Presidential Race

[Anchor Lead]



Registration of preliminary presidential candidates began today. Potential candidates from the ruling and opposition parties are gearing up for this year’s presidential elections.



[Pkg]



The ruling Saenuri Party’s emergency leadership committee chief Park Geun-hye embarked on a two-week tour around the nation on Monday. During her tour, she plans to express her appreciation to voters for their support. While on tour, Park will reiterate that the ruling party keep its campaign pledges made during the Apr. 11 parliamentary elections.



Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo has also repeatedly declared his bid for presidency. Former Saenuri Party head Chung Mong-joon will also formally announce on Apr. 29 his bid for the presidential race. Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Jae-oh will make a final decision on whether to run for president, after touring the nation and observing the livelihoods of the people for 15 days.



Democratic United Party standing adviser Sohn Hak-kyu left for Europe on Sunday, to begin preparations for his political agendas for the upcoming elections. Another DUP standing adviser Moon Jae-in will resign on Tuesday as chairman of a memorial foundation for the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, a position he has led since 2010. Upon resignation, he plans to quicken campaign moves for his presidential bid.



2. Stores Close



[Anchor Lead]



Some 100 supermarkets nationwide shut their doors on Sunday due to a new law that mandates that all such chains close two Sundays a month.



[Pkg]



This discount chain hypermarket in Seoul has put up signs saying that it’s closed for the day. Some 4,000 customers visited the chain’s five stores in Seoul last Sunday only to find them closed. Their reactions were mixed.



[Soundbite] : “Forcing large corporations will have a short-lived effect.”



[Soundbite] : “As an entrepreneur, I think they need to close from time to time.”



Farmers who supply their produce and businesses selling their merchandise at the stores were frustrated.



[Soundbite] (Supermarket Chains Official (Voice Modified)): “Vegetables and fisheries products can only be sold on the day.”



In hopes of helping merchants at conventional markets, the government has enforced a law that makes it mandatory for large chain retailers to close a certain number of days a month. Yet, conventional markets near these superstores are already closed on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. With overlapping resting days between the two groups, the measure is not really helping the smaller shops gain more business. Last Sunday, 114 supermarket chains, or 30 percent of all stores nationwide, were closed. As more local governments are implementing mandatory days-off for the superstores, measures are needed to maximize their effectiveness in helping the smaller businesses.



3. Sales Scams



[Anchor Lead]



Many consumers fall victim to unfair commercial practices by vendors, including refund refusal. Businesses will now face severe punishment if they are caught committing dishonest commercial practices.



[Pkg]



A woman identified by her surname "Jeon" purchased a red ginseng product for 254 U.S. dollars at a street stall. She made the purchase being told that the product was also sold and guaranteed by the Korea Postal Service. However, this turned out to be a lie, and Jeon demanded a refund for her purchase, to which she was rejected.



Being promised by the seller to lose 10 kilograms within 30 days, another woman identified as "Kim" bought a weight-loss product for 1,753 dollars. Kim ate the product for three months but did not lose much weight and demanded a refund, but her request was turned down.



The Fair Trade Commission will begin enforcing deceptive and coercive contracts as unfair commercial practices, and will strictly prohibit sellers from engaging in unfair practices starting in July. Violators will be fined up to 8,775 dollars along with a citation to correct their practices.



[Soundbite] Choe Mu-jin (Korea Fair Trade Commission): “Fining violators will be effective, since sellers have to pay fines for each deal.”



Fewer consumers are expected to fall victim to unfair commercial practices as local governments will actively crack down on dishonest sellers and practices.



4. Life Vest Bill



[Anchor Lead]



The government is looking to create measures to crack down on crew members at sea who don’t wear life vests. Here’s more.



[Pkg]



Under cloudy skies and waves rising two meters high, crew members of a fishing boat out at sea are trying their best to catch mackerels. After the boat was halted for an inspection, officials found that not a single crew member was wearing a life vest. Instead, the vests were piled up in the storage room.



[Soundbite] (Crew Member (Voice Modified)): “It’s for protecting my life, but I feel dumb when wearing it and it slows up my work.”



Next, a three ton fishing boat catching octopuses was checked. Although the boat was quite unstable, the people working aboard the vessel were not wearing their life vests.



Annually, an average of 130 to 150 fishermen die in fishing boat accidents. This is more than six times the death rate for car accidents. Accordingly, a bill is underway to charge fines to those out at sea who are caught not wearing their life vests, which are like safety belts aboard boats. Because the fishermen tend to see these life savers as an inconvenience, the vests tend to remain piled up in storage.



5. Toxic Water



[Anchor Lead]



Toxic waste has been dumped into the water supply of a countryside village in South Chungcheong Province. The pollution is assumed to have been left at least two weeks ago. Here’s more.



[Pkg]



This is Baeyang Village in Hongseong County of South Chungcheong Province, where around 100 households reside. Since the evening of Apr. 5th, residents drinking water from tap have been afflicted with unusual symptoms. Nearly a dozen people were treated for severe itchiness, vomiting, and dizziness and those with more serious symptoms have been hospitalized. Consequently, police officials suspect that toxic waste had been poured into the water supply at least two weeks prior. As there was nothing notably wrong with the water tank inspections held in mid March, the toxic waste is assumed to have been poured into the water supply between mid March and Apr. 5. Police are investigating people who had recently purchased pesticides, and health authorities are expanding health checks to include approximately 90 additional people living outside the village as well. Amid issues raised over the safety of simple waterworks systems, the South Chungcheong provincial government is expected to conduct inspections on security systems for any damages.



