The SNU Quill - Volume 35

The Seoul National University English Language News Magazine December, 2011.
Volume 35
Research at Seoul National University plays an important role when it
comes to both development of society and
raising the reputation of our colleges.
Research
ASI AN TRAVEL
DI ARI ES, 29
UNI VERSI TY LI FE AROUND THE
WORLD, 13
CAMPUS
WARMI NG DAY,
25
QUILL MONTHLY
MAGAZINE
December 2011. Vol. 35
Quill
This Month
Reviews In this issue the
Quill reporters express their
opinions on a TV-series and a
book. 39
Korean High School,
from foreign eyes Ever
wondered how non-Koreans
view the Korean High School
system? Korean High
School is a documentary
produced by Kelley
Katzenmeyer, a nineteen-
year-old filmmaker and visual
artist from North Carolina..
37
Research at Seoul National University Research at SNU
Research is very important for the future of our university. The
latest cutting-edge technology and theories developed by our
professors and students constitutes a major part SNUs
reputation. 6
University Life around the world There are students in
almost every country. While they all share the similarity of
achieving academic excellence there are also many differences
in the students lifes depending on in what nation your
university is located. 14
Klassmate with your
classmates Klassmate enables
university students to chat with
one another under the
anonymous disguise of an
animal character in three
settings: theclassroom; theZoo;
andtheSafari. 18
Want to spend an
unforgettable winter with
TRIX? TRIX is the student
club for those who want to try
out extreme sports including:
ski and snowboarding, sport
climbing, skysurfing, mountain
biking, snow cross, bungee
jump, rafting and wind surfing.
24
Asian Travel Diaries A
bucket list for anyone
interested in Asia 29
z
Eun Joo An
We usually eat Pepero sticks that
are sold in markets on Pepero
Day. Yet, SSAdecided to change
this custominto a day when we
enjoy healthy and traditional
rice-cake sticks.
aneunjoo@snu.ac.kr
Hyun Young Chung
Get immersed in the
Royal life and
experience Korean
history in Seoul!
hychung22@snu.ac.kr
Hee Joo Hong
Winter is drawing nearer and its
getting colder. Id like to
introduce to you those who
longed for winter season to
come. Lets listen to the stories
of TRIX, the snowboarding club
of SNUfromJin Man Park
(Dept. of Applied Biology, 08),
the current captain of TRIX.
heeju4ever@snu.ac.kr
Jiyun Jung
Lets assume there is a textbook
titled The Korean Culture.
The first chapter would be about
some easy and fun stuff like
kimchi. The middle could
introduce the bit more
complicated world of Korea.
Then what would the last, most
advanced chapter cover?
hahajiyun125@snu.ac.kr
Song-Ug Yoon
22-years-old Jang Min Sung
fromSNUhas caused a scientific
sensation by discovering the
origin of cosmic dust in the early
stages of universe. We are going
to give you a brief introduction.
syoon89@snu.ac.kr
Su Hyen Bae
Klassmate enables university
students to chat with one
another under the anonymous
disguise of an animal character in
three settings: the classroom
setting; the Zoo; and the Safari.
suhyenbae@snu.ac.kr@snu.ac.kr
Yeon-il Jeong
Even now, hard working
researchers fromour
school is looking for new
methods to define how
the world works. It is time
that we took interest in
what theyve been
discovering.
yanili@snu.ac.kr
Abhas Maskey
In the next 5 years or so
we are much likely to be
serious about our careers,
get greedy on a job or
maybe even have little
kids to be taken care of.
Who knows? So the time
is here and now. Lets
roll!
mitjaneho@gmail.com
Yun Hwan Chae
Professor Park Seong-
hoe of the College of
Medicine, has reported
success in a novel
method of treating
diabetes: organ
transplantation
yunhwanchae@snu.ac.kr
Josefina Oh
Girls in Korea have two
boyfriends, their man
and their smartphone.
josefinaoh93@gmail.com
Hyun Chung Chung
According to the
dictionary the word
crucible means a
situation in which people
or things are severely
tested. This illustrates
accurately the main topic
of the scandalous Korean
movie Doganie.
mica@snu.ac.kr
Johannes Hwang
Editor-in-Chief
Economic development has been
a crucial part of every Koreans life.
Research and education has been
an important factor behind this
development and in this issue of
the Quill you can read about some
of the cutting-edge research being
done at our university.
johannes.snuquill@gmail.com
Writers and their Stories
Junior
Staff
Soo Jin Cheon
Chief Managing Director
SNU students are undoubtedly
smart but we are generally not
comfortable presenting our ideas
to others. Learn some tips on how
to communicate effectively and
why voice and speech are crucial
to your future.
cleosjc@snu.ac.kr
EMail snuquill@gmail.com Website club.cyworld.com/thesnuquill Printing Late Spring (0222698030) Design KimSun Hee
Cover Designer Hee Won Lee Photographers Minsoo Woo, Hye Young Na
Senior Staff
The 11th day of the 11th month has
in Korea since the mid 90s been called
Pepero Day. It is the day when people
buy stick-like snacks to each other to
show love and friendship. The day
comes from the fact that 11/11 looks like
4 Pepero sticks. This year Korea has
experienced a very special Pepero day
due to the fact that the year is 2011
making the date 11-11-11, something
that can only occur once every 100 years.
Hence, a few weeks ago Korea and SNU
had two more 1s as a reason to buy
Peperos. Much like Valentines Day in
Western society, Pepero Day is being
criticized by many for being a holiday
made up by the big corporations and is
merely a marketing scheme to make
people consume more of the companies
products. While this is not wrong it is not
a reason for Pepero Day to be
considered negative; on the contrary this
is what I consider to be the beauty of
this Korean holiday. It is amazing that
Korean society has developed so much
that it actually had to create a day solely
dedicated to the cause of excess
consumption of chocolate sticks. It is the
ultimate proof of a prospering society
because there are no statistics involved
that can be manipulated and nobody can
force you to buy Peperos (except your
girlfriend). Therefore I hope that every
nation on our planet will develop so far
that every calendar in the world will be
filled with days of superfluous
consumption.
Research is a very important part in
the process of development. In this issue
of the Quill we are covering the latest
and most important research by the
professors and students of our university.
You can read about the product of the
hard work that all of us at SNU has put
into making this university the best
university in Korea.
You might also be interested how
students live in other universities. In our
feature section the Quill provides you
with interesting information from
campuses all around the world.
If you rather prefer to know about
our own campus you can read about
various student clubs in our campus
section. However, you might already
have had too much of our student life
and would instead like to escape it.
Then our arts and culture section might
interest you with travel stories and
reviews.
In order to provide the best English-
language magazine at SNU the Quill
needs to grow the same way that Korea
did. Development also means that the
old has to disappear in benefit of the
new. That is also the case with the SNU
Quill. For almost three years I have been
with this publication and I have been
editing it for the past year. However, it is
time to pass on the torch. Thus I sign
this editors letter for the last time with
two final words: Be free!
BY JOHANNES HWANG
FROM THE CHIEF

,
Campus News
Stravinsky<TheStory
of Soldier>at Mapo
Art Center (~2
nd
)
1
10centi Concert at Blue
Square(~4
th
)
Verbal Jint Concert at
SookmyungUniv.(~3
rd
)
2
<Gun-wooPaik&
Paris>at Seoul Art
Center,
<YGFamilyConcert>
at OlympicPark(~4
th
)
3
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
4 5 6 7
Peppertones Concert at
EwhaGirls High
School(~11
th
)
8
JeongJae-hyung<Avec
Piano>at SungnamArt
Center
9
LeeSeung-ki <Hope
Concert>at Olympic
Stadium(~11
th
),
CNBlueConcert at
OlympicPark(~11
th
)
10
11 12 13 14 15 16
Super StarK<Top11
Concert>at Olympic
Park(~18
th
)
17
18 19 20 21
KimJang-hoonandPsy
<OneTouch>at
OlympicPark(~25
th
),
KimJae-dongs <Talk
Concert>at Ewha
Univ.(~31
st
)
22
KimYun-wooConcert
at OlympicPark(~25
th
),
KimBumsoo&Lee
SoraConcert at Jamsil
Stadium
23
Sweet SorrowConcert
at KoreaUniv.(~25
th
),
2AMConcert at Jamsil
Stadium(~25
th
)
24
25 26
Davichi Concert at
OlympicPark
27 28
ParkJung-hyunand
SungSi-kyungConcert
at Jamsil Stadium(~31
st
)
29
LeessngConcert at
BlueSquare(~31
st
)
30
Count DownSeoul at
TimeSquare(~1/1)
31
December Culture Calender
BY JIYUN JUNG
SCHEDULER
PAST UPCOMING
N E W S
BY EUN JOO AN, JOSEFINA OH
Yuhki Kuramoto
Concert at Seoul Art
Center
CALS Passion Meets Intellect
The College of Agriculture and Life Science will be inviting Chang Wan Kim (Korean
singer and actor) as the speaker for its 25
th
special lecture. This lecture is held under the theme
of passion and intellect and specifically, the title for this 25
th
speech is Baby I Love the
Key to Youth. The speech will be held on 23
rd
of November, Wednesday and will start from
4pm in the building of College of Agriculture and Life Science building (#201), room 101.
Refreshments will be provided for those who stay throughout the speech and some lucky
listeners will be given small gifts specially signed by Chang Wan Kim.
Student elections: who will you vote for?
It is election time in SNU Campus! Three big storms
have been warming up the cold with their heated passion to
leading the student population of SNU: Humanitas, Ready,
Action, and Be angry and imagine.
There has been rigorous campaigning; posters posted on
every corner, flyers being handed out, and courageous
speeches being made in lecture halls. The Humanitas group
advocates against the privatization of the university and
wishes to reevaluate the social implications it may have.
Ready, Action stands strong with its fiery motto Demand
the impossible, promoting womens rights along with the
issue of privatization. And last but not least Be angry and
imagine campaigns to make the college experience more
lively with creative programs. All three groups have a drive
to make SNU an even better place to be. The official dates of
the election are November 22nd till the 25th. Participate and
vote: this is an opportunity to bring about change in the
campus and most importantly, looking at the bigger picture,
in the Korean society.
; 6
Cover Story Research at Seoul National University
22
-year-old SNU under-
graduate Jang Min-Sung
who is majoring in
Astronomy has recently attracted
much attention on himself by
publishing a sensational research.
He has found the answer to one of
the most controversial questions of his
field, the question about the origin of
cosmic dust at the young stage of the
universe.
Until now the scientific community
knew that cosmic dust is a type of dust
which is composed of particles
originating from stars over the age of
one billion years. This cosmic dust is
also known to be the source of life in
the universe since it is regarded as one
of the most fundamental foundations
in creating life.
But however, before Jang Min-Sung,
the scientific community argued over
the question whether cosmic dust has
existed in the time span between what
we know as Big Bang (the creation of
the universe) and those one billion
years which are needed for cosmic dust
to evolve.
But by analyzing data which he
received about a Gamma Ray Burst
(GRB),an extremely energetic
explosion 127-light-years away from
us, he found out that cosmic dust
existed between those two time
periods but also went through a
different creation process which
involved supernova. A supernova
occurs when stars cannot handle their
nuclear fuel and explode into a brilliant
burst of light which can reach
throughout the whole universe as it
was the case with GRB 071025, the
Gamma Ray Burst Jang Min-Sung
analyzed. The international acceptance
of his work was so big that it was also
published in one of the most
prestigious magazines of astronomy,
the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Jang began with his work in 2009
when he began his work as a Public
Service Worker during daytime and as
a research assistant in his professor s
laboratory at night.
