18 WEDNESDAY

MAY 28, 2008 COMMUNITY

Raising money for AIDS victims

By Victoria Cook
Finding out about some new disaster or
problem in the developing world is as easy
as turning on the news or opening up the
daily paper. But while the terrible events
may provoke sympathy, many people,
struggling with their own issues at
school, work or in their personal lives,
also feel the problems are too distant
Expat living is a page dedicated and large to do much about.
This is exactly the kind of attitude,
to the issues that affect expats'
however, that Craig Kulyk and Mark
daily lives. It is your page,
Boesch want to change.
where you can share stories about On May 31, Kulyk and Boesch will
your life in Korea. Send story team up with the Korea HIV/AIDS
ideas to Matthew Lamers Prevention Center (KHAP) to host A
at mattlamers@heraldm.com Common Cause — a fundraiser that aims
to show that individuals and communities
can come together to make a real differ-
ence in the lives of people across the world.
A Common Cause will benefit Little
participate and proves that even a little help goes a long way.
A perfect representative of this idea are the Little
Travellers themselves: tiny, colorfully beaded pins cre-
ated in the image of the Africans they support. The pins
may be small, but they symbolize a big idea, and an
even bigger hope, about how to ease the burden of
HIV/AIDS and poverty in Africa.
The pins are handcrafted at the Hillcrest AIDS Center
in KwaZulu-Natal, a province in South Africa which has
one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.
Around 40 percent of adults are infected. They are then
shipped to places like Canada, the United States,
England and Australia where they are sold for around
$5. All proceeds are then sent back to the AIDS Center.
“The dolls are a bridge for people to learn more about
the issue,” said Kulyk. “People see these adorable, beau-
tiful dolls and are attracted to them. Then, when they
find out more about them, they usually get motivated
and want to help.”
Through community outreach, fundraisers, support
from local businesses and even a bake-off, the Little
Travellers Initiative in Korea has been gaining a lot of

Assisting Cambodians Travellers, an HIV/AIDS Initiative based

in South Africa that raises money for
those affected by the pandemic. Kulyk
attention recently. But their biggest event is yet to come.
A Common Cause will be a collective effort bringing to-
gether individual volunteers as well as local businesses

