So Young NA / Assignment 4 / Tuesday 11 a.m.

Busker Busker and their 1^st Album

 

201001043 So Young NA

 

           Since 2012, every spring South Korea has been enthusing about a song named, 'Cherry Blossom Ending.' The song is sung by a Korean indie group, Busker Busker, which is well known as the runner-up performer of Mnet's famous music audition television program Superstar K3. 'Cherry Blossom Ending' is the title song of their 1^st Album. Right after its release, the song maintained top ranking on various Korean music charts for several weeks. Surprisingly, it reappeared on top charts in 2013 and in 2014 as well. The public could still be in love with Busker Busker's 1^st Album even after two years of its release because it had spring sentiment, romantic lyrics, and easy melody.

 

           Busker Busker 1^st Album which highly focused on spring sentiment was released on March 29^th 2012. Through the album, the public could enjoy the spring time of year by listening to the tracks that covered first love, cherry blossom, spring wind, flowers and other more subjects related to spring. In the case of 'Cherry Blossom Ending', especially, the title song helped the public gratify their desire to fully enjoy the warmth of spring despite the fact that cherry blossom bursts into bloom for a very short time.

 

           In addition, Jang Beom-Jun who is the guitarist and vocalist of Busker Busker wrote the songs of 1^st Album with lyrical words and romantic expressions. In order to provide the public with ample atmosphere of spring, he wrote sensuous lyrics that describe various romantic sceneries, as well as frank and direct feelings about love. As a result, he succeeded in gaining a universal sympathy by conveying the message of 'youth' to listeners of various age groups.

 

           Busker Busker aimed at releasing songs that could entertain people for a long time. Based on their own direction of their music defined after many deep conversations, Jang Beom-Jun composed their songs with easy guitar codes and addictive melodies. He wanted people to listen and sing along their song easily. He himself cannot sing notes higher than sol and therefore was called 'Max sol.' In that respect, the songs does not have high register. Consequently, The unique harmony of their comfortable sound and addictive melody has resulted in huge favor of many people of all age.

 

           Busker Busker and its 1^st Album have had huge impact on Korean people during spring of 2012, as well as in 2013 and 2014. 'Cherry Blossom Ending' will continue to be the one and only Spring Carol remaining in the hearts of many people. Listening to their music, many people have experienced beautiful and memorable spring in their own ways. Their distinctive musical characteristics and songs that combined public feelings and spring emotions will entertain listeners of all ages for a long time.

 

Jinling Tian / Assignment 4 / Tuesday 11 a.m

Nowadays, we can easily find ourselves sing mobile phones when we have to call somebody, search information and even when we buy something. Whatever purpose of using mobile phone is, one can't live without it anymore. However though cellphone is useful, beneficial things are always followed by side-effects. Therefore government tries to take measures on using mobile phones. I strongly believe that it is unnecessary.

People who are in favor of government restrictions think that mobile phone is just nothing more than a tiny harmful machine. Firstly, it is strongly believed that mobile phone is the main reason why people are being isolated. Superficially, it seems that mobile phone facilitates communication by making it easier to connect with others, even including the people overseas. However, it is an indirect communication. We don't face with others; therefore, we can't know how others actually feel. Communication is degenerated into a formal talk.

Secondly, in the world we use machine as a tool, we can be dominated by mobile phones in the opposite. We tend to learn on cellphone and solve things by it, even the stuff we can do on our own. What's worse, especially for teenagers, they waste their precious time on playing mobile phone s and meaningless talk all day long. It is generally agreed that indiscriminate use of mobile phone cause lots of car accidents.

However, the arguments against government regulation on cellphone are in terms of its effectiveness. Though government enacts a law, there's no any practical ways to monitor whatever people are against a law or not, one by one. In addition, not only as it takes a quite a long time to legislate a law, but also we don't know which kind of side-effects it would be bring, it is not a thing to decide so easily. Also we should not overlook the positive sides of using cellphone. For example, when we driving, there's an accident around you or sudden seizure in the back seat, using mobile phone in a car can be a life-saving call.

