Unseen Summer 2020

Copyright Š 2020 by Korean Youth Honor Society (KYHS) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by Photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Printed in Seoul, Republic of Korea June 30, 2020 Grace E. Song Director, KYHS Washington Washington DC Office 10560 Main Street, #508 Fairfax, VA 22030 USA 703-277-9515

Yeonsoo Doh Writing Advisor, KYHS Seoul Jeongsu Kim Founder, KYHS and Director, KYHS Seoul Korean Youth Honor Society 129 Bongeunsa-Ro, #708 Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 06121 Republic of Korea 010-7220-7176 www.youthhonor.org ISBN 979-11-9790429-0-4

info@eduwashington.com

UNSEEN T H E

J O UR NA L

O F

SUMMER 2020

K Y H S

KOREAN YOUTH HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS Summer 2020

Republic of Korea

The United States of America

President Eunjae Yu, Fayston Preparatory School, 11th Vice President Jun Yeol Choi, Hankook Academy of Foreign Studies, 11th Editor in Chief Yunsu Lee, Homeschool, 11th

President Paul Kim, McLean High School, 10th (Virginia) Vice President Seoyoon Lee, McLean High School, 10th (Virginia)

Seoyeon Choi, Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, 11th Yoorim Jang, Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, 11th Sekyoung Hwang, North London Collegiate School Jeju, 11th Eugene Kang, Ivy Collegiate School, 11th Hyeyoon Jung, Branksome Hall Asia, 11th Jiwon Kim, Saint Paul Preparatory Seoul, 11th Yujin Kim, Seoul Foreign School, 11th Erica Seo-yeon Cho, Yongsan International School of Seoul, 11th Joonsoo Heo, Dulwich College Seoul, 11th Seonmin Kim, Ewha Girls’ High School, 11th Ansu Lee, Yongsan International School of Seoul, 9th Haeun Jeong, Seoul International School, 9th Hyowon Gu, Ivy Collegiate School, 9th Sungtack Oh, Haven Christian School, 9th Toni Chiyoung Ban, Seoul Foreign School, 9th Byoungchan Kang, Fayston Preparatory School, 9th Seyoung Jang, Branksome Hall Asia, 9th Yuna Jang, Homeschool, 9th Justin Park, Yongsan International School of Seoul, 9th Alex Han, Chadwick International, 9th Hannah Kim, Asia Pacific International School, 8th Seongjoon Yang, Seoul Academy, 8th Sangyeon Song, Kyungwon Middle School, 8th Jioh Kim, Asia Pacific International School, 8th Michelle Yoo, Asia Pacific International School, 8th

ii | UN SEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Naeun Kim, The Buckley School, 10th (California) Shin Lee, Western Reserve Academy, 10th (Ohio) Jin Lee, Western Reserve Academy, 10th (Ohio) Yemin Lee, Lake Braddock Secondary School, 9th (Virginia) Anastasia Choo, Hunter College High School, 9th (New York) Eugene Kwon, Pioneer Middle School, 8th (California) Subin Pyo, Tenafly Middle School, 8th (New Jersey) Arabelle Choo, Hunter College High School, 7th (New York)

Malaysia Sung Won Yoon, International School of Kuala Lumpur, 10th

Cambodia Young Eun Lee, International School of Phnom Penn, 9th Ha Eun Lee, International School of Phnom Penn, 8th

Australia Erin Kim, Geelong Grammar School, 10th

Contents

4 “I’m not a murderer” How the Movie Split Misrepresented DID Toni Chiyoung Ban Adverse Health Effects of Urbanization Erica Seo-yeon Cho 9 Psychological Influence of Robots on Humans Seoyeon Choi 15 Global Environment Activists at a Young Age Jun Yeol Choi 20 Mental Health: The Unseen Pandemic Anastasia Choo 23 Federalism in COVID-19 Arabelle Choo 27 31 Mental Health in Pandemics: How Virtual Reality Aids Social Interaction Hyowon Gu 39 The Relationship between Democratization & Economic Growth: the Case of Malawi Alex Han COVID-19 and Contact Tracing System in South Korea Joonsoo Heo 44 Drug Addiction: Do We Know Enough about This Topic? Sekyoung Hwang 47 Disney Princesses : How It Has Shaped Us Yoorim Jang 53 The Gaming Revolution by Big Data Seyoung Jang 60 WHO and Countries’ Responses to COVID 19 Yuna Jang 64 Whistleblowers: the Referees of Our Society Haeun Jeong 69 Marine Waste Hyeyoon Jung 75 Artificial Intelligence and Rethinking Communism Eugene Kang 82 Climate Change and Conflicts among Countries Byoungchan Kang 88 How South Korea Contained COVID-19 Jiwon Kim 92 The Impact of the Livestock Industry on Climate Change Yujin Kim 96 Wildfire in Australia Seonmin Kim 101 The Actions of China Paul Kim 103 The father of the pioneer of Artificial Intelligence, Alan Turing Naeun Kim 107 Utopia: Finding the “Perfect” Economic System Erin Kim 112 Endangered Marine Animals Hannah Kim 119 Students Deserve Better Lunch Eugene Kwon 124 What Chaebols have done for Korean Economy Yunsu Lee 127 Militarized Drone Seoyoon Lee 133 International Cooperation for Cybercrimes Shin Lee 139 Luxury Brand: What It Is and What We Should Know About It Jin Lee 142 Controversy of the Belt and Road Initiative Ansu Lee 146 Fossil Fuel VS Solar Power Yemin Lee 149 Being a Multilingual Young Eun Lee 153 Concentration Camps in North Korea Ha Eun Lee 157 Coronavirus Sungtack Oh 159 Virus and Violence in Europe Justin Park 162 NATO: The Past and the Future Subin Pyo 164 Postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Sangyeon Song 169 Railway and a Nation’s Economy Seongjoon Yang 177 Smartphone Addiction Michelle Yoo 181 The Only Virus Present is Your Racism Sung Won Yoon 186 Australian Bushfire Eunjae Yu 189 UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | i i i

“I’m not a murderer”

How the Movie Split Misrepresented Dissociative Identity Disorder Toni Chiyoung Ban Seoul Foreign School, 9th The media has a reputation for being one of the most powerful tools for the human population when it is used correctly. The last five words will prove to be extremely important as they delineate a fine line between “fake news” and its factually correct counterpart that describes events that correspond to reality. Although this line is subjective in certain circumstances, it is not new that social media, the news, and films like to exaggerate or contend with common misconceptions because of their flashy nature. Take the film Split. It seems to be your average horror, sci-fi Hollywood trope that takes a spin on a mental disorder. As much as this is true, the viewer often forgets that every other part of this film does not represent the reality of our everyday lives.

The disorder presented in the movie, which is dissociative identity disorder (DID), has been one of the most understudied and stigmatized disorders despite its shocking prevalence. Since its first discovery, dating all the way back to the late 1700s, those suffering from DID have endured some difficulties, to say the 4 | UN SEEN - THE J OU RNAL OF KYHS

least. Anything from name change part way through to intense philosophical scrutiny, the DID community has seen many lows.

Even though it is officially recognized as a disorder within the international mental health community, DID is still heavily controversial, but more on that later. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), DID is defined as “a disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states.”

These alternate states of identity have a function of their own with a different set of memories and a distinct sense of awareness. Each of these alternate states of identity (known as ‘alters’ for short) are their own independent person. In one of the earliest cases in 1791, a German woman began to speak fluent French and had the mannerisms of a French aristocrat.

Believe it or not, she had never stepped foot in France.

To fully grasp the scope of DID, one must first understand the theory of structural dissociation. In essence, it is thought that no one is born with a fully integrated personality. During normal

childhood development, at around the ages of six to nine, the personality begins to integrate, but when this process is interrupted by severe and repeated trauma, and children feel that they are unable to cope with the situation or feel as if they cannot live knowing what happened, then the brain decides to put up amnesic barriers in order to protect themselves. As a result, their personality becomes unable to develop as one and instead developed separately. Under the circumstances that a child is inherently able to dissociate to a high level, it is very likely that the child may develop DID in cases of severe childhood trauma. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that DID is a survival mechanism. The only reason why the brain splits off these personalities is so that the child can protect oneself from traumatic memories. The media often highlights these individuals are threatening to society, but it is fully possible for a person with this condition to live a highly functioning and fulfilling life.

It is thought that 1-3% of the population has DID, but some experts argue that the number could be as high as 7%, considering how often this disorder gets undiagnosed. There are overwhelming reasons why this disorder is not often diagnosed, even when it should be. For one, mental health professionals are not often taught to recognize and diagnose DID and are sometimes not even informed of its existence. The lack of education on this topic is due to significant doubt concerning the disorder despite it being recognized for a long period of time with copious evidence from brain scans to

practical assessments given by several other professionals. Several studies over the decades have shown that when an individual who has been diagnosed with DID switches from one alter to another during a CAT scan, different sections of the brain light up, and there is a significant change in thinking between each alter.

The second reason is directly related to individuals with DID. More than often, they are either unaware that they have DID or are not personally educated. Stigma is not just limited to people without the disorder, but even people with the disorder may have uninformed, negative views on themselves when they come to terms with it. Since DID is inherently a hidden disorder from both the person who has it and the people around them, there are a lot of stigma towards DID or mental health in general, thus making it incredibly difficult for them to get help.

While the media is responsible for educating and informing the public on the aforementioned issues, it occasionally takes a radically different approach to the disorder. In some cases, the disorder is glorified as a supernatural power, and in others, it is depicted as simply dangerous. On one end of the spectrum, the disorder is seen as a supernatural occurrence that does not exist in real life, while some believe that the disorder makes people violent and “beast-like.�

Popular movies such as Split, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, cross several lines when it comes to truly dealing with the disorder itself. In the words of Charlie Kaufman, played by Nicolas Cage in another movie called Adaptation, “The UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 5

only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personalities.” It appears that this statement has not been heeded by the filmmakers creating movies implying that innate danger and evilness lie deeply in people with “multiple personalities.”

Essentially, with Split, the director wanted to create a movie that would combine fantasy and real life, and as seemingly harmless as it may be, there were several key problems within this film that caused a severe backlash from the DID community. The story is about a man named Kevin with DID and his kidnapping of three teenage girls who are locked and prepared for a sacrifice. Although the movie appears like something out of a typical horror movie trope, much harm was done to patients and those suffering within the DID community, considering how heavily stigmatized and discriminated they already are. Nevertheless, Split was correct in showing that DID originated from childhood trauma and that the main antagonist played by James McAvoy pulled off a convincing performance. Yet, to the despair of many, that makes the end to what Split does correctly.

The most obvious issue with Split was that it made it seem as if the disorder was inherently very hazardous and that individuals with this disorder had some kind of “beast-like,” murderous nature.

Some may argue that most people who sat in the movie theatres and watched Split would not leave thinking that the movie was accurate and would know that the depiction of the character and the actions arising thereof do not represent reality. Unfortunately, despite this being 6 | UN SEEN - THE J OU RNAL OF KYHS

the commonsensical thought to have, a vast number of people take what is in the movie for fact. Since there is not much discussion or clarification on the disorder, people will just assume that the concept of “multiple personalities” is just another Hollywood trope rather than an actual disorder. To make it even worse, there have been cases in which many medical students have been ignorantly taught about DID through this movie. As a direct result of misrepresentation in media, most individuals with DID have been told by their family and friends: “as long as one of you doesn’t try to kill me” or “which one of you is the evil one,” further pushing the narrative that the disorder makes those ‘split’ a threat to society.

The sad reality behind this disorder is that when people are unsure of or struggle to understand it, their instinct is to call it fake or be afraid of it. Due to its very inaccurate representation in the media even before Split was made, the general public assumed that DID was just something that belonged to horror movies and books and not actually real. In cases in which it was real, it was assumed that these people were very dangerous and would actively hurt people. The making and wide distribution of Split only further pushed these ideas to cast further negative judgments onto the DID community. It appears that the topic is only discussed when the disorder is in an unrealistic, supernatural portrayal in the media. The truth is that these individuals are not more likely than the average individual to be violent or be criminals. Rather, these individuals are more vulnerable to abuse

and crime as they are victims of severe trauma. If they were to be put back in traumatic situations, they would likely fall into a state of helplessness.

Throughout the making of the movie, the director was not simply “uneducated.” In fact, several doctors, psychologists, and members of the community reached out to him regarding concerns they had about what the movie was portraying. There was a petition created by an individual with DID, asking that the director should include a short message explaining that the movie was not an accurate representation of the disorder. Sadly, even after over 16,000 signatures and multiple requests from professionals and community members, there was no word from Shyamalan or the producers. There were even attempts to reach his personal assistant Rakel Joyce and despite her claiming to have shown him the petition, there were no follow-ups or changes being made.

In late 2014, two years before the movie’s premiere, Bethany Brand, a clinical psychologist, spoke with the director on the subject of DID. She offered to connect Shyamalan with individuals with DID but was rejected and ignored.

Shortly after the trailer was released, Brand personally contacted Shyamalan due to her concerns that the movie further reinforced the incorrect stigma about the disorder and asked how he planned on dealing with the film’s potential harm to the community. Shyamalan announced that both “he and Universal Pictures were interested in promoting information and support for those with DID,” but

his actions speak louder than his words.

Brand reported that it initially seemed as if things were going smoothly, but shortly thereafter, all that could be heard were “crickets… there was nothing.”

