[Anchor Lead]
Signs have surfaced that the presidential office is vulnerable to a North Korean cyber attack. As such, Cheong Wa Dae is in a state of emergency.
[Pkg]
So-called D-DOS attacks paralyzed the nation’s major Web sites last year, including those of the presidential office, the National Assembly and banks. South Korea confirmed that the attacks were made by North Korea’s communications authorities. Signs of an imminent cyber attack on the presidential office have surfaced a year after the first incidence. This is all the more alarming because the signs come shortly after Pyongyang’s threat of retaliation for South Korea’s joint military drills with the U.S. The presidential office’s information team is operating under a state of emergency to prevent hacking.
[Soundbite] Kim hui-jeong (Spokeswoman, Cheong Wa Dae) : “We’re doing our best to block attackers’ access to our web sites and to be able to restore our server as quickly as possible..”
The government has also launched joint training with the private sector to protect against cyber attacks ahead of the November G20 summit in Seoul.
2. School Safety
[Anchor Lead]
Elementary schools will soon be equipped with smart surveillance cameras to prevent crimes against children, which have been on the rise recently. The new cameras are aimed at helping schools respond to emergency situations more quickly.
[Pkg]
This elementary school in Seoul is equipped with many surveillance cameras but parents are still anxious about their children’s safety. That’s because some areas around the school can’t be seen on cameras.
[Soundbite] Kim Mi-gyeong (Parent) : “I’m worried that my children might fall prey to criminals because there are few surveillance cameras.”
But soon, elementary schools in the city will receive smart surveillance system. When a child in danger presses an emergency button, the camera turns toward the sound of the panic button and captures the scene. Thanks to these rotating cameras, schools will be able to eliminate any blind spots. When a camera receives a signal, an alert is sent simultaneously to parents and the police as well. The government will install smart cameras in elementary schools in Gyeonggi Province on a trial basis and distribute emergency devices to students.
[Soundbite] Jeong Dae-seong (Min. of Public Admin. & Security) : “We expect smart cameras to help reduce child crime because these surveillance systems work automatically.”
The government will install smart cameras in other school areas nationwide if they prove effective in preventing crime.
3. Overseas Deals
[Anchor Lead]
Korean construction companies are looking abroad as an alternative to the sluggish domestic market. They’ve won several big deals overseas.
[Pkg]
Hyundai Engineering and Construction has won an order from Kuwait worth a little 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. The company will build a harbor in the Middle Eastern country.
[Soundbite] Gwon O-sik (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) : “Large-scale construction orders have been issued overseas this year. So we aim to win overseas deals three times more than last year.”
Korean builders have won overseas deals worth 41.6 billion dollars between January and July this year. This is the first time for Korean builders to earn more than 40 billion dollars in overseas orders over the seven-month period. Korea has landed a deal with the United Arab Emirates to build nuclear power plants. Korean construction companies are increasingly looking abroad given their saturated domestic market. More than 70 percent of overseas orders have come from Mideast countries thanks to recovery from the global economic crisis. But the gap is widening between large and smaller builders in winning overseas orders. The volume of overseas orders won by smaller builders has fallen 300 million dollars year-on-year.
[Soundbite] Han Jong-hyo (Shinyoung Securities) : “Smaller builders lack specialized technology or sufficient overseas experience. So it’s difficult for them to win orders abroad.”
Korean construction companies are trying to weather a difficult situation at home by eyeing overseas markets.
4. Memory Booster
[Anchor Lead]
Korean ginseng is well known for being good for your health. A new study has found that the medicinal plant also has a memory-boosting effect.
[Pkg]
Roots of newly harvested ginseng or susam are arranged in an Oriental medicine store. When the new ginseng is peeled off and dried, it becomes baeksam or white ginseng. Baeksam has been traditionally used as an ingredient for major Oriental medicine, but its popularity has waned.
[Soundbite] Namgung Cheong-wan (Oriental Medicine Manufacturer) : “Fewer customers look for baeksam with the soaring popularity of red ginseng, or hongsam.”
According to a six-month study on 90 elderly people shows, baeksam can serve as a memory booster. Participants who took baeksam showed tangible improvements in memory, compared to those who didn’t. Baeksam takers also showed better visual recognition and memory capabilities. They were nearly twice better at reproducing an image and 2.7 times better at retrieving the photographic memory after twenty minutes.
[Soundbite] Prof. Im Seong-bin (Kyunghee University) : “Ginseng can be used to boost memory and health of elderly people. It also helps preventing senile dementia.”
The government plans to use the study results for promoting the ginseng industry.
[Soundbite] Park Cheol-ung (Rural Development Admin.) : “Ginseng has been found to improve memory. We’ll seek to have ginseng officially recognized as a health booster by the Korean FDA.”
The ginseng industry will gain momentum to get out of a slump if various products are developed based on the study results.
5. Paper Decline
[Anchor Lead]
Paper is considered one of the greatest inventions of mankind, but demand is rapidly falling due to advances in digital technology. Let’s take a look at the decline of paper in the digital age.
[Pkg]
Paper has played a central role in civilization since its invention nearly 2-thousand years ago. People have recorded their thoughts and intellectual achievements on paper for ages. But the use of paper is declining. This company has compiled news clippings without cutting articles directly from newspapers for several years. This has gone on for several years thanks to a computer program.
[Soundbite] Lee Yeong-ju (Office Worker) : “You can get what you need with the click of a mouse. It’s fast, accurate and convenient.”
This IT analyst searches through and reads a huge volume of documents every day. But he rarely prints them out. This is possible thanks to a tablet PC.
[Soundbite] Hong Sun-seong (IT Analyst) : “If I were to read 100 pages a day, it’s hard to printed them all out and carry around. But with a tablet PC, I can tackle this issue.”
