20-YR SENTENCE FOR SPIN KICK ATTACKER

20-YR SENTENCE FOR SPIN KICK ATTACKER

[Anchor Lead]
In the widely condemned 'Busan Assault' case, a man in his 30s was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the appellate court yesterday. The trial revealed that the core intent of the crime was sexual, despite ongoing debates throughout the proceedings.

[Pkg]
A man in his 30s went after a woman, a complete stranger, knocked her down and attacked her until she lost consciousness. He then dragged the victim to a blind spot. In the first trial, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his offense. In an appellate trial, prosecutors revised the arraignment against him and added the charges of sexual assault. They presented additional evidence pointing to sexual assault, including the assailant's DNA found inside the victim's pants. The court recognized that the assailant had attempted to sexually assault the victim for seven minutes in the blind spot hidden away from surveillance cameras. The bench sentenced him to 20 years in prison. He was also ordered to wear an electronic tracking device for 20 years. Regarding reasons for the sentencing, the court explained that as the assailant attempted sexual assault, his criminal liability is immense and his crime? Highly reproachable. Although the truth was revealed, the victim burst into tears out of fear for retaliation.

[Soundbite]
(Victim): He will be 50 years old when he is released from prison. He is just four years older than me and swearing to take revenge.

The victim's attorney stressed the need for setting clearer standards on disclosing perpetrators' personal information during investigations. He plans to send a related proposal to the National Assembly.

[Soundbite]
Nam Eon-ho (Attorney for victim): Regarding the disclosure of offenders’ personal information, the criteria are still vague in determining the cruelty of offenses and the severity of damage.

The court ordered that the assailant's personal information be disclosed via public communications network for ten years. Once the sentence against him is confirmed, his personal information will be made public through an online system that provides information on sex offenders. Prosecutors plan to decide whether to go to a higher court after analyzing the court's ruling.

YOON ORDERS MORE IDENTITY DISCLOSURES

[Anchor Lead]
As we just reported, the identity disclosure of the perpetrator of the assault stirred quite a lot of controversy. Despite legal constraints, the disclosure led to heated public debates. In response, President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered a review of broadening identity disclosures in violent crimes against women.

[Pkg]
The victim of the so-called spin kick assault in Busan has appeared on YouTube to say this.

[Soundbite]
(Victim of spin kick assault (June 2, YouTube 'Caracula’s Detective Office')): Police say they have no authority because he’s a defendant. I filed a petition with the prosecutors’ office, but they turned it down as the second trial is underway.

A police investigation is the first step in determining whether or not to disclose a criminal's identity. In serious crimes, such as murder and sexual assault, the decision is made by a committee that deliberates whether to disclose suspects' identities, such as their face, name and age. The spin kick case was not subject to identity disclosure at this stage. The second step is a trial. Courts issue orders to disclose on a sex offender alert app the face, name, age, physical appearance, home address and criminal records for sex criminals who are sentenced to jail. However, this is only possible when a court verdict is finalized. The issue has sparked controversy over the efficacy of identity disclosure, such as why such crimes are classified as "violent" during investigations but are switched to "sex crimes" during court trials.

[Soundbite]
Seung Jae-hyun (Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice): If it was a murder case and police did not disclose the suspect’s identity but the court issued a guilty verdict, there would be no way for us to know.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered his government to swiftly find ways to expand suspects' identity disclosures in violent crimes targeting women. The justice ministry immediately launched an analysis. It will likely revise the guidelines to apply them either equally or also to crimes that result in serious injuries in women, such as dating violence. However, some in the judicial circles are urging prudence, as identity disclosure for purposes other than crime prevention will be of little use.

ARREST MOTION ON 2 LAWMAKERS REJECTED

[Anchor Lead]
The arrest motions for Democratic Party lawmakers Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man, linked to the 2021 'cash bribery' scandal, were unanimously rejected by the National Assembly amidst criticism of the party's perceived 'bulletproof' status and a looming prosecutorial investigation.