The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that Shyamalan intentionally created a damaging film, fully knowing that there were ways to deal with the harms and having already been given several opportunities and options. Even James McAvoy, who played the leading role in the movie, stated in an interview with the morning show Today that he was unable to find and talk to any individual with DID. Even without the director’s knowledge, there were plenty of resources freely given and available to the production crew only to be turned down and ignored. When the film finally came out, there was an immense backlash from the community and many medical professionals. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) stated that despite Shyamalan’s talent as a director, he “does a disservice to his artistic ability and to the over 20 percent of the population who, at some time or another, struggle with some form of mental illness.” The society goes on to state that the movie only “acts to further marginalize those who already struggle on a daily basis with the weight of stigma.”

At the end of the day, we really need to consider how all of this affects the DID community. Frustration and injustice are not the only aspects to consider when discussing the film’s lasting impacts. By not presenting a proper and balanced portrayal of these individuals, the film UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 7

further perpetuates the fact that the individuals with DID are either not real or crazy. This means that even professionals may stray away from the topic, making it incredibly difficult for the patients to get treatment and diagnosis. It can also mean that, on account of such misunderstanding and misinterpretation of their real conditions, those with DID may get put in a psych ward against their will because those around them do not understand them.

When something you create produces direct and obvious harms, ignoring the warnings and having everything your own way can be seen rather dismissive and offensive. It could potentially mean that some individuals will be locked up and caged away while the director cashes in more money than what has been donated to the DID community. Creative freedom liberates many artists, in this case, a filmmaker, but ‘just because you can’ does not mean that you should.

Works Cited DID Research. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://did-research.org/did/myths. html What Are Dissociative Disorders? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www. p s y c h i a t r y. o r g / p a t i e n t s - f a m i l i e s / dissociative-disorders/what-aredissociative-disorders Fischer, K. (2017, February 14).

Split: Why Mental Health Experts Are Critical of the Movie. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/healthnews/movie-split-harms-people-with-

8 | UN SEEN - THE J OU RNAL OF KYHS

dissociative-identity-disorder Rose, S. (2017, January 12).

From Split to Psycho: Why cinema fails dissociative identity disorder. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/ film/2017/jan/12/cinema-dissociativepersonality-disorder-split-james-mcavoy Bramesco, C. (2017, January 25). Split is the latest horror film to misunderstand why mental illness is terrifying. Retrieved from https://www. theverge.com/2017/1/25/14385948/ split-movie-m-night-shyamalan-jamesmcavoy-horror-psycho-hitchcock The Importance of Representing Dissociative Identity Disorder in Fiction and Media for Children. (2019, July 31).

Retrieved from https://www.acamh.org/ blog/the-importance-of-representingdissociative-identity-disorder-in-fictionand-media-for-children/ Muller, R. (2013, January 19).

The Media and Dissociative Identity Disorder. Retrieved from https://www. psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talkingabout-trauma/201301/the-media-anddissociative-identity-disorder Bramesco, C. (2017, January 25). Split is the latest horror film to misunderstand why mental illness is terrifying. Retrieved from https://www. theverge.com/2017/1/25/14385948/ split-movie-m-night-shyamalan-jamesmcavoy-horror-psycho-hitchcock Dissociative Disorders. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/ About-Mental-Illness/Mental-HealthConditions/Dissociative-Disorders

Adverse Health Effects of Urbanization Erica Seo-yeon Cho Yongsan International School of Seoul, 11th

Urbanization is defined as the process of a population undergoing changes towards a more urban society, and it has often been credited for improving the overall quality of life (Hussain & Imitiyaz, 2018). However, this could not be further from the truth when it comes to the effects of urbanization on human health. As Mark M. Montgomery (2008) stated in his article “The Urban Transformation of the Developing World,” the estimated number of urban dwellers is expected to more than double from 2000 to 2050. This significant increase in people living in urbanized areas also brings about various concerns about the potential harms of urbanization.

Given that there are several detrimental effects of urbanization, what are the most pressing issues that make urbanization harmful to the physical human body?

With obesity-related medical expenditures estimated at $147 billion, it is quite clear that obesity is a prevalent health problem in urbanized areas (Finkelstein et al., 2009, as cited in Han & Powell, 2011).

Additionally, outdoor air pollution has also presented itself as a problem, killing about 1.2 million people every year around

the world mainly due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). With urbanization being a growing trend around the world, the potential harms of urbanization must be brought into attention (Montgomery, 2008). If not recognized, the adverse health effects of urbanization will continue to harm the health and well-being of people in all countries. In all, although urbanization may have improved certain aspects of daily life, urbanization has led to severe detrimental effects on human health, specifically concerning increasing obesity and deteriorating air pollution.

Before elaborating on the detrimental health effects of urbanization, it must be recognized that urbanization has improved the quality of life in several ways. Dr. Jacob Kumaresan, the director of the World Health Organization’s Centre for Health Development, stated that “Urban living continues to offer many opportunities, including potential access to better health care” (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). The increased accessibility to various resources, such as medical help, affordable food, higher education, and UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 9

employment opportunities has attracted many people to the urban population in the past few decades, especially because these improvements provide potential opportunities unavailable in rural areas (Vlahov et al., 2007). However, the availability of some of these resources is also potential harms to human health.

In the same statement mentioned above, Dr. Kumaresan continued on to claim that “today’s urban environments can concentrate health risks and introduce new hazards” due to the fact that the resources available can often be detrimental to human health (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). For instance, the availability of affordable foods mentioned above has led the urban population to a great increase in obesity, which is the first main problem concerning the effects of urbanization on human health.

Obesity is prevalent and detrimental to health in urbanized communities. There are two main causes of this phenomenon: unhealthy food consumption and a lack of exercise. First, urbanization has led to a significant influx of unhealthy foods.

Due to the accessibility and affordability of unhealthy foods, urban diets have displayed trends towards the consumption of unhealthy foods over the healthy alternatives. According to Popkin, the director of the UNC Interdisciplinary Obesity Center, consumers have desired rice or wheat, processed foods with higher sugars and fats, over corn, millet, or homecooked meals (Popkin, 1999, as cited in McCormack & Meendering, 2015). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States (FAO) attributed this 10 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

preference of unhealthy foods to intense advertising and marketing in urbanized communities (“Trade and Consumption,” 2018). All consumers in urban areas can be easy target demographics for unhealthy fast foods, because the appeal of fast foods lies in their availability and affordability.

This makes unhealthy foods the easiest to obtain for the majority of the urban population, regardless of socioeconomic status. The fact that fast foods are so easy to obtain causes the increased consumption, leading to obesity.

Next, the second cause of the increase in obesity is the decrease in exercise in urban populations. The World Health Organization stated in a report that physical exercise is difficult in urban areas due to certain inevitable factors of urbanization. First, the usage of motorized transportation causes a decrease in the amount of time people spend walking outside (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). Increased motorized transportation leads to high-volume traffic, which adds on to the already unhealthy air quality in urbanized areas (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). Another factor that adds on to the unhealthy air quality is the proximity of facilities emitting deleterious exhausts (Hynes & Lopez, 2006). These various factors worsen air quality, often making it unhealthier to exercise outside than not exercise at all. While all of these factors discourage outdoor exercise, there is a “lack of safe public spaces and recreation/sports facilities” (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). This lack of safe public spaces has also caused the increase in crime rates in urbanized

areas, further discouraging people from exercise (Hynes & Lopez, 2006). Taking all of the factors mentioned above into consideration, it is no wonder that 57% of Americans reported to exercising rarely or not at all (Brown, 2001). This decrease in exercise in urban areas combined with the higher consumption of unhealthy foods has led to a dangerous increase in obesity in urban areas.

The prevalence of obesity is something that cannot be ignored. The state of obesity is rapidly becoming widespread in urban areas to the point where 1 out of 10 children between the ages 6-17 are overweight, and obesity amongst children has doubled over the past few decades (Brown, 2001). It is not only in already-urbanized areas that childhood obesity is rapidly increasing; this is also the case in areas around the world predicted to become urbanized in the near future. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that “childhood obesity is a global epidemic that is spreading into the developing world,” where 86% of the world’s population growth is expected to take place (Montgomery, 2008 ; Schmidt, 2003). If these developing countries become highly urbanized, the population will most likely follow the observed patterns of urbanization and consume more unhealthy foods while exercising less. Therefore, obesity is becoming widespread not only in already urban areas but also in developing countries where urbanization is expected to take place. Additionally, childhood obesity is especially concerning because obese children are more likely to become obese

adults and therefore prone to obesityrelated diseases (Daniels, n.d., as cited in Schmidt, 2003). As of 2016, 650 million adults and 340 million children were reported to be obese (“Obesity and Overweight,” 2018). These numbers are extremely problematic, because this increasing number of obese people in urban areas equates to the prevalence of obesity-related diseases for the urban population.

The main reason why obesity is considered to be greatly harmful is due to the fact that obesity is attributed to be the main cause of various diseases and therefore the reduction of life expectancy.

First, multiple researchers have pointed to obesity as one of the causes for the increase in type II diabetes observed in urban areas (Brown, 2001; Costa, 2015; Hawkes et al., 2017). According to Leal, Gray, and Clarke (2009), all part of the department of public health in the universities of Oxford and Sydney, type II diabetes has also been recognized as the cause of various cardiovascular diseases, which are responsible for about 70% of all mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

As a result of cardiovascular diseases or type II diabetes, obesity was estimated to decrease a person’s life expectancy up to 19 years (“Obesity Could,” 2014). Constant treatment of the disease, as well as a shortened life expectancy, is detrimental to the quality of life of a person, and this also affects the society and the overall urbanized community that the person is a part of. However, the shortening of life expectancy by 19 years is most likely an underestimate. Obesity does not UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 11

only cause cardiovascular diseases, but also increases the risks of stroke, breast cancer, colon cancer, and arthritis (Brown, 2001). Thinking back to the prevalence of obesity in urbanized areas, obesity is a significant problem that currently has and will have an extremely detrimental effect on the health of urbanized populations.

After taking into consideration of the fact that obesity is related to a wide variety of health detriments, it must be recognized that an increase in obesity due to rapid urbanization is a problem that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Similar to obesity, increasing air pollution in urban areas can also cause various diseases which ultimately harm the human body. There are multiple causes of air pollution, but the WHO stated that the majority of urban air pollution is caused by motorized vehicles (“Urbanization and Health,” 2010). In urbanized areas where motor vehicles constantly fill every street, the resulting rise in carbon dioxide emissions are inevitable. In agreement, Margaret Thatcher (1989), the former prime minister of the United Kingdom and an active advocate for environmental conservation, reported in a speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations that urbanization has led to a “a vast increase in the amount of carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere.” Thatcher (1989) goes on to provide statistics, stating that the annual increase in carbon dioxide emissions is three billion tons, and “half the carbon emitted since the Industrial Revolution still remains in the atmosphere.” The ongoing carbon emissions are only adding to the lingering 12 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

carbon emissions in the atmosphere, and it must be brought into attention that these carbon dioxide emissions remaining in the atmosphere are unhealthy for the human body. Although different regulations have been established in certain areas around the world, the WHO in particular has specified whether the type of pollutants and their amounts would be healthy for the amount of area available (“WHO Releases,” 2016). However, “92% of the world’s population lives in places where the air quality levels exceed WHO limits” (“WHO Releases,” 2016). The fact that an overwhelming majority of the world population live in extremely unhealthy air conditions displays the significance of this problem, for all these people are being affected by the various diseases that different types of air pollution cause.

There is a wide variety of diseases caused by air pollution. Sulfurous smog and photochemical air pollution were two highly recognized types of air pollution in which reduced visibility and lung problems were identified as the effects on human health (Parrish & Stockwell, 2015). The organization Physicians for Social Responsibility elaborated on the various lung problems identified, providing information on diseases such as but not limited to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer (“How Air Pollution,” 2009). Although problems more extreme than slight respiratory problems are often not recognized, the various diseases caused by air pollution display the adverse health effects of living in highly urbanized areas with extremely

polluted air. Furthermore, it was also found that children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution due to the fact that they breathe through their mouths instead of their noses, which allow pollutants to travel deeper into the lungs (“How Air Pollution,” 2009). With children being more prone to the dangers of air pollution, outdoor air pollution was estimated to cause about 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide every year (“WHO Releases,” 2016). As mentioned above, in the majority of areas, pollution is much worse than the accepted healthy air quality conditions.

Although people may not realize it in the moment, air pollution causes long-term health problems. Research conducted on air pollution related diseases must be brought into attention, and stricter regulations should be put in place in order to control carbon dioxide emissions in urbanized areas.

In conclusion, after research on the effects of urbanization on human health, it can be concluded that urbanization is incredibly harmful for the human body.

Whether it be due to an unhealthy diet or substandard air quality, urbanization has displayed a consistent pattern for causing various diseases for the overall urban population. Every country in the world is displaying tendencies towards rapid urbanization, and as mentioned in the beginning, it is estimated that the number of urban dwellers will more than double by 2050. Calls for international cooperation, an example being the speech by Margaret Thatcher, cannot continue to be disregarded. The WHO must not only establish, but also strongly

enforce regulations concerning the issues mentioned above in order to ensure various improvements in urban living conditions.

Urbanization is something that cannot be avoided as time progresses and the world globalizes. Perhaps by recognizing the problems surrounding urbanization, we will be able to take action in order to ensure the health and safety of our future generations as the world continues to urbanize.

