A Step Back

입력 2013.02.28 (16:23) 수정 2013.02.28 (16:36)

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[Anchor Lead]

The president has cleared her schedule today. Here's what she's working on instead.

[Pkg]

Today, President Park Geun-hye has no official schedules and is reportedly reviewing her plans for running the administration amid the pending bill for government reorganization. She has finished meeting with foreign diplomats after her inauguration and is now focusing on minimizing any glitches that could arise in running the government from the bill's delay. In a meeting with senior secretaries on Wednesday, Park gave orders to look after pending issues so that the government can remain focused during the transitional period. It’s presumed that the president received reports on the most urgent matters. The president also urged the National Assembly to process the government reorganization bill as soon as possible noting the critical security and unstable economic conditions.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye (President): "Politics are for the sake of the people. I'm worried about how we will overcome this difficult situation."

On Wednesday, the president also requested the government to actively look after the people's finances including stabilizing prices. Park said the rising of prices must be minimized and raising them unjustly would be sternly tackled by the law. She said that raising taxes should only be a last resort for carrying out her election pledges and requested acquiring tax revenues by cutting excessive spending and legalizing the underground economy. Park is expected to discuss with presidential secretaries on matters including stabilizing prices and funding her pledges.

2. Statue Controversy

[Anchor Lead]

Tensions are once again rising between Korea and Japan after a domestic court ordered that two Buddhist statues not be returned to Japan. The historic items were recently stolen from the country by art thieves, but are believed to be originally from the Korean kingdom of Goryeo. The Japanese government has called for their swift return.

[Pkg]

A Korean group of thieves stole two Buddhist statues from a temple in Japan's Tsushima Island last month. The Buddhist statues were made during the era of Korea's ancient Goryeo Kingdom and kept at Korea's Buseok Temple. However, they were brought to Japan centuries ago for unknown reasons. The historical items were seized by Korean authorities while the thieves were trying to smuggle them into Korea. A Korean court recently accepted the Korean temple's request for suspending the return of the statues even though the Japanese government has designated them as important cultural properties to its country. The Japanese government was quick to respond to the Korean court's decision not to allow the return of the stolen statues until a dispute over their ownership is settled. Tokyo says that it is only natural for Korea to return it to Japan as soon as possible in accordance with a UNESCO treaty that bans the illegal import and export of cultural assets. Both Korea and Japan are part of the treaty.

[Soundbite] Yoshihide Suga (Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary): "Japan can request the return of the cultural assets in accordance with international law. We’ll ask Korea to return them through diplomatic channels."

Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration initially planned to return the statues to Japan, since it was stolen and smuggled to Korea. However, the administration is now reviewing which one comes first, the court's decision or the international treaty. Japanese media report that the Korean court put the brakes on the return of the stolen statues without clear reasons. Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper said that a delayed return of the statues could cause a diplomatic conflict between the two countries.

3. Starting a New Life

[Anchor Lead]

The Justice Ministry and the business sector are helping victims of serious crimes get a new start.

[Pkg]

The staff of this social enterprise is busy frying and delivering chicken. All of the employees here lost their loved ones to violent crimes. This homemaker's husband was murdered six years ago for no reason.

[Soundbite] Crime Victim: "We spent 40 years together before parting. I'm not scared of having lost my spouse or death. I'm afraid of people. I hate them."

Four victims of violent crimes began new lives by working at this chicken eatery. It's a social enterprise that was set up with the help of the Justice Ministry and several companies that invested in its facilities to help the victims of violent crimes. Jeong Jae-hun, whose father was killed three years ago, was also able to find a job at a flower shop that's funded by the government.

[Soundbite] Jeong Jae-hun (Crime Victim): "Now that I have a long-term professional job, it will help me a lot in my life."

So far only five social enterprises dedicated to helping the victims of violent crimes have been established nationwide. The Justice Ministry plans to provide jobs to other crime victims as well if the social enterprises turn out to be successful.

4. Shady PI

[Anchor Lead]

Private detective agencies in Korea are called shimbureum centers, which literally means "errand centers." One such firm has been busted illegally collecting personal information and passing it on to jilted lovers and business rivals.

