Reunions Begin

[Anchor Lead]

Families of South and North Korea separated by the Korean War are finally reunited in a tearful reunion. It’s the first inter-Korean family gathering in three years and four months.

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These old ladies are sisters, who got separated from a young age. The younger sister from North Korea breaks down and cries as she greets the older one in a wheelchair.

[Soundbite] "Sister, I can't bear to see you in a wheelchair. "

Lee Yeong-sil has been dreaming of this day when she would meet her long-lost younger sister. She can't stop sobbing, lamenting the long years they spent apart.

[Soundbite] "(Your sister.) Yes, my sister. (She is your sister.)"

She is too ill to speak clearly, but won't let go of her sister's hands. Kim Myeong-bok and his parents had to leave his older sister behind as they fled war. The death of their parents was the first news he had to deliver to his sister after some 60 years of separation.

[Soundbite] KIM MYEONG-BOK (Younger Brother), KIM MYEONG-JA (Older Sister): "(They died 10 years ago?) Yes, they passed away 10 years ago."

Park Cheol teared up as he helped his 90-year-old father come to the reunion. It was the first time he saw his uncle from North Korea, but he could still feel the family love.

[Soundbite] PARK CHEOL (Separated Family Member): "My father never missed celebrating uncle's birthday, not even once, for the past 60 years."

Eighty-two family members from the South and 178 from the North are scheduled to attend individual and group reunions until this Saturday.

2. Abductee Whereabouts

[Anchor Lead]

Two South Korean sailors who were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s are also among participants at the inter-Korean reunions. Seoul has asked Pyongyang for the whereabouts of 50 such abductees.

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Park Yang-su, who was taken to North Korea while working on a fishing boat in 1974, met with his younger brother from South Korea after 42 years. The brothers recognized each other immediately. They were speechless for a while, overwhelmed with joy and sorrow. The younger brother greets his sister-in-law for the first time and introduces his own son.

[Soundbite] "Bow to your aunt."

He also passes on the news of their mother's death.

[Soundbite] PARK YANG-GON (Park Yang-su’s Brother): "Mom died of old age."

Caught up in emotions, the older brother can't utter a single word. So his wife speaks for him instead.

[Soundbite] RI SUN-NYEO (Park Yang-su’s Wife): "This is our daughter and this is our granddaughter. (You already have a granddaughter?)"

Choe Seon-deuk also met his younger brother Yeong-cheol who was on board the Suwon 33 fishing vessel when he was abducted to the North.

[Soundbite] "You know your younger brother died? Your younger brother."

Three children of South Koreans abducted to the North during the Korean War have also been included in the latest family reunions. Seoul has requested for the whereabouts of 50 South Korean POWs and abductees. Pyongyang said 17 of them died and 31 cannot be accounted for.

3. Heartfelt Funerals

[Anchor Lead]

The first funeral for one of the victims of the gym collapse at Mauna Ocean Resort in Gyeongju was held Thursday. A joint funeral for other victims took place Friday.

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The late Park Ju-hyeon ended her short life of 19 years even before getting into college. Her body left the mortuary surrounded by family and arrived at the cathedral she used to attend. Her last words were to her grandma saying she loves her before leaving for Gyeongju.

[Soundbite] PARK MYEONG-JAE (Catholic Priest): "It's such a sudden, heartbreaking tragedy. I’m speechless."

After four days of the accident, the first funeral was held Thursday. A joint funeral for six of the total ten victims was also held Friday at Busan University of Foreign Studies. As for the other three victims including an event company employee, funerals were held separately in each their hometowns of Busan and Ulsan. Honorary diplomas will be given to all of the nine dead students.

[Soundbite] BYEON GI-CHAN (Chief, Accident Headquarters): "The freshmen chose to enter our school and senior students studied here. These words of how they fostered their dreams will be included in the diplomas."

The university has set up a memorial monument for the victims on campus and is also reviewing creating a scholarship for the remembrance of the late Yang Seong-ho who gave his life to rescue his junior classmates.

4. Survivors Return

[Anchor Lead]

All 30 survivors of the bus bomb attack in Egypt have returned home as of Thursday. The remains of the three who perished are also back home.

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The injured tourists get off the plane in wheelchairs. Their nighmarish trip in Egypt was over but they still looked scared and weary. Most of them could not walk because of their leg injuries. And some were carried on stretchers by emergency medical workers.

