- NEWSCENTER 22:00
NEWSCENTER 22:00
(THIS IS THE TRANSCRIPT FOR ARIRANG NEWS THAT AIRED ON 18 Aug 2016- 22:00 KST.)
Title: News Headlines
Tonight on Newscenter...
The North Korean diplomat who defected to the South reportedly cites his children's future as the main objective for the decision. We take an in-depth look into what the latest string of defections by the North Korean elite could mean in terms of regime stability.
Samsung shares stage their biggest one-day gain in 10 months propelling the stock to a record high.
Team Korea adds a gold and a bronze from taekwondo... as a number of other teams rewrite Olympic history... a roundup of Wednesday's events in Rio and what to keep an eye on in today's events...
It's Thursday, August 18th, 2016. Newscenter begins right now.
Title: NEWSCENTER TITLE
2015. 11. 2~
Title: Opening
It is 10 in the morning in Rio and 10 in the evening here in Seoul.
Hello and welcome to our viewers all across the globe.
This is Arirang Newscenter.
Title: President Park to attend G20 in Hangzhou, ASEAN summit in Vientiane
President Park Geun-hye is set to begin another long diplomacy tour next month.
She'll attend a series of multilateral meetings in Russia, China and Laos,... including the G-20... and the ASEAN-plus-three summit. The attention is on whether the South Korean leader will sit down with her Chinese counterpart to discuss a number of issues.
Our top office correspondent Song Ji-sun has the president's full itinerary.
President Park Geun-hye's week-long trip will start in Vladivostok, Russia, where she will address the Eastern Economic Forum... and sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 3rd.
President Park will then take off to Hangzhou, China, for the G20 summit,... where world leaders will gather to discuss ways to make a more innovative, interconnected and inclusive global economy.
A summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping has not yet been confirmed,... but during her two-day visit, President Park will likely call for global cooperation in reining in North Korea's threats,... while seeking understanding for Seoul and Washington's decision to deploy the U.S. missile defense system THAAD, against those threats,... as Beijing and Moscow have both expressed opposition to the decision.
"If it weren't for North Korea's ever-increasing nuclear and missile threats, it would never have been necessary to make the decision to deploy THAAD. Before criticizing our purely defensive measure, Beijing should call out Pyongyang for violating peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia."
President Park's focus will shift to business as she lands in Laotian capital of Vientiane,... where she will seek to strengthen South Korea's strategic partnership with Southeast Asian countries.
Seoul will take part in the ASEAN plus 3 summit -- which includes Korea, China and Japan -- followed by the East Asia Summit.
President Park will continue her official visit to Laos... with a summit focused on revving up the bilateral partnership and boosting trade.
"We must take a leading role in tackling trade protectionism and neo-isolationism. With a series of multilateral summits like ASEM and the G20 in the schedule in the second half of the year, we also have plans to proceed with bilateral FTA negotiations with a number of countries."
"During her trip, President Park will seek to take a leading role on the diplomatic, economic and security fronts... in order to foster mutual growth and prosperity in the region.
Song Ji-sun, Arirang News."
Title: N. Korea's resumption of plutonium production against UNSC resolutions: S. Korean official
South Korea is mulling its next steps... after North Korea told a Japanese news agency that it has resumed the production of weapons-grade plutonium.
Seoul's foreign ministry expressed its concern over the move... and urged Pyongyang to stop its nuclear activities immediately.
Our Kwon Soa from the foreign affairs ministry in downtown Seoul.
A clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea.
That's how Seoul's foreign ministry responded to Pyongyang's latest statement on its nuclear program.
The ministry's spokesman said Thursday... the North's assertion that it has resumed producing plutonium -- the key ingredient for making nuclear weapons -- goes against global peace, security and the international commitment to nonproliferation.
"North Korea must realize that the international community will not tolerate any kind of nuclear possession by the regime. We strongly urge North Korea to immediately halt any nuclear-related activity,... in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions."
