Yonsei Korea

Korean's dog eating culture brings about a lot of arguments again since the 1988 Seoul Olympic Game. Recently, the article, "FIFA intervenes to stop animal cruelty in Korea" on FIFA's website, says that Koreans beat dogs until they die because Koreans think it makes dogs more delicious (FIFA). Thousands of people who are interested in World Cup visit this website everyday, and this article makes people believe Koreans are cruel people that treat dogs ill. This article also makes Koreans become angry. On the other hand, some Koreans say that Korea should eliminate dog eating culture by this time because of the bad image about Korea. Those Koreans blame on Koreans' not giving up eating dog meat when most foreigners and foreign mass media blame this food (Korea Animal Protection Society). However, I think foreigners do not know exactly about Korean dog meat. If Koreans quit eating dog meat, it seems that Koreans admit what foreigners' saying is true. Therefore, instead of fear!

Some Koreans say Koreans should stop eating dog meat to get rid of their barbaric image that Koreans eat dog to increase their sexual activity (Park Meungseok). However, I think Koreans should prove why Koreans eat dog meat by using scientific aids instead stop eating it. One foreigner writes the article "Korean?The Sadistic Country," in the internet website www. animals-hope. org/ KoreaSadistic. html, and says that Koreans eat dog meat because they believe dog meat makes them more sexually active (Michael). Koreans in this article seem that they eat dog meat only to increase their sexual power. However, Koreans have eaten dog meat since Three Kingdoms Period (about 2000 years ago) for their health. The strength of dog meat is proved in "Dong-Ui-Bo-Gam, the bible of Oriental medicine written by royal physician Hoh Jun (1546-1615) in 1613" (Park Moo-jong). Hoh Jun says that "dog meat controls blood vessels, strengthens the stomach, fills bone marrow, and in general increa!

ses the strength of the body"(Park Moojong). Such strengths dog meat has help Koreans endure Korea's hot summer. In addition, scientists also prove the benefits of dog meat which is mentioned above. Although some Koreans believe dog meat is good for their sexual power, most Koreans who enjoy dog meat? actually, the number of Koreans enjoying dog meat is small?have dog meat to strengthen their tired body. Therefore, instead of stop eating dog meat for fear of foreigners' blame, Koreans should to try correct foreigners' misunderstanding about Koreans' reason why they eat dog meat.

Then, some foreigners argue that whatever benefits the meat dog has, it is barbaric to kill human old friend animal, dogs, for food. Some Koreans insist Korea should ban dog meat because eating dog means Koreans kill the faithful animal and it has bad effect upon Korea image (Anti Dog Meat Movement Headquarter). In fact, Koreans classify dogs into two categories pet dogs, and dogs used for food, and they try to show their classified two categories about dogs. In the article, "Man's Best Dinner," on the website www. pekin. net written by American high school students, Melissa says that "I do not like people to kill animals that can be pets" (Melissa). Harry says that "I love dogs and can not kill one ever. I have my own dog named Heidie" (Harry). These two students seem ignorant about the difference between pet dogs, and dogs used for food. They think Koreans kill, and eat dogs which Koreans sleep with or love. In fact, most dogs used for food are raised by ranchers in the s!

By examining one TV program's misinformation resulted from the misunderstanding one word "Boshingtang,"?usually means dog soup? I will consider the importance of showing real Korean dog meat culture to foreigners. Last weekend, I saw TV program Why Koreans Resent Paris' New York's Blame on Dogmeat in KBS (Korean Broadcast System), and this program showed the problems about WB 11's (New York Area Broadcast System) saying about Korean dog meat. WB 11 dealt about Korean dog meat a few weeks ago. WB 11 said that Koreans sold dog meat in New York illegally, and showed Boshintang on the menu at one Korean restaurant in New York. This program made viewers believe that Koreans eat dog meat even in America illegally because they are mad at it. However, the word Boshintang has a broader meaning which includes dog soup. "Boshin" means to recover tired body in Korean, and "Tang" means soup. Therefore, Boshintang can be any soup made of chicken, lamb, or goat in wide meaning. Without this understanding of the word Boshintang, WB 11 showed that Koreans are mad at Boshintang enough to break law. This example shows that why Koreans should try to show their dog meat culture. Dog meat is just one kind of culinary culture enjoyed by people who like it, and it is not the special food people want to eat even under the risk of violating law.

Under the circumstances of foreigners' lack of understanding about Korean dog meat which is proved by the internet, and TV, Koreans try to show the real aspect of dog meat instead of insisting to stop it. Just stoping Koreans' culinary culture for fear of blame means that Koreans feel shame at their culture without reason. On the other hand, some Koreans are angry at foreigners' attitude toward Korean dog meat because Koreans think their dog meat culture is despised by foreigners. However, before blame foreigners on their not accepting the culture difference, or stop dog eating for shame, Koreans show the real information about meat dog to make foreigners understand this food culture.

Have you heard of a conscientious objector? A conscientious objector means a person who refuses to join the military because he or she thinks that it is morally or religiously wrong to do so. In Korea, every man must do his 26-month military service. If one rejects it because of his conscience, this conscientious objector is given a three-year sentence in prison (Choi “Lim Jong In, a Lawyer in Defense of Conscientious Objectors”). More than 10,000 conscientious objectors have been imprisoned, and approximately 1,600 people are currently in prison (Choi “Statistics of Conscientious Objectors to Compulsory Military Service”). Yet, many people pay little attention to this problem, and they just take it for granted that the Korean government makes ex-convicts out of these conscientious objectors. However, conscientious objectors should not go to jail. The Korean government must establish a public service system as an alternative public system to compulsory military service for conscientious objectors.

