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“ALL PASSENGERS on Sewol-ho have been rescued. Please rest assured” – the official announcement on 16 April, 12p.m., by the South Korean government. Yet a few moments later, the government corrected its statement – over a hundred were still not recovered and three were revealed to be dead already, within hours of the accident. The people of South Korea were in a state of a speechless shock, and the families of the victims were naively fooled by the false announcements. The Sewol-ho ferry was carrying a staggering 459 people when it was capsized near Gwanmae Island, marking its plac
Cover Story
Koh Soo-min
2014.06.03 08:24
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THE BUSTLING cars, the unstopping traffic lights, the blatant neon signs, the loud crowd of people walking towards here and there – have you ever felt like you needed a break from all those traces of the city? From time to time, everyone can crave quietness outside the busy life. A great way of yielding yourself like this is going on a day trip to somewhere as calm as you would like your mind to be. But where to find those places? If you are looking for somewhere that serve as escape destinations from the city, here are perfect suggestions for you. Try visiting Bo-mun-sa, a temple that w
Travel Diary
Koh Soo-min
2014.06.03 08:22
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IT IS not uncommon these days to see one popular cultural genre to extend to another kind of industry to generate a synergetic, new culture. Of countless examples, one of the most impressive one in today’s world is the transformation of toy into a cultural item. Teddy Bear Museums and Barbie movies form a greater stream of mass culture today. However, the most interesting case among them might be that of Lego blocks. Lego blocks have slowly yet steadily risen from a toy into a cultural item, and by combining itself with other forms of arts and industries it has successfully created whole new s
Take a Break
Koh Soo-min
2014.05.05 23:33
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“How can a three-pound mass of jelly that you can hold in your palm imagine angels, contemplate the meaning of infinity, and even question its own place in the cosmos?” IT IS amazing when you think about it. This is a description of the most mysterious organ of ours – the human brain – by V. S. Ramachandran, who is one of the most renowned neuroscientists of the day. We use this powerful organ every day, sometimes consciously and sometimes not. Yet, despite its vital necessity and frequent usage in our life, studying the human brain is one of the hardest quests for any scientists.
Lightbulb
Koh Soo-min
2014.05.05 23:29
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THEY ARE everywhere. In subway stations, bus stations, on the roads, and even on television and radios. They stealthily exist among our unconsciousness, seep into our daily life and become a part of us. “They” are advertisements for plastic surgery hospitals. The countless advertisements around us display the omnipresence of plastic surgery hospitals in Korea, which in particular, manifests itself especially in areas like Gangnam and Apgujeong. The numerous plastic surgery hospitals not just in these regions, but in Korea as a whole, serve as evidence for an alarming fact published by The Econ
Today's Affairs
Koh Soo-min
2014.04.10 20:53
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HOW LONG has it been? It has been a couple of hours and you lost keeping track of time. Your back is sore from hours of sitting at the desk working with the laptop, but you refuse to move an inch. It feels as though your brain is heating up from the constant process of trying to find an answer to the question glaring at you from the laptop: “Explain how your background affected your personality and goals,” “What are your strengths and weaknesses and why?” You know that you are smart and are fairly knowledgeable in most fields, but for some bizarre reason, trying to find the right answer to the
Opinion
Koh Soo-min
2014.03.04 20:49
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WHAT DOES the local subway mean to you? To the majority, the subway has always been simply a mode of transport. The worn out pastel walls of the underground guide hundreds of people to the soundless platform. The eyes of the people waiting avoid each other’s, and are fixed at whatever is on their hands. Finally! The subway approaches and everyone scrambles inside for a seat that will comfortably carry them for however long. You too, sit and fall asleep, continue playing games on your phone, or surf the internet for a place to have lunch with your friend. Subway – it is a channel of commu
Travel Diary
Koh Soo-min
2014.03.04 10:34
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HAS SOMEONE ever written a note to you, and you were able to guess who wrote the text just by looking at the handwriting? Or has it ever occurred to you that your best friend’s handwriting is so like her? Well then, welcome to the field of graphology – an area of pseudo-science that specializes in analyzing handwritings. Graphology has been used in various fields for a long time. Traditionally, graphology was used in the medical field, where handwritings were evaluated to diagnose diseases related to nervous systems. Today, however, graphology is used as a method of personality analysis