The South Korean government says it will discuss countermeasures with related countries and international agencies... to enforce the pressure put on Pyongyang through the toughest international sanctions on the regime to date.
Tokyo-based Kyodo News Agency reported Wednesday that North Korea's Atomic Energy Institute said... through a rare reply to a written interview... that it will continue with its nuclear tests,... as long as it feels threatened by the United States and its nuclear arsenal.
"North Korea's intent to resume production of weapons-grade plutonium is nothing new,... but this is the first time since it vowed to restart its Yongbyon nuclear facility in 2013 that Pyongyang has officially confirmed reprocessing is taking place."
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in June that North Korea appears to have started to reprocess plutonium at the complex's five megawatt reactor.
Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test in January this year.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News.
Title: N. Korean diplomat's defection to S. Korea reflects growing instability in Pyongynag
We reported last night of a defection to South Korea by a senior North Korean diplomat who had been based in London. It's sending shockwaves across the world as such a case is quite rare AND a huge embarrassment for the Kim Jong-un leadership... and prompting questions about the state of the North Korean regime.
What can we read into the latest string of defections by the North Korean elite?
Our correspondent in charge of North Korean affairs, Connie Kim, examines the situation.
The unexpected defection of North Korea's deputy ambassador to the U.K. Thae Young-ho set a landmark case reflecting Pyongyang's internal instability.
Although details of Thae's defection has not been released, a Seoul's unification ministry official told reporters on Thursday that North Koreans in general are choosing to defect for more diverse reasons besides economic and political circumstances.
In fact, Thae deserted his post partly due to his son's future education.
The U.K.-based Guardian reported that one of Thae's sons was expected to enroll in Imperial College London this fall.
"Considering that Thae worked in London for almost 10 years, he may have been more familiar to Western culture than to the North Korean political system itself. Considering many factors, Thae's children's education may have given him a decisive reason to defect."
With the chances of seeing more defections from North Koreans working abroad, the regime reportedly sent inspectors to monitor them closely.
A source well acquainted with Pyongyang said Kim Jong-un ordered his team of inspectors to get rid of possible defection factors.
North Korea experts have also mentioned the possibility of re-education among members of the North Korean elite to ensure loyalty to the regime.
"There is a high possibility that North Korea could engage in ideological censorship among the second and third generations of revolutionary leaders and the upper class,... as well as check on loyalty to Kim Jong-un among diplomats and officials working abroad."
"While the high ranking North Korean official's defection to South Korea serves as a significant case reflecting instability of Kim Jong-un's grip on power, the general consensus is that Thae's defection would not lead to a collapse of the regime with some suggesting defections may be partly due to the strong international sanctions on the regime.
Connie Kim, Arirang News."
Title: Gov't, ruling party launch task force to reform electricity billing system
The government and ruling Saenuri Party have launched a 13-member task force to reform Korea's decades-old electricity billing system.
The task force will meet on a monthly basis to craft a reasonable solution to modify the current progressive billing scheme by the year's end.
The team plans to study the power pricing systems in other countries,... especially those with similar electricity usage conditions, like Japan... and hold public hearings on how to best overhaul the system... including disparities between pricing for households and for industry.
Title: Korea's progressive electricity billing scheme takes center stage as people complain on excessive charges
So, what exactly is Korea's unique power billing system and why has it been making headlines in recent days? Our Lee Minyoung has the A to Z of the country's progressive electricity billing system.
Seoul has been gripped by an exceptionally hot summer,... the average temperature at its highest in 22 years. The choice, for some, between air conditioning and a potentially brutal power bill... has led to a national debate over Korea's electricity billing system, which charges a higher per-kilowatt rate the more you use.
" Could it possibly be hotter than this? Still, I'm afraid to run the air-con very long Something needs to be done right away to fix this billing problem."
" Compared to last summer it's really hot. I can't bear the heat without turning on the air conditioner, but at the same time the bill is just too much."
" "Sharp increases in electricity consumption due to the record-breaking heatwave have led to renewed calls to reform the system."
