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[TOPIC 01] Korus FTA ratified in surprise vote The long-stalled Korea-U.S. free trade agreement was finally ratified by the National Assembly yesterday after the ruling Grand National Party blindsided liberal opposition lawmakers with a surprise floor vote in a chaotic session complete with a tear gas attack in the main chamber. The Grand National lawmakers made an unannounced entrance into the main chamber in the afternoon, startling the opposition Democratic and Democratic Labor parties, who expected the ruling party to railroad through the FTA in a plenary session scheduled for tomorrow. After an opposition lawmaker sprayed tear gas at the speaker’s podium, and to bellows of complaint from other opposition representatives, the GNP held a floor vote at 4:32 p.m. and approved the pact to lift trade and investment barriers between Korea and the United States. Of the 170 lawmakers who participated, 151 voted for ratification, and seven voted against it. Twelve lawmakers abstained. The remaining 125, largely from liberal opposition parties, refused to participate in the floor vote. The FTA, concluded in 2007 and renegotiated with Washington late last year, is expected to take effect on Jan. 1. The U.S. Congress approved the pact last month. The Blue House yesterday welcomed the news. “It’s fortunate that the FTA is ratified, although the process was difficult,” said Choe Geum-nak, the Blue House senior public affairs secretary. “We thank the people for giving unconditional support for the FTA. We also thank the lawmakers who have worked hard for the ratification.” After the ratification, liberal opposition parties said they would not cooperate on any further legislative activities, including the deliberations on next year’s budget. They also vowed to lead anti-FTA protests in the streets in alliance with civic groups. After the GNP lawmakers started gathering for the surprise vote, DP and DLP lawmakers rushed to the main chamber to stop them. As he entered the room, DP Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu said, “The GNP and the Lee Myung-bak administration must not turn blind eyes to the people’s will and forcibly railroad this bill.” Before the floor vote could take place, the main chamber briefly fell into chaos after DLP Representative Kim Sun-dong opened a tear gas canister on the floor and shook it at the speaker’s podium, forcing Vice Speaker Chung Ui-hwa, a Grand National, to vacate the seat. The tear gas attack was a first for Korean politics. (Earlier in the day, Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae gave his authority to arrange a floor vote to Chung, with a request to complete the review of the ratification bill by 4 p.m.) The tear gas attack failed to stop the ruling party. Security guards forcibly removed the fiercely resisting Kim from the chamber and Chung declared the opening of the plenary session around 4:24 p.m. Two minutes later, Chung asked the lawmakers if they agreed with holding the floor vote on the ratification bill in a closed session. Of the 167 lawmakers who participated in the voting, 154 agreed. Within less than 10 minutes, the FTA was ratified 151-7. It was widely expected that the GNP would eventually use its majority - 169 lawmakers inside the 295-member legislature - to hold a floor vote and approve the FTA, but the timing was not clear until the last moment. The ratification required the majority of the National Assembly, or at least 148 lawmakers, to participate in the floor vote and a majority to approve it. A last-ditch effort to reach a compromise between the ruling and opposition parties fell through around 11 a.m. yesterday. One hour later, Representative Hwang Woo-yea, the GNP floor leader, asked National Assembly Speaker Park to introduce the ratification bill for a floor vote. The GNP began a lawmakers’ caucus at 2 p.m. to discuss next year’s budget. One hour into the meeting, GNP Chairman Hong Joon-pyo announced that the ruling party would vote on the ratification bill that day. The lawmakers got up and moved quickly to the main chamber across the hallway. Representative Lee Myong-gyu, deputy floor leader of the GNP, led the march of about 130 lawmakers. The GNP members entered the main chamber around 3:07 p.m. The minority conservative Liberty Forward Party also joined the session around 3:52 p.m. Police were deployed to block lawmakers’ aides from entering the main building of the legislature to prevent possible melees. Journalists were also blocked from entering the main chamber’s observation deck. Following the approval of the FTA, the National Assembly also passed 14 other bills to revise Korea’s laws to implement the FTA. “The government will reflect the National Assembly’s recommendations to improve measures to protect our farmers and small businesses made during the legislature’s discussion,” the Blue House’s Choe said. “We will also come up with further follow-up measures to improve their competitiveness. Considering the forecast of a global economic crisis next year, we will also put in our best efforts so that the FTA will help the Korean economy’s revitalization and increase jobs for young people.” Despite the opposition parties’ persistent demand that a provision on investor-state dispute settlements be removed from the bill, the clause remained. Lee visited the National Assembly on Nov. 15 and promised to start a renegotiation of the contentious provision with Washington after the legislature ratified the FTA. Asked if Lee will keep the promise, Choe said yesterday that the president will live up to his word if the National Assembly makes a recommendation. 1. Let's talk about the meaning of FTA. 2. Do you think the Korea-US FTA will bring a positive or negative economic growth? 3. Why is the Korea-US FTA so disputable compared to the FTA with other countries such as Chile & EU? 4. What do you think about the tear gas attack done by DLP Representative Kim Sun-Doing? Is it rational or irrational? 5. According to the article, Mr. Lee made a promise to continue a negotiation of the controversial conditions or terms with Washington. Do you think Lee will keep his words or not? [TOPIC 02]Depression rates higher in wealthy countries, study finds A new study published July 25 reveals that major depression is on the rise around the world and is more likely to hit those living in high-income countries than poorer ones. The new study tracked depression rates across 18 countries, noting that the average lifetime occurrence of depression in 10 affluent countries was 14.6 percent, with much higher depression rates in France (21 percent) and the US (19.2 percent). For those living in higher-income countries, the average age that depression is likely to strike is between 25 and 26 years old, according to the researchers. Based on the study, here are the percentages of people who either have experienced or will experience depression during their lifetimes: High-income: ● Japan: 6.6 percent ● Germany: 9.9 percent ● Italy: 9.9 percent ● Israel: 10.2 percent ● Spain: 10.6 percent ● Belgium: 14.1 percent ● New Zealand: 17.8 percent ● Netherlands: 17.9 percent ● United States: 19.2 percent ● France: 21 percent Low- and middle-income: ● China: 6.5 percent ● Mexico: 8 percent ● India: 9 percent ● South Africa: 9.8 percent ● Lebanon: 10.9 percent ● Colombia: 13.3 percent ● Ukraine: 14.6 percent ● Brazil: 18.4 percent As part of a World Health Organization study, major depressive episodes were eval‎uated by trained surveyors giving in-person interviews with more than 89,037 people in 18 countries, making this the first study to assess depression with standardized surveys, said the researchers. Participants responded to questions about depression symptoms, such as sadness, sleep patterns, and interest in daily activities, and also answered questions about their age, income, and marital status. Why richer countries experience higher rates of depression isn't crystal clear, but the researchers suggest it might be because wealthy countries have more income inequality. This study follows another published this spring that tracked mood differences between Americans and Europeans, noting that Europeans suffer from depression when they feel overworked, while Americans get a mental boost from the extra grind. Regardless of where you live, depression is a serious yet highly treatable condition. To test whether or not you may be depressed, try My Mood Monitor (M-3) - an online one-page secure questionnaire used to self-test mood and risk for depression and other types of anxiety disorders. 1. Why do you think the depression rate is higher in wealthier countries? 2. According to the article, researchers suggest that, "wealthy countries have more income inequality." Do you agree? Why or why not? 3. Does income inequality happen in your country as well? Please elaborate more on your answer. 4. What makes you depressed? 5. What do you usually do when you feel sad?