[Pkg]

A KBS news team called a homeshopping site's phone ordering service. The caller input her identification number and her name is automatically confirmed. Right after this, her home address is read out. Homeshopping call services provide such personal information automatically if you just input an ID or phone number. This is the same with websites of delivery companies. Just by inputting certain information, such as a phone number, one can easily get other personal information of the individual, including his or her home address.

[Soundbite] Suspect (Voice Modified): "It wasn’t that difficult. I could get the information in about an hour."

Police have arrested workers at a so-called “errand center,” which are a type of private detective agency. They have been rounded up for stealing the personal information of around 1,000 people by using the methods mentioned earlier since 2011.

[Soundbite] Supt. O Jeong-cheol (Gimhae Jungbu Police Station): "The system that is used by large home shopping sites where you can get home addresses simply with ID or phone numbers should be changed."

The private detectives made around a total of 277,290 US dollars for doing errands on behalf of their clients, who would ask for work on cases such as tracking down lovers of straying spouses or locating warehouses of rival companies. Police arrested two workers who collected and provided the information and booked three others, including the head, without detention.

5. Dangerous Drivers

[Anchor Lead]

Recently, drag racing has become a serious problem on Korea’s streets. Now, police are cracking down.

[Pkg]

On the expressway, an expensive foreign car cuts in front of another and the two start racing. The speedometer shoots up to 300 kilometers per hour. At a junction surrounded by apartment buildings, a sports car skids and swerves dangerously near pedestrians crossing the street. Another driver performs a car stunt in between traffic signals. These drivers usually hang out together in groups and often compete to see who's the fastest. Most of them are in clubs of those owning expensive foreign cars. Reckless driving usually takes place on roads on the outskirts of the city. Here, there are less surveillance cameras and it's easier to lose the police during a pursuit. Such high-end reckless drivers are striking fear into other drivers on the road.

[Soundbite] Park Heung-sik (Truck Driver): "They suddenly honked and caught be by surprise. They nearly hit into me and swerved away. It was really scary."

Due to the increasing dangers, police have decided to organize a department dealing with the matter and dispatch patrol officers where these drivers appear the most. Police are also to charge habitual reckless drivers for disrupting traffic and take them into custody for investigation. They are also considering confiscating their cars.

6. Staying Single

[Anchor Lead]

A startling new government study has suggested that one of every five boys born in Korea in 2010 will never get married.

[Pkg]

Some restaurants in Seoul have begun providing spaces for solo customers recently. Customers who come in to have a meal by themselves can sit at a single table with just one chair and one stove. Most of them are single.

[Soundbite] "I don't have to give up my career to look after my child, and I can travel whenever I want."

This karaoke bar also has rooms for solo customers, who can sing alone. Without their children’s knowledge, a growing number of parents are secretly visiting matchmaking firms these days in hopes of finding a potential spouse for their kids.

[Soundbite] Matchmaking Company Employee: "They ask me not to tell their daughters who are the most likely thinking they don't want any help from us."

One in every five boys who were born in Korea in 2010 will probably remain single for the rest of their lives. About 15 percent of girls born in the same year will also never get married. The average age when Koreans get married was also found to be older -33 years of age for men and 30 years or later for women. The analysis also showed that one in every four married couples will end up in divorce. The divorce rate has been on the rise since the year 2000.

7. The Yang 3

[Anchor Lead]

Gold medal-winning gymnast Yang Hak-seon has wowed the world of gymnastics by successfully performing his new technique, the "Yang 3."

[Pkg]

Gymnast Yang Hak-seon flawlessly performs his new technique dubbed "Yang 3." He managed to pull a world's first by performing three revolutions and completing a technique requiring enormous physical strength

[Soundbite] Yang Hak-seon (National Gymnast): "I won’t stop here. I’ll work hard to develop as many new skills as I can."

