LARGE OIL & GAS RESERVE PROSPECTS

LARGE OIL & GAS RESERVE PROSPECTS

[Anchor Lead]
After the general elections, President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been emphasizing media communication, held his first national policy briefing and made a surprising announcement. He revealed that there might be a massive oil and gas field off the coast of Pohang, with an estimated 14 billion barrels.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol has held his first policy briefing since taking office. In an unscheduled briefing that was notified just five minutes prior to its start, the president announced the possibility of massive oil and gas deposits in the waters off Pohang.

[Soundbite]
Yoon Suk Yeol (President): Geophysical research revealed high likelihood of massive oil and gas reserves in the sea off Pohang-Yeongil coast.

Up to 14 billion barrels of oil and gas are presumed to be buried in the East Sea. That is enough natural gas to be used in Korea for up to 29 years and enough oil to be used for up to four years.

[Soundbite]
Yoon Suk Yeol (President): It is more than the 11-billion-barrel reserve in Guyana in South America.

Yoon says he has approved the energy ministry's plan for explorative, offshore drilling to assess the exact volume of oil and gas deposits. The president elaborated further, if drilling exploration begins later this year, the results will be ready by the first half of 2025. A government official said the first exploration results were completed last year, and that the president gave his approval after various verification procedures were conducted. President Yoon plans to hold policy briefings personally from now on when national policies need to be explained to the public.

YOON HOSTS KOREA-AFRICA SUMMIT

[Anchor Lead]
In the opening ceremony of the Korea-Africa Summit, President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea seeks to overcome current crises and attain future prosperity through a win-win partnership with Africa. In a bid to boost bilateral trade, he vowed to sign Economic Partnership Agreements and Trade and Investment Promotion Frameworks while expanding investment protection arrangements to facilitate corporate exchanges between the two sides. Yoon also pledged to expand official development assistance(ODA) to Africa to around 10 billion dollars by 2030 and provide export financing of some 14 billion dollars to help Korean companies advance trade and investment on the continent.

CITIZEN HELPS CATCH DUI DRIVER

[Anchor Lead]
A driver who was drinking during the holiday afternoon and driving against traffic has been caught. He was apprehended after a dangerous 10-kilometer chase through the city, thanks to a citizen who went after him and filed a report. It turns out, the same person caught a thief 13 years ago.

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Cars driving through the city suddenly hit their brakes one after another. That's because of a car going against oncoming traffic. It keeps steering toward the pedestrian walkway and weaving in and out of traffic, in what appears to be drunk driving. A driver at the scene turned their car with a dashcam around to chase the suspicious vehicle. The drunk driver continues the reckless ride by crossing over the median line. The chasing driver honks the horn...and tries to block his way. But the DUI vehicle attempts a U-turn on a two-lane road and flees. The driver in pursuit calls the police.

[Soundbite]
(Driver who chased DUI vehicle (VOICE MODIFIED)): I stopped my car because it was about to flip.

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(Driver who chased DUI vehicle (VOICE MODIFIED)): He is running away.

The tense chase lasted for about 15 minutes in a downtown area in broad daylight. When police arrived, they apprehended the 40-something intoxicated driver. His blood alcohol level was high enough to cancel his license.

[Soundbite]
(Driver who chased DUI vehicle (VOICE MODIFIED)): I chased him to prevent secondary damage. He kept driving with a flat tire at over 80-90 km per hour.

The person who caught the DUI driver is an education public official. Back in 2011, he received a letter of appreciation from police for personally catching a car thief. Police are considering a reward for his courageous act.

JR DOCTORS' RESIGNATION ACCEPTANCE

[Anchor Lead]
The government has made a decision on lifting the ban on accepting resignations from trainee doctors. The government expects this would encourage resident doctors to return back their workplace. However, the measure has been met with cold response by the medical community.

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The government is actively reviewing a plan to accept resignations earlier submitted by striking trainee doctors.

[Soundbite]
Jeon Byung-wang (Ministry of Health and Welfare): Hospital chiefs have voiced the opinion that the right to process the resignations can help efforts to persuade the junior doctors' return.

As for the timing, it said it will reach a decision at an early date. Lifting the ban on accepting resignations that was imposed on teaching hospitals is viewed as a move to allow a path of retreat for trainee doctors who have not yet returned to their posts. However, the measure has been met with cold response by the medical community which claims the government is trying to shift blame of the walkout to hospitals.

[Soundbite]
Bae Jang-hwan (Med professors emergency council, Chungbuk Nat'l Univ.): This means hospital heads can act on the resignations, which slims down any chance of trainees’ return. It also shifts blame to hospitals, med community.

Meanwhile, the emergency council of medical professors at Seoul National University will convene a general meeting on Tuesday to hold a vote on whether to launch a general strike. They believe the government's review of resignation acceptance may be a precursor to the start of administrative procedures, and will discuss the scope and level of their response. Also, even as medical students, in addition to junior doctors, have also walked off their classes in protest, this year's medical licensing examination will go ahead as scheduled on September 2nd. The government also said that a planned vote on a strike by the Korea Medical Association will only create more endless conflict, and vowed to take necessary steps against illegal collective action.

