NK Reshuffle

[Anchor Lead]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is reshuffling the country’s high-level officials, examining credentials and promoting and demoting across the board.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the State Security Ministry, which is an intelligence agency, on the day of its founding anniversary. Kim is known to be evaluating the credentials of officials all across the party, government and military, a task which is led by the State Security Ministry. According to the examination of officers conducted since last month, chief of the general staff of the North Korean military Hyun Yong-chol had his vice marshal title brought down a notch to the general level. Kim Yong-chol, believed to be the head of the North's anti-South campaign agency, also saw his general title demoted and vice chief of the general staff Choi Bu-il was also relegated. Major demotions are being confirmed in the general staff leadership across the board. The South Korean government believes the relegations are connected to the incident of a North Korean soldier who defected to a front-line South Korean unit in October. The soldier belonged to a unit that was directly under the general staff. Meanwhile Kim Kyok-sik, who is suspected of directing the sinking of South Korea's Cheonan Warship is believed to have been promoted to the general ranking while Colonel General Park Jong-chon also had his rank raised. It's known so far that through the credential evaluation, seven Cabinet ministers and two party directors have been replaced. The reshuffle is expected to continue as Kim Jong-un seeks to plant his close aides around him as part of his power succession. A South Korean government official says that even if military officers were demoted, what really matters is whether they're still serving Kim Jong-un and therefore could be restored to their previous ranks.

2. Gas Mileage

[Anchor Lead]

The way domestic automakers measure their cars' gas mileage has come under fire recently, prompting the government to drastically overhaul the way fuel consumption is tested.

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The official mileage of this car under urban driving conditions is 16.1 kilometers per liter. But a test conducted by an authorized institution shows that the car's mileage is just 15.4 kilometers per liter, which is more than 4 percent lower. The government has decided to permit the error margin of just 3 percent in measuring cars' mileage like in the U.S., and disclose the names of car models whose fuel consumption turns out to be more than 3 percent lower than officially stated. The percentage of car models subject to follow-up fuel consumption tests will be expanded from 3 or 4 percent to up to 10 percent.

[Soundbite] Song Yu-jong (Min. of Knowledge Economy) : "We’re going to step up the monitoring of carmakers’ mileage measurements to enhance the fuel economy credibility."

It will become mandatory for up to 15 percent of new car models to undergo fuel consumption tests before hitting the market. But experts point out numerous loopholes in the new regulations. Even if the cars' fuel consumption is measured in a stricter way before or after they reach consumers, only less than 30 percent of all car models will be subject to the testing. The current system, which allows automakers to measure their cars' mileage on their own, will remain largely unchanged. The government also plans to raise the fine for automakers that exaggerate their cars' fuel efficiency and finalize the new regulations by the end of this year.

3. Vanishing Cell Phones

[Anchor Lead]

Smartphones rule the mobile world these days, but some people feel that they just don't need one. But those consumers run into all kinds of problems, as phone makers shy away from making regular cells because they're not as lucrative as smartphones.

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Regular cell phones displayed at this shop in Seoul are not for sale. Shops are reluctant to sell these phones because they're not as lucrative as smartphones. Regular cell phones are as much as three times cheaper than smartphones and their monthly fees are twice as low. The same revenue structure applies to mobile service carriers and phone manufacturers. However, consumers in their 50s and 60s who have low incomes and aren’t used to the Internet have a hard time finding regular cell phones. Parents of young children are also at a loss. This lady wanted to buy regular cell phones for her children because she's worried about their addiction to smartphones, but in the end she had to give up.

[Soundbite] "Very few regular cell phones are displayed and they said you have to pay for them in cash."

Phone producers and sellers are ignoring the consumer’s right to choose since they're too keen on reaping profits.

4. Drinking Danger

[Anchor Lead]

A domestic study has found that habitual excessive drinking increases your risk of dying from cancer by two to three times.

