Prosecutor Arrested

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A senior Seoul prosecutor at the center of a tug-of-war between police and prosecutors over jurisdiction has been arrested for taking bribes.



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Senior prosecutor Kim Kwang-joon was arrested just ten days after suspected reports of corruption by the media. The arrest warrant by the special prosecution team is charging Kim of accepting bribes amounting to around US$826,000. This includes money and valuables given by Eugene Group, mastermind Cho Hee-pal, the wife of a former National Intelligence official and the former mobile service provider KTF. The court explained the arrest was inevitable since the investigation revealed the truth, and also because it’s possible that evidence was destroyed and that Kim could flee considering his ranking and the probe process. With Kim’s arrest, the special prosecution team is planning to focus on probing more allegations on his involvement regarding illegal loans given by Jeil Savings Bank as well as accepting money and valuables from a rural construction company. This is the first time a current prosecutor was detained since 2000. At the news of the arrest, Prosecutor General Han Sang-dae could not hide his grief. Han offered a written apology to the people and said measures will be drawn up to reform the prosecution. Meanwhile, police say they will keep watch over the special prosecution team’s probe and may continue including their own investigations by interrogating Kim at the detention center. The prosecutors and police have been clashing over their respective investigation rights due to the case.



2. Merger Obstacles



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DUP presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo resumed their candidacy merger negotiations yesterday, November 19. The two leading opposition candidates have agreed to hold a TV debate tomorrow before picking a winner.



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The negotiating teams of main opposition Democratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and independent presidential hopeful Ahn Cheol-soo sat together again on November 19th to resume their talks on fielding a single opposition candidate. They agreed to first hold a TV debate between Moon and Ahn on November 21st. However, both sides failed to reach an agreement on the detailed method to decide on a single candidate. Although they agreed that there is no other alternative than an opinion poll, the two negotiating teams failed to agree on the details of the survey, such as when to conduct the polls and whether to conduct a panel survey. Both Moon and Ahn waged a war of nerves, saying that neither of them would yield to each other through the negotiations.



[Soundbite] Rep. Moon Jae-in (DUP Presidential Candidate): “It’s impossible for me to concede to him. I’m not an individual candidate; I’m the candidate of the DUP. I was selected by one million voters.”



[Soundbite] Ahn Cheol-soo (Independent Presidential Candidate): “I think that he and I can discuss in personal issues that can’t be resolved at working-level negotiations. But that doesn’t mean that I would concede.”



The two presidential candidates also revealed their differences over a change in the number of parliamentary seats, a matter that they had agreed on in a joint declaration on political reform. The two announced the joint declaration on November 18th. Moon sees the clause as the maintenance in the number of parliamentary seats at the current level. Ahn, however, interprets it as a reduction in the number of lawmakers. Although they both attended a debate on agriculture on November 19th, neither of them mentioned anything about fielding a single candidate.



3. Saenuri’s Criticism



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The ruling party continues to rail against the opposition merger plans. Saenuri officials are calling the move a ploy to split power.



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The Saenuri Party is trying hard to hamper the opposition from fielding a unified presidential candidate saying that independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is no longer as popular as before, and that Moon Jae-in has a higher chance of becoming the unified contender. The ruling camp is urging Ahn to drop out of the race for disappointing the public with his old-fashioned corrupt politics and attempts to split power. Meanwhile, Saenuri Party’s presidential hopeful, Park Geun-hye, attended a forum on agricultural policies and outlined her five policies aimed at raising farmers’ wages and stabilizing the prices of agricultural materials. She stressed that she’s completely prepared to be the nation’s president.



[Soundbite] Rep. Park Geun-hye (Saenuri Party Presidential Candidate): “I’ll implement three core policies, which include increasing the farmers’ income, expanding their welfare and helping the agricultural sector become more competitive.”



Four groups and organizations recently announced their support for Park. They include the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and the Korea Right Politics Coalition for the Future. The Saenuri Party is considering taking legal action against artist Hong Sung-dam, whose painting shows Park Geun-hye giving birth to late President Park Chung-hee as well as the museum that put the painting on display.



4. Murderer Sentenced



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A man has been found guilty of a brutal murder that took place in July along a hiking trail on Jeju Island, but the family of the victim is not happy with the sentence.



