Saturdays Off

[Anchor Lead]

All public schools in the nation will adopt a five-day week next year. Many welcome the decision to give teachers and students Saturdays off.



[Pkg]

Schools in Korea have held classes every other Saturday since 2006. But a five-day school week is set to be adopted from next year. The five-day week will be conducted on a trial basis in this year’s second semester at 10 percent of elementary and middle schools nationwide. All schools will adopt the new system from the first semester of next year. Schools can choose whether to implement the five-day week after obtaining permission from educational authorities. But all schools will likely do so as the majority of students and teachers want Saturdays off.



[Soundbite] Lee Ju-ho (Education, Science and Technology Minister) : "It’ll help families and society bolster their educational function because children will have more time to spend with their parents."



The number of school days will be cut from 205 days to the OECD average of 190 days a year. But the time allocated to each subject will remain unchanged. The government will expand extracurricular activities including daycare and creativity classes for children from low-income families and for whom both parents work. The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations and the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union welcome the decision. But parents blame the government for passing the burden of caring for their children Saturdays to families. They also warn of a rise in the private tutoring market because of the five-day school week.



2. Worker Grants



[Anchor Lead]

The support system that has been adopted to help lower income workers is not fulfilling its purpose due to the strict requirements. Here’s more.



[Pkg]

Ha Myeong-suk recently heard good news from the tax office. She was eligible for government grant for the working poor.



[Soundbite] Ha Myeong-suk (Office worker) : "It helps us save on living expenses. It’s a big help for me."



Under the support system, workers earning an annual income of up to 15,700 U.S. dollars can get financial aid of up to 1,110 dollars a month. Those who earn 7,400 to 11,100 dollars annually get the highest amount of support. It’s a system to help out the working poor but requirements are very strict. This cleaning worker had received support for the past two years but was disqualified this year. People without children or children aged 18 or above are not qualified. People with a house worth over 46,000 dollars or personal asset including security deposits of over 92,000 dollars are also unqualified.



[Soundbite] Prof. Park Neung-hu (Kyonggi University) : "There are no houses worth 50 million won ($46,200) in cities. Even if a house is worth 60 to 70 million won, the person still belongs to the low-income group; it’s very unreasonable."



The number of beneficiaries is falling each year. This year, only 500 thousand are expected to receive the grant. Attention is needed for low-income workers and the support system which is associated with the government’s employment welfare policy.



3. Nuclear Protest



[Anchor Lead]

The environmental group Greenpeace has held an anti-nuclear protest in waters off the Yeonggwang nuclear plant in South Jeolla Province. The organization will open a Korea office to carry out anti-nuclear activities.



[Pkg]

A slogan saying "No more nuclear" is seen in waters off the shores of Yeonggwang County, where a nuclear plant is located. Protesters at sea say operating a nuclear plant can change the marine ecosystem. This is the first time for the environmental group Greenpeace to take action against a Korean nuclear plant. Greenpeace says Korea’s nuclear plants cannot be safe and warns that extending the use of existing nuclear plants or building new ones could bring disaster.



[Soundbite]



Mike Fincken (Captain, Rainbow Warrior)



Greenpeace is expected to open an office in Korea to continue its anti-nuclear activities in the country. A number of Korean environmental groups have joined the Greenpeace protest.



[Soundbite] Lee Geon-ung (Protest Participant) : "It’s a good chance to draw attention and awareness to a serious social issue."



Greenpeace will hold protests at nuclear plant sites in Korea through Tuesday next week. Members will urge the Korean government to reject nuclear plants like Germany has and begin developing eco-friendly energy sources. Greenpeace’s anti-nuclear campaign comes at a time when debate is rising over the safety of nuclear plants.



4. Safe Donation



[Anchor Lead]]

A college student collapsed and fell into a coma after donating blood. The incident has shed new light on the need to strengthen safety measures in blood donation so that this honorable act doesn’t end up in tragedy.