Works Cited Brown, L.R. (2001). Eco-Economy: Building an economy for the earth. Earth Policy Institute. www.earth-policy.org/ books/eco/eech9_ss4.

Costa, D. (2015). Health and the Economy in the United States from 1750 to the Present. Journal of Economic Literature, 53(3), 503-570. www.jstor.org/ stable/43932405.

Hawkes C., Harris J., & Gillespie, S. (2017). Changing Diets: Urbanization and the Nutrition Transition. International Food Policy Research Institute. www. ifpri.org/publication/ changing-dietsurbanization-and-nutrition-transition.

How Air Pollution Contributes to Lung Disease. (2009). Physicians for Social Responsibility, www.psr.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/05/air-pollutioneffects- respiratory.pdf.

Hussain, M. & Imitiyaz, I. (2018).

Urbanization coencepts, dimensions and factors. Researchgate, www. researchgate.net/publication/330564226_ URBANIZATION_ CONCEPTS_ DIMENSIONS_AND_FACTORS. Hynes, P. & Lopez, R.P. (2006).

Obesity, Physical Activity, and the Urban Environment: Public Health Research Needs. Environmental Health: A Global UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 3

Access Science Source, US National Library of Medicine. doi.org/10.1186/ 1476-069X-5-25.

Leal, J., Gray, A. M., & Clarke, P. M. (2009). Development of life-expectancy tables for people with type 2 diabetes.

European heart journal, 30(7), 834–839. doi.org/ 10.1093/eurheartj/ehn567.

Powell, L., & Han, E. (2011). Adult Obesity and the Price and Availability of Food in the United States. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 93(2), 378-384. www.jstor.org/stable/41240297.

McCormack, L.A. & Meendering, J.R. (2015). Diet and Physical Activity in Rural vs Urban Children and Adolescents in the United States: A Narrative Interview.

Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. www.researchgate. net/publication/ 287372962_Diet_and_ Physical_Activity_in_Rural_vs_Urban_ Children_and_ Adolescents_in_the_ United_States_A_Narrative_Review.

Montgomery, M.R. (2008).

The Urban Transformation of the Developing World. Science, vol. 319, pp. 761-763. American Association for the Advancement of Science, science. sciencemag.org/content/319/5864/761.

Obesity and Overweight. (2018).

World Health Organization. www.who. int/ news-room/fact- sheets/detail/obesityand-overweight.

Obesity Could ‘Rob You’ of 20 Years of Health. (2014). National Health Service. www.nhs. uk/news/obesity/ obesity-could-rob-you-of-20-years-ofhealth/.

14 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Parrish, D.D. & Stockwell, W.R. (2015). Urbanization and Air Pollution: Then and Now. Earth & Space Science News, American Geophysical Union. eos. org/features/ urbanization-air-pollutionnow.

Schmidt, C. (2003). Obesity: A Weighty Issue for Children. Environmental Health Perspectives, 111(13), A700-A707. www.jstor.org/stable/4641247.

Thatcher, M. (1989). Speech to United Nations General Assembly.

Margaret Thatcher Foundation. www. margaretthatcher.org/ document/107817.

Trade and Consumption of Cheap Junk Food are an Obstacle for Healthy Diets. (2018). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. www. fao.org/news/story/en/item/ 1152439/ icode/.

Urbanization and Health. (2010).

World Health Organization, vol. 88, 2010, pp. 241-320. www.who.int/bulletin/ volumes/88/4/10-010410/en/.

Vlahov, D., Freudenberg, N., Proietti, F., Ompad, D., Quinn, A., Nandi, V., & Galea, S. (2007). Urban as a determinant of health. Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 84(3 Suppl), i16–i26. doi. org/10.1007/s11524-007- 9169-3.

WHO Releases Country Estimates on Air Pollution Exposure and Health Impact. (2016). World Health Organization. www.who.int/news-room/ detail/27-09-2016-who- releases-countryestimates-on-air-pollution-exposure-andhealth-impact.

Psychological Influence of Robots on Humans Seoyeon Choi Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, 11th

As scientists become more interested in improving the function of robots, they are considering the possibility of inserting emotional intelligence. There have been many protests against this development and worries about the severe consequences it might bring. However, before considering whether robots will have emotions in the future, or whether they will be ethical, humans are already psychologically influenced by these beings. This paper will go through the reason why humans are impacted, the factors that affect the type of influence, and finally, the specific psychological effects.

Why do robots affect us at all?

Kate Darling, a research specialist at the MIT Media Lab, discussed this in her TED speech. She said, “It turns out we’re biologically hardwired to project intent and life onto any movement in our physical space that seems autonomous to us.” For example, we can be attached to a dog or a robotic vacuum cleaner. She also mentioned that people could be attributed to robots, even when they know they are not real. She says, “robots aren’t just motors and gears and algorithms. They are reflections of our humanity.” They may be

mere machines at first, but once humans think they are not, they become much more meaningful beings.

A great example is found in “4 차 인간,” a documentary that examines the future of humans and robots. At one part of the film, professor Dennis Hong conducted an experiment where participants took an AI speaker home for a week. Some of them developed intimate relationships: talking to it of their families or preventing their friends from calling it a machine. They then brought the speaker to test its function by asking questions that the robot would normally be able to answer. The experiment was designed so that it malfunctioned, and with each wrong answer, the participant gave a stronger electrical stimulation to the machine, until they reach the kill button (they can receive a new machine afterward). Not surprisingly, most participants did not press the kill button and even those who did said that they felt uncomfortable.

Why should we care about these incidents? After all, it is natural for humans to be attached to objects. People often suggest that they fall in love with their cars, bracelets from mothers, a diary given by a dear friend, etc. Nevertheless, UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 5

we should care because robots are different from those objects in that they look as if, and could maybe in the future, operate autonomously. This means that unlike other objects, they can respond to certain feelings we have for them. Thus, they are capable of enforcing a much deeper emotional engagement – similar to how we feel towards our pet, except for the fact that robots are much more intelligent and, depending on the shape, more human-like.

So far, we have looked through the reason behind the psychology of humanrobot interaction, and why it is specifically important to look into robots’ influences.

Now, let us examine the factors that alter these psychological effects. The first one is “shape.” A study that discussed the morphology of social robots classified them into four categories: anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, caricatured, and functional (Fong, Nourbakhsh, & Dautenhahn, 1992). These various forms and structures of robots may establish certain social expectations. For example, a robot that is shaped like a dog is expected to behave differently from an anthropomorphic one (Hwang, Park, & Hwang, 2013). The author also mentions that an amount of unrealistic feature is crucial. As Mashiro Mori has presented in her theory of uncanny valley, an excessively realistic portrayal of a living creature in robots can, in turn, evoke a negative emotion.

The existence of gestures can be another factor. An experiment conducted

by Salem et al. (2011) proposes that a robot with gestures, even when they are occasionally incongruent with their speech, is more favorable than a robot without gestures. Also, the provided role of the robot is a contributing factor. For example, it is known that people feel more warmth toward a friend AI than a 16 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

servant AI (Kim et al., 2019). Likewise, the speech of the robot may have an impact on how it is perceived. Overall, the factors that affect how we perceive a robot seems to be similar to those that affect how we perceive a human. The significant difference would be the effect of shape, where robots have much more diversity than humans.

Depending on these factors, the perception of a robot, which regulates the particular psychological effect they exert, changes. Now, we will specifically look into those effects. While there are numerous others, here we will discuss social pressure, therapeutic effect, and empathy. First, humans can feel pressure from a robot. A study was conducted on whether the presence of robots will increase humans’ attentional control (Spatola et al., 2018). They separated the robots into two groups – good and bad – depending on how they responded to people and the amount of empathy they had. Unlike their expectations, the bad robots were exclusively successful in changing the performance of the participants. Researchers explain that “the presence of potentially threatening others improves the selectivity of attention.”

Another study showed whether adults and children experienced social pressure with robots (Vollmer, Read, Trippas, & Belpaeme, 2018). In the experiment, participants were asked to perform a simple visual discrimination task. The robot confederates answered first, giving the wrong answer. Results showed that adults did not conform to this group of robots. However, children seemed to conform, showing the possibility of peer pressure. Through modification of the robots’ attitude and shape to more intelligent and trustworthy

appearances, it would be possible even to create peer pressure with adults. Overall, the existence of these kinds of social pressure seems to prove that humans sometimes view robots as their equals.

Second is the therapeutic effect, which is related to robot therapy – the help social robots provide to people in need (Vitelli). It aims towards elders, particularly those with illnesses such as dementia, or children with autism. One such effect that humans receive from robot therapy is companionship. An experiment

by Robinson, Macdonald, Kerse, and Broadbent (2013) measured whether a companion robot, Paro, affected people.

In comparison with the control group, residents who interacted with the robot had significant decreases in loneliness.

An interesting fact here is that residents communicated with the robot even more than their dogs. This is important because it supports the idea that robots are more likely to affect people than animals do.

Furthermore, there is evidence that therapeutic effects include stress relief and motivation. For instance, when a day service center was provided with seal robots for five weeks, urine samples of older adults showed that their ability to overcome stress improved (Wada et al., 2004). As for motivation, when NAO robots – humanoid, child-sized social robots – delivered a scripted motivational interview focused on increasing physical activity, participants said they found it motivating to hear themselves discussing their behavior with robots (Silva et al., 2018). Though this may be similar to conventional smart-phone apps that motivate exercising and may depend heavily on the individual’s personality, it is notable that with robots, you can interact specifically to enhance your motivation.

The last psychological effect is empathy, or “the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation.” The difference is that it is not “someone else’s feelings” but “the imaginary feelings of a robot,” since robots cannot feel. For example, when Boston Dynamics posted a video that tested the robustness of a robot dog by kicking it, people posted complaints of this violent treatment. Engineers “abuse” a robot to test its functions, but it is thought of as unfair treatment because people unconsciously believe that the robot can actually “feel” and empathize with it.

Empathy also occurs with military robots and may result in strong emotional bonding. When Julia Carpenter studied soldiers in explosive ordnance exposal team, where robots disable improvised explosives, they all defined them as mechanical tools, but also often anthropomorphized them, and displayed a kind of empathy. There is a case where a soldier in this team brought in a robot with tears in his eyes and asked the repair shop if it could put together “Scooby-Doo.” Another EOD soldier ran 164 feet under machine-gun fire to retrieve a robot that had been knocked out of action (Singer).

Though it is hard to say that these strong bonds resulted only from empathy, the fact that these soldiers mistook these robots to be capable of feeling and empathized is definitely an important factor.

Psychological influences of robots are on-going, which is why I would extend this topic to a warning for the current society.

If humans are influenced by robots, and in some cases view robots as their equals, a person valuing a certain robot over a human is entirely possible. People thought robots would only replace industrial jobs. Now, UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 7

there are possibilities of them substituting emotional relationships. Imagine a gruff, indifferent husband and an agreeable robot.

Is it impossible for a wife to choose the robot? Some may argue if this is even a problem. After all, it would not be different from her meeting a better man. However, this leads us back to a fundamental matter: are you going to allow that kind of situation to happen where robots are valued over humans?

Also, it is necessary that we reconsider the purpose of robots. Aren’t they built to rescue or go through dangerous jobs in place of humans? If a soldier feels empathy and willingly risks his own life for the sake of this being, this is more than contradictory – it is inefficient and detrimental. Also, this brings us back to that fundamental question. As you may realize now, this implementation of robots is more complex than one might think.

Regulations may be needed on shapes or other manipulative factors depending on the specific purpose of robots. Without these considerations, the whole point of their existence may fall into ashes.

As mentioned in “4차 인간,” engineers could believe that robots can be controlled for they know all the mechanisms of the machine, and have inserted, in case of emergency, the kill switch. Now, however, they should consider the possibility of not the robot itself, but the general public standing up and stopping them from pressing those kill switches or abusing the robot in any way.

Scientists should be aware that even though they are able to control the physical robot itself, they might not be able to control the psychological influence it exerts. At the end of the day, without the collaboration of science and humanities, the development of robots may have better not existed.

18 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Works Cited 다큐프라임 - <4차 인간> (2018).

Retrieved from https://www.ebs.co.kr/tv/ show?prodId=348&lectId=10843801 Armstrong, D. (2013, September 17). Emotional Attachment to robots could affect outcome on the field. UW News. https://www.washington.edu/ news/2013/09/17/emotional-attachmentto-robots-could-affect-outcome-onbattlefield/ Darling, K. n.d. Why we have emotional connection to robots. https:// www.ted.com/talks/kate_darling_why_ we_have_an_emotional_connection_to_ robots/details Fong, T., Nourbakhsh, I.R., & Dautenhahn, K. (1992). A survey of socially interactive robots : concepts , design , and applications. Robotics and Autonomous Systems.

Hwang, J., Park, T., & Hwang, W. (2013). The effects of overall robot shape on the emotions invoked in users and the perceived personalities of robot. Applied Ergonomics.

Hsu, J. (2009, May 21). Real soldiers love their robot brethren. LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/5432-realsoldiers-love-robot-brethren.html Kim, A., Cho, M., Ahn, J., & Sung, Y. (2019). Effects of Gender and Relationship type on the response to artificial intelligence. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, vol. 22.

10.1089/cyber.2018.0581 Parke, P. (2015, Febuary 13). Is it cruel to kick a robot dog?. CNN. https:// edition.cnn.com/2015/02/13/tech/spotrobot-dog-google/index.html Robinson, H., Macdonald, B., Kerse, N., & Broadbent, E. (2013). The psychological effects of a companion robot: a randomized controlled trial.