More e-books were sold than paper books in this year’s second quarter by the world’s largest online bookstore Amazon. Korea’s largest bookstore Kyobo saw e-book sales soar 80 percent in the first half. Paper production consequently fell from 3.1 million tons in 2007 to 2.9 million tons last year. Production of paper used for newspapers has shrank 300-thousand tons over the past decade. Advances in digital technologies are facilitating the era of a paperless society.
6. Sejong Belt
[Anchor Lead]
Information on performance halls and museums in the Gwanghwamun area will soon be integrated to maximize user convenience. Fans of culture and arts will also receive discounts for integrated tickets.
[Pkg]
The so-called Sejong Belt is home to more than 30 performance halls and other cultural facilities, including the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
[Soundbite] German Tourist
Searching the information on performance schedules and buying tickets have been difficult because each facility is operated separately. But soon an integrated ticketing center will open to eliminate this inconvenience. The center will provide information on all cultural and art events in the Gwanghwamun area and sell tickets to all performances staged there. Integrated packages for several performances will be available for up to 50 percent off the regular price. The center will also offer cultural experience programs in different languages.
[Soundbite] Lee Chang-gi (Staff Member, Sejong Belt) : “We hope that our integrated cultural programs and walking tour course will attract tourists.”
The Sejong Belt is expected to become a cultural hub of Korea on par with Broadway of New York.
7. Natural Treasure
[Anchor Lead]
The Baekdu mountain range is a treasure chest of nature on the Korean Peninsula. Endangered species and more indigenous plants and animals have been found over the past year.
[Pkg]
The Baekdu mountain range stretches for 680 kilometers. The so-called backbone of the Korean Peninsula is known as rich in natural resources. The National Institute of Environmental Research has studied the Pyeongchang and Samcheok regions of Gangwon Province over the past year. The study has discovered outstanding natural landscapes that had remained hidden. Exquisite stone cliff walls and pine trees resemble a traditional landscape painting. The water has even washed out the bold stones into a sharp right-angled ridge over thousands of years. The fallen stone pieces taken downstream have gradually dug a pond in the rock bed. This wilderness is home to endangered animal species such as the buzzard, white-backed woodpecker and a rare butterfly. Eleven endangered species and 55 other animals indigenous to the region live in the Baekdu mountain range.
[Soundbite] Lee Jong-hyo (Nat’l Institute of Environmental Research) : “Though it’s the ridge, it possess a large variety of topology and living creatures. It’s worth putting under special protection.”
But a wind power plant and mines are threatening the region’s ecosystem. The Environment Ministry will apply for UNESCO protection for the region after completing more studies in the Mount Seorak area.
8. K-Pop Wave
[Anchor Lead]
More and more young people in Thailand are becoming fans of K-pop. Let’s take a look at a Korean pop concert that was recently staged there.
[Pkg]
Extravagant costumes, enrapturing dance moves and charming looks... These performers look like the popular K-pop music group Girls’ Generation. Twenty three teams comprising elementary school to college students showed off their singing and dancing skills. These 23 teams were selected from more than a hundred singing famous K-pop songs. They all aspire to become stars.
[Soundbite] Thai "Girls’ Generation" : “K-pop is very dynamic and vibrant. I like Korean idol groups. They make me want to dance.”
Some K-pop fans have even become popular in Thailand. One of them is the band "Candy Mafia," which is now a top idol band in Thailand.
[Soundbite] Member of "Candy Mafia" : “I want to become famous in Korea and have many fan clubs.”
The concert served as further proof of the rising popularity of Korean culture in Thailand.
9. Heat Busters
[Anchor Lead]
Temperatures these days are hovering above 25 degrees Celsius even at night. Here are some good ways to make the most of those sleepless tropical nights.
[Pkg]
The heat wave has been keeping temperatures soaring lately.
[Soundbite]
“ I can’t sleep because it’s too hot at night.”
And no relief comes at night. Zoos have emerged as popular places to stay cool on hot summer nights. They stay open until 10 p.m., allowing visitors to see animals even after sunset.
[Soundbite]
“I come here in the evening to escape from the heat.”
Tigers and lions have their nighttime snacks. Visitors enjoy coming to zoos late in the evening because that’s when nocturnal animals are at their best. Baby orangutans entertain visitors.
[Soundbite]
“It’s too hard to move around during the daytime because it’s too hot. But at night it’s cooler and even animals are more active.”
A good way to stay cool in the hot weather is to stay close to snakes.
[Soundbite]
“I feel completely refreshed.”
This cold-blooded animal feels like an cool scarf on the neck. The dance of the flamingos staged at nighttime is also a must-see.
[Soundbite]
“I like to look at animals at night while enjoying the fresh air. It’s a good way to beat the heat.”
Residents of Daegu, which is the hottest city in Korea, fight the heat on Mount Palgong. They set up tents and have picnics.
[Soundbite]
“The air is very refreshing here and I feel less stressed. Even food tastes much better here.”
Sleeping in a tent can help you stay cool at night.
[Soundbite]
“I tend to stress in the hot weather. I like sleeping here in a tent because it’s much cooler. I always come to sleep here in the summer.”
Campers wake up to a cool breeze. And Seoul residents flock to the City Hall area to cool down on tropical nights. At 7:30 p.m. all kinds of outdoor shows are held here. Exhausted Seoulites forget about the heat by enjoying the performances.
[Soundbite]
“I like it because I can watch a performance for free and enjoy the fresh breeze.”
Playing with the water in the Cheongye Stream is also popular these days. Passersby dip their feet in the cool water.
[Soundbite]
“My children and I are having fun here. It’s very refreshing and clean.”
[Soundbite]
“It’s very cool!”
The tropical nights are persisting, but there are lots of ways to enjoy them.