[Pkg]

This blood drive office on a university campus in Cheongju is crowded with students coming to donate their blood. On June 9th, a 26-year-old student fainted and collapsed five minutes after donating his blood. He hit his head against the floor and was rushed to the hospital, but he is still in coma.



[Soundbite] (Official, Regional Blood Center) : "He collapsed like an old tree and hit his head against the floor."



Seven years ago, a man lost his consciousness 10 minutes after donating his blood and eventually died. The number of side effects from blood donation reported to the Korean Red Cross Blood Services has been on the rise every year. Last year, more than 2,400 cases were reported. Side effects caused by low blood pressure are particularly dangerous.



[Soundbite] Prof. Sin Gyeong-seop (Chungbuk National Univ. Hospital) : "Not enough blood can be supplied to the brain due to the vasovagal reaction. It’s important to take a 10-minute rest in bed considering the risk of fainting."



The Ministry of Health and Welfare will investigate if the student’s blood was tested properly before the donation and if he took rest after the procedure. Safety measures are urgent to encourage people to donate their blood without risking their lives.



5. Ova Brokers



[Anchor Lead]>

Police have arrested people who allegedly brokered the sale of human eggs on the Internet. The eggs of 20-something women including students and models have reportedly been sold to infertile couples for up to 92-hundred U.S. dollars.



[Pkg]

This woman takes a paper notebook out of her bag and explains something to a young couple next to her.



[Soundbite]



Six million won ($5,540) is needed for testing and initial medical exams.



She offers to sell the eggs of another woman that the couple needs for invitro fertilization. Two suspects allegedly brokered the sale of human eggs this way on 16 occasions over a year-long period that began in 2009. They recruited online women willing to sell their eggs. When the women came, the brokers compiled data on them including height, age and academic background. Attractive and educated women commanded as much as 55-hundred dollars for their eggs. The brokers in turn sold each set of eggs to infertile couples for 92-hundred dollars.



[Soundbite] Supt. Jang Byeong-deok (Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) : "They selected women based on their appearance, education and blood types to prevent any problems from occurring."



Police say the egg donors suffered side effects such as reduced memory over the course of multiple surgeries.



6. Sanitation Alert’



[Anchor Lead]>

Upon inspection, many beverage vending machines selling coffee and tea were found to be in substandard condition. Mold had formed in some cases because of a lack of proper cleaning. This, of course, could be harmful to the health of consumers.



[Pkg]

This is a coffee vending machine next to a shop in Malli-dong, Seoul. It smells bad inside the machine and molds have been found in a water disposal tank.



[Soundbite] (Vending Machine Manager (Voice Modified)) : "It’s been four to five days since I changed the water. I was supposed to clean it, but I forgot."



Inside the tank has not been cleaned properly with dust all over it. Under the food safety regulation, vending machines must be cleaned at least once a day. This is another vending machine nearby. There is no automatic rinser and foreign substances are found in the tank. The water used for making the drinks is from the restroom next to the shop.



[Soundbite] (Vending Machine Manager (Voice Modified)) : "(Did you fill the container here?) Yes, I used tap water."



According to inspections, two out of ten vending machines installed in Seoul have violated regulations or in poor sanitary conditions. In particular, bacteria found in yulmu, or adlay tea from seven vending machines exceeded the safety standard by up to 53 times.



[Soundbite] Lee Yong-ho (Seoul Metropolitan Official) : "Since it’s always stored inside, the possibility of being contaminated with bacteria is higher."



The Seoul city government has ordered suspension of business or removal of 2,400 poorly-managed vending machines.



7. Gere Visit



[Anchor Lead]

Hollywood actor Richard Gere will arrive in Korea Monday for a visit. An exhibition of photos he took while in Tibet and India has opened in Seoul ahead of his trip.



[Pkg]

Actor Richard Gere is famous for his roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Pretty Woman." He took this photo of Tibet on a trip to the Asian plateau region. Buddhist monks seek enlightenment through ascetic exercise in the so-called spiritually pure land. Those living in exile in a foreign land hope that their painful history will be mended someday. On the rough land, in the sandy wind, hope never dies even in the face of adversity. Actor Gere is a devout Buddhist who is dedicated to protecting the human rights of Tibetans. Sixty-four black-and-white photos he took in Tibet, India and Mongolia have been put on display in Korea for the first time.



