The Hunt for Records

[Anchor Lead]

The political battles are intensifying over the mysterious absence of the transcript from the 2007 inter-Korean summit at the National Archives. The ruling party says archive officials have stated that they don’t have the summit records but the opposition says just because they haven’t been found yet doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

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Bipartisan lawmakers who searched for the 2007 inter-Korean summit records at the National Archives on Monday and Wednesday filed a report to parliament over the results. Ruling and opposition members were together at the archives conducting the search but their reports differed. The ruling Saenuri Party quoted the archives as saying that it does not have the summit transcript.

[Soundbite] Rep. Hwang Jin-ha(Saenuri Party) : "We couldn’t find the transcript and relatedrecords. The National Archives confirmed that they don’t possess the materials."

Saenuri members say they couldn't even find the basic recorded files of the summit. Meanwhile the opposition Democratic Party stresses that it's more likely the materials haven't been found yet; not that they don't exist.

[Soundbite] Rep. Woo Yoon-keun(Democratic Party) : "The right answer would be that the records haven'tbeen found yet. At this stage, we can’t accept that they don’t exist when all means to locate themhaven’t been used."

Amid the contrasting views, the National Assembly House Steering Committee will continue efforts to locate the records. The select team of bipartisan lawmakers as well as experts will visit the archives to continue the search. They are also urging the archives to conduct a search itself. The two parties will then make a final visit to the archives on Monday to determine if the summit transcript exists.

2. Operational Command

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Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey says he supports a transfer of wartime operational command in late 2015. His remark comes as a response to the Korean government's recent request that the transfer be postponed.

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In a written document that was submitted to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey said he supports the transfer of wartime operational command to Korea in late 2015 as scheduled. Dempsey added that the timing of the planned transfer is right in terms of the military aspect. He stressed that the transfer depends on whether the Korean military will achieve its goals with regard to weapons, command, and control. Dempsey's official stance hints at a difference in opinions between Korea and the U.S. on when to transfer the wartime operational command. He's the first high-ranking U.S. authority to announce an official stance on Seoul's proposition to postpone the transfer yet again, a move that was recently made by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin to U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

3. Search Continues

[Anchor Lead]

The additional containers found in a North Korean ship seized at the Panama Canal were carrying what appear to be weapon parts. The U.N. Security Council has started an investigation into the case.

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North Korea's vessel, the Chong Chon Gang, has been impounded for five days now at Manzanillo Port on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. On Thursday, the Panamanian government disclosed the inside of the two containers. Panamanian authorities said the containers were carrying what appeared to be weapon parts. Panama has searched the North Korean ship with 350 police officers and requested an investigation team from the UN. The United Nations has launched a probe to determine whether the regime had violated U.N. resolutions.

[Soundbite] Jose Mulino(Panamanian Security Minister) : "A visit of the United Nations experts has been scheduled in Panama for August the 5th to verify the weapons."

The U.S. government will impose additional sanctions against the North once the seized cargo is confirmed to be weapons.

[Soundbite] Jay Carney(Spokesman, White House)

The Panamanian prosecution said the North Korean crew members currently detained in Panama could be sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison. Panama also cancelled visa applications of two North Korean diplomats in Cuba, who were going to look into the matter. Meanwhile, another North Korean freighter was found to have sailed the same route as the Chong Chon Gang last year. This new finding suggests the regime has continuously been engaging in weapons transactions with Cuba.

4. Algae Alert

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A bloom of green algae that began in the Nakdong River early last month is moving up the river toward the water supply source for the city of Daegu, raising concerns about water safety.

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The river's edge is covered with dark green algae. The algae bloom is vivid green. A line of buoys is installed around the green algae tide to block its spread. Five kilometers upstream, green algae is found even at the point where the branch river joins the Nakdong River's mainstream, which is a water supply protection area. The green tide occurred some 20 kilometers upstream from the site where a green algae bloom was seen last month. The latest algae tide was discovered within the Maegok water filtration zone, which provides water to the city of Daegu.

