Araon Returns

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Korea’s first icebreaker has returned home from a 50-day expedition to the North Pole. The Araon’s mission was to develop a sea route to the Arctic. Researchers aboard the vessel say the route will open up earlier than expected because of the speed at which glaciers are melting at the North Pole.



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The Araon has returned to Busan after a 50-day voyage to the North Pole. The icebreaker left the country July 3rd. The Araon’s mission was to study marine organisms in the Arctic. But the Korea Maritime University researchers onboard collected data needed to develop a sea route to the North Pole. The researchers say they expect the sea route to be opened earlier than expected, since glaciers are melting quickly due to global warming.



[Soundbite] Prof. Nam Cheong-do (Korea Maritime Univ.) : We left the North Pole on Aug. 10. The glaciers were melting fast at the time.



A study has also been performed on the undersea topography, wind directions and ocean currents in the Arctic. The results will be provided to Busan-based shipbuilders and shipping companies to help them develop a sea route to the North Pole.



[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Jeong-nam (Korea Maritime Univ.) : Shipping companies are the ones who will gain from the data for developing a North Pole sea route. Based on the information, shipbuilders will be able to build ships that will travel to the North Pole.



The researchers are Korea’s first to conduct a study on the North Pole on an icebreaker. Their mission is considered the starting point for the nation to open a sea route to the Arctic.



2. Sinuiju Floods



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Flood relief efforts have begun in the North Korean city of Sinuiju, which has been inundated by heavy rains. But areas up the Apnok River still remain submerged. North Korea’s call for international help shows how desperate the situation is.



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Now that the water level in the Apnok River has finally dropped, flood relief efforts are in full swing in the North Korean city of Sinuiju. Residents join hands in cleaning the river banks. Fishermen are busy fixing fishing nets, which are their main means of making a living. A North Korean boat carrying a dozen people approaches the Chinese city of Dandong across the river to check the situation. Traces of landslides can be seen in areas near the river’s upstream. Only the roof of this farm house is not submerged in water.



[Soundbite] Dandong Resident : The river is overflowing and the current is very strong. In North Korea, vast areas of land are submerged.



[Soundbite] Currently, 24.4 square kilometers of farmland are underwater.



Free Radio Asia of the U.S. has reported that North Korea had requested emergency help from the United Nations.



3. Food Bacteria



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Many housewives in Korea thaw frozen food at room temperature. But the volume of food-poisoning causing bacteria can increase 64 times when food is unfrozen this way.



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This homemaker usually defrosts meat and fish at room temperature. She says it’s convenient because she can prepare other ingredients while the meat thaws.



[Soundbite] I can cook something else while it’s defrosting as it usually takes 1-1.5 hours to thaw meat.



The Korea Food and Drug Administration has found that 40 percent of homemakers thaw frozen food at room temperature. But when frozen food is left at room temperature for more than two hours, the volume of bacteria that cause food poisoning in the food can increase 64-fold. Thawing frozen beef in cold water takes 30 minutes and defrosting it at room temperatures takes two hours and 10 minutes.



[Soundbite] Hwang In-gyun (Food & Drug Administration) : Bacteria including food poisoning bacteria can breed at 5 degrees Celsius. When food is defrosted at room temperature, there is a high risk of food poisoning.



Experts recommend that frozen food be defrosted either in a refrigerator or cold water. A microwave oven can be used in urgent situations. To prevent food poisoning, experts also advise storing cooked food in a refrigerator immediately after it cools down. Leftovers should also be reheated at 70 degrees Celsius for more than three minutes.



4. Vanishing Bees



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More than 90 percent of honeybees indigenous to Korea have been infected with a viral disease. There’s no way to treat the ailment, which is threatening the livelihood of bee farmers nationwide.



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Honeybees sit on a tree near a bee farm on Mount Jiri. They’ve survived a contagious disease by leaving their beehives.



[Soundbite] Son Jeong-am (Bee farmer) : The beehives have rotten, so bees have escaped. I have never seen this phenomenon happen before.



Four hundred out of 500 beehives have been wiped out by the disease at this farm. The remaining 100 hives are also covered with mold and dead caterpillars.



[Soundbite] Yun Dong-o (Bee farmer) : The situation is really disastrous. It’s a catastrophe.



A contagious viral disease with no treatment available has infected the bees and caterpillars. The disease was first reported in Gangwon Province in early May, and has since spread to 25-thousand bee farms nationwide. Ninety percent of 400-thousand beehives have been infected, and 60 percent of the infected hives have been ruined. The disease has caused more than 150 million U.S. dollars in losses. The Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has launched an emergency quarantine study in cooperation with provincial governments.



5. Safe Small Cars



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Smaller cars are often thought to be not as safe as bigger ones, but this perception can be misleading. Many smaller cars have outperformed their larger counterparts in a crash test held this year for new models.



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A car running 35 miles or 56 kilometers per hour crashes into a wall. The engine is crushed and the airbag inflates. The car is totaled but the driver suffers no serious injury. The test has ranked five new models released this year in safety. Four cars including the subcompact GM Daewoo Matiz have received the highest marks. Only the Renault Samsung SM3 ranked second as the driver was injured. The Lexus ES350 had the highest risk of a neck injury to the driver in the event of a rear collision. But most of the tested cars lack systems to protect pedestrians. Their hoods and bumpers are so hard, pedestrians could suffer serious injuries if hit by a car going 25 miles or 40 kilometers an hour.



[Soundbite] Kim Gyu-hyeon (Korea Automobile Testing & Research Inst.) : The hoods of mini cars are short. So most drivers hit the windshield, which absorbs shock.



Korea introduced in 2007 a system to evaluate car safety systems for pedestrians. European countries are requiring carmakers to strengthen safety systems for pedestrians. Perhaps Korean automakers should do so as well.



