South Korea conducted a nationwide emergency exercise on Friday to raise awareness about fire safety.

The Mayor of Seoul Park Won-soon, took part in the training outside Seoul City Hall, learning how to use a fire extinguisher and fire hose.

City Hall was evacuated and its employees were trained in safety fire safety and resuscitation techniques.

It was the first nationwide safety drill to be conducted since the Sewol ferry disaster in April.

AP TELEVISION

1. Various of government employees in mock evacuation of Seoul City Hall

2. Mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon and other civil workers putting out fire with fire extinguishers

3. Close-up of Park and workers after using fire extinguisher

4. Various of Park using fire hose

5. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Song Doo-suk, Director of Civil Defence Division:

"This Civilian Defence Exercise is a nationwide fire evacuation drill, that took place after the Sewol Ferry disaster. Through this exercise, (we) hope awareness about fire safety among civilians will rise."

6. Various of man demonstrating use of fire extinguisher

7. Various of women practicing resuscitation techniques

Across the South Korean capital, Seoul, spring festivities have been put on hold out of respect to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster and their families.

Instead of celebrating a season associated with renewal and rebirth, Seoul residents from many walks of life said on Tuesday they found it far more appropriate to join together in mourning.

In light of the tragedy, Seoul National University student council decided to postpone their spring festival scheduled for May, after their midterm exams.

The Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel has cancelled its "signature events", like wine and beer fairs, in recognition of the national mourning which has so many South Koreans in its thrall.

Kim Hong-hee, director of the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), said the museum has chosen not to go ahead with a number of events in its spring schedule.

"We thought that in this current nationwide atmosphere of mourning, for the Sewol ferry sinking, such events were a little inappropriate," she said.

Nearly a week has passed since the Sewol ferry sank off South Korea's southern coast on 16 April.

The confirmed death toll from the disaster reached 113 on Tuesday, officials said, and about 190 people were still missing, thought to be trapped underwater inside the sunken vessel.

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of memorial for the victims of the Sewol ferry accident outside the student union building at Seoul National University (SNU)

2. Tilt of poster announcing that the student council has unanimously voted to cancel the upcoming spring festival, reads (Korean): "Announcement to the students of Seoul National University regarding the Sewol incident by the Student Council"

3. Mid of SNU students in front of the memorial wall covered in ribbons

4. Various of student writing a message on a ribbon

5. Pull out of pink ribbon reading (Korean): "Hoping for a miracle" to students pinning ribbons

6. Mid of SNU Student Council President Yi Kyoung-hwan

7. Close of Student Council meeting agenda notes (number four is on the discussion of cancelling the spring festival)

8. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Yi Kyoung-hwan, 27, Student Council President at Seoul National University:

"When taking into consideration the (current) sentiment of South Koreans, outside of classes, there is a strong element of having fun in holding a festival. In light of this current, extremely tragic disaster, the students preparing the festival could not focus on the festival in a cheerful way. So the student council held a meeting and decided to cancel the festival."

9. Pan from poster reading (Korean): "We sincerely wish the safe return of the missing passengers on the Sewol, from the 56th SNU student council" to student writing a message by the memorial wall

10. Close of pink ribbon reading (Korean): "I will be praying for your safety"

11. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Jeong Jun-ho, 23, Seoul National University student:

"Many people were hurt in Jindo because of the (Sewol ferry) accident, and even now they are looking for the missing (passengers). Even though it's important for us students to have fun and really enjoy the festival, I personally think that it's a good thing to cancel the festival, so that we can grieve and mourn together."

12. Tilt of Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel exterior

13. Close of the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel logo

14. Mid of Kim Do-young, Operations Management Director at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel

15. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Do-young, Operations Management Director at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel:

"This incident, regarding the Sewol Ferry, has led to an atmosphere of mourning across the nation. At our hotel, the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, we also want to take part in this by temporarily postponing our signature events, such as our wine fair or beer fair."

16. Wide of Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) exterior

17. Close of "Seoul Museum of Art" sign

18. Mid of Kim Hong-hee, director of SeMA in office

19. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Hong-hee, director of the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA):

"It's spring. There are a lot of events in spring, and at events where many people gather, it turns into a festive atmosphere. We thought that in this current nationwide atmosphere of mourning, for the Sewol ferry sinking, such events were a little inappropriate."