[Soundbite] LEE YUN-OK (Injured Person): "There wasn't enough medicine. One person had a broken leg but didn't get surgery. The person kept bleeding on the way home."

They bypassed the airport arrival procedure and were transported directly to hospitals on ambulances. Those who were sent to Asan Medical Center and Seoul National University Hospital are believed to be in urgent need of operations to remove steel pellets from their bodies. But even the much-needed treatment and reunion with their families were not enough to ease their heavy hearts.

[Soundbite] KIM YEONG-CHEOL (Injured Person): "We're back but it's sad that we're missing some in our group."

The remains of the late Je Jin-su, president of a local travel agency, also arrived in Korea on Thursday. He's said to have stopped the terrorist from boarding the bus, which probably helped save many lives. The bodies of tourist Kim Hong-yeol and tour guide Kim Jin-gyu were also returned home Friday afternoon.

5. Unification Prep

[Anchor Lead]

The latest inter-Korean family reunions are a somber reminder about what’s at stake for a reunified Korea. Unfortunately, it’s been revealed that the South Korean government’s legal preparations for reunification are woefully lacking.

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North Korean refugee Mr. Lee was frustrated when he filed a lawsuit to receive his grandfather's inheritance left for his father. Although special inheritance laws for South and North Koreans exist, there is no specific stipulations on heritance claim period. The claim period based on civil codes is 10 years. If this time limit is applied, Mr. Lee has to give up the inheritance from his grandfather who died 50 years ago. But the South Korean court sided with Mr. Lee on the account of the special circumstances surrounding Korea's division. In tandem with increasing inheritance discords between South and North Koreans, the number of legal disputes surrounding inter-Korean exchange projects such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex is also mounting. Demands for legal services are expected to spike, as fierce property disputes such as the disposal of North Korean confiscated assets are likely to occur following the reunification. This is why the legal system must be retooled. At present, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Government Legislation, and the National Court Administration share the task of reorganizing the legal systems in preparation for a possible unification. So assignments are prone to overlapping and work efficiency is poor. South Korea's system stands in contrast to Germany, which had prepared for legal integration between West and East Germany since the 1950s.

[Soundbite] Prof. SONG IN-HO (Handong Global University): "The work is scattered all over the ministries and overlapped without any order. There should be a higher-level body that would integrate and coordinate the tasks."

Experts advise that South Korea should get ready to write a new Constitution in case North Korea is absorbed into South Korea's system of law and order after the unification.

6. Public Reform

[Anchor Lead]

President Park Geun-hye has announced her directives after conducting a full-scale review of the functions of public institutions in a drive for reform.

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President Park Geun-hye stressed that reform of public agencies must focus on cutting down debt and uprooting lax management as well as raising efficiency.

[Soundbite] PARK GEUN-HYE (President): "We’ll review public agencies' functions in phases to concentrate on key duties. Agencies will also have their efficiency raised through internal and external competition."

Park ordered that in the process of adjusting the functions of the agencies and reducing their debt, if selloff of asset is necessary, the timing of disposal should be coordinated for the sale price to be properly appraised. President Park said that public agencies' mistreatment of suppliers and contracted firms is a serious problem. She called for stern response to unfair trade practices.

[Soundbite] "Unethical practices perpetrated on the underdogs such as dealerships, franchises and contract firms must be identified and eradicated from the source through strict law enforcement and sanctions."

She also called for a review of a plan under which monitoring would be conducted every six months to inspect if such tasks are adequately conducted on-site and to disclose the results. The president also ordered that if unfair practices are found, the cases should be reflected in employee performance appraisals and evaluation of public agencies. The Finance Ministry reported that it would bolster deliberations on qualifications of public agency chiefs and auditors. The ministry says if they have no relevant experience, they will be excluded from appointments. Park stressed that in the latest reform, there will be no compromise or retreat as in the past, and pledged to respond based on strict principles.

7. Olympic Champ

[Anchor Lead]

Kim Yu-na’s last performance aired in the very early hours of Friday morning here in Korea, but that didn’t keep fans away from cheering her on. Though she failed to defend her Olympic gold title, her fans are still very proud.

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This is Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province where Kim Yu-na grew up. Some 200 Gunpo residents stayed up all night to cheer her on. They were mesmerized by Kim Yu-na's heart-wrenching choreography and faultless jumps. Each of her elegant movements won appreciative sighs from the audience. But even after her flawless performance, she came away with only silver medal. Her Korean fans were deeply disappointed.