The importance of his work can also
be measured by the fact that this years
Nobel Prize in Physics was given to an
international research team from the
US and Australia for the discovery of
the accelerating expansion of the
Universe through observations of
distant supernovae, as it is explained
in the official statement.
In combination with this study,
Jangs work will help to find out not
only about the origin of universe but
also its evolution over time.
Research at
S e o u l
National University
DEVELOPMENT
SNU
Undergraduate discovers
Origin of Cosmic Dust in
Early Universe
PHYSICS
BY JOHANNES HWANG
BY YOON SONG-UG
U
niversity research is a vital part of the development of
society but also important for the survival and
recognition for colleges all over the world. SNU started as
a university in a poor nation back in 1946, at that time Koreas population
was not well-educated and Korean students did not enjoy the reputation that
they do today. The universities of Korea played an important role in the
development of Korea as they provided the necessary knowledge to become an
industrial nation. SNU became the top-university and is today a top-ranked
university when it comes to both education and research. In 2007 Seoul
National University was ranked 24th by the number of SCI (Science
Citation Index) publications. This means that the work by SNU
professors and students can be found frequently in the worlds top
academic journals. Especially the achievements in semiconductors,
automobiles, IT, and Bio technology are drawing the worlds
attention. Such achievements can serve as inspiration to students to
further excel, aim higher and eventually reach the next level. Thus,
the Quill has decided to report on some of the latest cutting-edge
research by professors and students at our university in areas
ranging from physics to psychology and international relations.
J
ust imagine. You woke up in the
morning and went to school as
usual. It is a normal busy day filled
with school gibberish. You hang out
with your friends and study for exams
that are near. And suddenly... With a
brief flashback of a certain past, you
break down into tears. You dont
know why this is happening or what
to do. Now, your only hope is to pray
that your brain would soon neglect
that painful memory and leave you in
peace as long as possible.
This is what it is like for a person
that suffers from Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder to live throuth their
lives. Throughout their lives, almost all
people go through certain events that
can stay with them over the years. For
example, one could go through losing
a member of his or her family. If this
seems unlikely and hard to relate to,
think about a breakup with your past
lovers. What if these incidents
respectively come back and torture us
from time to time? Lucky for most of
us, time can be the cure for all the
painful memories. As time goes by, we
forget these things and if not, we tend
to think about them less often.
However, some of us are not so
blessed. Such incidents that are too
painful can linger within our minds for
as long as it takes for us to forget. For
instance, even though it had already
been over 10 years after the incident,
family members of the victims or the
surviving victims themselves of the
9/11 incident are known to still suffer
from the memories they possess from
the tragedy. While some of these
people do eventually get over the
painful status, others are often
diagnosed with a malevolent symptom
known as the Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
better known as PTSD is a serious
disease that could threaten the
j
Cover Story Goodbye to Trauma December 2011. Vol. 35
sufferers daily lives. Like seen above, it
is said to be derived from painful
experiences from the past. Memories
as big as the 9/11 tragedy to small
things like the loss of your pet dog can
be the trigger. Major symptoms of
PTSD are hyper alertness, intrusion,
emotional numbness and occasional
nervous breakdowns. The worst part
of it is that it is so hard for the patients
to get over the illness and the only aid
available for them were psychological
treatments which are often ineffective
in severe PTSD cases.
Recently, however, a team of
researchers led by professor In-Kyun
Ryoo from the medical department of
SNU had come to a breakthrough in
terms of PTSD. Instead of the
conventional method of researching
the disease, (through psychological
experiments) he and his research team
had focused on how the human brain
actually works with such painful
memories and apparently they believe
that they now have the answer to the
biological cause of PTSD and
furthermore, a possible remedy for the
illness. Before, experts of PTSD had
believed that the illness was solely
concerned with the area of mind, in
other words, psychology. That is to
say, that it could only be treated
through counseling and psychological
aids. However, from his recent
research, Professor Ryoo and his
research team had discovered that
there actually happens physical
alteration in the human brain when
PTSD occurs.
Throughout the years, professor
Ryoo had paid careful attention to the
physical side of the mental diseases
that are usually covered within the area
of abnormal psychology. He had
discovered that such illnesses cause the
brain to actually change its shape. His
other latest finding was about autism
and about how autistic children tend
to have bigger amygdaloid body within
their brains. This time, he had focused
on PTSD and conducted a research on
the change of brain structure within
the surviving victims of a certain life-
threatening accident. His choice of
event was the Subway Arson Tragedy
in Daegu which happened in the year
of 2003. In his research, Professor
Ryoo had conducted a follow up study
on 30 surviving victims of the incident
and had regularly examined their
brains about how they had changed
their shapes as time went by. Just as he
had suspected, the research had yielded
some significant data.
Above all, the most substantially
noticeable change occurred in the
Prefrontal Lobe.(Dorsolateral
Prefrontal Cortex a.k.a DLPFC, to be
exact.) This specific part is found in
the upper left side of the human brain
and is known to function as the
manipulator of human emotions, and
also works as the interpreter of
memories. What the researchers had
found was astonishing. Normally,
DLPFC found in average human brain
would be 2.85mm in thickness.
However, after the occurrence of
PTSD, its thickness would increase up
to 5~6%; almost 3.00mm. What they
had also found was that even though it
varied in each test subjects, DLPFC
gradually recovered its normal
thickness over time. In this case, the
thickness of DLPFCs of the victims of
the arson tragedy had measured up to
3.00 in average 1 year after the event
and was down to 2.88mm 5 years after
what had happened.
What these findings indicate is very
important in the area of abnormal
psychology for it is the first time that
the biological factors regarding PTSD
had been unearthed. What is more, the
research team had also discovered what
actually causes the change. During the
research, the team had also examined
genetic manifestation within the brains
of the victims and had found that it is,
in fact, an enzyme named BDNF that
involves in such manipulation. Now
Professor Ryoo and the research team
believe that with this knowledge, it
wont be long before an actual
medication remedy for PTSD is
developed. It is the first time that the
cerebral change and reaction had been
put into account in terms of PTSD
and we hope that the findings will lead
to a cure for the illness, says he.
Thanks to hardworking researchers
in SNU, the whole world would soon
be PTSD free and people with
haunting memories and horrible pain
caused by them would be able to rest
assured. His research data and results
were published on the July issue of
Archives of General Psychiatry.
Goodbye
to
Trauma
PSYCHOLOGY
When we go through a horrible experience, the
haunting memory can torment us for as long as we
can imagine. You try to get over it, but nothing seems
to work for you. This is a symptom called Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder, better known as PTSD.
Before, the doctors relied on psychological counseling
and minor remedies in attempt to cure the disease.
Recently, however, a research team from SNU
unearthed a definite biological cause for PTSD and
believes that an actual cure can be offered in the near
future. BY YEON-IL JEONG
8
3.05
3
2.95
2.9
2.85
2.8
2.75
1st year 2ndyear 3rdyear 4thyear 5thyear
Normal
PTSD
Comparisonof thesizechangeof DLPFCfoundin
bothnormal andPTSDbrains.
o
Cover Story Climate Change and International Conflict
elucidates, If you think about
environmental problems, the subjects
that surface into your mind are
probably greenhouse gas emissions,
rising of sea level and temperature,
meltdown of the ice in the North, and
so on. To solve the problem of climate
change, the global community works
on agreements to decrease carbon gas
emissions. And in Korea, these are the
aspects of climate change that are
emphasized, but we also wished to
highlight and inform that climate
change and conflict are intimately
related with each other. More in-depth
realization of the topic is necessary for
Korea. The research report looks for
answers to questions such as: What
are the international conflicts that
could arise due to climate change?;
What does it imply towards Korea
and East Asias action to thwart
climate change?; What should be the
Korean governments political path to
approach the problem? The report
has been directly provided to and
taken into account by the Korean
government, and could have affected
government policies.
The three main conflicts due to
climate change are conflict over water
resources, desertification, and ice melts
and increased sea-level. The Nile River
case, Brahmaputra River case, and the
water resource conflict between
Singapore and Malaysia are the typical
examples of international conflict over
water resources. The equity in dividing
up the water resources and the
possibility of utilizing the military
force to gain resources stands at the
heart of the issue. The international
society needs to put in more efforts to
stress the responsibilities of Egypt,
Sudan, and the major nations in future
agreements. In the case of the
Brahmaputra River, the report
suggests viewing the problem
regionally and taking regional
measures to appease the tension
between China and India, which is
heightening due to the channel-course
changing works by China. The report
also focuses on desertification in the
Sahel Region, where conflict between
tribes is intensified by drought and
desertification. The Berber conflict
over water resources and soil
salinisation contains the risk of
exploding into Arab and Berber
warfare, and the Ethiopia-Eritrea case
threatens the peace between the two
nations. The UN Peacekeeping
troops role is limited; hence, the
report points out the necessity of the
international community to increase
production of food and other
products. Lastly, melting of frozen soil
and ice melts lead to conflicts over
discovering new resources and
expansion of territorial sovereignty.
Increasing sea-level and erosion of the
coastline by the sea will result in
millions of climate refugees, and thus,
the problem should be one of the top
priorities of the international
community. The creation of new
passages such as the Northeast Passage
and the Northwest Passage will
promote the increase in territorial
ambitions by countries desiring to
own exclusiveness. The international
community has to find a way to
protect the environment of the North
Pole while seeking developmental
profits for nations.
The research paper looked at various
possibilities for solving the conflicts of
the nine major conflict cases.
However, the research revealed that
application and management of the
solutions depend on the nature of the
nations and the conflict. If applied to
the Korean peninsula, Chinas
desertification, Imjingang water
resource conflict, Korea-Japan conflict
over the fishing industry, and increase
in subtropical heavy rain are possible
issues in the future that the Korean
government will have to confront. The
report claims that the Korean
government has to fulfill the
forerunner position in constructing
the climate change advisory system.
Nationally, the Korean government
should increase awareness of climate
change among citizens, implement
actual policy changes, decrease
greenhouse gas emissions beginning
with public institutions, and respond
to environmental security by
organizing the system of the Korean
army. Regionally, to resolve the
security dilemma peacefully, the report
proposes utilizing the nontraditional
security issue of the environment to
promote the cooperative foundation
for the East Asian community. The
South Korean government must take
action in replacement of the inability
of North Korea to solve the Tumen
River and Yalu River issues.
Internationally, it is vital for Korea to
foster professionals on the
environment to work in international
institutions, increase foreign aid to
help climate refugees, and most of all,
promote its role and participation in
constructing global environmental
norms and policies. As for us students,
Professor Yoon advises that
environmental issues are an
unexplored field that should be in the
interest of students especially because
North Koreas environmental state is
substandard. In conclusion, Professor
Yoon recommends that we read
many articles from various news
sources, understand problems in our
environment, realize the state of
current politics, and prepare for what
you can do in the future for the global
community.
B
ooks, books, and more books
are stacked up in a neat disarray
on the floor and still more
books are crammed from top to
bottom on shelves lined up against the
wall of Professor Yoon Young-kwans
office. Surprisingly, Professor Yoon
leaves his heavy grey door wide open,
perhaps for quizzical students and
assistant teachers to perturb him with
questions. When I stepped into the
office of the Professor Yoon, I dared
not twitch an eyebrow for it felt like
stepping into a vacuum of knowledge
permeating thickly into the air that I
was breathing in through my stupid
nostrils. Stop breathing in smart air
you stupid nostrils, I ordered myself
as I wished to become ultra-smart or
disappear along with the knowledge
particles of H2O. The moment I had
been waiting forever since I took the
Introduction to International
Relations class happened in warped
time as my knuckles unconsciously
wiped all the knowledge air particles
and scratched the grey metal door,
creating an unpleasant knock and
smear. This was enough to disturb the
balance of silence and studiousness in
the Professors office, as he turned his
eyes away from the glowing computer
monitor to take a look at me.