After demonstrating his Yang 2 following the Yang 1 technique, which he displayed in the first round of the London Olympics finals, Yang went on to add a half-spin to the "Triple Tsukahara," which is now dubbed "Yang 3." The points granted to gymnasts for performing Yang's previous moves have decreased recently. Nonetheless, if Yang raises the success rate of the Yang 2 and Yang 3 techniques, he will have no rival for the time being. Yang stunned the world by achieving the Yang 3 with just one month of training.

[Soundbite] Song Ju-ho (Korea Inst. of Sports Science): "Yang Hak-seon is definitely an object of research. He does things considered theoretically impossible, effortlessly."

The gymnast plans to continue working on his new skill to prepare for the World Championships in Belgium in late September. After developing three new moves for the first time in the world, Yang might surpass his own nickname as "the god of vault."

8. Documentary Series

[Anchor Lead]

KBS has produced a series of documentaries to mark its 40th anniversary.

[Pkg]

High-school students from Korea held a math competition with students from Harvard University. The Korean team wins. But the Harvard students are disappointed with the reality in Korean schools.

[Soundbite] Brian (Student, Harvard University)

KBS producers searched for an answer to problems that Korean students face when learning math, which is mostly done by memorization. The producers visited a Jewish library and a British university where debates are held every evening.

[Soundbite] Jeong Hyeon-mo (Director, "Homo Academicus"): "It's about time we take a look at the way we study. I hope it will give us a chance to see if we’re going in the right direction, objectively."

KBS will broadcast four high-quality documentaries to mark the 40th anniversary of its founding. A documentary about the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty features 3D images and will air in September. This collection is known as "Uigwe" and inscribed as a World Heritage item.

[Soundbite] Lee Geon-hyeop (KBS Documentary Department): "We’ll show viewers four high-quality documentaries, which took two years to produce and cost around five billion won (US$4.6 million)."

KBS viewers will also be able to see in the second half of the year a new documentary from the renowned producer-slash-cook who won a series of international awards for the documentary "The Noodle Road" and a documentary depicting human civilization in four colors.

9. Creative Cafes

[Anchor Lead]

The number of cafes in Korea has exploded in recent years along with the popularity of coffee. In an extremely oversaturated market, owners have to come up with bright ideas to make their businesses stand out.

[Pkg]

In Korea’s major cities, the streets teem with cafes. Because of the sheer number of them, more and more cafes are coming up with interesting concepts in order to boost their business. In this cafe, customers can sip their drink while reading one of the many books on hand. There are even study rooms.

[Soundbite] "In other cafes, it's impossible to study because they're too noisy. But here you can drink some coffee and study as well because it's nice and quiet. "

Most of the clientele are college students and working people who need some quiet time to concentrate.

[Soundbite] "Cafes these days aren’t just for get-togethers and chatting, but also for studying and holding meetings. They're more comfortable and feel fresh now."

This cafe is used for all different kinds of gatherings. Members come with their own food, and the cafe provides the rice.

[Soundbite] "This cafe is a cooperative that was set up by 34 members."

Cafe owners come from a wide range of age groups and have diverse professions.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hui (Owner): "I run the cafe not to make money, but to provide a place for daily lectures that allow people to donate their skills."

Every evening, events are held where visitors donate their skills. Anyone can participate for just five thousand won, or just under five U.S. dollars.

[Soundbite] "I find this place very charming because you can share even the most trivial of skills here. You can start with easy dishes, and come here when you have free time in order to be part of this and show people what you can do."

This cafe was created in a house. It looks like an ordinary cafe.

[Soundbite] "I heard that you can help children in Africa by drinking coffee here."

This place is run by a non-governmental organization that's dedicated to helping children in Africa and single mothers. All proceeds are donated to charity.

[Soundbite] Lee Eun-yeong (United Help for International Children): "We began getting food ingredients and coffee from companies after hearing we helped children in Africa. Thanks to them we don't need to spend money on anything else, just labor and management costs. All the rest goes to children in Tanzania."

Apart from the cost of running the place, all proceeds are used to run a health center for young children in Tanzania, Africa. The cafe has many regulars.

[Soundbite] "The children are very cute. They make me want to come here often to help out."

Nowadays, there’s no need to settle for ordinary when you’re picking your cafe; you can find one that offers just what you’re looking for.

