Daegu MERS Patient

[Anchor Lead]

The first confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome patient in the city of Daegu has been diagnosed. Reports have it that he used multiple public facilities before he was confirmed to carry the virus. Public jitters are rising as this person is believed to have been in contact at least some 300 people.

[Pkg]

A civil servant working at a local district office in the city of Daegu was confirmed as the first MERS patient in Daegu on Tuesday. The man had visited an emergency room at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul on May 27 and 28 to visit his hospitalized mother. During 17 days between that time and this Monday, when initial test results pointed to his infection, the man attended several populated events including weddings and funerals. Based on estimates so far, he had contacts with at least 300 people. He went on a trip to Suncheon, South Jeolla Province with some 80 coworkers at the Nam district office in Daegu, riding on two tourist buses. He also went to work normally up until last week, and visited three local elderly centers as part of his job routine, during which he contacted around 130 senior citizens. He also had contacts with 150 people at another social event he attended. So far, only 31 people he had contacted have been quarantined, which include coworkers and clerks at a public bath. But once his whereabouts and contactees are more clearly confirmed, the number of those to be placed under monitoring is expected to spike up.

2. President's School Visit

[Anchor Lead]

President Park Geun-hye visited elementary and middle schools in Seoul that have reopened since closing down temporarily due to the MERS outbreak. She told the students that simply practicing good hygiene can help fight MERS and that they should be able to trust schools as safe places.

[Pkg]

Daemo Elementary School is located near Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. Students are in the middle of a hygiene class on how to prevent infection. President Park Geun-hye told the students that MERS is similar to a Middle Eastern flu, and that they should practice good hygiene.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye(President) : "If you practice hand-washing and a few hygienic habits, there's no need to fear MERS."

Park asked school authorities to carry out thorough preventive measures to inspire trust among the students that school is a safe place.

[Soundbite] "Parents should be given peace of mind so they can send their children to school without worry."

An explorative term without tests is under way at Seoul Girls' Middle School. Classes have resumed, but interactive programs and field trips have been cancelled due to the MERS scare.

[Soundbite] "The government will do its best to end the spread of MERS so that you can resume your plans."

President Park promised to disclose information early so that people would come to accept government announcements as facts.

3. Border Surveillance

[Anchor Lead]

A North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea on Monday was reportedly lying in wait outside the South Korean border guard post from the day before. The revelation has raised criticism about the military's lax nighttime border surveillance.

[Pkg]

The North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea was found Monday morning at around 8 a.m. by a South Korean soldier near the guard post and barbed-wire fence inside the demilitarized zone. The teenage soldier crossed through iron railings on the North Korean side the previous night, spent the night in the mountains several hundred meters away from the South Korean border guard post, and approached the guard post the following morning. He was detected just four meters away from the guard post situation room. In parliament, lawmakers on the defense committee blasted the lax border defense and the military's failure to detect the North Korean soldier until he nearly approached the guard post.

[Soundbite] Rep. Ahn Gyu-baek(Defense Committee Member) : "What if he was an enemy and not a defector?"

[Soundbite] Han Min-koo(S. Korean Nat’l Defense Minister) : "Even if enemy forces infiltrate, our guard post defense is solid."

The 19-year-old defector left his barracks on June 7 after suffering from beatings on a regular basis. During the investigation, he also told South Korean officials that he traveled 200 kilometers for a week before crossing the Military Demarcation Line.

4. Drought & Salt Stress

[Anchor Lead]

As Korea experiences an extended period of severe drought, rice fields in coastal areas are seeing considerable salt stress, a condition in which high salinity levels in soil solution cause plants to die. In some places it's become hard to tell whether it's a rice field or a salt farm.

[Pkg]

Parched rice seedlings cover the fields as far as the eye can see. This is a farming region in Ganghwa Island with no alleviating rain in sight. The damage is most serious in the fields near the shores. Several white patches have appeared in the fields.

[Soundbite] "This is all salt. This is salt water."

With the water in the fields drying up, what's left behind in the fields is salt. That's because the only nearby source of water for farming has turned salty. Freshwater fish that died from too much salinity in the water are washed up along the river. The salinity of the water is measured in the 0.5% range, more than twice the allowance for agricultural water. In some places the level reached 2%, more than half the salinity of sea water. A sharp reduction in river water allowed sea water to flow back into the river. It's because the floodgates at the river's downstream area failed to completely block out the countercurrent.

[Soundbite] Kim Tae-yong(Village Head, Ganghwa County) : "Nearly 100 hectares of land suffered salt damage. More than half of the affected land belongs to our residents."

Other coastal farmlands in Gimpo and Paju are also seeing considerable salt damage, but there isn't even a single agency that assesses the extent of such loss.

5. Revenge Driving Arrests

[Anchor Lead]

More perpetrators of what's called revenge driving have been apprehended by the police. These drivers would suddenly cut into lanes to cause a five-car rear end pileup collision or throw water bottles at other drivers.

[Pkg]

A passenger car drives ahead of another vehicle. It makes an abrupt stop, collides with the car behind, trips over the central line and clashes with another vehicle. Altogether, six cars clashed in a five-car collision, leaving five drivers injured. A police investigation has found that a 67-year-old surnamed Kang chased after a car that had cut in front of him and made the stop intentionally. The case was initially regarded as a regular car accident involving a lane change gone wrong. But it became a criminal investigation into revenge driving after a motorcycle driver provided black box footage to the police. Here, a car is seen speeding up and passing another driver. The revenge driver hurls an object at the other car. The 33-year-old threw a water bottle at a car in retaliation for being cut off earlier while on the access road to the Olympic Expressway. The police have arrested and are questioning the man on charges of revenge driving.