The current “join the armed forces, or go to jail” system has many problems. Every year more than 500 men go to jail for conscientious objections to military service. They do nothing there for three years even though they are capable of various activities such as taking care of old people and patients, removing waste, and working at fire stations. That is definitely a big loss because the Korean government does not use these 500 human labors, which are also available at a very low cost. What it does instead is that it hires this many people for high cost. Moreover, the conscientious objectors become ex-convicts in their twenties, which impairs their future social life (Sin “[Minority] We Can't Receive a Gun.”). There is little chance that they would get hired because Korean companies are unwilling to hire ex-convicts--regardless of the reasons for imprisonment and working abilities. Furthermore, this imprisonment arouses international criticism. In 1998, the U.N. Human Rights Commission adopted a resolution by consensus on conscientious objection to military service. The resolution states, “everyone has the right to make conscientious objections to military service as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” (U.N. Human Rights Commission Press Release HR/CN/872). In addition, it recommends, “states with a system of compulsory military service provide for conscientious objectors various forms of alternative service which are compatible with the reasons for conscientious objection, of a non-combatant or civilian character, the public interest and not of a punitive nature” (U.N. Human Rights Commission Press Release HR/CN/872). Korea agreed with the resolution and signed it (Sin “[A Special Feature] The Right to Object to Military Service, We Should Let More People Know It.”). It means that Korea has an obligation to act accordingly. Therefore, if Korea keeps putting people in jail for refusing military services, Korea's dignity will fall and be regarded as a country that ignores human rights.

Although the current system has many problems, however, the ministry of National Defense and most of the churches in Korea strongly disagree with the idea of introducing an alternative public service system. First, the ministry of National Defense argue that it will put national security at risk due to weakened defense because men will try to choose the alternative services instead of military service (The Internet Hankyoreh “We do not allow conscientious objectors to perform an alternative public service”). However, if the Government makes conscientious objectors have to perform the alternative services for much longer period than others (men currently serve in the military for 26 months), almost nobody except authentic conscientious objectors would want to perform the alternative services. In fact, when Taiwan introduced its alternative system to mandatory military service for conscientious objectors in 2000, the number of applicants was less than expected (Sin “[A Special Feature] We Don't Go to Jail.”). And the modern war depends on high-tech weapons and military intelligence, not on the number of soldiers (Cho). Therefore, even Israel, standing against Arabic countries, provides an alternative to military service (Sin “[Minority] We Can't Receive a Gun.”). Second, the ministry is worried that many people will abuse the alternative system as a means to escape military service (Sin “[Minority] We Can't Receive a Gun.”). Yet, if Korean government sets up strict qualification criteria and imposes it strictly, nobody could abuse it. For example, the Government can make a conscientious objector submit a paper that includes the reason why he rejects to serving military service and a guarantee from his religious community that he is an authentic believer (Sin “[A Special Feature] We Don't Go to Jail.”). Then, a government agency designated for conscientious objection looks it over and makes a final decision whether he is real or not (Sin “[A Special Feature] We Don't Go to Jail.”). Last but not least, Korean churches complain that the alternative system de facto gives Jehovah's Witnesses a special privilege because most conscientious objectors in Korea are Jehovah's Witnesses (The Internet Hankyoreh “Religions conflict Over Conscientious Objection”). However, Jehovah's Witnesses do not say that the Government should give them a privilege. What they insists is that not only Jehovah's Witnesses but also other conscientious objectors such as monks should perform a different service they can accept for the sake of the country (The Internet Hankyoreh “Religions conflict Over Conscientious Objection”).

Introducing an alternative public service system does not cause those problems but rather benefits both conscientious objectors and Korean society. Under the alternative public service system, a conscientious objector is never in the anguish of conflict between his conscience and his duty to the country. Instead, he can act according to his conscience and at the same time serve the country. Next, the quality of social welfare will increase. Through the alternative public service system, more than 500 extra people every year would perform public services. It means more citizens will enjoy various better services. In addition, the Government can save its national budget. That is because instead of hiring people at high cost, it can utilize conscientious objector labor at very low cost. Furthermore, Korea can burnish its international image. As democracy has spread out and developed all over the world, human rights have been an important international issue, and thus now nations are judged by not only their economic powers but also their human rights conditions. Therefore, if Korea stops giving conscientious objectors punitive punishment, and allows them to perform public services instead, many nations will develop better opinions about Korea.

Currently, Korean government makes conscientious objectors go to jail, and that causes many problems to conscientious objectors and Korean society itself such as inducing a big social loss, ruining the future of conscientious objectors, and provoking international criticism. However, through providing conscientious objectors with an alternative public service system, Korea can solve these problems and obtain many benefits such as increasing the quality of social welfare, saving national budget, and burnishing its international image. In addition, the conscientious objectors can fulfill both their conscience and their duty to the country. Therefore, Korean government should adopt an alternative public system to military service for conscientious objectors. To make this happen, conscientious objectors and human rights organizations in Korea should, above all, try to mobilize public opinion in favor of the alternative public system, which is the most powerful means to make the ministry of National Defense and churches give in. They also have to encourage the Congress to put a bill for the alternative system and make efforts to pass it. And the Korean people should realize that establishing an alternative system to military service for conscientious objectors would benefit not only conscientious objectors but also the entire society where they live and should give attention to the issue.

Koreans must abolish the “Ho-ju” system (householder system) because woman and her family are suffering from this system. “I want to know that,” a TV documentary program, pointed out negative influences of the “Ho-ju” system in SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) in 1 Dec 2001. In this program, one woman complained about one of these influences. “I had divorced and married another man, but I divorced again because our new family suffered mental anguish from different family name-my husband, I and children had another family name.” The “Ho-Ju” system is peculiar to Korea. Koreans had followed this system naturally without many complaints but nowadays many people start to insist on abolition of householder system. This essay will discuss the defects of householder system and propose methods of improvement.

What is the “Ho-ju” system? “Ho-ju” is the leader of family, usually man. Korean “Ho-ju” (householder) system organizes family on the basis of Ho-ju. Family consists of “Ho-ju” and other family members. The head of family is “Ho-ju” which commands the whole family. When “Ho-ju” dies, the order of succession is his son-grandson-daughter-mother-father's mother-daughter-in-law. Before marriage, a woman belongs to the family in which her father is “Ho-ju”. When she marries, she must have their name entered in the husband's family register.

