Green Growth

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The Global Green Growth Institute, a Korea-led international organization, held its inaugural assembly in Seoul on Tuesday and began operations.

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The Global Green Growth Institute was initiated by Korea for the development of green growth strategies and policy measures for emerging nations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and representatives of 15 nations signed an agreement to convert the institute into an international organization in Brazil this past June. After four months, Seoul held the inaugural assembly. On the 20th, Korea won the bid to host the Secretariat of the Green Climate Fund in Incheon’s Songdo District. Through this milestone achievement, Korea secured funds for green growth. In addition, it founded the Global Green Growth Institute that will focus on green growth strategies and policy measures. Once the Green Technology Center, which was also established earlier this year, begins its technological development, it will complete a triangular formation of strategy, funding and technology for green growth in Korea.

[Soundbite] Lee Myung-bak (President) : "We can be bridge between advanced and developing nations so that the world community can overcome the great challenges of climate change and create opportunities for new development."

However, the political opposition refuses to ratify a bill on the establishment of the GGGI, saying it’s not clear how, over the past three years, the US$30 million that the government granted to the institute was used. If the bill is not ratified by November, some are saying that the headquarters of the institute which Korea has established may be moved to different country.

2. Campaign News

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The top three presidential candidates are moving quickly in their campaigns as they visit strategic areas and present their policy pledges.

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Ruling Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye visited the Jeolla provinces and attended launching ceremonies of the regional election committees.

[Soundbite] Rep. Park Geun-hye (Saenuri Party Presidential Candidate) : "The Park administration won’t be the government for only some areas, but be the government for 100 percent of Korea’s regions."

She promised balanced development and fair personnel appointments to realize regional harmony and national unity. Meanwhile, main opposition Democratic United Party's presidential hopeful Moon Jae-in called for the reform of the prosecution and the police.

[Soundbite] Rep. Moon Jae-in (DUP Presidential Candidate) : "Just like the saying, "If you're rich, you're innocent. If you're poor, you're guilty," state power has failed to enforce the law fairly."

He vowed to create an investigative bureau specifically probing the irregularities of high ranking officials. He also pledged to ban prosecutors from making visits to the presidential office and to abolish the police department's intelligence capabilities. Speaking at a university, independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo laid out a concrete direction in implementing political reform. He called for the scaling down of the number of lawmakers and subsidies granted to parties. He said that each party’s powerful central power structure must also be scrapped.

[Soundbite] Ahn Cheol-soo (Independent President Candidate) : "Shouldn't the parties and parliament carry out at least these levels of reforms for the public to regain their hope in politics?"

The three candidates continued to ramp up their campaigns on Wednesday as the elections are approximately 50 days away.

3. Fine Boost

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The nation's tax revenues are expected to fall short of the required amount next year due to the economic downturn. The government has decided to increase all kinds of fines and penalties to avert the crisis.

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The owner of this internet cafe recently received a notification from tax authorities. It said that the cafe owner must pay additional taxes. The authorities explained their demand by citing the sales revenues of the company that produced certain online games. As a result of the unprecedented tax inspections, internet cafes in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon must pay around US$900 each in extra taxes. The investigations have now spread nationwide. The government is poised to collect more money in other areas as well. Next year, the National Police Agency, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Justice Ministry plan to collect US$3.4 billion in fines and penalties, a 12 percent increase from this year. This is due to the government’s troubles in securing tax revenues. This year the government failed to secure enough tax revenues because it set the nation's rate of economic growth too high. The situation will likely continue next year as well.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Yeong (Hanyang University) : "When the projected rate of economic growth is set too high, authorities always overestimate tax revenues."

Tax collection is emerging as a major stumbling block for the government, as the economic crisis will likely worsen next year, while demand for social welfare continues to rise.

4. Suspicious Rice

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Rising rice prices and falling domestic production are leading some rice selling companies to scam their customers.

