Transfer Delay

[Anchor Lead]



The transfer of wartime operational control of South Korean forces will be delayed three years and seven months to December 2015. Seoul and Washington will also strive to speed up ratification of their bilateral free trade agreement.



[Pkg]



Seoul and Washington in their bilateral summit have agreed to delay the transfer of wartime operational control by more than three years. The shift will be postponed from April 17th, 2012, to December 1st, 2015.



[Soundbite] Barack Obama (U.S. President)



[Soundbite] Lee Myung-bak (Korean President) : “I thank the U.S. president for putting off the hand over to late 2015.”



Both sides have ordered each of their militaries to prepare for the new transfer date. They will also hold working-level talks to speed up ratification of their bilateral free trade agreement.



U.S. President Obama says that if the free trade talks are completed by the time he visits Seoul in November, he will submit the ratification bill to Congress in next year’s first half.



2. Chollian Launch



[Anchor Lead]



Korea’s first geostationary satellite has successfully been launched. Developed solely with domestic technology, the Chollian satellite is the world’s first to carry out three missions simultaneously – communication, weather forecasting and ocean observation.



[Pkg]



The nation’s first geostationary satellite Chollian has successfully reached orbit. It was launched Sunday, after being delayed for three days, on the French rocket Ariane. It’ll take the Chollian up to two weeks to land into the geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers. Around 290 million dollars were invested in the development of the Chollian, which began in 2003. Weighing 2.5 tons, the satellite will provide communication, ocean and climate data for the next seven years.



With the successful launch of the Chollian, Korea became the world’s seventh nation to have its own climate satellite and the tenth nation to have developed its own communication satellite. Before, Korea provided weather information every half an hour after receiving data from foreign satellites. But, when the Chollian starts operation, it’ll send weather information every 15 minutes and minimize damage from natural disasters, like typhoons.



[Soundbite] Lee Sang-ryul (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) : “The launch is significant because it paves the way for local weather forecasting an d provides climate data to other countries.”



Korea will launch two more satellites by 2011.



3. Heading Home



[Anchor Lead]



The national soccer team will arrive home Tuesday after getting knocked out in the second round of the World Cup. But Korean fans are still proud of the squad for reaching the tournament’s knockout stage for the first time on foreign soil.



[Pkg]



Even a hospital has plenty of soccer fans. The patients forget about their pain and illnesses while watching the Taegeuk Warriors on the field.



[Soundbite] “I can forget my pain when I cheer for the team. I feel energized and great.”



People at saunas and bars watched the second-round game to become the national team’s 12th player over the full 90 minutes. The family of midfielder Kim Jung-woo anxiously watched the game. His mother praised her son and the team for doing their best.



[Soundbite] Jeong Gwi-im (Kim’s mother) : “I want to tell them they did really well.”



Students at captain Park Ji-sung’s middle school watched the game at their school playground to cheer their famous alumnus. Though the team failed to reach the quarterfinals, the students say they haven’t given up hope for Korean soccer.



[Soundbite] Kim Jae-u (Anyong Middle School Soccer Team) : “It was a good game. We’re going to become good players like Park Ji-sung so Go! Korea!”



Ethnic Koreans around the world also cheered for their motherland.



[Soundbite] Seong Won-yong (Paris Resident) : “Though the team lost they did a good job. Go Korea!”



Both the team and the numerous Korean fans who endured rain at Saturday’s game have expressed disappointment, but pledged to do better in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.



4. Fuel Efficiency



[Anchor Lead]



Experts say by just correcting bad driving habits, drivers can save themselves thousands of dollars by enhancing the car’s fuel efficiency. Here are some tips.



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Around 30 cars from nationwide all start at once. The contest searches for the most fuel-efficient driver in the nation. After driving 66 kilometers, the first place driver’s car showed a fuel efficiency of 14.6 kilometers per liter, about 70 percent higher than the official 8.6 kilometer indicated on the panel. The secret to this is good driving habits.