Some people containing Confucianism scholars object the abolition of the “Ho-ju” system. They say that the system is our tradition and cultural inheritance. They also assert abrogation of the system means destruction of our inherent tradition. However, it is not true. The “Ho-ju” system is not our traditional heritage. The system originated from vestiges of Japanese colonization. Japan transplanted the evil system in Korea for their conscription, levy and finding out of army for national independence, but Japan abolished the “Ho-ju” system after World War¥± (Jang). Furthermore, people who agree with the “householder system” insist that the abolishment of this system brings about the decline of family system causing the increase of divorce rate. However, the abolishment of the system does not destroy family because it is only executive system. Modern society values diversity. We can choose the form of family freely.

Moreover, the “Ho-ju” system makes many problems in Korean family. The succession order of “Ho-ju” discriminates against women because it ranks male prior to female although that goes counter to natural order of family; mother is prior to her son in natural order of family; however, in the “Ho-ju” system, son's rank is higher than mother's. Opposing to nature order, the “Ho-ju” system makes women lower than any other man in family and furthermore, in society. In general case, “Ho-ju” is always men and children have his last name. This makes big problem when it is related with divorced family. Many divorced women do not have the fundamental right as parents, that is, they can't not have their children follow their last name because children are under their real father, “Ho-ju”, and must follow his family name even if mother has the right of rearing and parental rights. Many remarried families are suffering from difference between stepfather's family name and children's and no legal procedure exists that can change children's family name. These facts are big obstacles to unity of family and even destroy remarried family.

In addition, the “Ho-ju” system represents Korean's sexual discrimination against women. Any kind of legal systems and any law must not make any sort of discriminations. Korean constitution says that everyone is equal before law, and there is no discrimination by sexuality, religion or social class in political, economical, social, and cultural area (Chapter 2, Art. 11); and in thirty sixth article, “marriage and family life are based upon dignity of person and equality of two sexes and State should make an effort to protect motherhood.” Although all these, the “Ho-ju” system disobeys spirit of constitution. In other words, it's a case that “a civil law is contrary to a constitution” because it shows sexual discrimination clearly (Jang). This system makes inequality between husband and wife by giving only man the right to be the head of a family except some special case-for example, when all men in family die. It seems Korean's prejudice against women; they think women cannot represent their family and women cannot be social being. In short, they think women are inferior to men. Moreover, although “protection for motherhood” is stated clearly in a constitution, the “Ho-ju” system values fatherhood above motherhood and it represents the idea that children belong to father basically and mother is second one of parents. So to speak, the “Ho-ju” system is the heritage of men-oriented society and the fruit of sexual prejudice.

According to increasing of understanding these points, many people of Korean society agree to abolishment of the “Ho-ju” system. The latest survey, which Korean Women's Development Institute (KWDI) made, shows this atmosphere of Korean well. Half of men and seventy-six percents of women said the order of “Ho-ju” succession have to follow order of seniority in family without considering gender, and sixty-six percents of men and Eighty-one percent of women said children of divorced family must have their names entered in a family register of their parent who bringing up them actually (Kim). Furthermore, almost half of them agreed with reformation or abolishment of the “Ho-ju” system at present (Kim). This survey makes sure that many members of Korean society understand bad influences of the “Ho-ju” system and think it must be abolished or reformed.

Of course, there are some alternative plans instead of the “Ho-ju” system. First, classified family register by marriage is one of them. When husband and wife form a family register, they set both of them as the head of family. If they divorce and their children are under age, they will enter their name in family register of a person in parental authority; and it will be possible without an agreement of the other parent. It has no sexual discrimination while it keeps sharing one register of one family, so it is apt to Korean present situation very well (Jang). Next alternative plan is personal register system. Each person has his or her own register, and this means everybody is responsible for his or her register. “One register to one human” has many possibilities in the reflection of Korean society's individualism (Jang). These alternative proposals can make family structure well and solve problems that the “Ho-ju” system has made, and abolishment of the “Ho-ju” system makes Korean society better for estranged and discriminated women.

Korean “Ho-ju” system, which gives the right to be the head of family to only man and makes remarried women give up the unity of family by different family name, is still remaining as a heritage of male-oriented society. It shows a violation of social system from Korean circumstance that pressures and limits women, so this conventional law must be abolished to make women being able to confront men and to remove the pain of divorced and remarried families. Almost half of Koreans understands these negative effects of the “Ho-ju” system and agrees with abolishment of the “Ho-ju” system. In addition to this, Koreans can think about another practical and concrete plans. Koreans must abolish the bad executive system and bring on a new structure of family.

"Which president do you think contributed to Korean development most?" survey by Weekly Naeil Newspaper on the 2nd of June in 1999 showed 84.2% of Korean people answered Park Chunghee to the question. Park Chunghee is the president who lead, what is called " the miracle of the Han river", an admirable economic development in a short time. In fact, Korean had showed great economic development while Park Chunghee had governed for 18 years. If you focus on 18, you may wonder how one person can govern a nation for 18 years. That's why, although many Korean people admired him as the best president, the opposition to establish his memorial hall has continued. During Park Chunghee's 18 years of tenure as a president, the more Korean economics had developed, the slower Korean politics had developed, and even retreated. Park Chunghee is not only a hero who served distinguished economic development but a dictator who ignored human rights under the cloak of economic improvement. Except for unestablished estimation about him, there is also a cry for unfairness to judge past presidents. Some people say Rhee Syngman can be considered as a qualified person for memorial hall as a builder of Republic of Korea. Also, a chimerical plan about a building site and its scale are another reason for opposing to establish Park Chunghee memorial hall. Therefore, the memorial hall should not be established.