[Soundbite] Ji Myeong-mun (CEO, Exhibition Planning Company) : "It conveys warm feelings toward minorities and the under-privileged."



Gere says he once aspired to be a Buddhist monk. He will arrive in Korea Monday and go on a temple stay.



8. Crop Circle



[Anchor Lead]

A large crop circle has been created in the vicinity of the upper stream of Lake Soyang in Inje County, Gangwon Province.



[Pkg]

A large crop circle has appeared on a 1.5 million square meter oat field near the upper stream of Lake Soyang. The unique shapes of crop circles are created by flattening or cutting crops. The 400-by-180-meter green oat field features a smelt, which is the symbol of Lake Soyang. It was made using circles and lines of different sizes. Some seven thousand pin wheels are displayed, forming shapes of tulips and butterflies.



[Soundbite]



I can see the patterns from here. They look beautiful.



It took four days and the efforts of 10 people to create the work with two small tractors. Such a vista can only be seen for 20 days a year. When the oat harvesting season begins late this month, the crop circle will disappear. Next year, Inje of Gangwon Province will create crop circles on all oat fields cultivated for cattle feed.



[Soundbite] Im Dae-sik (Inje County Official) : "It’s an attraction for tourists visiting our region and a festival venue."



Fields in the Lake Soyang area that used to be useless when flooded with rain have been transformed into places for growing cattle feed and tourist attractions.



9. Staying Sharp



[Anchor Lead]

The meterosexual trend is strong in Korea, and men these days are putting in a lot of effort to look their best. Here are a few tips for the guys out there looking to sharpen up.



[Pkg]

As good looks play an increasingly important role these days, a growing number of men do all they can to stay looking sharp.



[Soundbite]



It’s a trend; there’s nothing you can do. Men care about their looks nowadays.



Here are a few tips on how any guy can look better with a minimum of effort. In summer, with more skin exposed, men’s biggest problem is their growing belly size.



[Soundbite]



My belly is getting bigger with age. It bothers me.



A big belly is something that worries handsome guys the most. We visited an undergarment store in Seoul.



[Soundbite]



I came here to buy girdles. Men wear girdles these days.



From girdles to corsets, which used to be worn only by women, this place specializes in shaping underwear for men. This guy looks very slim after being strapped up a bit. Another prerequisite for looking good is a firm rear. One secret lies in padded underwear.



[Soundbite]



I was worried because of my skinny rear. But now it looks well-shaped.



[Soundbite] Lee Jeong-ok (Owner, Undergarment Shop) : "Just four or five years ago, it was hard to find shaping underwear for men. But men care about their look these days. They buy shaping undergarments quite open."



Soldiers disguise their faces using black cream before training outdoors. This cream is available in cosmetics stores.



[Soundbite]



We sell this concealer at our store.



Thanks to this cream, which is both a sunscreen and a moisturizer, soldiers these days can protect their country and their skin at the same time.



[Soundbite]



If they had it when I was younger, my skin would have been better. My younger brother also uses it. I’ll buy a few more for my brother’s seniors.



Yang Ji-kwon is an office worker. He’s busy getting ready for work. He puts something on his head.



[Soundbite]



It helps me complete my style. I’ll show the result a bit later.



Now his hair looks smaller and neater. This device helps tame sideburns as well.



[Soundbite] Jeong Seung-su (CEO, Device Manufacturing Company) : "Short hair is popular these days. The sideburns are a problem because they’re sticking out. We developed this device to help men tame their sideburns."



The device has already become very popular among men. But does his girlfriend know his secret?



[Soundbite] Kang Gi-jae (Staff Member, Device Manufacturing Company) : "My girlfriend has no idea. She thinks my head has always been small."



It takes effort to look good, and it’s not only the ladies these days who are putting in some extra time.