Ballistic Missile

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea fired another ballistic missile one day ahead of the historically significant anniversary of the armistice which ended the fighting in the Korean War. Again, leader Kim Jong-un was present at the launch.

[Pkg]

North Korea again fired a ballistic missile on the night of July 26th, the eve of the day when truce was declared for the Korean War. The missile was launched from Jangsan Cape in Hwanghae Province, just north of South Korea's Baengnyeong Island. It is believed to be a Scud-type missile with the range of 500 kilometers. The launch site was just 11 kilometers from the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea. Saturday's rocket drill was the third time this month that missiles were fired from near the armistice line. The North Korean media reported that Kim Jong-un had personally guided the drill and the launch had targeted American armed forces in South Korea.

[Soundbite] (Korean Central TV) : "He examined the present locations of the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces' bases in South Korea and guided the rocket firing drill to strike and destroy them."

Since the regime claims itself the victor of the Korean War, Saturday's missile drill appears to be a campaign to incite anti-American sentiments and a warning against the possible deployment of the U.S. military's high altitude missile defense shield over the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean military authority believes that North Korea is using its typical two-pronged tactics of reconciliation and provocation. Pyongyang has been sounding out its plan to attend the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon while firing missiles.

[Soundbite] KIM MIN-SEOK (Spokesman, Ministry of National Defense) : "North Korea said it hopes to promote reconciliation between the two Koreas. But we can't help but doubt North Korea's sincerity."

Immediately after the drill Kim Jong-un visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-un are kept, and the regime held a national meeting and celebratory events.

2. Sewol Family March

[Anchor Lead]

Bereaved families of the Sewol victims wrapped up a 500-kilometer walking journey from Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, to Jindo, South Jeolla Province, on Sunday. Search operations for missing passengers of the ill-fated ferry have resumed with the retreat of a typhoon.

[Pkg]

Flying yellow flags, members of the Sewol ferry demonstration marchers form a long line as they arrive on foot at the Jindo Gymnasium. Three bereaved family members of the Sewol ferry victims walked 500 kilometers in 20 days. Despite their apparent exhaustion upon arrival, they console the families of those who remain missing. They made the long journey despite scorching heat and stormy weather to call for a thorough investigation into the sinking of the ferry and the passage of a special law regarding the accident.

[Soundbite] KIM HAK-IL (Bereaved Family Member) : "The children were inside the ship. We did it for legislation that will prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy."

Approximately one thousand citizens joined the bereaved families along the journey.

[Soundbite]

OH HYEON-SEON (Participant): I know that there are many citizens who understand and support us, although they are not with us here. I joined the march for myself and for our future generations.

The families moved to Paengmok Port in Jindo Island early Monday morning. After praying for the timely return of the missing passengers, they plan to meet with Pope Francis on August 15th during his visit to South Korea. Search efforts for the missing passengers have resumed with the departure of a typhoon, which had brought operations to a halt on July 24th.

3. Avian Flu Outbreak

[Anchor Lead]

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected on a duck farm in Hampyeong in southwest Korea. Another outbreak of bird flu, after a month relative quiet, hindered the health authorities' plan to put an end to avian flu in the South Jeolla region by the end of this month.

[Pkg]

Traffic has been blocked on this road to a duck farm. Duck fecal matters collected from this farm tested positive for avian influenza and more detailed exams confirmed the flu virus to be highly pathogenic. The bird flu prevention team for South Jeolla Province destroyed and buried some 44,000 birds. That includes 42 thousand ducks from the infected farm and another 20 thousand chickens from a nearby chicken farm situated inside 500-meter radius. Health authorities also imposed a 30-day traffic restriction on 15 poultry farms within 10-kilometer radius.

[Soundbite] GWON DU-SEOK (South Jeolla Provincial Official) : "Be thorough about disinfecting individual vehicles and thoroughly restrict and disinfect any or persons enter the farms."

No bird flu case was reported for more than a month since the disease broke out in Muan in June 17th, raising hope for the epidemic to end by the end of this month. But such hope was dashed by the recent outbreak. The South Jeolla region has been plagued with avian influenza for more than six months ever since highly pathogenic AI virus was detected in Haenam in late January. During that time roughly 2.36 million birds were culled from 91 farms in seven cities and counties. Poultry farmers are growing more upset as traffic restrictions have expanded to cover larger areas.

[Soundbite] MA GWANG-HA (Chief, Korea Duck Association) : "The government hasn't done anything for the traffic restricted areas after imposing the ban. That's why the poultry farmers are upset."

Avian influenza usually occurred in wintertime. But now that the disease is found even in summer, it is concerning many that the possibility that AI may have already developed into a non-seasonal disease.

4. Conserving Energy

[Anchor Lead]

Mobile data centers and communication base stations guzzle electricity. Of the power they consume, a considerable portion goes toward cooling down heated servers or equipment. Now, mobile carriers are making various efforts to conserve electricity.

