Issue 1 : simplebooklet.com

Unltered6The Concealed Reality Of School Violence: Students Suffering Near-Death PainAccording to Journalist Ye-seul Hyun of Joong-Ang Ilbo, a male student aged 17 resid-ing in Gwangju, South Korea, ended his life on June 29, 2021 due to the brutality of school violence. This adolescent was approximately 180cm tall and 90kg heavy, yet such physical traits could not prevent the cruel school vio-lence that took his life. According to the article, the perpetra-tor abused the victim’s cordial and gentle personality to commit violence disguised as jokes. They not only forcefully commanded him to obey their every order, but also habitually assaulted his face, shoulders, and thighs. They then proceeded to use the fact that victim often laughed it off as an excuse to avoid all responsibility for the violence. The court sent three out of the ve perpe-trators to the juvenile detention center for a stunningly short time of three years.Mia Lee

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7School ViolenceSurprisingly, the Korean government announced that there have been zero cases of suicide due to school violence from 2016 to 2020. Such mistaken statistics display how the Ministry of Education is ignoring the struggles of youth without a proper analy-sis or understanding of the causes behind suicide. Although reality displays a growing number of adolescents ending their lives as a result of gang violence or continuous physical and psychological bullying, most of such cases were classied as unknown because the school did not properly identify the cause of the suicide.As a member of society, we must materi-alize and practice school violence prevention methods for generations to come. To realize this, we must remember that our rst task is to understand the accurate reality of school violence.Graphics courtesy of Freepik

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Unltered8Why “Gariwangsan” Is An Issue That Everyone Should Know AboutBefore the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, Gariwangsan was known for its beautiful landscape with unique animals and plants. However, this captivating mountain was cut down for an eight-day festival. The govern-ment had promised to restore Gariwangsan right after the winter games with specic pre-established plans . However, four years have passed and the restoration process has not yet begun. Gariwangsan was not originally planned to be transformed into a ski resort. The mountain was a forest genetic resource, making it impossible for any civilians to take advantage of the mountain. People could not access the mountain, making it a favorable habitat for endangered animals such as otters, ying squirrels, lynxes, and yellow-throated marten. It was also known as a “natural seed bank” because of the num-ber of unique plants and trees. Furthermore, there were many exotic plants due to the specic structure of the mountain. The geo-logical structure had made the environment bracing during the summer and warm during the winter. However, ironically, Gariwangsan was cut down after the Korean government had to make a ski course that ts the FIS (International Ski Federation) for a down-hill course. The regulation states that every downhill course must have an elevation dif-ference of more than 800m, an average slope steeper than 17°, and a full course longer than 3km. Overall, 58,000 trees, or approx-imately 78.3 hectares, were cut off. Despite removing only 3% of the whole mountain, the landscaping was fundamental in caus-ing a trophic cascade for the Gariwangsan’s ecosystem.The conict between the Korean gov-ernment and environmental activist groups has been long sustained. The environmental Yoon Cho

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9Environmental Justiceactivist groups primarily assert that the government should hurry the restoration process regardless of its immense costs —experts predict that it will take nearly 7.7 million dollars to fully restore Gariwangsan. On the other hand, the government claims that the cable car should be kept as it brings revenue. The central government and the province of Gangwon have been avoiding responsibility, further delaying the resto-ration of Gariwangsan. Some may argue that it is already late to begin the restoration process, a multi-mil-lion-dollar project with little meaning to it. However, even with these hardships, the central government and the Gangwon-do province must proceed with the restoration project. The issue regarding Gariwangsan is not simply one of a mountain that has been cut down. The fact that it was cut down for a fes-tival that lasted only eight days should not be overlooked, as Gariwangsan’s ski course is nearly impossible to use as a ski resort due to its steepness, leaving no use after the Olympics. The government is showing mere effort in the restoration process which enrages environmental activists. The purpose

