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ON AUG. 22, 2019, the Moon Jae-in administration has announced its decision to discontinue the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), abolishing the bilateral military agreement between South Korea and Japan that initiated in 2016. As the government explained its justification of termination to be based on the presence of general mistrust of Japan as a result of recent tensions and diplomatic hostilities, GSOMIA serves as a turning point in the recently revised South Korea-Japan relations. The decision signifies a change not only with diplomacy of the two nations, but in
Today's Affairs
Cho Seung-wan
2019.10.06 20:40
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“JAPAN MAY condescend to Korea regarding our complicated history, but it doesn’t help if Korea undiscriminatingly labels people who aren’t outright anti-Japan as national traitors,” said An Sung-min (Fresh., Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Waseda Univ.). A Korean student currently studying in Japan, An senses the sentiments of both nations going to the extreme, especially with the ongoing economic sanctions and boycott movements. Japanese brands in Korea are drastically losing businesses, and Japanese corporations even resorted to reducing a significant number of regional branches in the coun
Today's Affairs
Cho Seung-wan
2019.09.04 20:38
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WITH THE flames at Notre-Dame Cathedral came a wave of sadness from all around the world. The fire on April 15, 2019 partly destroyed the world-renown French landmark that embodies French history and identity. Many companies and individuals are sending their condolences by donating money to be used to rebuild the monument, and the total adds up to a large sum of money. However, months before the fire, there have been protests in France demanding for economic reforms that address inequality. When attention was shifted to the Notre-Dame fire, they started to question a nation’s priority—th
Today's Affairs
Lee So-jung
2019.06.03 23:24
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PARK KYUNG-HEE, a mother of two students, is facing a serious dilemma. With her eldest daughter going into her last year in middle school, she is just a year away from deciding whether to send her daughter to a public high school or a specialized, private high school. “If my child can keep up, I do want to send her to a specialized high school,” mentioned Park. “With the current trend in university admission, specialized schools certainly ensure more prepared portfolios and opportunities for extra-curricular activities, which are crucial factors that may determine the kind of university my chi
Today's Affairs
Jo Beom-su. Lee So-jung
2019.03.06 19:20
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DECEMBER TRULY befits its title as “the month of giving.” The sounds of hand bells resonate in the streets of Seoul as volunteers from various non-profit organizations (NPOs) promote a range of charity works. Donating is an annual ritual for many of us as we share our love and compassion with those in need during the holidays, and these donations add up to make a considerable impact. According to a report from Guidestar Korea, the total amount of donations collected by 8,993 NPOs amounted to a net sum of 1.3 trillion KRW in December 2016 alone. This was more than three times the monthly averag
Today's Affairs
Jo Beom-su
2018.12.02 20:28
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BUYING A house of your own in Korea is now harder than ever. Recently, housing prices have risen dramatically, resulting in an increased burden on the general population. Some claim that the housing shortage is due to land scarcity that could easily be fixed with the construction of houses on undeveloped land. However, the undeveloped land that could be potentially used to build houses is within Korea’s green belt region. The green belt region is an established area set by the government that is restricted from any further land development. The region has been maintained in an effort to preven
Today's Affairs
Lee So-jung
2018.11.04 21:42
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ON JULY 27, 2018, the Ministry of National Defense released Defense Reform 2.0, representing a new path for the South Korean military. Officially announced by the Minister of Defense, Song Young-moo, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces is now pursuing several reforms to achieve its vision: the “realization of a strong military and a responsible national defense that supports the peace and prosperity of the nation.” These reforms include policies pertaining to the ROK Forces’ “hard power,” including their military technology, capabilities and structuring, and the ROK Forces’ “soft power,”
Today's Affairs
Hong Jee-seung, Jo Beom-su
2018.09.02 12:21
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“I NEED to have some Pyeongyang naeng-myeon*.” The day after the 2018 inter-Korean summit, my friend expressed his desire to try one of the dishes President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had during their shared meal. Although that comment was made partly in jest, it also reflected a deeper hope of restoring relations with our northern neighbor. My friend wasn’t the only one with filled with optimism. On online media and in schools across South Korea, enthusiasm and excitement buoyed by the success of the summit had many thinking about going to Europe through North Korea by tr
Today's Affairs
Song In-jun
2018.06.04 16:17
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BEN OBADIA was only two years old when he contracted leukemia. He was able to undergo treatment early, but, due to the chemotherapy, Ben was both unable to receive the right vaccination doses and contracted a feeble immune system. When Ben’s mother learned that a non-vaccinated, measles-stricken child was in the same hospital room as him, she felt despair, realizing her son might have to fight both leukemia and measles. Ben was placed in a separate room, but the fear did not subside. Ultimately, he did not end up contracting measles.* Although Ben was fortunate, many others going under chemoth
Today's Affairs
Song In-jun
2018.04.09 17:31
