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Even if you want to use one smartphone for a long time, when it breaks down, repair is difficult or expensive, so you often buy a new smartphone.

But now the idea is spreading that we need an easy 'right to repair' for consumers and for the environment. 



Reporter Han Seung-gu covered the story.



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Mr. Noh Hyun-jung, who went to the service center because his smartphone case was broken, turned around.



[Noh Hyun-jung/Office worker: I said I had to make a reservation, so I just went home.

The center is fully booked...

I visited again after a week or two.]



The repair cost was 500,000 won.



It was broken again, so I went to a private repair company this time, but the condition of the phone got worse.



[Noh Hyun-jung/Office worker: I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

(What did you do after that?) So, in the end, I just switched to a new phone.]



Apple opened a self-repair online store in the US last April and provides genuine parts and repair manuals.



Samsung also started a smartphone self-repair program in the US in August.



The expansion of the 'right to repair' of electronic products is a global trend.



This is because the perception that the 'repair monopoly' of giant companies is unfair is growing, and interest in electronic waste and environmental issues has also increased.



There is also a study that extending the lifespan of smartphones and laptops by 5 years produces the same carbon reduction effect as not driving 5 million cars for 1 year.



[Minji Kim/Seoul Environment Federation Resource Recycling Team: Reducing e-waste not only saves resources, but also reduces environmental pollution caused by toxic chemicals in e-waste.]



This is an electronics store in Paris, France.



Each smartphone and laptop has a score next to it.



This is the repairability index introduced last year.



There are five criteria, such as how easy it is to disassemble and how cheap and easy it is to get parts.



It is compulsory to mark five items such as smartphones, laptops, and televisions.



[Lim Seong-mi/French student: If you go to the store and look at the laptop like this, isn't there a product manual like a small manual next to it?

There are also small and very small marks in it.]



Korea's movement for the 'right to repair' is still in its infancy.



Since last year, six related bills have been proposed, but discussions are not taking place.



(Video editing: Lim Jae-ho, VJ: Kim Jun-ho, CG: Seong Jae-eun·Ahn Ji-hyun)