Thankfully, he told me to take a seat
on the couch; I was not kicked out,
not just yet. I placed myself gently on
the comfortable couch, which sunk
my butt into its super comfortableness
and soft leathery upholster, and my
feet dangled on the edges due to the
sunken comfortableness. The light in
the office is dim; only the blazing
computer monitor and sunlight from
the blind covered windows lighten the
room. Perhaps it is to conserve
energy I thought to myself as I
wondered what I would ask Professor
Yoon regarding his research on
Climate Change and International
Conflict.
The National Research Council for
Economics, Humanities, and Social
Sciences published the Climate
Change and International Conflict as
one of its research papers in the
November of year 2009. Professor
Yoon Young-kwan, Kim Sang Bae,
and Shin Beom Shik, conducted the
research under the Center for
International Studies at Seoul National
University, of which Professor Yoon
is the Director of. With the sunlight
gently resting on Professor Yoons
head like a halo, he explained the
significance of the research. In his slow
and unwavering voice, Professor Yoon
Climate Change and
International Conflict
SOCIAL SCIENCE
BY SU HYEN BAE

z
Cover Story Diabetes No More?
D
iabetes, its the bane of many.
People with diabetes are
afflicted by various health
issues such as blurry vision, fatigue,
and random weight fluctuations. They
may also experience further
complications such as infections in the
lower limbs that at times lead to
amputations. In ordert to maintain
proper health, diabetics have to always
be conscious of their blood sugar
levels.
Currently there are three and a half
million Koreans suffering from
diabetes. The rapid rise of the number
of diabetics in Korea is alarming and
thus it has accelerated research for the
treatment of the disease. As of late
there has been hopeful news to those
who suffer from the destructive
chronic disease. A research team led by
our schools very own, Professor Park
Seong-hoe of the College of Medicine,
has reported success in a novel method
of treating diabetes: organ
transplantation.
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, in
which the pancreas loses its ability to
produce insulin. Without insulin, our
bodies are unable to properly process
the food that we eat and it results in
glucose building up in our blood
stream. The high level of glucose can
be offset by artificial insulin injections
but the treatment is expensive and
does not prove to be a fundamental
solution to the disease. Professor Park
and his research team, however, have
developed a new and effective form of
treatment that makes use of
transplanting a pigs pancreas.
Transplantation of a pigs pancreas
into a diabetic has been a long
suggested idea that has so far failed to
successfully materialize. Transplanting
an organ even from human to human
comes with the ultimate risk of
rejection from the host body and for
years, cross species transplantation has
been met with many failures, until
Professor Parks research.
By transplanting a
pigs pancreas into a
diabetic monkey with
a new immune-
regulating antibody,
Professor Park and his team have
taken a significant step towards curing
diabetes. Through a 6 month
experimentation process, the monkey
had no rejection response and did not
need the usual immunosuppressants in
order to accept the pig organ. Initially,
the subject monkey had a blood sugar
level of over 450. However, with a new
set of immunosuppressants developed
by Professor Park, the monkey
sustained a blood sugar level average of
83 after the transplant. By developing
this new transplant protocol, it gives a
hopeful possibility for the complete
cure for diabetes. Previously there had
been transplants by other research
teams in which the monkeys with
diabetes have survived for more than 6
months. However, these monkeys had
to constantly take immuno-
suppressants and furthermore could
not maintain good health like the
monkey that had gone through
Professor Parks protocol.
Although the treatment has been
only applied to monkeys, there are
huge implications in this incredible
breakthrough in medicine. It provides
an entirely new perspective to a disease
that had long been regarded as
incurable. Hopefully in a few years,
diabetes may just become something
of the past.
Diabetes
No More?
MEDICINE
BY YUN HWAN CHAE
University life
around the world
FEATURE
BY VARIOUS WRITERS
Diabetics needto constantlycheckandmaintain
their bloodsugar levels.
Professor ParkSeong-hoe
,
Feature University life around the world

Student life at
Swedish
universities
Sweden is a country with many
universities and a long history of
higher education. The student life
varies a lot depending on if you attend
a university in university city or attend
a university in a larger city. There are
several cities in Sweden where the
university is the center and the heart
of the local society. Examples of such
cities are Uppsala and Lund. For
students studying in a university city
much of life revolves around the
university; this mainly because
students come from all over the
country and live together in dormitory
style facilities. In fact as much as 15%
of the population in Uppsala is
students and in Lund that number is
35%. As a result students mostly hang
out with their classmates and go to
activities organized by student
organizations.
However, if one is studying at a
university in a larger city such as the
capital Stockholm the student life will
look very different. Student attending
Stockholm University merely sees
campus as a place for education and not
for social life. Few events are organized
by the school or student organizations
and usually school events are quite
unpopular. People tend to hang out
with their own friends rather than with
their classmates. This can mainly be
Student life Down Under
As we enter the higher level of education facility better known as the university
in Korea, there comes many things for us to experience and do and many kind of
social communities that we could and also sometimes have to participate in. Often,
students are given their liberty to do whatever they want to with their lives but
sometimes, obligatory activities also enrich their lives in order to help them not to
waste their valuable time in university. However, in the case of university life in
Australia, things are a bit different. Almost everything in their lives is subject to
free will and students have to look for activities that would enrich their spare time.
University student life in Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia is not that far
apart from that of students living in the U.S. They study hard, very hard in fact
because unlike in the case of Korea, most of the students are not guaranteed to
acquire their diploma and graduate if they dont achieve a certain amount of GPA
upon graduating. Other than that, they do get to have their fun with their fellow
students but it is relatively hard compared to the lives of students in Korea. Time
to time, they get to go to parties that are held in houses but the students dont get
to make friends if they are not voluntarily socially active. Unlike Korea, the
concept of class is very vague. There are tons of students in each department and it
is practically impossible to gather all of them and have MTs or OTs. However,
they do have to join a tutoring group (similar to Hak-hoe in Korean universities)
and get along with their fellow participants. Since the school is filled with students
coming from various cultural backgrounds, students from the same country or the
same culture group up and make individual clubs. In Koreans case, there is
MUKSA (Macquarie University Korean Student Association). However, those
with small amount of their cultural counterparts in the university are not that
blessed with these kinds of clubs. Overall, it can be said that students in Australia
spend most of their time trying to acquire better score in school since it is crucial
that they are able to graduate so that they could become eligible social members in
the Australian society. One would think that this is an exaggeration but consider
these facts; the average graduation rate in Australia is 75 percent and in some cases,
only 3 out of 10 students get to receive their Bachelors degree diploma while in
Korea, acquiring a Bachelors degree is not that big of a problem.
explained by the fact that most students
attending the university actually lived in
the city previous to starting their
education and thus already had a very
well-developed social life. Furthermore,
in Sweden attending lectures is not
mandatory so most people study on
their own without interacting with
other students. Another reason which
differ Sweden a lot from Korea is the
fact that classes usually consists of
students of many different age groups.
It is not uncommon to do something
else for several years between high
school and college and many people
even go back to university in their 30s
and 40s. Because of this, many students
are in different stages of life and have
litle in common. Another interesting
fact is that in Sweden there are almost
no student clubs and no student club
life like in Korea. This further explains
why Swedish students have more of an
individual student life rather than
everyone having social lives related to
the university. Of course students do
mingle with each other but not to the
same organized extent as in Korea.
Student life at
North South
University,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh may not be a familiar
country to students at Seoul National
University, and college life in
Bangladesh will probably be an even
more obscure topic. However, like
Koreans, Bangladeshis hold great
interest and fervor for education.
Students study ardently in hopes of
receiving admittance to prestigious
universities.
As a third world country,
Bangladesh does not yet have an
education system as established as
Korea but the recent rapid growth in
the numbers of universities in
Bangladesh (55 universities have come
into being since 1992 to 2008) indicate
the great appreciation that the
Bangladeshis now have in higher
education. Furthermore, as universities
have become more and more prevalent
throughout the country, these centers
of education are no longer institutions
that serve a singular goal of schooling
but they have also become cultural
hubs for the younger generation in an
otherwise conservative Muslim
country. North South University, for
example, is one of the most prestigious
universities in Bangladesh and the
school is recognized for its vibrant
student community. I had the
opportunity to interview a Korean
student who currently attends the
university to share his experience of
North South University.
Interview with freshman
student Joseph Kim
Describe the campus culture and
setting of North South
University.
North South University is a private
university located in Bashundhara,
Dhaka. Among the universities in
Dhaka, it is the only private university
to have a campus in the capital city that
provides a wide range of facilities. It
has only been a year since the new
campus opened so as of yet there
arent very many extra-curricular
activities offered to the student body.
Besides taking classes and
studying, what do students do
for fun?
As I mentioned in the previous
question, it has only been a year since
the opening of the new campus so
there is no active campus culture yet
and it is at a developing stage. Students
dont really stay at school after classes
and usually go home early. Unlike
Korea, there is no drinking culture in
Bangladesh, so students usually hang
out by going out and having a meal
together.
Do you participate in any extra-
curricular activities? What are
some of the popular activities at
North South University?
Yes, I am currently in a band. Every
trimester, there is a festival and various
clubs such as my band have the
opportunity to showcase what they
have been working on. The
photography club is the most popular
club at our school. North South
Universitys photography club is
known for having the most members Universitystudent lifeinAustraliacanbeveryboringif youarenot sociallyactive.
;
Feature Capital punishment
in all of Bangladesh. The club holds an
exhibition during every festival period.
To briefly talk about the festival, there
are exhibitions, talent shows and
concerts performed by popular local
musicians. These events last from
morning to late at night and it is a great
experience that brings the entire
student body together.
How is the school administration
regarding rules and policies?
Would you describe North South
University as having a strict or
more laid-back administration?
Policies arent very strict but there
are some rules that all students have to
follow. For example, you cant have
cigarettes on campus and possession of
hard drugs would lead to immediate
expulsion. But despite these rules, Id
say that the school is more laidback.
Other than the policies on drugs,
students are free to do whatever they
want to do.
If you could describe North
South University with one
adjective, what would it be and
why?
Sober! Since there is no drinking
culture in Bangladesh, you shouldnt
expect late night drinking sessions. But
there is generally a safe and friendly
atmosphere at North South University
that I really appreciate.
Studying
in Munich,
Germany
Munich is expensive, unfriendly and
posh. That is what most Germans
think of this big city in its southern
Bavarian (some dont even consider it
German) capital. But once you get
used to it you daccord with its
citizens: There is no real alternative to
Munich. There are two major
universities in Munich, the Ludwig-
Maximilians-Universitat which focuses
its curriculum on humanities, social
sciences, law, arts and culture and then
there is the Technische Universitat
Munchen which focuses its curriculum
on mechanics and natural sciences.
There are also plenty of smaller
universities which are highly
specialized and the University of the
Bundeswehr, something which could
be considered as the equivalent to the
US Armys Westpoint Academy.
The two major universities are
among the top five universities
German high school kids want to go
to after their graduation, which is
called Abitur (and unlike Korea, public
education takes 13 years).
In difference to Korea and The
States, in Germany the decision to
which university to attend is not only
driven by the reputation of a university
but also by the reputation of the city
and the local environment.
College life in Munich has its own
magic which comes from the city's
long history and its love for arts and
culture.
Besides its various university
campuses, Munich has also a lot of
cinemas, cafes and parks. The
Englischer Garten and the
Olympiapark are two of the most
famous parks. The Englischer
Garten is known for its small but
strong stream which makes it possible
to go surfing in downtown Munich.
Additionally, Munich is also known to
be one of Europes leading fashion
cities with lots of independent and
skilled designers and artists coming to
this city.
