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제 23 호 High Salary or Work-life Balance

Kicker: DEBATE High Salary or Work-life Balance by Ji-Min Baek, Editor-in-chief pjm5875@naver.com What do you think is the most important factor in career choice? I guess that those who are currently preparing and considering about getting a job or those who are preparing soon may have thought about it at least once. In this part, generally, high income has been seen as one of the top priorities when choosing a career. Do you agree that salary has a major impact on career decisions? However, the job market is evolving with the rise of new generations who prioritize their quality of life, making work-life balance an increasingly crucial consideration. Accordingly, many companies are introducing diverse systems such as flexible work arrangements. This article will cover salary versus work-life balance overall. Balance Game Balance game that involves choosing between salary and work-life balance is showing a lot on the internet. This is about having two options and choosing between one which is getting a high salary with limited personal time and another which is getting a low salary with guaranteed personal time. In this balance game, work-life balance has become an important factor in career choice to the extent that it confronts salary, which is the most important factor considered when choosing a job. As a result, it can be seen that other important factors may become more important in job selection, even if they are not related to salary. Culture of Work-life Balance According to a survey conducted by Career Platform Saramin, the primary criterion for job seekers and office workers in job selection is economic compensation, such as annual salary. However, the opinion that the concept of a good workplace that job seekers and office workers think of is not a place where they only pay a lot of salary, but a place where work-life balance is maintained received the most support. With a growing emphasis on work-life balance, many companies are now striving to establish this culture. In another survey conducted by Job Korea, a career platform, office workers said they are willing to move if the welfare system is good, even if their pay is low. The most valued welfare benefit, according to respondents, is free use vacation time, which ensures personal time. Job seekers are also increasingly prioritizing work-life balance; nine out of ten indicated they consider welfare benefits when evaluating job opportunities. Furthermore, 76.9 percent expressed a preference for companies with strong welfare systems, even if salaries are not the highest. Various welfare systems have emerged within this work-life balance culture. There is a system for working from home that allows people to work from home and flexible work that allows them to freely set commuting hours. Recently, a new work model called 'worcation' has gained popularity, combining work and vacation. Worcation offers opportunities for increased efficiency and recharging by working in new environments, traveling, or simply relaxing. As such, new systems are being created and culture is being created in accordance with the trend of emphasizing the balance between personal work and privacy. As generations change, the tendency of job selection factors is also gradually changing. In addition to the factors seen above, various factors, such as job security and job suitability, are also being considered. What is the most important factor in your job choice? Also, do you think that salary, which is considered as a priority in job selection, is the most important factor in job selection? Sources: https://www.segye.com/newsView/20240704507283?OutUrl=naver https://post.naver.com/viewer/postView.nhn?volumeNo=12655117&memberNo=9028903&vType=VERTICAL https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=6651232&cid=43659&categoryId=43659

• 작성일 2024-09-23
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제 22 호 Do You Agree with AI Regulation?

Kicker: DEBATE Do You Agree with AI Regulation? by Ji-Min Baek, Editor-in-chief pjm5875@naver.com The SM Herald has consistently covered and mentioned issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as AI and copyright, and ChatGPT, in articles. As widely acknowledged, the development of AI encompasses both positive and negative aspects. Advances in AI can improve productivity and create new contents, but this involves complex legal dilemmas, particularly concerning job displacement and copyright infringement. As a result, the EU has enacted the AI Act with problems related to AI and new measures to protect copyrights. This AI Act is about AI regulation, and this article is going to deal with the regulatory Act on AI. Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/tungnguyen0905-17946924/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7111802">Tung Nguyen</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7111802">Pixabay</a> Emerging Concerns about the Advancement of AI Apprehensions regarding AI technology are surfacing across various sectors. For instance, there is a concern that AI will dominate human society while surpassing human capabilities. There is also apprehension regarding that human labor can be replaced by machines as the way they work changes due to the development of AI. Moreover, there are concerns about copyright infringement caused by AI learning and creating. A related example was the strike of Hollywood writers and actors in the United States. It happened with concerns about the possibility that AI could replace the roles of human creators, as the jobs of actors and voice actors were virtually threatened by using deepfake technology and Generative AI. In addition, as AI learned existing works and wrote scripts with a few keywords in a short time, it led to a strike by writers as it could cause problems with writer’s creativity, copyright infringement, and job substitution. Recently, lawsuits related to AI and copyright issues have been increasing in the United States, but legal solutions have not yet been found. The advancement of AI has advantages such as improving productivity and creating new forms of content, but it also entails complex legal dilemmas related to job displacement and copyright infringement. About the EU AI Act The EU AI Act represents the world’s first AI legislation. Striking a balance between the potential risks and benefits of AI, this regulatory law aims to mitigate adverse effects while fostering the development and deployment of safe and reliable AI. The Act assesses the risk level of AI and imposes duties and responsibilities into four categories: Unacceptable Risk, High-risk, Limited risk, Low or minimal risk. This is a risk-based regulatory method, and Unacceptable Risk AI, which is concerned about restricting EU basic human rights and infringement of values, is prohibited. High-risk, which is concerned about safety and basic rights, Limited risk AI, such as deepfakes and chatbots must comply with transparency obligations, and general AI is classified as minimal risk. The Act established separate regulations for general purpose AI (GPAI), such as chatGPT. Companies must disclose the sources and data processing methods used to learn AI. Failure to comply may result in fines of up to 35 million euros or 7% of the company's previous year's revenue. In addition, technical documentation of the GPAI model should be prepared, and related information and documentation to supply to downstream providers should be provided. It is necessary to establish a policy to respect the Copyright Directive and publish a sufficiently detailed summary about the content used for training. As AI technology advances, various side effects have occurred, and Korea, the United States, and China, have tried to regulate AI, but it has never been legally binding like the EU. Since the AI regulations and penalties stipulated by the EU AI Act are quite strict, it is questionable whether they can be applied well in reality. Regarding the regulation of AI, the two opinions have been largely opposed to the regulation due to the impediment to technological advancement and the approval of the regulation that copyright and human protection are important. In the end, achieving a balance between these viewpoints will be crucial. What is your opinion on whether these regulations will become the right path to the development of artificial intelligence and will be activated or hinder the development of AI? Do you think it is necessary to regulate AI to do that? Sources: https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=6716784&cid=42107&categoryId=42107 https://blog.naver.com/kcc_press/223434463091 https://www.ddaily.co.kr/page/view/2024042616490221575 https://blog.naver.com/kcc_press/223434475206 https://www.g-enews.com/ko-kr/news/article/news_all/202402161658391211ea588b1547_1/article.html https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092111987