[Soundbite] Yun Jae-seon (Best Driver) : “I try not to stop or start abruptly. I also try to minimize how often I step on the break pedal.”



With such basic driving habits and regular check-ups of the spark plug and air filter and minimizing the load in the trunk, drivers can raise the car’s fuel efficiency by 20 percent. Following these rules, drivers can save a lifetime’s fuel costs up to around 15,000 dollars for compact cars, 21,000 dollars for economy cars and 33,000 dollars for large vehicles.



[Soundbite] Im Gi-sang (Automobile Citizens’ Union) : “Raising the fuel efficiency costs hundreds of millions of dollars for development. You can easily raise it by 20% by correcting bad driving habits.”



Raising fuel efficiency this way helps save money. It also helps reduce 35 tons of carbon dioxide which has the same effect as planting 7,000 pine trees per driver.



5. Varicose Veins



[Anchor Lead]



High-heeled shoes are a fashion staple for women. But wearing them can lead to varicose veins.



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Women say their legs look longer and slimmer when wearing high heels.



[Soundbite] “I want my legs to look longer and slimmer. That’s why I wear killer heels.”



But wearing high heels carries a price. This 20-something woman has varicose veins. She is a frequent wearer of high-heeled shoes.



[Soundbite] Go Jeong-hui (Office Worker) : “I feel my legs stiffen when I’m sitting for a long time.”



Varicose veins often refer to veins on a leg that have grown protruding, enlarged and tortuous. The disease is prevalent among women aged 40 or above. But the number of varicose vein patients in their 20s has jumped over the past five years.



Doctors blame high heels for the increase.



[Soundbite] Dr. Kim Jae-yeong (Thoracic Surgeon) : “Leg muscles remain contracted when women are wearing high heels. So the blood doesn’t circulate normally from the legs to the heart.”



Other symptoms include swollen legs and bluish veins. To prevent varicose veins in their legs, women are advised to wear comfortable footwear and stimulate blood flow relaxing their legs as often as possible.



6. Silver Netizens



[Anchor Lead]



These days, more and more senior citizens in Korea are learning how to use computers and the Internet. Here are some elderly folks who’ve begun a new life thanks to their computer skills and passion that helps them keep up with the young.



[Pkg]



The elderly are busy performing what they’ve learned at the computer workstation. They’re taking a computer skills test. The test evaluates their Internet searching and typing abilities.



[Soundbite] “I decided to learn because I wanted to chat with my grandchildren online.”



At this school, seniors learn how to type and send e-mails. This 72 year-old instructor used to take classes here. He gives straightforward explanations remembering his first experience.



[Soundbite] Kim Seong-gi (72, Computer Instructor) : “I’m happy with my life thanks to learning how to use computer. I can always get new information and data every day.”



Seniors, who’ve learned how to use the computer and Internet, post senior association news on their exclusive Web site. They do everything on their own including writing articles, shooting videos and editing clips.



[Soundbite] Kim Geum-sun (68, Journalist, Silvernet News) : “Since it’s an online newspaper, you can’t think of us apart from computer or the Internet.”



Now, the number of senior Internet users over age 60 is roughly 850,000.



7. Stage Shift



[Anchor Lead]



Plays are overtaking musicals in popularity. Here’s why the performing arts sector is shifting its focus.



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This production announcement meeting is not for a TV show or a movie, but for a theatrical play. "Fool for Love" is the first in an eight-part series to be staged over nine months. The production has a high-profile cast and topped ticket sales ranks even before its debut.



[Soundbite] Park Geon-hyeong (Actor, "Fool for Love") : “It’s a story about feelings that are hard to deal with in everyday life.”



Two years have passed since the performing arts sector began full-fledged production of theatrical plays. Such plays had previously been shunned because of low profitability. The situation changed after the ten-part series "The Best Plays" became a huge hit. The series ran for one year and drew 250-thousand viewers. Theatrical plays are preferred amid the uncertain economy because of lower investment and risk than musicals. The share of revenue generated by theatrical plays in the performing arts sector has also doubled over the past three years.



