Korea 24 - 2021.10.27 - a podcast by KBS WORLD Radio

Korea24 – 2021.10.27. (Wednesday)



News Briefing: The government has decided to hold a state funeral for former President Roh Tae-woo, who died on Tuesday. In a statement explaining its decision, the interior ministry said the former president made historic mistakes related to the 1979 coup and the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy crackdown, but that he also made contributions through his Nordpolitik policy, which included a non-aggression pact with North Korea. However it was also confirmed that he would not be laid to rest at a national cemetery. (Eunice Kim)



In-Depth News Analysis: The decision to hold a state funeral for former President Roh Tae-woo came despite protests by some lawmakers, due to his role in the 1979 coup, and the 1980 Gwangju Uprising crackdown. However, others have noted his role in the nation’s transition from a military dictatorship into a democracy, during which he helped successfully host the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and his signature Nordpolitik foreign policy. Professor Song Se-ryun (???) from Kyunghee University joins us on the line to look closer at the mixed legacy Roh leaves behind.



Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. Concerns of discrimination are being raised over the government’s plan to introduce a COVID-19 ‘vaccine pass’ system at high-risk facilities from next Monday. ("??? '????' ? ????"…??? '????' ?? ???)

2. Customers at fast food restaurants in Korea have been complaining about the lack of lettuce in their burgers, after some companies stopped serving it due to the recent surge in vegetable prices. (“??? ????” ??? ?? ???? ?? ??)

3. South Korea’s new Ambassador to Britain Kim Gunn caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth as he wore a full hanbok when he presented his credentials to her virtually on Tuesday. (?? ????, ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??)



Korea Book Club: Literary translator Anton Hur joins us for our special monthly edition of the club. He introduces the latest novel by Sang Young Park (???), ‘1??? ????’, published by Munhakdongne, which Anton has titled in English as ‘Lie Like Lines’. It tells the story of a high school boy living in the southeastern city of Daegu during the early Noughties, as he discovers his repressed queer identity.



Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi:

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features a report by Park Ji-won on the Cultural Heritage Administration(CHA) designating Jeju’s largest shamanistic ritual, ‘Jeju Keungut (????)’, as a national intangible cultural heritage.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Herald features a story by Kim Byung-wook about the once-popular trend of e-scooters in Seoul experiencing their downfall due to a multitude of reasons.

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