In conclusion, there's no doubt that using mobile phone has both positive effects and negative effects. However, I doubt that the regulation of government tried to save people would be a delicious apple we eat, or the poisoned apple Snow White are. Government restriction may be a fallacy of hasty generalization.

Seon Hyuk Im / Assignment 4 / Tues. 11am

Torn Apart

           There are many wars that broke out in the past. In my opinion, the war that many will remember and read in their history textbooks is World War II. This was a devastating war, which killed millions of people. The war took place mainly in Europe and later on, in the Pacific. The fight was cruel and gruesome, but the massacre of the Jews was noticeably the most harshest event of the war. The war left many people traumatized, destroyed many countries, and proved that the US is a superior country.

           During the war, there are many casualties. Soldiers were sacrificed to man-made bombs and guns, which left many families in great sadness. Many sons and husbands were lost due to the war. This fact can't be helped because they were deployed by their home country to fight for their country. The more disturbing statistics are the mass murdering of the Jewish people by the Nazis. This not only showed the cruelty of mankind, but also how helpless people can be when their lives are being threatened. After the war, many books were published by people describing the happening of the war. For example, famous books like Diary of Anne Frank and Night show the horror of the Holocaust. Many people were horrified by what happened to the Jews, but each country also have been wrecked due to the war.

           The firepower of this war was greatly increased compared to World War I. Technology have advanced, and it was no longer just a trench war. The more famous events that left a country in ruins is the bombarding of London by Germany. The Germans sent hundreds of planes to bombard London, and it left the place in chaos. Another would be the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To end the war, the US dropped two atomic bombs in Japan, leaving the place in total chaos and eventually, in ashes. There are many pictures of these devastating bombings, and these picture show and tell thousands of words describing the action.

           The United States were not fully engaged into the war until later in the war. When the US joined in, the war noticeably turned around to the Allies' and eventually they won the war. The support and firepower of the US was undeniably helpful. The bombing of Japan also showed the power of the US, silencing Japan once and for all to end the war. After the war, the US led on to fight against fascism and communism, sparking the start of the Cold War.

           World War II not only stopped the Nazis gaining power, but also left many traumas and destroyed many countries. Many families were devastated because of what the war has done to their family and country. The United States proved to the world that they are indeed a superpower of the world, and ended the gruesome war with a bang.

Seung Hyun Kim / Assignment No. 4 / Tuesday 11 a.m.

 

The Advent of the New Era, the Renaissance

 

The Renaissance meaning re-birth in French was the period of a cultural movement spanning from 14^th century to 17^th century. As the word re-birth suggests, it was a movement aimed to revive the ancient Greek and Roman culture and to create a new culture out of them. The impacts of the period were so massive and far-reaching that even our lives today are under its influence. Among various effects of Renaissance, the most notable changes take place mainly in the following three areas: philosophy, arts and religion.

 

 Without a doubt, the most fundamental impact of the Renaissance was the change in the way of thinking. Ever since the beginning of the medieval period in 6^th century, every aspect of culture was focused on God. During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church held unparalleled power and thus the ruling ideology was God-centered. However, the advent of the Renaissance changed the notion. People began to place human before God and humanism flourished. As a result, humans no longer remain subordinate to God but actually became an agent of the culture. Had it not been for this shift in philosophy, no other changes during the Renaissance would have been possible.

 

The philosophical shift also led to changes in arts. Artists started to be regarded as independent agents whereas they were mere artisan under the Church. Artists' social status rose and they were granted freedom in deciding theme of their artwork. Renaissance artists strived to bring back the Greek and Roman style and to develop it further by applying new techniques and scientific knowledge. The Renaissance arts soon spread throughout the Europe and marked the transition from medieval period to the early modern age. Their effects are prevalent even today'.