[Pkg]

Data centers store an enormous amount of information transferred via the Internet or smartphones. 20 to 30 percent of the electricity consumed at a data center goes to cooling down overheated servers to prevent breakdowns. To help reduce its power consumption, this telecommunication company recently began using ground water from 30 meters below the surface. The temperature of the ground water hovers around 15 degrees Celsius throughout the year. By using this cold water to cool the air in the building, the company saves as much as 80 percent of the electricity previously used for this purpose.

[Soundbite] LEE JUN-DONG (Environment & Energy Manager, Telecom Company) : "To save energy, we utilize natural energy sources for the operation of our power-guzzling facilities like communications rooms and internet data centers. It is quite effective."

One large online portal company built a data center in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, where the temperature is lower than that in Seoul and the metropolitan area. It made the decision after analyzing statistics from the Korea Meteorological Administration. The company utilizes cool outside air to save energy. Annual power consumption at 113 data centers across the nation amounts to a third of that produced by a nuclear energy reactor. IT companies can save a considerable amount of energy simply by reducing the electricity needed for cooldown. Major IT companies like Facebook operate data centers near the Arctic to make use of the cold air.

[Soundbite] SONG JUN-HWA (Official, Korea IT Service Industry Association) : "IT companies need to invest in developing and finding energy-efficient ways to cool down their facilities to remain competitive."

With the total volume of the global data center market topping 119 billion U.S. dollars last year, it appears IT companies will have to devise further ways to save energy.

5. Surviving Cancer

[Anchor Lead]

Cancer survival rates have increased dramatically over the years, which definitely is comforting news for those fighting cancer. But with better survival rates came higher chances of new tumors appearing in other organs, prompting doctors and patients to take more precautionary measures.

[Pkg]

This woman in her forties had breast cancer surgery and went into remission for eight years before being declared cancer-free. She recently had herself tested for hypothyroidism but was stunned to find she had thyroid cancer.

[Soundbite] (Breast & Thyroid Cancer Patient) : "I cried a lot when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, but the thyroid cancer diagnosis rendered me numb."

With the cancer survival rate reaching 64%, many patients recover completely from their bouts with primary cancer. However, a higher survival rate also means that now there are bigger number of secondary cancer patients with new cancer cells found in other organs. Secondary cancer in thyroid developed in seven percent of breast cancer patients, stomach cancer in 6% of colorectal cancer patients, and kidney cancer in 2.7% of those who survived prostate cancer. Some 130 thousand cancer patients were tracked for this study conducted by Yonsei Cancer Center. The study showed that one-time cancer patients are at higher risk for having new tumors occur in other places, so they need to go through tests that are much more thorough.

[Soundbite] Prof. NAM KEE-HYUN (Yonsei Cancer Center) : "It's most important to maintain immunity against cancer and receive regular physical exams so that secondary cancer can be diagnosed early."

Doctors also advise exercising in regular basis to boost the immune system and having plenty of vegetables and fruits rich in anticancer substances. Currently, roughly 200 thousand Koreans are diagnosed with cancer each year.

6. Plug Innovation

[Anchor Lead]

Small ideas can make a big difference sometimes. A Korean student brought change to consumer electronics devices in Britain by transforming a chunky three-pin plug into a slim folding adapter. Here is the story.

[Pkg]

Residents of the U.K. use this unique plug that has remained unchanged for decades. On top of its large size, the plug has three sharp pins measuring 2 or 3cm long. The pins frequently cause scratches or damage to laptop computers or other personal IT gadgets.

[Soundbite] JACK KNIGHT (Office Worker) : "Yeah it could quite easily scratch or damage my computer or scratch here."

A new, redesigned plug aims to address the inconveniences of the traditional one. The invention is a folding plug, which reduces the size of the traditional plug by 70 percent when shut. Its designer is not a British native, but rather a creative and enterprising design student from Korea.

[Soundbite] CHOI MIN-KYU (Co-Founder, ‘Design MU’ Company) : "I was annoyed when the large plug scratched my laptop computer, so I began redesigning the British plug to ease such inconveniences."

Choi and his business partner, a friend from graduate school, introduced their invention to the market last year. Already, 40-thousand of the folding plugs have been sold. Their future is bright, especially given their projected earnings from patent right fees.

[Soundbite] MATTHEW JUDKINS (Co-Founder, ‘Design MU’ Company) : "With a fresh set of eyes, which obviously MinKyu came with a different country, you see something that's wrong and you just change it."

[Soundbite] CHOI MIN-KYU (Co-Founder, ‘Design MU’ Company) : "I want to create a successful precedent, to offer hope to other students studying abroad."

Major British media outlets are praising the plug for its innovative design. Now, all eyes are on the Korean student and his potential for further success in the future.

7. Jellyfish Dangers

[Anchor Lead]

Many people try to beat the heat playing in the water during the summer, but poisonous jellyfish may be something to consider when hitting the beach. In severe cases jellyfish stings can result in the loss of consciousness; first aid is crucial.

[Pkg]

This girl had to receive emergency treatment after being stung by a jellyfish while playing in the sea off Jeju Island two summers ago. At approximately the same time an eight-year-old child was attacked by jellyfish at a beach in Incheon and passed away. Jellyfish attacks have become rampant in recent years due to the rising temperatures in waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

[Soundbite] LEE YUN (Researcher, National Fisheries Research & Development Institute) : "Due to climate change waters off Korea are becoming subtropical. In addition to existing jellyfish species, there are also subtropical species now."