20. Mid of museum exhibition posters

21. Various of woman taking photo of friend in front of the museum

South Korea's state-run forensic lab said on Friday it had failed to find why a fugitive billionaire, blamed for April's Sewol ferry disaster, had died.

Police said earlier this week that a badly decomposed body found in rural South Korea last month had been identified as that of Yoo Byung-eun.

Authorities had been looking for the 73-year-old, believing he owned the sunken ferry, and that his alleged corruption may have contributed to the disaster.

The state-run National Forensic Service said on Friday that Yoo's body was too badly decayed to determine whether he died of disease.

April's disaster, the worst in South Korea in decades, left more than 300 people dead or missing, mostly high school students.

AP TELEVISION

1. Seo Joong-seok, Director General of the National Forensic Service, standing at lectern to announce results of an investigation into the death of Yoo Byung-eun, fugitive owner of the Sewol ferry

2. Wide of the auditorium

3. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Seo Joong-seok, Director General of the National Forensic Service (NFS):

"In summarising the investigation result, the dead body found in Suncheon can be confirmed as Yoo Byung-eun. Even though we tried to investigate various causes of his death, the NFS could not find out the exact cause of Yoo's death under the given circumstances."

4. Mid of journalists

5. Close of slide that shows Yoo's decayed body

6. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Baek Seung-kyeong, Head of Drug, Poison, and Chemical Department at the NFS:

"This is a summarisation of the investigation result from the autopsy room. No unusual toxic substances were found in the liver-lung muscle, but a bit of alcoholic substance was found. However, it was below the general concentration level that can be found in ordinary decaying tissue."

7. Mid of journalists

8. Mid of the auditorium

9. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Lee Han-young, Head of Forensic Medicine at the NFS:

"We, forensic scientists, say it is absolutely possible that the body can be reduced to skeleton, more precisely decomposed, in such a short period of time. Therefore it can be said that this matter should not be a controversy even among yourselves."

10. Mid of journalists

11. Wide of the auditorium

South Korea's central bank cut its key interest rate for the first time in 15 months on Thursday, providing support to an economy dragged down by the shock of a ferry sinking that killed hundreds of teenagers.

The Bank of Korea lowered its policy rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.25 percent.

The bank had kept it unchanged since a rate cut in May 2013.

Analysts had predicted the bank to lower borrowing costs to boost consumer spending, which turned negative due to the shock of the Sewol ferry disaster earlier this year.

Last month, the bank cut this year's growth forecast for Asia's fourth-largest economy to 3.8 percent from 4.0 percent.

Weak domestic spending has been a source of concern.

South Korea's new finance minister unveiled stimulus measures in July to encourage spending by consumers and companies.

The bank was expected to aid the government's stimulus moves as low inflationary pressure gives room for easing.

The sinking in April of the Sewol ferry killed 294 people and left 10 missing, mostly teenagers on a school trip, causing a national outpouring of grief.

Consumer spending shrank in the April-June quarter, hitting its lowest in nearly three years.

1. Bank of Korea governor Lee Ju-yeol chairing monthly monetary policy meeting

2. Lee bangs gavel at start of meeting

3. Various of meeting

4. Lee walking into media briefing room

5. Tilt up of Bank of Korea sign to Lee speaking during briefing

6. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Lee Ju-yeol, Governor of Bank of Korea:

"Today, at the Bank of Korea monetary policy meeting, a monetary policy has been adapted to lower the base interest rate from 2.50 percent to 2.25 percent."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Lee Ju-yeol, Governor of Bank of Korea:

"The economic recovery of the US has been on the rise. However, in the European areas, economic recovery continues to show a weakened presence. In the case of newly emerged markets: in China, the flow of economic recovery has continued, but in some nations the economic activity has been in a continual slump, so differences by country have appeared. In the international stock market, because of the influence of geopolitical risks, interest rates and stock prices have fallen, the US dollar has strengthened, and there has been an increase in fluctuation."

9. Wide of Lee giving briefing

Thousands of South Koreans marched in Seoul for the second straight day on Saturday to protest against government labour policies and the handling of a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people a year ago.

The protesters marched towards Gwanghwamun Square, where the altar for the victims of the ferry disaster is located and they laid flowers on it.

The demonstrators also criticised the South Korean president for her reluctance to accept a more thorough investigation into the sinking.

Although the government has recently announced its plan to salvage the ferry, the family members expressed their doubt because they believe the government has been delaying the salvage process.

