Ex-S.Korean President Lee Myung-bak granted special presidential pardon

STORY: Ex-S.Korean President Lee Myung-bak granted special presidential pardon DATELINE: Dec. 27, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:08 LOCATION: Seoul CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the press briefing by the Ministry of Justice (courtesy of Yonhap) 2. various of former President Lee Myung-bak (courtesy of Yonhap) 3. various of Lee Myung-bak attending a court trial (courtesy of Yonhap) STORYLINE: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday granted his special pardons to former President Lee Myung-bak as well as some other politicians and former government officials, according to the Ministry of Justice. Lee, who had served a single, five-year presidency until February 2013, was sentenced in October 2020 to 17 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement, but his sentence has been put on hold since June for his health problems. With the special pardon to be effective on Wednesday, Lee will be exempted from the remaining 15 years in prison. It marked the second presidential pardon that Yoon has granted si

S.Korea, U.S. conduct joint air drills involving U.S. strategic bombers

STORY: S.Korea, U.S. conduct joint air drills involving U.S. strategic bombers DATELINE: Nov. 20, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:06 LOCATION: Seoul CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of S.Korea-U.S. joint air drills (courtesy of S.Korean Defense Ministry) STORYLINE: South Korea and the United States on Saturday conducted joint air drills near the Korean Peninsula, involving two U.S. strategic bombers, Yonhap news agency reported citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Two U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers made a sortie over South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ), escorted by South Korean F-35A fighter jets and U.S. F-16 fighters, according to the Yonhap report. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Seoul. (XHTV)

S.Korean banks' lending rate for households hits 10-year high in September

STORY: S.Korean banks' lending rate for households hits 10-year high in September DATELINE: Oct. 29, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:11 LOCATION: Seoul CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Bank of Korea 2. various of apartments and banks (courtesy: Yonhap TV) STORYLINE: South Korean banks' lending rate for households hit the highest in over 10 years in September due to policy rate hikes, central bank data showed Friday. The weighted average rate for new bank loans to households was an annualized rate of 5.15 percent in September, up 0.39 percentage points from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the highest in more than 10 years since July 2012 amid the higher policy rates. The BOK began to tighten its monetary policy stance in August last year, raising the key rate in eight steps from a record low of 0.5 percent to 3.0 percent. The rate for mortgage loans to households rose 0.44 percentage points from August to 4.79 percent in September, while the credit loans rate

S.Korean currency tumbles after Fed's rate hike

STORY: S.Korean currency tumbles after Fed's rate hike DATELINE: Sept. 22, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:32 LOCATION: Seoul CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. Various of screens showing exchange rate between U.S. dollar and the Korean won, The Korea Exchange (Yonhap TV) 2. Various of screens showing exchange rate between U.S. dollar and the Korean won, Kookmin Bank of Dealing Room (Yonhap TV) 3. Staff working in front of screens showing exchange rate (Yonhap TV) 4. Various file of U.S. dollars (Yonhap TV) STORYLINE: South Korea's currency tumbled on Thursday after U.S. Federal Reserve's rate hike led to a strong U.S. dollar. The won/dollar exchange rate finished at 1,409.7 won per dollar, up 15.5 won from the previous close. It marked the highest close in more than 13 years since March 2009 when the global financial crisis roiled financial markets across the world. The Fed took a giant step again overnight, raising its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage points to a range of 3.00-3.25 percent. Expe

S.Korean activists cry out for total stop of S.Korea-U.S. war rehearsal

STORY: S.Korean activists cry out for total stop of S.Korea-U.S. war rehearsal DATELINE: Aug. 22, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:08 LOCATION: Seoul CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. S.Korea-U.S. joint military exercises (source: Yonhap TV/File) 2. various of the protest 3. SOUNDBITE (Korean): OH MI-JEONG, Researcher of Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea STORYLINE: South Korea's peace activists on Monday cried out for a total stop of the annual South Korea-U.S. military exercise involving large-scale field maneuvers, saying the war rehearsal escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Activists with the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) held a protest rally in front of the presidential office in central Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered. The SPARK, a South Korean civic group, demanded a total and immediate stop of the South Korea-U.S. war rehearsal that it said is aggressive in nature. It noted that the more aggressive the South Korea-U.S. military exer

S.Korean entrepreneur determined to contribute to local economy in east China

STORY: S.Korean entrepreneur determined to contribute to local economy in east China DATELINE: May 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:27 LOCATION: YANCHENG, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. aerial view of the company 2. SOUNDBITE (Korean): CHANG YOUNGIK, CEO of SK On Jiangsu Co., Ltd. STORYLINE: China's Jiangsu Province has awarded "model worker medals" to 37 expats ahead of the International Labor Day, which falls on May 1. S.Korean entrepreneur Chang Youngik is one of them. SOUNDBITE (Korean): CHANG YOUNGIK, CEO of SK On Jiangsu Co., Ltd. "Hello, everyone. My name is Chang Youngik. I'm the CEO of SK On Jiangsu Co., Ltd. I came to Yancheng to work at SK at the beginning of 2020. Yancheng has established friendly relations with a number of South Korean cities. The city boasts a comfortable environment and convenient transportation. The cultural fusion of China and South Korea makes me feel at ease. When I knew that I was awarded the medal, I felt very honored, and at the same time, I felt a deep sense of

S.Korean civic groups urge closure of U.S. military's local biochemical laboratories

STORY: S.Korean civic groups urge closure of U.S. military's local biochemical laboratories DATELINE: March 24, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: Seoul CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the U.S. military base located near the Busan Port, South Korea (from JTBC) STORYLINE: More than 200 South Korean civic groups held a rally on Monday in the coastal city of Busan, urging the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to completely shut down and withdraw biochemical laboratories in South Korea, according to local media. Jeon Wi-bong, one of the protest organizers, told local media that the USFK's biochemical laboratories only serve U.S. interests. "It is the root of misfortune for the country where the biochemical laboratories are located. Such facilities in South Korea should be closed and dismantled as soon as possible," said Jeon. The civic group Jeon works for aims to call on Busan residents to vote on whether to keep the biochemical laboratories in South Korea. By the end of January 2021, nearly 200,000 Busan

Soccer World Challenge 2000. Yanagisawa dribbles to S.Korean side in the second half of the match at Kokuritsu Stadium.

Soccer World Challenge 2000. Yanagisawa dribbles to S.Korean side in the second half of the match at Kokuritsu Stadium.

Soccer World Challenge 2000. Yanagisawa dribbles to S.Korean side in the second half of the match at Kokuritsu Stadium.