Mounting Dangers

[Anchor Lead]

Difficulties mount for rescuers at the Sewol ferry site: bad weather and the collapsing hull pose a major threat to their safety. The families of the missing have asked for improved protective measures for the people searching for their loved ones.

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This footage of the sunken ferry's interior was shot by a civilian diver during a rescue operation. The internal structures are falling apart as the weight of the hull and water presses down on them. The disintegration began in the portside of the fourth deck where it's in contact with the sea bottom. The damage is spreading to other parts of the vessel. Four hallways on the fourth and fifth decks are particularly dangerous. The ceiling panels shift even at the slight contact with the air bubbles from the diving gear. Diving into the hall has been suspended, since the panels could cave in or break apart.

[Soundbite] Civilian Diver(Voice Modified) : "The unstable wall panels could buckle from the impact of our air bubbles."

Strong currents are also hastening the collapse of the hull. There are going to be fewer areas where search can be conducted. The structures of the fourth floor cabins where high school students were assigned are weakening dramatically. As the hull's disintegration has reached a dangerous level, the families of missing passengers have demanded the government's disaster management headquarters to set up measures to search the damaged cabins and ensure the safety of divers.

[Soundbite] GWON O-BOK(Family Member of Missing Passenger) : "We demanded a quicker search. There's going to be big trouble. We also told them to ensure the divers' safety."

The authorities have announced that they are looking into opening up other entryways to access the interior in case some parts of the ship collapses.

2. Water Hazards

[Anchor Lead]

The risks posed to the divers don’t end with the buckling hull. The debris floating inside the sunken ferry can tear their diving suits open, exposing the divers to the elements.

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The water is so murky that it's hard to even see what is right in front of the divers. Sometimes the diving suits worn by the rescuers are torn by the debris and objects floating inside the hull.

[Soundbite] Civilian Diver(Voice Modified) : "Tears from the structural parts are not a big deal, but if the suit is damaged and water seeps in, it's like throwing a person into cold water."

The rescue divers are growing nervous as the ferry's hull started to buckle earlier this month. Despite having 22 years of experience in diving, diver Yang Yu-hong can't help but feel conflicting emotions before each search mission.

[Soundbite] YANG YU-HONG(Civilian Diver) : "I feel fear and am having many different thoughts. I'm going through so many emotional ups and downs. I'm sad one moment and then depressed soon after."

But there's no psychological therapy available for the divers at the site.

[Soundbite] "Official, Disaster Management Headquarters (Voice Modified): There's no psychological therapy at the site."

But the rescue divers vow to keep on with the search and rescue operations until the last missing passenger is returned to their loved ones.

[Soundbite] YANG YU-HONG(Civilian Diver) : "We’ll do what we can, or even beyond it, until all the passengers are retrieved."

The rescuers should only dive once a day due to safety reasons, but even that simple guideline is ignored as they desperately try to find as many passengers as they can.

3. Nuclear Site Activity

[Anchor Lead]

Unusual movements have been detected at North Korea’s nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri. The U.S. Department of Defense says it’s been watching developments closely.

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A U.S. security watch dog released these satellite images of the North Korean nuclear test site in Punggye-ri last weekend Korean time. They show new objects that look like a tunnel cover and a container at the southern end of the tunnel. There's also a container at the western end of the tunnel and a few vehicles. The images also show some excavation work. The U.S. Institute for Science and International Security, which analyzed the images, says although it's still too early to say that Pyongyang is about to conduct a nuclear test, the recent movements look similar to final preparations for a test. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who recently visited the South Korean embassy in the U.S. to express his condolences over the Sewol ferry tragedy, said that the Defense Department is closely watching the developments at the North Korean nuclear test site.

[Soundbite] CHUCK HAGEL(U.S. Secretary of Defense)

The U.S. Department of Defense says that the recently spotted movements could be deceitful but the possibility of a nuclear test can't be ruled out, either. Washington is apparently relying on China's efforts to prevent Pyongyang from conducting a nuclear test and other kinds of provocation.

4. "Chosun Speed"

[Anchor Lead]

Pyongyang is urging workers across North Korea to take on “Chosun Speed,” “Chosun” being the name North Korea calls itself. The new slogan can be seen as a response to the North’s tough economic situation.