Signs have surfaced that the presidential office is vulnerable to a North Korean cyber attack. As such, Cheong Wa Dae is in a state of emergency.
[Pkg]
So-called D-DOS attacks paralyzed the nation’s major Web sites last year, including those of the presidential office, the National Assembly and banks. South Korea confirmed that the attacks were made by North Korea’s communications authorities. Signs of an imminent cyber attack on the presidential office have surfaced a year after the first incidence. This is all the more alarming because the signs come shortly after Pyongyang’s threat of retaliation for South Korea’s joint military drills with the U.S. The presidential office’s information team is operating under a state of emergency to prevent hacking.
[Soundbite] Kim hui-jeong (Spokeswoman, Cheong Wa Dae) : “We’re doing our best to block attackers’ access to our web sites and to be able to restore our server as quickly as possible..”
The government has also launched joint training with the private sector to protect against cyber attacks ahead of the November G20 summit in Seoul.
2. School Safety
[Anchor Lead]
Elementary schools will soon be equipped with smart surveillance cameras to prevent crimes against children, which have been on the rise recently. The new cameras are aimed at helping schools respond to emergency situations more quickly.
[Pkg]
This elementary school in Seoul is equipped with many surveillance cameras but parents are still anxious about their children’s safety. That’s because some areas around the school can’t be seen on cameras.
[Soundbite] Kim Mi-gyeong (Parent) : “I’m worried that my children might fall prey to criminals because there are few surveillance cameras.”
But soon, elementary schools in the city will receive smart surveillance system. When a child in danger presses an emergency button, the camera turns toward the sound of the panic button and captures the scene. Thanks to these rotating cameras, schools will be able to eliminate any blind spots. When a camera receives a signal, an alert is sent simultaneously to parents and the police as well. The government will install smart cameras in elementary schools in Gyeonggi Province on a trial basis and distribute emergency devices to students.
[Soundbite] Jeong Dae-seong (Min. of Public Admin. & Security) : “We expect smart cameras to help reduce child crime because these surveillance systems work automatically.”
The government will install smart cameras in other school areas nationwide if they prove effective in preventing crime.
3. Overseas Deals
[Anchor Lead]
Korean construction companies are looking abroad as an alternative to the sluggish domestic market. They’ve won several big deals overseas.
[Pkg]
Hyundai Engineering and Construction has won an order from Kuwait worth a little 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. The company will build a harbor in the Middle Eastern country.
[Soundbite] Gwon O-sik (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) : “Large-scale construction orders have been issued overseas this year. So we aim to win overseas deals three times more than last year.”
Korean builders have won overseas deals worth 41.6 billion dollars between January and July this year. This is the first time for Korean builders to earn more than 40 billion dollars in overseas orders over the seven-month period. Korea has landed a deal with the United Arab Emirates to build nuclear power plants. Korean construction companies are increasingly looking abroad given their saturated domestic market. More than 70 percent of overseas orders have come from Mideast countries thanks to recovery from the global economic crisis. But the gap is widening between large and smaller builders in winning overseas orders. The volume of overseas orders won by smaller builders has fallen 300 million dollars year-on-year.
[Soundbite] Han Jong-hyo (Shinyoung Securities) : “Smaller builders lack specialized technology or sufficient overseas experience. So it’s difficult for them to win orders abroad.”
Korean construction companies are trying to weather a difficult situation at home by eyeing overseas markets.
4. Memory Booster
[Anchor Lead]
Korean ginseng is well known for being good for your health. A new study has found that the medicinal plant also has a memory-boosting effect.
[Pkg]
Roots of newly harvested ginseng or susam are arranged in an Oriental medicine store. When the new ginseng is peeled off and dried, it becomes baeksam or white ginseng. Baeksam has been traditionally used as an ingredient for major Oriental medicine, but its popularity has waned.
[Soundbite] Namgung Cheong-wan (Oriental Medicine Manufacturer) : “Fewer customers look for baeksam with the soaring popularity of red ginseng, or hongsam.”
According to a six-month study on 90 elderly people shows, baeksam can serve as a memory booster. Participants who took baeksam showed tangible improvements in memory, compared to those who didn’t. Baeksam takers also showed better visual recognition and memory capabilities. They were nearly twice better at reproducing an image and 2.7 times better at retrieving the photographic memory after twenty minutes.
[Soundbite] Prof. Im Seong-bin (Kyunghee University) : “Ginseng can be used to boost memory and health of elderly people. It also helps preventing senile dementia.”
The government plans to use the study results for promoting the ginseng industry.
[Soundbite] Park Cheol-ung (Rural Development Admin.) : “Ginseng has been found to improve memory. We’ll seek to have ginseng officially recognized as a health booster by the Korean FDA.”
The ginseng industry will gain momentum to get out of a slump if various products are developed based on the study results.
5. Paper Decline
[Anchor Lead]
Paper is considered one of the greatest inventions of mankind, but demand is rapidly falling due to advances in digital technology. Let’s take a look at the decline of paper in the digital age.
[Pkg]
Paper has played a central role in civilization since its invention nearly 2-thousand years ago. People have recorded their thoughts and intellectual achievements on paper for ages. But the use of paper is declining. This company has compiled news clippings without cutting articles directly from newspapers for several years. This has gone on for several years thanks to a computer program.
[Soundbite] Lee Yeong-ju (Office Worker) : “You can get what you need with the click of a mouse. It’s fast, accurate and convenient.”
This IT analyst searches through and reads a huge volume of documents every day. But he rarely prints them out. This is possible thanks to a tablet PC.
[Soundbite] Hong Sun-seong (IT Analyst) : “If I were to read 100 pages a day, it’s hard to printed them all out and carry around. But with a tablet PC, I can tackle this issue.”