6. Wage Sharing System

[Anchor Lead]

The management and labor union of SK Hynix have agreed to start a so-called "wage sharing system," in which 20% of the pay increase would be shared with subcontractors. This is the first time a local company has decided to implement this plan, which is expected to provide a new model of coexistence for large conglomerates and smaller companies.

[Pkg]

SK Hynix management and labor union representatives concluded an agreement for a so-called "wage sharing system" with the CEOs of their subcontracting companies. 20% of the pay raise will be shared with the subcontractors. This year nearly 5.9 million U.S. dollars will be provided to some 4,000 subcontractor employees. The money will be used for their own wage increases and welfare and benefit programs.

[Soundbite] Dong Il-beom(CEO, Contractor Company) : "I can't tell whether this is a dream or for real. I couldn't sleep when I heard the news on Tuesday. I couldn't believe it."

This is the first time that employees of a large conglomerate have shared their own wages with workers in subcontracting companies, regardless of their performance. The average monthly income for workers in small-and-medium-sized companies in Korea is a little over 1,800 dollars. That's only half of what conglomerate employees earn, and the gap is growing wider. The decision by SK Hynix management and workers is being applauded as the first step toward a new level of coexistence.

7. Humanoid Robot

[Anchor Lead]

Korea's first humanoid robot "Hubo", developed by a team from KAIST, has won the DARPA Robotics Challenge, an international robot competition. We met with the researchers who developed this smart humanoid machine.

[Pkg]

The humanoid robot Hubo, which represented South Korea at this international competition for robots, drives a car on its own. It then opens the door and closes a valve on the wall. This competition showcased robots developed to cope with nuclear accidents. Hubo perfectly carried out its mission by performing eight tasks, such as overcoming hurdles, climbing stairs and making holes in walls. Hubo beat its rivals developed by 23 teams from around the world to win the two million dollar prize.

[Soundbite] Prof. Oh Jun-ho(KAIST) : "The fact that this robot beat formidable rivals from Japan, the U.S. and Europe means that Korean technologies are now regarded to be on par with those from robotic superpowers."

This robot is the disaster rescue version of Hubo 2. It can also transform and move on its wheels. Hubo is expected to play an important role on disaster sites and in space exploration in the future.

8. Entertainment News

[Anchor Lead]

Actress Jang Nara and actor Seo In-guk will appear in a new KBS TV drama as a couple. Here's more from the world of show business.

[Pkg]

Jang Nara and Seo In-guk are to appear in the comical KBS TV drama "Remember You." Jang plays an elite detective with a degree from the National Police University, while Seo plays a genius psycho-analyst. The two portray an affectionate, albeit tough couple that investigates crimes sometimes in a serious and sometimes in a funny way.

[Soundbite] Jang Na-ra(Lead Actress, “Remember You”) : "It's a comedy that anyone can enjoy. It's also very emotional and can be thrilling at times, thanks to our fabulous men."

"Remember You" will go on air on June 22 after the drama "Who Are You: School 2015." Korean hip-hop veteran Tiger JK has released his new single entitled "It's Good to See You." In the song the singer expresses his gratitude to his fans for their long-lasting support. His wife, singer Yoon Mi-rae, participated in the chorus. Idol group BTOB are to make a comeback on June 29 with their first studio album. Since debuting in 2012, BTOB has released six mini-albums. The title track of the band's first full-length studio album is a ballad entitled "Are You Okay?"

9. Shedding Belly Fat

[Anchor Lead]

For those looking to shed some weight, the most challenging part of the body is the belly. Today we'll show you the different types of pot bellies out there and how to get rid of that unsightly fat in the midsection.

[Pkg]

Waist circumference measurements of more than 90 centimeters for men and 85 centimeters for women are typically considered abdominal obesity. There are different types of pot bellies. A bulging upper abdomen is usually caused by frequent drinking or stress while the fat in the lower abdomen is the result of chronic constipation and lack of exercise. Bulging sides, generally called love handles and troubling to most women, are caused by poor posture. These three types of fat distribution in the abdomen combine to form the all-around, pot belly type. How can we slim down in the midsection? Ms. Shin Seon-mi maintains a great figure despite her age of 52 years. She claims that anaerobic exercises helped her lose the tummy fat. What you eat is just as important as exercise when it comes to flattening the abdomen. Try not to use so much salt, since excessive sodium causes subcutaneous fat to collect. Instead, season with pepper and sea kelp. Spicy chili pepper is another essential ingredient in the dietary plan aimed at getting rid of a fat belly.

[Soundbite] Shin Seon-mi(Homemaker) : "Put scallions and hot chili pepper at the end to add a kick to the bland flavors and perk up your appetite."

There is even an exercise routine that claims to take off centimeters from your abdomen in an instant. Let's check it out and see if it's true. Stretch out your arms above your head and lean over sideways while keeping your tummy tucked in. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Then put your hands behind your head and twist at your waist. Be sure to keep your buttocks flexed tight. Next, clasp the hands above your head and slowly lean backward, as if you're stretching out your abdomen. Then point your toes upward and stretch the calf for five seconds. Amazingly, waist circumference can be reduced by 2 centimeters using these simple exercises.

[Soundbite] Baek Yun-heum(Personal Trainer) : "These exercises are for correcting poor postures caused by irregular lifestyles or for instantly taking a few inches off."

Rather than trying to lose a lot of weight fast, try to stick to these simple routines to get rid of the belly fat in a slow and steady manner.