The primary reason for opposing the establishment of Park Chunghee memorial hall is that the estimation about his is not yet finished. A historical evaluation about an individual can be changed depending on the evaluator's historical perception and social background. Moreover, historical evaluation tends to concentrate more on the ethical aspect than on the material aspect. In the material aspect such as economics, he is an admirable person who made Korea an industrial powerhouse. However, in the ethical aspect, he is a brutal strong man who made Korea a police state. He accepted one-dominated system to govern Korean people more effectively and changed election system, allowing indirect voting that could be controlled by the incumbent (Donald Gregg). This made him easily elected for more terms. He also frequently performed illegal arrest and torture if people protested his system. Kim Daejung, the present Korean president, is an exemplary case. Kim Daejung who had loudly and courageously been criticizing Park Chunghee's system was kidnapped and sent to the East sea tied hand and foot (Gregg). Kim Daejung's present crippling is because of that time's torture. Also, the great economic development is not because of his own endeavor but of all Korean people's. During Park Chunghee' tenure, the GNP had increased form 82 dollars (1961) to 1640 dollars (1979) (Sungjin Kim 83). This statistics proves "the miracle of the Han river" evidently, but behind this splendid achievement Korean people's sweat and cry existed. Laborers suffering from low pay and poor labor condition are actual contributors to economic development. Park Chunghee only paid attention to economic development not considering laborers and labor condition. Human rights and democracy had degenerated during his tenure. For these reasons, estimation about Park Chunghee has been continued, and establishing memorial hall is earlier decision at this moment .

Not only unestablished estimation about him but unfairness about past presidents is a reason. Some people insist Rhee Syngman is also respectable as the first president of Republic of Korea. Korea was liberated from Japan after 45 years of colonization when Rhee Syngman become a president. Korea of that time was like an immature child going out of house without any preparation. Ryee Syngman took effort to make the child to stand on his own foot. Ryee Syngman had thought education was the basis of national development, so he concentrated on prevailing education. This police gave many talented people and this people became the basis of successful industrialization of next era. Rhee Syngman himself was a real educator Under Japanese colonialism, he introduced to the Western culture and civilization through modern Christian mission education (Youngik Lew 422). He also taught democracy, justice and equality which Korean people was not yet familar to. He is also a contributor to announce Korea as an independent, lawful nation to world. He consistently insisted diplomatic relation with other nations, especially America. He was the first Korean who acquired a degree from American university, Princeton University, and he was well acquainted with American affairs and closely related to America. He himself visited American press and congress to request support for Korean government's tradition and justice as one nation. In fact, his endeavor made many nations recognize Korea as an independent, sovereign nation. Some people say Rhee Syngman was a pro-American president and a corrupt president who had dishonest election to prolong his term. However, he is also a respectable president who took effort to build modern Korea by enforcing education and consolidating Korea's status. Rhee Syngman also can be an adequate person for memorial hall, but people often overlooked the fact unlike Park Chunghee. This biased view of judging past presidents is another reason to reconsider establishment of Park Chunghee memorial hall.

The chimerical plan of the memorial hall by the Korean government is also a problem. If one non-government group favoring Park Chunghee tries to build memorial hall in his hometown, there will be no controversy. However, the Korean government planned to support national treasury as much as 70billion won which will consist of government subsidy and people's donation. The site of memorial hall is planned to be 25 million p'yong (97 million square) and the building site is the place which is now a park for residents' comfort. The Korean government said the memorial hall would show how the Korean export industry, had developed and Saemaul activity, successful modernization activity of Park Chunghee, had expanded. The government also said that this memorial hall would be a commemoration library which contains many tapes recording Park Chunghee's acquaintances and many documents. However, who can judge this memorial hall is better for the residents and people than a park? People and residents may feel more comfortable when they have a restful park. Although Park Chunghee is respectable, this enormous plan is unnecessary and the government should reconsider this plan.

To revaluate history and admire respectable past president is necessary. This forces the present nation to go forward right direction and give the nation's people esteem. However, it is also a sensitive thing to decide whether the history is right or not, and there should be enough time to evaluate history. Park Chunghee is certainly an important person who will go down in Korean history with great contribution to splendid economic development and modernization. However, these results are not because of his own effort but of all Korean people's endeavor and under its achievement there were people who suffered from Park Chunghee's merciless crackdown. The estimation about Park Chunghee is still being discussed for these reasons, and there should be a profound consideration about Rhee Syngman as the builder of Republic of Korea. Ignoring Rhee Syngman and just respecting for Park Chunghee are unfair. Also, enormous national budget for Park Chunghee memorial hall is unreasonable and a building site is also inappropriate. Therefore, Park Chunghee memorial hall should not be built.

Creating one's own cyber character-known as a virtual avatar (example of an avatar produced by Freechal on the left)-is the hottest fad among the Internet users in Korea (Yang), especially among teenagers. “Avatar” means alter ego or incarnation in Sanskrit. The avatar service started out by SayClub (www.sayclub.com" www.sayclub.com) in November 1999, and the number of avatar-users is estimated to be over a million nowadays (Lee). The avatars on the Web communicate with one another, have blind dates, get married and even get divorced. In other words, an avatar-user could experience an entirely different life in the cyber world. Despite the positive aspects of avatar-services, they are causing various problems in Korean society, such as confusion of identity, over-consumption, and juvenile delinquency.

Making avatars is an effective means of expressing oneself. Many people create their avatars looking very similar to themselves, and people even change their avatars' facial expressions according to their feelings (Lee). They create new images with their avatars as a way of satisfying their desire to look good. According to Hwang, peoples' hidden wishes to experience self-creation and reincarnation are expressed through avatars. For example, a fat girl could look like a slim model, an old man could look like a cute little boy, and even a guy could look like a girl in the cyber world. Moreover, the avatar-making business is growing rapidly in Korean society. SayClub made a profit of 9 billion won (approximately 6 million US dollars) in the last two years, and almost 80% of Freechal's (www.freechal.com" www.freechal.com) whole profits were from the avatar-services (Lee). Such services in which people can create their own avatars by themselves are unique in the world, and the companies are expecting to make exports to major markets like Japan (Kim, Mihui).