The current billing system charges on the basis of six levels of usage, and it doesn't apply to businesses.
For the first 100 kilowatts, customers pay about 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt,... but over 500 kilowatts, the rate goes up to 64 cents.
That's almost a 12-fold jump.
Some experts say the punitive nature of the system, adopted in 1973 during the global oil shock, is outdated.
"Among the various ways to lower energy bills... there should be more discussion of adjusting the billing rates for different levels of usage. Currently there's a lot of government effort focused on lifting the burden for industry, but not much for households."
Other countries like the U.S. and Japan also use progressive billing systems... but there, customers are charged no more than twice the basic rate.
Lee Minyoung, Arirang News.
Title: Rio Olympics 2016 Bridge
2016
Title: Rio 2016:
Team Korea has emphatically ended their losing streak with a gold and a bronze in the Taekwondo competitions yesterday, and in the last hour Korea has just won another bronze in the badminton.
We have with us our Olympics correspondent Kwon Jang-ho with the details.
Jang-ho, after all the bad results, now the medals are just flying in.
That's right Conn-young. First let me start with that latest result. Korea have won bronze in the badminton women's doubles.
The pair of Jung Kyung-eun and Shin Seung-chan beat the pair from China in straight sets, 2-nil.
It's the only badminton medal Korea has won at these Olympics. Korea had been hoping for a better result thant London 2012, where they also only recorded one bronze, but now they'll look to Tokyo 2020 to try and make a step up.
Now this medal comes after, Korea's Kim So-hui won the gold in the women's 49-kilo Taekwondo competition yesterday.
It wasn't the prettiest of finals, and she was actually one second away from it all going wrong.
In the last round, it seemed her legs were going, and she kept falling down, which kept giving away points to her opponent, Tijana Bogdanovic of Serbia.
In the last few seconds, Kim only had a one point lead, and one more fall would have given her oppenent another point.
Shockingly, Kim did fall, but only as the clock ran out, and a video review confirmed she had hung on just long enough to clinch gold.
Title: Rio 2016: Kim So-hui's golden effort shines in Rio
It was a really gritty and determined performance, much like the tough road she has had to take to reach this golden moment in her life. Here's Kim Mok-yeon to tell us about her journey to Rio.
< PKG>
Title: Kim So-hui's golden effort shines in Rio
X
Olympic gold medalist Kim So-hui had a rough childhood, facing many financial difficulties.
But despite hardships, Kim never gave up on her dream, following the example of her stronghearted parents.
"I began practicing Taekwondo when I was in elementary school because my dad told me I was weak. If it weren't for my parents, I wouldn't have come so far."
Kim captured the first of her two world championships in 2011 when she was just 17 years old.
Back then, she broke her fingers and sprained her toes in the round of 16, but the injuries didn't stop her from grabbing a gold medal in the 46 kilogram class.
This year's Olympic games weren't without challenges, either. Kim had to make herself fit into the lightest Olympic class which is the 49 kilogram category.
Since Kim So-hui was smaller than most of her rivals in the 49kg class, she said she strived hard to pack more muscles to be eligible to take part in the Rio Olympics.
Her efforts surely paid off, and after claiming victory on Wednesday, the 22 year old Olympic champion says that she was glad to have kept her promise to her parents, that she would hand them a gold medal someday.
"I am very happy. I am so happy."
"From now on we will only think about good things and live happily."
Kim So-hui's improbable journey to the top of the Olympic podium on Wednesday, reflects years of hard work and perseverance that were fueled by the unconditional love and respect she has for her parents.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang news.
Title:
Well she has certainly done her parents and her country proud. But Jang-ho, we should also mention there was another medal for Team Korea in the Taekwondo.
You're right, we shouldn't forget Kim Tae-hun, who won bronze in the men's 58-kilo competition.
It was actually a bit of a let-down for Kim, as he's ranked world number 2 and was aiming for a gold medal.
He disappointingly lost in the top 16 round, but he showed his class, winning his two matches in the repechage contest and claim the bronze.
