GOV’T, MED SECTOR STILL AT ODDS

GOV'T, MED SECTOR STILL AT ODDS

[Anchor Lead]
The government's plan to establish a consultative body with participation from medical school professors, residents, and students is facing significant challenges. With the Korean Medical Association, now under new leadership, setting the withdrawal of increased enrollment quotas as a precondition for talks, and the government firmly stating that the numbers are non-negotiable, the two sides are finding it difficult to narrow their differences.

[Pkg]
After a meeting with the medical sector attended by the heads of major universities, the government pledged to gradually expand a consultative group. However, no progress has been made in its composition. That's because trainee doctors, medical students and medical professors all refuse to take part in it. Though sources say the government and the trainee doctors are trying to meet up behind the scenes, no tangible results have been made so far. Another variable is the new leadership of the Korean Medical Association. Its new president, Lim Hyun-taek, says negotiations are only possible with the precondition that med school enrollment quota increase be scrapped and those responsible are dismissed. He even mentioned the ongoing general election campaign to step up opposition.

[Soundbite]
Lim Hyun-taek (President, Korean Medical Association): We have a strategy that will determine the outcome of 20 to 30 seats in the National Assembly.

The government blasted the medical sector's demand to nullify the quota hike as "anti-intellectual." It says the medical sector gave no response to the government's request for its opinion during the decision-making process on the scope of quota expansion.

[Soundbite]
Park Min-soo (Second vice minister of Health and Welfare): The demand to ruin and cancel everything is very anti-intellectual. They use their power to make that demand.

The government has stressed no internships will be available in the first half of the year unless interns register by April 2. With medical professors from Catholic University of Korea and Sungkyunkwan University, which train interns at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Samsung Medical Center, also submitting their resignations, the wave of resignations has now spread to all five major hospitals in the nation.

MINISTRY ACCEPTS LEE'S RESIGNATION

[Anchor Lead]
South Korean Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup has offered to resign and called for a swift investigation by the CIO, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. Lee has been under probe for alleged interference in a defense ministry probe into the death of a Marine during a search and rescue operation last year. The foreign ministry said it immediately reported Lee's expressed intent to the president who appointed him to the post, and decided to accept his resignation.

35% LAWMAKERS SAW ASSET GAINS

[Anchor Lead]
In Korea, National Assembly legislators are required to publicly disclose their assets, whether it's real-estate, or investments. It has been found that 35% of National Assembly members saw an increase in their wealth.

[Pkg]
About 35% or 103 out of 291 National Assembly legislators who don't hold cabinet seats reported that their assets increased last year. Forty-two lawmakers reported an asset increase of more than 100 million won or over 74,000 U.S. dollars while eight assemblymen showed an increase of more than one billion won, roughly 740,000 U.S. dollars. The lawmaker who saw the highest asset increase was Lee Joo-hwan of the People Power Party. The value of his assets grew 20.1 billion won to stand at 25.8 billion won in total or over 19.1 million U.S. dollars. The big gains were attributed to his real estate company changing the price category of its unlisted stocks. Ahn Cheol-soo was again cited the richest assemblyman of the year. Thanks to the climbing price of Ahn Lab shares, he reported 140.1 billion won in assets or almost 104 million dollars, up about four million dollars from a year earlier. By political party, the People Power Party reported an average asset amount of 5.8 billion won per member or about 4.3 million U.S. dollars, while the Democratic Party reported two billion won or about 1.48 million U.S. dollars and the Justice Party 700 million won or roughly 519,000 dollars. Nine PPP members reported more than 10 billion won in personal assets, while only one DP lawmaker surpassed the threshold. Representatives who own two or more homes numbered forty-one in total. Among them, five said they owned three or more homes. Following last year's law revision, virtual assets were also reported. Democratic Alliance of Korea member Kim Nam-kuk turned out to have the most virtual assets. He reported that he has 78 types of virtual assets worth 1.5 billion won or roughly 1.1 million U.S. dollars. That is about 700 million won more than the amount declared last July.

[Soundbite]
Kim Seong-dal (Secretary General, Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice): Having a lot of unearned income does not meet the people's standard of dutiful legislative activity.

The average asset amount reported for all legislators stood at 3.3 billion won or about 2.5 million dollars, over six times greater than the average Korean household's asset amount of 530 million won or around 393,000 US dollars.

CAMERAS FOUND AT VOTING PLACES

[Anchor Lead]
Illegal hidden cameras have been found at five early voting stations for the general election in the city of Incheon, prompting a police investigation. Two stations are located in Namdong-gu district and three in Gyeyang-gu district. The cameras were reportedly installed near the entrance or next to water dispensers so they could film in the direction of polling booths. Following the discovery, the interior ministry has ordered local authorities to conduct emergency inspections of early voting stations nationwide.

SEOUL BUS DRIVERS END STRIKE

[Anchor Lead]
The first Seoul city bus strike in 12 years concluded yesterday afternoon, with an agreement between labor and management on a 4.48% wage increase. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has assured that this increase in wages will not necessitate a rise in bus fares.

[Pkg]
Commuters leave home early Thursday morning. They're worried about being late to work when they see that the buses still haven't began shifts.

[Soundbite]
Park Hye-jin (Seoul Resident): I was waiting to transfer when the announcement said the bus services have not started.

Students were anxious about getting to school in time to take the March mock college entrance test.

[Soundbite]
(High Schooler): I left home earlier than usual for the mock exam. I could hardly sleep
because of the bus strike.