detect water poisoning and Boesch started the Korea chapter of

By Dr. Suthipong Sthiannopkao
PHNOM PENH — The
Gwangju Institute of Science
and Technology has initiated a
joint research project in
Cambodia to assess the health
impacts and costs of arsenic
poisoning resulting from con-
suming contaminated ground-
water and food.
The project, Collaborative
Research on Health Impacts
and Costs of Arsenic Poisoning
in Cambodia, is led by profes-
sor Kim Kyoung-woong and
Dr. Suthipong Sthiannopkao.
Researchers from Malaysia,
Cambodia, Resource
Development International-
Cambodia, the World Health
Organization, and Hong Kong
Baptist University will also
participate.
In Cambodia, a country of
more than 13 million people,
groundwater resources are a
very important source of drink-
ing water.
Groundwater use remains
popular in rural areas and in
some small urban centers.
More than 81 percent of the
population is rural, close to 60
percent of which uses ground-
water. In contrast, only 15 per-
cent of people living in the cap-
ital, Phnom Penh, consume
well water.
Groundwater is used for the
towns’ water supply and for ir-
rigation. According to the
Cambodian Ministry of Rural
Development, groundwater is
available in large quantities in
most areas throughout the
year. Although the geography
of Cambodia is dominated by
the Mekong River and the
Tonle Sap, an important source
of fish, as well as other rivers
and streams and lakes, the
groundwater resource is esti-
Jeonju teacher sent to
prison for two months
By Bart Schaneman
An American English
teacher in Jeonju has been
placed in jail for not paying a
fine from an incident that oc-
curred years ago.
As of April 19, the teacher,
James Molem, has been serv-
ing a 60-day sentence in Jeonju
City Prison to pay off a 3 mil-
lion won ($2,850) fine — 50,000
won per day — he incurred
from a fight with a Seoul taxi
driver three years prior.
Before leading to his jail sen-
tence, a separate incident out-
side of the Jeonju bar Deepin
led to Molem’s arrest.
According to Jeonju resident
mated to be close to 17.6 billion
cubic meters.
Water, food and hair samples
will be collected in five suspect-
ed provinces of arsenic contam-
ination — Kandal, Kracheh,
Bat Dambang, Svay Rieng and
Kampong Thum.
A health questionnaire sur-
vey and health check, as well
as a food consumption survey,
will also be conducted. The as-
sessment of health risk and
costs will be determined. It is
expected that the outcomes ob-
tained at the end of this project
will assist the Cambodian gov-
ernment in managing arsenic
contaminated drinking water
and food in Cambodia.
According to previous stud-
ies into arsenic contamination
in groundwater in the
provinces of Prey Veng and
Kandal, concentrations of total
arsenic in groundwater ranged
from not detectable up to about
900 ppb, with about 54 percent
of all the samples collected (28)
exceeding the WHO drinking
water guide value of 10 ppb.
Arsenic speciation was dom-
inated (80 percent) by dis-
solved inorganic As (III) which
is more toxic to human health
and also more difficult to treat
than As (V). Based on these re-
sults, this international collab-
oration project on assessing
human health impacts from
arsenic contamination in
groundwater and food is ur-
gently needed.
Dr. Suthipong Sthiannopkao
is a research professor and pro-
gram officer at the
International Environmental
Research Center, Gwangju
Institute of Science and
Technology. His e-mail address
is suthi@gist.ac.kr — Ed.
Colin Dyer, Molem and two of
his friends were involved in the
late-night incident where po-
lice were called and Molem
was taken to jail. No charges
were filed at the time.
A few days later, Molem was
contacted by the police. A
Korean citizen at the scene
had filed an assault charge
against Molem for alleged vio-
lence during the police involve-
ment.
The outstanding fine was
discovered when the Jeonju
District Attorney conducted a
background check on Molem.
Molem was unable to pay the
fine at that time.
(bschaneman@heraldm.com)
Buselaphi Gwala, 50, of South Africa,
has worked for the Hillcrest AIDS
Centre for the past two years. She can
make four pins a day and earns about
400 rand per week for her work.
Thanks to Little Travellers, she has
been able to support her entire family.
Little Travellers HIV/AIDS Initiative
Stumbling toward Korea-U.S. FTA
By Bobby McGill
BUSAN — The biggest problem with
democracy is that sometimes it actually
works.
We witnessed this of late as thou-
sands of Koreans filled the streets to
protest the “threat” of Mad Cow
Disease from America. Ignoring the
crucial fact that the odds of contracting
Mad Cow are statistically nil, or that
half of the protesters against this “men-
ace” are panicked teens, democracy
marched on. The collective voice spoke
and was taken seriously.
Newly elected president, Lee Myung-
bak, his face branded with contrition,
down deep in opinion polls, humbly
bowed and offered a televised apology for
mishandling public concern. Painful
though it was to watch him pander, he
managed to get in a nice parting shot.
“To be honest,” Lee said. “The govern-
ment was baffled by the spread of un-
founded rumors about mad cow disease.”
There is no need to be baffled. Though
the protesters and their troops of wor-
ried youngsters are talking “mad cow,”
what they are saying is, “No FTA with
America.” And, by using American beef
as a wedge issue, opposition legislators
are afforded another chance to question
whether two years of FTA negotiations
should be allowed to pass at all.
Truly baffling are the voices ringing
out from their U.S. counterparts, as
congressional Democrats express con-
cerns that the FTA favors Koreans dis-
proportionately. Even Barack Obama
has made anti-FTA a centerpiece in his
appeal to blue-collar voters.
So, what are we to make of the con-
flicting rhetoric? Logic says both sides
can’t be right. While the field of eco-
Little Travellers almost a year ago and
have been volunteering their time and ef-
and organizations — and it expects to attract a big group
from the local community as well.
“We were looking for a way to give Little Travellers more
forts to help the organization grow visibility and let people be a part of something really big,”
throughout the country. said Boesch, who hopes that between 1,000 and 2,000 peo-
“I want people to be aware that there is ple will attend. “We also wanted to team up with KHAP to
something they can do in everyday life help increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in Korea.”