Now, there were other impressive performances from Team Korea on Wednesday, namely in the women's golf.
Kim Sei-young and Hall-of-famer Park Inbee, both put in faultess rounds, recording no bogeys, and 5 birdies each.
They ended the day joint second, one shot off the lead, on minus-5.
Title: Rio 2016: Women's golf update + Day 12 round-up
The second round has already started, and Kim Sei-young, along with Korea's two other representatives Yang Hee-young and Chun In-gee, are back on the course.
As of about 15 minutes ago, Kim Sei-young is currently even today and still at minus-5.
Yang Hee-young and Chun In-gee are both at minus-1.
Park Inbee will be starting her round in about 45 minutes.
We're all keeping our fingers crossed that the ladies can pull off another outstanding performance in Rio today.
So, finally some good results for Team Korea and let's hope that good form continues. But obviously Korea wasn't the only team enjoying a magnificent day yesterday. Brazil's mens football team won their semifinal game against Honduras, and their star player Neymar scored a goal within 14 seconds of the game starting. Jang-ho, that's got to be a record doesn't it?
You're right, it is Conn-young. It's the fastest goal in Olympic football history, and I don't think that well see that record beaten any time soon.
Neymar scored one more in the 6-nil thrashing of Honduras, and now they'll be face Germany in finals.
Elsewhere, Japan's Kaori Icho won gold in the women's 58-kilo wrestling to become the first woman in any sport to win gold medals in four consecutive Olympics.
In the athletics, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson confirmed her status as the fastest woman on the planet with a win the women's 200-meters, adding to the 100-meter title she won last week.
Title: Rio 2016: U.S. swimmers pulled off flight home after discrepancies in account of robbery
In other news, there's been a startling development in the armed robbery incident concerning Ryan Lochte and the U.S. swim team.
Two swimmers involved were stopped at the airport, after a Brazilian judge issued an order to detain their passports. The judge is looking to question them after Lochte seemed to give differing details in various media interviews about the incident. The order to stop Lochte was also given, but he had already left two days ago.
Worryingly another similar incident has occurred.
This time British athletes were said to have been robbed at gunpoint early Tuesday morning. No specific details have been released, but the athletes are said to be safe and unharmed. The Team GB camp has since issued a warning to its athletes, explicitly stating that Rio is not safe, and that they should avoid going out at night and not use local taxis.
Title: Rio 2016: Day 13 schedule and medal table
Wow, a deeply worrying developments indeed. Let's hope everyone stays safe, and that these incidents don't overshadow what remains of these last few days of sport.
Right especially as there's another bumper day of events in Rio coming up.
As mentioned the women's golf is underway, but Park Inbee will be teeing off within the hour.
Taekwondo superstar Lee Daehoon is also competing today and looking to emulate his teammate by picking up a second gold in the event.
On the athletics track Usain Bolt is looking to complete part two of his triple-triple by winning gold in the 200-meters... before the Brazil try to win their fourth gold medal in the men's beach volleyball final against Italy.
Looking at the medal table not much change today, as the U.S. of course remain top, and despite no medals for Great Britain, they stay in second. Unfortunately, Korea's 2 medals doesn't help them move up the table, as they also stay in 11th.
That's all from me, and I'll be back tomorrow with more news and updates coming out of Rio.
Title: NEWS BUMPER
2015.11.2~
Title: President Park visits apprenticeship school opened under 2014 employment initiative
President Park Geun-hye was out in the field today to follow up on one of her initiatives to tackle youth unemployment,... a so-called "school-to-work" high school in the port city of Incheon.
Introduced in by President Park in 2014, the apprenticeship program offers young people the chance to learn the theory and practice of a real-world job... at companies that will hire them after they graduate.
She stressed that a work-study system is what Korea's educational system needs -- schools and companies working together to foster talent while also addressing youth unemployment.
"I wish you all the best in becoming the best masters and craftsmen in your field. For my part, I will continue to provide institutional support for further work-study opportunities."
[ / : , · . .]