The Sewol Ferry Incident took place in April 2014. The ferry was en route to Jeju Island, and it was carrying 476 passengers.

A total of 304 people among 476 passengers died when the ferry sank. 250 of them were students from Danwon High School in Ansan, who were on their way to their first field trip as high school students.

AP TELEVISION

Seoul - 25 April 2015

1. Various of protesters marching against government labour policies and the handling of a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people a year ago

2. Pan of the memorial altar for the ferry disaster victims

4. Pictures of some of the ferry disaster victims

5. Woman laying a flower on the altar

6. Close of incense on the altar

7. People laying flowers on the altar

8. Wide of participants in the rally

9. Ferry victims' families shouting the slogan (Korean): "Discard the ordinance"

10. Protesters shouting the slogan (Korean): "Salve the truth"

11. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Jun In-suk, mother of victim Lim Kyung-bin:

"(South Korean government) announced it will salvage the ferry and emphasised: 'We(the government) will salvage it really well'. It has been already one year (since the accident happened) and the government has only announced the decision but has not salvaged the ferry yet. We (the families of the victims) have been told lies for more than a year and still the government has not carried out its promise so we should keep doing it (urging the government to do its best) till the government does its work. The salvage is done only when the ferry is raised. Until that moment, we will keep raising our voices."

++NIGHT SHOTS++

12. Various of participants at demonstration singing and dancing

13. Protesters performing a commemorate song

14. Protester holding candle

15. Various of protesters holding candles and phone lights at the rally

17. Wide of demonstration

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Seoul - 22 April 2015

1. Representatives of the South Korean sunken ferry Sewol victims' families and activists standing with placards and banner

2. Lee Nam-seok, father of victim Lee Chang-hyun (in centre) and activists chanting (in Korean) "Discard" (the government's enforcement ordinance)'

3. Lee and activists chanting (in Korean) "Stop" (the police repression)

4. Close of Lee

5. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Lee Nam-seok, Father of ferry disaster victim Lee Chang-hyun:

"It is a very late decision. We, the families of the missing victims, agreed to stop the underwater search last November 11th. The government should have examined and immediately started the salvage process, however, instead it has killed time. We cannot help asking what the government tried to hide by taking such a long time."

6. Various pictures of still missing passengers on a poster

7. Family members holding posters

8. Memorial altar for the ferry victims

9. Candle burning in foreground with portraits of victims in background

10. Close of incense burning

11. Portraits of victims at the altar

12. Sign with symbol (Korean) "Don't forget 416" hung on a wall

13. Wide of memorial

STORYLINE

South Korea on Wednesday formally approved plans to salvage a ferry that sank last year in one of the country's deadliest disasters in decades that killed more than 300 people.

Raising the ferry is one of demands made by bereaved families, who hope that might help reveal details about the cause of the sinking and find bodies of the nine passengers still missing.

Some conservative critics have opposed raising the Sewol, a civilian ship, with taxpayers' money and are sceptical that salvaging it will provide new revelations and find the missing.

The bodies of 295 people have been recovered.

Most of the victims were high schools students who were on a trip to a southern resort island.

Park's government had faced criticism from relatives of the victims and their supporters, who say officials were reluctant to start work to lift the ship due to expected high costs.

On Wednesday relatives again criticised the government for taking so long to agree for the salvage process to begin.

Salvaging the ship is estimated to cost between 91 and 137 million US dollars and take as long as 18 months, according to the oceans ministry.

===========================================================

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SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Seoul - 17 April 2015

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. People lighting up candles outside Seoul City Hall in hopes of setting a new Guinness record for creating the largest candlelight image

2. Candles

3. Wide of candlelights

4. Pan from stage to citizens seated on the ground

5. People holding candles

6. Pan of crowd gathered for the candlelight vigil

7. Close of participant

8. Close of paper cup used for holding candles with the words (Korean) "Salvage the Sewol ferry, Reveal the truth"

9. Banner reading (Korean) "The world's saddest challenge" the slogan for the candlelight vigil

10. Wide of the vigil and stage

11. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Jeon Myung-sun, father of Sewol ferry victim Jeon Chan-ho and representative of Sewol ferry victims' families:

"Keeping the promise to conduct thorough investigations to unveil the truth and punish people who are responsible and create a safer community are the tasks of the (victims') families who are left behind. Then as parents who were unable to save our children, we may feel sorry when we meet our loved ones but not ashamed. That will be the task and calling of the families of those who lost their precious lives."

