QUAKE REPORTS STREAM IN

QUAKE REPORTS STREAM IN

[Anchor Lead]
The tremors of yesterday's earthquake reached beyond Buan to Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and the metropolitan area, which is approximately 200 kilometers away. Over 200 reports of tremors came from outside Jeollabuk-do. KBS received numerous video footages of quaking moments from across the country.

[Pkg]
The earthquake struck at 8:26 a.m. A cattle shed in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do Province, about 42 kilometers from the epicenter in Buan in southwestern Korea. The surveillance camera shakes for nearly 20 seconds. In Damyang, fifty-four kilometers away from Buan...products on the shelves in a grocery store are suddenly shaken up.

[Soundbite]
Kim Bo-gyeong (Store Employee): I was standing at the cash register when I saw the cigarettes shake. I didn't know what it was until I got an earthquake alert message.

A CCTV footage of the skywalk in Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do Provice trembles side to side. Even the cameras on expressways captured the vibration.

[Soundbite]
Kim Gu-hwan (Yesan-gun County resident): There is no tremor at normal times, but the monitor shook. So, I messaged my family that an earthquake struck.

The tremor was felt even at an apartment located in Sejong city, nearly 100 kilometers away from the epicenter. The baby monitoring camera began to shake and the baby started crying. The lamps hung over the dining table swung in a 19th-floor apartment in Gangseo-gu District in Busan, over 200 kilometers away.

[Soundbite]
Lee Ki-hwa (Busan resident): The sofa and the lamps shook. It didn't last long, only for about 10 seconds.

Out of more than 300 quake detection reports filed in from across the nation, roughly 200 were from areas outside of the Jeollabuk-do region. KBS received several tremor reports from viewers in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do Province and other locations near the capital.

PUTIN TO VISIT N.KOREA

[Anchor Lead]
The presidential office has officially confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon visit North Korea. This confirmation comes after international news outlets reported that the North appears to be preparing events for Putin's visit, noting the installation of giant structures at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang. It is predicted that through Putin's visit, North Korea and Russia will discuss a missile technology transfer and a weapons deal, and upgrade their alliance.

LOOMING INDEFINITE HOSPITAL STRIKE

[Anchor Lead]
Yonsei University's Medical School will join Seoul National University in indefinitely suspending services from the 27th, demanding government action on the resident physicians' crisis. More professors are joining the Korean Medical Association's one-day strike on the 18th. Patients, enduring a four-month medical gap, demanded at a press conference that professors cancel their strike.

[Pkg]
Patients with serious conditions such as Lou Gehrig's disease and pancreatic cancer gathered in front of Seoul National University Hospital. They are here to call on the university's medical professors to retract their decision to stop seeing patients indefinitely.

[Soundbite]
Kim Seong-ju (Chair, Korea severe disease association): Between patients' lives and undoing the impending punishment on striking trainee doctors, what's more valuable? Do not push the severely-ill to death.

Patients' groups complained that they have put up with the medical vacuum but the end result is the pending medical professors' absence from their posts. They expressed concerns that starting with Seoul National University hospital, operation suspensions will likely expand to other university hospitals. Severance Hospital, which is affiliated with Yonsei University's medical school, has decided to indefinitely suspend the treatment of non-emergency and non-critical patients starting from June 27.

[Soundbite]
Ahn Seok-kyun (Chair, Emergency committee of Severance Hospital): The government should retract all the orders issued on trainee doctors. We will not leave duties from June 27 if the government takes action.

Medical professors at Catholic University and University of Ulsan, each of which runs Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Seoul Asan Medical Center, are discussing whether or not to walk out of duties indefinitely. It is highly likely that professors at four of the so-called big five hospitals in the capital area will leave their jobs indefinitely. The Medical Professors' Association of Korea, the organization of professors at 40 medical schools nationwide, has decided to join the collective walkout on June 18, led by the Korean Medical Association. It is difficult to predict how many doctors will halt medical services on the day. But concerns are growing among patients and healthcare workers over the looming collective walkout at all types of medical institutions from clinics to general hospitals.

FULL AUTONOMOUS CAR ROAD TEST

[Anchor Lead]
A temporary road permit has been granted for a completely unmanned autonomous vehicle, requiring no co-driver. This vehicle will soon navigate Seoul's Sangam-dong, conducting tests. Plans are underway for full unmanned operation by as early as October this year.

[Pkg]
This car observes the traffic light and movement of other vehicles and makes a left turn on its own. If there are cars parked on the side, it changes lanes, and when pedestrians jaywalk, it makes a sudden stop. This is the footage of a trial operation of an autonomous vehicle system developed by a local firm. The vehicle has been driving in controlled environments but is now on an actual road. It's the first time a temporary permit has been issued to allow an unmanned self-driving vehicle on a regular road.

[Soundbite]
Suh Hyeon-cheol (RideFlux Inc.): Various services to verify self-driving skills have operated nationwide, but all of them had a person in the driver's seat.

This car is equipped with Lidar, cameras, GPS and radar sensors. It will drive through a trial zone set up for autonomous cars in Seoul's Sangamdong area at a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Being the first drive on an actual road, a human assistant will be on board. The person will sit in the driver's seat for the first two months and then the passenger seat for the next two months, as the level toward complete autonomous operation gradually rises. At this pace, an unmanned vehicle could be driving around Sangamdong as early as October. As autonomous models such as robotaxis have taken root in countries such as the U.S., discussions on commercializing the technology are also expected to pick up speed in South Korea.