Since the number of students in
Munich is known to be about 90.000,
it is full of pubs, clubs, cafes and
restaurants which can fit to almost
everyones taste. Except, there is one
problem: it all costs a lot of money.
Munich has been Germanys most
expensive city for a long while and
despite the European economic crisis:
nothing much has changed.
That is the reason why most
students decide to earn money by
doing part-time jobs which they need
for their everyday expenses. But
different to Korea, tutoring is
something relatively uncommon in
Germany and private institutions such
as Hagwons are almost non-existent.
So even if you are quite an elite
student, you have to work as a bar-
keeper or a cashier etc.something
which we maybe wouldnt expect from
a SNU student.
Student life at
McGill
University,
Canada
Situated in the French-English
bilingual Canadian city of Montreal,
McGill University provides its
students with a life in the bustling
French-speaking city. Surrounded by
grey office skyscrapers, the universitys
modern and antique buildings blend in
well with the urban environment, just
like its students do too. Between
classes, McGill Universitys students
take advantage of the schools urban
surroundings by going out to eat in the
restaurants or shop in St. Catherine
shopping district just 5 minutes walk
from the main gate. However, the
huge exodus of diligent students after
long hours in the libraries, whose
school was voted tenth best party
school in 2006 by Playboy magazine, is
commonplace during exam periods.
The students are also encouraged to
take advantage of the schools location
in a bilingual city by taking French
classes and get their school fee
reduced. The size of classes range from
as small as 15 to as big as 300. They are
taught by bilingual professors who
accept exam answers and papers in
both languages: French and English.
During sunny days, one can see
students relaxing on the huge football
field stretching from the main gate to
the schools iconic Arts Building
(where the founder of the university is
rumored to have been buried). On
weekends, McGill students enjoy
parties on Rue Crescent or floor
parties which take place per residence
floor level in NewRez (New
Residence, which used to be the old
Sheraton Hotel). There are hordes of
international students who can take
advantage of multiple associations,
such as the McGill ISS (International
Student Society). The Korean students
of McGill usually belong to the McGill
KSS (Korean Student Society), which
host various Korean-themed events
such as Chuseok Party and Hallyu
Talent Shows. Since the Korean
community in Montreal is
substantially small compared to other
major cities in North America, there
are not enough fair-priced Korean
restaurants in the city. However,
Korean supermarkets deliver food
once you place an online order. McGill
University offers students an
opportunity to immerse themselves in
French and English in a bustling office
city. However, do not expect exam
delays just because there is over a
meter of snow piled up outside
coupled with a terrifying snowstorm.
Student life at
Johns
Hopkins
University,
United States
Johns Hopkins University is
situated in small suburban Baltimore,
US. Its campus, smaller than half of
SNU, is that of a classic American
university: Not too fancy with
rectangular brick buildings. The
Hopkins student population consists
of a fairly large international student
ratio that reaches almost one-fifth of
the total. The culture does not vary
greatly from exam to non-exam period
as the atmosphere teems with intense
competition, especially among those
majoring in medical engineering.
Hence, the famous Hopkins cut
throat. The top two floors of the
library which is open 24 hours teem
with mostly Asian, and especially
Korean, students during the exam
period. 2 to 3 days before the exams is
the Reading Period, when the
professors bestow benevolence by
cancelling classes and assignments.
When the period is clear of exams, the
students usually head downtown to
enjoy shopping, go clubbing in
Washington D.C, or simply hang out
in the library due to the lack of
leisurely facilities available around
school. The environment outside
school is dangerous, especially at night,
because the local population is
comprised of mostly those less
economically well-off. Thus, the
school provides vans even for walk-
able venues just 10 minutes.
Unfortunately, the school spirit is very
low at Johns Hopkins; the only
famous sport is lacrosse. Lastly, for
Korean students, there is the KSA
(Korean Student Association) that
hosts Freshmen Welcoming Party,
formal banquets, and the infamous
Rice Bowl a football game against
the Chinese Student Association.
Johns Hopkins University bustles
with intelligent students competing
against each other. Yet, the major
mood of the campus seems to be that
they feel like Ivy League Rejects
very smart, but not smart enough for
Ivy League.
6
j 8
Campus Klassmate with your Classmates!
KLASSMATE WITH
YOUR CLASSMATES!
SOCIETY
O
n January 3rd, 2007, four
students in Seoul National
University's School of
Computer Science and Engineering,
gathered around a heater and created
Wafflestudio. Many computer science
students create useful programs, use it
themselves, and erase it completely; we
felt as though that was a total waste of
talent and decided to create a group
that could contribute in producing and
providing service for university
students as a whole exclaimed Duhee
Lee, one of the founders of
Wafflestudio. Since its establishment,
Wafflestudio has provided many useful
services to Seoul National University
(SNU) students, most significantly
snuev.com. In 2008, Wafflestudio
launched SNUEV, an evaluation
website for SNU's classes, for the
purpose of providing frank student
evaluations by students for the
students. Although the professors
tackled the website, saying how absurd
it was that students were evaluating
professors on a public domain,
Wafflestudio continued to improvise
and renovate the website creating the
2009 version of SNUEV and the 2010
version of SNUEV. Twenty-three
thousand, two hundred one SNU
students depend on SNUEV during
the class registration period; possibly
no one ever registers a class without
reading its evaluation on the website.
The inspiration came for Klassmate
when Duhee Lee, Seunghyun Cho,
Sungwon Lee, and other Wafflestudio
members realized that the number of
students using SNUEV pikes up
during class registration periods, but
the number soon declines after classes
begin. Thus, they wanted to create a
virtual place where students could
constantly talk about classes and be
involved with other classmates in their
school. There are so many people
within our school and in our classes
that we encounter each day, but rarely
speak with. We thought it would be
nice to create a place where we could
actually talk to and share thoughts
with one another about just anything,
explained Sungwon. That idea is
reminiscent of the quote from the
movie Waking Life: It's kind of like
D.H. Lawrence had this idea of two
people meeting on a road...And instead
of just passing and glancing away, they
decided to accept what he calls the
confrontation between their souls. It's
like, um-- like freeing the brave
reckless gods within us all. Klassmate
has given us the opportunity to
exchange private feelings with people
who we have never talked to before;
secure anonymity, the knowledge that
the anonymous people have been
verified as SNU students, opens up a
whole new world for sharing and
confiding. Sungwon emphasized that
Anonymity allows people to say
things that they would not have been
able to blurt out in a public setting.
The Goat Sister posted a picture of Jahayeons dinner menu
for November 21st two hours ago, and the Aieee Falcon
commented, Looks so tasty I eat at Building 301s
really just to fill in my stomach And from a distant
place somewhere in Seoul National University, the Devilish
Dolphin wonders, why are people posting pictures of
school cafeteria food? What are you guys getting? and
chuckles to him or herself thinking that Klassmate is so
fun! Such as the Goat Sister, the Aieee Falcon, and the
Devilish Dolphin, over two thousand SNU students
connect with each other on the smart phone application.
Klassmate enables university students to chat with one
another under the anonymous disguise of an animal character in three settings: the classroom
setting; the Zoo; and the Safari. In the classroom, the students could talk to students enrolled in
the same class. In the Zoo or the university chat room, students can talk to verified university
fellows. In the Safari, users can communicate with verified users of other universities. Just eight
hours ago, the Klassmate Developers posted that they will present a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts
to whoever first posts the food pictures of one of the school cafeterias. Already, eighteen posts
containing food pictures and hungry comments have surfaced on the Zoo. The never-ending
efforts of the developers to garner the interest of Klassmate users and the enthusiastic users of
Klassmate make the application an amusing social networking application that should be
downloaded on every university students smart phone. BY SU HYEN BAE
FromtheLeft: SungwonLee, SeunghyunCho, andDuheeLee
z zo
Campus Klassmate with your Classmates!
Klassmate could be the window for
open communication and exchanging
ideas for classes, as well as school clubs
and other groups.
Even more popular than the
classroom features are Safari and the
Zoo. More students crowd into the
Zoo, an absolutely open community
for exclusively SNU students.
Recently, the Chic Elk advertised his
or her Day Hoff Event (Il Il Hoff),
saying that he will give out coupons to
those willing to come. The Chatty
Cat, the Aieee Penguin, the Cold City
Penguin, and even the Creators of
Klassmate commented on attending
the event. The Zoo proves to be a
place where students can connect with
SNU students who they have never
known before. Safaris are rooms that
connect one university with another
university; the SNU and Ewha Safari,
SNU and Yonsei Safari, and the SNU
and Korea University Safari are
examples of the active rooms in which
school jokes and casual flirting occur,
in addition to normal everyday
chatting. The attention and
participation for the SNU and Ewha
Safari soared during the past five days
when the Cute Sealion said that he or
she would give Pepero to the 111th
Ewha student who comments on his
or her request. The Sesame Seed Like
Duck won the honor of becoming the
111th commenter and posted a picture
of the present she received from the
Cute Sealion on the Safari room. In
the midst of the exchange between
these two anonymous lovers, the
Sexy Crane and the Really Funny
Pelican also exchanged Pepero gifts
with each another and posted pictures.
Whereas the SNU and Ewha Safari
exudes love in the air, the Yonsei-SNU
Safari and Korea-SNU Safari consists
of crude university jokes and surprise
appearances of famous celebrities. Kim
Yuna, the national figure skating hero,
appears from time to time in the Safari,
giving back smiles and inducing witty
comments from the animal fans
(although one should not assume that
she is the real Kim Yuna). Jang Kiha
also makes seldom appearances and his
fans give shout outs of his comical
song lyrics. Regardless of the quality of
the talks between universities, it is for
sure that some connection is being
built between the students of the
universities. Wafflestudio hopes that
Safari will become the connecting link
between universities and will further
work on creating international
connections among universities
overseas. Although the Safari rooms
with foreign universities such as
Columbia, MIT, and Harvard have not
been activated, there is hope that the
rooms will soon be opened when more
students request for it.
When questioned about whether
Wafflestudio would finish working on
Klassmate, Seunghyun adamantly
stated,there is no completion for
Klassmate or any kind of program
and that they will continue to improve
it. On the Klassmate website, there is a
section called Torturing the
Developers where users could submit
new ideas. The three developers
claimed that they find the submissions
very helpful and try to reflect user
ideas into their programming every
day. By succumbing to their daily
routine of going to bed at 5am, waking
up at 11am, programming until 5am,
and occasionally playing a soccer game
at 1am to take a break from the
computer monitor, the Klassmate
developers provide us with the service
that connects us modern and lonely
human beings to the other faceless
souls walking like ghouls around the
campus. The devotion of Wafflestudio
and the passion of the developers
ensure us that Klassmate could soon
become a social phenomenon
comparable to Twitter and Facebook.
When I asked out of doubt what they
do this for, they simply answered,
Because its fun! Duhee
elucidated,We have a limited amount
of time in our twenties and all of us
thought that we should do the best we
could to use this time wisely in making
things that we can only make in our
twenties. We believe that is creating
and providing a free service for
university students by university
students like us.
L
ast Friday after finishing my only
class (a three-hour Friday class
that happens to be my favorite!) I
was eating in the dorm cafeteria when I
unconsciously took out my
smartphone to see if any Katalks had
arrived. A fellow classmate, an
exchange student from the
Netherlands, stated, Korean girls have
two boyfriends. One, their boyfriend.
And the second, their phones. I
laughed since, well I dont have a
boyfriend and I dont consider my
relationship with my phone to be that
serious. Despite laughing through that
comment, I later thought about it for
quite a while and questions popped up
like...did I just say my relationship
with my phone? Has my phone
replaced my social life and plunged me
into cyber life?
