Honam KTX Setbacks

[Anchor Lead]

Test runs for the new Honam KTX railway are now in full swing as the opening date of April 2nd approaches. However KBS has discovered that the transformer which lowers high-voltage currents and supplies power to the train cars has exploded three times throughout testing.

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Test runs for the new Honam high-speed railway were well underway last October. But the transformer suddenly exploded the moment the power was turned on for a train car in the Goyang base station, Gyeonggi Province. This is a photo of the transformer removed for repair. The equipment is heavily scorched in several places. It is assumed that the voltage suddenly spiked to burn down the transformer. Consequently, the transformer had to be replaced. There are two transformers installed on each KTX train - one each on the front and rear engine locomotives. The transformer in the engine car makes two adjustments to lower a 25,000-volt current down to 380 volts and supplies power to the train.

[Soundbite] Park Heung-su (Public Policy Inst. for People) : "It basically disables train operation. Repairs can be delayed when a transformer problem occurs while the train is running in the mountains or fields."

Ten similar incidents were reported involving the KTX Sancheon model currently in service. But the new KTX model, a supposed improvement of the KTX Sancheon, is found to have experienced three malfunctions even before it was put into full operation.

2. Cheonan Anniversary

[Anchor Lead]

Thursday marks the fifth anniversary of the deadly torpedo attack on the Navy corvette Cheonan. Defense Minister Han Min-koo said that North Korea was indisputably responsible for the attack and vowed to crush any provocative intent by the North.

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Torn violently apart, the body of the vessel still reflects the shock of the attack and the pain the deceased sailors must have experienced at the time. Broken windows on the bridge and a faded Korean flag are frozen in time at that tragic moment five years ago. Defense Minister Han Min-koo has criticized North Korea. He said that while it's indisputably clear the North was responsible for the attack, it has made no apology and is looking for any excuse to provoke again, including making threats against South Korean civic groups' leaflet dispersal campaign.

[Soundbite] Han Min-koo(S. Korean Nat’l Defense Minister) : "If the enemy provokes, our military will launch stern counterattacks to completely crush any provocative will by the enemy."

The minister visited the northeastern border islands defense command, and asked troops to heighten public trust through stern retaliation against the North. The Navy continues its large scale maritime exercise that began with shooting drills on the Yellow Sea on Thursday. Through the exercise, the Navy will demonstrate its cruise missile and antisubmarine operational skills that have been bolstered since the Cheonan attack.

3. Golf Outing Uproar

[Anchor Lead]

Controversy erupted over South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo's golf outing with his wife during working hours while on a business trip to the U.S. The South Gyeongsang provincial government attempted to explain it away, saying it was not inappropriate since the governor played golf with an overseas trade adviser to attract investments to his province.

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It's been confirmed that South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo, who is on a business trip to the United States, played golf at a local golf club last Friday afternoon. He was scheduled to meet with a local buyer that afternoon, but instead played golf with his wife, an overseas trade adviser for South Gyeongsang Province, and a Korean-American acquaintance. As controversy erupted over the governor's schedule, the provincial government explained that the golf outing was not inappropriate because the meeting with the buyer was cancelled and the governor paid the course fee as well as his wife's travel expenses with his own money.

[Soundbite] Jeong Jang-soo (Exec. Sec., S. Gyeongsang Prov.) : "Mrs. Hong went to the U.S. for personal reasons, without any administrative or financial support from South Gyeongsang Province."

Nonetheless, the main opposition party, the New Politics Alliance for Democracy demanded Governor Hong disclose his itinerary and expenses.

[Soundbite] Rep. Jung Cheong-rae (NPAD Supreme Council Member) : "We need to seriously review whether Governor Hong violated the ethics code for government officials."

Hong left for the U.S. on a 10-day business trip from Thursday, March 19th for overseas marketing purposes.

