Algae Spreads

[Anchor Lead]

Algal blooms have spread all the way down to the Seongsan Bridge in the Han River. Concerns are rising over the safety of drinking water as the algae contains toxic substances.

[Pkg]

The water in the Han River has turned green. Water quality tests conducted in five sections of the river's downstream section show that the amount of green algae is beyond levels enough to issue a warning.

[Soundbite] Jeong Mi-seon (Seoul Metropolitan Official) : "Pollution grows more severe towards the downstream section of the Han River. Intensifying pollution means that there are enough nutrients in the water for it to proliferate."

Green algae forms when phytoplankton proliferate in large amounts in stagnant waters containing nutrients or when water flow slows down and is exposed to hot weather. Green algae are not only deprives the water of its dissolved oxygen but also ruins the aquatic eco-system with its toxins. The spread of green algae is also threatening the safety of drinking water. Following the Nakdong River, water in the Han River has also been found to contain the toxin, mycrocystis.

[Soundbite] Prof. An Yun-ju (Konkuk University) : "Research shows that it can build up in living organisms and even damage the liver tissue of fish."

If the algae continues to spread, it is likely that water filtration costs will soar, while also fueling concerns over the safety of drinking water. This remains a concern as the purification plant in the upstream area of the Nakdong River has never before dealt with green algae.

2. Blood Donations

[Anchor Lead]

Every year the number of blood donations usually decreases during the summer. This year, it’s gone down even more due to the sweltering heat wave and the London Olympics.

[Pkg]

In a storage room at a blood bank in Cheongju, the bin holding packets filled with type O blood, which is largely in demand in Korea, is nearly empty. The inventory has just less than a day's worth. The Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends blood banks to hold seven day's worth of stock. While only the inventory for type B blood meets this standard, there is a shortage of other blood types. Although the voluntary blood donations from military personnel helped, it is not enough to fill the blood banks. Donations from the public that had helped fill the blood bank during the summer season have decreased due to this year's scorching heat wave. The Olympic Games is also affecting blood supply. Many of the students who come to donate blood at blood collection centers on campuses are being sent back because of being in poor health from watching the Olympics into the wee hours of the night.

[Soundbite] Yun Seo-hyeon (Regional Blood Donation Center) : "Since many people give up sleep to watch the Olympics, many aren’t able to donate blood."

In fact, since the fourth week of July, the number of donors has decreased 50 percent each week. It's the same time as when the heat wave and the Olympics began. Fortunately, no problems have occurred thanks to blood acquired before schools went on summer vacation. However, if the current trend continues, problems or even emergencies may occur with the lack of blood supply.

3. Heated Rails

[Anchor Lead]

The heat is affecting railway operations as well. KTX trains are moving more slowly amid concerns the rails will be warped by the high temperatures.

[Pkg]

With the scorching weather, the railway is heated under the blazing sun. The temperature of the rail is 52 degrees Celsius, more than 16 degrees higher than the temperature of the air. This summer, rail temperatures had soared above 55 degrees Celsius 28 times, more than double the amount of times last year. There are concerns that such high temperatures could distort the rails causing accidents.

[Soundbite] Kim Man-cheol (Korea Railload Research Institute) : "When temperatures rise, stress accumulates inside, which can warp the weaker parts of the rails, bending them."

During the past eleven days, around 440 KTX trains were required to slow down in some sections due to the intense heat. When rail temperatures exceed 55 degrees Celsius, the KTX train which usually operates at 300 kilometers per hour, slows down to under 230 kilometers per hour; when temperatures rise above 64 degrees, operations must stop altogether. It is thus important to cool down the rails. High pressure sprayers are used to spray cool water across the hot rails. Rail inspectors are keeping an eye on the railways and gravel is frequently added to secure them. The strong heat wave is putting operations on alert.

4. Cooling Off

[Anchor Lead]

New cooling electronic devices are hot items these days. But many of them have been found to have problems.