More e-books were sold than paper books in this year’s second quarter by the world’s largest online bookstore Amazon. Korea’s largest bookstore Kyobo saw e-book sales soar 80 percent in the first half. Paper production consequently fell from 3.1 million tons in 2007 to 2.9 million tons last year. Production of paper used for newspapers has shrank 300-thousand tons over the past decade. Advances in digital technologies are facilitating the era of a paperless society.
6. Sejong Belt
[Anchor Lead]
Information on performance halls and museums in the Gwanghwamun area will soon be integrated to maximize user convenience. Fans of culture and arts will also receive discounts for integrated tickets.
[Pkg]
The so-called Sejong Belt is home to more than 30 performance halls and other cultural facilities, including the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
[Soundbite] German Tourist
Searching the information on performance schedules and buying tickets have been difficult because each facility is operated separately. But soon an integrated ticketing center will open to eliminate this inconvenience. The center will provide information on all cultural and art events in the Gwanghwamun area and sell tickets to all performances staged there. Integrated packages for several performances will be available for up to 50 percent off the regular price. The center will also offer cultural experience programs in different languages.
[Soundbite] Lee Chang-gi (Staff Member, Sejong Belt) : “We hope that our integrated cultural programs and walking tour course will attract tourists.”
The Sejong Belt is expected to become a cultural hub of Korea on par with Broadway of New York.
7. Natural Treasure
[Anchor Lead]
The Baekdu mountain range is a treasure chest of nature on the Korean Peninsula. Endangered species and more indigenous plants and animals have been found over the past year.
[Pkg]
The Baekdu mountain range stretches for 680 kilometers. The so-called backbone of the Korean Peninsula is known as rich in natural resources. The National Institute of Environmental Research has studied the Pyeongchang and Samcheok regions of Gangwon Province over the past year. The study has discovered outstanding natural landscapes that had remained hidden. Exquisite stone cliff walls and pine trees resemble a traditional landscape painting. The water has even washed out the bold stones into a sharp right-angled ridge over thousands of years. The fallen stone pieces taken downstream have gradually dug a pond in the rock bed. This wilderness is home to endangered animal species such as the buzzard, white-backed woodpecker and a rare butterfly. Eleven endangered species and 55 other animals indigenous to the region live in the Baekdu mountain range.
[Soundbite] Lee Jong-hyo (Nat’l Institute of Environmental Research) : “Though it’s the ridge, it possess a large variety of topology and living creatures. It’s worth putting under special protection.”
But a wind power plant and mines are threatening the region’s ecosystem. The Environment Ministry will apply for UNESCO protection for the region after completing more studies in the Mount Seorak area.
8. K-Pop Wave
[Anchor Lead]
More and more young people in Thailand are becoming fans of K-pop. Let’s take a look at a Korean pop concert that was recently staged there.
[Pkg]
Extravagant costumes, enrapturing dance moves and charming looks... These performers look like the popular K-pop music group Girls’ Generation. Twenty three teams comprising elementary school to college students showed off their singing and dancing skills. These 23 teams were selected from more than a hundred singing famous K-pop songs. They all aspire to become stars.
[Soundbite] Thai "Girls’ Generation" : “K-pop is very dynamic and vibrant. I like Korean idol groups. They make me want to dance.”
Some K-pop fans have even become popular in Thailand. One of them is the band "Candy Mafia," which is now a top idol band in Thailand.
[Soundbite] Member of "Candy Mafia" : “I want to become famous in Korea and have many fan clubs.”
The concert served as further proof of the rising popularity of Korean culture in Thailand.
9. Heat Busters
[Anchor Lead]
Temperatures these days are hovering above 25 degrees Celsius even at night. Here are some good ways to make the most of those sleepless tropical nights.
[Pkg]
The heat wave has been keeping temperatures soaring lately.
[Soundbite]
“ I can’t sleep because it’s too hot at night.”
And no relief comes at night. Zoos have emerged as popular places to stay cool on hot summer nights. They stay open until 10 p.m., allowing visitors to see animals even after sunset.
[Soundbite]
“I come here in the evening to escape from the heat.”
Tigers and lions have their nighttime snacks. Visitors enjoy coming to zoos late in the evening because that’s when nocturnal animals are at their best. Baby orangutans entertain visitors.
[Soundbite]
“It’s too hard to move around during the daytime because it’s too hot. But at night it’s cooler and even animals are more active.”
A good way to stay cool in the hot weather is to stay close to snakes.
[Soundbite]
“I feel completely refreshed.”
This cold-blooded animal feels like an cool scarf on the neck. The dance of the flamingos staged at nighttime is also a must-see.
[Soundbite]
“I like to look at animals at night while enjoying the fresh air. It’s a good way to beat the heat.”
Residents of Daegu, which is the hottest city in Korea, fight the heat on Mount Palgong. They set up tents and have picnics.
[Soundbite]
“The air is very refreshing here and I feel less stressed. Even food tastes much better here.”
Sleeping in a tent can help you stay cool at night.
[Soundbite]
“I tend to stress in the hot weather. I like sleeping here in a tent because it’s much cooler. I always come to sleep here in the summer.”
Campers wake up to a cool breeze. And Seoul residents flock to the City Hall area to cool down on tropical nights. At 7:30 p.m. all kinds of outdoor shows are held here. Exhausted Seoulites forget about the heat by enjoying the performances.
[Soundbite]
“I like it because I can watch a performance for free and enjoy the fresh breeze.”
Playing with the water in the Cheongye Stream is also popular these days. Passersby dip their feet in the cool water.
[Soundbite]
“My children and I are having fun here. It’s very refreshing and clean.”
[Soundbite]
“It’s very cool!”
The tropical nights are persisting, but there are lots of ways to enjoy them.
