1194 2016-08-16 NEWSCENTER 22:00
- NEWSCENTER 22:00
NEWSCENTER 22:00
(THIS IS THE TRANSCRIPT FOR ARIRANG NEWS THAT AIRED ON 16 Aug 2016- 22:00 KST.)
Title: News Headlines
Tonight on Newscenter
President Park Geun-hye carries out a partial reshuffle her Cabinet... tapping new ministers for culture, agriculture, and environment.
NASA confirms July 2016 was the hottest month in recorded history, beating the record set just 12 months before and continuing the long string of monthly records.
Another day of incredible drama and thrilling performances at Rio 2016.
From a disappointing loss by Korea's badminton duo after nailbiting quarter-finals to injuries caused by a camera crash... Day 10 of competitions in Rio...
It's Tuesday, August 16th, 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 appoints former gender equality minister, lawmaker Cho Yoon-sun as new culture minister
President Park Geun-hye has carried out a small-scale reshuffle of her Cabinet on this Tuesday... naming new chiefs of three ministries.
The nation's top office explains that the shake-up is expected to help better implement the president's policy initiatives in the remaining 18 months of her term.
Our Song Ji-sun starts us off with an intro of new faces joining the Park administration.
President Park is gearing up for another push to implement her policy initiatives.
A day after her Liberation Day speech, the president announced a partial cabinet reshuffle,... aimed at advancing her creative economy and cultural prosperity drives.
Cho Yoon-sun, President Park's former secretary for political affairs and a former gender equality minister,... has been appointed to lead the culture ministry.
"I feel a tremendous sense of responsability and duty to be appointed as the new culture minister when Korea is establishing itself as a global culture powerhouse. Through the flourishing of our culture, I will do my best to help build a strong, beautiful and culturally rich country, where people can live happily and leisurely."
The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae says it has great expectations for her,... as Cho has a deep understanding of President Park's policy initiatives, after having served as one of the president's closest aides for years.
"With her ample experience working for the government and at the National Assembly, we expect Cho will contribute to the advancement of cultural prosperity in the arts, content development, tourism and sports."
Kim Jae-su, the current chief of the state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, has been appointed the new agriculture minister.
Cho Kyeung-kyu, deputy director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, will now lead the environment ministry.
The two positions were widely expected to have fresh appointments, as the ministers had been in their positions since President Park's inauguration,... leaving Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se as the only cabinet member to have maintained his post.
The president also named new personnel at vice-ministerial level.
President Park's current trade secretary, Jeong Marn-ki, is the new first vice minister for trade... and Agriculture Secretary Chung Hwang-keun will now serve as chief of the Rural Development Administration.
"President Park is hoping the new cabinet members will give her a boost in accomplishing her policy goals for the remainder of her term.
The appointees will go through a round of parliamentary hearings and take office early next month, in time for the start of the next regular National Assembly session.
Song Ji-sun, Arirang News."
Title: Political parties' reaction to President Park's partial reshuffle
Reaction to the President's cabinet reshuffle has been mixed. With a look at what the political parties and the commentators had to say, our political correspondent Park Ji-won reports.
The ruling Saenuri Party has welcomed the nominations,... saying the appointed candidates are the right people in their fields to achieve the administration's goal of stable governance.
The conservative-leaning party also expressed hopes that other parties will cooperate in the upcoming confirmation hearings so the candidates get a thorough and objective review.
However, the main opposition Minjoo Party was particularly critical of the reshuffle,... including the President's decision to keep senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo. The opposition bloc has long called for Woo's replacement for allegedy exerting influence regarding his son's military post and for a real estate scandal involving his family members.
The minor opposition People's Party also criticized the reshuffle,... saying the Presidential Office ignored a desire for change among the public... shown in April's general election.
Pundits say the reshuffle shows the Presidential Office's strong hope for stability in state affairs for the remainder of the President's term,... pointing to the fact that two of the three new ministerial candidates and most of the four vice-minister appointees are civil servants.
