UN Condemnation

[Anchor Lead]

The United Nations Security Council has condemned North Korea'srecent ballistic missile firings. This is the first time that the SecurityCouncil has taken issue with the regime's short-range missile launches.

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The United Nations Security Council convened early Friday morning, Korean time. The top agenda was North Korea's recent string of ballistic missile launches. The Council members unanimously adopted a STATEMENT for the press.

[Soundbite] "EUGENE-RICHARD GASANA (President, UN Security Council)"

All fifteen member nations were in agreement with the meeting's conclusion in which Rwandan Ambassador to UN and Security Council President Eugene-Richard Gasana urged the regime to fully comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions.Even China didn't raise any objections. This is the first time that North Korea's short-range missile issue was dealt by the entire Security Council. Until now the issue was usually discussed only by the Council's Sanctions Committee.The Security Council has focused on mid-to-long-range missiles instead, which had more provocative impact.The latest Security Council meeting was convened following South Korea's persistent assertion that the recent missile launches by North Korea was in violation of the UN resolutions.A diplomatic source in South Korea explained that the meeting was meant to discourage North Korea from firing more missiles in the future. Although today's Security Council statement fails to produce any immediate and concrete countermeasures, it has opened possibility for much tougher responses from the UN in case Pyongyang makes additional provocations.

2. Helicopter Crash

[Anchor Lead]

A firefighting helicopter crashed into a downtown area in thesouthern city of Gwangju on Thursday. It was returning after taking part insearch operations for the Sewol ferry victims. All five firefighters on boardwere killed and one passerby was injured.

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In the middle of a new downtown area in Gwangju city, a helicopter plummets out of nowhere and crashes into the street.Flames flare up and black smoke envelops the site. The crash created a large crater in the ground and fragments of the chopper flew to a restaurant as far as a hundred meters away.

[Soundbite] KIM SEUNG-HO (Witness) : "I ran out and saw a huge pillar of smoke soaringto the sky. The helicopter was caught up in flames."

The helicopter belonging to the Gangwon Fire Headquarters crashed around 10:53 a.m. Thursday morning, only four minutes after it took off from the Gwangju air force base. Five firefighters have been killed including pilot JeongSeong-cheol, fireman Park In-don, mechanic An Byeong-guk and rescue officers Sin Yeong-ryong and Lee Eun-gyo.A 19 year old student also sustained burns after getting hit by shrapnel.

[Soundbite] YANG NAM-HUI (Witness) : "Flames shot up and burning fragmentswere scattered all over the road."

The helicopter had been supporting the ferry victim search operations since Monday but was returning to its headquarters in Gangwon Province due to inclement weather.

[Soundbite] MUN GI-SIK (Chief, GwangjuGwangsan Fire Station) : "The team had completed their duties at Paengmok Portand was returning home from Gwangju airport."

The transport ministry dispatched an investigation team to the site Thursday to collect the black box and look into the cause of the accident.But this will take considerable time as analyzing the black box can take over half a year.

3. Crash Investigation

[Anchor Lead]

What caused the helicopter to plunge to the ground? Manypossibilities are being raised, including bad weather or a defect in thefuselage. But the authorities are holding off any conclusion until they finishanalyzing the helicopter's black box recovered from the accident site.

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Around the time of the accident, it was raining in the areas around the city of Gwangju and a heavy cloud was covering along the flight route.But the precipitation wasn't heavy at all, measuring only 6.5 millimeters per hour. The winds were also very calm, at one meter per second, and the visibility was good with a range of 6 kilometers.So experts believe that it isn't very likely that bad weather had caused the accident.

[Soundbite] KIM SEONG-UN (Captain, KBS Aircraft Team) : "At the time of the accident, visibility was withinaccepted range. If there were no heavy winds or lightning from the rain, the helicopterwould have been capable of flying safely."

Rather, experts put more weight on aircraft defects as the cause.This is a video footage of the crash. The helicopter is plummeting at an incredible speed towards the ground.This usually occurs when there is something defective with the aircraft steering system.It appears that the pilot experienced a sudden problem with the aircraft, which prevented him from following the procedure and making an emergency landing.Experts assume that the pilot could have lost control of the helicopter as he tried to change the altitude or direction and avoid crashing into a crowded area.

[Soundbite] KIM CHANG-WON (Director, Helicopter Produce Company) : "Pilots are trained to avoid collisions when aircraftget out of control. I think this is such a case."

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport immediately sent investigators to the scene and recovered the helicopter's black box.If the black box is not damaged, it could yield important clues to the cause of the crash.
However, the Ministry believes it would take investigators more than six months to come up with the final result.

4. Special Sewol Law

[Anchor Lead]

It's been over three months since the deadly sinking of the Sewolferry but there are still ten missing victims. A special law on the ferrydisaster is still pending in parliament. Frustrated, bereaved families haveembarked on more or less a pilgrimage.