In spite of the advantages of avatar services and businesses mentioned above, there are many side effects. First of all, avatars can cause confusion between the imagination and the reality, especially for teenagers. Living two lives at the same time, teenagers may deny the reality, the “real selves.” Chung said in the book Me, My Avatar, and the Cyber World that the confusion between the imagination and the reality has a big influence upon human beings. In the cyber world, according to him, people are free from all the restrictions of real world so that they would lose their adaptability to the reality (qtd in Lee).

Another side effect of the virtual avatars on the Web, other than the confusion between the reality and the imagination, is that they cause over-consumption. Freechal (www.freechal.com" www.freechal.com), for example, sells avatars' clothes and accessories up to 5,000 won (about $3 US). The prices for decorating avatars are getting higher and the company provides bargain sales and best-avatar-competitions to encourage people to buy more. The companies make purchases easier because the payments are done automatically through phone-bills or accumulated points in their membership cards (such as OK Cashbag cards). The worse thing is that the desire for expressing oneself can be taken advantage of commercially. While purchasing thoughtlessly, the alter ego becomes subordinate to the rapidly changing trends (Lee).

In addition, teenagers' consumption of avatar items (clothes and accessories) is becoming a serious problem, not only because it causes troubles between parents and children, but also because of the increasing juvenile delinquencies in the cyber world. Teenagers, unable to afford the expensive clothes and accessories for their avatars, have indecent talks with adults, and get what they want for their avatars. The problem is that they do not feel guilty about it since it is done anonymously in the “cyber world.” (Kim, Sunha) This means that the delinquency in reality would increase as well.

As mentioned above, although creating avatars on the Web has some advantages, it has more side effects in Korean society. Avatar business is spreading rapidly, more than ten companies are currently providing avatar services on Internet. However, the companies' aggressive salesmanship must be regulated by the government to avoid such problems as confusion between imagination and reality, over-consumption, and juvenile delinquency. The companies must keep in mind that the future of avatar businesses depends on the people, not just on the technology. Avatar-users, especially teenagers, must also be guided at school and at home so that they will not be taken full advantage of by commercialism.

"Hyo" is the piety to parents and the filial duty. Traditionally, Koreans have thought that to respect, protect, and support their parents are all their responsibilities. They called those duties "hyo," and they have practiced that in various ways in daily life. Recently, however, the traditional family's function to look after the elderly is weakening in Korea because of the spreading of nuclear family and the diffusion of individualism. The way to express "hyo" is changing surprisingly in Korea. However, there is an unchangeable thing that is eternal truth in practice of "hyo." Adult children who are brought up by the parents' protection have to support their old parents.

One of the reasons children have to keep up their parents is that most old people have little economic power. In Korea, the age limit in most work places is about 60 years old, so jobs for the old are insufficient. Many old people want to earn their cost of living and to do their works, but there are not enough work places for the aged. After retirement under the age limit, they get a pension. Korean government is working on a set of proposals to increase public welfare benefits for senior citizens, including expansion of the state pension program (Min-hee Kim). The government is planning to raise monthly pension benefits from the current 50,000 won to 60,000 won (about $45 U.S.). However, this payment is very insufficient in consideration of Korean prices of commodities. Many people become have a financial problem when they are old, and the aged need to monetary help.

Another reason is that most elderly people are physically weak. They have a delicate constitution because of aging. In Korea, life expectancy rose to 75.55 years on average in 1999, up from 70.82 years in 1989 and 65.17 years in 1979 (Park). Improvements in living standards, health care and nutrition have raised the average life span. However, the symptoms of aging is unescapable. Their all internal organs become weak, and their body becomes feeble. It is difficult for the elderly to do all laborious houseworks, so adult children have to give support to their old parents.

Besides, the old have a fainthearted mind as well as a weak body. They are apt to feel solitude and isolation, and this lead to bodily weakness again. In Korea, most social situations and systems are focusing on the young, so elderly people were alienated from the society. Unfortunately, graying retirees are rarely seen at the focal points of culture and society; Television programs, films and printed media are all abnormally centered on young people (Ju). Compared to aged retirees in the developed countries, Korean elderly people have no their own culture and life, so they are always lonely. For these reasons, adult children have to take an interest in their old parents and spend much time with them.

Increasing family separation is reflected by a dramatic rise in numbers of elderly persons living alone or with only a spouse, which went from 7% in 1975 to 53% in 1996 (Korean Institute of Gerontology, 1996). Recently, young people tend to want become perfectly independent from their parents and live separately. They persue convenience and their private life, so they think their old parents disturb those things. It is an undeniable fact that the life style and the way of thinking between the young and the old are very different. And the living expenses can be a trouble, too. So many young people do not want to live with their parents. However, supporting old parents is not exactly same as living with them.

There are some ways to support the old parents without living together. First, living together in one house but having different home is one good method. It guarantees private life of the parents and children and the close relationship of them. For example, if old parents live in the first floor, their adult child's family can live in the second floor. Then parents and children can meet every day and night, but they neither take a meal together nor use the same bathroom. Second, living very near place is fine, too. If old parents and adult children live in a neighborhood, they can meet very frequently. And children can look after their parents easily, and parents are not solitary. Sung found that despite physical separation, most adult children should provide affection as well as emotional and instrumental support by visitations, telephone calls, letters, financial assistance, and gifts (643).

Many adult children think that they lose many things when they provide those affection and support, but Korean young people can learn many things from elderly people. Young children tend to neglect their old parents' counsel and advice because they disregard their parents' experiences as old-fashioned, and because they think the life after retirement is meaningless. Seniors, however, have many experiences about life, so they are very wise and judicious and have an discerning eye for whole society. Besides, aged people can hand down Korean traditions and cultures. It is very important to maintain a tradition, and old people are good instructors in that. Children can learn senior's lessons in daily life in the relations to their old parents.