[Pkg]

Ahn Kwi-chan and his wife bought a cooling device after watching an informercial on a home shopping network. They trusted the infomercial’s statement that the device can produce a cool room just like an air conditioner while consuming less energy; yet, the informercial product turned out to be less effective than a regular fan. Ahn tried to return the device but couldn't get in touch with the seller. Another consumer bought a defective cooling mat. Failing to live up to its name, the product actually emitted heat. To make things worse, the seller demanded that the buyer shell out extra cash to return the product. While the demand for various cooling devices is soaring amid the scorching weather, consumer losses are also on the rise. Most of them bought their cooling devices on home shopping networks or after reading about them in the newspapers. Consumer rights activists issued a warning to prevent further losses.

[Soundbite] Jo Jeong-hui (Busan Housewives' Club) : "They don't pick up the phone since products can be returned only within a week after purchase. Consumers wanting to exchange their products can notify the sellers through a certification of content."

The activists are urging consumers not to trust the exaggerated informercials and ads and to thoroughly check a product's information, reviews, and refund policies before buying.

5. Delivery Probe

[Anchor Lead]

These days, lots of Koreans order food late into the night while watching the London Olympics. But many delivery restaurants have been found to be unsanitary and one shop was caught pretending to specialize in only one food but having dozens of separate phones for taking orders.

[Pkg]

This is a shop that delivers food late at night. Take a look into the kitchen. The stove is stained with oil and the turned on electric fan is cluttered with dust. Many ingredients are seen lying among trash bags and food waiting to be delivered are left unpackaged in room temperature. This is another delivery shop. It has more than 20 phones to receive orders. The shop sells all kinds of popular late night dishes and has a phone for each deceiving customers into believing that the store specializes in just one type of dish. A district office in Seoul inspected around 60 night food shops of which, 13 were caught violating the law.

[Soundbite] Park Jeong-sun (Seoul Yeongdeungpo-gu Office) : "Since it's summertime, we’re looking for products with expired distribution dates. If caught, we collect the food and provide administrative guidance and rules the managers must follow."

Late-night delivery shops are losing credibility from consumers due to their insanitary conditions and shallow business tricks.

6. Young Pros

[Anchor Lead]

The most noteworthy change in this year’s job market is the rising demand for high school graduates. Businesses, financial institutions and even public agencies have been hiring young people fresh out of technical high schools.

[Pkg]

Na Ui-in is a senior studying construction at a special technical high school located in Seoul. He has become the first high school student to pass the grade 9 public servant exam conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and land a job even before graduating. For the first time this year, government agencies began hiring seniors from special technical high schools. Na will start his job in the construction sector next year along with 128 other lucky employees. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security has also announced a plan to hire for the first time 100 public servants in the grade 9 category in addition to the technicians from the future graduates of special technical high schools. As students at special technical high schools now have a greater chance at finding employment in public agencies, the schools have embarked on overhauling their employment preparation system.

[Soundbite] Hwang Jeong-sun (Teacher, Specialized High School) : "We’ll teach subjects needed for civil service exams as after-school programs to prepare our students."

More good news is that starting next year, the public servant exams will become easier. Only some of the college-level subjects that used to be mandatory will be used, while more high school-level subjects will be added to the tests.

[Soundbite] Park Jea-guk (Min. of Public Administration & Security) : "We’ve overhauled the exam subjects since it was difficult for high school graduates to apply for them. We want to provide them with equal opportunities."

Talented high school graduates now have a chance to get an early jump start to embark on their careers with the government.

7. Exercise Relief

[Anchor Lead]

Interest in sports has skyrocketed with the London Olympics. A team of researchers has again proven the effects of physical exercise for easing depression.

[Pkg]

People work out in a gym. Doing physical exercise is tough. But it makes those exercising feel better after a certain point. The reason is because physical exercise boosts the secretion of a neurotransmitter called "serotonin" in the body. A domestic research team has found that a protein called "MIF" increases the amount of serotonin. When people exercise, MIF is secreted from the hippocampus of the cerebrum. And then, the protein promotes the secretion of serotonin in brain cells. A test on mice shows that a mouse with depression easily gives up while the other mouse injected with MIF refuses and instead strives to escape a water bowl for five minutes. Sports such as wrestling and weightlifting synthesize muscle cells through a molecule called "mTOR". Aerobic exercises like swimming and marathons activate "AMPK" which breaks down fats and sugars in the body.