In the last year alone, over 1,100 people sought medical treatment for jellyfish stings, which contain venom. That's two and a half times the number recorded five years earlier. Seven out of ten patients fell victim to jellyfish in August during the peak summer vacation season. Mild jellyfish stings, which only cause skin redness and stinging pain, can be treated easily by washing the affected body part with seawater. However, in severe cases when patients have difficulty breathing and other symptoms throughout the body, it is highly recommended to stay under doctor's observation for the minimum duration of eight hours.

[Soundbite] Dr. KIM KEON-BAE (Ilsan Hospital) : "Symptoms may include heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, dizziness and fainting. When they appear, patients should seek emergency help as soon as possible."

Washing the affected area with fresh water can only promote the spread of venom. Therefore, it's important to rinse the skin with vinegar or seawater before reaching the emergency room.

8. Quirky Grad Album

[Anchor Lead]

Many schools and universities are busy during this summer break producing graduation albums for their students. One high school in Korea drew became an Internet sensation for its quirky photos.

[Pkg]

Until recently, most graduation albums featured photos of students wearing the same uniform, with a rather stiff look on their faces. But this album produced by a high school in Gyeonggi Province defies the stereotype about graduation photos. This student is shown holding a banana with his shoulders raised slightly. He's mimicking the popular child star Chu Sarang, who is all the rage these days in Korea. One student wears makeup from the horror movie "Saw." And another took a cue from the Russian figure-skating champion Adelina Sotnikova who beat Kim Yu-na at the Sochi Winter Olympics. The school started this tradition four years ago to let its students express themselves to the fullest.

[Soundbite] CHOI YEON-HO (Student) : "The atmosphere used to be gloomy at school. We had fun together for the first time in a while. Even the most timid of my classmates had fun that day."

Sometimes students face opposition from the school for their "inappropriate" poses, but most of the time they're allowed to pose as they want.

[Soundbite] Uijeongbu High School Teacher (Voice Modified) : "We ban students from wearing costumes andmakeup that are inappropriate from an educational point of view despite their freedom of expression."

Graduation pictures have become a way for young people to express their personalities and make special memories about their school days.

9. Overcoming Fatigue

[Anchor Lead]

How do you feel today? Not fully rested? You are not alone. Most Koreans complain that they feel sleepy and drained all the time. Today we'll take a closer look at chronic fatigue syndrome that’s affecting a lot of people.

[Pkg]

We often see at least a couple of people around us who look tired all the time. If you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, you may not feel refreshed even after sleeping and tend to show impaired concentration. People tend to think that a good night's sleep or a long rest will ease fatigue. But persistent tiredness is an illness. Good rest only works for a temporary or acute state of exhaustion, which lasts no longer than a month. But if tiredness persists for a long time despite plenty of rest, it could be chronic fatigue syndrome. What exactly is chronic fatigue syndrome?

[Soundbite] Prof. LEE YONG-JE (Gangnam Severance Hospital) : "Chronic fatigue syndrome is a group of symptoms related to persistent tiredness. If such symptoms as muscle and bone pains and not felling clear-headed accompany the feeling of constant fatigue, it can be diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome."

This housewife overwhelmed with childcare and household chores came to test for this condition. She took a blood test, an x-ray, and underwent various examinations. Even her hair was tested for minerals… because her nutrition status can be determined from her hair. She also discussed her sleeping habits. Many people try to relieve fatigue by sleeping it off, but is sleeping really the answer to constant fatigue?

[Soundbite] "Of course sleep is important to relieving fatigue. But just sleeping a lot is not as important as how well you sleep."

A long nap during the day could hurt the quality of sleep and prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. Your posture could also be distorted to worsen your tired condition. There are many things you can do in your daily routine to ease fatigue. First, keep yourself well hydrated by drinking eight glasses of water a day. Many people take health supplements or energy drinks when they feel famished. But it is better to get nutrients through food. Supplement your vitamin intake with plenty of fruits and vegetables and get protein from meat and fish. Having too little muscle mass can tire you out faster, so taking in enough protein to build up muscle is important. Now it's time to get your fitness level up to fight fatigue. It is more effective to do both non-aerobic and aerobic exercises. Working out excessively could cause even more fatigue, so start with a five-minute session and then gradually increase the time to 30 minutes over five days. Also, stretching is proven to be effective. Chronic fatigue syndrome often brings pain for certain parts of the body. This movement is good for relaxing the neck and shoulders. Stay ten seconds with your head down and another ten seconds with the head bent backward. This move is effective for relaxing the tensed-up spine and shoulder muscles. If you suffer from severe upper and lower back pains, stretch out your arms and round your back for ten seconds to ease the pain in the shoulder blades. Now straighten the spine and stretch out your arms behind you. Repeat these movements with short breaks in between to loosen up the muscles and reduce fatigue. Chronic fatigue keeps you from carrying out daily activities and enjoying life. It could also cause other ailments, so take plenty of rest, eat well and exercise regularly to feel more energized.