“We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing.”
- R. D. Laing
● Year of Centenary
-Taiwan welcomes centenary of founding a country
Taiwan, which has a close connection with Korea by mutual exchanges, welcomes its centenary. On New Year's Day 1912, Taiwan was established at mainland China and transmigrated to the present location. Although Korea broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan because of establishing diplomatic ties with China, we have kept interchange for culture or economy unofficially. In particular, more than 10 dramas were broadcast in Taiwan by the Korean wave. We would expect many events for the centenary of founding a country. Let's hope to see more of Taiwan, which has a new turning point!
-Titanic is gone
On April 10th, 1912, the biggest luxury liner, 'Titanic', which headed out to New York, disappeared without a trace after only four days of departing from South Hampton. It collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Because of this record-high marine accident, which caused 1,513 casualties, international society began to discuss the safety of life and accident prevention at sea more actively. The Titanic, which was believed to be unsinkable, would exist only in our memories.
- The best marathon runner was born
Do you remember the Korean marathoner who won the 1936 Berlin Olympics and covered the national flag of Japan with a bay tree? This year is the centenary of his birth. Sohn Kee-chung, born in Pyeonganbuk-do in 1912, was called a running boy. He finally set a new record of 'two hours, 29 minutes, 19 seconds' and won the 11th Berlin Olympics, defeating powerful enemies. After that, he concentrated his efforts to breed successors of marathon running and also contributed to attracting the 1988 Olympics to Seoul. Sohn Kee-chung ran only for Korea in his lifetime. Although he passed away, his passion of Korea and marathon will be remembered by Koreans forever.
-Dictator of North Korea was born 100 before years
"Let's open the gate of the strongest country in 2012 when it is the centenary, the birth of Kim Il Sung." This year is also the centenary of North Korea's founder's birth. Judging from this fact, it seems that North Korea prepares to be a powerful nation. According to rumors, some call into question whether a war can break out. We may have to pay attention to how the relationship between South Korea and North Korea will progress, receiving Kim Il Sung's birth. It is sure that every one hopes to achieve unification.
● Changes in the political world
This year, general elections and presidential elections will be held particularly in many countries. In Korea's case, the 19th general election and 18th presidential election will be held in the same year. The former will be held on April 11th, and the latter will be on December 19th, with any Korean over the age of 19 having the right to vote. It is expected that the Korean political world will welcome a new switch, holding the general election and presidential election together. In the United States' case, there are a presidential election and Congressional elections at the same time. These will be held on November 6th and will also affect many countries including Korea. Taiwan, whose entire country is noisy for the centenary of founding the country, will welcome big change with its Presidential election on January 14th. Russia also plans to have a presidential election on March 4th, and so does France, though the time is up in the air. With these elections, each citizen expects that the political spectrum all around the world is predicted to be changed by elections held at once. Now, wait and see how the political world will be innovated through these changes.
● From Analogue to Digital
On December 31st, 2012, at 4:00 am, digital broadcasting starts in Korea. The broadcasting companies convert from the analogue method to the digital, so many related parts start to prepare for this switch. In particular, digital broadcasting provides high-definition images and high quality audio. While existing analog broadcasts showed a ghost phenomenon, which means that a signal can be mixed with another signal, digital broadcasting is not interrupted by another signal by recognizing 0 and 1. Furthermore, it enables the compression of lots of data with high-definition. This high compression is expected to broadcast three to five programs on one channel. Furthermore, it makes receivers and providers interchange actively with interactive service. Korea started digital broadcasting partially in 2001 and broadcasts the analogue and digital method together now. Let us wait to see if we welcome perfect change to digital TV successfully at the end of 2012.
● ’International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012’
’International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012’ will be held from May 2012 for three months, under the theme of 'The Living Ocean and Coast'. This fair is prospected to suggest a new vision of marine environment such as through sustainable activities, which prepare new cooperative methods for international climate change because of the expired Kyoto Protocol. Also it is not a simple exhibition but an active fair that people can participate in to be aware of its preciousness. In addition, eco-friendly and ubiquitous exhibitions will be held. Yeosu is preparing for this international long-period fair, expecting a huge ripple effect. It will be beneficial not only to Yeosu but to the whole nation by earning economic income through inducing employment, production and added value. We anticipate that this exposition would be a chance to let the world know 'the living ocean and coast' that is the pride of Yeosu.