The elderly are good teachers to their grandchildren, too. Hyeh-won Kim says that the result of a UNICEF (United Nations Children's Emergency Fund) survey shows that Korean children, among those of 17 regional countries, were found to respect the elderly the least. She points out that the new family system in Korea makes this result because children grow without contact with grandparents as the nuclear family system has settled in Korea, and those children have no ideas why they respect the elderly. Young people are so concerned about their children's education that they think their children become rude and out-of-date if their old parents bring up grandchildren. However, the relation between grandparents and grandchildren have a great influence on the culture of sentiments of young children.

Old parents need to the protection and affection of society and their children, and the children can get and learn many things from them. To repay their parents' kindness is the duty of children. Whatever the way to express "hyo" is, adult children should support their old parents. In 2005 Korea is expected to become a so-called aging society with 7 percent of the population aged 65 or over (Ju). In a mature society, it is taken for granted that elderly people return their experience, knowledge and wisdom to society. And old people are central in the society and the society's culture. Adult children should support their old parents, and the government must set up a legal system to help the elders.

On December 23, 1999, the constitutional court of Korea made a ruling that giving advantage points in the job market to those who have served in the military is unconstitutional (Jung). Those who did not or could not serve in the military hailed the judgment as righteous decision that will give them long awaited equal opportunity. The most noted group that rejoiced at the ruling of the constitutional court was the feminists group (Ae-lim Kim). It is understandable that the disabled and the seriously ill people cannot serve in the military because of physical handicap, but can the women argue with the same logical reasoning? The Korean law does not force women to serve in the military; however, just like men, women have the responsibility to protect the country, therefore they should also serve in the military.

Most male chauvinists and some feminists, however, argue otherwise. The most commonly and frequently raised argument against women's serving in the military is that women are not suitable for the military because of their biological qualities which make them physically weaker ("Women in battle"). It may be true that women are physically weaker on average, but there are men in the military who are weaker than some women. In fact, all Korean men are graded on their health conditions, and not on their physical strength. Their position or work place in the military is assigned accordingly. Basically, however, anyone who can run and is psychologicaly sound enough to live in a dorm is classified as fit for service. Even most men who are unfit for the military are signed to do public service, as a substitute. Most women are healthier than the men who do public service, but they do not contribute anything at all.

Also, in the movie G.I. Jane, the navy seal sergeant complains that women make men sentimental, and thus should not be in the war with men's. This remark is sexually discriminative. Besides, if his logic is used, it should be applied to all the other areas where men and women work together as well because sentimentality causes same inefficiency in other work places. However, men and women have been working efficiently (at least as efficient as men working alone) beside each other for the last 20 years or so without any serious problem. Furthermore, even if that is the case, women can still take part in a war away from men. In any case, the existence of female soldiers in Israel strongly suggests that women are fit to serve in the army (Schlafly).

Some good social implications exist as well, for women to put their time in the military. In a society like Korea where elders are respected, to the degree of being called age discrimination, the Korean women's serving in the military will have a good external effect in the working place. Women who do not have to serve in the military start their career three to four years earlier than men; consequently, their position are usually higher than men of their own age. Korean society, however, works on age basis, so women are more likely to be treated in a lesser manner than

Another effect of women's participation is shorter military serving time for men. If women were to join the military, it will roughly double the current number of military personnel. So assuming that the current Korean military without women has sufficient manpower, women's participation will mean shortening of the military service time. Many Koreans think of two years or more of required military service time to be too long: Men at their prime give up too much of their time. Women's share of the burden will be a great gift to all men in Korea.

Lastly, it will be a great force in cleansing the deep rooted sexual discrimination in Korea. In Korea, military service symbolizes the difference between men and women. Even males, let alone women, who could not serve in the military are discriminated in an unseen way. Those who could not serve in the military are thought of as abnormal and often left out of talks about it, often preceded by the banal statement: "You have to be there to know what we went through." The experience gap between the two sexes created by the current military enrollment system is one of the key forces that distinguishes the Korean men from the Korean women; it forms the basis of sexual discrimination in Korea. Korean women should join the army and get rid of one of the most common reason presented by male chauvinist to act as they do.

The movies have a powerful influence on how we see and interpret on world. On these days, more Action-Heroin movies are being produced than in any of the last few decades of film-making. The list includes: “Terminator 2,” “Tomb Raider,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “The Alien series,” “My wife is a gangster,” “Speed 2,” “Ripely.” The many different styles of the Action-Heroines are innumerable, too. They have big hits all over the world box office. Maybe one can think the reason for this increase stems from the improvement of women's right. Perhaps another also thinks it is a very proper transition of women's status within films. The changing role of woman on the bigscreen, from “damsels in distress” to Action-Heroine does not reflect the reality of the transition of woman's status. This paper will examine the weak-point of Action-Heroine and why they thrive all around world, using examples and recent writing in the subject.

The person in favor of Action-Heroines believes that Action-Heroines are new roles for women in 21C. Leonard Pitts says in “Hostages to Sexism,” we have been socialized to receive woman's passiveness and man's active capability. However, through a couple of decades of painful argument, like the glass ceiling, abortion, child care, sexual harassment, our attitudes and expectations toward woman's roles and rights changed. According to Pitts, the Action-Heroine is needs of the society. The Supporters think Action-Heroines like tough, strong, violence, are a positive role model for women. Could you have assurance of these opinions?

Action-Heroines have fatal weak-point on themselves. They reflect masculinity. Lynn Dornink, in her essay “Silencing of The Feminine” proves the reason. She sharply analyzes the movie Silence of the Lamb, which is appreciated the best description of a positive and powerful female image. Dornink finds a strong anti-female slant to the film's details. She indicates that “a close examination of the film's visual elements reveals some disturbing gender constructions, particularly in its glorification of the masculinized female and its demonization of the feminized male. The main character, Clarice Starling who was acted by Jodie Foster, eager to take her place “among the men.” As following “father figures,” like boys, she does her best to be authorized male. On the other hands, the ruined character Jame desires to be female, and wears skins of women to realize his dream. These weak-point are also discovered the famous Action-Heroine Korean movie My Wife is a gangster. The protagonist, Boss is estimated the strongest and the most active female character through Korean film-making history by the press. She is very tough, physically strong. She always fights and stabs many other gangs with a knife. There is no female on her. She has firm position among men. Her feminiety is limited on her appearance.