[Soundbite] Jeong Su-geun(Korea Federation for Environment Movement) : "The large algae bloom occurring in Daegu'swater source is an urgent water safety issue because the bloom contains toxic cyanophta."

Upon finding the green tide, environmental authorities tested the water quality but found no problem with it.

[Soundbite] Gang Seok-jae(Regional Environmental Office) : "Chlorophyl A registered 9.8 at the Munsan waterfiltration facility and 9.4 at the Maegok facility.No cyanophta was found in Munsan and about 100was found in Maegok. So the water quality is fine."

In the event the algae bloom spreads any further, it could force the water supply to shut down. So the environmental office is intensifying its monitoring of the entire Nakdong River system.

5. Helping Hands

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Restoration efforts are under way in Korea's Gangwon Province, which bore the brunt of the recent monsoon rains. Locals say they have regained hope thanks to all the help they've been receiving.

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Muddy waters gushed into the houses and factories, breaking steel doors and flooding everything. The houses and workplaces of local residents who have lived here for three decades were destroyed. But thanks to the arduous efforts of some 200 volunteers they can now get back on their feet. These volunteers from Incheon rushed in to help the flood victims as soon as they heard about the disaster. They clean each and every item of the devastated homes and use buckets to remove water from the dark basement, where the electricity has been cut off. Meanwhile, some 70 soldiers and local government officials are helping restore a ginseng field covered in mud. They carefully remove it with their hands since ginseng roots can easily get damaged.

[Soundbite] Lt. Jin Byeong-taek(2nd Army Corps) : "I helped by thinking of this as of my own tragedy,not someone else's. It made me work even harder."

Yesterday alone, more than 6,000 people paid trips to flooded areas in Gangwon Province to offer their help. Local residents' offices in the province are receiving many offers of assistance, which are giving hope to those affected.

6. Online Anger

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Recently, an online political dispute that escalated into personal attacks ended in murder when the man tracked down the woman he was fighting with and stabbed her to death. It has raised concern about the fact that many cyberspace forums supposedly dedicated to rational debate are teeming with vitriol directed at people with different views.

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These are online postings related to the minutes of the inter-Korean summit. At first, the postings are mostly rational discussions on the issue. But soon the comments turn into a barrage of cuss words and mockery. This is another internet site with similar postings. The board is also full of foul language and slander instead of rational arguments. Cyber space can be a scary place for people who simply want to engage in logical discussions. A person can often remain anonymous in cyber space, but it is that anonymity that can incite aggressive and emotion-laden comments. Instead of utilizing debates or discussions to make an argument convincing, personal attacks and profane language are used to abuse others.

[Soundbite] Prof. Gang Do-hyeong(Seoul National University Hospital) : "Online, a person possesses a status similar to that ofsocial situations. If he feels he loses that position due to someone’s remarks, it can cause himto seek vengeance."

People of the same opinion tend to congregate easily in cyber space. Once they find each other, they go into collective attack mode rather quickly. The internet is becoming a dangerous place for those looking for rational discussions.

7. Cancer Patients

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A survey has shown that one in every seven cancer patients is younger than 40; some are even teenagers. Such people require significant financial support.

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This woman in her 20s was diagnosed with leukemia in high school. She was devastated after learning about her disease at such a young age. She even had to give up on her college entrance exams.

[Soundbite] Gwon A-jin(Fmr. Leukemia Patient) : "I was depressed and devastated.In hindsight, it turned out to be a great asset."

This woman was diagnosed with thyroid and breast cancers when she was in her early 30s. She says she was a huge financial burden to her family and couldn't raise her child properly.

[Soundbite] Jo Yeong-ran(Fmr. Cancer Patient) : "It was hard for my family. I was too tiredand fatigued to take care of my child."

