Anchor: The South Korean government and a state-run research institute announced the recent discoveries of eco-friendly anticarcinogenic substances near the Dokdo islets in the East Sea.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: A team of researchers at the state-run Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology revealed on Monday that they discovered anticarcinogenic substances around the Dokdo islets in the East Sea.

The team led by Dr. Shin Hee-jae, which has been conducting various research on Dokdo since 2006, said the three new substances were found in marine microbes living in regosol soil near the islets.

Known as Dokdolipids A-C, the substances display moderate cytotoxicity against cell lines for colorectal, stomach, lung, kidney, prostate and breast cancers.

The substances are eco-friendly biosurfactants, which are widely used to make cosmetics, medicine, as well as food and household products.

The latest findings were published in the April issue of the global medical journal "Marine Drugs" and the state-run institute has completed applications for both local and international patents.

The institute plans to apply the discovery of the anticarcinogenic biosurfactants into products for commercial value while continuing research of some 12-thousand types of marine microbes on Dokdo for additional discoveries of substances that could treat diseases.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.