The government plans to increase the number of apprenticeship schools from the current 60 to 2-hundred by next year.
Since the program started... more than 21-thousand students have worked at some 4 thousand participating companies.
Title: Special inspector asks prosecution to investigate embattled presidential aide
It looks like allegations of corruption involving a top presidential advisor could soon be turned over to prosecutors.
If summoned, senior secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo would be the first official of his rank to report to the prosecutors' office as a suspect.
Until now, the case has been handled by Lee Seok-soo, an independent investigator under the presidential office who mainly looks into corruption cases involving the President's relatives and aides.
The special inspector today requested that the Seoul prosecution take over the case.
The Presidential Office had no official comments.
Secretary Woo has been under intense pressure to step down following a series of corruption allegations involving his family.
Title: Volkswagen Korea chief Thomas Kuehl summoned by Seoul's prosecutors office
Korea's prosecutors summoned the head of Volkswagen Korea over allegations that the company falsified emissions documents and manipulated noise reports so that vehicles would be certified roadworthy here in this country.
The questioning comes as the Korean government widens its probe beyond the German auto maker to nearly two dozen other foreign auto makers.
Our Lee Jiwon reports.
Korea's prosecutors called in Volkswagen Korea chief executive for questioning on the automaker's fabricated emission results in the country.
Thomas Kuehl, who has been in charge of the imports and sales of Volkswagen vehicles in Korea since 2013, was summoned by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Thursday morning to ask whether he was involved in the manipulation of emission levels of the car model Golf 1-point-4 TSI.
According to the authorities, the model in question initially failed state-imposed emissions levels standards,... prompting the carmaker to manipulate the engine control unit in order to obtain government approval to sell the car in the country.
Before entering the prosecutor's office, the executive told reporters he regrets the situation and apologizes to the Korean consumers.
The investigation on Volkswagen Korea's head comes on the heels of the automaker forging test documents for emissions and noise levels to get sales certifications in the country, which were recently revoked by the environment ministry earlier this month. As a result, Volkswagen has been banned from selling 80 vehicle models in Korea along with a fine of 16-point-3 million U.S. dollars. Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
Title: Gov't sets aside US$ 903 in AR-related developers
Imagine watching a ball game or enjoying an arts exhibition in virtual or augmented reality.
Korea is aiming to make that possible ASAP... the government earmarking nearly one million U.S. dollars to support developers of such technologies.
Our tech correspondent, Kim Jiyeon.
The government has laid out plans to provide more state funding in the development of virtual and augmented reality sectors... this time specifically to the development of eye-wear developers.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning says it's setting aside a combined 903-thousand U.S. dollars for developers of augmented reality headsets and smart glasses.
Each developer or entity will be eligible to receive support of up to 270-point-4-thousand dollars at one time.
This comes in addition to the ministry's plan last month to invest more than 35-million dollars to help create a sustainable ecosystem where VR content platforms can be applied to a broad range of sectors such as education, construction, medical services and commerce.
The ministry has also designated Digital Media City, a state-of-the-art entertainment cluster in western Seoul, as an infrastructure hub for VR tech companies.
Through this initiatives, the government hopes to take the lead in the global VR and AR market, which is expected to grow exponentially over the years to an 80-billion dollar industry in 2025 from the current 2-point-2-billion.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
Title: Samsung Electronics shares close at record high on 2nd quarter profits
On the local stock market, shares of Samsung Electronics soared to an all-time high Thursday on expectations for better performance, which also helped lift Korea's main index, the KOSPI.
Kim Hyesung has the details.
Shares of Samsung Electronics hit a new high on Thursday, jumping 4-point-7 percent to close at about 14-hundred-80 U.S. dollars.
The new record comes one month after the electronics giant reported its best quarterly profit in more than two years, thanks to strong sales of the Galaxy S-7, aggressive cost cutting and sluggish sales of Apple's iPhone.
The success of Samsung Electronics' flagship Galaxy S-7 smartphones has already fueled a 30 percent rally in shares this year, and that's expected to continue on high expectations for the Galaxy Note series.