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This is a rice polishing factory in Gyeonggi Province. The rice packaging is marked as domestic rice produced in 2011. But in one corner of the factory, there's a huge pile of rice sacks from China along with stacks of packaged Korean rice that was produced three years ago. For two months since June, this factory sold a mixture of Chinese rice and domestic rice from 2009 and rice used for animal feed. The factory labeled the mixed grains as domestic rice. A total of 440 tons of the falsely labeled rice, which is estimated to be worth around 689,000 U.S. dollars, was sold to distributors. Although more than half of the grain mix was made with the cheaper Chinese rice, it is hard to discriminate the difference as the grains are small. This is what the rice polishing factory owner was counting on.

[Soundbite] An Dong-yun (Nat’l Agricultural Products Quality Management Service) : "Compared to last year, imports of Chinese rice have increased. The domestic harvest was poor, so there are more cases of rice marked with false origins being sold."

In the case of this year, as domestic rice production has dropped even further, more of such cases are expected to occur. Experts say the Chinese rice grains are whiter and more transparent than the Korean rice and are advising consumers to compare the colors of the grains or avoid any rice products that are being sold at unreasonably low prices.

5. Uncertain Future

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A government probe into a toxic gas leak in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province has done nothing to quell the rage of local farmers who say that it is too little, too late.

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The results after investigating the crops, livestock and soil in the area contaminated by hydrofluoric acid have been announced. The government decided to scrap all crops and trees confirmed to be affected. Though only a natural amount of hydrofluoric acid was found in the livestock, they too will also be all discarded to relieve concerns over food safety. Meanwhile, the government concluded that crops can be planted and grown normally again starting from next year. The government explained that the hydrofluoric acid concentration in the soil and streams were all below the safety limit and there would be no problem once the soil is neutralized with lime two weeks prior to sowing.

[Soundbite] Lee Hak-dong (Rural Development Administration) : "Hydrofluoric acid combines with calcium in the soil and turns insoluble so it has no direct effect on the soil."

But farmers said the results can’t be trusted and refused to listen to the government’s briefing. A month has passed since the hydrofluoric acid leakage, but the recovery is still lagging in the midst of local residents' distrust of the government's measures.

6. Dokdo in 3D

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October 25th is Dokdo Day. Virtual visits are now available to the islets, which are held as a proud symbol of sovereignty in Korea.

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The Dokdo islets lie at the far eastern end of the South Korean territory. Dokdo is composed of two main islets, one named Dongdo, meaning "East Island," and the other is called Seodo, meaning "West Island." The islets are surrounded by numerous rocks and boast of an exquisite landscape. But a visit to the islets consists of a six hour boat ride, and the tourists are limited to what they can see since they’re only allowed to look around near the dock.

[Soundbite] "I'd really like to go, but it’s sad that I can’t because of the difficulty in getting there and distance."

People can now go to Dokdo by means of a virtual trip that uses a three dimensional map service.Viewers can get a thorough look around the islets, including the cave at the summit area, and see Dokdo’s rock formation, which is shaped like that of the Korean peninsula. Provided in connection with KBS's real time Dokdo video service, users can also see the local weather and hear the sounds of the ocean. The 3D map was made with the use of high-precision aerial photography and laser surveying.

[Soundbite] Song Seok-jun (Min. of Land, Transport & Maritime Affairs) : "The details of curves have been enhanced by about 50 times, and resolution has also been improved by at least seven times."

The 3D map of Dokdo is available at www.vworld.kr.

7. Birch Trees

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It’s the height of Korea’s fall foliage season, and we take you now to the largest birch forest in the country in Inje, Gangwon Province.

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The clear sky and yellowish birch forest create a picture perfect scene. Visitors walk along the trail and begin treasuring memories. A birch forest that the Korea Forest Service in the northern region has been fostering since 1974 has finally opened. Some 690-thousand birches are planted on a site nearly 1.4 million square meters in size. A 10-kilometer exploration trail and convenience facilities are available for the recently growing population in Korea that enjoys hiking. Birches which grow well in cold regions can grow up to 20 to 25 meters. Their bark easily peels off like pieces of paper. The trees’ lumber and sap can be used in a variety of ways. The sap, for instance, can be extracted for drinking.

[Soundbite] Yun Yeong-gyun (Korea Forest Service) : "We'll promote the economic, environmental and cultural values of the trees inclusively by using them for medicinal purposes or using the sap to make products."

The Korea Forest Service will survey optimal habitats for birches and will increase the range of their areas.