• 작성일 2024-06-06
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제 21 호 Increasing the Quota for Undeclared Majors: Agree or Disagree?

Kicker: DEBATE Increasing the Quota for Undeclared Majors: Agree or Disagree? by Ji-Min Baek, Editor-in-chief pjm5875@naver.com Are you satisfied with your major? I would also like to ask if your major matches your desired job.We usually don't have much time to worry about our majors while we are busy preparing for university entrance exams, and there are quite a few phenomena in which our majors and occupations don't match for various reasons. The Ministry of Education took this phenomenon seriously and prepared measure. The system of university admission is to increase the quota for undeclared majors. From now on, let’s find out what the plan is and conflicting opinions about it. About Increasing the Quota for Undeclared Majors The Ministry of Education has decided to provide incentives to universities that select lots of students with undeclared majors when they enter a university, with the aim of giving students freedom in choosing majors. This system is divided into Type 1 and Type 2. In both, entering with an undecided major is the same, but the methods are different. Type 1 allows students to select all majors except medical, education and health departments, and Type 2 selects majors within the departments after recruiting them by departments. It is not that we did not have this system before. Under the same name as the Department of Free Majors or there was a method of selecting majors after recruiting by departments such as humanities and natural sciences. However, the undeclared major admissions system differs in choosing a major after entering the university. Since the existing system allows the freshmen to select a major they want by competing with grades after completing the first grade, they should get high grades to get the major they want. On the other hand, since this new system does not have such restrictions, they can freely choose their major as they enter the second grade after entering the university without a major. Conflicting Opinions on Increasing the Quota for Undeclared Majors There are advantages and disadvantages of this system. First of all, I think the biggest advantage is the guarantee of major selection that students can freely choose a major after entering with undecided majors. In addition, with the rapid development of technology, the competencies required of students are also changing. Therefore, when this system is implemented, it can help educate new skills and foster talent accordingly. However, it is true that there are also concerns about various side effects. When students enter the second grade and choose a major, they will be very likely to choose a popular major that is advantageous for employment. If students flock to such a highly preferred major, there is a fear that basic studies that are relatively unpopular will be eliminated. In addition, there are many problems to be solved, such as expansion of lectures and recruitment of professors, which will occur about the phenomenon of students flocking to popular majors. There are conflicting opinions in the education world over the system with these advantages and disadvantages. The Ministry of Education believes that students' diverse right to learn is important and that they should expand their major autonomy. In addition, about the concerns, they said that the system should be provided with support for designing career paths after admission, and contrary to the concerns, the need for basic studies will be expanded. On the other hand, the universities criticized that despite the different situations among universities, the Ministry of Education is pushing for policies without reflecting the characteristics of each university.Moreover, if students enter university with undeclared major admissions, there will be a program to help students design their major, so the burden on the university is expected to increase. This system, which will be a new change according to the changing times, will be a great opportunity to think about students major after entering university. However, there will be confusion if various side effects occur and no countermeasures are prepared. It is expected that some readers may have considered about their major before entering university and had experiences that applied for the Department of Free Majors. Therefore, I would like to ask readers who have already chosen a major and entered the university what they think of this system. Regarding this issue, do you agree or disagree about increasing the quota for undeclared majors? Sources: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-10/englishStudy/bilingualNews/A-bold-college-experiment-begins-KOR/1955054 https://www.dailian.co.kr/news/view/1323798/?sc=Naver https://biz.chosun.com/topics/topics_social/2024/02/04/46RUS3UXGVGOBGP4FNKUJPRXPA/?utm_source=naver&utm_medium=original&utm_campaign=biz https://view.asiae.co.kr/article/2024012516574080290 https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/student-campus-flat-composition-with-university-building-background-vector-illustration_39927315.htm#query=major&position=5&from_view=search&track=sph&uuid=011d1894-d919-4d40-b413-c22e5ac20bcc (Thumbnail image)

• 작성일 2024-02-20
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제 20 호 Are You For or Against Gimpo City Being Incorporated into Seoul City?