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  • A Step Back
    • 입력 2013-02-28 16:23:18
    • 수정2013-02-28 16:36:05
    News Today
[Anchor Lead]

The president has cleared her schedule today. Here's what she's working on instead.

[Pkg]

Today, President Park Geun-hye has no official schedules and is reportedly reviewing her plans for running the administration amid the pending bill for government reorganization. She has finished meeting with foreign diplomats after her inauguration and is now focusing on minimizing any glitches that could arise in running the government from the bill's delay. In a meeting with senior secretaries on Wednesday, Park gave orders to look after pending issues so that the government can remain focused during the transitional period. It’s presumed that the president received reports on the most urgent matters. The president also urged the National Assembly to process the government reorganization bill as soon as possible noting the critical security and unstable economic conditions.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye (President): "Politics are for the sake of the people. I'm worried about how we will overcome this difficult situation."

On Wednesday, the president also requested the government to actively look after the people's finances including stabilizing prices. Park said the rising of prices must be minimized and raising them unjustly would be sternly tackled by the law. She said that raising taxes should only be a last resort for carrying out her election pledges and requested acquiring tax revenues by cutting excessive spending and legalizing the underground economy. Park is expected to discuss with presidential secretaries on matters including stabilizing prices and funding her pledges.

2. Statue Controversy

[Anchor Lead]

Tensions are once again rising between Korea and Japan after a domestic court ordered that two Buddhist statues not be returned to Japan. The historic items were recently stolen from the country by art thieves, but are believed to be originally from the Korean kingdom of Goryeo. The Japanese government has called for their swift return.

[Pkg]

A Korean group of thieves stole two Buddhist statues from a temple in Japan's Tsushima Island last month. The Buddhist statues were made during the era of Korea's ancient Goryeo Kingdom and kept at Korea's Buseok Temple. However, they were brought to Japan centuries ago for unknown reasons. The historical items were seized by Korean authorities while the thieves were trying to smuggle them into Korea. A Korean court recently accepted the Korean temple's request for suspending the return of the statues even though the Japanese government has designated them as important cultural properties to its country. The Japanese government was quick to respond to the Korean court's decision not to allow the return of the stolen statues until a dispute over their ownership is settled. Tokyo says that it is only natural for Korea to return it to Japan as soon as possible in accordance with a UNESCO treaty that bans the illegal import and export of cultural assets. Both Korea and Japan are part of the treaty.

[Soundbite] Yoshihide Suga (Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary): "Japan can request the return of the cultural assets in accordance with international law. We’ll ask Korea to return them through diplomatic channels."

Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration initially planned to return the statues to Japan, since it was stolen and smuggled to Korea. However, the administration is now reviewing which one comes first, the court's decision or the international treaty. Japanese media report that the Korean court put the brakes on the return of the stolen statues without clear reasons. Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper said that a delayed return of the statues could cause a diplomatic conflict between the two countries.

3. Starting a New Life

[Anchor Lead]

The Justice Ministry and the business sector are helping victims of serious crimes get a new start.

[Pkg]

The staff of this social enterprise is busy frying and delivering chicken. All of the employees here lost their loved ones to violent crimes. This homemaker's husband was murdered six years ago for no reason.

[Soundbite] Crime Victim: "We spent 40 years together before parting. I'm not scared of having lost my spouse or death. I'm afraid of people. I hate them."

Four victims of violent crimes began new lives by working at this chicken eatery. It's a social enterprise that was set up with the help of the Justice Ministry and several companies that invested in its facilities to help the victims of violent crimes. Jeong Jae-hun, whose father was killed three years ago, was also able to find a job at a flower shop that's funded by the government.

[Soundbite] Jeong Jae-hun (Crime Victim): "Now that I have a long-term professional job, it will help me a lot in my life."

So far only five social enterprises dedicated to helping the victims of violent crimes have been established nationwide. The Justice Ministry plans to provide jobs to other crime victims as well if the social enterprises turn out to be successful.

4. Shady PI

[Anchor Lead]

Private detective agencies in Korea are called shimbureum centers, which literally means "errand centers." One such firm has been busted illegally collecting personal information and passing it on to jilted lovers and business rivals.