[Soundbite] BAEK YEONG-JA (Gunpo Resident): "I feel too frustrated. I'm going to break down in tears. She skated so well."

[Soundbite] LEE YEONG-JA (Gunpo Resident): "It's okay. She performed very well. I'm proud of her for inspiring us and giving us hopes and dreams."

Her fan club gathered at a place in Seoul to root for her all night long. They are not too attached to the color of the medal, because she did her best.

[Soundbite] LEE SEONG-GWAN (Kim Yu-na’s Fan): "I think she skated very well. She’ll always be a gold medalist in our minds even after she retires."

Koreans have showered the figure skating champion with their undying support and admiration, and will continue to do so even after her retirement.

8. Entertainment News

[Anchor Lead]

Coming up, boy band TVXQ has released a repackaged album including new tracks for its fans, while Hoya of the boy band Infinite will join KBS variety show, “Cool Kiz on the Block.”

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The group TVXQ will release its repackage album for its seventh album, Spellbound, on February 27. The group's agency SMTOWN said it is a soul punk track containing simple shuffle rhythms with arrangements of base and electric guitar. The agency said that performances of Spellbound will feature choreography unique to TVXQ. The repackage album contains three new tracks and 12 tracks from the seventh album. Member of boy band Infinite, Hoya, will join the martial arts taekwondo segment of the KBS entertainment program Cool Kiz on the Block. The producers say Hoya completed taping for one show, adding that he has a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo. In the taekwondo episode of Cool Kiz on the Block, 2PM's Chanseong and BIGSTAR's Feeldog will appear as well. Actor-singer Yang Dong-geun will release a new track for the first time in one year, 2 months. His agency said that Yang will release the digital single "Jajaja" on February 25. Yang, who also produced the track, took part in the planning, production and directing of the music video.

9. Indoor Plants

[Anchor Lead]

Indoor plants are very useful. They can be used as a natural humidifier and air purifier. But they require more tender loving care during winter. So here are some tips to keep your plants green and healthy through the cold season.

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You don't see a lot of green in the cold and snowy winter. So many people grow plants indoors to make their home environment refreshingly pleasant.

[Soundbite] KIM NAM-HUI (Homemaker): "It's been a little over two years since I started growing plants. I have a baby now and also several potted plants, because the plants are good for humidifying and cleaning the air."

Just growing plants in the veranda or the living room can help create a better living environment during winter. But can plants really help control humidity?

[Soundbite] SONG JEONG-SEOP (National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science): "Plants breathe just like humans. The stomata or tiny openings found on the underside of the leaves discharge moisture and anions, humidifying and improving air quality of dry homes in wintertime."

It's too cold to open up the windows for ventilation during winter, so having potted plants is a great way to freshen up the air. Also the anions discharged by the plants help people relax. Green, fresh plants are always available at the flower market, even in winter. But it's not easy to choose the right plants for each home. So here are some suggestions. Herbal plants grow well even in the shade and their diminutive size makes them perfect indoor plants for homes and offices. Their fragrance also helps relax the nerves. The corn plant is called a natural humidifier and it's easy to maintain. The topiary plants made of moss are also used often to humidify the room. Kalanchoe and rice paper plant are known to block out electromagentic waves and clear the head. If you want to enjoy flowers in the middle of winter, cymbidium should be your choice. This cold-tolerant orchid is among the best house orchids for air purification and humidity control. Even if you keep these plants indoors, they may die from freezing if you don't care for them properly.

[Soundbite] "This corn plant was great for cleaning the air, but it died because I kept it outside."

It's important to keep the temperature from falling between four and six o'clock in the morning.

[Soundbite] "Temperature is the most important factor for raising house plants. If the nighttime temperature falls below 10 degrees, they can suffer low temperature damage and even freeze to death if it gets really cold. It's vital to bring the plants inside at night in winter and circulate the air by opening the windows during the warm daytime hours."

Cold winds are the most fatal risk for house plants. If there is too much of a draft, protect the potted plants with plastic wrap or newspapers. Also, water the plants if the soil in the pot feels too dry. When watering, don't use cold water right off the tap. The water should be near room temperature to keep the chill from damaging the roots. If the plants are already damaged by the cold, remove the affected leaves to allow healthier ones to grow. House plants make a great addition to your home not only as a visually pleasant decoration, but also as an effective solution to stuffy air.