 

Last but not least, the Renaissance greatly affected the religion as well. Though the Church's power dwindled to some extent during the time, its power was still enormous till 16^th century. People became increasingly discontented with the church for its being corrupt and extravagant. Under such circumstances came the Protestant reformation. The reformation set people free from the Church and changed the world ever since. Today's historians evaluate the event to have established the foundation for the modern age.

 

The Renaissance was the period in which the world had changed greatly. Though there are many other effects the period had on the world, the following three are certainly the most notable and influential: philosophy, arts and religion. The shift from God to human took place in philosophy and it set off a chain reaction literally in every other aspect of the world. The Renaissance had long passed by but we still live under its effects.

  

Bak Taehwan. Assignment no. 4. Tuesday 11 am

                                                             Rise France, rise

 

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." This famous quote has been said by the man who shaped modern France. Known for being a military and political genius, and his conquest of Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most influential people of his time. He was a self made man born in a French colony and rose from one of the low ranks of the French army to ultimately becoming the Emperor of France. Bonaparte's contribution has not only been limited to France but to the entire world.

 

             The story of the Emperor of France is quite remarkable. Napoleon Bonaparte, the son of Carlo Buonaparte, a Corsican attorney and politican and Letizia Ramolino, was born in the French colony of Corsica on August 15, 1768. At the age of ten Napoleon was sent to a military boarding school called Brienne-le-Château in Paris. Napoleon was constantly teased by his classmates for being small, and for having a thick Corsican accent. Despite the harsh treatment he got from his friends, the young Bonaparte showed signs of the great person he would one day become. As a boy he would organize complex strategies in snowball fights and excelled in his studies. Upon graduation he spent a few years in the French army, and as the French revolution broke out he returned home to Corsica. Napoleon Bonaparte received the help of a fellow Corsican and as a result, he was able to re-enter the French army and proved himself worth by his victories. Soon, Bonaparte scaled up the ranks to the highest point.

            

             Napoleon Bonaparte was not only a good military leader but also a good administrator. France had suffered the heavy consequences of the revolutionary turmoil by 1799, as a result it made the government unstable and corrupt. Even the Christian laws that brought Europe together during the Dark Ages were unpopular, as it made France's inflation worse. The French were desperate for a more stable government that would make their lives more secure. Napoleon Bonaparte was able to seize this opportunity to become the ultimate ruler. One of his main accomplishments as a ruler was the establishment of the Napoleonic Civil Law Codes, which made all men equal under the law. At least all men were equally under his power, despite their ethnicity, or social status. Consequently Napoleon used the notion of equality to gain popularity and stay in power.

 

             The legacy of Napoleon is smeared in to the lives of the modern people. Despite the negative opinions people have towards him for being a dictator, he was able to positively contribute to France and the rest of the world. The main driving force behind the French revolution was the poor economic status. When Napoleon came to power, he was able to bail France out of poverty. He carried out a series of reform that concluded to fair taxes, increased trade, development of French luxury industries, improved infrastructure, and a central bank to control monetary policy. Napoleon reformed the education system, to create a middle-class cadre of leaders. He founded primary schools, created a new elite system of secondary schools, and established many other schools for the formerly bourgeoisie. Bonaparte also promoted education for girls and greatly improved teacher training. Literacy levels in France shot through the roof under Napoleon's regime. The current school system the majority of the world follows was modeled after Napoleon's education reform.  

             From a teased Corsican in Paris to the most powerful man in Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte positively contributed to his country and the world. Despite some of the questionable actions Bonaparte took, his achievements and determination eventually named him one of the greatest men to ever live.

 

Hae Jin Jang / Assignment No. 4 / Tuesday 11 a.m.

Effects of the Great Depression

 

             The Great Depression was a tragic worldwide economic devastation. The time it started varied from different regions, but in most countries it started in the 1930s. It was a period of time where the world was faced with the longest, most unfortunate, and widespread depression in the 20^th century. Although there were countless effects due to this unfortunate event, the three basic effects were mass migration, unemployment, and bad health.