Salem M., Eyssel F., Rohlfing K., Kopp S., & Joublin F. (2011). Effects of gesture on the perception of psychological anthropomorphism: a case study with a humanoid robot. Mutlu B., Bartneck C., Ham J., Evers V., Kanda T. (eds) Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 7072.

Sawami, K., Sawami, K., Kimura, M., Kitamura, T., Kawaguchi, M., Furusumi, M., Suishu, C., Morisaki, N., & Hattori, S. (2018). The psychological effects of robot therapy. Journal of Spine & Neurosurgery.

Shibata, T., & Wada. K. (2010).

Robot therapy: a new approach for mental healthcare of the elderly - a mini-review. Gerontology. https://doi. org/10.1159/000319015 Silva, J., Kavanagh, D. J., Belpaeme, T., Taylor, L., Beeson, K., & Andrade, J. (2018). Experiences of a motivational interview delivered by a robot: qualitative study. Journal of medical Internet Research. 10.2196/jmir.7737 Simon, M. (2018). How rude humanoid robots can mess with your head. Wired.

Spatola, N., Belletier, C., Normand, A., & Chausse, P. (2018). Not as bad as it seems: when the presence of a threatening humanoid robot improves human performance. Science Robotics. American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Vitelli, R. (2014, November 17).

The rise of the robot therapist. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday. com/us/blog/media-spotlight/201411/therise-the-robot-therapist Vollmer, A., Read, R., Trippas, D., & Belpaeme, T. (2018). Children conform, adults resist: a robot group induced peer pressure on normative social conformity.

Science Robotics. American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Wada, K., Shibata, T., Saito, T., & Tanie, K. (2004). Effects of RobotAssisted Activity for Elderly People and Nurses at a Day Service Center.

Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 92. pp.

1780-8. 10.1109/JPROC.2004.835378 Weir, K. (2015). Robo therapy: a new class of robots provides social and cognitive support.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 9

Global Environment Activists at a Young Age JunYeol Choi Hankook Academy of Foreign Studies, 11th

Ever since 1980, it is very well known that the Earth has been experiencing lots of pollution. There are various types of pollutions, such as air pollution and water pollution, which all lead to detrimental effects on every living species on Earth.

Correspondingly, there have been many people who acknowledged this problem and acted upon them. What is noteworthy about some of those people is that they are not adults. They are young people who have realized the gravity of the situation at young age and stated to work by themselves. Although their interests may vary, these teenagers work independently or in groups to raise their voice. Some of the most renowned individuals are Boyan Slat, Greta Thunberg, and Jamie Margolin.

To start, Boyan Slat is a 17-yearold boy who started his own nongovernment engineering environmental organization at a very young age. Named The Ocean Cleanup, this company is developing technology that extracts plastic wastes from the oceans. Slatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate goal is to get rid of the great garbage island in the Pacific Ocean, which is polluting every single marine species near it. The island is a serious concern, as it circulates around the ocean and accumulates high 20 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

rates of plastic inside marine species that pass nearby. Realizing the problem, Boyan Slat first started by creating a vast, floating line that collects the wastes using the flow of the waves. As the line moved along with the flow of the waves, the wastes are naturally accumulated in the collector. In 2016, an open sea test was conducted, and it showed potential for the dream come true. When it was deployed in the ocean in October 2018, it successfully collected the wastes in the Japanese ocean. Though the technology is still currently under development, it is considered one of the most necessary technology for the future of the Earth.

While pollution has many categories, a single type of pollution can also affect other fields, as the circulation occurs naturally. Thus, Boyan Slatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is very meaningful for the Earth. To say, Boyan Slat is truly influential in that he showed how even teenagers can start making their imaginations into reality at a very young age. He showed that when it comes to environmental solution, every single idea may be impactful given the steeply rising rate of pollution. Not only that, but he also showed that age does not matter when dealing with environmental

problems. When he gave his TED talk before his actual project started, he claimed that carrying out one’s ideas is the most important thing. This statement implies that people should not be ignorant towards younger people, but rather pay close attention since their words might move the world.

Another example of a teenager who is moving the world is Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environment activist on climate change. Greta’s interest for climate change started when she first heard about the devastating effects of environmental pollution when she was eight years old, and started to wonder what she could do to bring influence to the world. The first thing that she did was to promote a movement that alarmed the adults about the dire need for an actual movement for the climate, not just empty words used for their election.

As Greta Thunberg protested that she would give up the chance to be educated by going on a school strike, she shocked the adults with how much the strike had grown between teenagers.

Although the strike started as an solitary strike, it has now spread to over 125 nations around the world, and has been taken by countless students. The movement has not only influenced many civilians, but also moved the hearts of various scientists who seek for pragmatic solutions. In June 2019, 1,000 healthcare professionals in the UK and elsewhere, including professors, eminent public health figures, and former presidents of royal colleges, criticized the politicians that they had to take action. They supported the school strike movement and provided the students with lots of helpful advices as well as information to spread.

Having succeeded in her school strike for the climate, Greta Thunberg

went out to voice her thoughts on a more international level. When she got her chance to make a speech at the UN climate conference, she claimed the famous ‘How Dare You,’ expressing her anger towards the adults who have driven to the serious conditions of the world now.

All in all, Thunberg is now nominated as the candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, and seeks to continuously move around the world to speak up. What can be seen for her determination is that on her journey across the globe, Thunberg does not take airplanes since they leave carbon footprints that can contribute to the global warming. Carrying out her strong will for the environment like this is still going, and the world is starting to open their eyes at the devastating reality of climate change.

However, Greta Thunberg is not left without criticism. The critics say that what she says is not in consideration of the complicated world of modern economics and that they are just a utopian dream.

For instance, president Vladimir Putin said that what really needs to be done is for the children to be educated, degrading the influential movement that the students took instead of going to school. Although the conflicting thought upon teenagers varies, it is clear that their works have alerted many people all around the world, as more and more organizations are rising for their part in the worldwide recognition of environmental problems.

While Boyan Slat and Greta Thunberg focus on different aspects of environmental movements, science and recognition, Jamie Margolin is a teenager who achieved both of the aspects. As a teenager, Margolin started her career with some help of adults. This was affective in her activities, since adults helped her out with big events such as the Zero Hour UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 2 1

march. The Zero Hour march first started in Washington D.C., where youth marched on the National Mall to advocate for their own rights to a safe and livable future.

Teenagers as well as adults who helped her rallied and highlighted the voices and stories of youth on the frontlines of the climate crisis. They cried out for the crisis of mass extinction.

On top of the march, these influencing teenagers have also done many other activities to bolster their positions. In July 2018, the team held the Youth Climate Art Festival. They prepared for the march along with an art festival held in DuPont Circle, Washington D.C. During this festival, the participants not only created banners for the Zero Hour march, but also decorated many buildings to give visual effects. The team also held the Youth Climate Lobby Day the day before the art festival in order to move their adult leaders to pay attention to their march. Having realized that practical changes can only be made by those with financial power, they created sciencebacked demands for both our leaders and the general public to take action on. On July 19th, the team over 100 youths took out to tell demands for their elected officials.

Finally, the team brought the Zero Hour movement into practice with their Youth Climate Summit on July 12-14, 2019. Along with 350 people, the group indicated the devasting condition of the Miami Beach, which led the beach to be claimed an official state of emergency.

They focused on the ‘red tide’ algae on the seafloors, which may turn into many respiratory problems for living species, including humans. All of these movements done by Jamie Margolin’s team attributed the United States to readily support the team and spread their movements worldwide.

While many people might say that 22 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

pragmatic solution is what is needed for environmental problems, getting people to realize the problem should be considered firsthand. Truely, considering that environmental problems are a worldwide danger, gathering people together for a single goal is what is really important.

Although they are young, these teenagers are influencers who are bringing people together, and this is the very essential step.

Everything starts from a small step which leads to a big one. Thus, these teenagers’ efforts, along with many others, will change the world gradually.

Works Cited Newshub. (2018, September 8).

Dutch inventor Boyan Slat takes on the biggest clean-up job on the planet.

Retrieved from https://www.newshub. co.nz/home/world/2018/09/dutch-inventorboyan-slat-takes-on-the-biggest-clean-upjob-on-the-planet.html Oceans. (2020, March 18). Retrieved from https://theoceancleanup.com/oceans/ BBC News. (2020, February 28).

What does Greta Thunberg want? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/worldeurope-49918719 Belam, M. (2019, October 4). Greta Thunberg: teenager on a global mission to ‘make a difference.’ Retrieved from https:// www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/ sep/26/greta-thunberg-teenager-on-aglobal-mission-to-make-a-difference BBC News. (2020, February 28).

What does Greta Thunberg want? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/worldeurope-49918719 Jamie Margolin. (n.d.-a).

Retrieved from https://www. internationalcongressofyouthvoices.com/ jamie-margolin

Mental Health: The Unseen Pandemic Anastasia Choo Hunter College High School, 9th

With all that is happening in the world currently with the COVID-19 outbreak; it is no wonder that stress levels are at an alltime high. The culmination of stress from the pandemic, along with the isolation as a result of quarantine and social distancing is taking a harsh toll on mental health. So many lives have been uprooted--and it can be challenging to get your bearings when everything seems so uncertain. Whether coronavirus has affected one’s ability to get the professional help they need in terms of therapists, or the isolation has taken its toll on one’s eating habits; it’s irrefutable that this is a difficult time for us all.

Faced with fear, uncertainty, and danger; it is not surprising that the pandemic has had a remarkable effect on the mental health of the masses. Not only has quarantine had stolen a lot of significant milestones from many teenagers, such as graduation, but there is always the danger that one might not ever recover from COVID-19. An easily overlooked side effect of coronavirus is the pressure it puts on everyone; from students who grapple with remote learning

and the toll taken on mental health to those who face the effect of the pandemic on the economy. Grief also plays a large factor in the declining mental health of the nation.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted at the end of March, “45 percent of Americans surveyed felt that the coronavirus was harming their mental health,—and while it’s difficult to keep up-to-date hard numbers in real-time, it’s likely that percentage has only increased since then, given the uncertainty of it all” (Nickalls, 2020).

Many of the ramifications coronavirus has had on mental health is due in part to the isolation aspect. For students, it can be difficult to keep one’s head up through the sudden outpour of online work, pressure from home and family members, disruption of routine, the effects of isolation, anxiety and fear regarding the future, and the stress of the pandemic itself. For those who suffer from domestic violence or have conflicts with family members, quarantine has increased exposure to those experiences-which would take an understandable hit on mental health. Additionally, students UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 2 3

have a much harder time receiving aid and guidance from peers or professionals such as therapists. “One in four children and young people with mental health problems has stopped receiving help as a result of the disruption caused by the coronavirus, new research reveals” (The Guardian, 2020). In an interview, one teen recounted the struggles she had to endure since the outbreak: “I have no motivation… I don’t have in-person professors or classmates to motivate me, just myself, and I’m depressed. Discussion posts are piling up, and paper deadlines are closing in. I have nothing to say or think about. My brain is foggy” (Schermele, 2020).

Teachers and schools have to adapt teaching methods to the situation; and although a good substitution, video classes and online submissions leaves one a little wanting in the support department. One article aptly expressed the sentiments and experiences students through the country, “With every state in the U.S. ordering or recommending school closures, learning has moved online, forcing students to bear the emotional brunt of a surreal new normal. Social isolation, the digital divide, and various tech difficulties with Zoom, the default video conferencing platform used by many schools, have all complicated the transition to distance learning. Well before the coronavirus outbreak, experts were labeling the mental health crisis on college campuses an “epidemic.” Now, COVID-19 is taking a never-before-seen toll on high school and college students” (Schermele, 2020).

More tangible evidence of the effect of COVID-19 on mental health is 24 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

exhibited in the surge of calls to suicide hotlines: the Didi Hirsch Suicide Crisis Line received 21 calls in February 2020 in comparison to the whopping 1,800+ calls in March, while the Peer-Run Warm Line operated by the Mental Health Association of San Francisco has seen a 96% increase over its historic average in terms of calls and texts (Los Angeles Times, 2020).

“People are also increasingly reporting that coronavirus is having a negative effect on their mental health. More than four in ten adults overall (45%) feel that worry and stress related to coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health, up from 32% in early March” (Kirzinger, Kearney, Hamel & Brodie, 2020).

Another factor in the collective decline in mental health is the economy.

The United States is facing unprecedented economic dislocation. Economically, businesses and individuals were hit hard. The number of people filing for unemployment in the United States hit a record high, putting a lot of stress on individuals and families (Jones & Brown, 2020). A lot of pressure has been put on the economy, and a lot of people are concerned. 85% of the public is worried about the permanent closures of local businesses due to a loss of revenue, while 79% is worried that the economy will enter a recession period (Kirzinger, Kearney, Hamel & Brodie, 2020). Economic turmoil and crises, according to Devora Kestel, director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the World Health Organization, “increase[d] the number of people with mental health issues, leading to higher rates of suicide”

(United Nations, 2020).

COVID-19 does not only target those it infects--so many lives have been uprooted due to the coronavirus. The stress from the pandemic has affected the daily routine of many. One study showed that a substantial amount of people (34% of adults) are unable to access medical care unrelated to COVID-19, such as prescription medicine. 29% of adults report their inability to get groceries, while 27% couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get supplies necessary for a pandemic such as sanitation wipes or hand sanitizer. These deficiencies would have an understandable effect on the levels of security one feels, and as a result is directly correlated to mental health.