-
"The Note 7 is expected to outsell its predecessor. Its memory chips and OLED products will continue to give Samsung Eletronics a competitve edge at least until early next year. Also, expectations for Samsung Group's restructuring helped boost its share price."
A part of that potential restructuring was announced after market closing Thursday but traders had already priced in the rumors.
Samsung Life Insurance said it will buy a 9-percent stake in Samsung Securities from another affiliate.
That gave credence to expectations that Samsung is taking steps to become a financial holding company.
With gains for most of Samsung affiliates on Thursday and easing worries about a possible U.S. interest rate hike,... Korea's main index as a whole also got a boost.
The benchmark KOSPI rose a little over a half a percent to end at 20-55.
The won closed at 1-thousand-1-hundred-7 against the greenback.
Industry insiders predict that if the Korean won remains stable, Samsung Electronics could post an operating profit of more than 27 billion dollars this year.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.
Title: Heatwave causes massive losses in South Sea fisheries
The continuing heatwave in Korea is proving a significant threat to the livelihoods of fishermen in the southern part of the country.
The increasing seawater temperatures deprive fish of oxygen and propel the spread of fish-killing diseases.
Our Kim Jung soo has more.
The ongoing heatwave on the Korean Peninsula is endangering business at major fisheries along the southern coast.
These include the main fishing towns of Gyeongsangnam-do Province, namely Tongyeong, Geoje, and Goseong.
Normally, sea temperatures there range between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius, but this summer they've risen as high as 28 to 30 degrees.
The city of Tongyeong, in particular, boasts a thriving maritime economy with more than 500 traditional fishing families.
But over the past ten days, the city's reported combined losses of nearly half a million rockfish, worth some 340-million won, or 307-thousand US dollars.
Meanwhile, in just three days this week, fishermen in Goseong County have lost 39-thousand fish of various types.
And in Geoje, the locals have lost 20-thousand fish -- mainly rockfish and filefish -- worth about 10-million won or nearly 10,000 dollars.
Experts say the warmer waters affect fish in two main ways.
"First of all, elevated temperatures decrease the amount of oxygen in the water, making it very hard for fish to survive. Secondly, the lower oxygen levels increase stress levels in the fish, causing them to regurgitate their food. That material is contaminated very quickly in the heat and causes diseases in the fish."
Local fishermen have responded by adding liquified oxygen to the water and pumping in as much cool water as possible, but some say that won't cut it.
"We are doing our best to control the water temperature but it's still over 30 degrees. It's a very dangerous situation."
On Wednesday, local authorities launched special teams to investigate the exact amount of the damages.
They say the losses are expected to pile up, as a significant amount of dead fish remain deep underwater.
Another lingering problem for the fishermen is that, for insurance purposes, warmer sea temperatures do not count as a natural disaster, making insurance compensation, at this point, virtually impossible.
Kim Jung-soo, Arirang News.
Title: NEWS FEATURES TITLE
2015. 11. 2~
Title: Vanished excitement, how RIO 2016 is different from previous summer games
As we near the end of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio... it's not too hard not to notice that there haven't been as high of an Olympic fever among the Korean public as previous Olympics or other international sporting events held before.
Is it the huge time difference between Seoul and Rio... or what? Why the mediocre Olympic fever this time around? Our News Feature tonight with Hwang Hojun.
It became a familiar sight in 2002, when Korea hosted football's World Cup -- massive crowds cheering in the streets of Seoul.
In fact, the country's enthusiastic cheering for its national team during international sporting events has attracted a great deal of attention around the world.
"We are now down to just a couple more days until the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro closes out its 16-day run. This is also when the Olympic fervor reaches its peak. Well, so has been the case in many previous Summer Games. What about Rio 2016? We hit the streets of Seoul to find out how people are enjoying this year's Games."
"I know the Games are happening, but still I don't really feel the excitement. My friends and I barely talk about the Olympics. My family doesn't really watch the Games either."
