<목욜정모> February 5th, 2009 Thursday meeting's Topic

[Serena]

Hello, Englisholic members~!!

This is your lovely and gorgeous entertainment manager, SERENA !! Haha~~

How are you doing~~~?? :) In my case, I was very unlucky with my car yesterday due to the slight (?) car accident in our company parking lot. The bad thing is that I was the wrongdoer of this car accident and the worst thing is that my car got dented seriously while the victim's car got scratched a little bit. How miserable I am~!!ㅠㅠ As a result, I had to have unexpected oucome from my budget, oh my gosh~!!! However, you know, C'EST LA VIE!!!

Anyhow, everything got settled down now and I am struggling to recover from my gloomy Monday now.

First, I am very sorry for this quite late posting of Thursday’s topic. As our president Scarlet is extremely busy these days in her workplace, I am posting this Thursday’s topic on behalf of her this time. Please enjoy your time with following articles~~. And, let’s meet on Thursday with energy fully recharged!! :)

Killer reignites death row debate

Amid a serial murder scandal that is shaking the country, voices are calling for the revival of capital punishment, which has been unused for the past few years.

Amnesty International, a human rights group, classified Korea as "abolitionist in practice" in 2007 because the country has not executed anyone in the past 12 years, though capital punishment is still valid. Capital punishment in Korea was last carried out under the Kim Young-sam government on Dec. 20, 1997 when 23 people were executed. Presently, 58 are on death row, theoretically awaiting execution, and 19 are serving life sentences after receiving commutation, according to the Justice Ministry.

As the police yesterday rounded off the crime scene investigation regarding serial killer Kang Ho-soon who admitted to killing seven women in the past two years, many are demanding that Kang be sentenced to death. During the two-day crime scene investigation, Kang calmly demonstrated his crimes without signs of regret or agitation, said witnesses at the scene. Family members of his victims are swearing fierce resistance should the judiciary fail to condemn the murderer to an appropriate sentence. If accusations against Kang turn out to be true, present criminal law provides that he be handed down the maximum legal sentence. Murder, when combined with rape, is subject to the death penalty or life imprisonment, with corpse abandonment adding another seven years.

A well-known serial killer, Yoo Young-chul, was given a death sentence in 2005 for killing 20 people, tearing their bodies to pieces and burying them. Another murderer, Chung Nam-gyu, was also given the sentence in 2007 for killing 13 people and injuring 20.

The Justice Ministry is skeptical about carrying out the irrevocable criminal sentence, despite mounting public requests. "In the past scandalous serial murder cases, public opinion also demanded the death of the killers, but it was just not enough to resist the worldwide legal trend of capital punishment abolishment," said a Justice Ministry official. "The very nature of the death sentence is controversial, and Kang's case alone will probably not reverse the present flow of criminal punishment."

Yoo and Chung have been imprisoned for several years as their death sentences have not been carried out. As of December 2007, 102 countries have abolished the death sentence and 31, including Korea, are classified as "abolitionist in practice," according to figures from the AI. Only 64 countries actually execute the maximum criminal penalty.

Those who sympathize with the ministry's stance point out the global trend against capital punishment, the possibility of judicial misjudgment and the value of human life. The majority of the public, however, claim that the rights of innocent people should be prioritized. "Legal authorities will be criticized as populist, should they refuse to sentence Kang Ho-soon to death, citing human rights as reasons," said Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo in a radio interview yesterday.

Criminal statistics from the Justice Ministry also showed a 32 percent increase in murder rates in the 10 years since the government's de facto abolition of the death sentence.

Some say that the government should stop wasting taxes by indefinitely delaying the execution of those condemned to death. According to government data presented to Rep. Joo Kwang-deok of the ruling Grand National Party during a parliamentary audit last year, the state spends an annual 1.59 million won ($1,100) to keep a condemned criminals in prison.

Amid rising disputes over capital punishment, one of the oldest punishments in history, the Constitutional Court is to hold an open discussion on the legitimacy of the death sentence in June.

1. Do you agree with the stance that the flagrant criminal should be sentenced to death? If yes or no, what is the reason?

2. Concerning the criminal who has some sort of mental disease, what do you think is the best and wisest measure to settle the situation? Do we have to be merciful to him/her taking account of his/her state?

3. The serial killer, Kang Ho-soon is expressing strong discontent to police after his personal information including the information of his 3 sons got opened to the public on internet by some netizens. What do you think about exposing criminal’s personal information to the public? Do you think the flagrant criminal should have same fundamental rights like us?

4. Do you think the children of criminals can have possibility of being potential criminals in the future?

5. Has anyone of you ever had an experience likely to be a victim of certain crime? If yes, tell us about your creepy moment.

52 things that best represent Korea

What does a Chinese food delivery metal briefcase, a bottle of soju, Shin Ramen, and the "Be the Reds" T-shirts have in common? They have been selected as products, symbols and habits that have had the most influence on the everyday lives of Korean citizens in the past half-century.