Although times are tough and life during a pandemic might seem impossible to deal with; there are many ways one can get through it and many resources one can utilize. Many businesses and services are closed because of coronavirus. However, many therapists, psychologists, and other mental health providers are taking advantage of the technology readily available and continue to help people through teletherapy or online sessions.

Therapy apps are also readily available to download and to be used by the masses (Nickalls, 2020). If therapy is not an option, crisis lines are always there to lend an ear and help, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-2738255, or a texting option Crisis Text Line a message at 741741. Virtual support groups over video chat, or even just talking with a friend on the phone can also aid in easing the effects of isolation, and can help fulfill oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social needs.

There are also plenty of other steps one can take in addition to crisis lines.

Sometimes, it may be healthy to take a break from looking at the news, or reading an article about the progression of COVID-19. Though the virus may seem all-encompassing; individual needs should not be overlooked. Meditation can also be helpful in maintaining peace of mind, along with the avoidance of alcohol and drugs. A regular sleep schedule, adequate exercise, and balanced meals will help with the regulation of bodily health and can be useful when wanting to maintain a routine in quarantine. Another tactic to reduce the spread of panic is to not perpetuate or humor false rumors about COVID-19 and instead spread reliable information and facts. Being knowledgeable and well-informed about the pandemic may help in reducing anxiety about the future.

Take some time to reassure and comfort friends and family; after all, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in this together--we all are. Parents can respond to the mental health needs of their children by being a strong and reliable support system. Communicate with and inform about coronavirus and be a good role model. Have compassion towards those in your community. They have to experience a pandemic, too. Support your loved ones, whether it be through phone, email, or video chat; but above all, do not forget to prioritize your own health, either mental or physical. In the face of a pandemic, it is important not to lose sight of the hope that things can, and will get better.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 2 5

Works Cited Jones, L., & Brown, D. P. & D. (2020, April 30). Coronavirus: A visual guide to the economic impact. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/ business-51706225 Kirzinger, A., Kearney, A., Hamel, L., & Brodie, M. (2020, April 20). KFF Health Tracking Poll â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Early April 2020: The Impact Of Coronavirus On Life In America. Retrieved from https://www. kff.org/health-reform/report/kff-healthtracking-poll-early-april-2020/ L.A. suicide hotline sees rise in coronavirus-related calls. Counselors feel the pain. (2020, April 5). Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/california/ story/2020-04-05/coronavirus-crisissuicide-hotline-mental-health-counselor Managing mental health during COVID-19. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ public-health/managing-mental-healthduring-covid-19 Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19. (2020, April 30).

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/ managing-stress-anxiety.html

26 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Nickalls, S. (2020, May 12). How to Get Mental Health Help During the Pandemic. Retrieved from https://www. teenvogue.com/story/mental-healthduring-covid-19-pandemic One in four youths with mental health issues cannot get help during lockdown. (2020, May 13). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/ society/2020/may/14/one-in-four-youthscant-get-mental-health-support-amidcovid-19-crisis Op-Ed: How to prepare for the second pandemic - of mental health issues. (2020, May 11). Retrieved from h t t p s : / / w w w. l a t i m e s . c o m / o p i n i o n / story/2020-05-11/second-pandemicmental-health-issues Schermele, Z. (2020, April 29). A Lot of Students Are Just Checking Out of School Right Now. Retrieved from https:// www.teenvogue.com/story/distancelearning-emotional-toll United Nations: COVID-19 pandemic exposes mental health neglect. (2020, May 14). Retrieved from https://www.upi.com/Top_News/ US/2020/05/14/United-Nations-COVID19-pandemic-exposes-mental-healthneglect/8421589468647/

Federalism in COVID-19 Arabelle Choo Hunter College High School, 7th

As the COVID-19 pandemic runs its course, the federal system of the United States has proven to be detrimental to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts in fighting the virus. This is due to the fact that divided authorities under the Constitution resulted in delayed action, as well as inconsistency in state government responses, and politically polarized governments.

Caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 is a highly-contagious respiratory disease that was deemed a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The first case of the virus was found in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019, and John Hopkins University reports that the virus has caused 270,537 deaths worldwide, along with 3,877,914 confirmed cases as of May 8. Elders and those with heart or lung disease, diabetes, and other severe underlying medical conditions lie at higher risk for developing serious complications.

The disease spreads through close contact by small droplets created while doing commonplace actions such as coughing, sneezing, or talking. The extent, the way it is transmitted through air, and the extent of time the virus stays infectious

on surfaces remains unknown. This, along with the fact that 80% of those infected remain asymptomatic, transform the coronavirus into a sneaky and formidable enemy. In order to combat the spread of the disease, social distancing measures have been slammed into place, closing schools and workplaces. Officials are also encouraging people to keep a distance of over six feet, wash their hands thoroughly and frequently, and refrain from touching their faces. As it is a new virus, we need time to develop a reliable vaccine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a process that requires a lot of time and testing. The symptoms are mainly respiratory, rendering ventilators necessary. As more cases pop up, there is an increasing demand for such equipment.

Federalism was first thought up as a compromise of power. The Articles of Confederation had relinquished too much power to the states and nearly none to the national government, effectively creating the rough equivalent of thirteen individual countries. The states soon found themselves pitted against each other, caught in power struggles and squabbling over land. This inevitably led to laughably UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 2 7

weak cooperation, providing a front against national enemies and problems that were far less than desirable. However, unwilling the states were to submit to another “monarch”, it was clear that a central figure of authority was necessary to coordinate state responses to economic and security emergencies that threatened the country. After many arguments and compromises, it was decided that the national government would be given power over the citizens, but not the states themselves. The Constitution allowed the federal government responsibility over national affairs such as defense, foreign, and monetary policy, whereas the state governments were given leadership over the well-being of the individual citizens, including health policies.

America’s federal system is disadvantageous during the pandemic as the Constitution itself prevents the national government from taking initiative, instead electing to give states primary control.

In the Federalist Papers, Madison (1788) wrote, “The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments, in times of peace and security.” As these are dangerous times, this statement implies that the federal government should currently have more power than the states. However, the 10th amendment (1791) of the Bill of Rights reads, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” Thus, we are currently existing under what is known 28 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

as dual federalism, in which the states and federal government stand at an equal level of power and essentially coexist in their own spheres of power. In this case, the Constitution doesn’t say anything about delegating further power to the federal government in the event of a health crisis, while placing health responsibilities under the power of state governments. When the virus reached our nation, jurisdictional boundaries prevented the national government from taking action.

Mello (2020) claims in a New England Journal of Medicine commentary, COVID-19 “is exactly the type of infectious disease for which federal public health powers and emergencies were conceived: it is highly transmissible, crosses borders efficiently, and threatens our national infrastructure and economy.”

In partnership with Haffajee (2020), she writes that “Strong, decisive national action is therefore imperative… this lack of interjurisdictional coordination has and will cost lives.” However, the fact remains that such coordination and action is constitutionally impossible, and the federal system has inadvertently diminished our ability to fight off the virus.

Many times in crises such as this pandemic, people tend to look to the Constitution. There is a tense ambiguity in which the federal and state governments are unsure about who has claim over certain authorities and resources. This obscure arrangement is to blame for the staggered and clumsy reaction the governments had in response to the disease.

Another way in which federalism

hasn’t been beneficial during the pandemic is that American federalism has allowed states to respond in a piecemeal, both in terms of speed and competence.

Washington, California, and New York were quick to jump to action, releasing comprehensive orders and calling on the president several times to act. Governor Ivey of Alabama brought together a Coronavirus Task Force in March, but made nearly no effort against the virus to follow up. A contrasting reaction is shown in the governors of large states, or states reliant on sales and tourism taxes, such as Texas or Florida. It took much longer for them to adopt the thorough policies and place commands that affected all areas equally. The many authorities have all been responding in varied ways, governors having dissimilar orders from the president, mayors reacting in a separate manner even from their own state governors.

The system of federalism has also proven detrimental to COVID-19 recovery because the state governments are divided, reacting differently to the pandemic mostly based on their political party. Democratic states tended to be more active in their efforts to keep the virus at bay, whereas states run by Republican governors were observed to follow President Trump as he downplayed the crisis. As McCarthy (2020) pointed out, while states and localities have primary responsibilities for public health under the American system of federalism, the president has an important role in focusing the national attention on the emergency and channeling the massive resources

of the federal government to the states most in need. A task that President Trump has ultimately failed, instead electing to encourage a partisan divide between states, pitting state governors against each other and inciting bidding wars for muchneeded medical equipment. Governors close with President Trump have received everything they have asked for from the federal government or more, whereas governors that have been openly critical of President Trump’s pandemic stumbles have only been getting part of what they need. Although the federal government does not have direct control over the health policies themselves, it certainly has power over another crucial aspect – funds and resources. This statutory power allows the president to unfairly distribute federal resources, risking the lives of thousands for his personal agenda.

Though the United States’ federal system has its benefits and merits, the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered certain disadvantages in the way the country is structured to handle crises.

Division of authorities under the Constitution caused slowed government responses to the pandemic, in addition to inconsistency in state action, and politically polarized governments have turned out to be unfortunate results of certain Constitutional allowances and interpretations. If the governments would communicate and cooperate more efficiently, the federalism of the United States might be strengthened by this pandemic.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 2 9

Works Cited Cockerham, A., & Crew, R. E. (n.d.).

LSE US Center.

Retrieved from https://blogs.lse. ac.uk/usappblog/2020/04/03/the-covid19-pandemic-shows-the-power-andlimits-of-american-federalism/ Duff-Brown, B. (n.d.). Federalism Meets the COVID-19 Pandemic: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally. Retrieved May 11, 2020, from https://law.stanford.edu/2020/04/06/ federalism-meets-the-covid-19pandemic-thinking-globally-actinglocally/ Gawthorpe, A. (2020, April 28).

Federalism has become another casualty of Trump and the coronavirus . The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www. theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/ apr/18/federalism-another-casualtydonald-trump-coronavirus Geltzer, J. A. (2020, April 8).

Trump’s ‘corona-federalism’ pits states against each other.

It’s a disaster. The president blames states for the federal government’s failings. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/ outlook/2020/04/08/trump-coronafederalism/ Haffajee, R. L., & Mello, M. M. (2020). Thinking Globally, Acting Locally — The U.S. Response to Covid-19.

New England Journal of Medicine. doi: 10.1056/nejmp2006740 Madison, J. (n.d.). The Federalist Papers : No. 45. Retrieved from https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_ century/fed45.asp McCarthy, T. (2020, March 29).

Disunited states of America: responses to coronavirus shaped by hyper-partisan politics . The Guardian. Retrieved from https:// www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/ 30 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

mar/29/america-states-coronavirus-redblue-different-approaches Mitchell, L. (2020, April 6). A pandemic is no time to go federal. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn. com/2020/04/06/opinions/coronavirusfederalism-states-governors-mitchellopinion/index.html Pandemic Federalism. (2020, March 20). National Review.

Retrieved from https://www. nationalreview.com/2020/03/pandemicfederalism/ Selin, J., & Kinder Institute Assistant Professor of Constitutional Democracy.

(2020, May 7). Trump versus the states: What federalism means for the coronavirus response. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/trumpversus-the-states-what-federalism-meansfor-the-coronavirus-response-136361 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, January 7).

Federalism. Retrieved from https:// www.britannica.com/topic/federalism Wagtendonk, A. V. (2020, March 29). The government is distributing emergency Covid-19 supplies. But some states are losing out. VOX. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/policy-andpolitics/2020/3/29/21198704/emergencycovid-19-supplies-fema-states-federalgovernment South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

(2020, April 28). South Dakoda Public Broadcasting. Retrieved from https:// www.sdpb.org/blogs/politics-publicpolicy/federalism-state-governments-ina-pandemic/ The Bill of Rights: A Transcription. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.archives.gov/foundingdocs/bill-of-rights-transcript

Mental Health in Pandemics: How Virtual Reality Aids Social Interaction Hyowon Gu Ivy Collegiate School, 9th

The COVID-19 crisis has brought major change for countless parts of society across the globe, as individuals isolate themselves at home in a bid to limit the spread of the virus. The worst impacts of the disease are not on monetary terms, however – the lack of social interaction has caused many to suffer the psychological effects of isolation, even for introverted individuals.

Notable cases offer perspectives into increasing levels of lethargy, depression, and emptiness, as social routines and interactions are rendered moot and anxiety about physical health grows with considerable heft with the lack of outdoor access. These anxieties are only bolstered by the fact that the crisis appears to have no end in sight, with cases popping up with each passing day.

Novel technologies may help, however, as a potent alternative to social interaction during these times and help mitigate the impacts of loneliness and isolation. Virtual reality in particular has received the attention of the public in light of its many perceived positive qualities.

These qualities include being able to transport users to new environments for the purpose of entertainment, or allowing

users to keep themselves in shape through physical exercise, but most notably through its ability to allow users to feel as if they are in the presence of “real people”, a subjective term known as “social presence” (Biocca, 1997)[1]. Whereas previous forms of telecommunication were limited in the amount of verbal and nonverbal information they can convey, recent technological advances have accounted for vast swathes of indirect information such as subtle body language, head or hand movements, and various inflections that accurately reflect the emotions of users, which in turn allowed for natural communication to overcome technical and linguistic limitations to great effect.