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- DDos Risk
-
- 입력 2010-07-29 17:50:47
[Anchor Lead]
Signs have surfaced that the presidential office is vulnerable to a North Korean cyber attack. As such, Cheong Wa Dae is in a state of emergency.
[Pkg]
So-called D-DOS attacks paralyzed the nation’s major Web sites last year, including those of the presidential office, the National Assembly and banks. South Korea confirmed that the attacks were made by North Korea’s communications authorities. Signs of an imminent cyber attack on the presidential office have surfaced a year after the first incidence. This is all the more alarming because the signs come shortly after Pyongyang’s threat of retaliation for South Korea’s joint military drills with the U.S. The presidential office’s information team is operating under a state of emergency to prevent hacking.
[Soundbite] Kim hui-jeong (Spokeswoman, Cheong Wa Dae) : “We’re doing our best to block attackers’ access to our web sites and to be able to restore our server as quickly as possible..”
The government has also launched joint training with the private sector to protect against cyber attacks ahead of the November G20 summit in Seoul.
2. School Safety
[Anchor Lead]
Elementary schools will soon be equipped with smart surveillance cameras to prevent crimes against children, which have been on the rise recently. The new cameras are aimed at helping schools respond to emergency situations more quickly.
[Pkg]
This elementary school in Seoul is equipped with many surveillance cameras but parents are still anxious about their children’s safety. That’s because some areas around the school can’t be seen on cameras.
[Soundbite] Kim Mi-gyeong (Parent) : “I’m worried that my children might fall prey to criminals because there are few surveillance cameras.”
But soon, elementary schools in the city will receive smart surveillance system. When a child in danger presses an emergency button, the camera turns toward the sound of the panic button and captures the scene. Thanks to these rotating cameras, schools will be able to eliminate any blind spots. When a camera receives a signal, an alert is sent simultaneously to parents and the police as well. The government will install smart cameras in elementary schools in Gyeonggi Province on a trial basis and distribute emergency devices to students.
[Soundbite] Jeong Dae-seong (Min. of Public Admin. & Security) : “We expect smart cameras to help reduce child crime because these surveillance systems work automatically.”
The government will install smart cameras in other school areas nationwide if they prove effective in preventing crime.
3. Overseas Deals
[Anchor Lead]
Korean construction companies are looking abroad as an alternative to the sluggish domestic market. They’ve won several big deals overseas.
[Pkg]
Hyundai Engineering and Construction has won an order from Kuwait worth a little 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. The company will build a harbor in the Middle Eastern country.
[Soundbite] Gwon O-sik (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) : “Large-scale construction orders have been issued overseas this year. So we aim to win overseas deals three times more than last year.”
Korean builders have won overseas deals worth 41.6 billion dollars between January and July this year. This is the first time for Korean builders to earn more than 40 billion dollars in overseas orders over the seven-month period. Korea has landed a deal with the United Arab Emirates to build nuclear power plants. Korean construction companies are increasingly looking abroad given their saturated domestic market. More than 70 percent of overseas orders have come from Mideast countries thanks to recovery from the global economic crisis. But the gap is widening between large and smaller builders in winning overseas orders. The volume of overseas orders won by smaller builders has fallen 300 million dollars year-on-year.
[Soundbite] Han Jong-hyo (Shinyoung Securities) : “Smaller builders lack specialized technology or sufficient overseas experience. So it’s difficult for them to win orders abroad.”
Korean construction companies are trying to weather a difficult situation at home by eyeing overseas markets.
4. Memory Booster
[Anchor Lead]
Korean ginseng is well known for being good for your health. A new study has found that the medicinal plant also has a memory-boosting effect.
[Pkg]
Roots of newly harvested ginseng or susam are arranged in an Oriental medicine store. When the new ginseng is peeled off and dried, it becomes baeksam or white ginseng. Baeksam has been traditionally used as an ingredient for major Oriental medicine, but its popularity has waned.
[Soundbite] Namgung Cheong-wan (Oriental Medicine Manufacturer) : “Fewer customers look for baeksam with the soaring popularity of red ginseng, or hongsam.”
According to a six-month study on 90 elderly people shows, baeksam can serve as a memory booster. Participants who took baeksam showed tangible improvements in memory, compared to those who didn’t. Baeksam takers also showed better visual recognition and memory capabilities. They were nearly twice better at reproducing an image and 2.7 times better at retrieving the photographic memory after twenty minutes.
[Soundbite] Prof. Im Seong-bin (Kyunghee University) : “Ginseng can be used to boost memory and health of elderly people. It also helps preventing senile dementia.”
The government plans to use the study results for promoting the ginseng industry.
[Soundbite] Park Cheol-ung (Rural Development Admin.) : “Ginseng has been found to improve memory. We’ll seek to have ginseng officially recognized as a health booster by the Korean FDA.”
The ginseng industry will gain momentum to get out of a slump if various products are developed based on the study results.
5. Paper Decline
[Anchor Lead]
Paper is considered one of the greatest inventions of mankind, but demand is rapidly falling due to advances in digital technology. Let’s take a look at the decline of paper in the digital age.
[Pkg]
Paper has played a central role in civilization since its invention nearly 2-thousand years ago. People have recorded their thoughts and intellectual achievements on paper for ages. But the use of paper is declining. This company has compiled news clippings without cutting articles directly from newspapers for several years. This has gone on for several years thanks to a computer program.
[Soundbite] Lee Yeong-ju (Office Worker) : “You can get what you need with the click of a mouse. It’s fast, accurate and convenient.”
This IT analyst searches through and reads a huge volume of documents every day. But he rarely prints them out. This is possible thanks to a tablet PC.
[Soundbite] Hong Sun-seong (IT Analyst) : “If I were to read 100 pages a day, it’s hard to printed them all out and carry around. But with a tablet PC, I can tackle this issue.”