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The monsoon rain opens a new day.Bereaved family members set out to Paengmok Port where the last was seen of the students who boarded the fateful ferry.The father and older sister of the late Lee Seung-hyeon, a student at Danwon High School, and the father of the late Kim Ung-gi, another student.They walk, unspeaking. They ask for the recovery of the missing victims, for a clear explanation of the truth behind the ferry incident, and for legislation of a special law that reflects the will of the family members.

[Soundbite] LEE HO-JIN (Bereaved Family Member) : "Hopefully our pilgrimage can draw attention so thatlawmakers will give us a little more thought in legislating the special law andinvestigating the ferry sinking."

They walk and walk.Neither the rain nor the heat can stop them.Other citizens who heard about the pilgrimage through social media have joined the families.The group of six or seven has expanded to a long procession.The families plan to walk some 800 kilometers over 40 days, first from Ansan to Paengmok Port, and then to Daejeon city where Pope Francis will preside over a Mass during his visit to Korea next month.

5. Lotte Set-back

[Anchor Lead]

The city government of Seoul has refused to approve the temporaryopening of Lotte World Tower. The city said the construction company needs tocome up with additional measures to address problems associated withtraffic and building safety. It will be difficult for Lotte to open thelow-rising buildings of its newest Lotte World complex early.

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The city of Seoul has pointed out two glaring problems with the new Lotte World Tower complex.Four accidents occurred at the construction site over the past year, but no adequate safety measures have been put in place yet.The city of Seoul expects as many as 200 thousand people a day would come to the tower, even if only parts of it were opened. The municipal government said there should be traffic control measures to deal with severe congestion likely to plague the area.

[Soundbite] JIN HUI-SEON (Seoul Metropolitan Government Official) : "People's safety comes first, so they should focus onthat and take additional measures. They should minimize the inconvenience of heavy traffic forlocal residents."

Also, local resident became nervous when the water level at Seokchon Lake near the construction site went down and sink holes appeared nearby, prompting the metropolitan government to reject the builder's request for an early opening of the skyscraper.

[Soundbite] KIM HAK-JIN (Seoul Metropolitan Government Official) : "It will take time to examine the effects on undergroundwater and geological features and identify the causes."

Seoul also pointed out that more thorough emergency guidelines should be set up for fires, blackouts, building collapses and other accidents.Lotte Corporation, in charge of the tower's construction, said it would take prompt measures when the city government sends its official notice so that Lotte World Tower could open in time.Due to be completed by the end of 2016, Lotte World Tower, also known as the second Lotte World, is a 555-meter-tall skyscraper with 123 floors.The low-rising buildings of the complex, which Lotte Corporation wants opened early, will house a department store, a shopping mall, and a multiplex theater.

6. Bargain Onions

[Anchor Lead]

These days, a sack full of onions cost as little as a cup of coffeewhen you buy it on the farm. Growing output and dwindling consumption haveplunged onion prices to half of last year's level. We make a visit to an onionfarm where worries abound.

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Muancounty in South Jeolla Province is Korea's largest major onion production site. Onion sacks are piled up along farm roads.20 kilogram onion nets piled along a 300 meter stretch to the town entrance have created a formidable structure.The onion sacks are found all over town including roadsides and fields.The enormous piles are the result of onion prices dropping to half their value last year. With slow sales and inadequate storage, there's no option but to stack up the enormous unsold crop.

[Soundbie] GO GYEONG-SEOK (Farmer) : "We do sell but the cost is so low, we can't sell atthis price. There are no vendors. But if the price doesn't rise, we'll have to sell eventually.We can't let the onion stacks go to rot."

Kim Deok-hyeong has grown onions for three decades. He says this year has been the toughest ever.Kim supplies onions to large supermarkets but his sales are down to a third of last year's as consumers aren't purchasing as much.Meanwhile, onion production in the Muan area rose 23 percent from last year, to 210-thousand tons. Output is up while consumption is falling. Onions are stacked up in the fields but the weather is yet another concern.

[Soundbite] KIM DEOK-HYEONG (Farmer) : "The rain will accelerate decaying. The hot weatherwill also ripen the onions even if they're covered."

Farmers are finding it difficult to break even and recoup even their production costs. The more they sell, the more they lose. Their concerns are growing with no solution in sight.

7. Convenience Stores

[Anchor Lead]

The retail giant Shinsegae Group, which already owns department storesand a supermarket chain, is now eyeing the convenience store market.Shinsegae's move will likely profoundly change the dynamics in the retailsector and affect commercial districts where its convenience stores will open.

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A new signboard is put up on a convenience store.The Shinsegae Group acquired the convenience store chain "With me" in December of 2013. Recently it's been expanding its affiliate stores in full gear.

[Soundbite] JO DU-IL (CEO, Shinsegae Convenience Store) : "Our goal for this year is one thousand stores.We designed this project with the goal of maximizing store owners' revenues."