8. Joseon King

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A royal portrait of the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, designated as a national treasure in June, has been paraded just as it was 600 years ago.

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The royal gatekeepers and mounted troops march in time to the traditional army music that is being played. A palanquin carrying a royal portrait appears and is escorted by soldiers and officials in charge of sacrificial rituals, all of whom are dressed in their ceremonial suits. In the portrait, the dignified looking founder and first king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Taejo, sits adorned in his royal robe. The event was held to celebrate the portrait's designation as a national treasure. The painting is the one and only surviving full-length portrait of the king. The parade that took place in 1410 for the enshrining of the king's portrait was reenacted based on thorough historical research. The event ended successfully with some one thousand tourists and citizens participating.

[Soundbite] Yi Seok (Imperial Culture Foundation of Korea) : "The Gyeonggijeon Shrine where the portrait of my forefather King Taejo, Yi Seong-gye, is placed was built 600 years ago; it should be on the world cultural heritage list. We need to quickly promote it and Koreans should take pride in it."

The portrait of the Joseon Dynasty's founding father will be shown to the public for the first time for a month at the Royal Portrait Museum at Gyeonggijeon Shrine in Jeonju.

9. Dog Heroes

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Recently an elderly man was rescued by a lifesaving dog after having been missing for three days. Search and rescue dogs play a big part in such missions, and today we're going to get a closer look into their lives.

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[Soundbite] "Search and rescue dogs of the 119emergency crew are playing a big role in finding missing senior citizens."

Search and rescue dogs have a sense of smell that’s 10 thousand times stronger than that of humans, and their sense of hearing is 40 times stronger. So, when it comes to finding people in sticky situations, their help is key. We visited a lifesaving dog that's drawing the spotlight these days.

[Soundbite] Jang Taek-yong (Dog Handler) : "We have a search and rescue dog that's as popular as Psy."

The rising-star canine is a German shepherd named Taebaegi. Taebaegi has worked as a search and rescue dog for two years now. He is sent on rescue missions in many regions.

[Soundbite] "He participated in some 100 missions to search for missing people, rescued three survivors and found a dead body. He is doing a great job."

Firefighters try to win Taebaegi's affection by patting and cuddling him. But he doesn't just take orders from anyone. He only listens to his handler.

[Soundbite] "Taebaegi, good job!"

Other lifesaving dogs live at this fire station too.

[Soundbite] "This is Taebaegi, in the center Suani and this one here is not yet a search and rescue dog but is being trained."

The dogs’ quarters all have an electric fan, an insect-zapper and a heated sleeping room. It’s a long road to go from everyday dog to canine rescuer. To do so, dogs like Taebaegi have to go through intensive training for about three years. A vital attribute of search and rescue dogs is a sense of self control that’s strong enough so they can stop themselves from eating when their handlers say so. Training includes going through obstacles that help them overcome fear and enhance their sense of balance and agility.

[Soundbite] Park Sun-tae (Korean Kennel Club of Rescue Dog) : "Even if they received internationally-approved training, they have to continue to be trained for obedience repeatedly until they die."

There are a few other necessary attributes. Dogs of many different breeds can be good rescuers as long as they’re fond of humans and aren’t aggressive. But for these reasons, indigenous Korean breeds like the Jindo and Sapsal don’t often make good lifesavers.

[Soundbite] "Indigenous Korean dogs tend to be loyal and obedient to their owners only."

When a stranger approaches, the lifesaving dog greets him wagging its tail while the Jindo looks nervous. When another dog passes by, the lifesaving dog shows no response while the Jindo turns aggressive.

[Soundbite] "Being loyal to just one person is good for a pet but it could be a weakness in a search and rescue dog."

In an emergency simulation, the canine lifesavers don’t give up no matter how difficult the conditions may be. When searching for missing people in the mountains, they search thoroughly through heavy brush and along steep cliff walls. Once they find the person, they stay beside them until the rescue crew arrives.

[Soundbite] Sin Dong-gyun (Gyeonggi Provincial Uiwang Fire Station) : "They use its strong sense of smell to do the work of around 30 firefighters alone."

Search and rescue dogs are key members of rescue teams, giving meaning to the old saying, “man’s best friend.”