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North Korea recently built a new maritime plant. The facility has residences and resting areas for fishermen, a cold storage building and even a seawall. But the construction of the facility only took two months. North Korean news outlets introduced the maritime facility as a representative project achieved under the North Korean government's new catchphrase, "Chosun Speed."

[Soundbite] Korean Central TV(Apr. 23) : "Kim Jong-un praised the military workers for achieving a miracle. He said that this is "Chosun Speed.""

Since the beginning of this month, the North has held a series of celebrations marking the completion of large-scale construction projects like a dormitory for textile plant workers and a youth camping site. The new catchphrase "Chosun Speed" is replacing the previous one "Masikryong Speed," which was introduced after current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took power. Unlike the catchphrases "Chollima Speed" under Kim Il-sung and "Huichon Speed" under Kim Jong-il, "Chosun Speed" can be applied to all economic projects, which are being carried out across North Korea. Analysts predicts that "Chosun Speed" will be a slogan representing Kim Jong-un's emphasis on turning North Korea into an economic powerhouse.

[Soundbite] Prof. YANG MU-JIN(University of North Korean Studies) : "The new slogan is the North Korean regime's strategy to call on North Koreans to improve their lives while solidifying the leadership of Kim Jong-un."

They also say that the new slogan shows various external and internal difficulties that North Korea is facing, like its strained relations with China and international sanctions.

5. Heart Attack

[Anchor Lead]

Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee suffered a heart attack over the weekend, requiring CPR and an operation. He’s currently recovering at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul.

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Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee suddenly developed the symptoms of breathlessness on Saturday evening. He was rushed to the nearby Soonchunhyang Hospital. His heartbeat did stop for a while, prompting doctors to perform CPR. After receiving the emergency aid, Lee's heart stabilized and he was transported to the Samsung Medical Center. He was diagnosed with a heart attack and underwent surgery to expand the blood vessels in his heart.

[Soundbite] SONG JAE-HUN(Director, Samsung Medical Center) : "The chairman promptly received first aid for his heart attack and successfully underwent a stent surgery for expanding his coronary artery. He's currently recovering in stable condition."

The Samsung chairman received treatment for hypothermia in the state of deep sleep. He can breathe on his own now. Doctors say Lee is unlikely to suffer from brain damage or any other negative side effects because he received first aid promptly. The outcome of the surgery and the impact of the heart attack on the lungs have yet to be seen, but the next one week will be crucial for the Samsung chairman in determining his health condition.

6. Samsung's Management

[Anchor Lead]

In light of Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s heart attack, analysts now turn their gaze to what this will mean for the management of Samsung Group and the transfer of his managerial power to his children.

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Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee returned to Seoul on April 17th after being away overseas for three months. He looked weak and fragile. Concerns over his health have been raised since he received surgery for lung cancer in 1999. He was hospitalized for bronchitis in 2009 and for pneumonia last year. However, he returned to work after each health scare to dispel any concerns over his condition. After returning home in April, Lee also led a personnel reshuffle and the adjustment of the group's business priorities. Samsung SDS announced last week that it will go public within this year. Lee's three children have a some 20 percent share in the company. Once Samsung SDS is listed, the three children can earn nearly two billion U.S. dollars. This is why observers see the listing as a step to transfer of Lee's managerial power to his children.

[Soundbite] PARK JU-GEUN(CEO, CEO Score) : "The listing is viewed as a way to raise seed money for the transfer of managerial power and inheritance."

A high-ranking official of Samsung Group said that the chairman is recovering and that the company has no plans to operate on an emergency management system. However, the group is expected to speed up the reorganization of its business structure and the transfer of Lee's managerial power.

7. Tree Petition

[Anchor Lead]

Korea’s national cemetery is the final resting place for many Korean independence activists. So, the fact that thousands of Japanese tree species dot the cemetery didn’t sit well with many Koreans. A petition to exchange the trees with Korean species is making progress.

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This road leads to the Memorial Tower for Patriotic Police Officers in Seoul National Cemetery. Juniper trees line along both sides of the path. These trees, planted in 1976, are Kaizuka juniper trees indigenous to Japan. There are roughly 18 thousand trees of Japanese species in Seoul National Cemetery. They include the Kaizuka juniper trees, Japanese red maples, and thuja standishii. These Japanese tree species account for 15% of some 130 thousand trees inside the cemetery compound. Now these Japanese trees will be replaced by those indigenous to Korea.