However, they warn the appointment of bureaucrats could be a double-edged sword.
"Having appointed mostly career civil servants, the President probably hoped for stability in government for the rest of her term. But, in fact, this could actually loosen the President's grip on state affairs; from the perspective of bureacrats, the important thing is looking after the interests of the organization,...
Other experts pointed to the President's decision to keep most of her ministers in place as a sign the administration will continue to push for its goals, including labor reform, over the next 18 months.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.
Title: Two-week extraordinary session kicks off at National Assembly
Meanwhile, down in parliament... lawmakers kicked off a two-week long extraordinary session today.
Many are hoping for some tangible results by the end of this month... but political watchers expect a bumpy road ahead as a number of long pending contentious issues need to be resolved first.
Our Ji Myung-kil reports from Korea's National Assembly.
After a prolonged period of gridlock and inaction,... Korea's major political parties have pledged to work together and pass bills aimed at improving people's day-to-day lives... during a two-week extraordinary session at the National Assembly.
The special parliamentary committee on budget and accounts has already begun its review of the government's multi-billion dollar supplementary budget plan.
"The rival parties agreed last week to vote on the budget bill on August 22nd.
The extra funds will be used to invigorate Korea's sluggish economy in the latter part of the year."
Apart from the budget supplement,... the parties are expected to lock horns over parliamentary hearings on the managerial failures of Korea's ailing shipbuilders.
"The floor leaders of the three parties have agreed to deal with the extra budget first and then proceed with the hearings. We urge the opposition's support."
"The ruling party should not make the mistake of thinking that the hearings will be conducted in haste. If the hearings get postponed... over the scope of the witness list,... then the vote on the extra budget bill on the 22nd will have to be canceled."
"We should call in as witnesses... government officials who can take responsibility. We do not intend to make the hearings an occasion for fierce political battles. But through the hearings, we hope to avoid wasting taxpayer money."
The rival parties plan to look into the root causes of the industry's financial woes and discuss the presidential office's involvement in a state-run bank's decision to inject billions of dollars into struggling Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.
Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News.
Title: S. Korea's defense chief to visit Seongju to speak with locals about THAAD
The residents of Seongju county has been concerned about their health and safety ever since their hometown has been selected as the location of a U.S. missile defense system.
As part of efforts to better inform and provide reassuarance regarding the THAAD battery and radar's safety, the nation's defense minister is set to pay a visit and hold meetings with the locals.
Our defense correspondent Kim Hyunbin reports.
South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo is scheduled to visit Seongju County, the designated location for the THAAD missile defense system, on Wednesday.
Seongju residents are deeply opposed to the government's decision to station the THAAD battery in their county, as they believe there are potential health risks from the system's powerful X-band radar.
"Minister Han will visit Seongju on August 17th at 2 p.m. to hold talks with local residents. The purpose is to listen to the residents' point of view and, if possible, the minister will give a briefing on why Seongju is the most suitable location ."
This will be Han's second visit to Seongju, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, after Seoul and Washington announced the deployment in July.
That month, the defense minister visited Seongju with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, but they were met by local protesters who were unwilling to hold talks.
China has also condemned the deployment, claiming the THAAD radar could seriously harm its national security interests.
"South Korea and the U.S. have repeatedly said the THAAD deployment is purely defensive in nature... and the system will only be used to counter North Korea's growing missile threats.
Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News."
Title: N. Korea's abandoning of nukes must come first than inter-Korean family reunions
South Korea's decision to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system to the peninsula aims to deter North Korea's nuclear threats,.... but Pyongyang is not backing down.
With the North saying that it is unwilling to give up its nuclear weapons program, a breakthrough in inter-Korean ties doesn't look too likely... at least any time soon.
Our correspondent in charge of North Korean affairs, Connie Kim has this report.
North Korea has reiterated that it will not give up its nuclear weapons program and that it is not a political bargaining chip, as it is the regime's own protection from U.S. threats.
The North's state-run website Uriminzokkiri said Tuesday that possessing nuclear weapons is a reasonable decision to defend the regime from foreign nations' nuclear invasions.