[Pkg]
It was up to the free will of members of the majority holding main opposition Democratic Party in voting for or against consent motions on the arrest of two lawmakers Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man. Both motions were voted down. The motion on Youn was rejected by a difference of 8 votes and Lee by 15. As the ruling People Power Party and the minor opposition Justice Party had decided to vote for their arrest, it appears the majority of DP members cast their votes against the move. The atmosphere in the DP has apparently changed from two months ago when its chief issued an apology over the cash bribery scandal. It seems the DP is shifting the blame on what Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said just before the vote was held.

[Soundbite]
Han Dong-hoon (Minister of Justice): Here we have some 20 DP lawmakers who are believed to have received cash envelopes relating to the case. It is not fair for the alleged bribe takers to decide on their arrest.

To that remark, DP lawmakers shouted verbal protests.

[Soundbite]
Kim Han-kyu (Floor spokesperson, Democratic Party): Some were enraged by Minister Han’s remark alluding to DP as a bribe-taking criminal group not qualified to take part in the vote.

The ruling PPP and the Justice Party condemned the main opposition's so-called bullet-proof politics, using its majority status, and what they called a "party defection in disguise."

[Soundbite]
Yoo Sang-bum (Senior spokesperson, PPP): DP chair Lee Jae-myung’s ‘deep apology’ has turned out to be a mere show before the public to avert a crisis.

[Soundbite]
Kim Hee-seo (Spokesperson, Justice Party): The DP is a party of ‘corrupt cash envelope dealings’ and ‘bullet proof politics of protecting its own’.

The DP has voted down the fourth consecutive arrest motion in recent days. The party vowed to reform itself since the latest scandal surfaced but there is criticism over its sincerity especially with a reform task force set to launch this week.

US TO EXTEND KOREAN CHIP MAKING IN CHINA

[Anchor Lead]
The U.S. plans to allow top semiconductor manufacturers from South Korea and Taiwan to maintain and expand their chip making operations in China without U.S. reprisals, thereby extending a waiver on export controls on chips. This is according to Under Secretary of Commerce Alan Estevez who made the remark. The Wall Street Journal said that the largest protest prior to the move came from South Korea whose number one export market is China.

EX-SAMSUNG EXEC INDICTED FOR TECH THEFT

[Anchor Lead]
A former executive from Samsung Electronics has been brought to trial, charged with the illicit extraction and transfer of critical data related to the company's semiconductor manufacturing to a factory in China. The accused did not merely attempt to steal technological information; his alleged intent was to duplicate the entire semiconductor factory itself.

[Pkg]
This is a clean room designed not to be contaminated with impurities. With temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure controlled, workers are required to wear clean room garments. Related technologies are key in the chip-making process. They are also designated as a state core technology.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Lee Jong-hwan (Sangmyung University): Even a tiny impurity hinders the production of intended patterns. It is a top-secret technology.

A former executive of Samsung Electronics, surnamed Choi, was found to have attempted to steal these technologies and build a copycat factory in China. He also served as a vice president of SK Hynix. Choi stole three types of confidential information. They include basic engineering data or BED, which details the removal of impurities in the clean room. Others include blueprints of semiconductor plants and layouts to operate eight key processes. All of them are state core technologies and Samsung's confidential data. Prosecutors estimate that the leaked information would be worth anywhere between 300 billion won and trillions of won. The site of the copycat factory is just 1.5 kilometers away from Samsung's plant in Xian, China.

[Soundbite]
Park Jin-seong (Suwon Dist. Prosecutors’ office): It was a scheme to build a copycat chip plant. The offense is far more serious than previous leaks and theft of semiconductor technologies.