 

             Due to the harsh circumstances during the time of the Great Depression, a big population moved to other places. Rural New England and upstate New York lost a big number of citizens who were seeking rare opportunities somewhere else. Also, the Great Plains lost population to places like California and Arizona. Many of the migrants were people who had a family to take responsibility for. Over 600,000 people were caught hitchhiking rides on trains trying to move.

 

             The rise of unemployment rate was a very big issue during the Great Depression. The people who lost their jobs could not afford to feed themselves, pay their rent, and support their family. It was especially a very stressful period for men because when men lost their jobs they were very ashamed of themselves and they felt like their status had fallen. Since someone needed to afford the cost of living in the family, when men were jobless, the children or women went out to search for jobs. However women were often fired when the employer found out she was married. Women were known for taking jobs away from men.

 

             Health was also an important factor back then. Health care in general was not an open choice for everybody. Alcoholism and smoking cigarettes increased with people seeking to escape from reality. Malnutrition was very serious matter as well. Since people could not afford proper nutrition, more and more people suffered due to not enough nutrition. And being unable to afford to eat properly also lead to the rise of crime rates, doing whatever it take to live. Suicide rate also increased during the time.

 

             The Great Depression was a period of time full of devastation and frustration for many people around the world. Effects like migration, unemployment, and bad health were a big issue people during the period had faced. People were filled with depression and hope was nowhere to be found. Some economies started to recover by the mid 1930s however most countries suffered the negative outcome of the Great Depression that lasted until after the end of World War II. 

Jeaho Kim/ The Hurtful and Helpful/ Tuesday 11 a.m.

The Hurtful and Helpful

If we take a look back into the past, when we were children we probably ran around the playground and searched for friends that are nearby; we never had to call each other at any time because we knew that our friends would come out at the similar time. Nowadays, we always have to contact each other first, not just because we are busier but because we are too concentrated on our smartphones. The creation of smartphones was revolutionary because it changed the lifestyles of the population in this century. However, we may think of only the positive effects of smartphones when there are even side effects to sticking to the smartphone too long. The increasing usage of smartphones affects the body, the amount of reading books and newspapers, and our social interaction with others

          

           When we grab onto our smartphones, we tend to chat, surf online, or watch videos. It is fine to do that for an appropriate length of time. Although, spending hours and hours on that little device in your hands may bring aches and pains on your body. Overusing smartphones may be a big burden on your shoulders, hands, and your intervertebral discs. Some people even visit the doctor because of these uncomfortable strains. But this is not just affect your body parts, it even affects your brain. Especially when you have not reached puberty, the left brain develops first then the right brain develops. However, smartphones accelerates the development of the left brain and disturb the growth of the right brain and cause imbalance. From this, we can see that using smartphones too long will only increase pain.

          

           Then what about our relationship with paper? Due to smartphones, we don't even look at books that often. Spending too much time on entertainment makes us forget that we need our daily dose of healthy reading. In the past, since almost nothing was handheld back then, we always brought books to read inside the bus or train. But now, we always watch videos, go on our SNS, surf on the internet, go shopping, play games, so on and so forth, in a single device which is the size of our palms. This can make us blind from the books that still exist on our bookshelves. Books and newspapers always gave us new vocabulary and idioms that we can learn but smartphones only aid in developing internet slang.

          

           Finally, the most serious symptom of addiction to smartphones is the lack of social interaction we have with others. People tend to go on SNS and chat with their friends online and share their information instead of meeting with them directly.. This leads to "Cyber Life Obsession" which is being addicted to SNS. Once people are addicted to SNS, they start to be too honest on their SNS accounts and sometimes even lead to having bad impressions on others. Although SNS is effective in receiving fast information about others, it is not a suitable place to share your thoughts openly. If we think about it, SNS is only a cyber-world that not reality and since it is not reality, we become more confident with talking to others. This definitely helps the development of relationships and broadening communication but it can also isolate people from the outside reality.

 

           Therefore, addiction to smartphones can badly influence the body, the relationship with books and newspapers, and the communication with people. Smartphones are definitely a great source of information and a great way to increase confidence but it can be very harmful if overused. Let us efficiently use this new revolutionary technology so we can have less damaging effects on our life.

