Rough Road

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Korea’s two main political parties are almost finished selecting candidates for next month’s general elections, but the road has been a bumpy one. Here’s a look at the issues that have been faced so far.



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The ruling Saenuri Party claims to have conducted what it calls "systematic candidate selection" for the general elections.



[Soundbite] Rep. Park Geun-hye (Chairwoman, Saenuri Party Emergency Committee): "I believe that systematic selection will serve as a turning point for the party overhaul."



But the party has experienced a bumpy road since Day One. Many lawmakers in the faction supporting President Lee Myung-bak have been excluded in the nominations under the party’s 25-percent cutoff rule. The party leadership is under fire for apparently trying to get rid of these members. Criticism has also hit the party’s ambiguous standards for candidate selection and loopholes in candidate confirmation. The nomination of certain candidates has even been canceled after they made controversial comments about history and women.



The main opposition Democratic United Party has conducted candidate primaries through mobile phones.



[Soundbite] Han Myung-sook (Chairwoman, Democratic United Party): "We will minimize strategic candidate selection and let the people make their choice."



But mobile primaries have also shown their limitations, creating a chilly atmosphere within the party. Members of the now-defunct Democratic Party in the nation’s southwestern region have even formed a new party in protest.



Both the ruling and opposition camps proudly say they’ve replaced incompetent candidates and unearthed new politicians.



[Soundbite] Prof. Shin Yul (Myongji University): "It looked democratic and open-minded but the opinion of the parties’ leadership prevailed in the process. And the influence of block votes in regions still remains strong."



A KBS survey has found that none of the parties received more than 50 percent of positive responses on their candidate selections.



Farm Aid



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Great losses are expected for the domestic agricultural sector due to the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. Accordingly, the government is planning to invest around 48 billion U.S. dollars in supporting Korean farms.



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This is a low temperature warehouse built by an agricultural company in 2006. At the time it was being constructed, the government supported the company by paying for half of the construction costs. However, the company conspired with the construction company by doubling the total construction cost so that the government could cover the entire construction fees.



The Board of Audit & Inspection has checked 437 eco-friendly agricultural sites that were built between 1995 and 2009 and found that 168 of these sites, or 38 percent, have dropped the project or reduced its scale. Although the government provided around 890 million dollars in support, the inspections found that management at these places was poor. Local governments were merely determined to use up its allotted funds by finding farms that would qualify for support, not caring whether the money was being used for its original purpose.



To help reduce the losses incurred by the trade pact with the United States, the government will provide farms with around 426 million U.S. dollars to update their farm facilities this year. This is three times the amount provided last year. But as only farms that have at least 50 cows and run no other business are qualified for aid, smaller farms that really need the financial support have no way of getting help.



Government support invested in the agricultural sector since the Uruguay Round in 1992 amounts to around 163 billion U.S. dollars. However, the financial aid was not much help in enhancing the domestic agricultural sector’s competitiveness. Voices are rising, arguing that in order to enhance the effectiveness of funds, they must be planned in advanced and managed strictly after the financial support is distributed.



Water Worries



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A pig farm near a water resource for Seoul residents has been caught violating waste management regulations. Here’s more.



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This is a pig farm in the southern Seoul suburb of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Environmental inspectors are checking the discharge of waste water from the farm. A sewage pipe along pig pens runs underground toward a stream. Waste water flows from the farm into the stream. Waste from farm animals go along the Gyeongan Stream to a water reservoir in Paldang. The farmer has run the farm for 30 years, but merely blames the aged facility.



[Soundbite] (Farm Owner (Voice Modified)): "Septic tanks are old so the waste wasn’t processed properly."



An Environment Ministry inspection of 700 livestock farms nationwide found that 79 farms illegally release waste water or operate unlicensed facilities. The illegal discharge of animal waste is a serious threat to the country’s water resources.



Stroke Alert



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A study has shown that the spring thaw season, when temperature fluctuations are severe, is a dangerous time for those at risk of stroke.