Kicker: DEBATE Are You For or Against Gimpo City Being Incorporated into Seoul City? By Hyesu Kim, Cub-reporter hyesu4403@icloud.com Mayors of respective cities. https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/politics_general/1115802.html The main reason why policymakers suggest Gimpo to be incorporated into Seoul is due to the geographic ambiguity of Gimpo. Should it belong to Gyeonggi-bukdo, Gyeonggi-namdo, or take a huge leap and be a newly incorporated district of Seoul? The idea of Gimpo City being incorporated into Seoul city first emerged while promoting a policy to divide Gyeonggi-do into Gyyeonggi-bukdo(Northern province) and Gyeonnggi-namdo(Southern Province). Geographically, Gimpo does not fall into the category of the Southern part of Gyeonggi-do. However, it does not belong to the northern part of Gyeonggi-do, either, making it difficult to distinguish where Gimpo should belong if Gyeonggi-do were to be divided into a Northern and Southern province. Gimpo City is located close to the districts of Gangseo and Yangcheon, both of which are part of Seoul City. Interestingly, these two southwestern districts of Seoul used to be under Gimpo-gun(county) until it became incorporated into Seoul City in 1963. The proponents of Gimpo City being incorporated into Seoul City usethe above example as a reasonable ground to promote this objective. Aside from Gimpo’s geographical proximity to Seoul, proponents of Gimpo-Seoul incorporation argue that citizens of Gimpo take advantage of infrastructure of Seoul more so than of Gyeonggi-do’s, therefore making it appropriate to simply put Gimpo under the subcategory of Seoul. However, with a rising controversy over most of Korea’s infrastructure being centered around Seoul City on top of a rumor circulating that a landfill will be built in Gimpo City in exchange for it being incorporated into Seoul City, it is unclear whether the idea is welcome news for the citizens of Seoul and Gimpo. A recent national survey conducted with a population group of 1,001 Korean adults the age of 18 by Gallup Korea from November 7th to 9th revealed that 55% of the respondents dislike the idea of Gimpo City being incorporated into Seoul City, while 24% said they support the policy. Meanwhile, another survey that was carried out as requested by City of Gimpo showed contrasting results. 68% of Gimpo citizens were fond of Gimpo becoming a district of Seoul, while 29.7% disapproved of the proposal. Among those 29.7% who disagree, 42.1% said they want Gimpo to be a part of Gyeonggi-bukdo, 33.8% said Gyeonggi-namdo, and 24.1% said they don’t know. No survey has been conducted for Seoul citizens on this matter as of yet. If Gimpo were to be incorporated into Seoul, it would be a favorable thing for citizens of Gimpo for reasons like these. First, Seoul’s real estate prices are remarkably higher than any other parts of Korea. Therefore, Gimpo citizens would be able to enjoy charging higher housing prices to potential buyers thanks to it being part of Seoul. Second, virtually all major companies, schools and events are held within Seoul City. Third, Seoul is now a household name in the global society, so being under this name will give citizens of Gimpo a sense of pride. However, Seoul citizens might disagree with Gimpo to be part of Seoul as a protective measure to those benefits being enjoyed by citizens whom they believe are not entitled. It is true that people work really hard to get an apartment in Seoul city, often taking in large amounts of debt in the process. Some young people even make it a life goal to get their own apartment under their name in Seoul, for it will bring them a sense of security and great accessibility to all the infrastructure offered in the city. Thus, it makes a lot of sense for Seoul citizens to want to protect their rights to limiting other cities to suddenly be a part of it. Gimpo citizens may also face some identity crisis following a shift in governance. Politicians are proposing Gimpo to still be a city of its own, but just under the governance of Seoul. A city under a city, a true absurdity. It will be worth considering the real purpose behind why politicians are so pushing for this unheard-of proposal, which just may be all a part of political campaign and not truly for the benefits of the citizens. Considering all these reasons, it is possible that Gimpo citizens willperhaps be the only party who will celebrate this change if this bill were to be passed. It will even seem a little unfair to Seoul citizens for the above reasons. Dear Sangmyung University readers, what is your opinion on Gimpo City becoming a part of Seoul City? Are you a citizen of Gimpo or Seoul? Do you agree or disagree with this idea? What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think that it will be beneficial for citizens of one or the other? Share your opinions freely in the comments section below and have an open discussion with your peers. Source: https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/politics_general/1115802.html

• 작성일 2023-11-26
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제 19 호 Is China's Claim on the Nine-Dash Line Reasonable or Unreasonable?