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FIRE AT Sinchon Severance Hospital occurred at 7:57 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2018, on the third floor food court. More than 300 people evacuated the building as smoke spread from the second floor to the fifth floor. The fire department arrived quickly, and only around 2 hours since the first sparks caused the fire, the firefighters declared that the fire had been put out. Although eight people inhaled smoke and were moved to adjacent hospital buildings, no one was seriously hurt. However, this fire is not representative of the other fires that swept the country during winter. Other fires in Jaecheon, J
Today's Affairs
Song In-jun
2018.03.14 18:50
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KOREA IS sizzling in anger as it witnesses a merciless murder by a teenager that occurred back in March. In Incheon, Kim, a 17-year-old high school dropout murdered an 8-year-old girl, chopped up her body, and placed the remains in two trash bags. She then put them inside a water tank, located on the rooftop of her apartment. She also disposed some in a shopping bag and handed it to her 18-year-old friend, Park, who is now convicted of planned murder and disposal of the body. During the final trial on August 29, the prosecutor demanded 20 years in prison for the 17-year-old girl and life in pr
Today's Affairs
Kim Kyu-eun
2017.10.16 11:18
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KOREAN SOCIETY is shifting away from its idealized image of the household ascomposed of a nuclear family. Just ten years ago, Korean society was highly group-oriented. The term *single* was not positively embraced, and watching movies or eating at restaurants alone involved a great degree of self-consciousness. Living alone in South Korea was rare, as the statistics show. However, in 2016, living alone either out of necessity or by choice is no longersurprising. In fact, it is becoming a trend, with a rising number of people living alone. There are even celebrities who show off their daily lif
Today's Affairs
Yeo Ye-rim
2016.11.03 23:43
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WHILE LEE, a college student, is strolling down the street, a novel idea strikes his mind. He rushes home to write a business plan, which consolidates the item he has in mind. Once he completes the plan, he then submits it to a start-up contest organized by the government. The government is deeply impressed by the groundbreaking proposal and offers an annual subsidy of 1 billion so that Lee could start his own business with ease. After Lee’s company makes several deals with highly reputed conglomerates, it becomes a top venture corporation. An ordinary college student transforms into a risin
Today's Affairs
Kim Ye-eun
2015.11.03 13:07
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ON AUGUST 6th 2015, Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan announced this year’s revised tax code, which aimed for improvement of public welfare and economic revitalization. In this 2015 tax revision, Choi detailed the planned implementation of the Individual Savings Account (ISA) program, hoping that this system would allow easier accumulation of individual wealth by providing a tax break for all wage earners. Through this program, the government hopes to stimulate the nation’s economy that has been faltering for the past two months. South Korea has suffered from near zero GDP growth rate for five
Today's Affairs
Kim Ye-eun
2015.09.07 23:59
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THE NEW 2014 year-end tax adjustment here in Korea is sparking outrage throughout the nation. Numerous citizens are angered by the changes that, contrary to what the government had promised, put pressure on the middle class and removed childbirth grants. The apology from Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan promising further welfare programs with the increased revenue has angered even more people, who had expected President Park Geun-hye to keep her pledge, “welfare without taxation increase.” However, not many people know the changed policy thoroughly. Exactly what aspect of the change is instiga
Today's Affairs
Choi Jean
2015.03.02 14:47
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“NEW LABOUR: Because Britain deserves better.” This is the slogan that was on the first page of the manifesto issued by the British Labour Party in 1997. The somewhat gloomy, expressionless face of Tony Blair,the young leader of the Labour Party, was printed on the cover of the manifesto. Blair, who was only 43 at the time, finally swept awaythe British Conservative Party majority in the election and successfully accomplished a transfer of power after 18 years. His victory was largely due to his innovative manifesto, which is often considered as one of the best in history, and this manifesto e
Today's Affairs
Choi Ka-bin
2014.09.04 23:33
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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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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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SHE HAD just turned 15. It was a cold winter day in 1941 when two men dressed in military uniforms knocked on her door to inform her of a new job opening at a factory far away. She could earn money for her family, they said, and could come back home if she felt homesick. With not much choice, the teenage girl agreed and followed the two men - a decision which marked the beginning of her own tragedy. She arrived at a storage area in Busan, where 20 girls around her age were sitting quietly, waiting for ”work“ to start. Of course, they had yet to realize what was awaiting them; they still though
Today's Affairs
Yu Ha-eun
2013.10.09 16:00
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LOCATED JUST above the heavily militarized border between the two Koreas, the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) is a special economic zone built through the investment of 123 South Korean firms. Combining the technology and capital of the South with the human resources of the North, the complex is an arena of economic cooperation and peaceful coexistence. As such, the complex has often been titled “the last bastion of hope” in recognition of its continued operation despite rocky relations during the Lee Myung-bak administration. Today, however, the KIC faces a different scenario: a tentative sh
Today's Affairs
Kim Min-sung
2013.07.25 18:40