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Unltered10of the Olympics is to celebrate and strive for world peace through sports. However, leav-ing a deleterious impact on the environment as a result is not reasonable and tarnishes its ultimate purpose of striving for world peace. In a time when global pollution is a very prominent issue, cutting down Gariwangsan was the wrong choice to make in the rst place. With many foreign governments mak-ing efforts to reverse pollution, the Korean government is doing the exact opposite. In the 1960s, South Korea’s rapid devel-opment was heavily based on energy-in-tensive industries fueled by coal. The main source of energy used in South Korea is nuclear power plants. The government is moving toward carbon neutrality, but this plan is facing hardships. According to the World Economic Forum, South Korea is ranked 29th out of 31 countries and 49th out of 115 countries on the Global Energy Transition index, a numerical value on how much a country can produce renewable energ). In conclusion, the South Korean gov-ernment should put more focus on pressing environmental issues to avoid further dele-terious consequences. Furthermore, South Koreans should be more informed of these imperative issues.

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11Multicultural FamiliesMulticultural Families in South Korea Starting from the 1990s, South Korea has experienced an explosive increase in its migrant population, especially those who hail from other Asian countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, or Vietnam. There are two primary reasons why a foreigner migrates to South Korea: acquiring a job and establishing a family. However, these two courses of action have a fundamental distinction that makes all the difference. While those who enter the country with the intent of nding employment are sub-ject to the policy of temporary stay set by the Korean government, foreigners who choose to immigrate to the country via mar-riage are granted the right to permanent inhabitance. Upon the nuptials, the couple formed between the two different cultures is generally expected to take up residence in Korea as well as to have and nurture their children there. This phenomenon, which per-sists even in the present, is an unexpected one. As a country that has always treasured and cherished its position as a single-culture society, Korea has remained stoically uniform in its customs. Though most other countries in this region embraced the growing ethnic diversity that came with civilization, Korea retained the community that prided itself on homogeneity. As a result, this sudden inux of foreigners brought to light a new set of questions and challenges as the traditional unvarying ethnicity came face to face with the new diversity that was introduced. The Korean government seemingly embraces and exhorts the expanding pop-ulation of immigrants in the country, even heartily espousing more liberal immigration policies and actively promoting multicultur-alism. Notwithstanding, the people persist, being harder to convince. Ranging from grudging tolerance to outright deance, the general public’s views spurns the impend-ing diversication and clearly depicts its desire to keep itself as a recluse. Though the country interacts with other nations to form symbiotic relationships for mutual benet, when referring to those who populate Korea, the citizens remain adamant. Within this Dylan Kim

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Unltered12craving for sanguineous purity is an under-lying superiority complex, one that views those originally from any Asian country other than Korea as inferiors and of lower status. These implicit prejudices elicit the general populace’s disapproving nature toward these “multicultural families.” Though the govern-ment portrays a widespread advocacy for immigration into Korea, this is but a facade. Despite much talk about the preeminence of acceptance and integration, the country seems to nd trouble in the actual applica-tion of embracing diversity. The terminal question remains unan-swered. Is South Korea becoming a multi-cultural society, a community in which sui generis ethnocultural identities are espoused by both the citizenry and the state? With the bias and negative perception that the members of the South Korean community have exhibited up until the current state of affairs, cynicism is in order. Those born into multicultural families face arduous parti-tions, built upon the foundation of discrim-ination. These children, born to the same country, treated in a partisan way due to Graphics courtesy of Freepik

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13Multicultural Familiestheir complexion or the country their parents hailed from, face hardship for circumstances out of their control. This inequitable stance cannot be subsisted. As an act of deprivation of cardinal human rights, the challenge that the Korean community now confronts is one that determines the community’s solicitude and charity. Though the process will be a very long, gradual, and highly contested one, and many will stand by the belief that only those of pure “Korean blood” can be Korean, a gen-eral effort can surmount change within the Korean faction.Graphics courtesy of Kindpng

