The key is “understanding.”What did you usually do when you were a teenager? Of course, we usually study in our teenager in Korea, so we sometimes enjoy something in free time. I enjoyed costume playing when I was in a middle school and high school, and I had many friends with same taste. Some friends were crazy about handsome idol singers and some other friends went mad over unique fashions. These are called youth culture. It represents many aspects of the age in a country and it also changes. Then, is there anything in common or differences? What on earth are the factors of these youth culture? Let’s talk about it.Like any social cultures in many countries, there are many different youth cultures in many other countries. In Korea, these days, mini homepages are representative youth culture. Almost all Korean teenagers have their own homepages. They show their lifestyle through it and many people communicate with it. Fandom culture is also a youth culture. Korean teenagers fall in love with their idol stars and sometimes, they desire earnestly for singers. In fact, there are so many teens who want to be stars. There are more youth cultures in Korea such as sports or shopping. How about in America? I once have visited America when I was in a middle school and contacted American youth culture. They enjoy so many parties and so much free time in shopping malls. They can get part-time jobs in their teenage, so they usually work in a small restaurants or shops. In Japan, teenagers’ individualities are the best of the best. They express their personalities through their fashions or hobbies. As you know, they do not mind to eyes of the others. They wear or act in their unique ways, and they want to be the one who is never similar with any other people. Youth culture in Japan is so opened. So, what are the things in common in these countries? I think that is ‘personality.’ All of them want to represent their self-existences through their own youth cultures. They want to rise above the crowd and enjoy it. Moreover, they want some spaces only for them. In fact, there is an Internet site “My Space” in America that similar with “Cyworld” in Korea. They also give themselves up to idol stars or singers. It means they desire to get away from all stressful things like studying.These are the causes of youth culture. They just want their own spaces and just want to express themselves but many adults don’t understand. Youth cultures are regarded as bad things and adults object to it unconditionally. Eventually, youth cultures weeded out to the darkness. Teens fill their spaces with strange and awful things with their unyielding spirits. In a word, this is like a resistance. More adults say “Do not” to them, they want to do more. Crime rates of teens increased and more strange things happened. Beyond any doubts, they need help from any adults.I think youth cultures are not that bad. They just want to represent their existence. If they’re not wrong ways, adults need to understand teens’ culture. Also, teens have to understand adults too. They have to think why the adults say “no” and stop themselves from doing things. Yeah, the answer is “understanding!” It’ll give happy lives to both of them. I promise.PAGE PAGE 1
The reason why the opposites are attracted each otherDo you have any friends of opposite character? Or, have you ever met a unique friend? In my case, I have one special friend. It has not been so long time since I met her, she’s the best unique and uncommon friend of all. Let me tell you her.I had met her two years ago. Exactly, it hasn’t been two years. Maybe one year and ten months. Actually, I was afraid when I met her for the first time because she has an impressive force. Her impression was so vivid that I couldn’t forget that as ever. Her character was also characteristic and powerful. She liked being footloose and fancy free so she didn’t study so much. On the other hand, I was enthusiastic in studying. I was purely innocent girl but she didn’t. I worried about her but she didn’t care what I worried. Still, she doesn’t care, maybe. She’s very tough and sometimes like a boy. But can you imagine that she changes in front of a man who has a really cute face? Actually, she’s a very charming girl! She has a beautiful face so I guessed that many guys would like her but her feminine attraction was beyond my wildest dream! She has a wide knowledge about that kind of things so she has taught me about much about that. We became closer rapidly. She treated me like a child and I wasn’t that unpleasant. I learned many things by her and I became very skillful person. Instead of learning from her, I taught her English because she was not good at English. So to say, she’s a charming but not a model student and I’m not an attractive girl but a struggling student. At one point we started to share many things and take after each other. Now, she says she attracted by me as a babe in the wood because I didn’t know anything about men or something like that. I believe we’re as like as two peas but have no similarities.Some people say that opposite sides make conflicts. They’re often right but in some respects, they’re wrong. I think it can be more congenial between people of opposite character. It can be a more interesting and fascinating process of progressively realizing each other’s character. I’m sure that we mix well because we’re opposite like a clock spring.PAGE PAGE 2