Action-Heroines are come into the world because of commercial mass-media. Margaret Talbot in her essay “Hasta la Vista, Arnold,” borrow from the Motion Picture Association of America, says that “Female audiences were crucial to the success of several of this past year's most profitable films.” In addition, William Mechanic, chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment stated The New York Times: “Women are not only driving the box office, but also video-cassette rentals and sales and TV watching. Not respecting their taste level is silly.” The more women are attracted, the higher possibilities of movies' success are guaranteed. Action-Heroine is a now surefire formula of successful movie. Holly Brubach says in “Heroine Worship: The Age of the Female Icon,” the industries, especially fashion, need someone else's image which intake the public to grow up their business. If they make male icons, men regard icons as their fiends, as men's thinking tendency, and women considers icons as just idols. On the contrary, if they make female icons, although men counts the icons as idols, women looks upon the icons as something they should be, following the working of women's mind. The Action-Heroines are one of those icons. The big sponsors of film makers, industries are intend to this: as women want to be like Action-Heroines, women hope to make up, wear clothes and accessories like their icons and go to gyms.

Changes within women's roles in Action-movies, then, are superficial. This is not because profound understanding of women's awareness, rights and roles, but because the commercial reason. To regard the changing roles of women on the bigscreen as a proper head-point could be a dangerous. Instead, the Action-Heroine images make women hard to set their own self-reliance subjectivity, as true feminity does not mean masculinity like tough, physical strength, violence. Therefore we need to establish to new truly womanly women's status which is distinguished from masculinity. It regards deep, sincere penetration through the inside and outside of women, or women's mind and social condition. As Simone de Beauvoir says to set identity of women is never easy, but we must do it.

The Warner Brothers, which is a broadcasting station in the United States of America, made a partial report on 19th and 20th November 2001, “Man Bites Dog,” that dealt with eating dog meat by some Korean-Americans. Two days after this report, the second public broadcasting station (2TV) of France satirized again on Korean dog meat foods. Because of these accidents, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and other animal lovers criticize bitterly on having dog meat; however, most Koreans and Korean communities in foreign countries also expressed their regrets to that criticism since they thought the eating dog meat custom should be understood as a diversity of Korean culture. At last, the controversy over the dog meat eating custom of Koreans is again up for a recurrent cycle. In fact, this custom is even unique and unfamiliar to other countries, especially to the Western. Moreover, there are still lots of people who regard their pet dogs as family members around the world. The criticism about eating dog meat in Korea by some foreign countries, however, is illogical for several reasons.

One of the reasons is that the culture of a country cannot be evaluated in a standard of others. As a matter of fact, a unique custom that does not exist in other countries usually makes foreigners feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. In case of having dog meat, which is avoided in many other countries, the custom can be even a taboo in the other countries. Every nation, however, has its own particular food culture, and it is inappropriate to coerce other nations to follow one's barometer (qtd in Shim). Pork is the most common and popular meat in the world whereas the Islam do not eat pork on account of their religious reason. Beef is also loved by most people although the Hindu prohibit to cook and eat it. Nevertheless, both the Islam and the Hindu do not criticize other people who consume pork and beef because a custom originates in its own needs that cannot be explained perfectly in the other countries' point of view. It is a sense of racial superiority that must be sublated to deny other countries' cultures and force people to submit a specific point of view. Having dog meat custom in Korea also results from some particular situations.

The custom of having dog meat, actually, originates in a sacrificial rite of the northeastern Asiatic Continent (qtd. in Lee, translated by Seung-hyung Lee). Most races in the primitive societies regarded a certain natural figure as a holy being, which is now called totem, as the Romans worshiped the wolf as their holy being. Dogs were also treated as holy animals to the people who lived in the northeastern Asia because they helped the people hunt their everyday meals and prevented from some unexpected invasions of other tribes or animals. Because of these advantages in dogs, northeastern Asians considered the dog very significant to their daily lives and worshiped it eventually. The primitive people, therefore, offered dogs in sacrifice to God since they usually sacrificed the most valuable things they had-sheep for the nomadic, oxen for the agricultural, and dogs for the hunting like the northeastern Asians. Furthermore, people in the primitive societies ate foods used in the sacrificial services after the rites, which is called the dining between God and human being. Hence, northeastern Asians began to have dog meat, and the custom of consuming dog meat in this regions including Korea was handed down to posterity from those rites.

In addition, dogs served as a source of protein along with other domesticated animals in Korea, a mountainous country, where food was not in abundant supply in the old days (qtd. in Kim). Most Koreans suffered from a shortage of foods at that time on account of difficulties of farming in mountainous places. In spite of the hard situation, they had to eat certain meat for taking in some essential nutrition for their lives and farming. Dogs, which were the most common animal around Korea, could be a good solution of serious nutrient deficiency because dog meat had lots of protein needed in people's activities. Besides, beef could not be substitute for dog meat because oxen were a kind of important labor power in farming. Since Korea depended domestic economy upon agriculture on the whole, oxen were considered very significant at that time. Even after the dietary situation improved, the popularity of dog as a food item remained and helped by folk beliefs about the efficacy of the meat, such as for fighting the heat of summer and even in maintaining sexual prowess (Kim).