Chun Hyesoo. Assignment no. 4. Tuesday 11 am

A smoggy air

 

 

                Last winter, many of us have considered wearing masks when leaving home, not because we had the flu or a bad cold, but because of the clearly serious amount of smog that is easily visible.  This smog that has blown from China is caused mainly by emissions from power plants, vehicles, and other human activities, and is seriously affecting urban air quality.

Smog is derived from two words; smoke and fog. Smog is a slightly yellow or black fog formed mainly by a mixture of chemicals in the atmosphere. Smog is not only bad for the environment, but also for the people that are exposed to smog.

                Minor exposure to smog can lead to greater threats of asthma attacks, so people suffering from asthma problems must avoid exposure. Smog also causes pre-mature deaths and affects densely populated areas. The highly affected people include old people, kids and those with cardiac and respiratory complications.

 

                The smog also inhibits plant growth and causes immense damage to crops and forests. Crops and vegetables are subject to infection when they are exposed to smog. The smog results in mortifying impacts on environment by killing innumerable animals and plants as these take time to adapt to breathing and surviving in such toxic environments.

 

                It is clear that smog is a serious environmental problem, and the smog that we were exposed to last winter was caused mainly by emissions from power plants and vehicles, among other things. It has serious effects in people, like respiratory problems such as asthma, and also gives serious problems to crops and forests, due to the toxic in it. The only way to prevent it is by changing our lifestyle, like reducing the usage of vehicles, or taking good care of them by changing oils and keeping the tires inflated. However if people do not even try to prevent it, this problem will grow bigger and bigger and the consequences will be unrepairable.

So-eun Yoon/ assignment no4/ tuesday 34

201302156 So-eun Yoon                              Britain's Food Ambassador   Jamie Oliver, a chef from Essex, England, has influenced the whole world by starting a campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools. Also called the Naked Chef, he has strived to improve unhealthy diets and poor cooking habits in the United Kingdom and the United States by urging people to start a food revolution. Brought up by parents who owned a pub, Oliver was naturally exposed to cooking in the kitchen since he was a little child. When his first television show, The Naked Chef, debuted in 1997, his cookbook also became the number one best-seller in the UK, and in that same year, Oliver was invited to prepare lunch for the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Profoundly believing that diet-related diseases are the biggest killers in the United States and the U.K., he initiated a campaign called "Feed Me Better" to motivate British children to move towards eating healthier foods.                In his TED talk, Oliver pointed out that school foods in the United States and England are highly processed, full of unhealthy additives, and lacking in fresh vegetables. Since more than 31 million kids have school lunch at least twice a day, school food is a matter of great importance when it comes to children's health. However, Oliver criticized the school food system for not having enough food-knowledgeable people in the business who are able to calculate the essential nutrients inside the food given to children. Another huge problem stressed by Oliver is that children are not being educated enough about the food they consume in elementary or secondary schools. Because these children are unfamiliar with the looks and names of vegetables, they choose not to eat them because children almost always prefer what is familiar to their eyes. Thus, in 2005, Oliver started a campaign to cut out junk food from England's school food and to educate children about the food they consume. As a result, the British government also pledged to address this issue, and Oliver's push for changes in nutrition resulted in people voting him as the most inspiring political figure of 2005.            Another major change Oliver wanted to bring about was to invite people to start cooking at home once again. He claimed that if one person teaches three people how to cook something, and they teach three of their friends, that only has to repeat itself 25 times to teach the whole population of America to cook something healthy. Although it sounds too romantic for reality, Oliver argued that what is most important is making people realize that every one of their individual efforts can make a difference. People living in the contemporary society prefer to eat fast food because they always have stacks of work piled up, and most claim to have no time for cooking. However, in Jamie's 30 minute cooking show, Oliver demonstrates hundreds of simple recipes that people can easily follow at home in under 30 minutes. With his cooking shows being watched by millions of people worldwide, Britain has named Oliver as its main source of inspiration for healthy recipes and advice concerning food.            Due to Oliver's continuous efforts to revolutionize school food in England, studies have shown that Oliver's healthy school lunches continue to boost learning among school children. Healthier school lunches have produced a marked improvement in national curriculum test results five years after Oliver first launched his campaign. Compared to children who were not served the nutritional school food, schools where Oliver launched his healthy lunch campaign showed major improvements in their students' English, science and math test scores. Also, absenteeism from sickness among teenagers was also said to have dropped by around 14 percent. Food experts also claim that children eating healthier food will earn more money over their lifetime due to improved literacy. Through his campaign, Oliver successfully inspired schools to cook healthier meals for children and everyday people to cook healthy meals at home. By changing the way Americans and Europeans eat and addressing their dependence on fast food, Oliver was able to truly realize his food revolution dream. Schools not yet following Oliver's healthy school food system should revolutionize their school meals to bring our children a brighter and healthier future.

