PARTIES FEUD OVER SPECIAL PROBE

PARTIES FEUD OVER SPECIAL PROBE

[Anchor Lead]
At today's Cabinet meeting, a proposal was approved for President Yoon Suk-yeol to veto the special counsel probe regarding the death of a marine corp. The ruling party opposed the bill, claiming it aims more at political strife than uncovering truth. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, along with seven other opposition groups, called for the bill's acceptance in front of the presidential office. With the deadline set for tomorrow, it's expected that President Yoon will soon use the veto.

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[Soundbite]
Promulgate! Promulgate!

Seven opposition parties gathered outside the presidential office to demand the top office accept a special counsel investigation into the military's response to the death of a Marine last year. Wednesday is the deadline for promulgating the special counsel probe bill and the government, in Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, has suggested the president veto it. The parties said that for the president to exercise his veto power for the 10th time would be a complete rejection of public sentiment conveyed in the recent general election. They said that circumstantial and other evidence points to growing speculation of a possible cover-up, and the argument to wait for the outcome of the investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is the same as asking to conceal the truth.

[Soundbite]
Park Chan-dae (Floor Leader, Democratic Party): If the president exercises veto, which all people oppose, he cannot avoid the judgment of history.

Meanwhile the ruling People Power Party made clear its opposition. The PPP noted that a special counsel probe was never unilaterally introduced without bipartisan agreement, and that neutrality can't be guaranteed as certain parties will monopolize the right to recommend the counsel team. The ruling party insisted that it's right to decide on the matter after observing the results of the police and CIO investigations and urged the opposition to take part in fact-finding in an effective manner.

[Soundbite]
Choo Kyung-ho (Floor Leader, People Power Party): Rather than using a serviceman's tragic death for political wrangling, practical efforts should be made to find the truth and prevent a recurrence.

If the president vetoes the bill, the main opposition Democratic Party plans to hold a rally at the National Assembly and more protest rallies with the wider opposition camp in downtown Seoul on Saturday. The DP is set to ramp up pressure until the bill gets a revote in parliament.

JUNIOR DOCTORS NOT RETURNING

[Anchor Lead]
The mass resignation crisis involving junior doctors has now extended beyond three months. Despite the deadline for these residents to return by yesterday, the 20th, to be eligible for next year's specialist license exams, a majority have yet to resume their duties. This ongoing situation poses severe concerns for the supply of medical personnel in the coming year.

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The void left at hospitals by trainee doctors beginning this February remains unfilled. Under the current regulations, junior doctors who are absent from their posts for more than three months are no longer eligible to take their specialist license exams. The government is urging the trainee doctors to return to their jobs. It has even made it clear there will be no opportunities to receive additional training to make up for lost time.

[Soundbite]
Park Min-soo (2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare): Junior doctors have been illegally absent. It's not right for the government to revise regulations and talk about this additional training opportunities.

However, some 10,000 junior doctors are not budging, with seemingly little intent to return.

[Soundbite]
Chung Keun-young (Rep. of junior doctors, CHA Bundang Medical Center): As long as the policy is being implemented, there's no point in receiving training. The deadline is not going to make us change our minds.

Some 2,900 junior doctors in their third and fourth years of training are set to take the medical specialist exam next year. If they fail to acquire their board certifications, the repercussions could spread to the dispatches of military and public health doctors as well as to essential and emergency health care.

[Soundbite]
Kim Jong-il (Vice Chair, Medical Professors Association of Korea): By increasing the number of medical students by 2,000, they might end up losing 3,000 new board certified physicians. Hospitals are suffering losses and more problems are expected.

The government is once again urging the medical community to stop its unrealistic demand to reconsider the medical school enrollment quota expansion and instead sit down for negotiations without any preconditions. Meanwhile, the resignation of one medical professor at Chungbuk National University Hospital has been accepted. The first such resignation since the start of this medical vacuum.

HOSPITAL ID CHECK HAS LOOPHOLES

[Anchor Lead]
Starting yesterday, it became mandatory to verify identification at hospitals and clinics. However, the hurried rollout of this system led to confusion in many places on its very first day. And despite its initial intentions, several loopholes have already been identified.

