Murder Scandal

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Korea's top police official has offered to resign over the mishandling of an emergency call that resulted in a woman's murder. Here's the latest on a case that has fueled public outrage across the country.

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Police in Gyeonggi Province receive an emergency call at 10:50 p.m. Apr. 1. The caller cries for help, saying she's being raped. So all officers on duty are called in to listen to the emergency report. Police originally said the call last one minute 20 seconds, but the real time was seven minutes 36 seconds. This means that 20 on-duty officers at the time merely listened to the victim crying and screaming for more than six minutes. A superior also failed to take appropriate measures on the case.

[Soundbite]Seo Cheon-ho (Commissioner, Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency): “He heard the screams and cries of the victim; the situation was urgent. But he didn’t lead the mobilization.”

The victim clearly told police that she was kept in a house right before a playground. But dispatched officers went searching in the wrong places and failed to find her, since they weren't told that the victim was "inside" the house. The handling and supervision of the investigation were also found to be lax. A chief investigator visited the crime scene at 9 a.m. the next day. The head of the police station also remained unaware of the incident overnight. The suspect says he killed the woman at 5 a.m., or six hours after police received the emergency call. Stern reprimands are slated for ten police officers over the case. National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Hyun-oh has issued a public apology and offered to resign.

2. SP Update

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With the elections just three days away, the ruling Saenuri Party's election committee chief Park Geun-hye’s latest campaign efforts took her to the Chungcheong region and Gangwon Province on Sunday.

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The ruling Saenuri Party's election committee chairwoman Park Geun-hye re-visited the Chungcheong provinces, an area where a majority of voters are deemed to be undecided on whom they will choose at the upcoming elections. She stressed that only the Saenuri Party will keep the promises the made to the voters and improve the livelihood of the people. Park asked the voters not to help the main opposition Democratic United Party win a majority in parliament. Noting North Korea's plan to launch a long-range rocket, she criticized the main opposition party for promising to ditch the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement and to break the alliance with the U.S.

[Soundbite]Rep. Park Gyun-hye (Chairwoman, SP Campaign Committee): “If opposition parties hold a majority, they’ll engulf the nation in ideological and political wrangling and chaos.”

The ruling party election committee head also stumped once again in highly contested areas in Gangwon Province, such as Wonju and Hwingseong. She worked to bring the supporters together and appeal to the undecided voters there.

In a party election meeting, the Saenuri Party said that it has yet to gain the upper hand. All ruling party candidates are vowing to do their utmost to win the voters' support for the remaining days until Election Day on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, no progress has been made in the negotiations to put up unified candidates in the conservative camps. The negotiations have already collapsed in some regions. Fielding single candidates are being considered to be a last-minute decisive factor for the victory of the conservative forces.

3. DUP Update

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The head of Korea's main opposition party is proclaiming that Wednesday's elections will determine the future of the country. Han Myeong-sook says the nation can either choose to return to the past or advance into the future.

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The head of the main opposition Democratic United Party and chairwoman of its election committee, Han Myeong-sook, went stumping in the Seoul metropolitan area last weekend. Voters in the region are expected to largely affect the outcome of Wednesday's general elections. Han says the elections will determine the nation's fate.

[Soundbite]Han Myeong-sook (Chairwoman, DUP Campaign Committee): “The April 11 elections are about choosing whether to return to the past or to meet a hopeful future. What is your choice?”

She says a vote for the opposition will improve the people's livelihood, but support for the ruling Saenuri Party will mean more tax cuts for the rich and continued illegal surveillance of civilians. She warns that this will bring about a collapse of Korea's democracy. Han appealed to her party's traditional supporters by citing the results of a party survey that competition is cutthroat in some 70 electoral districts.

The leader of the minor conservative Liberty Forward Party, Shim Dae-pyung, has pledged to put his political career on the line to win more seats. The co-chairwoman of the minor Unified Progressive Party, Lee Jung-hee, will go stumping in Seoul's Gwanak District for the remainder of the campaign period.

