How was the holiday" planting tree days"(is it correct, maybe Konglish)?
Anyhow, cause Joe(Mr. Kim Byung Chul) is too busy to prepare this week meeting, here I present some discussion topic as below, please read the article abstracted from Korea Herald and think of your own opinion.
You may be heard several times about "Japanese false leaded history text book amending.", which is occupying front page almost everyday.
Moreover few days a go there were cyber demonstration on the internet by Korean internet user attacking Japanese site such as Japanese Moonboosung(sorry I forgot the correct Eng. name), Japanese Ambassador of Korea, Nihongezai Shinmoon(sorry, maybe other newspapers name, which is biased by the right wing?)
ineffective>
The Korean government is finding itself in a fix amid mounting criticism at home for its lukewarm response to the Japanese textbook issue.
Calls for stern government action have been building from both politicians and civic groups since Tuesday when the Japanese Education Ministry approved eight history textbooks, which Koreans rebuke for whitewashing history.
But the government faces a tough task of working out countermeasures that will pressure Japan to revise the textbooks, and at the same time preserving relations with Tokyo.
Seoul does not want the textbook issue to lead to intense diplomatic friction with Tokyo, whose cooperation is crucial for a success of engagement policy with Pyongyang. But the government can't afford to ignore the public sentiment against what extremists call a resurrection of Japan's imperial ambition.
The government announced Wednesday that it will work out concrete countermeasures in close consultation with experts.
As its first short-term step, Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo lodged Seoul's official protest in a meeting with the Japanese ambassador in Seoul. It also plans to have the Korean envoy in Japan convey its "deep regret" to high-ranking Japanese officials and politicians.
The ministry is considering demanding a revision of the textbooks after an expert team completes their analysis that is expected to take two to three months. But Japan's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it would not bow to such pressure for change saying that the screening of the content was conducted in accordance with objective guidelines.
Recalling the Korean ambassador to Japan has also been on the list of Seoul's possible responses. But officials expressed doubts over how effective such a measure would be in pressuring Japan to reverse its decision. "Such an extreme action will only hurt the bilateral relationship," a ministry official said.
The ministry is mulling over a temporary recall of the envoy, but it would be nothing more than a symbolic protest, he said.
Another possible countermeasure is postponing market openings to Japanese cultural products. But experts said such a measure is unrealistic and inefficient because Korea has already made large-scale openings in its market to Japan. "What's the use of closing doors after already opening 99 percent of the market to Japanese cultural products?" a Ministry official said.
Various measures have been discussed by government officials including using the word "Japanese King" instead of "Emperor" in official government documents and dispatching a protest delegation to Japan. But officials believe such measures will fall short of bringing about substantial results form Japan, only to add diplomatic burden to Korea.
The government is set to launch a joint campaign with civic groups to deter the Japanese provincial authorities from adopting the controversial textbooks. It will also promote joint efforts by scholars from both countries to seek historical truths and work toward preventing Japan from further distorting its history.
By Hwang Jan-jin Staff reporter
2001.04.06
Questions.
1) Have you join the cyber demostration for the D-DAY?
If you did, what's the reason? If not, the reason?
Do you think it's a kind of nationalism or patriotism or anything else can be?
2) What do you think about the demonstration?
It was affected to Japanese?(especailly to the right wing organization?)
3) Could you raise other examples like this situtation before? (e.g: Dokdo territorial rights, Jungshindae matter, etc..)
4) If you remember the simular case above, how was the reaction of Korean and Korean government that time?
Was it sufficient to beat off the false opinion?
5) What do you think about preventing importing Japanese culture and product in the meantime of adverting their overview is false?
If you don't agree, what's the best solution?
6) How the hisory distortion affect to children?
(e.g. We can see the same phenomenon near to North Korea. They teach the childern the Korean war was broken by South Korea or other examples from our side such as the rumor Kim Jung Il is abnormal closer to insane person, etc..)
Teaching history is important or not?
If yes, what's the reason? If not, the reason?
7) Can we compare Japanese with German?
German is still punishing the war criminal of the 2nd War.
<5 min. speech topic>
: "Picnic"
Anything o.k relating to picnic which can be memorable during your youth or whatever.
Please read carefully and well prepare yours.
And I recommend you guys dress nicely (cause I will bring a digital camera to take a picture.)
See you in front of Kyungbok palace am11:00 on Sunday.