Kicker: Debate Is China’s Claim on the Nine-Dash Line Reasonable or Unreasonable? By Su-Young Kim, Reporter /kimsuyoung1342@gmail.com The Vietnamese government has banned the screening of the Hollywood movie “Barbie” because it contains footage that reflects China’s unilateral claims to its sovereignty in the South China Sea. Also, the Vietnamese government called on Netflix to drop dramas featuring China’s nine-dash line. What is China’s nine-dash line? It is the maritime border of the South China Sea claimed by the People’s Republic of China. It was established in 1947 and sets most of the South China Sea as China’s waters. Within the nine-dash line are the Dongsa Islands, the Paracel Islands, the Macclesfield Islands, and the Spratly Islands. After the nine-dash line was established by China, more than 80% of the South China Sea was included in the line, causing territorial disputes with neighboring countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. From now on, let’s find out what happened between China and its neighboring countries regarding the nine-dash line and why China designated the nine-dash line. Furthermore, let’s discuss whether their claims are reasonable or not. Map of the South China Sea History of China and Neighboring Nations Regarding the Nine-Dash Line China established a virtual boundary eleven-dash line in the South China Sea in 1947 when it created an official map under the Kuomintang government and changed the eleven-dash line to the nine-dash line in 1953 when the People’s Republic of China, which was launched in 1949, succeeded it. In January 2013, the Philippines filed a complaint with the International Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) with the aim of clarifying its right to develop in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The PCA ruled in July 2016 that China’s claim to the nine-dash line has no legal basis. However, China has ignored this and is pushing ahead with the construction of a military base on the rocks in the Spratly Islands. The PCA stated that noting in the Spratly Islands generates the EEZ, and that the Spratly Islands cannot create EEZs as a unit. Accordingly, some reefs are in the Philippines EEZ and do not overlap with any Chinese rights. Also, the PCA expressed its position that China deepened and expanded the controversy through dredging, artificial island construction, and construction activities. In fact, during the arbitration process, China installed runways, lighthouses on Mischief Reef in Philippines EEZ, adversely affecting the marine ecosystem, and permanently eliminated evidence of natural conditions that are key to determining whether it is an island. On July 13, 2020, U.S. Secretary of State Mile Pompeo said most of the rights China claims in the South China Sea were illegal. Pompeo’s statement came on the fourth anniversary of the International Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on July 12, 2016, that China could not recognize the nine-dash line it put forward in claiming sovereignty over the South China Sea. Why China Claims the Nine-Dash Line in the South China Sea China has claimed that more than 250 islands and reefs in the nine-dash line are all Chinese territory and 80% of the 3.5 million square kilometers of the sea are under its jurisdiction. The basis for China’s claim of this nine-dash line as its territorial boundary is its historic title. The Chinese side has insisted on the literature of the Han Dynasty and the records of Jeonghwa’s expedition to the South Sea during the Ming Dynasty as the basis for its position. Conflicts are brewing between China and countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia over the nine-dash line set by China. China claims that it is justified to set the nine-dash line based on historical data, but neighboring countries claim that it is unfair because it infringed on its territory. Is China’s claim to the nine-dash line reasonable or unreasonable? Sources: https://n.news.naver.com/article/469/0000753154?sid=104 https://m.blog.naver.com/dysnomia/221707048011 https://n.news.naver.com/article/023/0003773541?sid=104

• 작성일 2023-08-10
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제 18 호 Copyright of Artificial Intelligence Creations: Agree or Disagree?

Kicker: DEBATE Copyright of Artificial Intelligence Creations: Agree or Disagree? by Ji-Min Baek, Reporter pjm5875@naver.com As Artificial Intelligence develops rapidly, it has become established in our daily lives and is being used a lot. AI is coming into use in diverse areas that have traditionally been regarded as the realm of humans, such as composition, pictures, novels and so on. According to the current copyright law, AI cannot be the subject of creation. However, with the activation of AI, copyright issues have emerged rapidly for creations learned and created by AI, and accordingly, the biggest issue is whether AI creations fall under the copyrighted work in copyright law. AI Related to Copyright Controversy Although there are many AI, in this article, we will focus on ChatGPT and Midjourney, which have become a big issue related to copyright. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot specializing in conversation developed by Open AI, and it is named after Chat and the first letter of Generated Pre-trained Transformer. It is an AI that allows users to enter text in the chat window and have conversations accordingly. In addition, it is more actively used than existing AI in that it is possible to perform tasks in a wide range of fields such as song composition, translation, and PPT production along with answering questions. Midjourney is an AI painter that draws pictures using AI technology and was created by Midjourney AI Research Institute. How to use it is connected to a discord when you access Midjourney, and when you write about the picture you want to draw where you command, Midjourney analyzes it and creates a picture. Generative AI refers to technologies that generate algorithms learned by machines themselves in a form that users want, such as text and images. They use existing creations in learning. Therefore, they are facing controversy over copyright infringement in relation to the numerous times the copyrighted works were used for their learning. Copyright Issues Related to AI Painter, Midjourney Through this Midjourney, the Theatre D’opera Spatial painting created by game planner Jason M. Allen was also controversial as it topped the digital art category at an art exhibition in the United States. In response to the controversy, Jason Allen argued, “It is a work that I created by entering instructions in a creative way for 80 hours, so it is no different from drawing with a camera or design software.” In addition, organizers said that the digital art sector allows artistic practices through digital technology, but controversy continued. Zarya of the Dawn is a cartoon based on Kris Kashtanova writing lines, and Midjourney draws it and the writer places it. In response, the U.S. Copyright Office officially stated that it was difficult to recognize copyright for AI creations, and did not recognize copyright for the image itself, but recognized copyright for the text and the placement of images. Copyright was not recognized in the image generated by artificial intelligence, but the copyright of the part contributed by the artist was recognized. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/005/0001589219 https://m.post.naver.com/viewer/postView.naver?volumeNo=34435379&memberNo=32913615&vType=VERTICAL Copyright Issues Related to AI Composer, EvoM EvoM is Korea’s first AI composer, short for Evolutionary Music, and has the meaning of evolving itself and making music on its own. It is developed by the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and is composed by learning music theory and creating probable melody. In addition, it can make the music in seconds with a few clicks. In fact, it participated in the song of the singer as a composer and received a copyright royalty. However, the Korea Music Copyright Association belatedly recognized that AI made it and said it would stop paying copyright royalty because there was no legal basis. In response, Ahn Chang-wook, a professor at the GIST, who created EvoM, said, "It is regrettable that AI, the subject of creation, is not protected by creative rights." Opinion on Copyright of AI Creations As seen above, copyright issues related to Generative AI are varied, including the copyrighted works they learn. Among them, there are various opinions on whether to recognize the creation of AI, the biggest controversy, as the copyrighted work. Currently, there are no clear regulations on copyright ability of AI creations in Korea. There is an opinion that if AI creations are not protected under existing laws, it will hinder the growth of related industries, and there is an opinion that AI creations are also just as creative as the copyrighted works. On the other hand, there is an opinion that is concerned that recognizing AI creations as the copyrighted works will reduce the scope of human creation. This is because the speed that AI makes creations cannot be kept up by humans, and human creation will gradually decrease in areas such as art. Along with these, there are numerous opinions, including various interests. Already in other countries, discussions are underway on the copyright of AI creations. In May 2014, Europe issued robotlaw regulation guidelines that stated that the invention and content of AI need to be protected as intellectual property. Japan has already introduced a data copyright exemption clause for learning and has also proposed specific policies for AI copyright policies. The discussion is not expected to end easily as AI creations and copyright issues are intertwined with various interests such as the development of the AI industry, AI developers, users, and existing copyright law. Regarding this complex issue, do you agree or disagree with the argument that AI creations should be protected as the copyrighted works? Sources: https://blog.naver.com/kcopastory/222156124508 https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1006933085 https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25142681#home https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25099346 https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=6646863&cid=43667&categoryId=43667 http://www.digitaltoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=470860 https://www.moneys.co.kr/news/mwView.php?no=2023051511164677595 https://www.ajunews.com/view/20220306222717831