4. Off Days

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Mandatory days-off that were first introduced for supermarket chains in North Jeolla Province have now spread nationwide.

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This mid-sized supermarket in Seoul is operated by a large retailer. The store used to be open year-round, but today, it's closed. Customers are frustrated.

[Soundbite] “I came here to buy a couple of things but I was shocked to find it closed.”

Another supermarket in the neighborhood did not open as crackdown officials from the local district office patrol the area. 26 supermarkets in Seoul's Seongbuk and Gangdong districts were closed that day. These districts have passed the regulation on mandatory day-offs for supermarket chains earlier than other local governments. Meanwhile, a local neighborhood market has many customers.

Beginning in Jeonju last month, the move to have large supermarket chains close its doors for a set amount of time during the week has spread to 20 regions nationwide, affecting 290 stores. A similar regulation for large retailers will take effect on April 22 after its official declaration.

But critics say the regulation runs counter to the principles of market economy. The Korea Chainstores Association, which is comprised of large and mid-sized supermarket chains, has filed a lawsuit against four local government offices. In light of the rising protest, some of the local governments have rejected the bills calling for the mandatory day-offs for these large markets.

5. Job Scam

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Desperate young Korean job seekers are falling victim to fraud through promises of employment. The Korea Fair Trade Commission has issued a warning against such deceptive practices.

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A 23-year-old woman has been looking for a job for more than a year since graduating from college. She applies for an interview after finding an offer on a job site. She secures an urgent loan for nearly 4,400 U.S. dollars for use as a credit guarantee. But she soon discovers that the company is a multi-level marketing entity that pays employees for bringing in new staff. The woman has tried unsuccessfully to get a refund.

Job applicants in other cases are asked to invest thousands of dollars or buy products as a requirement for employment through social networking or job sites.

[Soundbite](Victim (Voice Modified)): “They said I had to buy an 80,000 won (US$70) product and had to buy more when I was promoted.”

The Fair Trade Commission has issued a warning on scams offering employment as bait.

[Soundbite]Go Byeong-hui (Korea Fair Trade Commission): “Using the friend listing function of an SNS widely used by younger people, they lure people who they don’t really know.”

Authorities say no legal protection exists for many forms of employment fraud, and advice caution when job applicants are asked for money or other conditions in return for employment.

6. New Gadgets

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A wave of home appliances is appealing to specific consumer needs to draw in new buyers. Take a look.

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Park Ji-suk is the mother of a three-month old baby. She recently purchased a new compact washing machine, which was installed on the wall so that it hangs right above the large one she already uses. This wall-mounted washer cleans only a small amount of laundry, such as the baby's clothes.

Frozen potatoes become ready to eat golden fries in 15 minutes in this cooker. This machine makes fried foods without using cooking oil. Instead, it heats up air for the same fried effect.

[Soundbite]Kim Ju-yong (Home Appliance Company Official): “It fries foods without oil; you don't need to worry about fat and can feel free to enjoy them.”

This product keeps clothes fresh as well as wrinkle and dirt free by killing germs and removing smells with an air pump and an ultraviolet ray light. A refrigerator has a specialized section to keep kimchi fresh. This fan creates a cool stream of air without rotating blades. New types of home appliances are sparking the consumers’ interests and are finding their niche in the market.

7. Culinary NCOs

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The Korean Army Headquarters has joined hands with a college to produce professional military cooks so soldiers can have better meals.

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Soldiers after a tough day fill their stomachs with food. They're occasionally unsatisfied with their meals, which are prepared by nonprofessional cooks. But they dare not complain about that.

To offer better meals to soldiers, a college has opened a course to produce noncommissioned officers specializing in cooking. 40 students are learning cooking and military knowledge in the course, the first of its kind in the nation. Those who complete the course can obtain licenses in Western and Korean cooking and apply to serve as noncommissioned officers.