As a result, demand for virtual reality access has grown in tandem with the COVID-19 crisis. The Oculus Quest, a midrange consumer headset priced at $399 (Business Insider, 2019)[2], was unable to meet surging demand, exhibiting similar issues with stock as top contenders in videogame hardware were experiencing at the time, drawing comparisons between mainstream consoles and the relatively obscure market of VR hardware from the media (Gurwin, 2020)[3].

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 3 1

Around the same time, the number of users on virtual reality social platforms reached level when it was first launched and received significant attention from streaming outlets such as Twitch.

Possible explanations on the success of VRChat are depicted in Fig. 3. It could be said that they were better equipped to address unpredictable bouts of social distancing than traditional methods of telecommunication, and established a foothold in social media for entertainment prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, as evidenced through securing $4 million in investment funding (Polygon, 2017)[4].

Video calls on the other hand, despite they enjoyed popularity in conferencing, failed to deliver on the subjective effect of “social presence” and comfort, leading to quicker fatigue of their users (The Economist, 2020)[5]. This is a far cry from the accessible entertainment-sanssocialization-based popularity enjoyed by virtual reality platforms.

These instances bring up following

questions: What allows virtual reality to own its unique advantage as an alternative to social interaction, compared to other forms of telecommunication, and can we predict how an isolationist society will adapt and repair itself under severe mental fallout? In order to answer these questions, we must explore the mental fallout that has happened and will happen as a result of the pandemic.

Background The very nature of the COVID-19 crisis has required the world to selfisolate, as the airborne nature of the disease has turned close physical contact into a possible hazard for further spread of the epidemic. Although there is a difference between “isolation” defined in the context of the 2020 epidemic and isolation in previous instances; both healthy and infected populations have indiscriminately gone into isolation this time, while the concept of separation remains constant.

According to a study from The

Fig. 1. Oculus Quest Google Trends, March 9-21. Fig. 2. Nintendo Switch Google Trends, March 9-21.

Fig. 3. SteamDB concurrent VRChat player counts, March 9-21.

32 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Economist [5], populations that are not even in the core affected demographic in the COVID-19 crisis (age 18-34) are susceptible to mental issues by taking up 67%, compared to the directly affected demographic of age 55-75 taking up 54% in Britain. This can be explained through psychological factors that the pandemic has unfortunately rendered moot, that of being Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. While the supply chains and basic services needed for physiological survival in society are intact, the need for belongingness and love is unfulfilled, especially among the younger populations where socialization serves as a core tenet of daily existence. As a result, we end up observing the gradual decline of our mental stability, as seen through a study conducted by The Lancet [6] on March 14th where results suggest that the effects of extended isolation and quarantine can impact mental health on a scale comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms reported by the study include depression, stress, and insomnia, which are common symptoms of psychological distress.

Stressors are identified to be general anxiety not only caused by the fear of infection, but also derived from the combined effects of the duration of the quarantine and the frustration or boredom that entailed it. The definition of “boredom” is explained to be the result of reduced social and physical contact with others, coupled with the deviance from a standard daily routine. These results are not only based upon current events but were evaluated while considering previous outbreak of SARS in 2003. The stakes are even higher if we consider individuals with preexisting mental illnesses, who no longer have access to physical therapy sessions and have to blur the boundaries

between “safe spaces” (a space associated with comforting qualities, i.e. home or spaces for therapy) and more demanding spaces (that are commonly associated with work or negative stimuli), as patients have to undergo tele-communicative therapy (Butler, 2020)[7]. This lack of distinction leads to a negative feedback loop, leaving patients to endure stress without having clear and defined access to spaces of recovery.

Mental Health (Patients) Then how can virtual reality help address these problems? As mentioned above, we can deduce that the needs of the pandemic include true alternatives to social interaction, stimulation to distract individuals from the sizeable duration of isolation, and a marked distinction between “stress zones” and “safe spaces”.

To start our exploration of these solutions, it would be wise to examine the most distinct advantage that virtual reality affords – the ability to allow users to feel as if they are physically present in non-physical settings, commonly known as an extension of telepresence (Adams & Ernest, 2004)[8]. Whilst conventional VOD content delivers an audiovisual stimulation on a static 2D plane, virtual reality allows the user to “explore” content with at least three degrees of freedom, with more sophisticated productions offering immersive positional audio, taking established technology such as stereo mixing to immersive levels.

These aspects, coupled with increases in high-resolution and high-refresh panels, allow for the creation of convincing virtual environments that are capable of immersing the user in entirely different settings.

Indeed, some of the earliest produced contents for virtual reality were UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 3 3

of small, interactive spaces, intended for relaxation and meditation. Guided Meditation VR (Cubicle Ninjas) took strides in introducing high-fidelity environments with guided meditation, whereas Nature Treks VR (John Carline) focused on offering highly customizable environments for users to tailor to their liking. The stationary and static nature of these applications eventually allowed for easy porting to more widely accessible devices, such as the Oculus Go, a mobile headset priced at $149. Compared to more complex applications that require significantly more effort for developers to produce and optimize on weaker hardware (mobile SOCs), the relaxation genre has become an accessible staple of virtual reality content.

But how can this help patients? Based upon existing data, we can extrapolate that virtual reality can help establish safe spaces, especially for stressful work environments (IEEE, 2017)[9]. According to a study from the IEEE, exposure to immersive digital environments that were composed of low-stress stimuli helped reduce psychological pressure on individuals with boundary issues relating to work, with over 87.5% of participants reporting that they felt far more relaxed and adjusted to their surroundings.

Applied to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals can use widely available software and use them on lowcost headsets, helping them redefine and manage stress in virtual environments. In short, low-cost yet highly effective stress relief and anxiety management is now a possibility, helping patients apply selfcare in long stretches of isolation from their therapists.

Social Interactions This applies to the average normal 34 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

individual in self-isolation as well. The concept of telepresence does not translate well to the average teleconferencing app (i.e. Zoom), having been stripped of several elements essential to maintaining social interaction. Small delays in conferencing for example, can color the perception of the participants involved negatively, even if delays lasted mere seconds. This, coupled with the fact that video conferencing requires the user to focus intensively in order to process nonverbal cues such as facial expressions or body language, results in a phenomenon known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zoom fatigueâ&#x20AC;? (Schoenenburg, 2014)[10], stressing users to the point of burn-out quickly. These issues make Zoom and other teleconferencing platforms less desirable as a replacement for face-to-face social interaction.

Virtual reality, however, can provide alternatives to how conversations can be conducted even in completely isolated settings, and produce results comparable to normal social interaction. Body language, which is often omitted from standard 2D teleconferencing, is replicated through the usage of motion controllers.

Facial expressions are simplified, and thus remove intimidating aspects to communication, especially for introverted individuals. Reaction times and lag are designed in mind to be minimized as they may bring adverse effects such as nausea or motion sickness otherwise, whereas average teleconferencing apps have splitsecond latency at a much lower design priority. As a result, studies utilizing EEGs indicate that cognitive effort required for communication in virtual reality peak consistently within the range of a faceto-face conversation (Facebook IQ, 2016) [11].

Platforms that have applied these

design decisions to their platforms have enjoyed moderate success, as seen through the previously mentioned example of VRChat. The platform, which is commonly cited as “one of the most successful examples of social virtual reality” (Polygon, 2017)[12], has been a host to a number of personal interactions, demonstrating not only the capabilities of VR to deliver a coherent, empathetic conversation, but the stability of medium that allows individuals to share personal conversations without stressing themselves, or talk without anxiety-inducing factors. In short, it has been proved that the best of virtual reality can successfully serve thousands of individuals seeking social interaction.

Entertainment Notable examples of these individuals interacting freely include the popular YouTube content creator Symor, creating videos of him interviewing various individuals in VR about their personal experiences. Despite the tonal dissonance of his interviewees using cartoon characters to represent themselves, the content discussed in these conversations delve into personal, emotional issues, as shown through the titles of Symor’s most watched videos: “Korean Bird talks about his Brother’s death in VRchat” (3.8M

views), “Guy in VRChat talks about alcohol abuse” (689K views), “Kid in vr talks about living with rare disease” (1.8M views). The opposite also holds true, however, as the most popular alternate form of VRChat entertainment comes in the flavor of comedy. Some of the platform’s most notable moments come in the form of improvisational comedy, relying on the body language of actors and flexibility in setting or backgrounds to deliver entertainment on par with theater productions.

The virtual aspects of these productions lead to individuals being able to rapidly iterate and produce content without being hampered by physical elements, an example of such a show being produced during the COVID-19 pandemic is wayneradiotv’s Half Life but the AI is Self Aware web series [13].

Produced entirely within virtual reality, the actors worked on the show while in different remote locations, all under quarantine. The show itself used assets from existing popular games to rapidly speed up the construction of the sets and allowed the conceptualization of complex scenes that were then improvised for comedic effect. In short, performance arts and entertainment in general, were able to adapt to quarantined situations, and in turn

Fig. 4. YouTuber Symor interviews individuals about their life stories.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 3 5

provided content for individuals exhausted and/or mentally under-stimulated under quarantine. The short production cycles and remote-based nature of content produced in virtual reality demonstrate the advantages that a purely virtual-based production could have over traditional methods, whilst opening up additional possibilities for low-budget productions.

In short, our exploration of virtual reality addressing existing problems in society can be summarized through the following: - Low-cost yet highly effective stress relief and anxiety management is now a possibility, helping patients apply self-care in long stretches of isolation with their therapists.

- Virtual spaces can help individuals set boundaries in their daily lives, improving productivity, and allowing mental recuperation, reducing the chances of anxiety or depression.

- Large-scale multi-user virtual spaces can serve as an alternative to dayto-day social interaction on a less stressing scale, helping introverted individuals to communicate.

- Large-scale multi-user virtual spaces can also provide two-way entertainment that factors in viewer participation, and help speed up productions even under physically unfavorable circumstances.

These facts hint towards a society where entertainment, social experiences, and private spaces are addressed through virtual reality, even under circumstances that prohibit physical interactions.

Certain elements of these points also allow for advantages over conventional counterparts, such as in remote longdistance relationships or virtual entertainment productions. Unfortunately, 36 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

in the last part of our analysis, we must also consider several shortcomings that hinder the widespread adoption of virtual reality.

The most obvious shortcoming is the current pricing and availability of virtual reality headsets. Prior to the pandemic, 3DOF headsets were offered at an accessible average of $150 (Engadget, 2020)[14], yet proved limited in their range of function (stationary, non-positional tracking devices meant for passive media consumption). 6DOF, self-contained headsets were priced at an average of $399, pricing comparable to an average videogame console (Forbes, 2018)[15].

Compared to previously released devices, standalone virtual headsets were a sizeable leap to widespread adoption, as previous iterations required high-end computers in addition to the purchase of a headset.

However, the surge in demand for these devices has led to worldwide shortages and inflated pricing of these headsets, impacting availability. Whilst this meant good news for resellers, it has brought to attention that its major markups (of up to 170%, cheaper units of $399 being marked up to a minimum of $600) may potentially mislead consumers about the value of these devices, and keep devices out of those that may need them the most, namely mentally weaker individuals (Polygon, 2020)[4].

As most production chains have relied on on-demand manufacturing and have thus reported difficulties in scaling production in times of major demand, measures taken to ensure surplus stock may help mitigate the immediate effects of shortages (ABI Research, 2020)[16].

The technical shortcomings that currently prevent complete immersion also play a large role in dissuading individuals from trying out further

experiences. Some notable shortcomings come in the form of motion sickness, a condition that is caused by a multitude of factors such as low refresh-rate displays, mismatch of physical positioning with virtual stimuli, and rapid movement in VR while remaining stationary causing the body to misreport sensory information and thus report symptoms of nausea. This has led many individuals that are willing to experience virtual reality to shy away from the technology, leading only to a conclusion where technological advances must be made in order to address these fidelity-based issues.

Conclusion In times of crisis, people tend to gravitate to the things they love. For most, it comes in the form of interaction with friends and family, for others, the routine found in their daily lives. But the COVID-19 crisis has put these secure pillars into disarray, forcing many to reconsider their connections and attempt to discover new ways to cope. But for many, these changes are just simply not something they can negotiate with, having decided that these changes deprive them of “human warmth”.

This paper attempted to provide a possible list of changes that can be made to our present to accommodate these strange new circumstances yet accomplish similar goals, through introducing new technology. Although these goals are fully realizable without much effort even today, certain factors are not yet completely addressed, and thus require more attention in investment and public interest in order to spearhead developments in technology and eliminate obstacles to deployment.

Works Cited [1] Biocca, Frank. “The Cyborg’s Dilemma: Progressive Embodiment in Virtual Environments.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 23 June 2006, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ full/10.1111/j.1083-6101.1997.tb00070.x.

[2] Chitkara, Hirsh. “Oculus Quest Usage Is ‘up across the Board’ amid the Pandemic, but Barriers to Long-Term Adoption Remain.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 20 May 2020, www. businessinsider.com/oculus-quest-usageup-during-pandemic-long-term-barriersremain-2020-5 [3] Gurwin, Gabe. “Why Faith in VR Is Rising, Thanks to Oculus Quest.”

Digital Trends, Digital Trends, 18 Feb. 2020, www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/ developers-faith-rising-vr-oculus-quest/.

[4] Kuchera, Ben. “The Best VR Device Is Hard to Find, at the Worst Time.”

