Court Order

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The nation’s top court handed down its first ruling holding Japanese companies to account compensating Koreans as forced laborers during the Japanese colonial era.



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Koreans who were forcibly drafted to the Japanese workforce during the colonial period have finally won a court ruling after a 15 year court battle and 70 years since their conscription. 



 [Soundbite] Lee Hui-ja (Civic Group): "They’ve lived up to nearly 90 years to hear this good news."



The Supreme Court sided with a group of nine victims in a lawsuit they lodged against Japanese firms Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel Corporation. On the key dispute of whether the period for compensation requests had expired, the court said individuals’ rights to file for compensation have not been terminated despite an agreement on this issue signed by the South Korean and Japanese governments in 1965. The court also did not recognize the validity of a final ruling issued by Japan’s top court which turned down the Korean plaintiffs’ request for compensation.



[Soundbite] Yun Seong-sik (Spokesman, Supreme Court): "Japan’s colonial conscription flies against key values of the Korean Constitution. Therefore, we don’t regard the Japanese ruling as valid."



As soon as the amount is determined, the victims will begin procedures for the compensation request through the Korean chapters of the Japanese firms involved in regards to their corporate assets in Korea. With the first ruling by the nation’s top court recognizing Japan’s monetary dues to Korean laborers, similar suits are expected to follow.



 NK Defectors



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U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has taken part in a rally held outside the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to protest China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors.



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The rally protesting China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors has continued for 101 days. U.S. Congresswoman and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has visited the site of the rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. She urged Beijing to stop sending North Korean refugees back to the North.



[Soundbite] Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (U.S. Republican Party)



Ros-Lehtinen also called for the swift release of four South Korean human rights activists, including Kim Young-hwan, who have been detained in China for two months.



[Soundbite] Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (U.S. Republican Party)



Korean civic groups that have drawn the global spotlight to the issue of refugees welcomed the U.S. congresswoman’s visit. Last month, the organizers of the rally held similar protests in 50 cities worldwide concurrently. They will soon hold simultaneous rallies in 100 cites.



The international community has also been urging the release of the human rights activist Kim Young-hwan. The Christian Solidarity Worldwide has issued a statement denouncing China’s repatriation of North Korean refugees, while a world-renowned human rights group in the U.K. has called for an "unconditional and immediate" release of the four South Korean activists. It remains to be seen if the international community will help the release of the four South Koreans.



Best Airport



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Incheon International Airport has been selected as the world’s best airport for the seventh straight year by the Airports Council International.



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The Incheon International Airport was built by filling in the tide lands around Yeongjong and Yongyu islands off the shores of Incheon. Many disputes arose at the time regarding massive construction costs and environmental damage but the airport was finally completed in eight years and opened in 2001. Just four years after opening, the airport emerged as the world’s best and has kept the top spot for the seventh consecutive year.



What are its secrets to staying number one? Immigration procedures that take much less time than the world standard are frequently cited as a primary factor. It takes only 19 minutes for departures and 12 for arrivals. The airport’s automated baggage handling system that can handle 560,000 items of luggage per hour is another strong point. Passengers can transfer to their next flight in just forty-five minutes, saving about thirty minutes compared to other airports. In addition, cultural performances held daily all year round and various convenience facilities for transferring passengers have drawn high satisfaction from users.



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To learn the airport’s know-how, around 6,000 staff from foreign airports have visited Incheon.



[Soundbite] Lee Chae-wook (CEO, Incheon International Airport Corp.): "We make every effort to provide the fastest, cleanest and most convenient service."



Attention is drawn to how long Incheon International Airport can stay number one.



 New Drug



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One percent of the nation’s population suffers from schizophrenia. Korean researchers have developed a substance that could be used in the development of a new cure for the illness without causing many side effects.



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This 30-something man has been on medication over the past five years because he has schizophrenia. Recently, he has developed diabetes.



A significant number of schizophrenia patients who are on medication suffer from various side effects, such as diabetes, weight gain and movement disorder.



Korean researchers have developed a substance that can be used in the development of a new cure for schizophrenia that causes nearly zero side effects. While regulating the excessive secretion of the dopamine - a brain neurotransmitter that causes mental disorders - the substance only chooses dopamine receptors and combines them.



[Soundbite] Park U-gyu (Korea Research Inst. of Chemical Tech): "The development is meaningful because the substance regulates dopamine and serotonin receptors, and can detect receptors that cause side effects."



The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology has applied for about ten patents overseas and could soon develop a new cure for schizophrenia.



Cattle Cruelty



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A farmer in Sunchang, North Jeolla Province has starved his cattle to death as he couldn’t afford the soaring cost of feed. The government has issued a statement saying the incident constitutes animal abuse.



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Some 30 cows starved to death at this farm early this year. The farm owner could not afford the ever rising cost of fodder. The cattle shed that once held 160 cows is now nearly empty with only 16 remaining. The cows barely survive on rice straw purchased on credit and stock feed provided by the Hanwoo Association.



[Soundbite] Mun Dong-yeon (Farm Owner): "I sold everything, but I still can’t afford to feed them; I feel falsely accused."



Animal rights groups brought this incident to light and the Agriculture Ministry has taken steps. It held the farm owner responsible for the deaths, segregated the remaining cows and declared the farmer could be punished on charges of animal abuse. However the ministry said the final decision on the measures that can be taken is up to local authorities. Sunchang County is prudent about taking legal steps.



[Soundbite] (Sunchang County Official): "Public opinions will be considered. We’ll also discuss the matter with provincial officials. It’ll be reviewed in many aspects."