More e-books were sold than paper books in this year’s second quarter by the world’s largest online bookstore Amazon. Korea’s largest bookstore Kyobo saw e-book sales soar 80 percent in the first half. Paper production consequently fell from 3.1 million tons in 2007 to 2.9 million tons last year. Production of paper used for newspapers has shrank 300-thousand tons over the past decade. Advances in digital technologies are facilitating the era of a paperless society.
6. Sejong Belt
[Anchor Lead]
Information on performance halls and museums in the Gwanghwamun area will soon be integrated to maximize user convenience. Fans of culture and arts will also receive discounts for integrated tickets.
[Pkg]
The so-called Sejong Belt is home to more than 30 performance halls and other cultural facilities, including the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
[Soundbite] German Tourist
Searching the information on performance schedules and buying tickets have been difficult because each facility is operated separately. But soon an integrated ticketing center will open to eliminate this inconvenience. The center will provide information on all cultural and art events in the Gwanghwamun area and sell tickets to all performances staged there. Integrated packages for several performances will be available for up to 50 percent off the regular price. The center will also offer cultural experience programs in different languages.
[Soundbite] Lee Chang-gi (Staff Member, Sejong Belt) : “We hope that our integrated cultural programs and walking tour course will attract tourists.”
The Sejong Belt is expected to become a cultural hub of Korea on par with Broadway of New York.
7. Natural Treasure
[Anchor Lead]
The Baekdu mountain range is a treasure chest of nature on the Korean Peninsula. Endangered species and more indigenous plants and animals have been found over the past year.
[Pkg]
The Baekdu mountain range stretches for 680 kilometers. The so-called backbone of the Korean Peninsula is known as rich in natural resources. The National Institute of Environmental Research has studied the Pyeongchang and Samcheok regions of Gangwon Province over the past year. The study has discovered outstanding natural landscapes that had remained hidden. Exquisite stone cliff walls and pine trees resemble a traditional landscape painting. The water has even washed out the bold stones into a sharp right-angled ridge over thousands of years. The fallen stone pieces taken downstream have gradually dug a pond in the rock bed. This wilderness is home to endangered animal species such as the buzzard, white-backed woodpecker and a rare butterfly. Eleven endangered species and 55 other animals indigenous to the region live in the Baekdu mountain range.
[Soundbite] Lee Jong-hyo (Nat’l Institute of Environmental Research) : “Though it’s the ridge, it possess a large variety of topology and living creatures. It’s worth putting under special protection.”
But a wind power plant and mines are threatening the region’s ecosystem. The Environment Ministry will apply for UNESCO protection for the region after completing more studies in the Mount Seorak area.
8. K-Pop Wave
[Anchor Lead]
More and more young people in Thailand are becoming fans of K-pop. Let’s take a look at a Korean pop concert that was recently staged there.
[Pkg]
Extravagant costumes, enrapturing dance moves and charming looks... These performers look like the popular K-pop music group Girls’ Generation. Twenty three teams comprising elementary school to college students showed off their singing and dancing skills. These 23 teams were selected from more than a hundred singing famous K-pop songs. They all aspire to become stars.
[Soundbite] Thai "Girls’ Generation" : “K-pop is very dynamic and vibrant. I like Korean idol groups. They make me want to dance.”
Some K-pop fans have even become popular in Thailand. One of them is the band "Candy Mafia," which is now a top idol band in Thailand.
[Soundbite] Member of "Candy Mafia" : “I want to become famous in Korea and have many fan clubs.”
The concert served as further proof of the rising popularity of Korean culture in Thailand.
9. Heat Busters
[Anchor Lead]
Temperatures these days are hovering above 25 degrees Celsius even at night. Here are some good ways to make the most of those sleepless tropical nights.
[Pkg]
The heat wave has been keeping temperatures soaring lately.
[Soundbite]
“ I can’t sleep because it’s too hot at night.”
And no relief comes at night. Zoos have emerged as popular places to stay cool on hot summer nights. They stay open until 10 p.m., allowing visitors to see animals even after sunset.
[Soundbite]
“I come here in the evening to escape from the heat.”
Tigers and lions have their nighttime snacks. Visitors enjoy coming to zoos late in the evening because that’s when nocturnal animals are at their best. Baby orangutans entertain visitors.
[Soundbite]
“It’s too hard to move around during the daytime because it’s too hot. But at night it’s cooler and even animals are more active.”
A good way to stay cool in the hot weather is to stay close to snakes.
[Soundbite]
“I feel completely refreshed.”
This cold-blooded animal feels like an cool scarf on the neck. The dance of the flamingos staged at nighttime is also a must-see.
[Soundbite]
“I like to look at animals at night while enjoying the fresh air. It’s a good way to beat the heat.”
Residents of Daegu, which is the hottest city in Korea, fight the heat on Mount Palgong. They set up tents and have picnics.
[Soundbite]
“The air is very refreshing here and I feel less stressed. Even food tastes much better here.”
Sleeping in a tent can help you stay cool at night.
[Soundbite]
“I tend to stress in the hot weather. I like sleeping here in a tent because it’s much cooler. I always come to sleep here in the summer.”
Campers wake up to a cool breeze. And Seoul residents flock to the City Hall area to cool down on tropical nights. At 7:30 p.m. all kinds of outdoor shows are held here. Exhausted Seoulites forget about the heat by enjoying the performances.
[Soundbite]
“I like it because I can watch a performance for free and enjoy the fresh breeze.”
Playing with the water in the Cheongye Stream is also popular these days. Passersby dip their feet in the cool water.
[Soundbite]
“My children and I are having fun here. It’s very refreshing and clean.”
[Soundbite]
“It’s very cool!”
The tropical nights are persisting, but there are lots of ways to enjoy them.