People packed subway stations instead of bus stops, making it harder to commute than usual. The first Seoul city bus strike in 12 years began Thursday morning at 4:00 a.m. but ended about eleven hours later. After a two-day negotiation, both the union and the management agreed to a 4.48% increase in pay and 650,000 won, roughly 480 U.S. dollars, in holiday bonus. The Seoul city government said the pay raise caused an additional fiscal burden of about 60 billion won. However, the city explained that the pay raise wouldn't immediately lead to a bus fare increase.

[Soundbite]
Yun Jong-jang (Seoul Metropolitan Gov’t): The bus fare increased 300 won(20 cents) last August. So there won't be any reason to increase the bus fare any time soon.

Immediately after the strike ended, normal bus services were resumed. There were no confusion or congestions during the commute back home. The Seoul government said the bus system needs to be augmented because, unlike the subway service which is mandated to leave a certain number of personnel even during a strike, there is no such regulation for the buses.

1 IN 7 ADULTS MULLED SUICIDE

[Anchor Lead]
South Korea continues to lead OECD countries in suicide rates. A recent survey reveals that one out of every seven adults has thought of suicide. However, strikingly, fewer than half of those grappling with such thoughts have reached out for assistance.

[Pkg]
A survey indicates that 14.7% of adults in Korea have thought of suicide at least once in their lifetime. The number has dropped from five years ago, but the decrease is not significant among respondents 65 or older. The poll shows that the percentage of those who think about taking their own lives was higher in the older population. This probably explains why the suicide rate among Koreans in their 80s is more than three times that of the OECD average. However, only 40% of those who considered suicide sought professional counseling or other help.

[Soundbite]
Kim Dong-wook (President, Korean Association of Psychiatrists): Young people have easier access to counseling, whereas seniors have cultural bias or health, economic issues that prevent them from seeking counseling.

Those who actually attempted suicide cited depression, anxiety and mental disorders. More than a third of them either attempted suicide in the past or inflicted self-harm. A study shows the death rate from suicide is 18.5% among those who never received psychiatric treatment after attempting suicide. But the death rate among those who received treatment turned out to be 16%p lower. This means help and treatment are crucial for preventing repeat occurrences. The government plans to provide support in terms of early counseling and follow-up management to patients brought to emergency rooms because of their suicide attempts, and fund psychiatric health care.

U.S. MARINES JOIN COMBAT DRILLS

[Anchor Lead]
In a groundbreaking move for this year's joint high-tech combat training, the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed in Japan, has for the first time joined forces with South Korea. Braving the cold and navigating through the snow-covered mountains of Gangwon-do Province, the 3rd Marine Division, has rigorously tested advanced military equipment to sharpen their preparedness for future combat scenarios.

[Pkg]
A snow-covered slope in Inje-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. The South Korea- U.S. combined forces conduct a fierce fire exchange with a simulated enemy. This is part of the allies' joint high-tech combat training, which began on March 19 that runs for ten days. The exercise deploys more than 230 units of combat equipment including tanks, helicopters and drones, and for the first time involves the U.S. 3rd Marine Division. Stationed in Okinawa, Japan, the division is the first to deploy reinforcements on the Korean Peninsula in times of war.

[Soundbite]
Nicholas Bayuk (Captain, U.S. Marine Corps)

The U.S. marines have finished training in the new weather and topographical conditions that are different from Japan, and are using advanced equipment such as satellites. Korean soldiers from the Haeryong Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division also trained their operations skills alongside the U.S. marines.

[Soundbite]
Na Do-hyung (Captain, 25th Infantry Division): We will foster combined operation capabilities by conducting the training with the same intensity as carrying out actual military operations.

Sergeant Kim Dong-kyu, a tank operator from the 2nd Armored Brigade, even postponed his discharge from mandatory military service scheduled for March 18 to take part in the exercise which left a lasting impression.

UNDERGROUND EXPRESSWAY OPENS

[Anchor Lead]
The section of the Gyeongbu Expressway between Dongtan and Giheung has undergone a transformative straightening and underground construction, now open for two-way traffic. This milestone paves the way for the development of a vast park above the underground route, setting a precedent for the future underground conversion of expressways.

[Pkg]
This is a section of Gyeongbu Expressway between Dongtan Junction and the Giheung-Dongtan Interchange. The crowded ten-lane traffic suddenly disappears into a tunnel, over which emerges a huge vacant lot. A 4.7 kilometer long curved section of the expressway has been straightened. And a 1.2 kilometer portion that passes through the city center has been converted underground. The Seoul-bound lane of the underground section first opened in March last year and with the Busan-bound lane now open as well, a 7-year construction that began in 2017 has been concluded. Water sprayers are installed on the walls inside the underground expressway at five meter intervals. Also installed for the first time in the country is an automated smoke removal system. The plot of land situated above the underground section will house an urban park the size of 12 football fields by the year 2026. Also, six roads connecting east to west that stretches across the expressway will also be built for smoother traffic in all directions.

[Soundbite]
Kim Gwang-mun (Dongtan New Town resident): It was inconvenient to travel roundabout despite the short distance. Hopefully improvements can be made this time.

Underground conversion of an expressway is a highly significant trial project.

[Soundbite]
Lee Yeong-cheol (Korea Expressway Corp.): This is the starting point of underground expressways. We are in the learning, beginning stages of a trial.

The government seeks to rebuild more road and railway sections underground to improve efficient use of overland urban space.