12. Attendants holding candles while watching performance

13. Close of paper cup reading (Korean) "The world's saddest challenge"

14. Close of male participant of the candlelight vigil Reno Kim

15. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Reno Kim, 47, owner of a trade company:

"I came to think that citizens should be outraged. If they keep that indignation to themselves, all the citizens will become ill. They should express (their opinions) and push the government (to do more to carry out people's wishes of unveiling the truth and salvage the ferry), and it feels like that is the only way that could disperse this anger."

16. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Ji-soo, 18, high school student

"Many students who were my age died while trapped in the ferry. Therefore I thought that I must never forget and as a South Korean citizen and student, I thought that such tragedy must be remembered and never repeated."

17. Performers at the candlelight vigil

18. Attendants holding candles seated on the ground

19. Close of participant

20. Medium of participants at the event

21. Candlelights creating the shape of the sunken Sewol ferry

22. Wide of the candlelight image of Sewol ferry

STORYLINE

Thousands of South Koreans gathered to try to set a new record for creating the largest candlelight image to commemorate the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol on Friday night.

The attempt came a day after the first anniversary of the incident, which killed over 300 people.

The initial target was to gather 4,160 people but the number eventually reached 4,475.

They stood in the shape of the sunken ferry, and demanded the South Korean government reveal the truth behind the incident, and salvage the sunken ferry to find nine passengers, who are still missing.

Jeon Myung-sun, the father of Jeon Chan-ho, one of the Danwon High School students who died in the incident, resolved to keep urging the South Korean government to punish the people responsible for the disaster.

Other participants also called on the government to do more.

The Sewol ferry sank on April of last year off the southwestern coast of South Korea.

It was en route to Jeju Island, carrying 476 passengers.

A total of 304 people died, including 250 students from Danwon High School in Ansan, who were on their way to their first field trip as high school students.

===========================================================

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(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Seoul - 16 April 2015

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Pan of people protesting in front of police security wall while trying to march down to the incense altars located in Gwanghwamun Square after vigil to commemorate victims of Sewol ferry sinking

2. Various of protesters kicking police security wall

3. Pan of clash between people and police

4. Close of protester shouting to police over the police security wall

5. Protesters attempting to break police security wall

6. Wide of vigil

7. Wide of banner reading (Korean) "We will not forget"

8. Wide of signs reading (Korean) "There are still people inside the Sewol ferry"

9. Speaker Huh Heung-hwan, father of missing victim Huh Da-yoon, greeting those attending vigil before starting his speech

10. Wide of audience

11. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Huh Heung-hwan, 52, father of missing victim Huh Da-yoon

"Until that ferry is salvaged, you all (government) will need to take the responsibility. I'm shouting that we need to send the nine missing victims back to their families and to their friends."

12. Wide of crowd at vigil

13. Distraught people at vigil

14. Wide of performance during which lighted replica of the Sewol ferry was raised above stage

15. Close of lifting up of the replica ferry

16. Zoom out of replica ferry being lifted up

17. Close of the replica ferry

18. Wide of the replica ferry

STORYLINE

Thousands of South Koreans expressed their anger at the government on the first anniversary of the Sewol ferry sinking late on Thursday.

Grief and frustration turned into anger when the relatives, friends and supporters tried to reach Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul to lay flowers on the altars for the 304 victims, most of whom were high school students.

However, police stopped them from marching further by blocking their paths with buses and police walls.

The protesters responded by kicking and throwing objects at the walls.

At a vigil in downtown Seoul, where relatives have protested for months, there were also calls for the recovery of nine of the victims, whose bodies still haven't been retrieved.

There's frustration among South Koreans who see their government as having failed to make meaningful improvements to safety standards and hold high-level officials accountable for a disaster blamed in part on incompetence and corruption.

Earlier in the day, relatives blocked the prime minister from attending a mourning event and cancelled another ceremony because of what they called government indifference to their plight.

Hours before travelling abroad, President Park Geun-hye visited a small port near the site of the sinking to offer condolences to bereaved relatives.

Most, however, refused to meet her to protest the government's response.

Park gave a speech anyway, announcing plans to salvage the ferry - a demand of the relatives.

===========================================================

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(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

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