4. Low Hour Workers

[Anchor Lead]

The number of Koreans working just two to three hours a day has exceeded a record 1.2 million. The rising figure is a sign of the sluggish economy but it's also said to reflect abusive practices by the employers.

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Care centers are provided for elementary school students whose parents both work or who are from single parent families. However, a third of some ten-thousand caretaker workers at such centers nationwide work an average of less than three hours a day.

[Soundbite] (Caretaker for elementary school students) : "My hours decreased when I signed my contract in 2013. I'm assigned 14 hours and 40 minutes a week. My work hours also differ by the day."

The number of people working ultra-short hours was tallied at around 340-thousand in 1997. The figure topped 1.2 million for the first time this year. Among all Koreans employed, this is a ratio of about five out of 100. Over 60 percent of ultra-short hour workers are women, as such short work hours have increased in positions with a stronger female presence, including caretakers of children and senior citizens. The rise is also due to the government push for part-time jobs in addition to the sagging economy. In contrast, the number of workers working over ten hours a day has dropped 36 percent in the past decade, making it ever more difficult to find quality jobs.

5. Children & Nutrition

[Anchor Lead]

Small childcare centers or kindergartens are prone to nutritional or sanitary problems with children's meals since they are not mandated to have nutritionists on their staff. Therefore, central and local governments have opened children's food service management centers to address these problems, but there aren't nearly enough of these support centers to oversee all childcare facilities.

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A nutritionist from a local children's food service management center has been visiting this childcare center on a regular basis to supervise the children's meals for the past two years. No nutritionist was available in this childcare center since there were fewer than 100 children. But ever since the nutritionist came to supervise the menus and hygiene, the quality of children's meals has improved considerably.

[Soundbite] Lee Eun-ju (Director, Koala Childcare Center) : "The nutritionist not only inspects sanitary conditions, but also educates the employees. So the quality of meals has improved greatly."

But there are only 142 such food service management centers nationwide and merely 26% of some 40,000 childcare centers and kindergartens are under their supervision. Furthermore, the local governments which are obligated to share the operation cost hesitate to open these food management centers due to budget shortages. Local governments also don't have the authority to force childcare facilities to receive supervision or to order the facilities to improve the quality of children's meals.

[Soundbite] Children's food service management center Employee (Voice Modified) : "Food with sanitary problems is all thrown away, but we can't correct the problems that occur afterward."

Institutional measures must be enacted to prevent childcare facilities from providing inadequate meals to children.

6. Big Data in Government

[Anchor Lead]

Big data is a term to describe generating new value from large sets of data. Big data is now also applied in government administration with Gyeonggi Province declaring it will eradicate road potholes using big data.

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Potholes that seem to appear out of nowhere are a major threat to drivers. Such holes and dents in roads become increasingly problematic as ice thaws at the end of winter. But fixing the road conditions for every single case is realistically impossible. Gyeonggi Province has set out to seek a solution using big data. Information sent from numerous vehicles collectively forms big data, which can show at a glance where and when potholes have occurred. It is a tangible accomplishment soon to be presented by Gyeonggi province, the first province in the country to legislate regulations on the use of big data. Big data will also be used to analyze foreign tourists' shopping lists in a bid to advance customized tourism, and to analyze security camera installations in order to reduce areas of safety blind spots.

[Soundbite] Nam Kyung-pil (Gyeonggi prov. Governor) : "Public data in 1008 fields will be de-identified (privacy protection measure) and we will open up the data here. Companies are invited to come and utilize it."

However, as big data is formed by accumulating extensive personal information, it remains to be seen how concerns over privacy violations will be addressed.

7. Flower Expo

[Anchor Lead]

The 25th International Horticulture Goyang Korea will put on display thousands of beautiful flowers starting April 24. Even last year, as the country was reeling from the shock of the Sewol ferry disaster, the show drew some 450,000 visitors. This year's goal is to attract 600,000 visitors.