A survey conducted by the Yonsei Severance Cancer Center shows that over the past 15 years 15 percent of some 100,000 cancer patients were young, with their ages ranging from 15 to 39. Such people usually spend most of their time studying or working. Some women become pregnant and have to raise children. That's why young cancer patients expect greater government financial support. Seventeen percent of the surveyed patients wanted government support for child-raising and for their elderly parents. That's eight times as much as those who are over 40. In advanced nations, cancer patients aging from 15 to 39 receive strong medical and social support. Experts say young cancer patients need much help from society since they can contribute to the nation's economy and society once they are cured.

8. Fantastic Film Festival

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We go now to the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, which kicked off on Thursday with films from a wide range of genres like fantasy and science fiction.

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The movie "The Congress" is a story about an aging Hollywood star who makes a deal with a movie production company to have a full body imaging of herself, selling a her digital copy to the studio. The movie features impressive vivid images combined with the elements of animation. More than 230 movies from 44 countries have gathered in one place. Their genres range from horror to science fiction to fantasy.

[Soundbite] Kim Yeong-bin(Chairman, Event Executive Committee) : "Only by knowing our past can we judge the present and predict the future. In this respect, we have preparedsome academic events."

The organizers of the festival did their best to promote film diversity. They attempted to promote genre films through filmmaking training programs, content marketing, and networking. One of the festival's special events is a robot film exhibition, which has emerged as Bucheon's new attraction. The diverse images of robots shown in the movies were created in collaboration with the robot industry. The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival will run through July 28.

9. Climate Change Trends

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Climate change has been causing shifts in the marketplace, with some products seeing a second heyday, and others fading from the spotlight.

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Right after homemaker JeongJi-ae from Incheon says goodbye to her husband every morning when he goes to work, she opens the closets in her house and turns on a dehumidifier. She decided to buy the gadget as the hot, sticky weather has been causing mold to grow on her in clothes and bedding.

[Soundbite] JeongJi-ae(Homemaker) : "When it's too humid, people become moreirritated. When I use my dehumidifier, it helps lower humidity levels and thatmakes me less irritated. It’s also good to keepme from sweating profusely while sleeping."

Jeong uses her dehumidifier and electric fans to make the laundry dry faster during the monsoon season. The dehumidifier also comes in handy when drying the shoe closet and removing odors from it. The home appliance market was the first to react to climate change. In the past, dehumidifiers were mostly used in archives and museums to maintain the right humidity level. But nowadays many households use them. Consumers can choose from a vast variety of dehumidifiers these days, as demand continues to rise.

[Soundbite] Han Sang-jin(Salesman, Home Appliance Store) : "Many of our customers live on the first or secondfloors. Many of them are homemakers who have children or do their laundry often."

The influence of climate change can also be found in supermarkets. They sell tropical fruit such as bananas, pineapples, mangos and kiwis. Tropical fruit is gradually replacing traditional local fruit, whose production has plunged in recent years.

[Soundbite] Won Jong-gon(Staff Member, Large Supermarket) : "We have more grapefruit, kiwis and bananasat our store. Our customers often buy them.They’re in higher demand this year becausetheir prices are lower compared with previous years."

Changes in weather are also obvious in the way people dress for work. A growing number of office workers wear shorts to stay cool in the sultry weather. They say lighter clothing helps them concentrate better.

[Soundbite] Yeo Myeong-jun(Korea National Oil Corporation) : "In the past, I would have thought that clothing storesdidn’t sell many shorts, but these days you can buy all different kinds of shorts that even make appropriate office attire.So I bought a few pairs."

To meet the rising demand for thin clothing, apparel companies are producing all kinds of cooler work clothes. While fewer customers buy formal suits now, more and more prefer thin, comfortable jackets.

[Soundbite] Lee Ji-yeong(Designer, Apparel Firm) : "Sales of Cool Biz clothes have surged about20% year-on-year. Linen shirts and T-shirts are the most important items. Many customersprefer to wear shorts with a jacket becausethey look formal while keeping them cool."

Climate change is turning the Korean Peninsula into a subtropical zone and consumers are trying to adapt to the rapid changes.