As mentioned above, the custom of consuming dog meat has its own originations; therefore, it is necessary for foreigners to understand having dog meat in a relative point of view and regard it as a unique custom of a country based on the cultural history. In reality, nonetheless, many foreigners still feel disgusting toward eating the flesh of “human's best friend” and do not try to understand the custom as a peculiar culinary habit of Korea. In addition, as 2002 FIFA World Cup is scheduled in Korea, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) declared its intervention in the campaign to stop cruelty to animals in Korea (qtd. in “World Cup and Dog Meat). Most Koreans, whether they ate dogs or not, reacted to the FIFA intervention by pointing out the dietary peculiarities in other countries and customs of animal cruelty among other peoples (qtd. in Jun). It is, however, also necessary for Koreans to make continuous efforts to explain the reality in Korea, which is not identical to the picture drawn by animal rights activists, and help remove the misconceptions of foreigners.

Last May, my cousin who was a sophomore in highschool said, "Someone whose parents is rich can admit to a college regardless of his/her ability, someone whose parents is poor cannot admit to a college. What an unfair world!" She said so after hearing the announcement about the admission system of the contributors Yonsei University (a prestigious private university in Korea) proposed. According to the plan, Yonsei will accept offsprings of those who donate more than two billion won to Yonsei. Many Koreans regard the system unfair and oppose to the plan. However, unlike general ideas, enforcing the admission system can contribute to the equality of the educational opportunity and it also has many other advantages. In this article, I will show both supporting arguments and counterarguments of the admission system of the contributors, and support the plan. The admission system of the contributors of Yonsei can benefit both university and Korean society.

Many Koreans oppose to the plan because "it contradicts a human's right to receive a fair opportunity for education" (Lee, "Controversy Heats up over Yonsei's Push for Special Admission of Students"). However, the admission system does not take the educational opportunities of the ordinary people; rather, it can give more opportunities to them. Many students withdraw from school temporarily because they cannot pay the registration fee. By allowing the admission of contributors' descendents, universities can raise a scholarship fund for needy students. No students will fail in admission due to contributors' descendents because Yonsei will select contributors' descendents beyond the prescribed number. As a result, the system do not infringe on the educational equality; rather, it can be helpful to the equality.

Another reason of the objection is "the risk of spawning corruption at universities where the administration lacks transparency" ("Buying Admission to College"). Kim Hyeon-Jeong, vice-president of Yonsei Student Council, said, "What the school should be concentrating on is how to reform its financial structure and clarify where the money is spent"(qtd. in Lee, "Yonsei University Sets up Review Committee on Controversial 'Admission for Contribution'"). On that account, Yonsei sets regulations for transparency in using donations--use donations for expanding educational facilities and for scholarships only, manage donations strictly by organizing the management committee which includes the representative of the citizens organization and open the itemized accounts to the public. These regulations can guarantee transparency in using donations.

Above all, the admission system of the contributors can solve financial difficulties of private universities in Korea and can make universities competitive. According to 2001 statistics, the supporting rate to universities to GDP in Korea is 0.43%, it is half of the average of OECD countries (1.0%) such as Finland (1.7%), Australia (1.2%) and the United States (1.1%) (qtd. in Choi 70, translation by Yang). It means most private universities in Korea are facing financial difficulties. That condition impedes the advancement of learning and makes universities insufficiently competitive. If universities can get financial supports as donations, the competitiveness of universities can be strengthened by enlarging research and development facilities. It is beneficial not only universities but also Korean society because the competitiveness of universities influences that of the whole society.

Even though there are some difficulties such as an unequality and an obliquity of the donation management, the admission system of the contributors is helpful in many parts. The system can lessen the unequality of society a lot by scholarships for needy students unlike Koreans' common idea. Universities can also guarantee transparency in managing the system by some regulations. Above all, enforcing the admission system of the contributors can solve the financial difficulties and strengthen competitiveness of universities. Due to these reasons, Yonsei should enforce the admission system of the contributors as soon as possible.

For a time directly after the war, writers chose mainly to comment on the whole of society. However, from the 1960's, as in the 1930's, Writers once again remarked on individuals and existence. Sung-ok Kim's short stories reflect this 1960's social trend. In his short story "Seoul-1964 Winter", he shows "his epicurean wit and sensitive nature" instead of rigidity (Chon 614, translation by Young uk). "Seoul-1964 Winter" is a story about three men--the narrator "I," a graduate student "Ahn," and a man in his 30's who seemed to be very poor. They happened to meet each other at pochangmacha-a cart which apppears on the street at nightfall, and sells alcohol. They drank together, and ran on the streets until midnight. The third man and the other two, Ahn and "I" use different way to confirm their being. Ahn and "I" are used to solitude in the city, whileas the third man finds meaning on relationships. Sung-ok Kim says that solitude gets predominance over relationships in the cities through his story.

"Of the street lights that are lined up in front of P'yonghwa Market, the eighth one from the east end is not lit...." As soon as I saw him getting confused, I continued with renewed inspiration. "...And of the windows on the sixth floor of the Hwashin Department Store, Light was visible only in the three middle ones...." But now, it was I who was thrown into confusion. Reason was, a startling look of delight was beginning to illuminate Ahn's face.... "That's more like it. That fact is entirely your property alone, Kim." (Sung-ok Kim 177-179 translation by Pihl) Since everyone is stereotyped in the city, these men want to have their own "fact" to distinguish themselves from the others. They want to believe the facts--even if it is insignificant--will make their existence meaningful. Ahn and "I" try to keep talking, but their conversation is blocked many times. because they do not want relationship with understanding each other. What they want is to confirm they are different from each other by their conversation. It is the way they express their meaning of existence.

Unlike the two men who use language to discover uniqueness, the man in his 30's tells them his story to feel sympathy and to affect his ego. Those three men can not be friends with the difference on the way they talk. When these three men go together to a chinese restaurant, the difference between the third man and the other becomes clear. He begins to tell them he has just sold his wife's body to Severance hospital for 4,000 won, and he propose blowing the money together this evening (Sung-ok Kim 185). Ahn and "I" do not want to be involved with him because he has no meaning to them, and because they do not want to share other's burden. The more he tries to become meaningful to them, the more Ahn and "I" step back. The third man used to be significant to his wife. Since his wife does not exist, he lost his reason to go on his daily life.

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