Re-control of the Taliban1)The Taliban is an Islamic Sunni militant political organization formed in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 1994 that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They have gained support from traditional Afghan families as the country has been working hard to eradicate corruption while re

Healthy EARTH Is No More1)Over the course of two days from July 14 to 15, heavy rain of 100mm to 150mm poured down on Western Europe, including Germany and Belgium, for 24 hours. This was equivalent to two months' average rainfall in the region. On July 18, AFP reported that the death toll in Wester

Can you recall the George Floyd case? A black man named George died due to the racist behavior of a police officer. For more details on the case, refer to the FEATURE of The Sookmyung Times No. 361. Just after the public was informed about the incident, people took to the streets to protest against

Tomorrow's Seoul1)On April 7, by-elections were held in Seoul and Busan to select new city mayors. Twelve candidates competed for the post of Seoul mayor, which had been vacant for about nine months since the death of former Seoul Mayor, Park Wonsoon. During the campaigning, each party candidate mad

Myanmar's military staged a coup on February 1, detaining key public figures including Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi. At the same time, Myanmar's broadcasting communication was cut, and chaos erupted among citizens as well as around the world. Myanmar's citizens have taken to the streets to acti

Who will protect Them?1)On October 13, 2020, a 16-month-old girl living in Seoul died of maltreatment as a result of horrible treatment from her adoptive parents. The case was reported three times to authorities, but no other action was taken in those three reports. Even in the third report, the chi

One year after COVID-19 was reported in China, the cumulative death toll from the pandemic has exceeded 0.1% of the world's population. Activities in all areas of healthcare, economics, education, and culture have had to be restricted, and this has resulted in a global economic downturn. A large-sca

Our Planet Changed by COVID-191)Daily life is quite different from what it was about a year ago. COVID-19 has brought about changes to our eating, clothing, and living. The COVID-19 influences both people's lives as well as the global environment. Satellite imagery showed that air pollution in China

The Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election on Korea1)The 46th U.S. presidential election was held on November 3. Republican Party Donald Trump and Democrat Party Joe Biden were candidates on the ballots. The scuffle between the two candidates came to a head during their first TV debate. The two ca

Outlaw on the Road, Electric Scooters1)Electric scooters, also known as electric kickboards, are now easily seen all across Korea. They are called personal mobility, which makes it easy and fast for an individual to travel from one place to another. Because they are powered by electricity, they are

'Soul Taking' has become a new coined phrase, with the 'Donghak mom and pop Investor Movement', among the 2030 generation who are investors in the stock market. 'Soul Taking' means give your soul for a loan, and the 'Donghak Mom and Pop Investor Movement' represents large-scale buying by individual

Center of Issue, Sejong1)Recently the debate on relocation of the administrative capital, which started in the 1970s under former president Park Chunghee, has surfaced. In the 1970s, the policy was abandoned, but Roh Moohyun, former president, proposed the relocation policy once more. Roh was seekin

"If Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins the upcoming presidential election in November, the United States will become Chinese territory, and Americans may have to learn Chinese forcibly." These are the words that Trump spoke during an interview on the U.S. last month.

Risk of Exceeding the Limit1)A 15-ton trailer truck empties its load, adding to the garbage mountain. These were collected overnight from Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. About 30,000 tons of trash is dumped daily at a landfill in the capital area. With the amount of garbage increasing daily, the capit

Workers Driven To Death in Heavy Rain1)On August 6, three ships capsized near Uiam Dam in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. South Korea had been experiencing heavy rains for weeks, so the floodgates of most dams were opened. Uiam Dam was one of them. On the day of the tragedy, the dam opened 9 of its 15

Larva in Running Water1)2020 began with a COVID-19 outbreak. Even now, although half the year has passed, another incident has left the Korean fearful. Tap water in Incheon has been contaminated. It is not the first time a tap water incident has occurred in Incheon. On May 30, 2019, there was an ins

"Please don’t shoot me." "I can’t breathe." These are the words spoken by a black man who had his neck squashed by a police officer. George Floyd was arrested by the police for using fake banknotes and for refusing to get into a police car. The police officer pressed his knee upon the man's neck for

University Changes Brought About by COVID-191)On March 2, Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye recommended universities start distance learning through online classes and homework to prevent students from contacting others until the COVID-19 situation stabilizes in a briefing titled, "How to Operate an

Changes in Traffic Laws1)On September 11, 2019, Kim Minsik, a 9-year-old child, was killed in a car accident that occurred in Child Protection Zone in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. The driver of the car was only driving at 23 kilometers per hour, but his sight was blocked because the opposite la

Back to the Past1)Every day a large number of new mobile phones are released. The industry has met consumer’s demands by upgrading the functions of mobile phones. In the past, older flip-style mobile phones used to be popular. However, soon came the slider-style mobile phone, which had a screen on t