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From flowers that make rustling sounds like paper to a myriad of colorful blossoms. Flower farmers have their hands full with the arrival of spring as well as an international flower show to be held next month.

[Soundbite] Yoon Ji-yeong (Flower Farmer) : "I am so busy I don't have time to sleep. Because it's spring, spring blossoms are growing, blooming and withering faster these days."

The 2015 International Horticulture Goyang Korea expo kicks off on April 24. This year the show will showcase themed pavilions instead of outdoor sculptures. Visitors will be able to see rare flower species up close, such as the crystal flower, whose petals become translucent when they come into contact with water, and the Puya Raimondii, which blooms only once in a century.

[Soundbite] Lee Bong-un (CEO, Int'l Horticulture Goyang Korea) : "Our goal to post over USD 30 million in flower exports seems feasible."

The International Horticulture Goyang Korea expo will continue until May 10. Visitors will also be able to tour Goyang's famous sights with a number of city tour packages available.

8. Entertainment News

[Anchor Lead]

A growing number of young singers perform their new songs in street concerts these days, because releasing new songs online has such serious limitations. Here's more from the world of show business.

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The clear voices of young female singers resonate in front of a building. This is the debut concert of a female band that was staged on the street free of charge.

[Soundbite] Oh Seung-hee (Member of Group CLC) : "I can show a new side of myself and interact with the audiences. Search "busking" on the Internet, and you will see many results about "CLC."

This singer from a girl group also debuted as a solo artist on the street. Street concerts are no longer unusual. Artists stage them for various reasons. Some want to become closer to their fans, others just want to renew their determination as singers. Whatever it is, one thing is for sure - audiences seem to enjoy them.

[Soundbite] (Entertainment Agency Staff) : "The existing online PR method has its limitations because there is too much information, and it targets existing fans only. We wanted to overcome that by increasing interaction with the public."

Street concerts also help artists maximize publicity because audiences often record the performances and post them on social networking sites.

9. International Snacks

[Anchor Lead]

Korean consumers, disappointed over overpriced, half-empty snack bags, are turning to imports to satisfy their snacking urges. Today we'll find out why imported treats have become so popular in Korea and what to look for when buying these foreign snacks.

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Last year two young men grabbed the headlines by crossing the Han River on a raft made out of snack bags. Dubbing the snacks "nitrogen treats," the event was staged to mock Korean snack makers that fill up the bags more with nitrogen gas than with actual food. Tired of half-empty snack bags, Korean consumers are turning their eyes to more substantial imported treats.

[Soundbite] Kang Ji-hyeong (Customer) : "Even though they're imported, they are large in quantity and relatively cheap."

The popularity of imported snacks in Korea is largely attributed to their no-nonsense packaging. Korean treats are packaged in layers of wrapping even inside the box, but imported snacks are ready to eat once the outer package is removed. The boxes appear similar in size, but the amount of food inside differs greatly. Low prices for imported snacks are also a factor driving their popularity. Let's compare local and imported butter coconut biscuits. The imported brand contained 20 grams more than its Korean counterpart. By unit price Korean biscuits, at 25 per box, cost about one cent per gram, but imported ones, at 36 per box, come to far less than one cent for the same weight. But consumers wonder whether it's safe or healthy to eat imported treats. In fact, some imports are quite high in sodium and sugar.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Jeong-won (Hallym Univ. Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital) : "If you keep consuming excessive sugar or sodium in snacks, it could lead to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even stunted growth."

Korean food safety laws dictate that the nutritional values and expiration dates of imported snacks be marked in Korean, but it's hard to get information when they're sold individually like this.

[Soundbite] Dr. Ahn Byung-soo (Foodel Food & Health Lab) : "All imported cookies should be supervised to mark expiration dates and ingredients in Korean so that more information can be provided to Korean consumers."

Snacks imported through proper channels should have stickers written in Korean. Be sure to check the nutrition labels and expiration dates when purchasing imported treats for a better snacking experience.