-pop is spreading around the world. And with the spotlight on the music, the interest in Korean food is growing as well.
[Pkg]
Contestants are mincing Korean hot peppers and mix the seasonings. The dishes they're preparing are pumpkin porridge called hobak tarakjuk and thinly sliced pancake wraps eaten with vegetable fillings called gujeolpan. These are part of the traditional royal court cuisine of Korea. Many different recipes have been presented including dakgalbi, or spicy marinated chicken, and soy bean paste stew called deonjangjjigae. Dishes such as noodle dish jabchae and sugar filled pancakes hoddeok also appeared.
[Soundbite]Jesse Day (American): “They said, "Yukhoe for free!" So I said thank you and kept eating.”
Korean dishes are gaining more attention because they are more healthy. Amid the Korean Wave, exports of Korean farm and food products have increased nearly 30 percent.
[Soundbite]Kim Jae-su (CEO, Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.): “We exported US$5.9 billion last year and this year we're going to export agriculture and food products worth $7.6 billion.”
The Korean Wave in the food industry, dubbed K-Food, is having tourists open their purses. Laver is selling like hot cakes among Japanese visitors.
[Soundbite]Gato (Japanese Tourist): “It's good. There's no seaweed in Japan that tastes like this.”
At the food section of this department store, eight out of ten customers buying kimchi are tourists from China or Japan. The Korean food fever is spreading worldwide.
7. Sweet Snacks
[Anchor Lead]
Hundreds of thousands of high school students took Korea's national college entrance exam today. Many students snack on chocolate and candy while studying for the big exam. Sweets do help relieve anxiety and stimulate the brain, but can also have a downside.
[Pkg]
A large variety of chocolates attracts shoppers. They're popular as good-luck gifts for national college entrance exam takers as the sweetness helps relieve nervousness. Sweets like chocolate and candy do help enhance scholastic ability because they contain a large amount of sugar that activates brain activity.
But nutritionists say don't eat too much of them. Insulin maintains normal sugar level in the body. Overproduction of insulin can cause lethargy and drowsiness. The recommended daily allowance for an average adult is 40 to 50 grams.
[Soundbite]Prof. Im Gyeong-suk (University of Suwon): “Since it contains lots of sugar, it increases the blood sugar level quickly. The hormone called insulin is produced to lower the blood sugar level and it causes you to get into a bad mood.”
Seasonal fruits like tangerines or apples are preferable as they contain sugar as well as vitamin C, which is good for relieving fatigue.
8. Helping Hands
[Anchor Lead]
Negative local sentiment is growing against the United States Forces Korea in the wake of a string of crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. But some American soldiers are fighting the negativity by volunteering as coal briquette delivery men to help their Korean neighbors in need.
[Pkg]
Early in the morning, men in military uniforms gather at a flobhouse neighborhood in Yeongdeungpo. They put on plastic coats and gloves and are passing over charcoal briquettes. U.S. soldiers based in Yongsan Seoul are volunteering. Forming a long line though the narrow alleys, they keep passing down the charcoal briquettes. Currently, concerns are rising in Korea over crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. Peter Cha has returned to Korea as a commissioned officer after immigrating to the U.S. with his parents at age five. Captain Cha says he wants to make friends in Korea.
[Soundbite]Cpt. Peter Cha (United States Forces Korea)
The residents of neighborhood are thankful.
[Soundbite] “This way, we can use three (briquettes) a day. We can stay much warmer and won't catch a cold.”
This year, a total of 4,000 briquettes were delivered to help the neighbors stay warm this winter.
9. English Fever
[Anchor Lead]
Learning English is an obsession in Korea, and whether or not you do well on English tests can determine which college you get into and which job you get. Nowadays, kids start learning English in kindergarten or even earlier. In this intense environment, some mothers are studying so they can help their kids get a leg up.
[Pkg]
Won Mi-hui has a three and four year old. Her biggest interest these days is English.
[Soundbite] “I'm not good at English and neither are my kids. So let’s just say that we're learning little by little together.”
Her efforts to help her kids learn English can be seen all around the house.
[Soundbite] “I know words like "sugar" or "salt." But other things like chopped green onion and chopped garlic are hard to express. So I stick them up and explain to my child while I’m working that we’re having things like doenjang jjigae and fried fish.”
Accordingly, she has bought thousands of English books. Simple conversations are all spoken in English.
[Soundbite] “It's great, as my child can learn everyday English naturally. And it's a bit embarrassing for me but if I have the chance to go abroad, I'll be able to speak English naturally with people there.”
Like her, many mothers have begun studying English themselves to help out their children. Mothers are taking an English class at this language institute. After class, several remain and have a chat in English.
[Soundbite] “As my child grows, she'll do better in English than me. I got scared of having to say "I don't know" when she asked me something. It hurts my pride.”
Kim Yeong-sil's daughter is now in elementary school. Kim learns English at a language institute to help her daughter with her studies. While doing the housework she carries her English notes. She doesn't have much time to study, so she uses every moment she can.
[Soundbite] “About 100 words? It's not that many because even after memorizing them I keep forgetting, so I try to memorize at least 100.”
After the rest of the family has gone to bed, the mother stays up to study English. Even her husband can’t stop her.
[Soundbite] “She studies till late in the night and wakes up early to listen to the radio. She studies that hard.”
She says trying to learn English can be stressful.
[Soundbite] “If I had studied like this when I was in school, I would’ve gone to Seoul National University or Harvard.”
Korean parents believe that studying English is not an option, and will go to great lengths so their kids don’t get left behind.
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