Choi was also found to have lured more than 200 Korean semiconductor workers by proposing high salaries. He is also accused of ordering the use of the illegally acquired technologies. He received investments from Chinese and Taiwanese companies. Choi was arrested and indicted on charges of stealing the chip giant's trade secrets. Prosecutors also indicted six others involved without detention.

WORK ON NUCLEAR REACTORS TO BEGIN

[Anchor Lead]
With the suspension lift from the previous government's nuclear phase-out policy, construction is set to resume on Shin Hanul units 3 and 4. The move is projected to increase the share of nuclear power in the nation's total energy output.

[Pkg]
This is the Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. The plant's reactor No. 1 began power generation late last year. A plan has been finalized to build reactors No. 3 and 4 right next to it. The move comes some six years after the scrapping of the construction plans in line with the previous administration's nuclear phase-out scheme.

[Soundbite]
Kang Gyeong-seong (Vice minister of Trade, Industry and Energy): Reactors No. 3 and 4 will play a key role in Korea's energy security and efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Nuclear power reactors need a three-stage approval from authorities. This includes a basic power supply plan, an approval of the execution plan, and a construction permit. Now that the authorities have given the green light to details of the execution plan, only a construction permit is needed from the Nuclear Safety And Security Commission to begin the construction of reactors No. 3 and 4. Reactor No. 3 is slated for completion in 2032. Reactor No. 4 is expected to be built by 2033. The government is also pushing for the continuation of ten other nuclear power reactors whose design lifetime are to end by 2030, including the Kori 2. This means a total of 30 nuclear power reactors will be operated in the nation: the currently operating 25, three more that are currently under construction and two of the newly approved. The nuclear power generation capacity, which currently stands at 24,000 MW, will surpass 31,000 MW by mid-2030.

[Soundbite]
Yoo Seung-hoon (Seoul Nat'l University of Science and Technology): When nuclear reactors are not operated on time, problems in the power supply may occur such as blackouts.

The government plans to increase the proportion of nuclear power usage in the nation to 34.6 percent by 2036. With the construction of Shin Hanul reactors No. 3 and 4 starting this week, pundits say the government could also push for the construction of four other reactors that had been scrapped earlier in their planning stage.

BRITON NABBED FOR SCALING LOTTE TOWER

[Anchor Lead]
Police on Monday detained a British man in his 20s for free-climbing Lotte World Tower in Seoul to the 73rd floor with bare hands. George King-Thompson faces trespassing charges. Firefighters rescued the man on the 73rd floor of the skyscraper at around 9 a.m. after receiving reports. Taken into custody on the site, King-Thompson told police he planned it from six months ago and arrived in the country three days ago.

COPPER SHARK FOUND DEAD IN JEJU

[Anchor Lead]
A copper shark, a species known for its aggression towards humans, has been found dead on the shores of the popular tourist destination, Seogwipo City, prompting caution among visitors.

[Pkg]
Despite being small in size, this fish has a grey sleek body and a triangular dorsal fin. It is a dead copper shark, which is about 120 centimeters long. It was found near rocks on a beach in Seogwipo, Jeju-do Island. Copper sharks can grow up to three meters long and are known to occasionally attack people.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Kim Byeong-yeob (Jeju Nat’l University): Copper sharks inhabit tropical and subtropical regions. Some of them are known to live in waters near Korea. They can grow up to 3 meters long. The dead one looks like a pup.

Five sharks were found and spotted on the coast of Seogwipo over the past three years. Many tourists are advised to take extra caution to protect themselves against the potentially dangerous species. In 2011 and 2019, sharks appeared on Jeju beaches, forcing beachgoers to evacuate. Vacationers are advised to get out of the water upon spotting a shark, since the sharks can get aggressive when provoked.

[Soundbite]
Lee Ki-hyung (Seogwipo Coast Guard): Don’t get terrified when seeing a shark. It’s best to make little movements and get out of the water slowly.

Experts believe that an increasing number of sharks appear in coastal areas due to the migration of their prey amid a rise in water temperature and climate change.