• 작성일 2023-05-30
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제 17 호 How Long Will South Korea Be in the Earthquake-safe Zone?

Kicker: DEBATE How Long Will South Korea Be in the Earthquake-safe Zone? By Da-Hwee Kim, Editor-in-chief elfnme@naver.com On January 9, 2023, at around 1:28 a.m., an earthquake of magnitude* 3.7 occurred in the 25 km sea area toward Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. It is the first earthquake of 3.5 or higher in 70 days since the Goesan earthquake in October and was recorded as the first earthquake of the new year. Minor earthquakes have occurred in Korea in the past, but as the fairly large earthquakes that occurred in Gyeongju and Pohang in the mid-2010s, doubts about whether Korea is truly an earthquake-safe zone have only grown. * magnitude: the great size or extent of something Domestic earthquakes South Korea is known to be actually located inside the Eurasian plate. For this reason, seismic activity occurring on the Korean Peninsula cannot be explained by plate tectonics*. In addition, it is not directly in the seismic** zone. However, deep earthquakes hundreds of kilometers deep in the East Sea are believed to occur in the Benioff Zone of the Pacific Plate, which subducts obliquely under the Eurasian Plate from the Japan Trench. All other earthquakes occurring in and around the Korean Peninsula are also earthquakes that occur inside plates. * tectonic: relating to the structure of the earth's crust ** seismic: relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust. https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/earth-hazards/earthquakes/what-causes-earthquakes/ In the case of Japan, Taiwan, and China, our neighboring countries, earthquakes occur frequently because they are located on the tectonic plate boundaries, and the damage they suffer from earthquakes is also quite large. Compared to this, it is easy to think that Korea is a safe place; yet it is absolutely forbidden to think that way. Earthquake history in South Korea Official records related to earthquakes can be found in historical sources such as 'History of the Three Kingdoms', 'History of the Goryeo', and 'Annals of the Joseon Dynasty'. Nevertheless, those records are insufficient to conduct current seismic research. Still, it can be seen from these records that about 1,800 felt earthquakes occurred from AD 2. http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/819394.html Since the 19th century, relatively weak seismic activity has continued, and recently, in September 2016, the Gyeongju earthquake measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and in November 2017, the Pohang earthquake measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. What’s more, the number of minor earthquakes has increased considerably. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's record of earthquake occurrence trends, the average number of earthquakes recorded in analog observations from 1978 to 1998 was 19.1. However, in digital observations from 1999 to 2020, an average of 70.6 earthquakes, more than three times higher, were recorded. Small and frequent earthquakes, why should we not ignore them? Earthquakes are generally characterized by the fact that as the number of small earthquakes increases, the likelihood of a large earthquake increases. The status that many small earthquakes occur means that the accumulated forces in the fault* zone have been collected enough to cause earthquakes. A series of small earthquakes simply means that the fault is weakening. The weakened fault is greatly broken at once by the accumulated force in the crust, and a large earthquake may be induced. Therefore, an increment in the number of small earthquakes is never desirable in terms of seismic hazards. * fault: a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock Recently, studies on the relationship between seismic activity and earthquake structure in the Korean Peninsula have been conducted. But unfortunately, most of the data is high-altitude seismic data, so it is difficult to accurately estimate factors such as the epicenter or magnitude. Discovery of active faults According to a recent government report on active faults, 16 places in the southeast area were analyzed as active faults. Furthermore, it is said that there are several active faults in the Chungcheong area. In this report, they analyzed quaternary faults of the Cenozoic Era or active faults with a high risk of earthquake recurrence. The analysis yielded very surprising results. The activity of faults was analyzed for the first time in Korea, and 14 active faults by section, including the Yugye segment of the Yangsan fault, were confirmed only in the southeast region of the Korean Peninsula. Including this result and the active faults investigated by the Ministry of Science and Technology, there are a total of 16 faults. We cannot help but feel a sense of fear with these findings. * quaternary: denoting the most recent period in the Cenozoic era What actions to take during an earthquake It is virtually impossible to prevent natural earthquakes with human power. That is why it would be of great help if we knew, even at a personal level, what to do in case of an earthquake. Here are a few actions to take during an earthquake. First of all, if you are in a building, get under a table or desk and wait for the shaking to stop. If you are outside, be aware of falling objects and evacuate to an empty lot. And don't ride the elevator. This is because if you board an elevator during an earthquake, you may be trapped in it and unable to get out. There are many other evacuation tips, so please refer to the image below. Ministry of the Interior and Safety (xn--le5b23c9wbqa.com) South Korea may have been a safe zone from earthquakes before. Even so, who can be sure of the safety of the coming future? As mentioned above, seismic activity on the Korean Peninsula occurs inside the plate, so it is frustrating that there is no theory about it. I believe that our country also needs an attitude of constantly conducting scientific research and preparing meticulously in preparation for possible disasters without continuing to be too complacent. Sources: https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230109001152530?input=1195m https://www.doopedia.co.kr/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view&MAS_IDX=101013000860125 https://www.weather.go.kr/w/eqk-vol/archive/stat/trend.do https://edu.ksc.re.kr/site/main/archive/article/%EC%9E%91%EC%9D%80-%EC%A7%80%EC%A7%84-%EA%B8%89%EC%A6%9D%EC%9D%80-%ED%81%B0-%EC%A7%80%EC%A7%84%EC%9D%98-%EC%A0%84%EC%A1%B0-%ED%98%84%EC%83%81?cp=1&sv=%EC%9E%91%EC%9D%80%20%EC%A7%80%EC%A7%84&pageSize=8&sortDirection=DESC&listType=list&catId=11 https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?ncd=7597280&ref=A https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/earthquakes/what-causes-earthquakes