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This patient’s condition is past the stage in which surgery can help him recover. There is large tumor that is about six centimeters in diameter that is seen below the liver. The patient developed alcoholic cirrhosis due to a lifestyle that consisted of drinking more than five days a week. The condition has turned for the worse as the patient now faces liver cancer. Research results show that habitual drinking doubles one’s risk of cancer. The study followed 16-thousand Korean adults and found that those who drink excessively out of habit were two to three times more likely to die from lung, gastric or liver cancers.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Do-yeong (Yonsei Severance Hospital) : "Some 20% of habitual drinkers develop cirrhosis, which is the greatest risk factor leading to liver cancer."

Acetaldehyde, which is produced when alcohol breaks down in one’s system, is also a carcinogen and is believed to trigger cancer development. Men who drink seven shots of the Korean distilled liquor soju and women who drink five shots more than twice a week are considered to be at high risk for health problems due to alcohol. In Korea, 25 percent of the men and seven percent of the women fall under this category. 25 percent is 1.8 times that of American men and 3 times that of French men. It’s also the highest figure amongst the OECD member nations. The daily alcohol intake recommended by the World Health Organization is less than half a bottle of soju for men and only a quarter of a bottle for women.

5. Korean Cinema

[Anchor Lead]

Korean movies have topped 100 million in annual domestic theatergoers for the first time ever. But behind the milestone, many problems remain to be resolved in the industry.

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This Korean film has been running in the theaters nationwide for over two months now, and so far, nearly 12 million movie goers have watched it. This year, nine Korean films have topped the four million mark in ticket sales, two of which sold over ten million tickets. Audience numbers for Korean films have surpassed the 100 million milestones for the first time ever this year. Korean cinema began to grow noticeably since 2000. At one point, it was even on the decline due to reckless investments. But its glory days are back as the movies are armed with diverse plot materials and solid productions. However, behind the spectacular growth, a disturbing imbalance widens. Only one percent of the films screened at the nation's four major multiplex theater chains this year were low-budget indie films. Indie films only sold around one million tickets, which is just only one percent of the total 100 million movie goers for all of the Korean films. Films invested by big money media conglomerates are increasingly occupying screen time.

[Soundbite] Gwak Yeong-jin (Film Critic) : "Because they just want to make a quick buck and then move on to the next film, conglomerates that invest enjoy a monopoly in the distribution and screening of films."

The task at hand for Korean cinema, which has ushered in an era that has brought in 100 million viewers, is to foster an environment in which all of the players can coexist in order to achieve a balanced development of the domestic film industry.

6. Smartphone Tracking

[Anchor Lead]

With violent crimes against women and children on the rise in Korea, parents are worried. Now, a smartphone service has been launched today, November 21, that allows parents to track where their kids are in real time.

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An elementary school student is leaving school. He immediately turns on an application on his smartphone. His mother, who is at home, can confirm his whereabouts in real time with the smartphone app. With the use of this app, the child’s location can be precisely monitored, showing exactly where he is as he makes his way home. A warning message is also sent if he heads to a dangerous area. In the event of an emergency, the child can automatically ring up his parents and the police with the click of a button. During the trial run of this service, which began in February in four cities and provinces, 13-thousand people have downloaded this application.

[Soundbite] Kim Dong-seok (Min. of Public Administration & Security) : "Violence and other heinous crimes against children are growing by the day. We introduced the service for parents to monitor their kids and see them get home safely from school."

This smartphone app geared for a child’s safe travel home will be available nationwide starting from November 21st, and Android-powered smartphone users can download it for free.

7. Han River Ecology

[Anchor Lead]

The ecosystem of the Han River that flows through the center of Seoul has been found to be growing richer in life forms.

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This is a wetland eco-park located on the bank of the Han river. At this time of the year, the site is filled with flocks of migratory birds visiting for the winter. Flocks of mallards and Great Crest Grebes swim in the water. Great Cormorants can be seen soaring into the sky. Upstream the Han River just before the Paldang Lake, a variety of endangered species can be spotted. Long-billed Plovers search for food while a Whooper Swan swims in the water. A Northern Goshawk tries to chase and hunt down sparrows. All these three species are endangered birds. The ecosystem of the Han River downstream from the Paldang Lake to Seoul was examined since last year. This time, around 1,800 species of fauna and flora were found in the area. This is 227 more animals and plants from five years ago, and 355 more than a decade ago. Newly discovered endangered species include the butterfly known by the scientific name "Fabriciana nerippe," the White-tailed Eagle and the lizard called the Mongolian Racerunner.

