Mayor's Mission

[Anchor Lead]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has bet his post on the city referendum for free school lunches. He came to tears in pleading with the public to cast their votes on the matter.

[Pkg]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon says he'll resign if the referendum on free school lunches fails.

[Soundbite]
Oh Se-hoon (Seoul Mayor): I'm going to put my mayorship at stake based on the results of the national referendum that will be held on Aug. 24.

Oh says he will step down if voter turnout fails to reach the minimum 33 percent or if the bill on the gradual implementation of free school lunches is not adopted. He even shed tears at the news conference. Oh made a deep bow to encourage the public to vote after making his speech. He says he resorted to this extreme measure because if he loses the vote, the nation's financial situation will be in jeopardy because of reckless welfare policies.

[Soundbite]
I hope the outcome of the vote will become a seed that helps welfare and genuine democracy to take root and bear fruit. I, Oh Se-hoon, am ready to disappear into history without regrets.

The mayor apparently believes that if he loses the vote, the ability to perform his duties will be hit hard. But the bigger reason is Oh's desperate attempt to avoid a low turnout rate, which will largely decide the outcome of the free school lunch debate.

2. Headlines

[Anchor Lead]
The tap water supply was cut to an apartment complex in Seoul for a whole night because of contaminated water. And in a separate story, police have rounded up a man who kidnapped and killed a woman five days earlier.

[Pkg]
Residents of this apartment complex in Balsan-dong, Seoul are receiving water from a water truck. Many stand in lines in front of the truck distributing bottled water. Tap water supply was cut in some 2,400 households on Sunday afternoon because the turbidity was found to be 7 nephelometric turbidity units, which is 14 times the permissible level.

[Soundbite]
(Resident): I was suspicious but I didn't know what was wrong. They told us only after I'd finished making soup. It's outrageous.

The Office of Waterworks of the Seoul metropolitan government promised to normalize water supply by Monday morning but the cause of contamination is still unknown.

Police have caught a man who kidnapped and killed a woman in Suwon last Wednesday, two days after putting him on the wanted list. The Suwon Nambu Police Station says the 41-year-old Yang was apprehended on Sunday in Namhae, South Geyongsang Province. Yang's accomplice was arrested last Friday. The two are charged with kidnapping, robbing and burying the 40-something woman in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

3. Wedding Gifts

[Anchor Lead]
The price of gold keeps breaking records this year. This has changed the Korean market for gifts exchanged by brides and grooms.

[Pkg]
An engaged couple visits a jewelry shop. They turn a blind eye to expensive and glittering jewels and simply look at basic rings. The couple has chosen to spend more on their home instead of cutting their budget for wedding presents.

[Soundbite]
(Bridegroom): We kept trying to buy but we canceled because of rain. We didn't think that gold prices would surge this much. We have to spend money on other things as well.

A Korean groom used to give sets of different jewels to his bride as wedding gifts several years ago. But many brides choose to receive only a ring or a set of a ring, earrings and necklace. People no longer follow the custom of presenting jewels to mark an important occasion. Instead, more Koreans are buying gold as a means to increase their wealth. Pure gold cards in a variety of sizes are so popular, sales have grown 20 percent each month.

[Soundbite]
Lee Yeon-jeong (Jewelry Shop Manager): Many people choose gold as a gift because it can be easily cashed in and its prices are likely to go up more.

The soaring price of gold has changed the meaning of jewels as well as the custom of exchanging wedding gifts between the bride and groom.

4. Commando Drill

[Anchor Lead]
Commandos are regarded as the most specialized soldiers who must infiltrate enemy lines in an emergency. We followed along as they conducted a maritime infiltration drill despite bad weather.

[Pkg]
Commandos attempt to infiltrate the enemy line via the waters. Thick fog limits visibility to 500 meters. Boats are shaken by waves. Forces move three kilometers, holding onto the boats to stay balanced. A maritime infiltration operation is a struggle with time. In any type of bad weather, special forces swiftly and stealthily penerate the enemy line. Upon landing, they move cautiously but quickly toward the target. They finally reach a base of the enemy and explode the target.

[Soundbite]
Lt. Col. Kim Jong-tak (9th Special Forces Brigade): We're ready to fulfill our mission on land, in the air and at sea.

Commandos must have physical and mental strength. They do a 10-kilometer run and a physical exercise. They swim more than four kilometers in high waves.

[Soundbite]
SFC Park Seong-hwa (9th Special Forces Brigade): We're working hard to fulfill missions given to us. Special warfare forces have no physical problems. It's not tough.

The special warfare forces conduct intensive maritime infiltration drills for two weeks in the East and the West Sea every summer.

5. Eye Styes

[Anchor Lead]
People are especially vulnerable to eye infections in the summer. Styes aren't contagious, but can be a serious nuisance.

[Pkg]
This 30-something office worker has found a stye after having gone on vacation. The symptoms appeared after he complained of fatigue.

[Soundbite]
Lee Jun-ho (Stye Patient): I can't look straight into people's eyes. It's also inconvenient when I'm driving.

Styes involve infection of the sebaceous glands or pores on the eyelid and begin with an itch. They then swell and cause pain. The germ infection that causes styes frequently occurs in summer, especially in August, a time of brisk outdoor activity. Women are more prone than men to styes partly because of eye makeup. People with weakened immune systems from fatigue or those who frequently touch their eyes are more likely to get styes.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Jang Jae-u (Kim's Eye Hospital): It's important to keep your eyelids clean. You need to clean your eyelids after washing your face.

Plucking eyelashes near styes helps with treatment. But plucking incorrectly could spread the infection. If styes develop, abstaining from drinking alcohol and putting a warm, wet towel over them can help. Hard chalazions don't hurt but if they keep developing, a check should be conducted to see if they're malignant tumors.