Take a Break
Koh Soo-min
2013.12.15 17:44
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ANSAN IS in fact, the city that is most populated with foreign workers in Korea. Now, it is common to spot a person in a working suit with different colored skin, eyes and hair in Korea. Unfortunately, however, we still live in a society today where prejudices still exist: similarities are accepted as the right answer and differences are considered the wrongs. While the inherent cultural differences between Koreans and foreigners may be the reason for discrimination against foreigners in Korea, this may also be the reason that foreigners’ wrongdoings are socially judged more severely. Our neig
Today's Affairs
Koh Soo-min
2013.12.15 17:23
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THE WONDERS behind t h e existence of our life is fascinating yet profound. Most of us, at some point, have looked into the mirror and pondered where we have received the color of our eyes, the plumpness of our cheeks, or the brown shade in our hair. Although seemingly trivial, these questions touch on the very roots of evolutionary science: the existence of our life is the living collection of traits that helped our ancestors survive for thousands of generations. In order to survive, our ancestors had to be healthy and strong, thereby passing along the most useful genes for survival. We are t
Lightbulb
Koh Soo-min
2013.11.18 01:59
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THE INTER-KOREAN reunion that was to be held on Sept. 25 was abruptly postponed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, better known as North Korea, three days before the long-awaited event. The North announced that they wished to postpone the event indefinitely until the North and the South build a long-lasting, negotiable relationship. This left the 196 candidates selected for the reunion by the North and South Red Cross in their greatest dismay, as the inter-Korean reunion had been greatly anticipated after three years of waiting. The history of inter-Korean reunionTo the fortunate ge
Society
Koh Soo-min
2013.11.18 01:50
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DO YOU drink? From the first day at university, most freshmen learn to drink. With events like freshmen orientation and membership training (MT) lined up throughout the semester, students are faced with countless situations that encourage them to drink. The drinking phenomenon is especially widespread in Korea where entering university is considered to be a symbol of adulthood. This tacit agreement allows more freedom than the students’ younger years, and unleashes them to the drinking culture that exists among young university students. To drink or not to drink? Almost three-quarters of Yonse
Enquete
Koh Soo-min
2013.10.09 16:24
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THERE IS a country called Tuvalu that consists of several small islands in the middle of the Southern Pacific. For the past decade, 75 Tuvaluans yearly have left their country and immigrated to New Zealand. Is Tuvalu under war? Did another country colonize it? Or has it been hit by a giant meteor? All wrong – Tuvalu is all but under the danger of sinking. In 2001, the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) announced that the average sea level might rise as high as 88 more centimeters, which means that countries consisting of islands like Tuvalu could be left entirely submerged beca
Society
Koh Soo-min
2013.10.09 15:12
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IT IS ten o’clock. A road very much like that of Sinchon, the passage is lined with places for people to drink and have dinner. This is a road nearby Sinchon train station and Ewha Women’s University subway station. The fiercely red and blue neon signs light the dark road and a crowd of people passes by. The crowd are a group of excited teenagers who have been dancing their night away in the nearby dancing arena for teenagers, officially called “Tinple.”Playground for teenagers - no alcohol, no cigarettes The origins of Tinple are far from how they are seemingly manifested by the gregarious te
Society
Koh Soo-min
2013.09.01 22:01
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“NEVER TAKE life seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway.” This is a quote that conveys a message of adventure and challenge. Life is not to be taken seriously. Life is meant for us to try new challenges, meet new people, and gain new knowledge. After all, you won’t be leaving it alive anyway. Youths today do not seem to realize this fact, however. They are too scared of stepping out of their comfort zone. To the careful youths of today, Kim Jae-young (Documentary Producer, MBC) insists on going out and living their dreams. Kim has been a documentary producer in MBC since 2001. He is a Yonsei
People/Yonseian
Koh Soo-min
2013.09.01 20:44