Polygon, 13 Apr. 2020, www.polygon. com/2020/4/13/21218930/coronavirusquarantine-oculus-quest-prices-sold-outfacebook-vr.

[5] “How Will Humans, by Nature Social Animals, Fare When Isolated?”

The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, www.economist.com/ international/2020/04/04/how-willhumans-by-nature-social-animals-farewhen-isolated.

[6] Brooks, Samantha K. “The Psychological Impact of Quarantine and How to Reduce It: Rapid Review of the Evidence.” The Lancet, 26 Feb. 2020, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)304608/fulltext#

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 3 7

[7] Butler, Caitlan. “Mental Health Key in Life and Now, COVID-19 Pandemic.” El Dorado News Times, 30 May 2020, www.eldoradonews.com/ news/2020/may/30/mental-health-keylife-and-now-covid-19-pandemic/.

[8] Rollings, A., Adams, E.; Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design. New Riders, USA (2003) [9] K. D. Thoondee and A. Oikonomou, “Using virtual reality to reduce stress at work”, 2017 Computing Conference, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ document/8252142 [10] Schoenenberg, K., Raake, A., & Koeppe, J. (2014). Why are you so slow?

Misattribution of transmission delay to attributes of the conversation partner at the far-end. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, https://www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S1071581914000287 [11] “How Virtual Reality Facilitates Social Connection.” Facebook IQ, www. facebook.com/business/news/insights/ how-virtual-reality-facilitates-socialconnection.

[12] Alexander, Julia. “VRChat Is a Bizarre Phenomenon That Has Twitch, YouTube Obsessed.”

Polygon, 22 Dec. 2017, www.polygon. com/2017/12/22/16805452/vrchat-steamvive-oculus-twitch-youtube.

38 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

[13] Wayneradiotv. “The HalfLife VR: Self-Aware AI Saga” Youtube, 9 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PLglTodSj6fQGbLTtPF_ YXVJ6TKSaC3O02.

[14] Fingas, Jon. “Oculus Go Gets a Permanent Price Cut to $149.” Engadget, 6 Mar. 2020, www.engadget.com/202001-16-oculus-go-price-drop-to-149.html.

[15] Evangelho, Jason. “Is Oculus Quest Really Competing With Nintendo Switch?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 28 Sept. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/ jasonevangelho/2018/09/28/why-doesoculus-want-to-compete-with-nintendoswitch/#6608a2a373ed.

[16] “COVID-19 Pandemic Impact: Manufacturing Slowdowns and Increased Demand Will Balance to See 16 Million Total AR and VR HMD Shipments in 2021.” ABI Research: for Visionaries, www.abiresearch.com/press/covid19-pandemic-impact-manufacturingslowdowns-and-increased-demand-willbalance-see-16-million-total-ar-and-vrhmd-shipments-2021/

The Relationship between Democratization and Economic Growth:

the Case of Malawi Alex Han Chadwick International, 9th

Malawi is a country in South Africa, land-locked between Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, being one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of income. The country has a population of 18 million, and most of the population relies on agricultural means to earn income and survive. Although most of the land, consists of mountains and forests, is not suitable for raising crops, the agricultural industry takes up more than ⅓ of the Malawian GDP and 90% of all exports (BBC, 2018).

The country was under British rule from about 1891 and its name was the British protectorate of Nyasaland, and it achieved full independence in 1964 (The Commonwealth).

For the first 30 years since Malawi’s independence, President Hastings Banda led the authoritarian government wherein political opponents were detained without charge under the “Preservation of Public Security Act,” and also books, academic texts, and independent press were banned and censored. Independent associations and free expressions were all strictly banned, as Banda developed political means involving violence such as the organization called Malawian Young Pioneers (MYP) that had the power of arrest. His single-party government with the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)

combined with MYP allowed him to have an effective network to keep the population of all social levels under control. Under his government, there was inequality in terms of ethnic groups of the population. Malawi has three ethnic groups; Northern, Central (also called Chewa), and Southern. Although the Central group was made up of less than half of the population, because Banda and his closest officials were Chewas, the sole national language was decided as Chewa, and economic development was mainly channeled towards the central region (Carver, 1994).

However, in 1992, after a pastoral letter from the Catholic Church criticizing the government’s abuse of human rights was widely read, a democratic wave started to take place in the country.

Political pressure applied domestically through public demonstrations and international threat to suspend aid due to human rights violations culminated in a national referendum in 1993 whether to maintain the current system or to transition to democracy. As a result of two-thirds of the citizens supporting democracy, the first multi-party election was held in 1994, and Balaki Muluzi from the United Democratic Front (UDF) was elected (Carver, 1994). This pivotal election affected not only the economic growth, but UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 3 9

also the human rights concerns within the country. As evident in the data presented below, the democratization of Malawi did not result in a significant effect on the economic growth of the country but did improve the human rights conditions of its citizens.

GDP Growth With respect to economic growth, unfortunately, even after the political reform, Malawi still continues to be one of the poorest countries in the world. The GDP growth percentage of Malawi did not change significantly even after 1994.

According to the data, from 1970 to 1993, the average GDP growth rate was 4.02% per year, while it was 4.79% from 1995 to 2018. This shows that although there was a slight change in GDP growth rate, the change was not significant. According to a poll done in 2018 by one of the country’s two major newspapers, 81% of Malawians were unhappy with democracy, believing that it contributed nothing to the country’s social and economic development (Okanla, 2020). The reason for this discontent is that the democratization

in Malawi happened without achieving a certain point of development, and without structural transformation of the government. The governmental structure of Malawi, where a small number of political elites dominate the system, is highly susceptible to misallocation of public funds and corruption.

Prior to 1994, President Banda had put forth several economic development plans that created an economy infused with free market ideas in that the demand of the public for certain products or services determines the supply and what workers would receive for their services. The main goal of these policies was to diversify the economy through government intervention (Sangala, 2017). The new government with the UDF in power focused more on the ‘poverty elevation program’ where they tried to liberalize agricultural production and marketing and to improve employment. However, many specialists agree that the “absence of a well-articulated plan” and systematic corruption of the governmental elites resulted in the miserable failure of the

Figure 1. The annual GDP growth of Malawi between 1960 and 2020 (MacroTrends, 2020) 40 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

system (Cammack, 2004). Furthermore, while an authoritarian government was able to implement harsh economic policies and repress growth-detrimental societal demands by focusing on long term goals, the democratization in Malawi transformed the economy into a “rent economy solely aimed at maximizing short-term profits” (Kanyange, 2019).

The turbulence between 1992 and 1995 can be explained by not only the political instability in moving onto a new system of governance but also the major droughts that happened in 1992 and 1994. The 1992 drought caused a severe decline in maize production by 60% (Chabvungma), and this was detrimental to the Malawian economy because it was highly dependent on agriculture, resulting in a sharp decrease in GDP growth in 1992. The drought in 1994, although classified as moderate drought, had similar consequences (Munthali, 2003).

Human Development Index Although the assessment of HDI only took place in 1980, 1985, 1990 and 2000 before Malawi started to get measured annually, it is clear that the increasing trend in the HDI started between 1990 and 2000, when the HDI increased from 0.28 to 0.34 by 0.06 (whereas the HDI was 0.27 prior to 1990).

Between 1990 and 2000, there were two major events significant enough to impact the lives of the citizens. One was the

major drought in 1992, and the other one was the first multi-party election that took place in 1994. However, the drought was a negative factor as it was one of the major causes of the food crisis declared in 2002.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the democratization of the country was the major factor in the increasing trend of HDI. The human development index is measured by considering three main branches: a long and healthy life (measured by the life expectancy index), being knowledgeable (measured by the education index), and having a decent standard of living (measured by the GNI index) (UNDP). The factor that was altered the most by the democratization was the educational branch. The education index is calculated by considering the expected years of schooling for children and the average years of schooling for adults (UNDP). Figure 3 below shows how the school enrollment rate took a sharp increase in 1995, right after the first multiparty election. Since more students were enrolled in school, the expected years of schooling and mean years of schooling naturally increased, as less people held the number 0. Furthermore, before the political reform, President Banda’s 1989 order regarding education forced all teachers to be assigned in their districts of origin, which led to an oversupply of teachers in the Northern region, but an

Figure 2. Human Development Index of Malawi from 1980 to 2016 (Actualix) UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 4 1

undersupply of teachers in the Central and Southern region (Carver, 1994). Under Muluzi, educational equality was better achieved across the country, thereby improving the overall development of education. According to a 2010 report by the British High Commission, Malawi had “made good progress on human rights since the introduction of multi-party democracy” in 1994 (Katharina, 2018).

While the basic standard of human rights has been improved after the democratization, there is still room for improvement. Cases of human rights infringement within the country still persist, such as discrimination in education against girls and pregnant women, widespread discrimination against minority groups such as the LGBTQ, or human rights violation committed by the government, which still has control over the nation’s security force (Katharina, 2018). “Human rights issues included extrajudicial killings; torture; … lack of investigation and enforcement involving cases of violence against women, including

rape and domestic violence, partly due to weak enforcement; criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct; and child labor, including worst forms” (Malawi Human Rights Report, 2018). This can raise the question of whether the change in human rights is really significant.

Extension Multiple opinions exist about the relationship between economic development and democratization; whether it is positive or negative, or if it even exists. In the case of South Korea, the country was able to achieve a miraculous economic development rate, also called the miracle of the Han River, under the regime of President Park Chung-hee, which held a military autocratic government. The main goal of President Park’s government was to shift the major industries of Korea from an agricultural basis to more production based industries. Some economic policies include developing POSCO as a global steel producing company and the New Village Movement (새마을운동) aiming to elevate standards of living in rural areas

Figure 3: South Korea GDP Growth Rate 1961-2020 (MacroTrends) 42 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

(National Archives).

As evident in the graph above, South Korea was able to achieve the most economic development roughly from 1961 to 1979, when President Park was in power. In the case of Korea, the economic success was able to make an educated middle class with enough income to dedicate a proportion of their income and time into leisurely activities and education. In the end, South Korea could develop into a stable democratic state because the strong middle class was able to pay taxes to the government and make sure that the government was using that tax beneficially for the protection and wellbeing of the citizens. According to a research done by Adam Przeworski, a professor at New York University, democracy in countries with per-capita income under 1,000USD tend to last for under 12 years, while democracy can survive whatever difficulties may occur longer when the income level is over 6,000USD (Dambisa, 2018). Malawi, with GDP per capita of $389.398, does not reach this standard (World Bank).

There is a certain point in which democratization can lead to significant change in the economy or overall living standards and freedom of the citizens. In case of Malawi, rather than unstable and hasty democratization, it is more important to try to reach a certain level of economic development so that the strong middle class citizens can uphold governmental resources by paying adequate taxes and providing a check and balance system for the government to function properly, and also spur further economic growth through consumption and economic activity.

Works Cited “기록으로 보는 경제개발 5개년 계획.” 기록으로 보는 경제개발 5개년 계획 > 개요 > 개관, theme.archives.go.kr/ next/economicDevelopment/overview.do.

“Malawi Country Profile.” BBC News, BBC, 5 Mar. 2018, www.bbc.com/ news/world-africa-13864367.

“Malawi .” Data, data.worldbank.org/ country/malawi.

“Human Development Reports.”

Human Development Index (HDI) | Human Development Reports, hdr.undp.org/en/ content/human-development-index-hdi.

Kanyange, Mireille, et al. “For Malawi, No Signs of Economic Upswing in Sight.” D+C, 6 Jan. 2020, www.dandc.eu/en/ article/malawi-no-signs-economic-upswingsight.

“Malawi GDP 1960-2020.”

MacroTrends, www.macrotrends.net/ countries/MWI/malawi/gdp-grossdomestic-product.

“Malawi - Statisticals Energy.”

Actualitix World Data and Statistics, en.actualitix.com/country/mwi/statisticsenergy-malawi.php.

“Malawi 2018 Human Rights Report.”

United States Department of State, 2018.

Menon, Roshi. “Human Development Report 2007/2008 - Famine in Malawi: Causes and Consequences .” UNDP, 2007.

Moyo, Dambisa. “Why the Survival of Democracy Depends on a Strong MiddleClass.” The Globe and Mail, 20 Apr. 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articlewhy-the-survival-of-democracy-dependson-a-strong-middle-class/.

Sangala, Tom. “Reflecting on Malawi’s Economy since 1964.” The Times Group, 2017, times.mw/reflecting-onmalawis-economy-since-1964/.

“South Korea GDP Growth Rate 19612020.” MacroTrends, www.macrotrends.net/ countries/KOR/south-korea/gdp-growthrate.

United Nations. “Malawi: Between the Referendum and the Elections.” Refworld, www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a6be8.html.

Wiseman, John. “ASSESSING THE OUTCOMES OF THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION IN MALAWI.” 1999.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 4 3

COVID-19 and Contact Tracing System in South Korea.

Joonsoo Heo Dulwich College Seoul, 11th

The COVID-19 is a new virus related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS. The novel coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China in 2019. To impede the global spread of COVID-19, countries have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns, and 2 weeks of mandatory quarantine. Many countries have worked to increase testing capacity, to speed up testing, and to trace contacts of infectors.

44 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

The pandemic has disrupted the world both socially and economically. The world is experiencing the largest (global) economic recession since the Great Depression.

In late February, South Korea reported an acute rise in coronavirus cases, with over 5,000 infected, recording the highest numbers of confirmed cases in the world. However, while cases in most other countries continued to rise,

the numbers in Korea started to level off.