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An internal medicine clinic in Gyeonggido Province. A minor quarrel ensues at the reception desk.

[Soundbite]
(Did you bring your ID card?) It's registered here.

A patient returns home because he didn't bring his ID.

[Soundbite]
(You can register here.) I didn't bring my ID card.

Some people scramble to install a mobile health insurance card on their phones.

[Soundbite]
(Patient): I only heard about the ID requirement here at the hospital. Downloading an app is not difficult for young people but for seniors.

The newly introduced identification verification measure applies to treatments covered by the national health insurance. Verification is possible with physical IDs such as a resident registration card as well as a digital signature certificate or a mobile health insurance card. In the past 5 years, an average of 35-thousand cases of insurance scheme identity theft and misuse were reported each year. The new ID requirement is to prevent free riders from abusing the system.

[Soundbite]
Han Se-jeong (Nat'l Health Insurance Service): The stepped-up identification is aimed to prevent unjust claims, boost fiscal soundness and ensure patient safety.

However, many loopholes have already emerged defying such purpose. For instance, a mobile version of a health insurance card, which passes as one's ID...can be easily installed on another person's phone if that person allows a self-authentification process. This means that if one has the will and means, it's very possible to illegally use health insurance under another person's name.

[Soundbite]
Sung Hye-young (Spokesperson, Korean Medical Association): If a person presents QR code borrowed under another person's name and we have no way to check the veracity.

The National Health Insurance Service promises to make technical improvements but that won't be enough to dodge criticism over what critics say was a hasty implementation that lacked publicity and consultation.

BBC'S 'BURNING SUN' DOCUMENTARY

[Anchor Lead]
he BBC has unveiled a documentary that delves into the involvement of K-pop stars like former Big Bang member Seungri and Jung Joon-young in the 'Club Burning Sun' scandal. It highlights the coercive experiences endured by female victims and reveals a significant new detail. The late K-pop idol Goo Ha-ra played a pivotal role in exposing the collusion between celebrities and police during the scandal.

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[Soundbite]
Seungri (Former Big Bang member): Be quiet! Be quiet! Come along!

Seungri, a former member of the K-pop boy group Big Bang, forcefully grabs a woman's arm to pull her away at a party. He craftily brags about himself.

[Soundbite]
Seungri (Former Big Bang member): We should be humble, although I am a Big Bang member.

This is a scene from BBC's latest documentary on the Burning Sun scandal. The scandal, which first surfaced from a club in Gangnam, Seoul, in 2019, sent shock waves throughout Korean society, as K-pop stars were found to be involved in violence, sex crimes and drug use as well as connections with police. The recently disclosed documentary shows that the late K-pop idol Goo Ha-ra's tip-off played a crucial role in helping to shed light on alleged illegal connections between police and the K-pop stars in question. Goo persuaded Choi Jong-hoon, a former K-pop band member and one of the offenders, to tell her about the so-called police commissioner who had been mentioned in group chat room messages he exchanged with his star friends.

[Soundbite]
Goo Ho-in (Family of late Goo Ha-ra): When Ha-ra was talking on the speakerphone, I was there hearing her saying, ‘Jong-hoon, I will help you. Tell the reporter everything you know’.

Seungri, the key figure in the 2019 Burning Sun scandal, was released from prison last February. Another K-pop star Jung Joon-young served time in jail on charges of sexual assault. He finished his prison term this March. Senior superintendent Yoon Gyu-geun who was mentioned as commissioner in the chat rooms was fined 20 million won or slightly over 14 thousand dollars.

PLUNGING EAST SEA SQUID CATCH

[Anchor Lead]
As the marine environment undergoes rapid changes, the landscape of South Korea's seafood is also swiftly transforming. On the East Coast, the once-abundant squid, a representative species, is increasingly dwindling, while the catch of yellowtail, a fish common in warmer currents, is on the rise.

