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토픽이 안올라오길래 제가 두개 올려요~ ^-^
< TOPIC1 >
<Current Issues>: School entry age to be lowered
Seeking to reverse a falling birth rate, the government plans to lower the school entry age and increase education subsidies to help reduce the costs of bringing up children. A nationwide campaign against abortion will be conducted and immigration rules will be eased to bring in more foreigners, the Presidential Council for Future and Vision said yesterday. The panel reported to President Lee Myung-bak a set of measures to resolve the shrinking population. Korea recorded a birth rate of 1.12, the lowest level in the world, this year. Economic difficulties could drive down the rate to less than 1, the panel warned. It said the government will push for advancing the school entry age from the current six- years to five-years of age. Korea offers a free elementary school education. The move would help reduce costs for private education and allow more mothers to work, the panel said. The measures also include increased support for families with multiple children. It proposed that a family's third-born child be given advantages in university entrance and employment as well as financial support for high school and university fees. Retirement age for parents with multiple children should be extended, it said. Families with three or more children will be given special interest rates on their mortgages. It proposed that fathers should be encouraged to use child care leave. A variety of incentives should be given to companies which hire mothers. The panel also called for policies to increase the number of foreigners settling in the nation through easing immigration rules and allowing dual citizenship. It proposed an extensive anti-abortion campaign and measures to mitigate discrimination against single-mother families. The government will provide support of 1.5 million won ($1,300), up to three times, for each couple undergoing artificial insemination procedures, it said. Those measures will be discussed further by the panel, government ministries and a special committee under the Prime Minister's Office. They will be finalized early next year, it said.
Discussion Questions.
1. What is advantage and disadvantage of lowering the school entry age? (hint, adapting new circumstances, lowering education cost)
2. Among above supporting policies, which policy is the most attractive to you? And tell us more specific idea if you have?
(ex, I like extending retirement age for parents, it may start with state-owned company and apply for privately-owned company with government’s subsidies later on)
3. Is there any other ways to support families with three or more children except some ideas on the article?
4. How many children do you want to have and what is your main concern about bringing up children in Korea (economical problem or severe crime etc)
5. According to the article, government will ease immigration and will allow dual citizenship to increase population. About that, some people say we should make some policies to keep our babies from single moms we are sending to other countries first than accepting foreigners to increase population. What do you think about this?
< TOPIC2 >
Universal Studios' project in Korea, which had been on hold for the last two years due to financing problems, was put back on track yesterday, with big-name investors joining the 3 trillion won ($2.66 billion) project.
A total of 14 investors from public and private sectors in Korea signed a framework agreement in Seoul with Universal Studios of the United States on the massive project.
The Universal Studios Korea Resort will be located in a 4.3 square kilometer plot in Songsan Green Town in Hwaseong City, an hour's drive from Seoul.
Project financing vehicle comprised of 14 partners, including Lotte Asset Development and POSCO Engineering and Construction, will contribute to the fund.
Lotte Asset Development, a unit of Lotte Group, operator of the country's second-largest retailer, and POSCO E&C, a unit of POSCO, the world's 4th-largest steelmaker, are the largest shareholders with holdings of 26.7 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively, Gyeonggi Provincial government said. The group of investors will be responsible for operation of the theme park as well.
The list of investors will include Ssangyong Engineering & Construction, STX Construction and KCC Engineering and Construction.
The planned theme park will include a water park, theme hotel, condos, premium outlet, golf course and other leisure facilities. The resort and leisure complex will be much bigger than other existing Universal Studios in the United States, Japan and Singapore.
The construction of the theme park will be completed by 2014, officials said.
Acquisition process will be different than other development projects in Korea because the resort is to be built on reclaimed land, so the price of land is yet to be fixed. The owner of reclaimed land is Korea Water Resources Corp. Land prices can be fixed in the first quarter of this year with construction to begin early next year, officials said.
"The resort complex is expected to create 100,000 jobs," Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo said.
Investors said that tourism would grow as well.
"Not only with the project have a dramatic economic benefit throughout the country, but it will also transform the tourism business here in Korea," Universal Parks and Resorts chairman and CEO Thomas Williams, said at the signing ceremony.
The Universal CEO, however, declined to comment on how much the U.S. company would invest in the project, saying it was confidential information.
"I hope that the Universal Studio Resort will play a crucial role in attracting foreign tourists coming to Korea in the future," Yu In-chon, minister of culture, tourism and sports, said.
Korea has seen a growing number of foreign tourists visiting the country last year despite the global recession and the H1N1 flu pandemic. About 7.8 million tourists, particularly from Japan and China, visited Korea last year, 1 million more than the previous year, the minister explained.
The government hopes to lure 8.5 million tourists this year along with the recovery of global economy.
(Rank in Asia)
①② 2 Tokyo Disney Resort parks
③ Universal Studios(Japan)
④ Everland(7.5million guests)
⑤ Lotte World(5.5 M)
Discussion Question
1. A Universal Studios Resort,... do you like it? Let us think about how it affects on Korea
-. economically
-. culturally
-. in other aspects
2. Do you think it will succeed or not? Why?
-. Will it beat the currently well-performing Korean Theme Parks?
-. Will it help increase the number of incoming foreign tourists ?
-. E.T, Jaws, King Kong,... arguably the old stars, are they still attractive?
3. In the veiwpoint of business and/or other aspects, do you think it looks the best to have the park in Hwaseong? If you were one of the investors, would you have made the same decision or any different idea?
4. Domestically grown-up big companies like POSCO and Lotte joined in the project of bringing the made-in-us entertainment service. How would you judge them? Neutral? For or Against? Why?
5. Share some of your best moments from any Theme Park in Korea or outside of it.
-. What difference do you expect from the Universal Studios Park?
-. How much will you pay for the entrance and the services? Higher than the ones for the existing Theme Parks in Korea?
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