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“GOING TO bed early is like admitting my defeat,” says Lee Ju-hee, a junior in high school. “The more I sleep, the more I feel like I’m lagging behind.” The competitiveness in today’s modern society has contributed to the idea that sleeping is a waste of precious time which could be spent more productively. Sleep deprivation has become a social norm among the younger generation, and university students are especially prone to this phenomenon. Pulling an all-nighter before an important exam, staying up until three in the morning to finish a paper, and chugging coffee to compensate for last nigh
Lightbulb
Kwon Young-sau
2018.12.02 16:26
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BEFORE THE emergence of scientific theories and principles to explain astronomical patterns and anomalies, ancient peoples used to construct stories to explain the phenomena they observed in the sky. It is said that the Babylonians associated celestial bodies with certain attributes by metaphorically interpreting their characteristics and movements*. Mercury, for example, symbolized deceit because of its quick movement and difficulty to locate. Such interpretations marked the beginning of what we now call “astrology,” which derives from the Greek word astron (“star”) and logia (“study of”). As
Take a Break
Yang Ji-weon
2018.12.02 13:48
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WITH CAROLS filling the corner of each street, department stores announcing long-awaited holiday sales, and trees undergoing a fresh make-over of twinkling lights, the most joyful season of the year has arrived. What adds a finishing touch to the blissful atmosphere of wintery wonder are colorful and mouthwatering assortments of cakes, cupcakes, puddings, and cookies that are displayed beyond shiny windows of bakeries. The hands that skillfully craft each dessert into perfection belong to pastry chefs who are masters of bot fine arts and pastry. Although there are many people who have picked u
Career
Lee Chae-wan
2018.12.02 12:58
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MARKING THE end of autumn and the beginning of winter, December has finally arrived. The piercing chill works its way through our thick jackets, and not even a cup of hot tea is enough to keep ourselves warm. As trees are stripped of their leaves and our breaths puff white clouds, a visit to Onyang Hot Spring offers a great means of melting away the cold. Onyang-dong has already been a popular winter travel destination for the elderly, as it is easily accessible through public transportation and it provides them a chance to relieve their nerves in public baths. Although enjoying hot springs ha
Travel Diary
Lee Hyun-kyung
2018.12.01 19:27
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CHAOTIC. THIS word encapsulates the everyday scene in anemergency room. Those who have visited the facility will recall the overwhelming confusion as people frantically come and go, with different levels of pain and anxiety etched out on their faces. It is the job of the emergency department personnel—doctors, nurses and paramedics—to give acute commands to locate and resolve the patients’ source of discomfort, and provide medical care to the suffering individuals as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, due to a lack of capital and the problem of understaffing, most users of the eme
Special Report
Yoon Young-seo
2018.11.04 21:57
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MANY STUDENTS dream of becoming “the boss” one day. A boss would have the authority to set the timetable, hire employees, decide the direction for big projects, and even bring his or her own creative visions to life. The webtoon industry is a marketplace full of self-employed “bosses,” whose comics have been gaining interestfrom other media industries, as well as readership in countries outside of Korea. The profession of a webtoon artist has attracted interest from university students, both in and outside of art majors, as a dream job that entails freedom of expression and artistic creativity
Career
Kim So-yeon
2018.11.04 14:17
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IN SOUTH Korea, November is a month of remembrance. On November 3 and 17, millions of Koreans commemorate the Student Independence Movement Day and Patriotic Martyr’s Day, respectively. On these days, people pay homage to the likes of Yu Gwan-sun, a martyr who died in 1920 while fighting against the Japanese occupation, and Jang Jae-sung, a high school student who led the first student protests in Gwangju. Like these great figures, there are many whose lives and actions have greatly influenced future generations. Thus, *The Yonsei Annals* decided to discover and honor these legacies by asking
Voice on Campus
Kim Min-seo
2018.11.03 17:21
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MY WEEKLY routine starts with the Eastern Civilization lecture in Veritas Hall A of the Yonsei International Campus (YIC). Sitting for the class among many bright minds of Yonsei might be something I would have desperately longed for last year as a high school student, but not anymore. The echoing of the professor’s voice and the solemn atmosphere of the lecture hall exert pressure onto me as if it’s trying to press out the last breath of air out of my body. Am I the only one who can’t focus? How do people around me have the drive to compete in this endless race, when I realized that everythin
Opinion
Jo Beom-su
2018.11.03 17:10
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SEEKING MENTAL health care remains one of the greatest taboos in South Korea. However, the modern and fast-paced society is suffering from a chronic “flu” through various forms of mental illnesses. There is a silent prohibition against the association with these conditions. This anomaly stems from the fraudulent notions that mental illnesses reflect one’s lack of sociability or predisposition to violence. The South Korean Medical Service Act and the Ministry of Health and Welfare strive to increase accessibility to mental health consultations, yet their efforts have gone astray. The juxtaposit
Opinion
Hong Jee-seung
2018.11.03 17:02
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LIKE MANY Korean mothers, my mother is extremely overprotective. It was only fitting then, that my mother would accompany me to assist with “settling in” when I decided to go on exchange to South Korea. It would be my first time visiting my motherland. Before I arrived here, my main source of Korean culture were the Korean dramas my mother and I would watch together, and for as long as I can remember, we’ve wanted to visit a jjim-jil-bang. For the uninitiated, a jjim-jil-bang is a large, public bathhouse that is a common part of the Korean cleansing regimen. I had visions of us perspiring in t
Take a Break
Esther Shim
2018.11.02 21:25