6. Female Soldiers



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Women seeking to serve their country in the armed forces are undergoing intense training in the summer heat. Let’s take a look at them in action.



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These young women climbing a steep rock wall are aspiring officers.



[Soundbite] Ready for descent!



They chase away fear by shouting slogans out loud.



[Soundbite] Jeong Dong-mi (Cadet) : My seniors told me that guerilla training was too hard and that many people gave up. But I’m determined to pull it off.



[Soundbite] Ready to descend! / Descend! / One, two, three!



The women also train for helicopter rappelling 11 meters above ground. They say they’re determined to become good soldiers.



[Soundbite] Han Mi-seong (Cadet) : It’s horrifying but after doing this I become stronger. This is what all soldiers defending their home country must go through.



These 200 aspiring soldiers have done well since the harsh 16-week training began in early June.



[Soundbite] An So-ra (Cadet) : I want to become a good servicewoman after going through this training in order to be able to protect my home country and family.



These dauntless recruits will soon be commissioned as second lieutenants.



7. Battling Bulls



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The country’s best fighting bulls have been gathered at Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province, to lock horns. The huge animals are displaying their strength in a contest that’s marking its 23rd anniversary this year.



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Sharp and strong horns collide. Neither side seems willing to give in. The bulls breathe heavily. One bull runs full steam into the other’s nape, but the opponent isn’t that easy to defeat. They push and collide into each other. The trainers seem more nervous than their bulls, taking frequent sips of water. Skilled and clever comments by the commentators make it fun for viewers.



[Soundbite] Commentator : Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! All right! Where were we going anyway?



The huge bulls weigh nearly one ton each. They help viewers get rid of stress from the summer heat.



[Soundbite] I came with my family. It’s really exciting to see the bulls fight.

The winner enjoys a moment of victory while the loser quietly calms down from the fury of its defeat. The defeated bull is older than 50 in human years. The animal’s owner also seems disappointed with the loss.



[Soundbite] Kim Min-jae (Bull Owner) : He seemed furious being defeated by a younger bull that is stronger than him. He’s grown weak with age.



The 230 bulls in the five-day competition are divided into six weight categories. The contest marks its 23rd anniversary this year and will end this weekend.



8. Colonial Cards



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Some 20 commemorative postcards Japan issued to mark its annexation of the Korean Peninsula have been made public. The postcards show Japan’s intention to improve the impression created by the move a century ago.



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These are commemorative postcards issued by the Japanese colonial government in 1910. Red sunlight symbolizing Japan shine over a Joseon Dynasty palace. Below, the Korean Peninsula and Japan are both painted red. The picture suggests that the Korean Peninsula was annexed by Japan. Japanese Emperor Meiji is placed above Korean Emperor Soonjong, explicitly showing that Japan rules the Korean Peninsula. Against the truth, the postcard disclose a created scene where numerous Koreans are waving flags to welcome Japanese colonial rulers. Furthermore, Korean national flag taegeukki is put together with Japan’s national flag. The postcards, which were collected by an art historian, had been made to glorify Japan’s annexation of the Korean Peninsula.



[Soundbite] Lee Don-soo (Art Historian) : These special postscards were sent to colonial government officials or to foreign countries.



Music sheets to celebrate the annexation, put in between newspapers, all these published just in time of the annexation treaty, indicate how Japan had thoroughly prepared before the colonization of the Korean Peninsula.



9. Community Feel



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City life can be difficult to handle alone, but these days, you often have no idea who your neighbors are. Against this backdrop, neighborhood networks are rising in popularity. Often, this simply involves neighbors going grocery shopping together and sharing their day to day lives. Let’s take a look.



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At this traditional market in Seoul, people are engaged in something other than shopping. This cozy spot inside the market is a cultural networking room for the locals, accessible to young and old, men and women. From mothers to elderly folks, people here draw pictures, sculpt pots, take pictures and do all kinds of other activities. The room only opened in January, but 180 locals have already joined the network. The most popular activity is this.



[Soundbite] It’s as if I’m riding on the brush and dancing.



Dubbed “live calligraphy,” people practice the normally solemn art form in a more free spirit.



[Soundbite] It’s really smooth and easy. I follow my heart, like the flow of music.



You don’t have to come here just to take a class. People drop by on their way home from work just to chat with neighbors.



[Soundbite] It’s rare to spend time with neighbors these days. This way, you bond, do arts together and improve the quality of your life overall.



Once a month, an interesting group of women show up at a local supermarket. They are members of a healthy meal network. They shop for groceries and pick organic vegetables the locals grow in a village field. After shopping, they gather at someone’s home and cook. At each meeting, people take turns presenting their own cooking.



[Soundbite] The healthy meal meetings are informative and I get to enjoy good food with neighbors.

This neighborhood is also known for special gatherings. Many multicultural families live in this area, as the Incheon International Airport is nearby. Some 300 housewives hailing from China, the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam meet regularly.



[Soundbite] Chinese resident : I was lonely when I first came to Korea. But here, I learn Korean and get help with difficulties I face. It’s really good.



They babysit for one another, so childcare is not a problem for this group of women. Some foreign mothers are native English speakers, so that’s one form of private tutoring they don’t have to worry about.



[Soundbite] Filipino resident : There are Filipinos, Chinese and Japanese in our town so our kids can learn different languages. They don’t need to go to a private institute.



If they get hungry, they showcase their home dishes and set up a global meal. Eating together, they appreciate their cultural differences.



[Soundbite] Chinese resident : My family lives in China, but this village feels like my second home.



It’s strange that in huge, modern cities, people can feel isolated. But the fact is that your neighbors are right next door.