Xeniya Pak/ Assignment #/ Tuesday 11 am

Mother Teresa's healing love

Can you recall a person who is willing to give a hand to poor people without any profit motive? Some people usually are at a loss to answer this question. However, there is only one person that comes to my mind and her name is Mother Teresa. There are many people with maimed souls who suffer due to fatal disease, natural disasters and poverty. And these encouraged one fragile woman to devote her life to help others and support them in a difficult situation. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was named after Teresa, the patron saint missionaries, was admired by people for doing charitable works and giving love to needy people.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania in 1910 and was raised as a Roman Catholic. She was extremely kind and attentive toward others. Mother Teresa was always fascinated by the stories of missionaries and at the age twelve she decided to commit herself to a religious life. When she was eighteen, Mother Teresa left her home to join the Sisters Loreto as a missionary. And after two month she already started serving the poor in the Calcutta teaching in the Christian missionary school. 

For almost seventeen years she taught geography and history. Then while returning from work she noticed the slums of Calcutta which broke her heart. She wanted to do something in order toalleviate the sufferings of poor people. She didn't have any funds to help people; however she believed the God always supported her and led her the right way. She prayed deeply and finally with her meager savings she left school and went out to serve abandoned and sick children. She started to take care of the people who were uncared, unloved and unwanted. As years passed, the numbers of people willing to follow her has increased. And with the help of Indian officials she opened a free hospice for the poor. People were provided free medical service and afforded the opportunity to die with dignity. "A beautiful death," she said, "is for people who lived like animals to die like angels—loved and wanted."

Eventually she became the most important and valuable figure in the world. She received numerous honours including Nobel Peace Prize. But her recognition and popularity hadn't become obstacles to continue charity work. It is impossible to count how many people received help from her. Her power of humility and faith in God touched the heart of million people all over the world.

Mother Teresa inspired a lot of people in the world with her acts of love, care and dedication. She spent all her life helping other people and spared no effort and time by doing charitable works. Mother Teresa has become a symbol of humanity who wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor. She was courage woman who taught many people that the greatest way to show love is to share it with poor people. 

--
Kseniya Pak

201002912/ Huidong Im/ Cause and Effect Assignment #2

 

 

The Cause and Effect of Earthquakes on Society

It seems there is no doubt that we are seeing more earthquakes occurring around the globe than before. We often hear news about earthquakes and the damages and effects they have on societies. Of course, there have been earthquakes on Earth in the history of humankind, or perhaps, even before. However, the big scales and unprecedented tolls of recent earthquakes apparently worry us more than before. As for me, even 10 years ago, earthquakes occurring around the globe were no more than a common natural disaster like flood or wild fire. They were not as related to our lives as they are today. I am sure many agree on this. But now they are real to us. Even in the Korean peninsula, which was thought to be an earthquake-free country, we hear news of earthquakes almost once a week.