[Soundbite] Song In-ju (Researcher, The Seoul Institute) : "It’s a result of our aggressive preservation and restoration efforts such as designating eco-preservation zones and forming ecological parks."

Some unwelcomed species were discovered as well. The Yellow Bellied Slider was found in the area for the first time. The turtle is a foreign species known to be causing disturbance in the local ecosystem. Colonies of a foreign plant known as burr cucumber found growing along the Han River will also need to be managed.

8. Joseon Furniture

[Anchor Lead]

Wood furniture from the Joseon era is widely respected for its beauty, but few pieces still survive. Recently, a renowned Korean carpenter has recreated an elaborate piece of Joseon furniture that was looted by the Japanese.

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This piece of furniture was taken to Japan by folk handicraft researcher Muneyoshi Yanagi during Japan’s colonization of Korea. It's a uniquely designed bookshelf with sliding and opening doors. After seeing the bookshelf on a TV show, carpenter Park Myeong-bae, who is one of Korea’s intangible cultural heritage title holder, decided to create a replica of the traditional artifact no matter what.

[Soundbite] Park Myeong-bae (Woodwork Initiator) : "The proportion of the doors is great and the overall proportions are good, too. Space is allocated very efficiently. These are the characteristics of traditional wood furniture."

Park had a hard time finding wood planks with irregular and extravagant patterns that were used in the original Joseon furniture, which used planks made out of 400-year-old Zelkova trees. The carpenter was only able to use the TV images as a blueprint when he recreated the piece. These pieces of furniture were used by the royal family and aristocrats during the Joseon dynasty. But most of these artifacts disappeared during the Japanese colonization period and the Korean War.

[Soundbite] Kim Sam Dae-ja (Cultural Heritage Administration) : "Few high-quality furniture pieces have survived. We need to recreate the ancient furniture to hand down to future generations."

Furniture from the Joseon period even gained the spotlight from overseas when it received an award at a furniture exhibition in Paris in 1908. Now, the attention is being focused on the reproduction of these ancient Korean masterpieces.

9. Wide World of Food

[Anchor Lead]

Not so long ago, international visitors and residents in Korea had a tough time finding food from their native countries. But the number of foreign restaurants has exploded, and now you can get food from just about anywhere.

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This is a Jordanian restaurant in Seoul’s most international neighborhood, Itaewon.

[Soundbite] "I feel really good here. It feels like my home country."

The first secret to creating the Jordanian flavors in Korea is the spices. They bring them in from Jordan themselves.

[Soundbite] Yaser Ghanayem (Owner, Jordanian Restaurant) : "Another secret is the meat, which was also imported. You can’t get it in Korea."

[Soundbite] Hamat (Chef, Jordanian Restaurant ) : "It's from Australia; that's halal. They eat halal food. You cannot eat another thing."

Muslims eat halal food that was slaughtered a specific way.

[Soundbite] "I’m happy to eat the food that I grew up with in my hometown here."

This is an Uzbek restaurant in Songdo in Incheon. This traditional kiln is an essential item to make this bread, which is a staple in Uzbekistan. The kiln was shipped in from the country.

[Soundbite] Hamilia (Baker) : "This is an Uzbek kiln called "tandir." We bake bread strictly in the Uzbek way."

This fresh baked bread is called "lepeshka.”

[Soundbite] "It tastes simple and sticky. It's really good."

There’s another unique international restaurant in Jongno, Seoul.

[Soundbite] Tenzin Delek (Owner, Tibetan Restaurant) : "I tried to make every design in Tibetan styles.These are very common in Tibet."

This tea is a specialty here. Traditional Tibetan tea should be served in this kind of cup.

[Soundbite] "This is butter tea, a traditional Tibetan tea."

Many customers want to get one of the wooden cups.

[Soundbite] "I brought these cups from Nepal. But there are only ten sets left. "

As well as the tableware, the owner brings other ingredients in from Nepal. Tibetans have a special way of drinking their tea.

[Soundbite] "(Is this a Tibetan prayer?) Yes"

[Soundbite] "Mmm, delicious!"

International residents of Korea are doing their best to bring the flavors of their home here.