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This patient has been hospitalized because the right side of his body is paralyzed. An MRI image shows that he has had an ischemic stroke and that some of his blood vessels are blocked. The patient had a stroke not during the winter, but rather in March, when there is a big different between the day time and night time temperatures.



The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has conducted a survey on patients who had strokes within the past year. It showed that an intracerebral hemorrhage, which is one of the causes of a stroke, occurred mostly in March. This is unlike a cerebral infarction, which mostly occurs in June and is not influenced by the season.



[Soundbite] Prof. Yu Seong-uk (Korea University Anam Hospital): "A stroke occurs regardless of the season and is more caused by high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, drinking and smoking; all of which are risk factors for stroke."



Receiving medical attention within the "golden hour," which is actually a three hour time period after the onset of a stroke, is crucial for a stroke victim’s survival. It’s also vital to remember the five telltale symptoms of a stroke, which are paralysis on one side of the body, speech disorder, visual impairment, dizziness and severe headache.



Avoid eating salty foods. It’s essential to prevent a stroke. Instead, try eating foods rich in potassium, such as tomatoes, bananas and potatoes. People can also help significantly prevent a stroke by managing conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and by refraining from drinking and smoking.



Taxi Gangs



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Police on Jeju Island have busted a taxi crime ring. Members of the gang reportedly intimidated and even assaulted other taxi drivers on Korea’s leading tourist island.



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Taxis form a long line for customers in front of Jeju International Airport. A taxi suddenly cuts in line and takes a passenger. The driver threatens other cabbies into leaving.



19 taxi drivers formed a gang in 2003 to monopolize long-distance passengers. They even assaulted taxi drivers who weren’t members of their group.



[Soundbite] (Taxi Driver): "They act like gangsters. They kicked out nonmember drivers like me."



The taxi gang adopted a code of conduct to help members in the event of a quarrel with non-member drivers. Members paid an admission fee and monthly dues. Police found that the gang overcharged passengers more than 35 U.S. dollars on the fare by not using the meter. They also received commissions from tourist companies and earned more than 50,000 U.S. dollars a year. The Jeju taxi gang targeted tourists.



[Soundbite] Supt. Jang Won-seok (Jeju Provincial Police Agency): "They ordered or assisted in the violent acts and took control of the organization by expelling drivers who didn’t obey them."



Police arrested two drivers and booked 17 others without physical detention.



Asparagus Fever



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The asparagus harvest is in full swing in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province. Let’s take a look.



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Farmers are busy harvesting asparagus. They carefully pick good shoots that rise 25 centimeters above the ground. They harvest the vegetable everyday as the asparagus shoots grow quickly due to the mild weather. The Gangjin region is able to sell its asparagus more than 15 days earlier than other areas, thanks to its mild weather, two-layer green houses and techniques in keeping the farming facilities warm inside. Asparagus is a perennial plant. So it is possible to harvest the vegetable for more than a decade once it is planted. And the plant is also resistant to pests and diseases.



[Soundbite] Choe Yeong-jun (Regional Agri-Tech Center): "Strategically, we promoted two-layer green houses. They were planted in such green houses, so they’re harvested earlier."



With asparagus as a major crop, farmers are able to earn more income in the Gangjin region, where the weather is beautiful and the environment is clean.



Ulleung in Spring



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Spring has sprung on Korea’s eastern island of Ulleung. Flowers are in bloom and streams are flowing, in stark contrast to the snow and cold the island experienced at this time last year.



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Crimson red camellias bathe in warm sunshine. Streams thaw after a long winter. Wild herbs on mountain slopes herald the arrival of spring. Locals gather painted maple in the wake of the melting snow. Tree branches are full of sweet sap. Painted maple growing on Ulleung Island has the aroma of ginseng and is rich in minerals. These properties invigorate the body in spring.