Large convenience store chains such as CU, GS25 and 7-Eleven already hold 92 percent of the convenience market in the nation. But even they can't stop Shinsegae from trying its luck as a convenience store holder.The biggest reason behind Shinsegae's bold venture is the exponential growth of the convenience store market, which has expanded 17 percent annually on average over the past five years.By contrast, growth in the department store and supermarket chain markets has slowed down.Shinsegae has also introduced a groundbreaking business method for its convenience stores.When existing convenience store chains have to pay around 35 percent of their sales revenues to their head company, Shinsegae's stores only have to pay monthly membership fees. In return the head company provides them with merchandise and facilities.Store owners also have the right to decide on operation hours and product prices.In addition, most of the products cost 30-50 percent cheaper than in other places because they're produced by Shinsegae.However, Shinsegae's advancement into the convenience store market has raised concerns as well.

[Soundbite] Prof. KIM JU-YEONG (Sogang University) : "Small and mid-sized individual convenience storesand mom-and-pop shops will probably lose ground."

The retail sector is watching closely whether Shinsegae's move will spark a price competition among convenience stores or change the dynamics of local stores.

8. Cardinal's Story

[Anchor Lead]

A documentary film about late Cardinal Stephen Kim Soo-hwan hasbeen produced. It depicts the everyday life of the cardinal as an ordinaryperson.

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Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan was a role model for religious figures and a guardian for the socially ostracized.He always lent a helping hand to people with disabilities, elderly people living alone and migrant workers.

[Soundbite] STEPHEN KIM SOU-HWAN (Fmr. Cardinal) : "We are all Christians. If we have more believers,won't the spirit of Christianity grow stronger?"

Like everyone else, sometimes he was worried about what people thought about him.

[Soundbite] "I'd like to know what people think about me.Do they find me hard to approach?"

The film also sheds light on the cardinal as an ordinary person.

[Soundbite] "When other cars cut in, the reaction is strongerthan just saying, "That guy!""

[Soundbite] "He used to tell us many stories about ghostswhen we got together at night."

The cardinal also complained about pain while battling disease.

[Soundbite] "It's becoming more and more difficult for me to get up.(Do your arms and legs hurt?) They hurt."

[Soundbite] JEON SEONG-U (Film Director) : "While producing this film I was able to better understandthe cardinal. By the time the production process was over, I had fallen in love with him."

The documentary film about Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan portrays the final three years of his life. It's slated for release on August 7.

9. Summer Nights

[Anchor Lead]

The daytime heat can continue into the night, rendering peopleirritated from a lack of sleep. But here are some ways to turn the hot,sleepless nights into opportunities for some fun.

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Every night music is played in this neighborhood. The music is for a nighttime exercise class organized by the local clinic to help residents stay healthy during the summer. Anyone can take this class for free. The workout session begins when the dusk comes. For an hour every evening local residents participate in all sorts of programs. They can stay healthy and even lose weight. Moving to the rhythm is a great way to relieve stress as well. Who needs a gym when you can come here? Try overcoming heat exhaustion with nighttime exercise.

[Soundbite] "Have a healthy and happy night.Thank you."

[Soundbite] PARK SEON-HONG (Participant) : "It's more fun to work out together andI feel better by the time I go to bed"

There is a special program that can be enjoyed only on summer nights. There are still visitors left in this zoo in Gyeonggi Province, although it's way past its normal closing time. That's because during summer the zoo stays open at night, from seven to nine. People on late night outings walk around the zoo as if they're exploring the safari in the dark. The night zoo offers an atmosphere quite different from that of the day.

[Soundbite] PARK MI-AE (Visitor) : "I haven't thought about what animals would do at night,but now that I've seen them at night, I realize that they don't go to sleep but stay awake."

Another merit of the night zoo is that people can see how nocturnal animals actually behave at night. We often see lions, sand foxes, and hedgehogs asleep during the day. But late at night they are awake and more active. These animals fascinate children who've always wondered why they're always asleep. The zoo has another tempting offer only for nighttime visitors. It's mouthwatering barbecue! This outdoor barbecue makes the zoo feel more like a camping ground. The nighttime tour of the zoo provides a different experience for the entire family.

[Soundbite] KIM YEONG-MI (Visitor) : "It's too hot during the day because of the sun, but it's niceat night because it's cooler. And I love the barbecue."

The Han River is a favorite haunt for those driven out of their homes by the heat.

[Soundbite] O DA-YEONG (Visitor) : "It was so hot that I came out to eat chickenand get some fresh air."

A riverside park in Yeouido plays free movies for people cooling off by the river. This romantic summer night theater opens every Friday and Saturday until August 16th. On weekdays the theater is turned into a venue for other cultural events like a photo exhibition or a jazz concert.

[Soundbite] JEONG JI-HUN (Visitor) : "Watching a free movie with a fresh breezes blowingmakes me feel better and relieve my stress."

[Soundbite] KIM SO-YEONG (Visitor) : "It's really cool and nice."

When you can't stand the hot and sticky nights anymore, try these nighttime options to make your summer a little more bearable.