Signs have surfaced that the presidential office is vulnerable to a North Korean cyber attack. As such, Cheong Wa Dae is in a state of emergency.
[Pkg]
So-called D-DOS attacks paralyzed the nation’s major Web sites last year, including those of the presidential office, the National Assembly and banks. South Korea confirmed that the attacks were made by North Korea’s communications authorities. Signs of an imminent cyber attack on the presidential office have surfaced a year after the first incidence. This is all the more alarming because the signs come shortly after Pyongyang’s threat of retaliation for South Korea’s joint military drills with the U.S. The presidential office’s information team is operating under a state of emergency to prevent hacking.
[Soundbite] Kim hui-jeong (Spokeswoman, Cheong Wa Dae) : “We’re doing our best to block attackers’ access to our web sites and to be able to restore our server as quickly as possible..”
The government has also launched joint training with the private sector to protect against cyber attacks ahead of the November G20 summit in Seoul.
2. School Safety
[Anchor Lead]
Elementary schools will soon be equipped with smart surveillance cameras to prevent crimes against children, which have been on the rise recently. The new cameras are aimed at helping schools respond to emergency situations more quickly.
[Pkg]
This elementary school in Seoul is equipped with many surveillance cameras but parents are still anxious about their children’s safety. That’s because some areas around the school can’t be seen on cameras.
[Soundbite] Kim Mi-gyeong (Parent) : “I’m worried that my children might fall prey to criminals because there are few surveillance cameras.”
But soon, elementary schools in the city will receive smart surveillance system. When a child in danger presses an emergency button, the camera turns toward the sound of the panic button and captures the scene. Thanks to these rotating cameras, schools will be able to eliminate any blind spots. When a camera receives a signal, an alert is sent simultaneously to parents and the police as well. The government will install smart cameras in elementary schools in Gyeonggi Province on a trial basis and distribute emergency devices to students.
[Soundbite] Jeong Dae-seong (Min. of Public Admin. & Security) : “We expect smart cameras to help reduce child crime because these surveillance systems work automatically.”
The government will install smart cameras in other school areas nationwide if they prove effective in preventing crime.
3. Overseas Deals
[Anchor Lead]
Korean construction companies are looking abroad as an alternative to the sluggish domestic market. They’ve won several big deals overseas.
[Pkg]
Hyundai Engineering and Construction has won an order from Kuwait worth a little 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. The company will build a harbor in the Middle Eastern country.
[Soundbite] Gwon O-sik (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) : “Large-scale construction orders have been issued overseas this year. So we aim to win overseas deals three times more than last year.”
Korean builders have won overseas deals worth 41.6 billion dollars between January and July this year. This is the first time for Korean builders to earn more than 40 billion dollars in overseas orders over the seven-month period. Korea has landed a deal with the United Arab Emirates to build nuclear power plants. Korean construction companies are increasingly looking abroad given their saturated domestic market. More than 70 percent of overseas orders have come from Mideast countries thanks to recovery from the global economic crisis. But the gap is widening between large and smaller builders in winning overseas orders. The volume of overseas orders won by smaller builders has fallen 300 million dollars year-on-year.
[Soundbite] Han Jong-hyo (Shinyoung Securities) : “Smaller builders lack specialized technology or sufficient overseas experience. So it’s difficult for them to win orders abroad.”
Korean construction companies are trying to weather a difficult situation at home by eyeing overseas markets.
4. Memory Booster
[Anchor Lead]
Korean ginseng is well known for being good for your health. A new study has found that the medicinal plant also has a memory-boosting effect.
[Pkg]
Roots of newly harvested ginseng or susam are arranged in an Oriental medicine store. When the new ginseng is peeled off and dried, it becomes baeksam or white ginseng. Baeksam has been traditionally used as an ingredient for major Oriental medicine, but its popularity has waned.
[Soundbite] Namgung Cheong-wan (Oriental Medicine Manufacturer) : “Fewer customers look for baeksam with the soaring popularity of red ginseng, or hongsam.”
According to a six-month study on 90 elderly people shows, baeksam can serve as a memory booster. Participants who took baeksam showed tangible improvements in memory, compared to those who didn’t. Baeksam takers also showed better visual recognition and memory capabilities. They were nearly twice better at reproducing an image and 2.7 times better at retrieving the photographic memory after twenty minutes.
[Soundbite] Prof. Im Seong-bin (Kyunghee University) : “Ginseng can be used to boost memory and health of elderly people. It also helps preventing senile dementia.”
The government plans to use the study results for promoting the ginseng industry.
[Soundbite] Park Cheol-ung (Rural Development Admin.) : “Ginseng has been found to improve memory. We’ll seek to have ginseng officially recognized as a health booster by the Korean FDA.”
The ginseng industry will gain momentum to get out of a slump if various products are developed based on the study results.
5. Paper Decline
[Anchor Lead]
Paper is considered one of the greatest inventions of mankind, but demand is rapidly falling due to advances in digital technology. Let’s take a look at the decline of paper in the digital age.
[Pkg]
Paper has played a central role in civilization since its invention nearly 2-thousand years ago. People have recorded their thoughts and intellectual achievements on paper for ages. But the use of paper is declining. This company has compiled news clippings without cutting articles directly from newspapers for several years. This has gone on for several years thanks to a computer program.
[Soundbite] Lee Yeong-ju (Office Worker) : “You can get what you need with the click of a mouse. It’s fast, accurate and convenient.”
This IT analyst searches through and reads a huge volume of documents every day. But he rarely prints them out. This is possible thanks to a tablet PC.
[Soundbite] Hong Sun-seong (IT Analyst) : “If I were to read 100 pages a day, it’s hard to printed them all out and carry around. But with a tablet PC, I can tackle this issue.”