Pyongyang's main propaganda outlet also said the regime was providing Seoul with a nuclear umbrella guaranteeing the future of both Koreas.
The statement comes as an attempt to create more division within South Korea over the deployment of the U.S. made THAAD missile defense system.
Seoul and Washington decided to deploy the advanced anti-missile defense unit in July in the face of Pyongyang's continuous provocations, including several back-to-back ballistic missile launches.
President Park in her Liberation Day speech on Monday made it clear that South Korea has no plans to cancel the THAAD deployment calling it a "self-defense" measure to protect the nation from the North's "reckless" provocations.
The president's hard-line stance on North Korea was also emphasized by the unification ministry, which said on Tuesday that even pressing matters such as the reunions of families separated during the Korean War don't take precedence over the current state of affairs on the Korean peninsula.
"The unification ministry once again stressed the government's stance that there will be no inter-Korean exchanges unless the North gives up its nuclear weapons program.
This was also highlighted by President Park's Liberation Day speech when she omitted proposing inter-Korean family reunions for the first time since taking office.
Connie Kim, Arirang News."
Title: 12 N. Korean female defectors under NIS probe released to S. Korean society
The South Korean National Intelligence Service released 12 North Korean defectors after completing a months-long probe.
An NIS official said Tuesday the investigation on 12 female North Koreans was completed last week, and they have resettled to do what they wanted to do in the South.
The twelve women worked as staff at a North Korean restaurant in China, and along with a male manager, they defected to the South en masse in April.
The nation's intelligence agency also added it is still conducting a probe into the male North Korean manager.
Seoul's unification ministry confirmed the information, but did not elaborate on details considering their safety.
Title: Board meeting to be held within this week to map out detailed plans for funding Korean sex slave victims
HOW and WHERE the one billion yen promised by the Japanese government for the Korean victims of its wartime sexual slavery - we will learn some time this week.
Lee Minyoung reports.
The foreign ministry said at a regular briefing on Tuesday that a meeting will be held this week to discuss detailed plans for allocating the money from Japan to help Korean victims of Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery.
The government will join a board meeting of the "Reconciliation and Healing" foundation, which will oversee the spending, where the foundation's board is expected to map out a more specific outline for the project... including when the money will be transfered and what to spend it on.
"The 1-billion-yen fund the Japanese government pledged to provide for the victims of sexual slavery is a measure that puts into practice the Japanese government's apology and the sense of responsibility expressed by the Japanese foreign minister last December. The significance of the fund's establishment lies in repairing the victims' reputations, restoring their dignity... and mending their scars."
As for the fund's primary objective, some Japanese media have insisted that while the fund will cover medical and nursing costs, it is not compensatory in nature.
On that issue, the spokesman for the foreign ministry said that nothing has been decided yet on the direction or nature of the project.
Korea and Japan sealed a landmark deal in December last year to provide a financial package for victims of Tokyo's sexual slavery during its colonial rule of Korea, which has been at the center of a diplomatic dispute between the two neighboring countries for decades.
Meanwhile, North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun slammed Japan on Tuesday, accusing it of trying to make fools of the international community... using what it called a ridiculous deal to evade the sexual slavery issue.
Lee Minyoung, Arirang News.
Title: Rio Olympics 2016 Bridge
2016
Title: Rio 2016: Korea miss out on finals of badminton women's doubles
It is day 11 of competitions at the Rio Olympics... and action has already started with an early result for Team Korea in the badminton.
To bring you the details on that and other news from around Rio, we have with us our Olympics correspondent, Kwon Jang-ho.
Jang-ho, it doesn't look like a good start for Team Korea on Day 11.
I'm afraid that's right. About half an hour ago, the Korean women's doubles pair were beaten by Japan in the semifinals. It's another unfortunate result, after a mixed day for Korean badminton which saw 4 losses out of seven in various matches yesterday.
But the Korean pair will still have a shot at bronze against either China or Denmark.