to help people in need, wherever they Three bars in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul —
are,” said Boesch. “We want to empow- the Rocky Mountain Tavern, Wolfhound and B1 —
er people to not just give money but ac- have offered to help by providing their facilities as well
tually do something.” as drink specials and raffle prizes. Local bands Sotto
According to Boesch, this entirely grass- Gamba, EV Boyz and The Bellows will also provide en-
roots organization lets people tertainment for the night.
throughout Korea “The spread of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa feels
like a problem that’s so rampant and far away, it’s easy to
just turn your head away,” said Matt Boland, drummer for
Sotto Gamba (www.myspace.com/sottogamba). “Little
Travellers is a program that directly involves those affect-
ed and can therefore enact some real change.”
Local businesses like Buddha’s Belly Restaurant,
Marrakesh Nights Restaurant, Bar Nabi, Healing Hands
Massage, Smoky Saloon, Taco Taco, Quiznos, Orange
Tree Bar and Istanbul have all donated prizes and mon-
ey to the event. KHAP volunteers will also be on hand giv-
ing out condoms and informational brochures on
HIV/AIDS prevention.
By donating 10,000 won at any of the bars, patrons
will receive their own Little Traveller pin, a raffle
ticket and drink discounts at all the bars all night
long. They will also be given the opportunity to be
a part of a big community effort to make posi-
tive change for people half a world away.
Visit littletravellers.net for more infor-
mation.
(ve_cook@yahoo.com)
nomics seldom lends itself to logic, the the FTA would be a PR disaster for While lowered tariffs will allow
majority of economists agree — the Korea — a country well known for min- American businesses a chance to gain
FTA is good for both nations. imal cordiality and at times xenophobic some ground in Korean markets, gar-
The benefits to Korea are more pro- attitudes towards foreign business. A nering the loyalty of Korean consumers
found than enjoying unfettered access to survey conducted by the Economist could prove difficult in the short haul.
the largest market in the world. The cor- Intelligence Unit, ranked Korea 25th The FTA will likely to pass and benefit
doned-off Korean economy that produced out of 82 countries for a “friendly busi- both countries, but what negative effects
one of the great growth miracles of the ness environment.” Well behind region- will continued American press accounts
last century has started to stumble. A sur- al competitors, Singapore (3rd), Hong of Korean animosity towards their long
vey conducted by Samsung Economics Kong (6th) and Taiwan (19th). time customer and ally produce?
Research Institute and Swiss research In the past, Korea’s protectionist poli- While hard to assess, one promising fact
firm, IMD, ranked Korea 31st in com- cies have served it well — as they were remains: Americans and Koreans are
petiveness worldwide and 8th in Asia. designed to. High tariffs and heavy ex- deeply intertwined. Thousands of Korean
These numbers are not surprising ports are Economics 101 for growing tourists visit the United States every day.
considering a near lack of competition economies from scratch. The resulting The 103,000 Korean students studying in
within Korea’s own borders. Samsung 30-year rise to the 11th largest economy the United States number more than any
alone accounts for over 20 percent of the — currently 13th — speaks for itself. other nationality. And of the 1.4 million
economy, with a handful of other indus- Yet, as President Lee pointed out, Koreans permanently residing in America,
trial giants, known as the “chaebol,”
sharing the bulk of the rest.
when transitioning from a developing
economy to an established economy, the
nearly 1 million are Korean-born, with
more than half of those now U.S. citizens.
Productivity inevitably lags in protect- old rules no longer apply. “Korea has The ties going the other way are also
ed economies, but an even more sinister
problem occurs. Domestic producers, sa-
failed to go with the current of the times,”
said Lee. “If we now fail to join the ranks
strong. Nearly 17,000 American small
businesses trade with Korea. Thousands
tiated with consumers of limited choice, of advanced countries, we might never of college grads go there to teach English.
invariably charge higher prices. have another chance.” Lee also highlight- And tens of thousands of American fami-
Purchasing parity statistics from SERI ed the fact that other regional economies lies send their sons and daughters to mil-
show that for every $1 Americans spend are, “coming up behind us.” itary bases on the Korean peninsula.
on consumer goods Koreans spend $1.22. Although not as far-reaching, the The immediate worry for Korean
Koreans deserve lower prices — their deal would also benefit Americans. Of business is that many Americans feel a
money is more than well earned. the roughly $75 billion in goods and ser- sense of betrayal for a half century of
Averaging 2,390 working hours per vices passing between the two countries constructive relationships. In an online
year, Korea exceeds second-ranked each year, Korea has enjoyed trade sur- forum on Korea’s condemnatory
Poland by nearly 17 days, America by pluses since 2001 of no less than $13.9 protests, Frank Mac of Batavia, Illinois
26 and Germany by 43. billion and as high as $20 billion in wrote, “I currently own two Hyundai
While immediate tariff bans would 2004. automobiles but will have to think real
lower the price of American products In 2006 Koreans sold over 700,000 hard to justify buying another.”
such as food, cosmetics, alcohol and automobiles in the United States while
cars, other items would phase in over buying only 4,500 American cars. And
several years. To protect politically sen- Korean electronic powerhouses, Bobby is a freelance journalist based
sitive sectors such as Korean farming Samsung and LG, consistently remain in Asia. The views expressed here do not
and American textiles, financial safe- atop the U.S. market for TVs, monitors necessarily represent those of The Korea
guards were written in to ease the an- and cell phones, while their American Herald. He can be reached through his
ticipated pains of transition. counterparts are either taxed out of or website at idlewordship.com or emailed
On a more intrinsic level, not passing forbidden from the Korean market. at idlewordship@gmail.com — Ed.