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A public trial was held for a 46 year old suspect, identified as Gang, who was charged with murdering a 40 year old female tourist who was trekking along Jeju Island’s Olle Trail in July. The trial lasted for more than 16 hours, and at the end, the court sentenced Gang to 23 years in prison. Additionally, for ten years, Gang’s personal information will be publicized and he will also have to wear an electronic anklet. Gang will also have to undergo 40 hours of psychological counseling for his sexual offense. This ruling is based on the prosecutors’ claim that Gang had intended to rape the woman at the time of the murder. The hearing was held with a ten member jury. The court said that it made its decision that Gang was guilty for the crime and his sentence based on the jury’s judgement. The court says that the charges were all found to be true as a result of the defendant’s confession and the evidence provided by the prosecutors. But the victim’s bereaved family is objecting, arguing that the court’s ruling is not acceptable. Prosecutors who had demanded a death sentence are reportedly planning to file an appeal.



5. Child Abuse



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Reports of child abuse have been on the rise in recent years and exceeded 10,000 last year alone. While physical abuse is declining, there are more and more cases of emotional abuse.



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These letters were written by children who were victims of household abuse. One of them writes, "My mom is a bad person. I don’t want my children to go through this." A child who was neglected for a long period calls himself "an idiot," a symptom of self-denial. The number of child abuse reports keeps rising every year, and surpassed 10,000 last year. About 87 percent of the children are abused at home with 83 percent of this coming from their parents. However, while physical abuse has gradually been declining, cases of emotional neglect are surging 10 percent every year.



[Soundbite] Mun Gi-deok (Child Protection Agency): “These children are prone to cutting their wrists or feeling the urge to commit suicide. They also can’t socialize with anyone wherever they go.”



Unless their home environment improves, the children still get exposed to such cruel treatment even after receiving therapy.



[Soundbite] Seo Jeong-hyeon (Min. of Health & Welfare): “We plan to enact a new regulation requiring parents to get training. Those who commit child abuse will be ordered to receive compulsory training.”



Although the number of tormented children continues to rise, only one shelter for them exists in the nation.



6. Heroic Rescue



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Problems with her boyfriend led a teenage girl to try to commit suicide by jumping off a rooftop but a police officer managed to catch her.



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On November 18, a girl tried to jump off of a rooftop on four-story residential building in Gyeonggi Province. The 16-year-old girl threatened to kill herself after she had a fight with her boyfriend. The situation was quite precarious as the girl could have fallen at any moment. Just as her boyfriend started to talk to her, she stepped off the roof. Fortunately, a police officer was waiting below and caught her with his arms. The hero who saved the girl’s life is Officer Choe Dae-hun from Suwon Nambu Police Station.



[Soundbite] Pol. Choe Dae-hun (Suwon Nambu Police Station): “I thought that both of us were in danger. Thankfully, the girl didn’t lose her life. I feel relieved.”



The young officer was hospitalized because he suffered from arm injuries while he rescued the girl. Even though he was injured, he says that he would do the same thing if such an incident should ever happen again.



7. 3-D Performances



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Here’s some good news if you find tickets for ballets or musicals too expensive.



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The sad but beautiful love story of a country girl named Giselle and a nobleman Albrecht disguised as a peasant is presented in ballet before the audience. It appears to be a live performance but it’s really a 3D movie. The performance by the globally renowned Mariinsky Ballet Company of Russia is being screened at the cinema. Although it’s a movie, the dancers’ movements are as real as if they’re actually dancing on stage and their expressions can even be seen sitting all the way in the back.



[Soundbite] “It’s shown from multiple angles. Actually, if you want see all the details like the facial expressions with such a high price tag, going to the theater can be a burden”



Moreover, well-known ballets that would normally cost hundreds of dollars per ticket live can be watched at a relatively low price. With such advancements, world class performances including classical music and musicals as well as ballets are being produced in film. As the year ends, "The Nutcracker" will be released next month in Korea. The performing arts are taking a step closer to the public by using cutting edge technologies.



8. Traditional Dance



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Followers of the late traditional dance master Han Seong-jun recently re-enacted his most legendary dance.