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14UnlteredCOVID-19:The Deepened Gap in EducationAccording to reporter Yeji Jang of Hankyoreh News, one student attending a foreign language high school in Seoul remarked that their school created an indi-vidual website for live classes. Meanwhile, many others at general high schools were required to take asynchronous courses through the ofcial EBS website which often crashed due to having too many users. It was hence a challenge for students who were not privileged enough to attend special purpose high schools to fully access the resources, especially technology, necessary for studying during the pandemic. A survey conducted by Gyeonggi Institute of Education showed that about 2 to 4 in 10 students of lower socio-economic status admitted experiencing inconveniences with technology and envi-ronments in studying remotely from home.Additionally, because special purpose high schools have higher tuitions, the socioeconomic divide was evident in the educational eld. According to a study led by Professor Joohee Lee of Ewha Womans University, the quality of education differed immensely by the type of school, and such schools solely focused on recognizing and supporting students with high performances. The socioeconomic backgrounds of students were an important factor that aggravated the gap in the quality of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such an educational divide existed before COVID-19, as proven by PISA 2018 (OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment). Students of the middle and lower-class (with parents who received secondary education) showed larger drops in mathematics performance than those of the higher class (with parents who received tertiary education) did. Dr. Soo-yong Byun of Pennsylvania State University Emily Son

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15Educational Inequalityfurther explained this situation in a book he co-wrote, “In recent years, the academic achievement of the poor has decreased sig-nicantly, resulting in the gap in academic achievement between classes to widen” (Byun & Lee). It is of utmost importance to recog-nize and address such issues that resulted from socioeconomic differences, as they will continue to be pressing issues even as soci-ety recovers from the pandemic and slowly returns to pre-COVID life. Graphics courtesy of vectorjuice

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Unltered16Introduction: Mental Health Stigma in KoreaSouth Korea, at rst glace, is not a coun-try one would suspect for mental health issues. After all, not only is South Korea a wealthy nation, ranking 10th in GDP, but also it is considered by many to have a high qual-ity of life. And yet, among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member nations, South Korea per-formed despicably.A meager amount is done regarding mental health ailments that South Koreans clearly suffer from. Namely, South Koreans are hesitant to consult mental health resources. In fact, only 15.3% of South Alex JungGraphics courtesy of pch.vector

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17Cultural IdentityKoreans with mental illnesses received men-tal health services, a stark contrast to 44% within other developed nations. So what exactly causes this stark disparity?Much of South Korea’s low usage rate can be attributed to stigma. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) denes three types of stigma: public, referring to nega-tive attitudes towards others with mental ailments; self, referring to negative and shameful attitude to oneself when suffer-ing mental ailments; institutional, referring to public policies in place acting against persons with metal health ailments. The stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination that come along with the types of stigma are organized in Figure 1. These stigmas prove to be extremely harmful. For instance, Figure 1 demonstrates the shame and self-deprivation that accom-panies public and self stigma. Furthermore, as mentioned, stigma is associated with reduced usage of mental health resources. Moreover, it can lead to negative effects on recovery or even worsening of symptoms.Thus, to alleviate these issues, it is para-mount to tackle mental health stigma.Figure 1Public Self Institutional

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Unltered18How did Korea, a formerly drug-free country, become tainted with drugs?The so-called “throwing method,” where ordinary people could easily obtain drugs if they want, is indiscriminately exposing Korea to drugs.Drug transactions in the past mainly occurred through the dark web that cannot be found with general search engines such as Chrome and Naver. However, buyers recently began to trade and purchase drugs in a more reliable and accessible way.The “throwing method” is a method in which drug buyers and sellers do not trade drugs face-to-face.First of all, drug dealers post their Telegram IDs and code names for the drugs that they trade on various platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. When a drug buyer who reads the seller’s post contacts the seller via Telegram and pays in digital currency, the trader informs them of the location they have placed the drug in advance. This transaction method avoids police investigation as accurate identica-tion is difcult since everything from the Hayun KimGraphics courtesy of Katemangostar