 Research itself shows that we do have more earthquakes on the globe. It shows that there are more earthquakes which have happened in the last 10 decades than there were since humans started recoding them. Scientists say a possible reason could be the earth now happens to be in the phase among planet changes where it experiences more continental drift. In other words, there is a cycle in the number of earthquakes happening in the world.

 It seems that some people do not agree on the scientist reason for earthquake. They argue that in fact, we are not having more earthquakes on Earth but we are just observing more earthquakes. According to them, with the development of communication technology like the Internet and all other communication methods based on it such as the smartphone, we just happen to be observing lots of earthquake cases, which would not have been known if it had not been for this technology. As for the huge toll, they argue that it is because people are more and more live in a big city. This living trend could lead to a bigger toll of a same earthquake which could have had a relatively small toll in other not-so-packed areas.

 Regardless of whether we are actually experiencing more earthquakes or we are just observing more of them, it is clear that earthquakes have huge impacts on society. They not only have a huge toll on human life, but also pose a huge damage to social and economic systems. Big earthquakes, generally known to have a Richterll scale of above 7.5, can tear down all the infrastructures of a city, especially if it is a rapidly built city without much concern for protection from earthquakes like you often see in underdeveloped countries.

 

 News about earthquakes scares us. A huge toll and big damage earthquakes have make us alter to them more than ever. No matter what the real cause of earthquakes is, prevention seem to be the most important, seeing how devastating their impacts are. We have to care about and be alert to it more.  

201303006 Sharon Jeon/ Korean War and the People/ Tues. 11AM

Korean War and the People

 

Three to four million innocent civilians were killed, wounded, or missing during the three years of Korean War (1950-1953). It broke out on June 25th when Soviet-backed North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel boundary and invaded the pro-Western South. An armistice was eventually signed after continuous fighting, but it was an uneasy peace. The Korean peninsula is still divided today and tensions remain. The consequences were devastating to the people. The war separated families, killed many civilians, and left psychological after-effects to the people who survived it.

 

As a result of the war, many families and friends were separated. According to recent media reports on reunions of families in Korea, an estimate of one million people from the North moved to the South during the early stages of the war. Many of them expected to return after the war ended. So they left behind not only their property, but also their relatives and friends. However, tension still remains in the Korean peninsula even though an armistice was signed. As a result, North Korea closed it borders, preventing dispersed family members to unite. Having no way to contact each other, the families have been divided for over six decades already.

 

Many innocent lives were lost during to the war. For three years, there were regular overhead bombing raids and battles on the streets. Nearly five million people died and more than half of them were civilians. The target of the bombings were not only military bases, but civilians as well. Entire villages were burned down and planes strafed people at random. The South Korean military killed civilians out of fear that they would help the Communists invading from the North. On the other hand, the North Koreans killed people who did not accept communist ideals. The refugees were the greatest victims of the war.

 

People who survived the war suffered from deep psychological trauma. The appalling memories resurfaced from time to time and they were oppressed by nightmares. Many experienced emotional numbness, the sense that things around them are not real. They suffered from memory problems, hopelessness, and difficulty concentrating. They avoided once enjoyable activities. Also, personal relationships were affected. Survivors kept people at a distance and did not try to meet new people. Moreover, in order to avoid the pain of the trauma, they often turned to drugs and alcohols.

 

Korean War had a tremendous effect on the people. It separated families for over six decades, killed many, and made survivors suffer from psychological disorders. More than six decades have passed after the Korean War, but the conflict in the Korean peninsula has not been solved yet. The country is still divided into two, and tensions remain. Moreover, families and close friends are still separated. However, the North and South Korean governments recently sponsored reunions which brought together some of the divided families. As such, governments are communicating with each other. Could this be the beginning of peace talks? Koreans are starting to feel a little hope.

Daewon Shin/ Assignment No.4/Tue. 11a.m.