Aside from the women's doubles, that now leaves Sung Ji-hyun and Son Wan-ho in the women's and men's singles quarterfinals respectively, and those matches will be played later today and tomorrow.
In other results for team Korea on Monday, the men's table tennis team were outclassed by China, losing the semifinals 3 matches to 1. They'll now face Germany in the bronze medal match on Wednesday.
In the velodrome, cyclist Park Sang-hoon suffered a horrific crash during the men's omnium. Great Britain's Mark Cavendish clipped Park's front tyre, causing Park to fall, and then two other riders went over him as well. Park had to be taken away in an ambulance, but thankfully he is not seriously injured, and recovering in hospital.
Title: Rio 2016: Korean 'Dream Team' archers return home
Now so far Team Korea have six gold medals, but as the end of the Olympics approaches, it looks more and more likely the pre-Games target of 10 gold medals will not be reached.
But if it is, a huge part of it will be down to Korea's archery team who won all four out of four gold medals in their events.
They returned to Korea on Tuesday, and let's take a look at their hero's welcome with Kim Hye-sung.
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Title: Rio Olympics 2016: Korean 'Dream Team' archers return home
Korea's national archery team have made their triumphant return home from Rio after winning all four gold medals in their sport -- in the men's and women's... individual AND team events.
Kim Hyesung has the story.
Proudly sporting their new gold medals, the Korean national archery team received a warm welcome at Incheon International Airport, greeted by their friends, families and supporters.
They turned out to be a dream team in Rio, sweeping all four gold medals for the men's and women's individual AND team competitions,... a first in Olympic history since archery added team events in 1988.
Here's double gold medalists Chang Hye-jin and Ku Bon-chan.
"I still can't believe I won two gold medals. Coming back to Korea, it feels a little more real. I really want to thank those in Korea who supported me and first of all would like to spend some good time with my family."
"I'm just really grateful and happy. The shoot-off in the quarterfinals stands out most in my mind. I thought I had blown it, but my coach told me to not give up and I managed to stay in there and win."
And some good news of a personal nature for archer Lee Seung-yun, who helped win gold for the men's team -- he's getting married.
Before his flight back home, the 21-year-old, known for calling his girlfriend his greatest supporter, posted on Facebook that they're tying the knot in two weeks.
The Korea Archery Association said the archers will go home and get some rest before the ceremony officially disbanding this year's national team next week.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.
Title: Rio 2016: Day 10 round-up
Well, that much deserved rest, I would say and congratulations on Lee Seung-yun on his forthcoming marriage.
Now, Jangho it was a rather quiet day for Team Korea but plenty of action from the gymnastics arena... an incredible win in what the winner implied to as a "rival-less" competition to an unexpected slip...
That's right, North Korea saw it's second gold medal after gymnast Ri Se-gwang won in the men's vault on Monday.
Ri recorded a score of 15-point-691...higher than South Korean Yang Hak-seon's gold medal score from London 2012, who wasn't at Rio due to injury. When Ri was asked about Yang's absence, he said Yang doesn't represent all gymnastics, but added that he hopes he recovers well and looks forward to facing him in the future.
Staying at the Gymnastics Arena, there was an upset in the women's balance beam, as Simone Biles of the U.S., took an unexpected stumble in her routine. This was number four in her attempt to win 5 golds at these Olympics, but instead it went to Sanne Wevers of Netherlands who DID perform a flawless routine.
Elsewhere, it was another exciting day in the athletics. David Rudisha defended his 800-meter title in fine style, and in the women's 400-meters, Bahamas' Shaunae Miller caused a huge upset, beating Allyson Felix of the U.S., by literally throwing herself across the finish line. She suffered a few scrapes and bruises but I'm sure a gold medal around her neck helped with the pain.
Rain was a big issues on Monday, as a huge downpour delayed several events, and caused much of the audience to leave early.
Which is a shame as those who stayed witnessed their countryman Thiago Braz da Silva pick up Brazil's second gold medal in men's pole vault.