6. City Stress

[Anchor Lead]
It's not easy to find good places for strolling in Korea’s big cities. But a study shows that walking around in a city aggravates stress.

[Pkg]
Streets of big cities are lined with skyscrapers. Motorways are full of noise and heat produced by cars. Pedestrians bump into each other on the streets. A test shows changes that occur in the body when strolling in a crowded city and in the lush forest. Cognitive function and psychological tests are conducted after a one-hour stroll in a city and in the woods. After strolling in a city, time to solve problems increased and the cognitive function deteriorated. The anger index surged from 3 to 9 and the level of fatigue also increased. By contrast, all measurements appeared positive after strolling in the woods.
[Soundbite]
Kim Jae-jun (Korea Forest Research Institute): Strolling in a city for a long time can be detrimental to your health because it can aggravate stress.

More than 90 percent of Korea's population lives in urban areas, but the per-capita forest area in the nation is significantly lower than recommended by the World Health Organization.

7. Fall in the Air

[Anchor Lead]
The gaps between the daily temperature highs and lows have grown wider. Cosmos flowers are blooming and gourds are ripening in the field. It’s the very beginnings of summer giving way to fall.

[Pkg]
Big gourds ripen on trees. They range from a melon-like bottle gourd to one shaped like a red spaceship. Children seem amused in looking at the various kinds of gourds.

[Soundbite]
The gourd looks like a spaceship, a pumpkin or a mushroom. It's interesting.

Cosmos flowers bloom along a walking path. They usher in fall. A butterfly attracted to the scent sits on a cosmos, which is swayed by a gentle breeze.

[Soundbite]
The weather is cool in the morning and evening. Cosmos flowers testify to the arrival of fall. It's really great.

With fall just around the corner, a diligent farmer dries red peppers under the sun. He rakes in sun-dried red peppers under the high blue sky. Fall is finally arriving in fields, which have overcome damage caused by a powerful typhoon and downpour this summer.

8. Rain Woes

[Anchor Lead]
It feels like Korea remained soaked by rains throughout this whole summer. The bad weather has taken a toll on merchants in popular vacation destinations.

[Pkg]
A beach is crowded with vacationers under the scorching sun. A banana-shaped boat dashes against waves and people plunge into the water. Some 180,000 people took to the beaches along the East Coast to enjoy belated vacations on Sunday. Seventy-two beaches along the East Coast ended this year's summer operation yesterday.

[Soundbite]
This summer was rarely sunny. But the weather is hot and good today. The water is cold.

People also visit mountains and valleys. Children and adults splash in water. The temperature will go down starting from next week, resulting in a drop in the number of vacationers. The summer vacation season has virtually ended. But merchants in tourist attractions are disappointed at this summer's poor business due to the frequent rains.

[Soundbite]
Baek Sang-gi (Recreational Park Manager): Since it rained every weekend, our business was bad; the number of tourists was cut by half.

It rained on the East Coast for more than 30 days during this summer. Beaches in the region saw a nearly 22 percent drop in the number of vacationers.

9. Mildew Tips

[Anchor Lead]
In the muggy Korean summer, mildew is often a problem, and this summer’s excessive wetness has not helped the situation. But, luckily there are ways get rid of mold with no special equipment or cleaning products. Check it out.

[Pkg]
This apartment has a problem with mold. It is most serious in the verandah, having spread over several different surfaces. It's the same situation near the front door.

[Soundbite]
Biggest concern is the health of my baby, who isn’t even a year old yet.

Mold can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions, so it needs to be removed. We invited an expert to assess the situation. We first checked the level of humidity, the main cause behind mildew. The level should be under 50 percent, but it tops 74 percent at this home.

[Soundbite]
Seo Jeong-jin (Mold Exterminator): Mold can gather in temperatures of 22-30 degrees Celsius.

Here are some ways of getting rid of it. For less serious cases, you can mix two spoonfuls of baking soda and one spoonful of vinegar with water and use the mixture to scrub off the mold. The soda and vinegar combination also works well for mold in the sink or the bathroom. Sometimes you need a bit of a tougher formula, though.

[Soundbite]
Mix bleach and water in a 8:2 ratio. Lay tissue on the silicon area and sprinkle this on top. Then the mold will be gone in no time.

Toothpaste and water also works. The mildew gets scrubbed away relatively easily. Open the window and turn the fan on to dry things out.

[Soundbite]
Wow, it’s really clean now!

With a little scrubbing, it now looks as good as new. But even though it looks clean, the mold remains.

[Soundbite]
Seo Jeong-jin (Mold Exterminator): You can’t always see the mold, but it’s always there. It's just not spreading for now but it’s still alive. So frequent ventilation is necessary.

Newspapers work as a dehumidifier for closets and shoe racks. Green tea bags can serve the same purpose, along with the dehumidifying agents in packaged seaweed products.

[Soundbite]
I’m going to work to create a clean, mold-free environment for my baby.

Here are some laundry tips for high humidity days. Dissolve detergent in water and add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Washing clothes in this solution will take care of bacteria and bad smells.

[Soundbite]
The smell is completely gone.

Also when hanging up blankets to dry, use a couple of hangers so the air can flow through better and reduce odors. Newspaper spread out under the drying rack can speed up the drying time three to four times. Musty clothes must be blow dried in order to get rid of the mildew. For leather products, apply cream on them after drying.

[Soundbite]
Lee Seong-hwan (Laundry Expert): You need to apply cream and rub it with a dry cloth.

[Soundbite]
No more laundry woes!

Mildew can be a health hazard, but there are many ways to keep it at bay.