Marching off the MapHave you ever heard of Han Bi-ya? She’ a team leader of a global emergency aid organization, World Vision. I really impressed about her stories. She works for starvation of world and all of her stories are very touching to people. I love her book “Marching off the Map” which is one of her best sellers.Actually I didn’t know what the World Vision was. I also didn’t know what it works for and I even wasn’t interested in this kind of things. I was a high school student who doesn’t like to read books. I didn’t touch any books to read only studied major subjects for university. One day, I enjoyed my leisure time at home-I lived in school dorm and came back only on weekend-and the book suddenly caught my eyes. I still don’t know why it happened. Actually it was my brother’s. I recited a title “Marching off the Map” quietly on time and unfolded the first page. The words attracted me to the world of the book and I started to read it. She drew the stories of her own experiences so it was just like a diary of her trip. More I read it, more things came into my eyes. Her feelings, heart or impressions are so toughing to me. I can felt that she loves people whoever they are. She heartily treats with care the people who are helpless and need someone’s hand. She wrote all her feelings on the book and it spreads to all the people who read her books. She describes the children in poor countries very clearly and minutely. All the people who read it can feel their hurt, pain, hunger and powerlessness through her writings. Then the readers look back over and reflect their happy life again. I think the thing she conveys is her warm heart.After I read it, I determined to work for these people who need helping hands. It has much affected my major, dream and even my values. I positively recommend these humorous and touching stories to you. I admire highly her warm heart and if I can, I’m willing to follow her ways to loving world. My heart is already marching off the map.PAGE PAGE 2
Lisa who?I mean the title ‘Lisa’ is a girl who is mixed well in many people. She has many friends and there are always people around her. She’s very talkative but thoughtful. I’m sure you want to know who it is. It’s me! Let me tell you about me, a sociable girl.I think I’m totally a sociable person. First, it’s kind of embarrassed but I’m a very warm-hearted person. I love to help other people and whenever I see the people who I helped feel happy, I’m happy too. I do voluntary working at stated periods so that help more people. I can’t break the relationships well. Even though they’re not people in need, I hold them and keep them up beside me. It’s just because I want to be a person who always exist beside them. Second, I’m a positive person. It means optimistic person in a manner. Sometimes I’m afraid of strangers but usually approach to people first. I’m very brisk and daring so I can get along with them well in a short time. Whether they like or hate it, I think my actions positively. Maybe, they like it. Last, I like to listen to other people. Of course I’m somewhat talkative, but I’m better in listening. I feel fruitful feeling when people open their mind and tell their stories to me. Once they open their mind, we get on like a house on fire. I love this feeling so I always listen to them and consult with them. Whatever the stories are related, they can be good topics. It makes us much closer. I think that’s the reason why Lisa has many friends around her.I think relationships between people are the most important in these days. I as well as you can’t love without any people. I make much account of sociable character so I have tried to be a sociable person. Now I’m a sociable girl, at least I think. Though someone says I’m wrong, I am satisfied with my sociable side. These are my best characteristics and I’m loving Lisa who is a very sociable and bright person.PAGE PAGE 1
Hot Issue; Sex crimes.Do you think what the best issue is today? I think the best hot issue of the Korea is “sex offenses.” The events which have hidden for a while are appearing nowadays so these are embossed. It becomes serious social problem and it has to be changed at any cost.Have you ever heard about “Na-young” or “Jo Du-sun”? Na-young is a girl of nine years old and this poor little girl had sexually abused by Jo Du-sun. He made the little girl to be a intestines-injured person and she have to live her life without the intestines. This accident became an issue after it broadcasted through television and a court finally sentenced him to twelve years at hard labor. Many people and netizens said it was so illogical so they expressed dissent. I don’t know what the court doing but it becomes profitable for the poor little girl. Especially there are many sex crimes of little girls but they are always hard done by their country, Korea. Injured children have to live with their eternal wound and more sex rimes happen. Like this, there are many sex crimes in Korea and the punishments are so weak. Maybe it is much weaker than any other countries. From what I heard, it would be a life sentence in America. The government seems to try to change the punishment or use many effective ways to prevent the sex crimes, but it has not been practiced well. I think it’s the most important problem to be reformed. It’s so generous to criminals in Korea but it shouldn’t be if the government sympathize a little helpless girl. Now these happens spread all over the world through UCC or articles. I don’t want my country to be thoughtless. Maybe the people who know what happened in Korea think my country like this. That’s what I’m worrying.First of all, the weight must be much longer than now. So far almost all criminal’s weights were so lighter than their sin. They even don’t feel any guilty conscience. If we want to change it, the social systems have to be improved first, at least better than now. No girls want to live with their painful memories. I’m sure the issues’ are just issues. I believe it’ll be better in order to be a country that everyone lives happily.PAGE PAGE 2