• 작성일 2023-02-17
• 좋아요 Like 4
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제 16 호 Fireworks: Makes World on Fire, Literally and Figuratively

Kicker : DEBATE Fireworks: Makes World on Fire, Literally and Figuratively Seasonal Beautiful Scenery Both Enhances and Damages Our World Do-Hyuk Kim, Reporter ndapple0921@gmail.com Recent comeback of fireworks parade in South Korea marked retrieval of our daily lives that was shut down two years ago due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The parade, mostly hosted by Hanhwa Corporation in Korea, boasted a bigger scale of fireworks compared to the ones shown in the parade held before coronavirus’ spread – ranging from Mapo Bridge to Hangang Railway Bridge. Return of the parade invited thousands of citizens to gather to places such as parks to enjoy this thirty-minutes of entertainment. As we can see from our country’s own parade, fireworks present special events to people and known as producing economic effects on several businesses. But they are also known to cause environmental issues, especially to the atmosphere. Is it reasonable to keep using fireworks to enlighten the ambience of parades or events? Let’s count the earnings and losses caused by fireworks more carefully with this article. History of fireworks is much longer than you would expect. You would be staggered by the fact that the first firework dates further back to almost the origin of humanity – second century Before Christ. Fireworks were often used to celebrate memorable events or to wish for a happy life back then, just like we do today. Enjoying fireworks was believed to be first founded in China, and Korea is speculated to have started watching fireworks in the Goryeo Dynasty. Now, all of global citizens favor watching this explosion in the sky and the economic effect it creates is immense. Take our recent fireworks parade for example. As we are Koreans, we are only interested in when the fireworks go on and where we should go to watch the event, but the parade was not only held in South Korea, but was held globally. A Japanese team, Italian team and Korean team each showcased their type of prettiest fireworks. In the case of South Korea, one million citizens visited several spots which are easy to watch fireworks parade showing off. Think about the economic impact that one million people went out from their homes and bought products from nearby local stores and businesses. It would be huge, that is for sure. These people spend their money for transportation, and what they eat or drink while waiting or watching the fireworks, and could spend even more time outdoors after the parade. Host of the parade, Hanwha group could promote their global image to global citizens who watch the parade via online and could further improve their businesses in the future in unexpected areas. My personal experience also supports fireworks’ positive effect on economy. When I visited Hawaii, I booked a cruise ship that included watching fireworks that was held every Friday. Ticket of boarding on Friday was fully booked every week, but other days were not even including weekends. Because of that firework, more tourists visited the spot to enjoy nightscape called Tantalus at the exact time when fireworks were fired. Fireworks make people to move around and develop economical activities, which can not be disregarded especially today when the economy is in a downturn. But there is a problem – a big one. You would not be so sure that environmental problem now has directly making an impact on our daily lives until last year, but it is completely different in 2022. Shooting fireworks to the sky harasses the atmosphere, since fireworks consist of metal and gunpowder. Several chemicals are used to add colors to each firework, which also give knock-on impact to our ceilings. Right after fireworks explode, microscopic particulate matters wobble around near the atmosphere – that we eventually breathe in. Last month in November, India had their biggest annual party called ‘Diwali.’ Diwali celebrates light beating darkness, which has a deep relationship with Hinduism. Since the celebration marks the defeat of darkness, billions of Indians shoot fireworks both privately and generally. The Indian government acknowledging the environmental issue prematurely announced ban on fireworks during the Diwali period, but no one followed the rule. The press of India and other countries reported that the level of particulate matter dramatically increased right after the very day Diwali was at its highlight. Those fine dust particles formed like a cloud, and limited vision to only nearby surroundings. If the global population keeps surging and enjoying fireworks, we would eventually end up at an unbreathable future with an atmosphere congested with dusts. We cannot immediately ban every single firework festival held in all countries of the world in the name of protecting the environment. Fireworks’ impact on the economy is still boasting its presence, and presenting joy to citizens is definitely an important role that fireworks have played ever since this technology was first developed. But to ensure our lives and descendants’ clean, fresh air, we need to at least reduce the frequency of holding firework parades in each nation. Fireworks are beautiful, but we should beware of the negative effects on our long-term survival. Sources: http://www.hanwha.co.kr/images/newsMedia/photo/20171010_news01.jpg (Image) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks https://www.emerics.org:446/newsBriefDetail.es?brdctsNo=309043&mid=a10100000000