So this is how it all begins. My first
month in Korea I didnt have a phone,
let alone a smartphone. When I went
out to meet with friends for kiwi soju
in a quirky bar in Hongdae they would
get frustrated because of my lack of
the little device. But I brushed it off
because I have always been used to not
using my phone in Mexico. So five
days before college life at SNU started
I decided to, finally, get a phone. I
went to a LG U+ store and looked
through the various smartphones. I
finally decided to get the Galaxy SII
White because of its large screen and
also because my uncle kept insisting it
was the best, and I settled for a plan of
2GB per month, thinking, I wont need
Smartphones, not
so smart?
OPINION
BY JOSEFINA OH
zz z
December 2011. Vol. 35 Campus Smartphones, not so smart?
so much because I dont want to get
wired, like the other Koreans here.
Upon activating the phone I
downloaded KakaoTalk, an application
which allows free messaging with
other fellow smartphone users. I
contacted my close friends with
messages like Just gott a smartphone!
Jeje feel so koreann because Im usinng
kakaofalk now! Obviously the typos
occurred because of my lack of
experience with the touch screen.
Messages instantly popped up and,
excited, I opened these and replied
back. This occurred while I was
walking through the campus to get to
the Cultural Center (Du Rae Mun
Hwe Gwan) to make my S-Card.
Stuck in my frenzy to reply to the
Katalks, I missed a step, tripped
forward and ended up scraping my
knee. Was this the beginning of my
smartphone obsession?
I like to think that I was just getting
used to my new phone. But it got
worse. Two days later while walking
down the stairs to ride the subway I
got a message about some plans to
meet at Coex that evening. Distracted,
I was in the middle of replying when I
missed a stair and fell forward again,
this time breaking the flip-flop sandals
I was wearing. With another scraped
left knee to match my right and a
broken sandal, I walked home,
pondering on how I had gotten so
wired so quickly.
I realize that we have become so
obsessed with our phones that various
aspects of our lives have changed. We
are immersed in social networking
services such as Facebook and Twitter,
allowing for instant updates on
statuses. We also have applications like
KakaoTalk and WhatsApp which
enable people to speak to each other
without necessarily having to make
phone calls. These services are
convenient, but are they making us
more socially inept?
An article by the Sydney Morning
Herald expounds that neuroscience
has confirmed that the brain is more
malleable than once believed. We
could walk straight into a building if
our GPS instructed us to do so.
Furthermore, smartphones have made
our brain less critical; we leap from
website to website without necessarily
taking in all that we are reading. But as
stated in the article, your dependence
on Facebook to remind you about a
friends birthday should not be seen as
a sign of surrendering to machines but
as something liberating. Smartphones
allow us to do things more quickly,
saving time. But when searching the
web it is important not only to
memorize what is said but to
synthesize these facts. The benefits
of these tiny machines are numerous
but they should not replace your
person-to-person relationship with
others. You wouldnt want your
smartphone to be your only boyfriend,
right?
So next time your phone beeps or
buzzes be careful! It might end up
being the only relationship you get or
the next bruise on your leg if youre
like me.
Peopleusingtheir smartphones whilewaitingfor
thesubway
Members of TRIXat Hyundai SungwooResort locatedinHoengSeong-gun
Oneof many: whichoneareyou? Increaseinthenumber of smartphoneusers in
Korea
1. What does TRIX mean?
Basically, TRIX focuses on three
important factors, which are
enthusiasm, extremity, and manner.
TRI is an abbreviated form of the
word troika, which represents the
aforementioned characteristics of
TRIX. X is the acronym for x-game,
which includes sports facing intense
risks such as sport climbing, sky
surfing, mountain biking, skiboarding,
snow cross, bungee jump, rafting,
wind surfing, and, of course,
snowboarding.
2. When does TRIX recruit its
new members?
Its different every year but generally
we recruit new members all
throughout the year except winter. We
recruit new members from March to
early December. After the recruiting
ends, we dedicate our winter to
training snowboarding skills.
3. Could you explain more
specifically about what TRIX
does during the training period?
From December to February, all
members of TRIX stay at Hyundai
Sungwoo Resort located in
HoengSeong-gun during weekdays.
During weekdays, sonbaes teach
hoobaes. Usually, members practice
three hours in the morning and
additional three hours in the
afternoon, which accrues to six to
seven hours a day. It is up to the
members how they spend their
weekends: they could stay at the
Resort longer to hone their
snowboarding skills or else visit their
hometown and rest. There are formal
and informal training periods. Formal
training periods are literally formal,
which implies that members are
obligated to participate and focus on
improving their snowboarding skills
through intensive practice. On the
other hand, members are under fewer
How about
an unforgettable
winter with TRIX?
CLUB INTERVIEW
The winter is drawing nearer and its getting colder. Id like to introduce to you those
who longed for winter season to come. Lets listen to the stories of TRIX, the
snowboarding club of SNU from Jin Man Park (Dept. of Applied Biology, 08), the
current captain of TRIX. BY HEE JOO HONG
constraints during informal training
periods. It is allowed to drink alcohol
at night to boost up their conditions
during informal training periods.
4. What does TRIX do in
summer?
We ride skateboards, wakeboards,
and we also go surfing. Last summer,
we went surfing in Busan.
5. How many members
currently participate in TRIX?
What is the proportion of males
to females?
There are approximately 90
members, altogether, yet 20 are
current participants. The proportion of
males to females is one to one.
Although people commonly think that
there arent as many female members
as males, it is so not true. In fact,
female members actively participate in
TRIX and there are also quite a few
female students of SNU who are very
much interested in snowboarding. In
addition, the spectrum of age of the
members is very wide. TRIX is open
to anyone regardless of their age.
6. Ive heard that TRIX is the
only professional Snowboarding
club in Korea. What were the
initial motives for the
foundation of TRIX? Also,
werent there any difficulties to
maintaining it?
Well, because I am not the very
person who founded the TRIX, I may
not be able to give you the exact
answer to this question. TRIX was
founded to improve members
snowboarding skills and also to
support the snowboarding camp
course provided at SNU. It has not
been long since snowboarding became
popular and people began enjoying
snowboarding. Therefore, there was
nobody to instruct or train members.
It must have been very difficult for the
founders to maintain TRIX without
any snowboarding instructors.
7. Do members of TRIX
participate in the snowboarding
camp provided at SNU?
Of course. As Ive already
mentioned, supporting the
snowboarding camp was the initial
objective of TRIX. It is mandatory for
the members who have been in TRIX
for over 2 years to take part in the
snowboarding camp as instructors.
Members who have been in TRIX for
only 1 year could participate or not. It
depends on their situation.
8. How often do accidents
occur, and how do you deal with
such abrupt incidents?
Every season, one or two members
get hurt in accidents even though they
are fully equipped with protective
devices. Such accidents are inevitable.
9. How is TRIX different from
the snowboarding club of SNU?
TRIX and the snowboarding club
both aim to improve snowboarding
skills. However, TRIX and the
snowboarding club have different
points of view regarding snowboarding.
While they focus on enjoying
snowboarding, we concentrate more
on systematic learning and a lot of
practice. Members are under a lot of
obligations and participate in various
competitions. Members of TRIX
usually take programs that teach how
to become snowboarding instructors,
and obtain KSA licenses.
10. Do you go skiing as well?
Formally speaking, we dont.
Nonetheless, some members enjoy
freestyle skiing, which is very much
similar with snowboarding.
11. Is it more economical to go
snowboarding as a member of
TRIX than individually? Is there
any registration fee?
I can guarantee that one can save as
much as half the money they would
have to pay if they go snowboarding
individually. TRIX is in contract with
Hyundai Sungwoo Resort, and, hence,
we get privileges as their best
customers. Depending on match
results, clothes, and equipment are
sponsored. There is no registration fee,
but one should pay 300,000 to 400,000
won in the winter season. The cost
includes food expenses.
12. Anything to add?
Those who love snowboarding
please do consider joining TRIX.
Youll be able to spend an
unforgettable winter with us!
z
Campus Wanna spend an unforgettable winter with TRIX? December 2011. Vol. 35
z,
Pepero Day -
Campus Warming Day
You may expect to receive Pepero sticks manufactured by factories on November
11th. But, how about being more healthy and cultural instead? Find out what SSA
had to offer SNU students that day. BY EUN JOO AN
EVENT
It is noticeablethat thereareas manyfemale
members inTRIXas men.
TRIXspent anenjoyablewinter, last year. Members of TRIXwiththeir snowboards
z; z6
Campus Pepero Day -Campus Warming Day
A
ccording to the dictionary the word crucible means
a situation in which people or things are severely
tested. This short definition of few words
illustrates accurately the main topic of the scandalous
Korean movie Doganie (or The Crucible). Based on a real life
story, the movie takes place at an institution in Kwangju for
disabled children and portrays the sexual abuse of hearing-
impaired students. It focuses on the case of three particular
students who become the permanent target of repeatedly
sexual molestations by the headmaster and other teachers
because of their humbling backgrounds. The plot of the
movie consists on the judicial process the accused undergo
and the minimal punishment they receive no matter how
clear and accusatory the evidence of their crime was. The
silent but desperate fight for justice of these children and the
heavy sensation of helplessness and despair touched the
heart of more than three million viewers and raised
questions such as Why wasnt the real case resolved years ago?
Couldnt proper, stern measures have been taken earlier?. This
sensational movie did not only convert sexual abuse of
physically disabled people into a main social issue of public
concern but also cast doubt on the actual Korean judicial
system and its ability to condemn criminals and make social
justice.
The popularity of the movie is attributed mostly to its
inevitable correlation with the real case. In 2005, five years
after these serial rapes had begun, the first police
investigation and subsequent trials took place. But the two
An endless
fight for justice
It is the first time a movie causes so much commotion in Korea. Find out how a
society reacted after the release of the movie The Crucible and discover the flaws of
the Korean Judicial system. BY HYUN CHUNG CHUNG
SOCIAL ISSUE
TheCrucible, amoviethat causedconmotionthroughout Korea
A
tiger was walking around the
campus that day. It was seen
beside the trees, up on the
stairs, across the road and next to the
buildings. When the tiger was back
from the trip around the campus, it
went back to a booth in front of
Jahayeon. Then, the tiger suddenly
decapitated itself, revealing its true
man form. He was the president of
SNUs Student Ambassador (SSA)
Tae Hoon Kim (College of Business
Administration, 08) and was in charge
of a food stall stationed for the
Millennium Pepero Day. The
students of SSA kept them busy
behind the booth, playing their roles
professionally. But were they selling
chocolate Pepero sticks? Not really,
they loved Korea too much for that.
By now, it became a same old
routine to exchange packs of Pepero
sticks on Pepero day, which is
November 11th (the two consecutive
number 11 refer to the shape of
Pepero sticks). To be brutally honest,
there is no heartwarming meaning
behind this day. It is more like a day
when some businesses cheer for their
skyrocketing Pepero sales. They tweak
the design of the paper packs or group
several packs together to make them
look like sophisticated treats.
Consumers allow themselves to
become manipulated by such
marketing technique, even knowing
that there is no valued meaning behind
it. However, SSA stood up against this
old custom and decided to sell Pepero
sticks in a very special way. What they
sold was rice cake that took the form
of long, thin Pepero sticks.
Campus Warming Day was the
12th event from SSA, prepared to
satisfy the students with Korean
traditional rice cake, bread, treats, tea
and drinks. The students who passed
by the booth were surprised by the
adorable shape of rice cake that looked
like Pepero sticks. They had a variety
of extra ingredients such as rice flakes
and honey that they could put on the
rice cake to spice up the taste. The
main resources for the event were
kindly donated by the Agriculture
Centre. The president of SSA said,
We are actually selling a lot more than
we thought and the customers seem to
like the theme. Im very excited. Kim,
with the tiger costume, was busy
delivering rice cake sticks to different
classrooms as well.
