Pig Disaster1)On September 17, a pig with African Swine Fever (ASF) was found in Paju, Gyeonggi-do, for the first time in Korea. African Swine Fever is an endemic disease in Africa and is a viral swine fever. The fatality rate of the disease stands at 100%, and there are no vaccines or treatments av

On July 21, at Yuen Long (元朗区) subway station, hundreds of people dressed in white carrying iron clubs and wooden sticks attacked citizens indiscriminately. Instantly, the subway station became chaotic and filled with the cries of hurt bleeding citizens. Two months after that affair, on October 1, p

What to Buy and What Not to Buy for the Nation 1) The wave of boycotts by South Koreans of Japanese products has steadily increased since July of this year. However, the reason for the boycotts dates back to 1997 when 2 Korean victims of involuntary compulsion in Japan initiated a lawsuit asking for

Kid YouTubers, Is This Okay?1) The 2000s has seen a flood of information in society. Anyone and everyone can produce information and share it with others, creating new communities in virtual space. As a result, internet blogs and personal websites that record a person’s daily life or details informa

​​​To Be a Real World Heritage1)On July 6, the nine historical places of Seowon, Korea namely, Sosuseowon, Dosanseowon, Byeongsanseowon, Oksanseowon, and other five places were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Seowon is a private educational institution established during the mid-Joseon Dynast

Mrs. A from Vietnam has lived in South Korea for nine years. She wakes up early in the morning and then gets her child up, who was born to a Korean husband. Mrs. A is a naturalized Korean citizen in Korea, but she still feels she is treated as a foreigner. She ignores the feelings and heads out to t

Throughout the Country, the War Against Forest Fires1)On April 6, 2019, President Moon Jae-in declared Gangwon Province’s fire devastated region a disaster area. However, there were many other places besides Gangwon that experienced forest fires. It took an hour to control a fire in Yeosu, and in Bu

Skipping school, Noonsong thought she could sleep until noon. The day felt like a national holiday. However, siren sounds from the television in the living room woke her up suddenly. What happened? Why was the television turned on? Running into the living room full of anger and worry, her emotions s

The Use of Cell Phones in the Military1)With increased problems in the Korean military such as mob violence and suicides, allowing the use of cell phones in the military had been the topic of debate for some time past. Many people including members of the Ministry of National Defense assert that use

Airpocalyps, Hazard Of Fine Dust 1)In March, Korea was covered with gray dust for an entire four days straight. Because of the unusual four-day block with ultra-high concentrations of fine dust, disaster warnings were issued and two-part vehicle system was carried out. Most citizens wore masks, but

Convenience or Risk of Simple Transmittal System1)On February 11, Viva Republica, the corporation that first had developed the simple transmittal system ‘Toss’, announced it would broaden its banking business and include credit checks, loan mediations, and account openings. Lee Seunggeon, creator of

Not a Single House for Me1)Independent living is always a topic of conversation among university students. There’s life in the dormitory or the renting of a studio apartment, but neither of them is easy to obtain. Entering the dormitory is typically done by a lottery system but rooms are also allott

“I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” This was the statement written on the khaki-colored jacket worn on June 21, 2018 by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump during her visit to an immigrant children's camp in Mexico, Texas. The media voiced various perspectives on the intent of wearing such clothing, and the

After lunch, she heads to a café. There, she orders a coffee latte from the staff at the register and she waits for the payment. The staff lets her know the amount, and she turns on her smartphone to pay without the use of cash or a card. She inputs the cost and a password on her smartphone a

The Conflict Surrounding Carpooling1)On January 9, 2019, a fire broke out in a taxi near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Police and fire authorities suspect the taxi driver attempted to kill himself. He is not alone, a similar incident also occurred on December 10 last year. The two taxi drivers’ attem

Café: Disposable Free Zone1)China announced that it would not accept disposable waste from other countries starting from last year. This has caused a plastic crisis all over the world including Korea. To handle the problem, the Ministry of Environment in Korea has started to take action to re

Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Sebastian Kurz, Prime Minister of Austria, and Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand. What do they all have in common? Yes, they are all leaders of their respective nations, but more importantly, they are all young politicians.

A New Resort in the City1)This summer was clearly the hottest summer ever in Korean history. This summer matched and surpassed 1994, which was then the worst heat wave in history. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on August 9, the number of days when temperatures reached ove

National Pension: Is It Truly for the People?1)Controversy over the National Pension of South Korea continued throughout the month of August. The National Pension is a public fund run by the National Pension Service(NPS) that collects money from employed people and later returns the collected money

Countless young faces fit into a picture frame. On the streets, students march with pickets demanding an end to the regime, and students wear masks and running frantically, all the while calling for democracy. They risk their lives for the same dream with faint hope. Although it was a long fought ro