• 작성일 2022-11-29
• 좋아요 Like 1
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제 15 호 In Search of a Goldilocks Zone in Skyrocketing Chicken Prices

Kicker: DEBATE In Search of a Goldilocks Zone in Skyrocketing Chicken Prices By Do-Hyuk Kim, Reporter / Su-Young Kim, Cub-reporter ndapple0921@gmail.com/kimsuyoung1342@gmail.com Do you know how muck chicken is currently? The price of one chicken, including delivery fee, is 20,000 won to 30,000 won. Prices have risen because of covid-19, high oil prices, and the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the price of chicken, which used to be considered food for the common people, is also soaring. In March of this year, the chairman of a chicken company sparked controversy by saying that 30,000 won was reasonable. After 2 months later, they increased the price of the brand’s basic menu by 2,000 won, which caused more resistance. From the consumer’s point of view, the price of 30,000 won is very expensive; however, there is also an opinion that such a price is inevitable for chicken sales. From now on, let’s talk about high chicken’s price together. Is it too expensive, or inevitable? It's Too Expensive Even though the price is getting higher because of various reasons, I cannot agree with chicken’s price. First, chicken was a food which the common people can eat comfortably. Before 10 years ago, the famous franchise chicken company’s chicken price was 13,000 won to 16,000 won. Most people were enthusiastic about the unique and diverse taste of chicken shops, and chicken was considered a popular dish. Unfortunately, they cannot enjoy chicken anymore like before because of the high price. The franchise chicken companies said the reason of chicken’s high price is an increase in labor costs, frying powder, and building rent. However, the operating profit ratio of chicken franchises is increasing. One of the highest franchise chicken company’s profit ratios is 32%. This is like the profit margin of Apple, an electronics company. If they were really forced to raise prices due to material costs and additional costs, would they be able to make this profit margin? I think they are raising prices for corporate profits, citing the popularity of chicken and the excuse of rising prices. Second, a cheap chicken, priced at 6,990 won, appeared against expensive franchise chicken. This chicken is sold at a large supermarket. According to the menu development manager, he claimed that he does not lose money by purchasing ingredients in bulk to make chicken and frying and packaging meat directly at the mart. Consumers are reacting positively to the cheap and delicious chicken. This case may prove sufficiently that franchisees are in a situation where they can consider the price of food. In an age of inflation, consumers are keen on prices. They are not arguing that food prices should be lowered unconditionally. If we were just watching prices rise, other basic foods such as Tteok-bokki and gimbap, would also soar beyond our imagination. I think that the price of a product should be determined by properly harmonizing the positions of consumers and sellers. Therefore, franchisees should listen to consumers and think about better solutions to higher chicken prices. It's Inevitable Because reasonably priced chicken became so hot between people and controversy, it even came up on television news, and this has to be made clear. The interview from the supermarket supervisor saying that selling this alarmingly cheap chicken still makes them some money despite having impressively low-price range should not be understood as ordinary chicken restaurants have constantly priced theirs excessively high for the pursuit of big earnings. Supermarkets can sell these chickens so cheaply because of these three reasons. First is the economy of scale applies to these supermarkets. Big supermarkets attract consumers all the time and tons of people visit these markets on weekends. They could set low profit margin on a single chicken they sell, since they can sell lots of them without having risks of leftover chicken remaining in their facilities becoming cold. Tagging low profit margin on a single product naturally makes the product cheaper, so supermarkets can entice customers to buy just by deploying this simple strategy. Small business owners, on the other hand, can’t match this remarkably easy tactics that big supermarkets easily apply. They have to pay more for purchasing each ingredient required for baking a chicken and should pay a commission to their head office if they are under specific chicken brands. Settling out alone without the help of a major chicken brand could be possible, but it will not be easy and the owner should manage with even bigger risk of failure due to low awareness of the store. Big supermarkets do not need any aggressive promotions to tell customers about their new chicken’s presence. The production cost issue continues. Supermarkets already have cooking utensils and space to bake a chicken that small business owners should buy brand new. Supermarkets sell other groceries, so launching a new chicken menu targeting sensible customers is as easy as just adding a new menu that is already related to the one that already exists in a Michelin-awarded restaurant. This reveals the second problem, which is the delivery service platforms. Big supermarkets are already big enough to request customers to come and fetch their chickens in person, but local chicken restaurants are not. Delivery service platforms extorting money from small businesses was already pointed out as a social problem, but most customers are already tamed by the convenience of delivery service apps made by service providers. Delivery service providers are currently abusing their monopoly status to local food stores, including chicken restaurants. Not only do the head offices of popular chicken brands steal lunch money from those small business owners, but delivery service providers too. They ask to pay store owners commissions in the name of attracting customers and connecting delivery men to the store, which is pretty nominal and falsely charged. In the olden days when such thing like delivery service providers did not exist, customers called directly to the store for their requests. No one complained about this organized, Korea-specific system and chicken restaurant owners were free from these expensive commissions. Happiness was short lived, with the introduction of the smartphone and delivery service providers. These service providers are sitting between chicken restaurants and customers, collecting an unfair toll – which big supermarkets never have to consider. The final reason is that the liberation from failure only applies to these big supermarkets. Even if these cheap chickens become a commercial flop, supermarkets are not afraid of such failure. It may not be happy to lose money, but they still can ignore the possibility of failing, since other products they sell got them covered. To local chicken restaurant owners, it is likely that chicken is the only measure of earning money and bad sales of chicken leads them directly into a complete shutdown of the store. They could not dare to price these chickens so cheaply while enduring losses on every chicken they sell. Big supermarkets can also give up on earning money with this cheap chicken but focus on attracting customers to their stores. Big crowds gather every day in these supermarkets to buy this red-hot chicken, and this huge number of people each have a high possibility of buying another product from the supermarket. If a customer visited the supermarket to buy this chicken and suddenly remembered that coffee is about to run out at his home, that is a success for these supermarkets. Congratulations for big supermarkets even making money with that chicken, but to be honest, they would not care about money lost by producing that cheap chicken even if it failed. They could feel free and be highly interested in developing a new record-breaking in terms of price in differently areas, such as ‘half-priced paper towel.’ Small chicken restaurants in your neighborhood cannot even dream of this whole story. These issues eventually all add up. Problems imposed to local business owners instigate the price of chicken you can get from a chicken restaurant within two kilometers away to be expensive. Twenty thousand won for a chicken is inevitable for small chicken restaurant owners to maintain their stores, not for their wealth. Recent inflation and pricier wheat, chicken and cooking oil is new in terms of this issue, and this also is hurting local chicken restaurants. Consumers are facing a severe recession that they have never experienced since 2010, when the subprime mortgage crisis struck the entire global society. All of the consumers, including us, are in search of cheaper products that can replace their previous purchases. It is a difficult time to live an ordinary life while withstanding this crisis and the epidemic combined. When business owners return to their homes, they transform into consumers. When each of these consumers go to work, they become a merchant in either a tangible item or an intangible form. We are both consumers and providers, so effort to impose pricing that everyone can agree on is required, including chickens. One thing should be clear: the goldilocks zone of the chicken price is where both consumers and chicken restaurant owners can happily make an agreement.