SSA strived to use Pepero day as a
way to introduce Korean traditional
food, raise profit for the multicultural
families and to rethink about the value
of culture. Yes, it does feel somewhat
special to be spending November 11th
with Pepero sticks. Yet, we could
switch from nibbling on fattening
sticks to enjoying healthy, tasty rice
cake. In this way, we can at least take
small action to preserve Korean
culture. Instead of agonizing ourselves
by making homemade crunchy Pepero
sticks, we should heat up some rice
cake with sprinkles, for our loved ones
to be happy by making them a bit
more healthy, cultural and of course,
delicious.
Thebanner for theevent. Ppepperosticksmadeof ricecake. ExtraingredientstobeaddedonthePpepperosticks.
SSAboothstationedinfront of thepond. SSApresident inatiger costumeisdelivering
Peperotoclassrooms.
Themenuboardinfront of thebooth.
zj z8
December 2011. Vol. 35 A&C An endless fight for justice
accused teachers received light
sentences of one and two years
respectively. In consequence, civic
groups strongly pressed for further
investigation and even the National
Human Rights Commission
intervened in 2006. Nevertheless,
results were disappointing and justice
for these children seemed unreachable.
In 2007 the court found two more
people, including the headmaster,
guilty. But they were given suspended
sentence on the grounds that they had
no criminal records and had reached
an agreement with the parents of the
victims.
It is the first time a movie had such
an impact in the Korean society, for it
triggered shockwaves well beyond
theaters. Netizens filled sites with
contemptuous comments and civic
groups gathered signs to request a
petition for further and proper
investigation. These are clear indicators
that The Crucible served as a watershed
in changing perceptions of the
disadvantaged and settling the legal
ground to introduce changes and
protect children from sexual predators.
But no matter how intense was the
public outrage, little has been done to
finish the unsolved case. Law
enforcement authorities cannot take
legal actions against the suspects
involved because their statute of
limitations has expired. The institution
where the sexual abuses have been
taking place was supposed to close to
allow further investigation but the
directors said that they would donate
to society all the income their
institutions has been earning.
Therefore, the closure of the
institution was delayed. And lastly, the
Korean Parliament acknowledged that
changes in the present laws, like
abolishing the statute of limitations on
sexual crimes against children, are
needed. But those were only words.
Actual performance is still missing.
Little was done to deal with this
situation six years ago, when the case
was first uncovered. But still now that
the case was disclosed and the issue of
sexual abuse against children has
become one of public concern, the
situation remains almost the same. The
Crucible is nothing more than another
reminder of the faults of the Korean
judicial system.
One remarkable aspect of Korean
judicial processes is that offenders
usually gain a victims forgiveness
through the payment of money or the
power of the offenders position. This
allows those individuals in South
Korea with sufficient resources, power
or connections to repeatedly violate
the law while incurring minimal or no
punishment. These offenders are able
to reach settlements with their victims
and are left free to violate another
member of society. This is clearly
illustrated in The Crucible and in the
real case as well. The result is that the
weakest members of Korean society,
the children and the disabled, are left
defenseless against these offenders.
Another noticeable aspect is that
admission of wrongdoing, expressing
regret, and asking for forgiveness are
behaviors that are granted high
standing in the Korean criminal justice
system. A defendant who admits a
wrong behavior receives a reduced
sentence. A defendant who proclaims
his or her innocence is perceived as
unrepentant and, if convicted, receives
a harsher penalty. The regretful
offender usually obtains release from
confinement during the pre-trial
period and a defendant who obtains
the forgiveness of the victim, or the
victims family, often escapes jail time
even for the most outrageous offenses.
And this is exactly what happened
with the accused teachers: they
reached an agreement with the victims
families, pretended to regret their
actions and were back to school,
working as if nothing had happened.
On closer examination it is clear that
this system creates perverse incentives.
A defendants knowledge that a
reduction of the severity of the prison
sentence imposed will be based on an
admission of guilt and its concomitant
perceived that regret may cause even
an innocent defendant to admit guilt in
order to reduce the potential penalty.
This becomes even more likely when a
defendant realizes that admission of
guilt can result in avoiding jail time or
even the potential cessation of
prosecution. Nonetheless as society
must rely on the criminal justice
system to accurately distinguish
between the innocent and the guilty,
everyone under the law must hope that
the incentives created by this factor
never result in any severe violation of
an innocent individuals basic human
rights to life or liberty.
Asian Travel
Diaries
: The Bucket List
TRAVEL GUIDE
Oneof thevictimsattendingatrial Another disabledstudent testifyingoncourt
S
itting lazily at my study desk, I
start getting all bored at the sight
of melodramatic text-books on
engineering in front of me. After my
brains constant and adamant refusal to
take a hefty bite out of these
encyclopedias, I initiate the one thing I
am honestly good at: dreaming. I
thank dear god that we are so apt at
creating a world inside our head just by
sitting on a chair and doing absolutely
nothing.
Often in these dark times, I seem to
ponder over the thought of what I
might do after all of this is over. Post
semester period gives us ample amount
of time to go around the world, see
new creatures and experience stuffs
that we never thought existed. But
then again, we might be in danger of
wiping out our textual memory thanks
to the new overflow of exciting nerve
signals. However, do take a moment
to think about this: in the next 5 years
or so we are much likely to be serious
about our careers, trying desperately to
get an internship, get greedy on a job
or even have little kids to be taken care
of. Who knows? So the time is here
and now. Pack up your bags (of
course, exams first!) for these
appealing places you ought to make a
visit.
In the next 5 years or so we are much likely to be serious about our careers,
get greedy on a job or even have little kids to be taken care of. Who knows?
So the time is here and now. Lets roll!
BY ABHAS MASKEY
o
A&C David Hockney Comes to MoA
Nepal
I am well and truly guilty of putting
my country on the go-see-do list first
but anyone who has had the
opportunity to visit Nepal will admit
(even while sober) that it is quite
amazingly blessed by nature. So
blessed that it is totally frozen in time.
The ruthless physical structure
together with the total inability of
development have left the nation as it
was a century ago. While the whole
world moves forward, Nepal seems
destined to give examples of travelling
back in time.
Although I might have clearly
exaggerated on some of the aspects
above, it is worth noting that this is
great news for any nature and
adventure enthusiast. If you happen to
fall into that category, you are in for a
treat.
Go Bungee-Jumping
Imagine a bridge over a 160m high
tropical gorge with the Bhote Koshi,
one of Nepals wildest rivers, raging
below. Now JUMP! Arguably located
in the most exotic natural bungee-
jump location in the world, this jump
makes T-express drop look pretty
lame. Reached just over 3 hours of
drive from the capital, this thrill
adventure should be right on the top
of your list.
White-river rafting
The melted waters from glaciers
tumble down from great heights while
picking up pace, which makes rivers in
Nepal ideal for people seeking water
thrills. Rivers, the most popular ones
being Trisuli and Kali Gandaki,
provide excellent rafting route to
experience the rush of water currents.
You can go on a rafting tour for a
maximum of 11 days while indulging
yourself to local cuisine, culture and
wildlife. Dont drown yourself though.
Trekking
With a decent amount of walking
skill, you can access the most
magnificent sights that great
Himalayas have to offer. The whole
idea is to walk around remote areas,
lakes, passes and rough terrains/slopes
while mingling with local people and
acquiring their tastes. Not only is this a
great cardio exercise, but is also a way
to get the complete picture of Nepal
by interacting directly with nature and
beyond. Treks such as Everest Base
Camp and Annapurna Base Camp are
very popular and both provide a 360
degree view of mountain range. The
total time for a trek depends from a
few days to almost a month and half.
So just keep walking!
Mountain Flight
If you think trekking is a bad idea,
mountain flight is a way to get close to
the Himalayas. The plane makes a 360
degree round Everest trip so you dont
exactly have to train months to hover
around the roof of the world.
Experience Maha-ShivaRatri
The Hindu temple of Pashupatinath
is a sight to be witnessed on Maha-
Shivaratri (Shivas night, around mid-
February) as devotees and sadhus
throng to show respect to Shiva. He is
known for having his ways with
Marijuana and by no surprise, his life-
long devotees-locally called sadhus-are
seen openly smoking weed (even
selling) around the vicinity of the
temple. Fortuitously, law enforcers are
seen to be in drawn more towards the
festivities.
Bhutan
Bhutan is no ordinary country. It is
a place where buying and smoking
cigarettes is illegal, where the rice is red
and chilies are not just a seasoning but
a whole dish. A country where wearing
the national dress Driglam Namzha is
mandatory during office hours and
where Gross National Happiness is
given more importance than Gross
National Product. In the turn of a new
decade, Bhutan has exemplified time
and again that progress and
conservation can go hand in hand, that
sustainable development isnt just
possible but practical as well. Nepal
should at least learn to envy.
A Shangril-La, with a magnificent
beauty, Bhutan is home to one the
most spectacular Buddhist monastery.
Paro Taktsang (also known as The
Tiger's Nest) was first built in 1692 is a
prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred
site. Located in one of the cliffside of
Paro Valley, Taktang truly radiates awe
inspiring view to any visitor. It is said
that Guru Padmasambha-credited in
bringing Buddhism to Bhutan-
meditated for nearly three months in
the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave
located nearby in the 8th century. He
is considered as a tutelary diety of the
country.
Bangladesh
Not far south of Bhutan lies one of
the most densely populated country in
the world, Bangladesh. Located in the
fertile alluvial plain on the delta of
three main rivers, the Ganges,
Brahmaputra and The Meghna, it is
quite popularly known to have the
worlds largest mangrove forest called
the SUNDERBAN (beautiful
forest). Home to the famous Royal
Bengal Tigers, these forests thrive on
the tropical monsoons accompanied
by heavy summer rains.
The focus here will be on one of
Bangaldeshs port city of Coxs Bazar.
The city strives on the inflow of
millions of internal and external
tourists every year due to sole fact that
it shelters the longest natural sand
beach in the world. It extends
unbroken for a jaw dropping 120 km,
making it ideal to accommodate a
significant chunk of tourist population
in the city. The weather gets close to
heaven during the winter (Jan-March)
and anyone opting for a relaxing time
or spending a honeymoon ought to
include this beach in the bucket list.
Malaysia
Multiethnic Malaysia is a modern
economic success story. In 50 years
time, it has gone on from being one of
the poorest nations to one which
boasts consistent and robust economic
growth comparable to South Korea,
Taiwan and China. The way it tackled
unemployment is applausive and while
most of the developed countries are
now struggling to keep the employed,
Malaysia imports manpower from
such countries as Nepal.
In all these transition something
remained the same: the Food.
Malaysians are very proud of their
multiethnic culture and accordingly
share a similar bond with their local
food. And the national dish Nasi
Lemak is their favorite. Usually eaten
during breakfast, the meal is cooked in
light coconut cream with flavorings of
fried ikan bilis or anchovies, peanuts,
slices of cucumber and a dab chilli as a
side. Just the thought of these
ingredients makes one lust for it. The
food is served in every nook and
corner and in almost every local
themed restaurant. Larger fried fish or
chicken wing combines effortlessly
with the dish. So the next time you
board a plane to Malaysia, make sure
to devour a good meal in the morning.
Iran
With all the negative media hype
thats been pilled upon Iran in recent
times, it is difficult to see the
underlying beauty that the country
poses. Their history is one most
decorated: The Persian Empire that
that stretched from Egypt to parts of
India left a legacy that most Persians
today are very proud of. Although one
might say that they are a shadow of
what they were, they are still a force to
be reckoned with.
In 518 BC, Dauris the Great
founded a palace complex at a place
called Persepolis making it the capital
of Persian-Achaemenid Empire. It was
conceived to be the seat of
government for Achaemenid kings
and a center of receptions and
ceremonial festivities. The grandeur of
construction was a tangible proof of
the opulence of the empire.