[Soundbite] Ven. HYEMUN(Head, Committee for Return of Cultural Property) : "Seoul National Cemetery is a sacred place associated with the Korean people's identity. So it is not right to keep Japanese tree species there."

The cemetery will invest nearly three million dollars to phase out the Japanese-originated trees, starting next year. The tree replacement plan is likely to take place in other historically important locations, such as the National Assembly, the Seoul Administrative Court, and Dalseong Park in Daegu.

8. Deadly Tick Bite

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea has reported the year’s first death related to a tick bite. A tick-borne virus caused the deadly disease marked by a severe fever. Koreans are advised to take extra caution when they go outdoors.

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The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) says that a 64-year-old man died from a deadly tick-borne virus in South Chungcheong Province. He is the husband of a 63-year-old woman who was infected with the virus earlier this month. The KCDC said that the woman had been bitten by the deadly tick and was infected with thrombocytopenia syndrome. But she was cured and then discharged from the hospital. Symptoms for the disease include high fever, nausea and diarrhea after a latent period of a week or two. Thirty-six people were infected with the disease and 17 died from it in South Korea last year. There are no vaccines or medicine for the disease yet. So the best way to prevent the illness is by not to get bitten by the deadly tick in the first place. The KCDC asked South Koreans to wear long sleeves shirts and pants to limit their skin exposure when outdoors.

9. Unusual Workouts

[Anchor Lead]

Summer is fast approaching, motivating many of us to get back into shape. Today, we’ll introduce a few unusual ways to shed some of those unwanted kilos just in time.

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This fitness center is filled with people getting their workouts in. Just your average, ordinary gym right? Except for these guys. What are they up to? They are swinging thick ropes up and down.

[Soundbite] BAEK JONG-EUN(Member, Gym) : "This exercise involves shaking the rope up and down, left and right."

This exercise is called the 'rope wave,' also known as 'rope battling.' The intense exercise involves swinging your arms up and down while holding onto a set of heavy ropes.

[Soundbite] KIM DA-HAN(Member, Gym) : "It doesn't look very hard, but it's really intense, because the rope is heavy."

Swing a set of 10-meter ropes that weigh 4 kilograms each for 20 seconds and then take a ten-second break. Repeat this routine eight times. But is this 160-second workout really all that effective?

[Soundbite] CHA YUN-DONG(Fitness Trainer, Gym) : "If ordinary exercises are compared to a marathon, the rope wave is like a 100-meter dash. You expend a lot of energy in a short time, so you get greater results."

College student Lee Seon-min chose this exercise because it burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time. She lost about 10 kilograms in just six months.

[Soundbite] LEE SEON-MIN(Member, Gym) : "The biggest merit is that you can exercise the entire body in a short span of time. I want to lose about 15 more kilos, because I have to look pretty for my graduation picture."

In another gym, people put on what looks like a thick diving suit, or a space suit even, for a special exercise.

[Soundbite] HAN SE-IN(Member, Gym) : "This is an outfit we put on for warming up. We call it a space suit."

The suit is powered up and gets you ready for a workout while you're lying on your back.

[Soundbite] KIM SU-HYEON(Fitness Trainer, Gym) : "There are 400 bubbles inside the suit. The air pockets stimulate the skin and blood vessels to help with blood circulation. It warms up the body so you can burn fat easier when doing aerobic exercises."

And now it's time to burn those calories. She enters a sealed cylinder and pedals away while her heart rate and temperature are monitored.

[Soundbite] "Air flows in and out of the machine to create a difference in pressure. It stimulates blood flow and speeds up your metabolism, so you lose weight about three times faster."

These are some unusual ways to slim down. Is it really as effective as they claim?

[Soundbite] Prof. GANG JAE-HEON(Inje University Paik Hospital) : "I think such special exercises help motivate people to work out more. But as an expert, I think enjoying the workout and keeping at it for a long time are more effective than high-cost or cutting-edge equipment."

Remember that there's no better way to lose weight than the tried and true method of eating healthy and finding a workout routine that you can stick to.