TOUGHER PUSH TO LIMIT ILLEGAL RALLIES

TOUGHER PUSH TO LIMIT ILLEGAL RALLIES

[Anchor Lead]
The government and the ruling party have taken a hard-line stance against what they perceive as 'excessive illegal rallies and protests.' This move comes in the wake of a two-day urban rally hosted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions last week. Measures include curtailing organizations known for illegal rallies from organizing similar events and restricting demonstrations during peak commuting hours. However, the opposition party has voiced strong opposition, arguing that these measures infringe on the constitutional rights and basic democratic freedoms of assembly and protest.

[Pkg]
Vowing to sternly address illegal protests and rallies, the government and ruling party met for discussions again in just three days after their previous meeting. They announced tougher measures to tackle any unlawful acts occurring at rallies or demonstrations. One of them is to restrict organizations with records of holding illegal rallies from staging similar events. Police station chiefs in charge will more actively decide whether or not the demonstrations threaten public order. They will be able to reject reports of rally plans that are deemed to cause public inconveniences. Article 12 of the law on assembly and demonstration will also be actively applied to ban rallies disrupting traffic. This means holding rallies at morning and evening rush hours will be restricted.

[Soundbite]
Yun Jae-ok (Floor Leader, People Power Party): We will review restricting rallies and demonstrations that are clearly predicted to directly threaten public order and other people’s basic rights.

The Democratic Party slammed the government and ruling party for attempting to infringe on the freedom of assembly and demonstration, calling the move unconstitutional. The main opposition party pledged to not tolerate any retrogression in democracy.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jae-myung (Chair, Democratic Party): The freedom of assembly and expression is the basic right supporting democracy. Any attempt to restrict it is an attack and damage on democracy.

The Justice Party also denounced the government and ruling party for brazenly pushing to limit the freedom of assembly and demonstration, which is guaranteed under the Constitution. The minor opposition party described it as ridiculous.

ON-SITE INSPECTION ON WASTE WATER WRAPS

[Anchor Lead]
The Korean government's inspection team sent to Japan to monitor the Fukushima contaminated water situation has completed its two-day on-site assessment. The team reported that progress towards safety assessment appears achievable, but they have not revealed when the government will announce its official safety evaluation.

[Pkg]
On the second day of on-site inspections, the Korean team checked the chemical analysis facility that measures and analyzes nuclides. The inspectors' focus was on the
emergency shutoff valve that should be operated in case of an abnormality detection before the radioactive water is purified by the advanced liquid processing system known as the ALPS.

[Soundbite]
Yoo Guk-hee (Head, Korean inspection team): We focused on checking the location of the emergency shutoff valve and whether it operates properly.

The inspection team also checked to see if the facility that dilutes tritium by mixing seawater is properly operating. The inspectors have also received materials about the concentration levels of 64 nuclides before and after the ALPS purification process, which they will further examine later. The two-day on-site inspection was carried out as planned and it's been said that substantial progress will be made in safety assessment. Nonetheless, there are still areas that require additional analysis.

[Soundbite]
Yoo Guk-hee (Head, Korean inspection team): We inspected all related facilities. We also asked many questions and requested additional materials at the site.

Although the Korean inspectors were unable to take samples of radioactive water, they are analyzing the samples taken by the International Atomic Energy Agency. While an IAEA final report is slated for an announcement next month, it remains uncertain when the Korean government will share the safety assessment results based on this on-site inspection. The Korean inspectors will hold a technical meeting with their Japanese counterparts today before returning home tomorrow from their six-day trip. Meanwhile, the struts propping up a nuclear reactor in the Fukushima plant was found yesterday to be broken across the board. This prompted Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority to order Tokyo Electric Power Company to devise preventive measures against the spread of radioactive materials.

LAUNCH PAD CONSTRUCTION IN N. KOREA

[Anchor Lead]
North Korea seems to be speeding up construction work near the Tongchang-ri satellite launch site on the west sea coast. It was also found that a rooftop was put up in just a day on a building believed to be a rocket assembly unit.