Unfortunately though, in 330 BC
Alexander the Great set the capital
into great conflagrations and left the
palaces under its own ruble. It was
only in 1930s that excavation teams
could reveal these ruins. These
magnificent ruins of Persepolis lie at
the foot of Kough-e Rahmat
(Mountain of Mercy) in the plain of
Marv Dasht about 850 km south to
present capital city of Tehran for the
world to see.
Acknowledgements:
Amirhossein Goudarzi, Electrical
Engineering 10
Islam MD Zahidul, Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering 10
Steven Foo, Material Science
Engineering 10
Mostafa Rahsepar Meadi, College
of Social Science, Exchange
z
A&C Royal Experience in Seoul
N
o person could claim to fully
know Seoul if he or she has
not visited any of the two
major royal palaces of the city:
Deoksu and Gyeongbok Palace.
Together with Changdeok,
Changgyeong and Gyeonghui Palace,
they comprise the Five Grand
Palaces of Seoul. Built during the
Joseon dynasty (1392 ~ 1910), each
of these palaces played an essential role
in the life and duties of the Royal
family. Although they have suffered
some degradation due to the
numerous foreign invasions in the
past, they currently remain well-
preserved. The access to these palaces
is also relatively easy, since they are all
located in key places of the city or near
a subway station.
Royal
Experience
in Seoul
TOURISM
Deoksu Palace
Situated near the City Hall, one of
Seouls busiest and crowded sectors,
Deoksu Palace is well-known for its
stone-wall road and its architectural
influence from Western designs. The
Palace originally served as the
residential place of Wolsandaegun, an
older brother of King Seongjong
during the 15
th
century. It did not
adopt the status of a Royal Palace until
the 17
th
century, with the ascension of
King Gwanghaegun to the throne.
From this period on, numerous
members of the Korean Royal Family
inhabited in the Palace until the
Japanese took charge of it during their
invasion at the beginning of the 20
th
century.
Before entering the Palace through
the Dehanmun, an enormous door
that was designated as the main
entrance to the palace, visitors can pass
over a bridge called Geumcheon, where
the kings carriage used to pass over
upon entering the Palace.
Beyond the entrance is Junghwajeon
(or the Junghwa Hall), where the
throne and the audience hall are
located. During the period of the
Greater Korean Empire (from the end
of the 19
th
century until the Japanese
Invasion in 1910), this Palace was
officially adopted as the Imperial
Palace and assumed an important
political role as a place where
discussions on national affairs took
place among the most powerful
authorities. It was built in 1902 with a
multi-roofed structure, but after the
fire incident of 1904, the place was
rebuilt with a single-roofed structure.
One of the most extravagant
architectural features from this Palace
is the dragon. This symbolic animal
can be found above the throne of the
King and on the roof of Junghwajeon.
Another architectural highlight of
the Palace is Seokjojeon, a Western-
influenced building completed in 1910.
During the Japanese colonization of
Korea, this place was used as a
Japanese art gallery, where a number of
exhibitions open to the public was
hosted. The east wing of this building
has been turned as a Palace Treasure
exhibition, and the west wing
constitutes a part of the National
Modern Arts Center.
Jeonggwanheon is another
construction that composes the Palace.
Built in 1900, Jeonggwanheon was the
first place to be built adopting a
Western style and it is considered as
the most Western-influenced structure
of the Palace, full of European
frameworks. The place served leisure
purposes for King Gojong (1863 ~
1907), who organized parties and
spent his spare time drinking coffee.
Secret passageways that connected the
Palace with the Russian Emissary can
still be found today at the back of the
building.
Apart from these architectural
structures, visitors can enjoy a walk at
the isolated forested garden and
admire the statue of the popular and
famous King Sejong the Great.
Gyeongbok Palace
Built in 1395 under the supervision
of King Taejo, the founder of Joseon
dynasty, Gyeongbok Palace is
considered as one of the finest Korean
palaces for its architectural elegance
and its historical importance. With its
approximately 410,000 square meters
and its abundant green scenery, it is
also one of the most preferred places
by foreigners. Throughout the Joseon
dynasty, the Palace served not only as
the official residence for the royal
family, but also as the representative
Get immersed in the Palaces where the Royal Family
inhabited and where most of the decisive historical
events took place! Experience first-hand a fascinating
aspect of Korean history!
BY HYUN YOUNG CHUNG
Oneof themanywingsof GyeongbokgungPalace
TheHyangwonji PondandtheChuihyanggyoBridge
Changingof theRoyal GuardsCeremonyin
GyeongbokgungPalace
Contrast betweenDeoksugungPalaceandthecity
Location:
Seoul Subway Line 2, City Hall Station,
Exit #2 or Exit #12.
Operating Hours:
9:00 ~ 21:00 (Ticketing 9:00 ~ 20:00)
* Junghwajeon Hall is only opened to the public
every Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 to
16:00.
Admissions:
Adults (ages 19 - 64) 1,000 won
Youths (ages 7 - 18) 500 won
Activities:
Changing of the Royal Guards
Ceremony
Ceremony Schedule: 11:00, 14:00,
15:30. Every day expect on Mondays. The
ceremony starts at the Daehanmun
Entrance and ends at the Bosingak Bell.
Traditional Clothing Experience
Schedule: 11:00, 14:00, 15:30. Every day
expect on Mondays.
N
obody doubts your scholarly
brilliance once you enter
SNU, but the difficulty is
How can you show it? You might
have the most fascinating ideas in a
group meeting or the brightest answer
to a problem. However, the people do
not really seem to understand the
academic gem inside your head. SNU
students, though some of the brightest
people in Korea, seem to lack
presentational skills that are
imperative in communicating their
ideas through. Out of 64
students interviewed,
75% has expressed
concern over
presentations
at universities.
This problem
could be traced back
to the Korean
educational system that highlights
one-way education in the classrooms
until the students reach universities
where sometimes the roles are
switched and they are suddenly
required to present in front of others
and the professors. Most businesses
classes consist of presentations, says
Bum Joon Kim (07 Business
Administration), And that was rare in
high school. Such crises are not only
found in classrooms but also outside in
purely social situations, such as
meeting new people in dongaris. I
find that confidence in ones voice is
crucial for success in blind dates,
confesses an anonymous student at
SNU, Probably because it persuades
the partner to rely on you. Therefore,
it is vital for SNU students to assess
the way they present themselves to
others. A professional in this area,
Jieun Woo, analyses why people
should take their speech and voice
seriously in society.
Why Your Voice is Important
Smooth voices with perfect
pronunciation are not longer reserved
solely for professional anchors.
People are obsessed with their images
these days. Appearance judges
everything as most of the information
,
A&C Kimchi, the ever-present food
Location:
Seoul Subway Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit #5
Operating Hours:
March through October 9:00~18:00 / November through February 9:00~17:00
Open until 19:00 Saturdays and Sundays.
* Ticket booth closes one hour before closing of palace. The Palace is closed on Tuesdays.
Admissions:
Adults 19 to 64 yrs: 3,000 won per person / Minors 7 to 18 yrs: 1,500 won per child or teen
*For those who decide to wear Hanbok (a Korean traditional costume), entrance is free.
Free English-language guided tours of Gyeongbokgung Palace:
9:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00
Tours last approximately one hour and begin outside the information office inside
Heungryemun Gate.
Integrated Ticket of Palaces:
- The ticket is valid for four Palaces: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and
Gyeongbokgung Palace, together with Jongmyo Shrine.
- The ticket is 10,000 won and it may be used within a month after purchase.
place for numerous national
ceremonies and religious rituals.
Surrounded by the Bugaksan
Mountain and the Street of Six
Ministries, the Palace was constructed
in a key location, and became the
incentive for the rest of the urban
planning during the Joseon Kingdom.
Unfortunately, most of the original
structure of this palace was destroyed
when the Japanese set it on fire during
an invasion in 1592. Another effort to
reconstruct the damaged parts of the
palace was carried during the 19
th
century, but the Palace was again
ruined during the Japanese colonial
period in the 20
th
century.
Nonetheless, since the 1990s, an
ultimate effort to restore the palace
was assumed by the Korean
government. Most of the important
structures of the Gyeongbok Palace
were successfully restored and visitors
can now catch a glimpse on the ancient
royal life of Korean kings.
Also named as the Northern Palace
because of its position, the
Gyeongbokgung has four entrances:
Sinmumun entrance, Gwanghwamun
entrance, East entrance and the
National Folk Gallery entrance.
The National Folk Museum of Korea
is one of the many highlights of the
Palace. Focused on the Joseon
Dynasty period, the museum offers an
introduction to the history of Korea.
The exhibition halls display the
History of Korean Lifestyles,
Livelihood, Arts & Crafts, Living
Essentials and the Korean Life Cycle.
Visitors can learn about every aspect of
the Korean culture, from the
traditional foods to the types of
traditional Korean houses. Moreover,
atop the museum, visitors can observe
a skyscraping pagoda.
The Hyangwonji Pond and the
Chuihyanggyo Bridge are other famous
places in the Palace for its beauty. The
Pond and the Bridge are part of the
extensive garden of the Palace, and
they were originally constructed in
1456. However, after the Japanese
invasion, the Pond and the Bridge were
reconstructed together with the
hexagonal Hyangwonjeong pavilion.
Measuring about 4605 square meters,
the pond is populated by waterweeds
and carps swimming in every direction.
Various tress such as Zelkova, Chinese
juniper, maple, pine, oak and pear
surround the pond, increasing its
magnificence.
Walking southwards and passing the
Taewonjeon, the place dedicated to the
royal funerals and ancestral rites,
visitors will arrive to the
Geunjeongjeon Pavilion, the imperial
throne room of the Joseon Dynasty.
Rebuilt in 1867, this throne hall was
the place where the enactments of
coronations were performed. It is in
this room where the presence of King
is most notorious. The hall was also
chosen as the site to decide important
affairs of the dynasty, or to host grand
celebrations. In front of the
Geunjeongjeon Pavilion, there are 12
pairs of stone, each of which indicates
the rank of court officials. From
Geunjeongjeon, visitors can also enjoy
the scenery of modern Seoul, which
makes an interesting contrast with the
historical buildings.
Statueof KingSejongtheGreat inDeoksugungPalace
Part of theKingSejong, theGreatmuseumswall
ThefamousKoreantraditional drumat theentrance
of DeoksugungPalace
COMMUNICATION
The Art
of Speech
Its about how you present it to others.
BY SOO JIN CHEON
; 6
A&C Kimchi, the ever-present food
about that person radiates from it
comments Mrs. Woo. According to
her, a voice reveals ones refinement,
age, physical characteristics, academic
profile, and place of birth. Therefore,
in a society where some of those
characteristics create prejudice or
stereotype, refining ones voice is
crucial in social interactions. Moreover,
voice is the only method of presenting
oneself in phone calls. I remember
cringing my face when I heard a
students husky voice that sounded
irritating in a class presentation
confesses Sehee Yang (10 Political
Science). Voice also plays an important
role in deciding whether to continue
meeting the other in a blind date.
One of my worst blind date
nightmares was meeting a guy who I
totally fell in love with, until I heard his
voice, which sounded more female
than mine, says an anonymous SNU
student.
Why Your Speech is
Important
Speech, whether public or private,
presents your marvelous ideas inside
your head to the outside world. Mrs.
Woo says, You might be brilliant but
it is furiously irritating if you cant
properly describe it to others during a
group meeting or to your friends.
Good speech skills could also work the
other way ? You might not have much
inside your head but your suave
presentation fools everyone else.
These skills can also improve your
social network, says Mrs. Woo.