[Soundbite] Choi Yeo-jeong (PR Team, "The Best Plays") : “It helps make profits by attracting more people. That’s why new projects are being made.”



Musicals had ruled the stage in the performing arts sector. But interesting and high quality theatrical plays have since captured the limelight.



8. Blueberry Boom



[Anchor Lead]



Blueberries have emerged as a popular crop. They’re both easy to grow and lucrative. Here’s more.



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Farmers are busy harvesting blueberries. Originating in North America, blueberries take five years to grow. The berries are packed into one-kilogram packs and sold to the wholesale market.



[Soundbite] Son Gyeong-gu (Blueberry Farmer) : “Growing crops in greenhouses is tough, but blueberries grow outdoor and don’t cost much to cultivate.”



The price of blueberries has nearly doubled from last year to reach 29 dollars a kilogram. Rich in the antioxidant flavonoids called anthocyanins, blueberries are popular among consumers these days.



[Soundbite] Son Myeong-guk (Blueberry Farmer) : “Rice is known to be the most lucrative crop, but blueberries bring in ten times more than rice.”



Despite the expensive seedling prices, blueberries bring in over 41,000 dollars in profits per 0.3 hectares. Blueberry cultivation has been on the rise in the nation over the past five years, as more farmers choose to grow blueberries instead of rice. Currently, the size of blueberry fields in the nation has reached 500 hectares.



[Soundbite] Kim Gyeong-ran (Damyang County Office) : “Blueberries have been grown since 2007. The number of blueberry field has nearly doubled each year.”



But agricultural authorities urge prudence on the part of farmers because reckless blueberry cultivation could result in overproduction.



9. Dirt on Potatoes



[Anchor Lead]



It is potato harvest season, and spuds are said to taste the best these days. Potatoes are growing more and more popular as a health food. Let’s go get a closer look at this season’s potatoes.



[Pkg]



People are busy digging up potatoes at this potato field. The harvest is good this year. Using hoes makes it easier to dig out the ripe potatoes.



[Soundbite] “It’s huge. Look at this one. It’s as big as my fist.”



Potatoes fresh from the field start you thinking about how you’re going to eat them.



[Soundbite] “Fresh from the soil! They look delicious.”



As potatoes are rich in vitamin C, they’re sometimes called ground apples. Potatoes dug up in June are thought to be the richest in nutrition.



[Soundbite] Prof. Gang Nam-i (Nutrition Science) : “Potatoes are rich in nutrition this season. They contain Vitamin B and C as well as potassium. They also help with secretion of salty substances from the body.”



If you go to the field yourself, you can dig up your own potatoes and take them home for a very low price. For only around eight dollars, one person can take home up to 10 kilograms. If working in the field seems like too much hard work, you can also buy potatoes at a 30 percent lower price at the marketplace. Here are some tips on how to pick good potatoes.



[Soundbite] “Good potatoes have bumpy surface. Ripe ones are round and rough.”



Potatoes of a yellow soil color are highly graded. You need no special recipe for enjoying potatoes fresh from the field. They’re delicious even when just simply steamed.



[Soundbite] “They taste like ones I had when I was a child. It’s tender and delicious.”



If you prefer something more special, try out potato ongshimi, a traditional dish from Gangwon Province.



[Soundbite] “I eat this very often. These potatoes are really good. The more I eat, the more I like them.”



Here’s how to make ongshimi noodles. You first grate the potatoes and squeeze out the water. Then mix in some starch and roll the batter into small, round ongshimi. The noodle dish is finished by cooking the ongshimi and noodles in broth.



[Soundbite] “I used to eat mashed potato very often. This tastes just like the one I used to eat back then.”



There is one thing you should be careful about when cooking with potatoes.



[Soundbite] Kim Seung-hyeon (Culinary Expert) : “Since potatoes contain toxin called solanin, you should make sure to cut out the sprout. Stir-fried potatoes are healthier than deep-fried ones.”



And as the vitamins in potatoes are water-soluble, it’s best to peel them after washing.

It’s the best time of year to tuck into some potatoes.