"So I've been in Korea for three days now, I think, and I kind of was expecting that people would be gathering in public places and watching some games. But I haven't seen any of that."
One particular mainstay for Korean sports fans whenever the national team competes... is fried chicken. And it's perhaps an indicator of this apparent change in attitude.
On Wednesday night, the Korean men's table tennis team faced Germany for the bronze medal.
The match was set for 11 p.m., Korea time, yet there were plenty of empty seats at this fried chicken restaurant in downtown Seoul.
"The so-called 'Olympic premium' isn't true this year. The number of customers and delivery requests is practically the same as before the Games."
Twenty-five minutes into the bronze medal match,... and still no one had asked to put on the Olympics.
"Trying to earn money nowadays is exhausting. So, I feel like I'm prioritizing my quality of life over the athletes competing for Korea. It's not like their medals will change my life."
The lack of Olympic fervor is also evident in the record-low ratings for the Olympic TV coverage by Korea's three main networks.
In the past, ratings for the London and Beijing Olympics were around 20 to 30 percent.
As of Tuesday, however, the ratings had barely made 16 percent.
One reason for the low viewership is that fewer people are staying up late to watch the games live, and more are using mobile apps and online platforms to track the results.
"For me, it's enough to just watch the highlights on my smartphone in the morning to get the final results. But lose sleep to watch live? That would have a devastating effect on my routine the next day."
"User traffic has increased about 150 percent during the Olympics. Most users are consuming edited clips of match highlights. Since it's a mobile platform, not many people are looking to watch an entire event."
Low ratings usually translate into low ad revenues, and considering the networks paid the IOC over 40 million U.S. dollars to broadcast the Olympics, many are expecting losses this year for the networks.
Some have blamed low viewership on the twelve-hour time difference between Seoul and Rio.
But according to the experts, it's much more complicated.
They say the combination of the recent economic slump and high unemployment has young people focusing more on their own well-being than on entertainment.
In other words, the young don't have time for the Olympics.
"You could say the reason people are watching the games has changed for the better -- it's purely for entertainment and the love of sport. Unless it's a match that they're interested in, people don't watch just because the Korean team might beat another country's team. That's not a good enough reason anymore."
This year, we might not hear the late night cheering next door... or see neighbors celebrating in the streets,...
but in two years time that may change... when the Winter Olympics come to Pyeongchang.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.
Title: Heatwave will continue till early next week
Time now to get a check on the weather forecast. For that, let's head over to our Lee Jeehyun at the weather center. Jeehyun, the weather. Hot. Tell me something new
Yes, you might have felt that way because we had a lot of those this year. Here in the capital, we've had 26 tropical nights so far this summer. And this is not only an uncomfortable weather condition but also dangerous. More than 500 people have been admitted at hospitals for heat related illnesses during the night, so take the necessary precautions while weather alerts are in place.
Speaking of which, a heatwave warning is still in place here in Seoul. Tomorrow should be a repeat of today's conditions, while discomfort index will reach its highest level during the day. But things won't ease off after sunset, as another tropical night is in store for Seoul.
Daily low will start out at 26 degrees Celsius in the capital, while Gwangju and Busan will wake up to a low of 25.
For the highs,
Seoul, and Daegu will reach 34 degrees Celsius while Daejeon gets to 35.
Similar weather patterns will continue until early next week with chances of sporadic showers in some regions.
The host city of the 2016 Summer Games, Rio de Janeiro, will have a rainy Thursday, then sunny skies will dominate Friday.
That's Korea for you, and here's a look at the weather conditions around the world.
Title: 0818 viewfinder
: ghdaudgh
Summer fun on the farm
Anseong Farmland, Gyeonggi-do Province
ed:paul
Title: Closing
That is our broadcast on this Thursday night. I'm Moon Conn-young. Thank you for watching. For our viewers in other parts of the world, have a good one... for those of you in Korea and across Asia, a good night from Seoul.
Title: NEWSCENTER ENDING
2015. 11. 2~
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