[Pkg]

A KBS news team called a homeshopping site's phone ordering service. The caller input her identification number and her name is automatically confirmed. Right after this, her home address is read out. Homeshopping call services provide such personal information automatically if you just input an ID or phone number. This is the same with websites of delivery companies. Just by inputting certain information, such as a phone number, one can easily get other personal information of the individual, including his or her home address.

[Soundbite] Suspect (Voice Modified): "It wasn’t that difficult. I could get the information in about an hour."

Police have arrested workers at a so-called “errand center,” which are a type of private detective agency. They have been rounded up for stealing the personal information of around 1,000 people by using the methods mentioned earlier since 2011.

[Soundbite] Supt. O Jeong-cheol (Gimhae Jungbu Police Station): "The system that is used by large home shopping sites where you can get home addresses simply with ID or phone numbers should be changed."

The private detectives made around a total of 277,290 US dollars for doing errands on behalf of their clients, who would ask for work on cases such as tracking down lovers of straying spouses or locating warehouses of rival companies. Police arrested two workers who collected and provided the information and booked three others, including the head, without detention.

5. Dangerous Drivers

[Anchor Lead]

Recently, drag racing has become a serious problem on Korea’s streets. Now, police are cracking down.

[Pkg]

On the expressway, an expensive foreign car cuts in front of another and the two start racing. The speedometer shoots up to 300 kilometers per hour. At a junction surrounded by apartment buildings, a sports car skids and swerves dangerously near pedestrians crossing the street. Another driver performs a car stunt in between traffic signals. These drivers usually hang out together in groups and often compete to see who's the fastest. Most of them are in clubs of those owning expensive foreign cars. Reckless driving usually takes place on roads on the outskirts of the city. Here, there are less surveillance cameras and it's easier to lose the police during a pursuit. Such high-end reckless drivers are striking fear into other drivers on the road.

[Soundbite] Park Heung-sik (Truck Driver): "They suddenly honked and caught be by surprise. They nearly hit into me and swerved away. It was really scary."

Due to the increasing dangers, police have decided to organize a department dealing with the matter and dispatch patrol officers where these drivers appear the most. Police are also to charge habitual reckless drivers for disrupting traffic and take them into custody for investigation. They are also considering confiscating their cars.

6. Staying Single

[Anchor Lead]

A startling new government study has suggested that one of every five boys born in Korea in 2010 will never get married.

[Pkg]

Some restaurants in Seoul have begun providing spaces for solo customers recently. Customers who come in to have a meal by themselves can sit at a single table with just one chair and one stove. Most of them are single.

[Soundbite] "I don't have to give up my career to look after my child, and I can travel whenever I want."

This karaoke bar also has rooms for solo customers, who can sing alone. Without their children’s knowledge, a growing number of parents are secretly visiting matchmaking firms these days in hopes of finding a potential spouse for their kids.

[Soundbite] Matchmaking Company Employee: "They ask me not to tell their daughters who are the most likely thinking they don't want any help from us."

One in every five boys who were born in Korea in 2010 will probably remain single for the rest of their lives. About 15 percent of girls born in the same year will also never get married. The average age when Koreans get married was also found to be older -33 years of age for men and 30 years or later for women. The analysis also showed that one in every four married couples will end up in divorce. The divorce rate has been on the rise since the year 2000.

7. The Yang 3

[Anchor Lead]

Gold medal-winning gymnast Yang Hak-seon has wowed the world of gymnastics by successfully performing his new technique, the "Yang 3."

[Pkg]

Gymnast Yang Hak-seon flawlessly performs his new technique dubbed "Yang 3." He managed to pull a world's first by performing three revolutions and completing a technique requiring enormous physical strength

[Soundbite] Yang Hak-seon (National Gymnast): "I won’t stop here. I’ll work hard to develop as many new skills as I can."