He set a huge vault, an Olympic record at six-point-zero-three meters, and it's also the first gold in athletics for Brazil since 1984.
Title: Rio 2016: Unfortunate incidents continue to mire Olympics
But unfortunately, once again, it's not just sport that's making headlines in Rio.
A German canoe coach has died after succumbing to injuries from a car crash on Friday.
35-year old Stefan Henze was in a taxi when it hit a concrete barrier head on.
The German team will commemorate his death in the Olympic village and German flags will fly at half-mast around Olympic sites in Rio.
An overhead TV camera fell from the sky to injure at least three bystanders in the Olympic Park.
The camera, owned by the Olympic Broadcasting Services, was suspended in the air by cables, which broke for reasons not yet clear.
"And then suddenly you heard a big snap on the cable, and the camera came down at an angle, hit these two women here... When the camera hit the ladies, there was a lot of screaming, and the shock on their faces was unbelieveable."
Thankfully no one was seriously hurt, but as you can see in the pictures, it really is a huge piece of equipment, and it could have been a lot worse.
Title: Rio 2016: Day 11 Preview
Now before I go, let's take a look at some of the events that are coming up today.
The women's volleyball quarterfinal between Korea and the Netherlands is taking place right now, and later on the athletics track, Usain Bolt will be taking part in the first round of heats for the 200-meters.
The Brazilian women's football team are looking to get into the final, but first they have to beat Sweden later today.
And it's the last of the artistic gymnastics events, before the rhythmic gymnastics starts Friday.
Looking at the medal table, the U.S. remain top, followed by Great Britain and China.
Korea hang on to tenth.
That's it from me, I'll bring you more news and updates from Rio tomorrow.
Title: NEWS BUMPER
2015.11.2~
Title: July 2016 was world's hottest month on record: NASA
All throughout this summer, we've been complaining of how unbearably hot it is... how it feels like the worst summer we've had in decades. Well, it looks like we have every reason to feel that way as solid data confirms... July 2016 was in fact the hottest month in recorded history.
According to data released by NASA, last month saw the temperature rise to the highest level... beating the record set just 12 months before and continuing the long string of monthly records.
They say the sweltering conditions are down to the combination of man-made climate change and the effects of El Nino.
Oh Soo-young explains further.
This July was the world's hottest month in recorded history.
According to NASA, July 2016 wasz ero-point-eight-four degrees Celsius hotter than the 1951 to 1980 global average, taking into account both the sea-surface temperature and air temperature on land.
That's zero-point-one-one degrees above the previous records set in July 2011 and July 2015, which had been tied for the hottest month.
July also marked the tenth consecutive month of record heat, according to NASA.
The United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the record-breaking period has been 14 months.
Scientists say much of the heat was trapped by greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Record-breaking levels of El Nino warming also triggered the scorching conditions.
"El Nino has been developing since 2014 which caused tropical water to heat up. This, then, affected air temperatures on land, pushing temperatures up globally, and caused unusual weather changes."
As the residual heat from El Nino cools off, scientists expect the extreme conditions to stabilize by September or October,... thanks to the cooler ocean temperatures of La Nina, which kicked in this June in the Equatorial Pacific.
However, that isn't to say global temperatures will subside in the long run.
Scientists expect more surprises down the line.
"The amount of carbon in the atmosphere has been on the rise, reaching 406-point-eight parts per million this June. This triggers the greenhouse effect, raising temperatures all over the world. As long as global warming continues, climate change will, of course, persist... and temperatures will climb every year."
Scientists say... in terms of tackling global warming, and its effects on climate, there's not much that can be done... except limit the damage by cutting carbon emissions.
That means sticking to international protocols, like the Paris Agreement, signed by 180 countries last year.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
Title: Strong heat in the capital to persist for a few more days
And, once again it is another brutally hot day here in Korea... with the temperature in most parts of this country peaking above 30 degrees Celsius and tonight expected to be another tropical night.