The starvation of a herd of cattle is a telling glimpse into the crisis situation of Korean livestock farmers in an era of multiple free trade agreements signed with foreign countries.



Missing Children



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A new regulation mandates amusement parks and large supermarkets take emergency measures immediately when a child goes missing in the facility.



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12 years ago, this man lost his then-four-year-old daughter at the playground in his neighborhood. He continues to live in the neighborhood because he still believes that someday his daughter will come back.



The number of missing children under fourteen years of age grows every year. This year alone, some 90 children have gone missing. Children are mostly lost near their homes or in crowded facilities.



In this simulation test conducted at a large supermarket, the mother of a lost child notifies the staff, which makes an announcement and sounds an alarm immediately. The store personnel is dispatched to the entrances and exits. Some of the workers look for the child inside the store. About ten minutes later, the child is returned to her mother.



A new regulation mandates multi-use facilities, which are frequented by families with children, to conduct such emergency measures.



[Soundbite]  Choe Jong-hui (Ministry of Health & Welfare): "The 10 minutes after the child is lost is a crucial time to find them."



Authorities will also develop standard emergency systems for amusement parks and department stores within this year.



Fox Restoration



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A fox species indigenous to Korea that had disappeared in the wild since the 1970s is once again to be introduced to their native stomping grounds on Mount Sobaek.



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This fox species with a long snout, black rimmed ears and a rich furry tail is indigenous to Korea, but is also a level one endangered species. The foxes, previous seen only in zoos, are being trained before their release into the wilderness. The environmental ministry has obtained three of the fox species to send back into the wild. On their first day of training, the foxes adapted well, dividing their territories according to their ranks and digging tunnels in the ground. The fox species was once common in Korea but slowly disappeared since the 1970s due to fur hunting and a lack of food. Mount Sobaek has been chosen as the site to release the foxes as the mountain is the region richest in rats and tree fruits which the animals mainly live on.



[Soundbite]  Jeong Cheol-un (Species Restoration Center): "It can restore the eco system of Mt. Sobaek - the Baekdudaegan - and play a big role in diversifying Korean species."



The Ministry of Environment is also planning to bring in foxes genetically identical to the native species from China and Russia to release them in Mount Sobaek starting in the fall. The research and restoration project will be carried out to increase the number of specimens to at least 50 within the next ten years.



Wrestling Play



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Movies about a wide array of Korean sporting teams have been hits in the local box office. Now, there’s a play about wrestling.



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The movie "Perfect Game" is about the legendary baseball rivals Choi Dong-won and Sun Dong-yeol. The movie "Pacemaker" depicts the joys and sorrows of a backup marathoner who is deployed to shorten the record. The movie "Korea" is a touching story about the victory of an inter-Korean table tennis team.



As the popularity of films about sports has soared recently, a theatrical play about wrestling will premiere soon. It deals with problems that many teenagers face. The play begins with the sound of a buzzer signaling the beginning of a wrestling match. To add dynamics to the play, the cast had received wrestling lessons for two months. Teenage problems that young Koreans face, such as college entrance exams, school violence, love and friendship, are portrayed on the wrestling mat. After watching the play, the cast and the audience hold a debate. The new experimental play "Wrestling Season" has drawn the spotlight for its attempt to combine drama and wrestling.



Dirty Laundry



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With the weather growing warmer and more people heading outdoors, the amount of laundry is increasing in many homes. But experts say using excessive detergent in your wash can lead to skin problems.



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The finished laundry gets taken out and hung up. It looks clean but is it really as clean as it seems?



We visited the home of a veteran housewife to see how the laundry is done at her home. Her washing machine is busy all day washing her husband’s and grandchild’s clothes.



[Soundbite] "I put in a lot of detergent, so the wash came out clean. The stains are all gone."



Of course, people assume their laundry is clean when it comes out of the machine. We had this wash checked by a specialist to see how clean it really is.



[Soundbite] Lee Ju-hong (Green Consumers Network): "You can see foam, right? I’m going to check if there’s any detergent left on the laundry using a reagent."



A chemical that reacts with detergent is poured into the water and the color changes.



[Soundbite] "It turned red because there’s leftover detergent on the laundry."



The specialist also checks the machine’s filter. Leftover detergent is one of the major causes of a proliferation of mold and germs.



[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Beom-jun (Chung-Ang University Hospital): "It can cause diseases like contact dermatitis, eczema and follicle issues. On atopic patients, the skin can grow itchy and rashes can form. Usually rashes are seen on parts where patients sweat more."



If you use the right amount of detergent, less gets left behind. For three kilograms of laundry, you need about one spoonful, or 30 grams of detergent. For water, you need ten times the weight of the laundry. The detergent is 0.1 percent of the amount of water. When you use too much detergent, it’s inevitable that some gets left behind, even after a rinse cycle.



[Soundbite] Prof. Im Sin-ye (Kyung Hee University Hospital): "To maximize the effect, the appropriate amount of detergent should be used according to the amount of laundry. No matter how much you rinse the laundry, you can’t remove it 100%. We recommend rinsing the laundry at least twice."



Let’s take a look at a few more laundry tips. The key is in the temperature of the water. Lukewarm water is apparently best for doing laundry.



[Soundbite] "It’s best to do the laundry after dissolving powder detergents in lukewarm water wearing gloves. Especially for those who have sensitive skin, we recommend using liquid detergents rather than powdered ones."



And when you’re hanging your clothes up to dry, make sure they’re in a well-ventilated place. Your washing machine might seem spic and span, but it may not be quite as clean as you think.