[Soundbite]Kim Su-yang (Student, Woosong Information College): “I’m determined to become a top culinary NCO who will enhance the capabilities of soldiers though meals.”

All students taking the course receive military scholarships and live in a dorm.

[Soundbite]Prof. Yu Ji-sang (Woosong Information College): “We’re offering a tailored education program to students so that they‘ll fulfill their duties as experts at the field.”

The Army will assign up to 700 cooks as noncommissioned officers in units across the nation.

8. Women in Tech

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With many college graduates having a hard time landing jobs these days, a growing number of female high school graduates are choosing to learn technical skills instead of pursuing higher education.

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Park Ga-bin works for a company that manufactures polaroid film. After graduating from high school, Park decided to give up on college and instead attended Korea Polytechnics to learn factory automation skills. Now her salary is on par with those working in conglomerates. Moreover, her job has a bright future.

One of the college students taking this computer aided die and mold design class is a woman. This year, 12 female students enrolled in Korea Polytechnics. They study computer and metallurgy molding technologies. More than 90 percent of female students at this college land jobs every year. The boundaries between the academic fields pursued by male and female students are also becoming increasingly blurred.

[Soundbite]Kim Gong-muk (Faculty Member, Korea Polytechnics): “Companies use automated equipment and prefer female engineers because of their exquisite and meticulous skills.”

High school female graduates are overcoming obstacles in the tough job market by acquiring skills in areas in which even their male counterparts face difficult challenges.

9. Dream Homes

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Many people dream of living in their own custom built home. It turns out that there is actually a way to build your own house that’s relatively affordable.

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We asked some city dwellers what kind of home they wished they could live in.

[Soundbite] “I'd like to live in a rural home where my kids can play around in a large yard.”

[Soundbite] “Living in an apartment is expensive. I'd like to try building a house if it means half the cost.”

These dreams can now come true.

[Soundbite]Prof. Kim Ja-yeong (Korea University): “Many types of houses are popular these days, like peanut or half peanut-shaped homes, or half-priced hanok residences. What they have in common is that the residents seek homes for their lifestyle and budget of choice.”

This is a town in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, famous for its butterfly festival.

[Soundbite]Park Jae-won (Architect): “This used to be a 160-year-old house; I renovated it seven years ago. Wind came in through the door cracks because the walls weren’t insulated.”

Korean homes called hankok underwent renovations and have become a modern version of the traditional classic. We visited a family that says their lives noticeably changed since they moved into a hanok.

[Soundbite] “Thanks to the yellow clay walls, I don’t have as many pollen allergy issues. I also haven’t had atrophic skin problems since I moved here.”

All the family members are happy they moved.

[Soundbite]Park Jae-won (Architect): “The cost is cut in half by reducing material and labor cost and the construction period. You can move in in 5 to 10 days.”

It is a knockdown house which sharply reduces the construction period and cost. To build a one story, 99-square-meter hanok in Hampyeong costs about 160,000 dollars. Some provincial governments even provide subsidies for hanok builders.

Here's another residence in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

[Soundbite] “I believe a home should be just the right size with necessary space, and a front yard where you can feel the soil. It's empty now but we’re going to plant lettuce, peppers and cherry tomatoes in the spring. I made three fields for the children to do the planting themselves.”

The house is shaped like half a peanut and so it's called a "woekong" house in Korean. The family says they moved here when they grew tired of the hustle and bustle of city life. The three-story house uses space very strategically. No space is wasted. The beauty of the home is in its simplicity.

[Soundbite]Jo Min-guk (Architect): “You first buy a plot of land in the suburbs for 20-30% of what you'd pay in downtown Seoul. The construction usually costs 4 million won (US$3,500) per 3.3 square meters.”

So, you can actually have that home you’ve been imagining if you’re willing to move a little ways out of Seoul.

[Soundbite] “There are spaces that each of your family members can have and gather together; isn't this an ideal home?”

In a country dominated by cookie-cutter apartment buildings, inexpensive, creative homes could become a booming industry in the future.