Our Lee Jeehyun is out in downtown Seoul and she joins us live from the Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Jee-hyun, according to Korea's traditional lunar calendar... today is Malbok -- the last of the three hottest days of summer. I can say, it certainly lived up to its name. How are Seoulites braving the heat?
Right, the heat was pretty strong in the capital. And passing showers really didn't do much to give us any relief. But where I am right now, it's pleasantly breeze.
And other visitors to this staple landmark in the capital seem to feel the same. It's a good way to beat the tropical night conditions we were having as of late. In fact, Seoul has recorded a staggering 24 tropical nights this year, the longest since 1994. Let's hear how some local residents have been beating the heat.
" This summer has been so hot, so I stayed inside places where the air conditioner was on full blast such as the movie theater or the mart. We were walking on the street but it was pretty hot so we decided to come to the Cheonggyecheon Stream, and it feels pretty nice here. "
"It was a harsh summer for sure. But being by the water here at the Cheonggyecheon Stream it feels much nicer... it was a good choice to come out here. "
A heatwave alert remains in place for most parts of the country with a heatwave warning still in effect in the capital, and tomorrow should be a repeat of today's.
I will be back with more with that shortly Back to you Conn-young in the studio
Title: Korean electricity consumers face electric bill bombshell despite government's 20% rate cut
It definitely seems better out there than in here. Our Lee Jeehyun live from Cheonggyecheon Stream in central Seoul.
Now, soaring temperatures have translated to more power usuage, obviously with more turning up the AC.
Once again, it's brought the country's cumulative billing system for electricity into the spotlight.
Despite the government's decision to provide a rate cut on household utility bills for the summer, some are already feeling the pain in their pockets. Here's Oh Jung-hee.
The government provided some temporary relief this summer with a rate cut of 20-percent on electric bills between July and September. But despite that, Korean households now face a bombshell of a bill.
Some will have to pay up to three times the usual charge... though they used only double the amount of electricity.
Korea's electricity usage has hit an all-time high this year as households kept air conditioning on for longer.. to cope in this exceptionally hot, tropical summer.
Feeling the pain in their pocketbooks,... households have criticized the country's billing system in recent years.
The country's electric utility, Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO,... divides billpayers into six groups by their usage,... charging more to those who use more power. This leads to a twelve-fold difference in charges between those who use the most and the least electricity.
The system does not apply to registered businesses.
Economics experts agree with consumers that the cumulative system needs a reform.
At a policy discussion held in downtown Seoul on Tuesday,... Kim Dae-wook, economics professor at Soongsil University, said Korean consumers pay too much and face higher progressive rates compared to other OECD countries,... despite using less electricity on average.
Yun Won-cheol, a professor of economics and finance at Hanyang University, on the other hand, argued that a reasonable reform would be allowing multiple electricity providers to compete, instead of maintaining KEPCO's monopoly.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
Title: Korea ranks as world's 11th largest economy in 2015: World Bank
The Korean economy regained its position as the world's 11th-largest economy in 2015.
The GDP ranking had peaked at 11th place in 2006, but plunged in rankings over the years since then. But economists say... a better ranking doesn't necessarily mean major improvements in the economy.
Here's Kim Min-ji.
The Korean economy ranked as the world's 11th largest last year, marking a recovery after nine years.
Korea ranked 11th in 2006 and then went downhill,... falling to 15th place in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008.
Since then, it has been picking up slowly... until it finally bounced back up to 11th.
In dollar denominated terms,... the country's GDP came to 1-point-38 trillion dollars in 2015.
But it's not all good news, as Korea's rise through the ranks happened as other economies contracted,... not because Korea saw economic growth.
According to the World Bank's calculations, Korea's GDP fell 2-point-4 percent in 2015 from the year before.
Unlike the Bank of Korea, which uses an annual average exchange rate, the World Bank uses a three-year average exchange rate.
During the same period,... Russia's GDP fell almost 35 percent,... and Australia saw its economy shrink nearly eight percent -- as both were hit hard by faltering commodity prices.