[Soundbite] "Painted maple growing on Ulleung is rich in calcium, which is good for the bones and invigorates the body in spring."



The arrival of spring has awakened nature on Ulleung Island from its winter sleep.



Backstage Peek



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During a musical, the sets and costumes constantly change. Let’s go backstage and take a look at what goes on behind the scenes.



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It’s 20 minutes before the show begins. Tension is felt as the lights are out on stage. With the orchestra playing, the curtain was raised and the show began. After waiting for their turns backstage, the actors bustle onto the stage in order. When their scene ends, the actors storm backstage and change their costumes and touch up their makeup.



[Soundbite] Hong Gwang-ho (Actor): "I change my costumes on my way back to the stage to appear in the next scenes. I wear two or three costumes over each other so that I can take them off immediately one by one."



The sounds of gunfire from backstage add a dramatic effect. Sometimes the stage set is switched by mechanic devices and other times staffers swiftly change it.



[Soundbite] No Byeong-u (Stage Director): "When the curtain call end and the curtain comes down, I’m so proud and thrilled; that’s the reason I work here."



Actors and staffers work very hard, sweating behind the scenes, to produce a magnificent show that looks so effortless.



Mugwort Mania



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Among the spring herbs Koreans enjoy this time of the year, mugwort is particularly popular. It’s rich in dietary fiber, which helps with digestion. It’s also believed to aid weight loss because it lowers your level of triglycerides, which can cause adult diseases.



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Spring is on its way in in Korea. Many people say that mugwort comes to mind when they think of spring. In traditional medicine, mugwort is thought to keep your body warm, and Koreans believe this is particularly good for women. It’s also said to help in shedding belly fat.



This is Geomun Island. Spring here is all about mugwort. The island brims with the dark green herb. Thanks to the sea winds, mugwort grown here contains more minerals.



[Soundbite] Park Du-seok (Farmer): "It’s really delicious. The aroma is fantastic."



The vitamin-rich herb is thought to be good for women’s diseases but it also has another use.



[Soundbite] Prof. Im Gyeong-suk (University of Suwon): "It’s an antioxidant that spurs lipid metabolism in the liver. It also helps to lower the level and storage of triglycerides in the body. And its rich dietary fibers boost conjugate movement in the intestinal and ease constipation to shrink your potbelly."



This lady says she lost many pounds thanks to mugwort. She’s slim now but she struggled to lose weight after giving birth. She resorted to all sorts of methods.



[Soundbite] "This is Injin mugwort. I drink a lot of tea with it. I bought it and took off just the leaves to dry them."



She says she frequently drinks tea made with dried mugwort leaves and cooks up a variety of mugwort dishes in the spring. Her husband has also successfully slimmed down.



[Soundbite] "I’m healthier and also lost weight. I weighed as much as 90 kilograms. With this, I lost 15 kilograms."



This traditional clinic also uses mugwort for weight loss purposes.



[Soundbite] "I came for mugwort therapy. "



The centerpiece of treatments here is dried medicinal mugwort.



[Soundbite] Kim Yeong-an (Clinic Owner): "This is the Ganghwa lion foot-shaped mugwort. We age it for three years before grinding it and dump the dust and powder and only use the leaves and stems. The aging of three years is necessary to remove the toxicity and maximize the medicinal properties."



Koreans believe that mugwort moxibustion therapy detoxifies the body.



[Soundbite] Lee Gyeong-hui (Traditional Medicine Doctor): "It helps metabolism and discharges waste and toxins from the body. It also boosts bowel movements and prevents constipation. In traditional medicine, a potbelly is the result of excess waste matter accumulated due to a low metabolism. So heating therapy is very effective."



The clinic’s customers swear by it.



[Soundbite] "I’ve received it for six months. I feel it’s stopping my belly from putting on more fat."



In traditional Asian medicine, mugwort has long been regarded as a mystical medicinal herb. And people still believe that it can help them out in different ways.