[Pkg]
The Tongchang-ri satellite launch site in North Korea. Situated on the west sea coast of Pyonganbukdo Province in a border area with China. Over the years, this is where the regime tested ballistic missile engines and fired the Eunha-3 long range rocket it claims is for launching satellites. In recent days, in an area some 3.5 kilometers away from Tongchang-ri, construction of what appears to be a new launch pad, is progressing quickly. The new facility has a nearly completed form while six steel frames are also erected nearby. The steel structures are believed to be infrastructure to protect the rocket from lightning. A blue building with its roof completed in just one day is suspected to be a rocket assembly unit. The images indicate signs of preparations for the launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, which Pyongyang earlier announced it plans to launch. Some analysts predict the North may use solid fuel rocket engine.

[Soundbite]
Hong Min (Korea Institute for Nat’l Unification): Though the activity is part of recon satellite launch preparations, it also likely indicates internal pressure and repeated technical trials and errors.

North Korea firing a rocket to launch a satellite violates UN Security Council resolutions because it uses ballistic missile technology. This is why South Korea and G7 leaders called on the regime to refrain from any launches.

[Soundbite]
Lee Sung-jun (Joint Chiefs of Staff (May 23)): S. Korea-U.S. intel authorities are closely monitoring the area and tracking various provocation scenarios and weapons development movements.

Meanwhile over in the U.S., the deputy nuclear envoys of Seoul and Washington held talks and agreed to cooperate so the international community can take a stern response in the event North Korea conducts provocative acts including launching a military satellite.

FIRMS FINED FOR MISLEADING 5G ADS

[Anchor Lead]
Nearly 30 million South Koreans are using 5G mobile services, expecting high-speed connectivity with the high tariffs. However, it appears the service quality and speed doesn't quite match the advertisements from telecom companies. The Fair Trade Commission has found a significant portion of these 5G advertisements to be either false or exaggerated, resulting in hefty fines for the three major telecom companies in Korea.

[Pkg]
Ahead of the release of the 5G network services in 2019, the nation's three mobile carriers advertised that 5G would deliver a speed of 20 gigabits per second, which is 20
times faster than the 4G LTE network. They also promoted 5G's performance, claiming that it would take less than a second to download an entire movie or transmit a large file.

[Soundbite]
Cho Yoon-seo (5G service user): Although the 5G sign is shown, my mobile phone connects to the LTE network when it is operated.

After conducting an investigation, the Fair Trade Commission found that the telecom companies exaggerated the performance of their 5G services. As of 2021, 5G networks delivered an average speed of 0.8 Gbps, which was 25 times slower than the advertised rate. It turns out, the speed of 20 Gbps is only a target in theory for the 5G technology. In reality, no frequency bands and handsets were made available to reach that aimed level. After the 5G services hit the market, the mobile carriers revised their advertisements and said that the maximum speed would be 2 Gbps. However, this was also an unrealistic rate that could be provided only when one handset was connected to each base station. The companies were found to have claimed themselves to be the provider of the fastest 5G service without offering objective, verified test results. The Fair Trade Commission slapped the companies with fines of 33.6 billion won for a violation of the display and advertising act. It is the second-largest fine ever imposed by the watchdog for deceptive advertising. The mobile carriers were also ordered to issue an official disclosure of the penalty.

[Soundbite]
Han Ki-jeong (Chair, Fair Trade Commission): The ads could mislead consumers by saying in fine print that the real speed could be different depending on users’ Internet access environment.

The FTC is also looking into whether or not the companies committed other unfair business practices, like providing handset subsidies or bundled discounts.

LUGGAGE CHECK DELAY AT JEJU AIRPORT

[Anchor Lead]
Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, we've seen a significant increase in school trip groups visiting Jejudo Island. On Wednesday, over a hundred flights between Gimpo and Jejudo Island were delayed en masse. Upon investigation, it was found that the problem were sprays stashed inside the students' checked luggage.