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An east coast port known for squid fishing. This is Jumunjin in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province. With a seasonal fishing ban lifted this month, squid fishing is in full swing. However, squid is hard to find and the catch is smaller than expected. It is presumed that schools of squid have moved northwards due to the rising water temperature.

[Soundbite]
Ma Sung-hyun (Merchant at fisheries market): It'd be an easier sell if it cost 10,000 won (USD 7.3) for three squids. Due to smaller catch, it's about 10,000 won per head. It's difficult to sell.

The amount of squid caught along the East Sea dropped from about 9,400 tons a decade ago to roughly 1,300 tons last year. By contrast, the catch of yellowtail, a fish species commonly found in warmer waters, has been increasing. With the water getting only warmer in the East Sea, a good environment for yellowtail has been created. Last year, some 4,700 tons of yellowtail were caught in the East Sea, accounting for the largest portion of the total fish catch. A decade ago, squid represented the largest portion. However, it dropped to fifth place, following sole fish and snow crab.

[Soundbite]
Song Chang-seok (Fisherman): I feel the change directly. Once common marine species are disappearing, dealing a blow to fishers' livelihoods.

With a rise in sea water temperature, pollacks, a species living in cold temperature, are rarely seen in waters off the Korean Peninsula. Instead, schools of tuna, a species living in warm waters, are frequently spotted in the East Sea, indicating a rapid change in the ecological composition of marine creatures in the Korean oceans.

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION IMPACTS CLAMS

[Anchor Lead]
The effects of global warming are far-reaching, and the increasing acidity of oceans is a serious concern. As more carbon dioxide dissolves into the seawater, we're seeing a significant drop in shellfish like clams. Ocean acidification is not just a consequence of global warming—it's also compounding the problem, creating a destructive feedback loop.

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People dig for short-necked clams in a vast wetland. But even after digging all day, it's hard to catch even 10kg of clams.

[Soundbite]
(Local resident): There used to be a lot of clams in the past, but their population is shrinking. We used to catch 50kg a day.

The production of short-necked clams in the nation is now less than half of what it used to be in the 1980s, when it surpassed 80,000 tons. The production of cockle and ark clams, which are increasingly hard to find these days, is impossible to estimate. One of the primary factors behind the plunging clam production is ocean acidification due to global warming. With the rising levels of carbon dioxide being dissolved in seawater, the amount of hydrogen ions in the ocean keeps growing, resulting in acidification. Shells become thinner or break, making it difficult for clams to grow.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Kim Yeong-hye (Pukyong National University): The massive amount of CO2 permeating the ocean turns into bicarbonate, affecting the formation of calcium carbonate, seriously undermining shellfish growth.

Acidification in the seas off the Korean Peninsula has become worse since measurements first began in 2015. Ocean acidification further exacerbates global warming, resulting in a vicious cycle. That's because the amount of carbon dioxide that the ocean can take from the atmosphere is limited.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Jeong Su-jong (SNU Graduate School of Environmental Studies): Ocean acidification undermines the buffer capacity. The ocean needs time to retain carbon dioxide, but instead it sends it back right away.

The ocean is known to absorb about a fourth of carbon dioxide emitted on our planet.

K-POP ASPIRANT FROM N.KOREA

[Anchor Lead]
A North Korean defector who dreams of becoming a K-pop idol is the talk of the town. Online, posts related to this aspiring singer have reached tens of millions of views.

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KBS 2TV aired the first episode of the new survival audition show ‘MAKEMATE1’ last week. Dozens of contestants compete to realize their dreams of becoming K-pop singers. Among them, Kim Hak-seong attracts special attention from viewers for his personal story. Kim, a North Korean defector, came to South Korea seven years ago when he was 14. He frequently watched TV as a way to adjust to life and culture in South Korea. Naturally, he began harboring the dream of becoming a K-pop idol himself. He was applauded for saying that he seeks personal growth through the show and also wishes to inspire those living in difficult environments. As his story was shared, streams of support and encouragement poured in online. In particular, he is drawing a great deal of attention in Japan, too. A video clip from the show has accumulated 38 million views in Japan alone.