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The renowned late Master Han Seong-jun wrote a whole chapter in the history of the Korean traditional dance. His students recently got together to pay tribute to the great dancer. The fluttering moves performed by dancers in soft long-sleeve robes mesmerize the audience. The enrapturing salpuri dance represents the difficult lives of the Joseon people and their desire to heal and attain emotional freedom. The spring nightingale dance called "chunaengjeon" was created by Crown Prince Hyomyeong, the son of King Sunjo, and was only performed for the king. The dance "taepyeongmu," which was performed to pray for peace, features the most delicate yet restrained foot steps.



[Soundbite] Prof. Jeong Jae-man (Sookmyung Women’s University): “We organized this concert for Master Han Seong-jun’s followers to get together and perform the renowned dance, and also draw attention to him here in Hongseong.”



The concert was organized by Master Han Seong-jun’s students in a bid to introduce his legacy to the public.



[Soundbite] “It was impressive seeing all of Master Han Seong-jun’s dances performed on one stage.”



Master Han Seong-jun, the father of the Korean traditional dance, always emphasized the importance of moving every single bone in the body in order to dance well. But a memorial hall dedicated to the great dancer has yet to be founded.



9. Seasonal Seafood



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We go now to Korea’s mud flats to see if we can catch some seasonal seafood.



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Beolgyo, which is known for its clams, is crowded with tourists.



[Soundbite] “Going to dig for cockles! Going to dig for cockles!”



Catching these clams, called cockles, is quite a messy experience.



[Soundbite] “Where are they? I can’t catch any.”



Even the most unlucky diggers refuse to give up.



[Soundbite] “Wow, so fresh. They’re alive! It’s amazing.”



Finally they find what they’re looking for.



[Soundbite] “I want to cook and eat them with my family.”



There’s a trick to cooking cockles properly.



[Soundbite] Kim Gyeong-hui (Volunteer, Beolgyo Cockle Festiva ): “Cockles taste the best when cooked in 70 to 80 degree water. When the water starts boiling, pour in a cup of cold water to adjust the temperature for the cockles.”



You can’t beat the taste of fresh clams straight from the wetlands.



[Soundbite] “It’s good; really chewy.”



The table is laid with an array of dishes all made with cockles. This multi-course meal is the specialty of this region. Koreans eat their clams in lots of original ways, from straight from the shell to a spicy cockle salad mixed with rice.



[Soundbite] “They’re light and have chewy texture. I can’t stop eating them. It’s delicious!”



These crunchy deep-fried clams are another regional specialty.



[Soundbite] “Here’s your kkomak tangsuyuk(sweet and sour cockles).”



[Soundbite] “This dish is enough. I love it.”



Now we move on to another delicacy that’s also in season now.



[Soundbite] “You can’t catch them during the day You have to come at night.”



This one is only caught at nighttime. As darkness falls, people head out to the mud flats. Then, they wait quietly for their prey. A fish is used as bait.



[Soundbite] “Shhh! Quiet! We’re trying to catch octopus.”

Soon, a leg pokes out. A baby octopus hiding in the hole comes out to catch the fish.



[Soundbite] “This is the autumn octopus!”



These nocturnal mollusks are rich in taurine and are though to be stamina-boosting food in Korea that can help you stay healthy as the seasons change.



[Soundbite] “You have to try how chewy it is to understand.”



The fresh baby octopuses are made into "ganjang nakji," or octopus in soy sauce.



[Soundbite] “When preparing ganjang nakji, you should cook it only slightly to let the seasoning permeate it deeply enough.”



It’s cooked very lightly so it maintains its taste. Then, it’s seasoned with soy sauce, medicinal herbs, fruits and vegetables, and marinated in a special sauce.



[Soundbite] Jeong Ok-nam (Owner, Baby Octopus Restaurant): “I came up with octopus in soy sauce while thinking of ways to store octopus for long periods to keep them fresh. It turned out to be very delicious.”



The soy sauce is boiled and poured in four times a day. Then the octopus is left to marinate for three days. This dish takes a lot of time and effort to make.



[Soundbite] “When it’s chilly outside, eat baby octopus and regain your energy!”



In the fall, the Korean wetlands teem with cockles and octopus, and the locals take full advantage.