[Soundbite] Prof. Seo Pan-gil (Ulsan Nat’l Institute of Science & Technology) : "The discovery can be used to develop drugsand also promote using sports for medical treatments."

The study of effects of physical exercise on the body will likely lead to the diagnosis of sports treatments tailored to their respective disorders.

8. Painting Remakes

[Anchor Lead]

Recently, some remakes of famous paintings have been drawing the spotlight. The artists used the old principle, "Imitation is the mother of creation."

[Pkg]

One can see parachutes fall and airplanes fly all around Mona Lisa. This remake of the famous painting might look shocking, but through it, the artist questions the values of modern-day society. "The Fife Player," which is now kept at the Orsay Museum in France, is Edouard Manet’s signature piece. The artist who remade it questions the value of the original painting by boldly crumpling the priceless masterpiece. "Portrait of a Beauty" by Shin Yun-bok has been reborn into the portrait superimposed with a real life image of another girl. And in another one of the artist's famous genre painting, all of the characters have changed. The famous paintings of Gustav Klimt, Andy Warhol and Vincent Van Gogh also have a new twist in their remakes, which were created through imitation and interpretation through another mind. The exhibition at Gallery Santorini Seoul shows the rebirth of some of the world’s timeless masterpieces.

9. Haeundae Tips

[Anchor Lead]

These days Busan’s Haeundae Beach is teeming with vacationers, and finding a local restaurant with good food and reasonable prices can be a challenge. So today, we’re going to help you out.

[Pkg]

Haeundae Beach is a destination of choice among vacationers in Korea. This scenic seaside spot offers much to see and try. Haeundae is also home to many famous eateries.

[Soundbite] "There's special "Mulhoe" over there. It's delicious."

We decided to check out the places that top the locals’ list of recommended restaurants. Here's one of them.

[Soundbite] "It's very cool with the ice chunks floating in the bowl. It's delicious. "

This dish called mulhoe is beef served in a spicy broth. Usually, the main ingredient is raw fish, but this place has gone a different way.

[Soundbite] Seo Kwon-jeong (Restaurant owner) : "People think that mulhoe is made with fish. But we’re the only place in Busan and in Korea to serve the best in Korean beef brisket."

Beef brisket is boiled for a long time and sliced as thinly as possible.

[Soundbite] "When my wife was pregnant, I used to by mulhoe for her. But she didn't want to eat raw fish in it. So I began making beef mulhoe for her using a beef bone broth, chili pepper paste with vinegar and beef brisket."

That's how the dish was born. Veggies, slices of beef, various toppings and icy beef broth make this dish a true summer delicacy. It has captivated the palates of many visitors who come to Haundae in summer.

[Soundbite] "Rice mixed with the cold mulhoe tastes really good. It's the best!"

This area in Haeundae is home to lots of food tents called "pojangmacha" in Korean. One of them serves fresh lobster.

[Soundbite] "The lobster is alive!"

[Soundbite] "I came here to have some lobster in Haeundae."

This generous portion costs 20,000 won, or just over 17 U.S. dollars a person. Raw lobster tails are a local specialty.

[Soundbite] "The tail meat is eaten as raw. It's very chewy and delicious. It's a very rare part because it's not big. You can only try it at Haeundae."

These lobsters were steamed with their insides intact.

[Soundbite] "It’s so nice that I taste this food while I hear the sound of sea waves."

Now, we head to Haeundae Market.

[Soundbite] "Have you heard about noodles with raw fish? (What's that?) You can try them over there."

This place is a local favorite. It serves a spicy noodle and raw fish dish called hoe-guksu.

[Soundbite] "You can only find this in Haeundae. It's my third meal here today. It's very delicious."

A bowl of chewy noodles with raw stingray costs just under three dollars.

[Soundbite] "It's awesome. It's drop-dead delicious."

Completing the dish is a special broth made with anchovies, herring, mushrooms and shrimp that’s boiled for eight hours.

[Soundbite] "The spicy noodles with raw fish and cool broth are very refreshing."

[Soundbite] "Noodles with raw fish are a must-try when you're in Busan."

No trip is complete without the food, and Haeundae has all kinds of great restaurants to try when you come off the beach.