● Extension of paternity leave
Korean paternity leave is extended from three days up to five days. From 2012, when a mother gives birth to baby, a father can have paternity leave for five days. Among those five days, he can take pay for three days. The employers cannot turn the request down. This extension is to induce fathers to participate in infant care actively and to enhance the low birth rate. The leave might mean a realization that the society would do better to decrease the burden of childbirth. The partner’s burden would be washed off when his or her partner stands by the other.
● Enforcement of new address based on road name
The Korean new address system will be implemented in earnest from 2012. This new address system is made with road names and house numbers. By enforcing this system, it is expected to reduce the costs for drivers to find roads and addresses. During the preparatory period of imposing the new law, the local governments reflected complaints of the people and arranged readable Korean and English signs by improving the mapping system to help find the places more easily. People would not wander around the city searching for addresses.
●The Nuri Curriculum starts
The Nuri Curriculum provides free education to all children of seven years old in Korea. In contrast to the previous compulsory education, seven-year-old children in all income brackets can be provided the educational expenses. Since the high cost of education is cited as one of the key factors for low birth rates, it is considered that this new policy will relieve the financial burdens of parents and bring an increased birth rate. The problems about budget and the discrimination between teachers still remain. Nonetheless, we can expect the blessed children to be given benefit by the Nuri Curriculum in 2012.
● The Truth Is Out There – End of World?
Let’s recall that there have always been awful theories of the world’s end. Every time the eschatology shows up, many people throw themselves into poverty by believing that the claims are real. The conspiracy of the year of 1999 is often told with such subjects that were sort of happenings: meteor impact, global warming, appearances of Anti-Christ and things like that. The X-files, a science fiction television series starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, ends by implying the alien’s invasion in 2012. Hence, the theory points toward 2012. There is plausible evidence with the catastrophe. It is the Nibiru collision or some Mayan calendar. It is said that Mayans made their calendar to end with December 21, 2012. Of course, no implication is captured in the calendar. What feeble link is connecting those? Here is a curiosity that some impacting events might happen to earth.
Why did Mayans design such a suspicious calendar? The answer can be because they were tired of mapping out the further days after that. The Mayans in a way hadn’t predicted even their collapse by Spain. Another theory is also nothing but a scientific guess and has no ground to support the entity.
Corresponding to such a worry, something might happen in 2012. NASA’s guess of ‘what disaster would happen in 2012’, which can be the surest mathematical prediction, is the Solar Maximum. It is the most active period of Sun. This is not a rare phenomenon. It happens every 11 years and makes its circulation in 22 years, experiencing two maximums. A solar wind forms small magnetic vortices around earth. However, the degrees of various cosmic rays made by the critical winds that pour into the atmosphere are not deadly and negligible to our world except to some sensitive machines and digital devices. The good news is even the recent solar maximums are getting weak. Contemporary man can think in this way: one would face for a while the absences of some devices that use space satellite.
“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything,” said Mark Twain. Is the sincere switch about this issue the shift of awareness by eschatology? Or does it turn out to be meaningless? Although lots of people have talked about it, they depend on conspiratorial prophecy and suspicious superstition no more. NASA defines those distinctly as false, revealing that there is no such a catastrophe. The real thing comes from actual observation and experiment which is assumed by mathematical methods. Humanity and theory become more rational beings against impossible crap.
● Desirable Campus Life in 2012
The University had sort of absurd and deficient systems for student. Some inflation in credit or absence of score in English was a technical problem that university and student both had somewhat missed. This is going to be changed this year.
The university provides some alternative credit withdrawal for students when one has no chance to re-take the course. It is a compromise between the university and student body that claimed the system for the last few years. A student has to take proper classes and get more responsibility for what course he takes.
Scholarship, now, requires official recognition of some kind of foreign language test: TOEIC, OPIC, TOEIC-Speaking EDPT, HSK (Chinese), JLPT (Japanese), etc. The proportion is above 20% in the scholarship awards. This is because there were cases in which some students couldn’t apply for jobs because they had no competent English grades on those tests. To have an academic atmosphere and high employment rate, the consequence is inevitable.
Other beneficial and passionate programs like the G+ Bookworm Breeding program still remain. You can take the chance to participate in them this year. The switch is on. Students would do better to force themselves to prepare for the sort of ordeals toward the future of the Korean society that requires them more.
Every day we may encounter changes. Also, time marches on and switches the show around. Many changes in 2012 might be a chapter of events. These things could hurt you. Nonetheless, your life depends on how you receive the change. Do not be negative. Be positive in 2012!