[Pkg]
A road leading up to Jeju International Airport. An endless line of buses continues from the airport's third floor passenger terminal all the way down to the parking lot. The situation is the same for other vehicles trying to reach the airport.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jeong-jin (Jeju resident): It took two and a half hours just to get into the airport parking lot. This is utter chaos.

This chaos was due to a delay in flights caused by some problems at baggage security. Large amounts of spray products, which pose a fire risk, were found inside checked luggage of students set to arrive in Jeju for a school trip. Officers had to open up every single bag and conduct a visual inspection, leading to the delay. As a result, some 100 flights in and out of the resort island were delayed.

[Soundbite]
(Korea Airports Corp. official): Baggage search required considerable time as many banned items were found amid an influx of group tourists.

In the case of domestic flights, passengers can carry only one bottle of aerosol such as hairspray of less than 500 milliliters on the plane or through checked baggage.

DOCTOR APPOINTMENT OPTS FOR RANDOM DRAW

[Anchor Lead]
South Korea's first public children's rehabilitation hospital is being established in Daejeon and will start its first medical service on Friday. Parents across the nation who have children with disabilities have flocked to make appointments, creating controversy as the hospital announces it will allocate hospital rooms by lottery.

[Pkg]
This is the nation's first public children's rehabilitation hospital scheduled to open on May 26th. At the core of this day hospital is the in-patient rehabilitation program that
provides intensive therapy only during the daytime. The program capacity accommodates only twenty patients, but hundreds have applied as soon as the reservation notice was posted. The hospital received reservation only by phone because its computerized reservation system wasn't ready yet. Surprisingly, the hospital's solution was a random draw. Families of disabled children who have waited several years for the hospital to open were outraged at its thoughtless measure.

[Soundbite]
Kim Dong-suk (Director, TodagTodag Corp.): It’s hard for me to accept that the solution to this problem is a random drawing, letting luck decide children’s health and life.

At large hospitals where similar rehabilitation programs are operated, doctors first determine the severity of disability in their patients and allocate beds according to the reservation order. There has never been a random draw to select patients. Even the hospital staff members point out that the problem rose from rushing the opening despite an inadequate treatment system and a shortage of medical professionals.

[Soundbite]
(Public children’s rehabilitation hospital employee (VOICE MODIFIED)): For fear of delayed treatment, admittance to the day hospital was changed to a random drawing so that only lucky patients get to see the doctors. This is a backward system.

The hospital explained that since long-term care is provided for five months or longer once a patient is selected for the in-patient service, it seemed more fair for a large number of patients to participate in the random draw rather than reservation on a first-come-first-serve basis.

DRONES REPLACE BEE POLLINATION

[Anchor Lead]
It's the peak season for blossoms in orchards right now. However, they are facing difficulties in pollination due to a sharp decline in bees and labor. As a result, in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, attempts are being made to artificially pollinate using drones. Can drones fill the void left by bees? We take a look.

[Pkg]
A drone sprays white powder flying over rows of apple trees. The concoction is a mix of pollen, nutrients and water. The drone has taken over the traditional pollination process carried out naturally by honeybees.

[Soundbite]
Jo Il-gyu (Apple farmer, Pyeongchang-gun County): Manual pollination is very labor intensive as every tree needs attention. In the case of pears, it’s also time consuming.

The labor intensive work would typically require ten people toiling for two weeks. But with a drone, the job is done in 40 short minutes. The drone trial was first attempted last year and participating farms have grown from 2 to 8. A decline in honeybees as well as farm labor prompted the use of drones.

[Soundbite]
Park Cheon-hee (Yeongwol branch, Korean Advanced Farmers Federation): There are just no bees. It’s easier to use such equipment and not rely on bees.

The Gangwondo Agricultural Research and Extension Services conducted a sample survey in 18 cities and counties and found that some 40% of honeybees perished since last winter. Pyeongchang-gun county expects the artificial drone pollination will help labor shortages and also be as effective as manual pollination work.

[Soundbite]
Kim Hyeon-soo (Pyeongchang-gun County office): Using survey drones, we will continuously monitor, observe pest control and vegetation conditions.

In the autumn, in another experiment, drones will be used to spray growth hormones for crops.