After demonstrating his Yang 2 following the Yang 1 technique, which he displayed in the first round of the London Olympics finals, Yang went on to add a half-spin to the "Triple Tsukahara," which is now dubbed "Yang 3." The points granted to gymnasts for performing Yang's previous moves have decreased recently. Nonetheless, if Yang raises the success rate of the Yang 2 and Yang 3 techniques, he will have no rival for the time being. Yang stunned the world by achieving the Yang 3 with just one month of training.

[Soundbite] Song Ju-ho (Korea Inst. of Sports Science): "Yang Hak-seon is definitely an object of research. He does things considered theoretically impossible, effortlessly."

The gymnast plans to continue working on his new skill to prepare for the World Championships in Belgium in late September. After developing three new moves for the first time in the world, Yang might surpass his own nickname as "the god of vault."

8. Documentary Series

[Anchor Lead]

KBS has produced a series of documentaries to mark its 40th anniversary.

[Pkg]

High-school students from Korea held a math competition with students from Harvard University. The Korean team wins. But the Harvard students are disappointed with the reality in Korean schools.

[Soundbite] Brian (Student, Harvard University)

KBS producers searched for an answer to problems that Korean students face when learning math, which is mostly done by memorization. The producers visited a Jewish library and a British university where debates are held every evening.

[Soundbite] Jeong Hyeon-mo (Director, "Homo Academicus"): "It's about time we take a look at the way we study. I hope it will give us a chance to see if we’re going in the right direction, objectively."

KBS will broadcast four high-quality documentaries to mark the 40th anniversary of its founding. A documentary about the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty features 3D images and will air in September. This collection is known as "Uigwe" and inscribed as a World Heritage item.

[Soundbite] Lee Geon-hyeop (KBS Documentary Department): "We’ll show viewers four high-quality documentaries, which took two years to produce and cost around five billion won (US$4.6 million)."

KBS viewers will also be able to see in the second half of the year a new documentary from the renowned producer-slash-cook who won a series of international awards for the documentary "The Noodle Road" and a documentary depicting human civilization in four colors.

9. Creative Cafes

[Anchor Lead]

The number of cafes in Korea has exploded in recent years along with the popularity of coffee. In an extremely oversaturated market, owners have to come up with bright ideas to make their businesses stand out.

[Pkg]

In Korea’s major cities, the streets teem with cafes. Because of the sheer number of them, more and more cafes are coming up with interesting concepts in order to boost their business. In this cafe, customers can sip their drink while reading one of the many books on hand. There are even study rooms.

[Soundbite] "In other cafes, it's impossible to study because they're too noisy. But here you can drink some coffee and study as well because it's nice and quiet. "

Most of the clientele are college students and working people who need some quiet time to concentrate.

[Soundbite] "Cafes these days aren’t just for get-togethers and chatting, but also for studying and holding meetings. They're more comfortable and feel fresh now."

This cafe is used for all different kinds of gatherings. Members come with their own food, and the cafe provides the rice.

[Soundbite] "This cafe is a cooperative that was set up by 34 members."

Cafe owners come from a wide range of age groups and have diverse professions.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hui (Owner): "I run the cafe not to make money, but to provide a place for daily lectures that allow people to donate their skills."

Every evening, events are held where visitors donate their skills. Anyone can participate for just five thousand won, or just under five U.S. dollars.

[Soundbite] "I find this place very charming because you can share even the most trivial of skills here. You can start with easy dishes, and come here when you have free time in order to be part of this and show people what you can do."

This cafe was created in a house. It looks like an ordinary cafe.

[Soundbite] "I heard that you can help children in Africa by drinking coffee here."

This place is run by a non-governmental organization that's dedicated to helping children in Africa and single mothers. All proceeds are donated to charity.

[Soundbite] Lee Eun-yeong (United Help for International Children): "We began getting food ingredients and coffee from companies after hearing we helped children in Africa. Thanks to them we don't need to spend money on anything else, just labor and management costs. All the rest goes to children in Tanzania."

Apart from the cost of running the place, all proceeds are used to run a health center for young children in Tanzania, Africa. The cafe has many regulars.

[Soundbite] "The children are very cute. They make me want to come here often to help out."

Nowadays, there’s no need to settle for ordinary when you’re picking your cafe; you can find one that offers just what you’re looking for.

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