During a Tuesday conference titled "Korean Design Catalogue," the Ministry of Korea Culture, Sports, and Tourism in cooperation with the Korea Design Foundation, announced the 52 iconic essentials that best represent Korea's identity. The selected lot will be used to promote Korea abroad. The selection process and criteria were not based on superior design rudiments, but on how influential they have been in forming the Korean identity.

Vaunted designers Kim Young-cheol, Kim Jin-kyung, Park Hae-cheon and Choi Kyeong-won each initially chose 50, which were then narrowed down to 52 by professors Kang Hyeon-joo (In-ha University), Kim Myeong-hwan (Kaywon School of Art and Design) and Oh Chang-sub (Konkuk University).

Among the other chosen symbols and icons were Baby Dinosaur Dooly, the Cuckoo Rice Cooker, i-River, Banana Milk, Chilsung Cider, the "Italy Towel," and the Admiral Yi Sun-shin statue in central Seoul.

The panel said that the reasoning behind their selections was that they all had significant cultural visibility that symbolized Korea.

With the cartoon character Dooly, the panel said that "the characters presented in the cartoon serials are accurate depictions of the personalities around us in everyday life that it was a natural choice, albeit, an odd one."

In addition to the products, icons and structures, the panel mentioned bulk wholesalers like E-Mart, cars from the early days of the fledgling Korean auto industry such as the Pony, the always phonetically amusing "Sibal taxis" and the Monami 153 ball-point pen.

According to the panel, "analysis and research of simple, ordinary, and highly visible objects, structures, and symbols will allow future Korean designers to create distinctly Korean design cues and elements which will help promote the country abroad."

Rounding out some of the notable selections were the Cheonggye Stream, the candlestick girl, stone beds, kimchi refrigerators, Gold Star black and white television sets and OB lager.

1. Which thing is the symbol of Korea in your mind? And why do you pick it as a symbol of Korea? Please be noted that the category for selecting symbol is not limited.

2. Have you ever been proud of yourself as a Korean before? If yes, when was it?

3. Conversely, have you ever felt shame as a Korean before? If yes, when was it?

4.  If you can have an opportunity to boast about Korea to foreign people, what will be the first one for boast?

5.  If we can give ourselves 5 keywords which best represents ourselves, what will be those?? Let’s give our table members ‘the best 5 keywords’ which represents them most fittingly!!!!!

[Ellen♡]

hahahahahahahahahah Gooooooooood work! Thank you!

[Serena]

Thanx, pretty~~~^^

[제이디]

쩜 기네 ㅋㅋ 일덩을 뺏기다니 -_-;; 올려주셔서 캄사욧!

[Serena]

쫌 길긴 하지..?? 오빠 이거 공부 열씨미 해와!!ㅋㅋ

[뺑끼]

thanks~^^

[Serena]

이거 스칼렛 언니는 매주 어떻게 했는지 모르겠다.. 머리 뽀개지는 줄 알았어~ㅡㅡ;;

[Blue]

와~ 무슨말인진 잘 몰라도 공부할게요

[Serena]

네, 모임 때 뵈요~^^

[Jaws☺]

지금 너무나 문제가 되고있는 문제들이군요~ 하나는 너무 끔찍한 이야기이기도 하지만...

[Serena]

네, 좀 끔찍하죠.. 우리 내일 강호순이를 어떻게 해야 할 지 열띤 토론을 해보자구요~~ㅎㅎ

[안드레긱스]

요번주에 나가고 싶은데 쪼꼼 걱정되네요ㅜㅜ

[Serena]

걱정은요, 무슨~~ 그냥 본인의 생각을 말씀하시면 되요~^^ 그럼 모임에서 뵙겠습니다~~~^^

[그때그놈 = Joe]

Wow- Serena..

[Serena]

Wow, brother Joe~~!!ㅋㅋ Btw, could you please delete your repeated comment below??^^;;

[yona.]

꺄아아아악!! 멋져언니..... 언니가 목요모임진행하는구나아아아~멋져멋져!!ㅋ

[Serena]

언니가 목요모임 진행은 아니구~ 토픽만 포스팅한거야~ㅎㅎ 근데 어려웠쪄~~ㅠㅠ

[Scarlet]

써뤼나 정말 수고 많이 했어 오 댓글봐라... 이거 매주시켜야겠는데. 써뤼나양 상이라도 하나 줘야겠다. ....

[Serena]

응, 언니, 상줘 상줘~~~ㅋㅋ

[Jina]

댓글이 엄청 많이 달렸길래 무슨 일인가 했어요.ㅋㅋㅋ 언니 내일 봐요~!!ㅋㅋㅋ

[Serena]

3일 연속 술로 밤을 지새웠더니 정신이 하나도 없다.. 오늘 모임 갈 수 있을라나..??ㅋㅋ

[영보기]

오리지날 써리나 너한테 존경심은 없다... ㅋㅋ 오늘도 욕좀 해줄께.. 오래살아...

[Ally]

와우! 써리나 인기 짱인걸~~ 생일할때의 위력을 또 한번 확인!? ㅎㅎ