More e-books were sold than paper books in this year’s second quarter by the world’s largest online bookstore Amazon. Korea’s largest bookstore Kyobo saw e-book sales soar 80 percent in the first half. Paper production consequently fell from 3.1 million tons in 2007 to 2.9 million tons last year. Production of paper used for newspapers has shrank 300-thousand tons over the past decade. Advances in digital technologies are facilitating the era of a paperless society.
6. Sejong Belt
[Anchor Lead]
Information on performance halls and museums in the Gwanghwamun area will soon be integrated to maximize user convenience. Fans of culture and arts will also receive discounts for integrated tickets.
[Pkg]
The so-called Sejong Belt is home to more than 30 performance halls and other cultural facilities, including the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
[Soundbite] German Tourist
Searching the information on performance schedules and buying tickets have been difficult because each facility is operated separately. But soon an integrated ticketing center will open to eliminate this inconvenience. The center will provide information on all cultural and art events in the Gwanghwamun area and sell tickets to all performances staged there. Integrated packages for several performances will be available for up to 50 percent off the regular price. The center will also offer cultural experience programs in different languages.
[Soundbite] Lee Chang-gi (Staff Member, Sejong Belt) : “We hope that our integrated cultural programs and walking tour course will attract tourists.”
The Sejong Belt is expected to become a cultural hub of Korea on par with Broadway of New York.
7. Natural Treasure
[Anchor Lead]
The Baekdu mountain range is a treasure chest of nature on the Korean Peninsula. Endangered species and more indigenous plants and animals have been found over the past year.
[Pkg]
The Baekdu mountain range stretches for 680 kilometers. The so-called backbone of the Korean Peninsula is known as rich in natural resources. The National Institute of Environmental Research has studied the Pyeongchang and Samcheok regions of Gangwon Province over the past year. The study has discovered outstanding natural landscapes that had remained hidden. Exquisite stone cliff walls and pine trees resemble a traditional landscape painting. The water has even washed out the bold stones into a sharp right-angled ridge over thousands of years. The fallen stone pieces taken downstream have gradually dug a pond in the rock bed. This wilderness is home to endangered animal species such as the buzzard, white-backed woodpecker and a rare butterfly. Eleven endangered species and 55 other animals indigenous to the region live in the Baekdu mountain range.
[Soundbite] Lee Jong-hyo (Nat’l Institute of Environmental Research) : “Though it’s the ridge, it possess a large variety of topology and living creatures. It’s worth putting under special protection.”
But a wind power plant and mines are threatening the region’s ecosystem. The Environment Ministry will apply for UNESCO protection for the region after completing more studies in the Mount Seorak area.
8. K-Pop Wave
[Anchor Lead]
More and more young people in Thailand are becoming fans of K-pop. Let’s take a look at a Korean pop concert that was recently staged there.
[Pkg]
Extravagant costumes, enrapturing dance moves and charming looks... These performers look like the popular K-pop music group Girls’ Generation. Twenty three teams comprising elementary school to college students showed off their singing and dancing skills. These 23 teams were selected from more than a hundred singing famous K-pop songs. They all aspire to become stars.
[Soundbite] Thai "Girls’ Generation" : “K-pop is very dynamic and vibrant. I like Korean idol groups. They make me want to dance.”
Some K-pop fans have even become popular in Thailand. One of them is the band "Candy Mafia," which is now a top idol band in Thailand.
[Soundbite] Member of "Candy Mafia" : “I want to become famous in Korea and have many fan clubs.”
The concert served as further proof of the rising popularity of Korean culture in Thailand.
9. Heat Busters
[Anchor Lead]
Temperatures these days are hovering above 25 degrees Celsius even at night. Here are some good ways to make the most of those sleepless tropical nights.
[Pkg]
The heat wave has been keeping temperatures soaring lately.
[Soundbite]
“ I can’t sleep because it’s too hot at night.”
And no relief comes at night. Zoos have emerged as popular places to stay cool on hot summer nights. They stay open until 10 p.m., allowing visitors to see animals even after sunset.
[Soundbite]
“I come here in the evening to escape from the heat.”
Tigers and lions have their nighttime snacks. Visitors enjoy coming to zoos late in the evening because that’s when nocturnal animals are at their best. Baby orangutans entertain visitors.
[Soundbite]
“It’s too hard to move around during the daytime because it’s too hot. But at night it’s cooler and even animals are more active.”
A good way to stay cool in the hot weather is to stay close to snakes.
[Soundbite]
“I feel completely refreshed.”
This cold-blooded animal feels like an cool scarf on the neck. The dance of the flamingos staged at nighttime is also a must-see.
[Soundbite]
“I like to look at animals at night while enjoying the fresh air. It’s a good way to beat the heat.”
Residents of Daegu, which is the hottest city in Korea, fight the heat on Mount Palgong. They set up tents and have picnics.
[Soundbite]
“The air is very refreshing here and I feel less stressed. Even food tastes much better here.”
Sleeping in a tent can help you stay cool at night.
[Soundbite]
“I tend to stress in the hot weather. I like sleeping here in a tent because it’s much cooler. I always come to sleep here in the summer.”
Campers wake up to a cool breeze. And Seoul residents flock to the City Hall area to cool down on tropical nights. At 7:30 p.m. all kinds of outdoor shows are held here. Exhausted Seoulites forget about the heat by enjoying the performances.
[Soundbite]
“I like it because I can watch a performance for free and enjoy the fresh breeze.”
Playing with the water in the Cheongye Stream is also popular these days. Passersby dip their feet in the cool water.
[Soundbite]
“My children and I are having fun here. It’s very refreshing and clean.”
[Soundbite]
“It’s very cool!”
The tropical nights are persisting, but there are lots of ways to enjoy them.
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