People are naturally attracted to good
speakers because those kinds of people
represent leaders. Often charisma is
linked with good communication skills
that grasp the audience. Look at how
Obama was elected for example.
Fantastic debate skills will
undoubtedly push your ideas through
in professional situations such as
business meetings or private ones like
fighting with a friend over which one
of the horrible school cafeterias to go
for lunch. Additionally, presentation
skills affect your grades. Thus, when
frustrated over which bit of
information you lacked and cant find
any answers, strive to improve the way
your present for an A+ next time at a
class presentation.
Its Never too Late to Change
Most people believe it is disastrous if
one doesnt have specific career goals
early in the university. However, for
Mrs. Woo, despite having worked as a
professional announcer for MBC, she
was a shy student at university. Only
in her third year did her friend tell her
that the job of announcer suits her
looks. Mrs. Woo immediately set to
work; she read success stories of
people, listened to radios and
television, repeated the lines with her
own script, recorded her voice,
repeated thousands of times, and
attended broadcasting academies. Just
after three months of intense
preparations, she succeeded to become
a newscaster at CBS. Just like her
story, it is never too late to change.
You might have lived with your voice
until now, but if you practice with a
new goal in mind, voice refinement is
possible.
Why you have to change: Job
interviews
Interviews are ubiquitous and those
required for jobs are the most stressful.
Your physical appearance is the least
important in those situations. Its your
voice and speech that compose the
larger part of the assessment.
Interviews are your own PR and you
need strategies to properly market
your strong points to the interviewers
stresses Mrs. Woo. Often people
have difficulty discovering which
points to stress. Hence, no wonder
interviewees cant make any attention-
grabbing remarks in job interviews,
she adds. Even though you might not
be the graduating class that is furiously
preparing for job interviews, most
internships require interviews these
days. How you carry yourself and
present it are crucial for success in
those interviews.
Some tips
According to Mrs. Woos W
Speech Communication Academy,
deep breathing using your stomach is
crucial in finding your original tone
and stabilizing your voice. Hand
motions are useful in stressing certain
points in your speech ? Obama almost
never lets his hands down in his
speeches. Stand still with legs
shoulder-length apart as moving
around during speeches annoys the
audience. Finally, talking at a slow pace
with eye contact will grab the
audiences full attention. 10 years ago,
I was just a young university student
frightened to try anything. Now I
dont understand why I felt like that.
Students should believe anythings
possible with proper effort. I find
endless craving for new goals
refreshing, says Mrs. Woo.
TheDirector Her filmrecords not onlyfacts and
anaalysis, but alsocomplexemotions of students.
L
ets assume there is a textbook
titled The Korean Culture. The
first chapter would be about
some easy and fun stuff like kimchi or
K-Pop. If the middle chapters
introduced a more complicated world
of Korean honorifics or traditional
instruments, then what would the last,
most advanced chapter cover? How
about Korean education and plastic
surgery?
Korean High School is a
documentary produced by Kelley
Katzenmeyer, a nineteen-year-old
filmmaker and visual artist from North
Carolina, USA. Following the lives of
five Korean high school students, it
attempts to give a realistic and in-
depth narrative about how Korean
high school students live through the
pressure to excel academically and to
look prettier. In addition, the cultural
and historical context surrounding
their situations is presented, and it
further explains the reason behind the
obssessive Korean attitude toward
education and plastic surgery.
A promotional video of the
documentary in production is released
on the documentarys website
(www.koreanhighschool.com) for the
fundraising purpose, and the twenty-
minute long video clip alone is enough
to reveal Ms. Katzenmeyers singular
ability to capture the crux of the
unusual cultural phenomena in Korea.
Ms. Katzenmeyer first encountered
Korean culture through her best friend
from high school, Yu-Kyung. Yu-
Kyung taught Ms. Katzenmeyer, who
was interested also in linguistics, the
Korean language and told her stories
about how stressful Korean high
schools can be, which many think is
the cause of the unusually high suicide
rate among young Koreans. At first
doubtful of Yu-Kyungs accounts, Ms.
Katzenmeyer soon discovered that
much of what she said was a reality in
Korea.
When she graduated from North
Carolina School of Arts in 2010, she
deferred her admission to Columbia
University and came to Korea to make
a documentary about Korean high
schools. To get a closer look on what
is really taking place, she decided to
attend high school in Iksan, North
Jeolla, for a semester as an exchange
student. Thats when I learned about
how common it is to get plastic
surgery, and the importance of
physical appearance. It seems like the
pressure to be beautiful and the stress
on academics is quite related, she said.
Even for a native Korean, it is no
Korean
High School,
from foreign eyes
BY JIYUN JUNG
DOCUMENTARY
simple task to start a serious discussion
about the hard-core competion in
Korean education. Overheated Korean
education system has long been a
problem in the Korean society.
According to Doosan Encyclopedia,
the proliferation of Hagwon
industry was first detected as a sort of
social problem sometime during the
sixties. Since then, there has been
endless political tinkering with the
Korean education system. The
regional stratification system of middle
schools and high schools was
abolished, revived, and then modified
numerous times. Reforms after
reforms were attempted on Sooneung,
but not many thinks that there has
been a meaningful breakthrough. The
most absurd of the supposed
solutions was the prohibition of
hagwons by President Chun Doo-
hwan in 1980, which did not last long
and started the tradition of extremely
expensive private tutoring after its
abolition.
This problem continues to trouble
many parents and students, and
discourses surrounding the issue are
bound to branch out into other topics
such as the pressure on students and
parents, discrimination of university
names, controversy regarding the
fairness in education, social mobility,
the suicide rates of young Koreans, etc.
Compared to that of education
issue, the history of plastic surgery in
Korean society is relatively short.
According to a research by Prof. Im
In-sook of Korea University, the first
twenty-two Korean plastic surgeons
were licensed in 1975. Since then,
plastic surgery became very popular in
this country. Most Koreans used to
consider getting a plastic surgery as
something abnormal and shady, but
that is clearly not the case anymore.
Plastic surgery advertisements can be
seen very often, and one in five women
in Seoul had received plastic surgery,
according to the New York Times.
Given the magnitude of her topics,
the depth of Ms. Katzenmeyers
understanding on the Korean cultural
atmosphere and her sympathy with
the young Koreans are extraordinary.
During her time in Iksan, she spent a
long time talking to her Korean friends
and observing them. She also had
chances to talk to some Korean
university professors and noticed
many similar things that would come
up during the conversation. This
experience helped her gain the insight
on the Korean psyche. On why so
many Korean girls would opt for
plastic surgeries, she wrote, Its about
self-worth and your status in society.
This exists in all societies, but the
fascinating (and tragic) thing about
Korea is that there is an emphasized,
specific ideal student Seoul
University, big eyes, small face
creating an extremely competitive
environment because everyone is
reaching for identical goals in an e-
mail.
Up until November, Ms.
Katzenmeyer and her team spent time
organizing the recording of five main
students days before Sooneung. The
five students are volunteers who are
preparing to enter college through
different paths such as jaesoo, regular
high school, and foreign language high
school. Many other students also have
been interviewed for the documentary.
Now the Sooneung is over, Ms.
Katzenmeyer is concentrating more
on getting research-oriented contents
as well as creating animations to insert
in some parts of the documentary. The
documentary is planned to be
completed by next August, and to be
released in film festivals starting from
next December.
December 2011. Vol. 35 A&C The Fuze: Autumn gig
j 8
TakeaPeekthefivestudents tell their ownstories of highschool lives, whichltimatelyamount totheone
annual event, Sooneung.
Anthony Bourdain
: No Reservations
TV-SERIES REVIEW
B
est-selling author, reluctant food celebrity guy,
culinary adventurer, drinker, smoker, hedonist (insert
anything you like here) are just a few ways you can
describe Anthony Bourdain. His gastronomic Indiana Jones
like adventure takes him to bizarre local dining experience
that you might categorize as fanatical. He understands the
need to ascertain the culture of a country by digging into
local food and dining tradition. Thats what No
Reservation is all about.
The Tv-series was first televised in 2005 in The Travel
Channel (known before as Travel and Living),has gone on to
complete 7 seasons and win 1 primetime Emmy award while
receiving 4 Emmy nominations in 2011 alone. The American
host has travelled far out to familiar places from Iceland to
Korea to Kurtistan where he always manages to use his
innate wit and cynical humor to attract in global food centric
audience. The format and content is similar to Bourdains
2001-02 Food Network series, A Cooks Tour.
Last semester, I took a class on Global Issues and Ethical
Thinking where we each were asked to specifically follow a
target nation throughout. During that time, I was well aware
of developments happening in Cuba and was closely
following American foreign policy on the socialist nation. As
it so happened at that time, the Obama administration
loosened travel restrictions to allow journalists to travel to
the island nation. For Tony (Anthonys nickname), this was
a chance of his lifetime. The Cuba episode aired in 7/11 in
2011 captured the essence of Cubas love for food, lust for
cigars and passion for baseball. Not only does he review the
local tuna soup, the bean rice or the excellent Mojito that he
ends up drinking(after entering into a random 1930s themed
aquatic bar)but he also interacts with local people to show
the world how honest, cheerful and inquisitive the Cubans
really are. Although Havana does seem to have stuck in
amber, Tony concludes by being cautiously optimistic about
Cubas future.
Tony is not done yet. His engine is well oiled and no
matter how much he seems to have had to taste, hes appetite
seems to have just got bigger and better. He will keep
exploring and producing and for most culinary fans out
there, thats more than what they asked for.
Bourdain strangely reminds me of my old school bully. Cold, indifferent and cynical,
he has all the ingredients for a perfect vilian. Fortunately though, when Chef meets
food, the story takes a turn. BY ABHAS MASKEY
o
A&C Marching off the Map by Han Biya
Marching
off the Map
by Han Biya
BOOK REVIEW
Feel the passion of an
unstoppable woman
who traveled around
the world to bring
hope to the most
desperate.
BY HYUN YOUNG CHUNG
M
arching off the map is one of the best-selling books of Han
Biya, a famous travel writer and refugee advocate who works in a
humanitarian team called World Vision. The title of the book
itself indicates what the author wants to transmit to the reader. In an encouraging
tone, Han is persuading us to go beyond borders in order to explore the unknown.
The book is composed of a collection of essays, each of which tells Hans
experience as a humanitarian worker in the most remote and dangerous regions of
the world. Through her accounts, the reader is able to explore the arduous lifestyle
of the humanitarian workers, who always do their best to bring hope to the less
favorable people. We are also aware of the extent of poverty that reigns over some
countries such as Afghanistan, Malawi, Zambia, Iraq or Sierra Leone, where the
loss of newborn babies and children due to lack of nutrition is not uncommon.
The poverty of the people that we find in Hans book is always extreme and
unimaginable. There are numerous emotionally powerful and heartbreaking
instances throughout the book, such as the sorrowful weeping of desperate
mothers who can do nothing to save their child from passing over.
One remarkable aspect from Hans account that surprised me was the way in
which the native people from the countries visited by the writer acted. In spite of
suffering from famine for several days due food shortage, these people did not
hesitate to share their tiny portion of food with the humanitarian workers. This
particular situation made me reflect about our current position as human being.
Although we are lucky enough to satisfy our daily basic needs, we tend to be more
selfish with the others in general. It seems as if we had forgotten and left our
humanitarian part that cares for the well being of other people in the fast-running,
competitive society.
We certainly cannot fully comprehend and feel the various experiences and
emotions as Han was able to do first-hand. Nonetheless, we can realize how large
and diverse our world is, how fortunate we are to live in a safe environment with a
caring family and how our help, no matter how little it might be, can save the life of
another human being.

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The Seoul National University English Language News Magazine December, 2011.

December 2011. Vol. 35

December 2011. Vol. 35

Feature University life around the world

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