6. Tour de Korea



[Anchor Lead]



A bike path linking Incheon and Busan has opened. The launch was celebrated with a bike festival and a cycling competition called "Tour de Korea".



[Pkg]



Cyclists are competing in a 1,100 kilometer race over the course of eight days. They biked the first 55.2 kilometer section from Arabit Island in Incheon to Olympic Park in Seoul. 22 domestic and foreign teams fiercely competed despite the rain.



An Argentine cyclist was the first day’s winner, defeating roughly 100 other competitors. Mauro Abel Richeze was the first to cross the finish line with a record of one hour, eleven minutes and 20 seconds. Korean cyclist Park Seon-ho came in third.



[Soundbite] Park Seon-ho (Pro Cyclist): “I did my best to concentrate on the race and win a prize.”



A bike festival was also held to mark the opening of the 1,757 kilometer bike path linking Incheon and Busan. As a special guest to the event, President Lee Myung-bak also rode a bicycle some eight kilometers along the bike path. Many bikers took part in the festival despite the rainy weekend.



7. Watermelon Fest



[Anchor Lead]



Watermelons usually come out during the scorching summer season. However, they’re already being harvested in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, which has the country’s largest watermelon farms.



[Pkg]



Summer has yet to begin, but a watermelon festival is already in full swing. For those who have been long awaiting sweet refreshing watermelons, it is now peak season for facility grown watermelons. The highlight of the festival is the seed spitting contest. Contestants get to revert back to their childhood and spit seeds at a target. Other events include watermelon bowling. The watermelons mostly end up as gutter balls, but some still succeed with a strike, making watchers by happy. Various watermelon dishes are also introduced here including gujeolpan, stews, bibimbap and salads. Haman watermelons grown in the country’s largest facility are famous for their sweetness.



[Soundbite] : “I came to have a taste. They’re really sweet and delicious and refreshing.”



Harvest had been affected due to damages brought by strong winds earlier this month, but farmers are still looking for hope through the festival.



8. Reviving Schools



[Anchor Lead]



A countryside school that was on the verge of closing up has come back to life along with the village it’s in with the arrival of young students from the city.



[Pkg]



Nestled deep in the mountains, this is a school branch that’s located in the countryside. Although the school was on the verge of being closed due to having a student body of only seven students, it’s now full of life. 11 new students from the city have recently transferred to this school. The students who had been traumatized due to the fierce competition in the city schools are now being healed through various experiences in nature.



[Soundbite] : “There are many supportive people to cheer each other on, so I don’t feel lonely and I really like it here.”



During recess, no one plays computer games. Jump rope is the most popular activity at this school. Boarding facilities are also provided at the center for those coming from the city.



Another school that offers special classes, such as baking, now has approximately 70 students. Villagers say they’re happy to save the school from closing down and also to see an increase in funds.



[Soundbite] Kim Ju-hyeon (Village Head): “We distribute eco-friendly produce we’ve grown ourselves to students to bring more profits to the village.”



Having such centers in agricultural and fishing villages that city students can attend are showing a new way on how the city and country can co-exist.



9. Rain Benefits



[Anchor Lead]



Water costs can be saved by using rain water in everyday life. Here are some people who’re making good use of the rain.



[Pkg]



Many people enjoy the sound of rain falling and the feel of a rainy day. But many also have negative opinions about rain in Korea.



[Soundbite] : “Since the nuclear accident (in Japan), I rarely go out when it rains.”



[Soundbite] : “Doesn’t acid rain make your hair fall out and isn’t it bad for you?”



To see if people’s fears were legitimate, we checked the acidity.



[Soundbite] Prof. Han Mu-yeong (Seoul National University): “Here’s some litmus paper. When soaked in water, the color changes to indicate the pH level.”



Coke and orange juice showed high levels of acidity but the acidity of rain water turned out to be about 5.



[Soundbite] : “The acidity of rainwater is 5 and cola is 3, which means the cola is 100 times stronger than rainwater. But nothing bad happens when something 100 times stronger than cola gets in your hair, right? Some shampoos and hair conditioners have much stronger acidity than rainwater. But there’s no problem. So the acidity of rainwater isn’t at all harmful to your skin or hair.”



Meanwhile, many people think rainwater can’t be consumed because it falls through so much air pollution. But the pollutant concentration of rainwater is around 20ppm. In Korea, a concentration of up to 500ppm is considered safe to drink.



We visited a high-rise residential building that is making good use of rainwater, and gathers it up on the roof.



[Soundbite] Prof. Han Mu-yeong (Seoul National University): “They use the rainwater for facility maintenance. Public water costs are very low as they use rainwater for free.”



The building’s public water costs amount to only around 18 cents a month, thanks to the rainwater tank in the basement. The water is used for facility maintenance and in public restrooms to help cut water costs.



We visited another place where money is being made from rainwater.



[Soundbite] : “This is our treasure store.”



This is a small scale rainwater storage facility. When filled, the water can be used like ordinary tap water.



[Soundbite] : “We use it for growing vegetables at our vegetable patch on our rooftop here.”



The Seoul city government supports 90 percent of costs for installing such rainwater storage facilities. It’s a great way to save on water costs. This woman says she saves around 35 dollars a month thanks to the facility. In just a year, it made up for the around 350 dollars she paid to put in the equipment.



[Soundbite] : “Since it’s rainwater, it’s great that I can save money. If it was tap water, I’d feel like I were wasting it but as rain comes from the sky, I’m thankful when using the water.”



Rainwater is commonly mistaken as being harmful in Korea, but in fact, it’s a valuable resource.