[Soundbite]
Park Jin-ho (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport): It's often said the level of Korea's technology is 85~90% that of the U.S. and China. We will continue to preemptively improve related regulations.

However, talks on legal, institutional frameworks must also catch on to ensure further safety and identify the scope of accountability in the event of an accident.

ARMY UNVEILS BRIDGING VEHICLE

[Anchor Lead]
New equipment boosting South Korea's Army's mobility has been field-deployed. Now, the 'self-propelled bridging vehicle,' Suryong, can carry heavy tanks over water.

[Pkg]
Army attack drones start shooting after monitoring enemy movement from above the river. An unmanned search vehicle surveys the river bank...before K21 amphibious tanks enter the water under the cover of an Apache helicopter to complete their river-crossing operation. A K2 tank is carried across the river on the deck of a bridging vehicle. Unlike the ribbon bridge system that requires separate equipment to install, this Korean-made bridging vehicle, the Suryong is capable of carrying heavy equipment and acting as a bridge. Its maximum speed on land is 70 kilometers per hour. The vehicle turns into a barge in the water by spreading the upper sides like wings. The bridging vehicle is capable of carrying equipment with a maximum width of 4.7 meters. When two vehicles are operated at once, they can form a 26-meter bridge in just ten minutes. The new bridging vehicle uses 80% less manpower compared to the conventional bridge system and can carry up to 64 tons, ten tons more than the ribbon bridge equipment. Ten Suryong vehicles, boosting the mobility of armored units, were deployed for field operations.

[Soundbite]
Capt. Hong Si-wan (S. Korean Army River Crossing Commander): We will become a victorious river-crossing unit by operating these Korean-made bridging vehicles.

A Korean defense company made a deal to build this variant of Germany's M3 Amphibious Rig. As a result, the company raised the bridging vehicle's localization rate to 90%. Roughly 100 Suryong vehicles will be ready for operation by 2027.

BULDAK RAMEN RECALLED IN DENMARK

[Anchor Lead]
Korea's super-spicy instant noodle products have been recalled in Denmark. Danish authorities advised consumers to discard three varieties of Buldak Hot Chicken ramen or return them to where they were purchased. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration warned that the instant noodles contain too-high levels of capsaicin so they could pose a risk of sickness. This is the first time a health warning has been issued against the Buldak or 'fire chicken' ramen. Buldak ramen products have been popularized worldwide, creating a fad for fire noodle challenges.

SWELTERING HEAT NATIONWIDE

[Anchor Lead]
As summer kicks off in Korea, heatwaves persist nationwide. In Gangwon-do Province's eastern coast, where tropical nights continue, yesterday's high topped 35 degrees. We have the details.

[Pkg]
Foreign tourists jump into the sea to beat the heat that has arrived early in Korea. On Wednesday, daytime highs reached 35.3 degrees Celsius in the east coast city of Gangneung. In the peak summer-like heat, visitors to the beach take shelter in tree shades to avoid the strong sunlight.

[Soundbite]
Lee Eun-gyeong (Gangneung resident): Out on the beach, the sun is so hot and the sand also gets into my body. It's unpleasant. Here it's nice and better.

Business is slow at this east coast fish market which should normally be crowded with customers. Due to the hot weather, it's difficult to spot shoppers. Vendors keep on splashing water on their freshly caught seafood to prevent them from going bad.

[Soundbite]
Hong Gyeong-ae (Market vendor): Selling fresh fish is a challenge because they often die or go bad.

On Wednesday, Jeongseon-gun County in Gangwon-do Province was the hottest place in the country with afternoon highs of 35.9 degrees. The mercury climbed to 33.9 in Daegu, 33.4 in Daejeon and 31.8 in Seoul with most parts of the country reporting temperatures above 30. Heatwave advisories have been issued in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Province as well as Jeollanam-do and some inland areas in Gyeongsang-do.

JIN'S RETURN SIGNAL BTS COMEBACK

[Anchor Lead]
Global sensation BTS embarks on a new chapter today. Member Jin, back from military service, kicks off activities with BTS's 11th debut anniversary celebration. His return marks a turning point for the previously paused BTS activities, drawing keen global attention.

[Pkg]
BTS member Jin chose an event marking the band's 11th anniversary as the very first official outing following his discharge from the military. It's a great opportunity to publicize his return via the global fandom ARMY. Conditions will further gain momentum when bandmate J-Hope completes his military service this October. The members' individual solo activities have already tested the global stage while Jin and J-Hope can also act as a unit group.

[Soundbite]
Jung Duk-hyun (Culture critic): For the global fandom, it's an opportunity to discover unique traits and personality showcased in solo activities.

In such a case, BTS can yet again revitalize the somewhat stagnated K-pop market and further expand their global influence.

[Soundbite]
Ha Jae-geun (Culture critic): Each and every member is a superstar. Jin's return alone is a huge boost. It's also a chance to turn the tide in regards to HYBE's internal turmoil.

BTS as a full group can make a comeback in one year's time by next June. It remains to be seen how the individual members, from their respective time of completing military service, will put out fresh new content reflecting their own appeal and character.