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THE ADVERTISING industry is one of the most sought-after career fields among university students. However, getting into advertising is very competitive and choosing to dive into that competition requires a great deal of certainty in one’s decision. Choosing a potential lifetime career can be daunting, especially to those who do not have any first-hand experience or knowledge in their desired fields. For those who truly want to pursue a career in advertising or are merely curious about the field, *The Yonsei Annals* met with Yoo Byoung-ook, the Creative Director of TBWA Korea, to gain insight i
Career
Kwon Young-sau
2018.10.03 19:49
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UNDER THE principle of *if the citizen questions, the government answers*, the *Cheong-wa-dae* (Blue House) launched an online public petition system to celebrate the 100th day of President Moon Jae-in’s inauguration. With the initiation of this new platform, the Moon administration has attempted to implement prompt and unfiltered communication between the nation’s citizens and Blue House officials. BackgroundThe right to petition has always been written in Article 26 of the South Korean Constitution: (1) All citizens shall have the right to petition in writing to any governmental agency under
Opinion
Hong Jee-seung, Kim Peter
2018.10.03 19:27
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BECOMING THE Mayor of Seoul was not an easy journey for Park Won-soon. Having been arrested for his role in democratization protests, expelled from university, but eventually turning the tables around and becoming a successful human rights lawyer and civil activist, Park has led a life nothing short of adventurous. Emerging victorious in the recent local election in June 2018, Park became the first mayor of Seoul to serve three consecutive terms. With a four-year extension in office, Park plans to continue the work that he began in 2011. In an interview with The Yonsei Annals, Park shared his
People/Yonseian
Jo Beom-su
2018.10.03 19:19
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ISSUES CONCERNING the division of the two Koreas and their reunification have always been unapproachable for me, as I lived abroad throughout my adolescence. I was oblivious to the inerasable scars that the division had left on Koreans, and its tremors still reverberating throughout the contemporary society. However, the repercussions of the separation struck me recently after watching a heartbreaking video on the reunion and almost immediate separation of family members from North and South Korea; these families were sobbing at the fact that they are unlikely to see each other again in the fo
Travel Diary
Lee Chae-wan
2018.10.03 00:20
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“AND ALL at once, summer collapsed into fall...” For some reason, so did we. This quote by Oscar Wilde poetically describes the transition from summer to autumn, the sweltering hot air turning chilly. Before we knew it, we had grown used to the heat, enjoying our summers, savoring the glow of the sun caressing our skin, and feeling free from all kinds of burdens. But now, with the changing winds and the darkening atmosphere, we can’t help but feel a little depressed at the fact that the warmth will no longer be with us. Wilde used the word “collapse” in his quote, and rightfully so. Somehow, i
Voice on Campus
Kim So-yeon
2018.10.03 00:15
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TIME IS running out—this desperate thought sends your heart racing; you must find a way to get out of this locked room as quickly as possible. This is the joy of an escape room, an attraction that offers a thrilling experience that other indoor activities cannot. All rooms have a theme and participants are introduced to the guiding story prior to entering a room. Once inside, they must obtain hints and solve riddles to complete the goal of escaping the room. For those that enjoy an active and engaging activity deviating from the typical routine of meeting up with friends at restaurants a
Take a Break
Lee So-jung
2018.10.02 23:46
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REMEMBER WATCHING a striking high-quality video on Facebook of celebrities performing at Akaraka*, or searching up the highlights from the Yon-Ko games on YouTube? Chances are, these breathtaking videos are products of the Yonsei Video Arts Center (YVAC), a student-run organization that is responsible for recording the official events of Yonsei University. The production of YVAC, however, goes beyond the recording of school events: it also engages in the creation of a diverse spectrum of videos, ranging from reality shows to movie reviews. In order to gain more insight into the organization’s
Behind the Scenes
Yang Ji-weon
2018.10.02 23:34
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RAPID GROWTH has been one of the most representative facets of South Korea for decades. Having forged one of the fastest economic developments in East Asia through the so-called “Miracle on the Han River,” Korea has been at the center of global interest for many years. Not only in the economic sector but also in the cultural and entertainment sectors, South Korea has experienced phenomenal success. The music market, film market, TV broadcasting market, cosmetics market and more have been resulting in the “K-Anything*” syndrome for many years.However, have you heard of K-Musical, or K-Theatre b
Special Report
Song Min-sun
2018.09.02 13:21
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FROM AUG. 18 to Sept. 2 the 2018 Asian Games were held in Jakarta-Palembang. For most athletes, these games are seen as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For South Korean male athletes, however, victory entails so much more: it entails the opportunity to be exempt from mandatory military service that all Korean male nationals are subjected to. Under Paragraph 11 of Article 68 of the Korean Military Service Act, gold medalists in the Asian Games are exempted from military duty. In the recent Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, the world’s attention turned towards the result of Korea’s soccer match d
Opinion
Lee Hyun-kyung
2018.09.02 12:27
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DRAMAS AND films that involve historical content repeatedly create controversy over historical distortions in Korea. Take the tvN drama Mr. Sunshine, a series set in Gyeongseong (present-day Seoul) in the early 1900s, as an example. The currently airing show has received criticism for romanticizing a pro-Japanese Korean second male lead as a tall, dark, and mysterious love interest, while also misrepresenting Japan’s colonization of Korea. Public criticism has been so severe that a petition on the official Blue House website was filed against the drama. However, how accountable can you hold a
Opinion
Kwon Young-sau
2018.09.02 12:25