NEW JOBS FOR ELDERLY IN NEED

[Anchor Lead]
The issue of elderly poverty is a challenge our society needs to tackle. One promising solution is a social enterprise that's providing stable jobs and social engagement for seniors in need. Here's more.

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An elderly woman picks a pen carefully and writes something down. The handwritten text, though a bit crooked, is filled with sincerity and adorned with a drawing of a heart.

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It looks awkward. But I gave it a try.

Kang Ok-ja began working as an artist six years ago. Before joining this company, the 79-year-old collected waste paper for seven years to earn a living and raise her two grandchildren.

[Soundbite]
Kang Ok-ja: It's not much, usually 4,000 to 5,000 won (USD 3.6) a day, sometimes 10,000 won (USD 7).


Six elderly people with no stable earnings, including Kang, got new jobs at a social enterprise named ‘New Year Market’. The messages and paintings written and drawn by them are sold as postcards, stickers and books.

[Soundbite]
Kang Ok-ja: They asked me to write a message for college entrance test takers. You can do it! Stay strong!

The elderly say they enjoy their new job.

[Soundbite]
Kim Mal-yeop: I draw and color pictures. I wait for the days to come to work.

Another social enterprise recycles waste paper and other materials it buys from elderly collectors. Park Yeon-soon has been working here for six years. She says she feels happier now than when she picked up waste paper alone.

[Soundbite]
Park Yeon-soon: I like talking with colleagues. Young people may find it hard to chat with me, but I talk to them anyway.

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Kim Yoo-jin (Vice chair, ‘Lovere Paper’): They are hired as regular workers. I hope there will be more trans-generational programs like us.

Last year, 70% of the senior public jobs provided by the government were 'public service' positions, similar to volunteer work.

NAT'L SWIM TEAM READY FOR PARIS

[Anchor Lead]
Korean swimming star Hwang Sun-woo wrapped up his European training tour with a gold medal, marking a strong finish. With their intense training behind them, the Korean national swim team is gearing up for the final phase of Olympic preparations.

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In a men's freestyle event, Korean swimmers compete alongside each other in lanes 3 to 5. The most outstanding swimmer, as expected, was world champion Hwang Sun-woo. Although the event was delayed for an hour due to a water quality issue and securing a clear view was difficult, he remained calm and maintained his pace. Leaving fellow Team Korea mate Lee Ho-joon behind, Hwang came in first to tap the touchpad with a record of 1 minute 46.23 seconds.

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local commentary

Strong rivals like Romania's David Popovici and China's Pan Zhanle were absent from the competition. But expectations are only growing, as Hwang's win comes after undergoing extreme training and back-to-back competitions. Another encouraging element is that all members of the national swim team are showing improvements in skills. Lee Ju-ho won the 200-meter backstroke event two straight times and in the butterfly event, swimmer Kim Min-seop defeated a world record holder.

[Soundbite]
Jung You-in (KBS swimming commentator): I expect that they will produce better records after completing tapering. It will be no longer a one-man show but a festival enjoyed by all Korean swimmers.

After wrapping up training in Europe with good records, the national team will continue to train at the Jincheon Training Center in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

URANIUM COMPLEX AT KANGSON COMPLETE

[Anchor Lead]
The International Atomic Energy Agency has assessed that the Kangson Complex in North Korea, speculated to be a clandestine nuclear facility, shares similar infrastructure characteristics with the reported centrifuge enrichment facility at Yongbyon. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi made this remark on Monday local time while also noting that in late-February, work commenced on the construction of an annex to the main building at the Kangson Complex to significantly expand available floor space, and that the annex is now externally complete.

K-POP MAKES WAVES IN GERMANY

[Anchor Lead]
In Berlin, Germany, auditions for the 'K-pop World Festival', set to happen in Korea this fall, took place for the first time in two years. With K-pop's popularity soaring in recent years, even German public broadcasters are diving into the excitement. We bring you to the site.

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Wearing the same outfits as K-pop groups, these people's passion for music shine through each of their moves and facial expressions. Audience members sing along in Korean and get up to dance together. This is the Berlin audition for the K-pop World Festival, which is to take place in Korea this fall. The atmosphere is as heated as in a K-pop concert.

[Soundbite]
(Contestant for dance group section): Participating in the K-pop World Festival was our biggest wish.

K-pop, now a universal culture across te world, even saw a teenage girl who fled the war in Ukraine showcasing her talent.

[Soundbite]
Ukrainian contestant

A German public broadcaster films the contestants' performances. It is because viewers' demand has been growing.

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(Host of German public broadcaster KiKA's youth program): We produce TV programs for children and teenagers. As K-pop's popularity grows, many viewers ask for more K-pop programs.

The passion for K-pop naturally motivates them to learn more about Korean culture and history.

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(Viewers)

Korea is seeing a surge in visits by young German women in their 30s or younger.

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Lim Sang-beom (Korean ambassador to Germany): Through the event, we have gained many civilian diplomats in Germany.

The popularity of K-pop has sparked German people's interest in Korea, leading to plans for additional King Sejong Institutes to teach Korean in Germany.