In focus — The benefits of using RAW files

By David Smeaton
I’ve been looking at RAW files
on my DSLR and I don’t really
understand the benefits. Are
there many advantages to shoot-
ing in RAW? — Su-joung, Seoul
The simple answer is yes.
This is my second article about
the miracles of RAW files and
I’m happy to write again and en-
courage more people to make
the switch to RAW.
All digital cameras have a
number of options when they
record photos. One option is to
save a RAW file, which includes
all of the available information
from when the photo was taken.
RAW is considered a lossless for-
mat; no information is lost in
the recording of the data.
The other common option is to
save the file as a JPEG. To do
this, the camera deletes a lot of
information to reduce the file
size. JPEG is a lossy format, be-
cause it deletes data as it
records the image.
So, essentially, a RAW file is
an original negative, with every-
thing about the photo included
in the data. This also includes
the camera’s valuable EXIF
data: shutter speed, ISO, aper-
ture and a plethora of other info.
The biggest benefit to RAW is
that the larger amount of data
gives you a much, much bigger
dynamic range to work with
from the photo. The dynamic
range is the difference between
the darkest and lightest areas
in the shot.
In a RAW photo, an
overblown area will often be re-
coverable. Because a JPEG file
deletes a lot of that dynamic
range information, it’s harder to
recover photos. In fact, shooting
in JPEG will often result in
more overblown photos because
the necessary data has been
deleted. This difference in data
is worth a couple of stops, and
that’s a lot in photography
terms.
The other big advantage is
editing. Post-processing a RAW
file is easier and you have much
more ability to alter the image
without it looking grainy or
leaving behind ugly JPEG arti-
facts. This gives more freedom
and control during the editing
process. It also means that your
final image will be much higher
quality.
However, no medium is per-
fect, and RAW has a few disad-
vantages. One small problem is
that cameras don’t render RAW
very well in camera. So pre-
viewing your photos on the
camera’s LCD screen can result
in the shots looking flat. But
once you get them on the com-
puter, you will notice quite a
difference.
Send David a message at
davidsmeaton@gmail.com or visit
his website at www.david-
smeaton.com. If you want to be a
part of the weekly Photo Challenge,
join the “Seoul Photo Club” group at
flickr (flickr.com/groups/seoulpho- PHOTO CHALLENGE — A Buddhist monk walks the streets dur-
toclub). — Ed. ing May’s lantern festival. Jon Pak (flickr.com/photos/kapnoj)