                                                      Stevie woder'ful'

 

Who do you like the most among world-famous musicians around the world? What makes you love them? I myself am really into many kinds of music, including R&B, Ballads, Rock, Jazz and so on. Although I am interested in various kinds of music, I personally think Stevie Wonder is one of the best musicians of all time; Not only has he affected music field greatly, but also he has led the solutions to many world problems such as AIDS and racial discrimination. Then, what made him become a one of the most outstanding musicians in the world and what did he have an effect on the world with or without his music?

He was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1950 with a name of Stevland Hardaway Morris. The name now he is called, Stevie Wonder, is his stage name. When he was born, six weeks premature, he had to stay in the hospital incubator. There was too much oxygen inside of the incubator, which resulted in retinopathy of prematurity. It is a condition where the growth of the eyes is aborted and causes the retinas detach. As a result, he has been a blind since shortly after birth. This living legendary started to hear the world instead of seeing it; consequently, he has heard people suffering from disease, poverty, and so on, which made him start helping others.

This world famous pop star, could understand people in difficult situations more than ordinary people because he himself is a blind. With his output from the activities as a sing a song writer and singer, he has helped people suffering from AIDS, racial discrimination and disabilities and also tried to eliminate the problems from drugs and homelessness. These kinds of his activities led him to get named a UN Messenger of Peace. He inspired people around the world that even race, poverty, and disability which were the problems he once had lived with could not be challenges to become a world famous starts and be rich enough to other people.

          

               He also inspired the world with his music. He released his first album when 11, which surprised the world and made him be called as Little Stevie 'Wonder'. With his musical talent, especially his outstanding rhythmical and melodic talent, he has won 22 Grammy Award, as well as other awards including Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The world famous music magazine, Rolling Stone, said this genius musician's albums "pioneered stylistic approaches that helped to determine the shape of pop music for the next decade." He is now a literally a living legend in music field, and it is result of being given wizardly musical talent in turns for being a blind.

        

             Stevie Wonder inspired all around the world with his life as well as with his music. He has overcome his given situations and has had a great effect on the world. People in a difficult situations might get a strength to overcome them from his life, and world listen to his music working miracles. Musicians say with their music, but a person say with his behaviour. He has done two of both greatly. People cannot do even one of it in their whole life. Could not these be the enough reasons that I take him as a one of the best musicians of all time?

Jung Yong Ko/ Assignment 4/ Tues 11

Jung Yong Ko Assignment 4 Tues 11AM

Attack from North Korea

It's been more than 50 years since the Korean war truced. As South Korea became one of the developed countries, young people gradually forgot that South and North Korea are still in a war. South and North Korea stopped fighting temporarily but we have no idea when they are going to fight again. In 2010, North attacked South with their artilleries. This made South Korea realize that we are still in wartime. South realized that we are still fighting, weapons are getting old and reporting takes too long.

 

 Even soldiers didn't know that North was going to attack. South started to stay alert after the attack from the North. It's mandatory for south Korean to enlist, so even if they don't want to be a soldier, they got no choice. They must enlist. Therefore, some soldiers don't care about the attack and just think how they can get some rest. However, after the attack, South finally learned that North is their enemy and should be ready to counter attack anytime.

 

 Weapon decrepitness is severe in South Korea. When North Korea attacked, it took such a long time to shoot back. Some tanks didn't even work. Few years ago, before the attack from the North, South bought few radars that can detect enemy artillery attacks and give information about where it's shooting from. However, the radars couldn't detect any of them. Eventually, South shot back intuitively. Through this, South learned that they should check their military articles and services often.

 

 South Korea has weird procedures in reporting. Sholdiers report to their superior officer, then that officer reports the company and the company reports to the battalion and the battalion reports to the Minister of National Defense. While, in the U.S, superior officer have the rights to order their soldiers whether to attack or not so, they can fight back quickly. However, due to the attack from the North, South is now considering of simplifying the reporting system.

 

 To sum up, South Korea learned 3 things from the attack from the North. South Korean soldiers now stay alert and prepare for the counter attack more efficiently. Also, South started to check and repair their weapons and vehicles in case of any attacks. Lastly, Minister of National Defense is now trying to simplify the reporting system, so that South can fight back faster.