The United States topped the GDP list with almost 18 trillion dollars, followed by China, Japan and Germany.
But experts say,... the rankings itself have little meaning.
"The fact that we're sitting in 11th place shows that the economy has grown significantly. But the ranking itself is meaningless. Simply put, it just means Korea has climbed to the ranks of the advanced countries, and means that its economic growth is actually more likely to contract."
Korea has seen its exports fall every month for over a year and a half now... due to slowing global demand,... and the country is also feeling the impact of the government's corporate restructuring drive.
According to Bank of Korea estimates,... the economy is expected to grow 2-point-7 percent this year,... down 0-point-1 percentage point from an earlier forecast.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
Title: IT&SCIENCE FRONT
IT&SCIENCE FRONT
Title: Korea turns to solar modules and marine plants for alternative energy source
Amid peaking power usage in Korea in light of record high temperatures... companies and researchers are increasingly looking to renewable and sustainable energy - an alternative energy source.
Our Kim Jiyeon takes a closer look at some of those efforts... for our IT&Science Front this week.
The scorching summer heat can easily force anyone to turn on the air conditioning cannot help but turn on the air conditioner,... despite concerns of astronomical electricity bills and the impact done on the environment.
That's why there is a rising demand for cleaner and more sustainable energy sources than those derived from fossil fuels.
In response to such demand, Hanwha Q Cell factory of Eumsung, an hour-and-a-half car ride from Seoul, specializes in making solar modules, with a production capacity of 1-point-5 gigawatts per year.
"That's equivalent to 44-million panels or the amount of electricity used by 2-point-5 million people. Some of that is used to provide electricity to local households, while the rest is exported overseas, mainly to the U.S. and China."
Each solar module contains 60 or 72 solar batteries,... depending on whether it's for residential or industrial use.
Hanwha Q Cell says its highly efficient modules have helped the company reach operating profits of one-million U.S. dollars for the first time in 2015.
Its modules have energy efficiency of 19-and-a-half-percent,... one of the highest in the world and which set a global record in December.
"We coat the surface of the module with a layer of aluminum in order to prevent voltaic loss. This way each module is able to produce more than 340 watts of electricity at once."
The company has similar module plants in China and Malaysia,... while a solar energy-based power plant is being built in Austin, Texas over in the U.S., and which is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2017.
Meanwhile, a team from Daegu University say they've come up with a way to produce hydrogen from marine plants,... after six years of research.
"Since the Korean peninsula is surrounded by three seas, I thought it would be more sustainable to find an energy source from marine vegetation rather than from plants and trees living on land. I thought it would be an interesting subject for research as not many studies have been done on aquatic plants as a source of energy."
The professor says there were a lot of challenges ahead since marine plants are mainly composed of glucose,... which is difficult to decompose to produce hydrogen.
However, the team was able to achieve that by using a cocktail of fungi to take the plant apart instead of the usual method of inserting a single type of microorganism into it.
The professor says that despite such breakthrough, there still a lot to do to mass produce the technology,... including finding sustainable methods of cultivation as well as more research in other related sectors such as metabolism engineering.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
Title: Heat to subside by the end of the week
Hello, I am Lee Jee-hyun with your weather updates The blistering heat will continue across the nation with chances of sporadic rain in some southeastern regions. So let's go right into tomorrow's temperature readings.
Seoul, and Busan will have a low of 26 degrees Celsius.
For the highs,
Seoul, Daejeon and Daegu will reach 34 degrees Celsius.
The heat will gradually subside as we approach the weekend, so hang in there for a few more days
The host city of the 2016 Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, will have warm conditions for the next couple of days.
That's Korea for you, and here's a look at the weather conditions around the world.
Title: 0816 viewfinder
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Explore the world under the sea
COEX Aquarium, Seoul
ed:paul
Title: Closing
Welcome home to Korea's Olympics archery team.
We appreciate your hard work and your sweeping victory. But, medal or no medal... to all of our athletes competing or have competed in Rio... you make us all very proud. That is our broadcast on this Tuesday 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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