• 작성일 2022-08-31
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제 14 호 Why Did They Have To Do It at the Subway?

Kiker: DEBATE Why Did They Have To Do It at the Subway? What Attitude Should We Have? By Yun-Seo Jung, Cub-Reporter yysj1230@naver.com Have you ever encountered people with disabilities while using public transportation such as subways and buses? What do you think about public transportation for the disabled? For example, Cheonan buses run 28 low-floor buses for handicapped and there were 6 routes in 2021. In the same year, Cheonan low-floor buses supply rate was about 6.7% in March. Compared to the supply rate of low-floor buses, which is 56.4% in Seoul and 28% in the country, Cheonan is very low. Even if they use public transportation, passengers who ride together may feel inconvenience due to inadequacy of facilities. A Trigger for the Disabled Subway Protest As previously stated, it is true that it is still difficult for disabled people to access public transportation. Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination have demonstrated on the subway, demanding assurance of disabled rights budget, legislation and amendment of the four laws on disabled rights since December last year. Their specific requirements are government support about operating expenses of lifelong education facilities for the disabled and special transportation for disabled, etc. They demonstrated on the metropolitan subway during rush hour, which is usually crowded. On the Seoul subway, some put wheelchairs on the doors and kept them from closing. Others demonstrated with their limbs and heads on the floor, bowing and crawling inside the subway. Protests delayed trains, affecting students and workers to go to school and work. Citizens who were cheering for their protests also complained as they suffered inconvenience. There were also various opinions among the people about the protest. It was divided into a position in favor and in opposition of the protest. However, as the protests continued, the views that defended them also changed negatively. Why Did They Have to Do It on Subway? As mentioned earlier, access to public transportation for the disabled is very low. Disabled people have to ride wheelchair lifts at stations without elevators or transfer sections. However, it is difficult to operate alone, and dangerous because there are many falls and serious injuries or deaths. There are so many difficulties that disabled face in their daily lives as well as when using public transportation like subways. Despite they demonstrated dozens of times, the surroundings for the disabled are not improving. Thus, they are protesting on public transportation with a lot of people. HANKYOREH hani.co.kr What do you think of this protest? Do you agree or disagree? Protests to gain rights hurt others, and in the process, their boundaries deepened by saying hurtful words to each other. What attitude should disabled and non-disabled have in the world we live in together? What attitude should we have? Please leave your opinions. Sources : https://youtu.be/Go3ii7BDE3Y https://www.ajunews.com/view/20220328113653317

• 작성일 2022-05-27
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