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19Drug Addictionpurchase to payment and acquisition is “non-face-to-face.”Investigator C of the Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Ofce said, “Bitcoin is rarely used for drug transactions since all trans-mission and reception records remain.”The dealing places are mainly under the air conditioner units in alleys, inside toilet bowls in a public bathroom, and on a chair in the subway. Such drugs are left in specic places that ordinary people would cluelessly pass by and never check.The number of easy drug transactions through social media reached a record high of 18,050 in 2020, marking an 12.5% increase from the previous year (16,044).Drug dealers continue to be arrested as a result of police investigations. From November 2020 to August 2022, the police have caught dealers who sold drugs worth 500 million won by posting advertisements for the sale of narcotics on social media. They sold various drugs such as liquid hemp, ketamine, and ecstasy, to buyers who were mostly young students or ofce workers in their 20s and 30s.Furthermore, the age of drug offenders continues to decrease. Of the drug offenders arrested by the police last year, many (3,211 people) were in their 20s, followed by those in their 30s (2,803) and those in their 40s (2,346).However, Seung Jae-hyeon, a research fellow at the Criminal Policy Research Institute, pointed out that “drug crime meth-ods are becoming more and more intelligent, but drug investigations still remain faulty as in the past.” “Domestic drug dealers are merely branches of a tree, and the police must aim to catch the root, residing inter-nationally. However, this is difcult and there are limits to the investigation,” he added.

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Unltered20The Gender Division in KoreaStatistically, the younger generation in most countries are presumed to lean lib-eral. This had always been the case in South Korea until the recent presidential election. Between the democratic Lee-JaeMyoung and the republican Yoon-Suk Yeol, young male voters made a sharp turn towards conservatism, resulting in almost a clean divide between the sexes. The Seoul may-oral by-election held in April also resulted in a staggering 72.5 percent of male voters in their 20s voting conservative, a proportion higher even than male voters in their 60s and older (70.2 percent). Although many factors contributed to the sudden change in political views, the most inuential component was the controversy around feminism. Feminism, by denition is “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed espe-cially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests”. The term has often stirred controversy, but as awareness for the gender inequality that women face increased in the last decade, more women and men in western countries are beginning to turn more progressive and identifying as femisnist. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for South Korea as stigma around the word is higher than ever. The word femi-nist is often used as an insult online towards people who advocate for women’s rights, and is often accompanied with the idea that said people are antisocial and illogical. Feminists, in return have created the word ‘Han-Nam’ to generalize and attack korean men that oppose their movement. As more male and female dom-inated sites are being widely used, the Iseo Yun

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Unltered22extremist way of labeling and demonizing the ‘other side’ is becoming more common, making it harder than ever for the two sides to reconcile. The 2019 KWDI study found that men who engaged with websites domi-nated by men showed an increased hostility towards feminism, compared with their peers who did not. Many do not see feminism as a ght for equality. Instead they resent it and view it as a form of reverse discrimination, a movement to take away their jobs and their opportunities through afrmative actions such as reinforcement of sexual harrasment law or mandatory military service. On the other hand, in 2015, a radical feminist group Megalia entered cyberspace. However, this group was not only interested in expanding feminist messages or sharing their expe-riences; Megalia adopted trolling tactics, misogynistic language and aimed to provoke male users. Through so-called mirroring, they copied the very same misogynistic lan-guage and tactics and reversed the position of the victims (females) and the offenders (males). According to Jeong and Lee (2018), “This mirroring reveals how bizarre the orig-inal was, and allows users to recognize the misogynistic assumptions and tones that were hitherto so pervasive as to be almost imperceptible”. Communication is key in solving all disputes. Unfortunately when people are only willing to communicate with people that agree with their viewpoints, progress is impossible. In a world where the idea that politics or social issues are a ght between the good and the evil is increasing, it’s important to purposely expose yourself to the other perspective.

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23LGBTKorea’s rst sexually diverse reality dat-ing show, “남의 연애,” will release its rst episode this month on Waave.The short trailer, released before the airing on July 15, drew a lot of attention, recording 7,000 views on YouTube and 1 million on Twitter. However, the beginning is not as easy as it seems to take the rst step to change the conservative society that is South Korea. There were as many as 110,000 quote retweets, meaning that 10,000 people left their opinions on such programs. Of course, it is unreasonable to expect acceptance from all. While there are many who send warm messages of support to the brave participants, there are also those who express reluctance. Several hat-ers poured out rude, personal remarks to the participants who have not even shown their faces properly. However, rather than reckless hate speech, the fact that prevalent ideas in queer communities such as “what if those of the same position are matched?” were being talked about among heterosexuals is also noticeable. This possibly is one proof that homosexuality has reached some degree of understanding among the general public.The First Sexually Diverse Reality Show in KoreaSeoyeon Ryu

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