The graph indicates that Korea managed to hold the spread of the virus earlier than other countries. This was all possible because they had learned a lesson in 2015 when they fought against MERS. In 2015 a Korean businessman who returned from the Middle East developed a fever, cough, and eventually pneumonia (common symptoms of MERS). He visited several health facilities for diagnosis, before finally tested positive for MERS. The patient’s movements had created a chain of transmission that became hard for officials to trace. They did not know who got infected or where they had been. Thus, the virus infected 186 people and killed 38 in South Korea. The government declared an end to the outbreak in 2015; however, they continued to plan for potential pandemics. After the MERS outbreak, when they were not able to trace the transmission of the virus, Korea changed the law allowing the government to collect a patient’s data during an epidemic.

Arrays of collected data are then sent to alert people to stay away from the path of infection via smartphone message.

In the beginning of the outbreak of coronavirus, South Korea only had 30 reported cases of COVID-19.

However, despite the low numbers of infection, Korea’s health authorities had already started cooperating with biotech companies to develop accurate testing kits to detect the virus. Later, Korea was prepared for the worst scenario and had thousands of test kits ready to go.

From late February to early March, the total number of positive cases rose

dramatically, exceeding 3,000 patients.

This dramatic rise turned South Korea’s situation the largest outside China. This all started in Daegu, where a woman went to a hospital with the symptoms. Since the government equipped hospitals with coronavirus tests, the lady could be tested easily. She tested positive and became known as patient number 31. However, the government did not stop here but went steps further. While patient 31 was sick, she visited a megachurch where she sat with hundreds of fellows for more than an hour, so health authorities traced her routes, identified people who had in touch with her, and tested the contactors as well.

The majority of them also tested positive, so the infected people were quickly isolated at a hospital. After, all the people they had been in contact with patient 31 were traced and tested too.

It is an approach that allowed Korea to test over 10,000 people who had been in contact with someone who had tested positive. After the Daegu incident, Korea supplied testing kits to both private and national healthcare centers to set up free or inexpensive testing costs that can test more 20,000 people per day. In 2020, the government can test and trace their contacts to continue to minimize the coronavirus transmission. Furthermore, the government has set up walk-through and drive-through facilities to let anyone in Korea can get the test for COVID-19.

Also, the new arrivals at the airport must download an app that tracks their activities and locations and asks them to be honest and report their symptoms.

Every arrival must go through two weeks UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 4 5

of self-quarantine even if they do not have symptoms.

Health authorities’ websites and private apps combine the information allowing everyone to see if a person with a confirmed case went anywhere else. In addition, people will get to know when the patient visited. This information lets people know if they have intersected paths with an infected person so they can go get tested for the virus. Furthermore, health authorities also utilize CCTV footage, credit card transaction history, and travel information to keep eyes on patients.

Using the collected data combined with artificial intelligence, it would take an official less than 10 minutes to figure out where a patient traveled over the course of the day. However, tracing people’s every move can be controversial but many in South Korea prioritize public health over privacy.

As a result, South Korea was able to test more people than any other country in a shorter period of time. Authorities tracked and visualized the current situation. This ability to find and treat infected people has allowed Korea to avoid aggressive lockdowns. It has helped to flatten the curve which once was a very steep curve. European countries started to carry out intense testing like South Korea, while the US government failed to provide enough number of testing to US residents. Contact tracing might be hard to replicate in countries with large populations. Nonetheless, Korea’s success with accessible and adequate testing offers a way out for most countries that are in harsh situations.

46 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Works Cited 서 효선. “‘이태원 클럽 인근 기지국 접속자 중 11%는 외국인.’”

Http://Tbs.seoul.kr/, 13 May 2020, http://tbs.seoul.kr/news/newsView. do?typ_800=7&idx_800=3387465& seq_800=20380042.

“1만905명…그날 이태원서 핸드폰 들고 있던 사람들 다 찾았다.” 머니 투데이, 12 May 2020, news.mt.co.kr/ mtview.php?no=2020051213434642039. 송혜리 . “통신 3사, ‘이태원發 코로나’ 시간대별 분석한 위치정보 제출.” inews24, 12 May 2020, www. inews24.com/view/1264259. “이통3사, ‘이태원 클럽’ 인근주민 제외한 기지국 접속자 명단 제출.” IT조선 > 기업 > 방송·통신, 12 May 2020, it.chosun.com/site/data/ html_dir/2020/05/12/2020051202346. html. [연합뉴스].

(2020, February 19). 병원-신천지교회-호텔…’ 슈퍼전파자’(?) 대구 31번 환자 동선 / 연합뉴스 (Yonhapnews) [Video File] Retrived from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fD__JrXl-Qs [JTBC Culture]. (2020, March 6). [스포트라이트][234-3] ‘슈퍼 감염’ 신천지 긴급추적! [Video File] Retrived from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=nCjXrcxU4Do

Drug Addiction: Do We Know Enough about This Topic?

Sekyoung Hwang North London Collegiate School Jeju, 11th

In reality, drug addiction is increasingly becoming a worldwide problem both in adults and teenagers.

Drug addiction is a complex disease, which needs an enormous time of effort and strong will to quit. Drugs significantly affect the brain in ways that make people find drugs more often and quit drugs harder. Once a person has already started using drugs, quitting drugs are hard to even for those who are strongly willing to quit.

Then what exactly are drugs? Generally speaking, a drug is a substance that has an effect on the chemical reactions when it is taken into the body. Some illegal drugs have a strong addictive effect and thus addiction to drugs is now regarded as a major public health problem.

There are some illegal drugs that are commonly used worldwide. These include heroin, cocaine, cannabis (marijuana), LSD, and amphetamines. Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine and cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a naturally occurring drug made from parts of the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the higher the amount of it, the stronger

the effects will be. The cocaine and amphetamines are powerfully addictive stimulant drugs. Stimulants cause increased heart rate and blood pressure.

They also speed up your metabolism and increase body temperature. Although some of these drugs are used for valid medical purposes, the recreational use of drugs is illegal. LSD is one of the hallucinogens used for mood-changing. Mostly, hallucinogens act on neural circuits in the brain that use serotonin. Once a person uses hallucinogenic drugs, it causes diverse psychoactive effects such as users seeing images, hearing sounds, and feeling sensations that do not exist (Center on addiction, 2017). These illegal drugs have a common effect on our bodies. They enter the brain rapidly and bind to opioid receptors on cells which are generally involved in the controlling feelings of pain and pleasure and in controlling heart rate, sleeping, and breathing. Using drugs may lead to increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, impaired coordination, psychosis, etc (Addiction Center, 2019).

Many countries in the world have illegalized drug use but what is the reason UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 4 7

why people keep finding illegal drugs? The initial uptake of drugs might be voluntary for some people, but, the second and the third time might be out of their control.

Drug addiction is a chronic disease that leads to an inability to control the use of drugs, despite harmful consequences. This can affect a person’s brain and behavior that challenge a person’s self-control and a person’s ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. Drug addiction is considered a ‘relapsing’ disease since this brain change is relentless (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). The level of drug addiction varies depending on people and the degree they are taken. Some drugs are more addictive than others. Each drug has different pharmacology of the substance, and it differs how it affects the user. The amount of drugs taken determines the effect and a larger amount can act as a poison and even kill the user. The patient who is addicted to drugs will show critical withdrawal symptoms if drugs are not available.

As mentioned before, drugs affect the human brain. It mainly affects the reward pathway of the brain which is connected to areas of the brain that control one’s behavior and memory. Drugs interfere with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters.

Many drugs such as heroin and cannabis act upon synapses. Synapse is a junction

between two neurons, consisting of a gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter quickly attaches to receptor molecules in the cell membrane of the neuron and activates it. This may result in an aberrant and unexpected impulse being sent (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Not all drugs affect the brain in the same way. It varies depending on the type of drugs. Drugs such as cocaine and amphetamine disrupt the communication between neurons by causing neurons to release an excessive amount of natural neurotransmitters. These can finally lead to a significant abnormal change in brain function. Brain areas affected by drug use include the basal ganglia, amygdala, prefrontal cortex and etc. These areas play an important role in controlling humans’ feelings, ability to think, decision making, and exert self-control. Over time, a person who has taken drugs will be diminished in one’s sensitivity and become hard to feel delighted from anything besides the drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).

Drugs make a person lose the ability of controlling basic functions critical to life such as making decisions, memory, and judgment and eventually lead a person to seek the drug again and again. In spite of being aware of these risks, people are keen to take drugs which is the nature of addiction.

Image 1. Images of different drugs

Heroin

Cocaine

Cannabis(Marijuana)

48 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

LSD

Amphetamines

Image 2. How do drugs affect the human brain?

Drug addiction can ruin a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and brings physical health risks, mental health risks, social risks, and even environmental risks. Drug use can result in a variety of debilitating health problems including cardiovascular problems, stroke, respiratory problems, and several types of cancer. It can also lead to short term and long term changes in the brain which causes mental health issues such as depression, hallucinations, anxiety, and paranoia. In 2015, according to a research, 43.3 million (17.9 percent of US population) adults who use drugs responded that they had experienced some form of mental illness (SAMHSA, 2015). As drug addiction hurts drug users it also hurts other people close to them.

Normally, drug users believe that they are not hurting others by taking drugs.

However, the people closest to them get hurt the most. Once people become addicted to drugs, frequent users begin to crave more of the drugs. Eventually, they will find themselves spending more time alone or with other people using drugs. They might lose their old friends or family and become much more obsessed with drugs. Cocaine doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just damage the people who take it but also damage our environment. Especially in Bolivia, cocaine production brings environmental risks. Regarding some of the materials used to produce cocaine, producing one gram of cocaine can destroy 4 square meters of the forest, 20 liters of water, and produce 60kg of wastes. It eventually results in deforestation and also affects the groundwater. Likewise, a drug kills a person, kills the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family, and even kills their planet, the earth.

As most people know, drug addiction is a disease hard to quit. As with most other chronic diseases, it is generally hard to be cured only by medication.

Image 3. Environmental impact of cocaine production UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 4 9

However, drug addiction can be treated or successfully managed when the patient gets steady addiction treatment as well as behavioral therapy. The methods that have been successful in treating drug addiction are behavioral counseling, treating withdrawal symptoms, medication, mental therapy, etc. During the treatment, people will have a risk of relapsing for years. The treatment works by helping patients based on their drug use patterns and their mental states. While drug addiction treatment contains small risks, the good news is that drug addiction can be prevented.

With support from families, schools, and national control, drug use and addiction can be easily reduced and prevented (Addiction Center, 2019). Since, younger people have a higher possibility of becoming addicted, it is important to prevent early use of drugs. Thus, many scientists in the world have developed a broad range of prevention programs which contains protective factors for drug use in the society. Especially, drug use prevention programs in schools can significantly and effectively reduce early use of illicit drugs. These research-based prevention programs work to advance the protective factors and eliminate the risk factors for drug use (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).

Currently, illegal drug use is restricted by law in many countries.

However, different countries punish different types of drugs with different sentences and punishments.

The punishments and penalties for carrying drugs are especially severe in Central America, South America, and Southeast 50 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Asia. Countries with the harshest drug laws in the world are Malaysia, China, Iran, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, North Korea, and Turkey. These countries mostly punish people who sell drugs with death. As drug crimes are taken very seriously in these countries, they punish drug users with execution which is a very weighty penalty. Just for having drugs in possession, that person can be fined, jailed, or deported. In Iran, the use of opium is particularly managed harshly. If a person is caught with drugs in Iran, the worst punishment is execution whereas the best one is a heavy fine (American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff, 2019).

In the UK, illegal drugs are classified into three groups: A, B and C. Class A drugs are the most harmful and include heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD. Class B includes amphetamines and class C includes cannabis, steroids and some tranquilizers. The penalties for possession of each class of drugs are different in the UK. The maximum penalty for possessing class A drug is seven years jail sentences and a fine. Possession of class B drugs is punished with five years and a fine, and possession of class C drugs are two years and a fine (GOV.UK). On the other hand, Marijuana sales are legal for adults over the age of 21 in eight states in the United States (Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington), as well as the District of Columbia (American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff, 2019). However, since over 70,000 people died due to drug addiction in the U.S. in 2017, the recreational use of drugs remains illegal

under U.S. federal law. Despite the US government’s official position against the drug trade, the $34 billion worth cocaine and $100 billion worth illicit drugs were sold in the U.S. in 2013 (Organization of American States, the Office of National Drug Control Policy). South Korea has very strong laws against illegal drugs.

However, execution is not the common penalty in South Korea, but people who use illegal drugs can be punished up to five years of jail sentences and large fines.

Expectedly, Korean is not allowed to use drugs in other countries as well. In 2018, Korean police warned Korean residents in Canada not to use drugs that are illegal in Korea such as marijuana. Korean residents who go against the law could face criminal punishment and charges when they return to their home country.

All these drug law policies can bring up a question, ‘Why do some countries allow drug use?’ Some countries allow their people to use drugs despite their harmful and negative results. For instance, in 2001, Portugal became the first European country to legalize all personal drug possession. Its purpose was to reduce the number of new HIV/ AIDs cases in the country since almost half of the new cases of HIV/AIDs were mainly caused by injecting drugs and sharing needles with patients. Healthcare for drug users in Portugal provided a service which drug users can exchange used syringes at pharmacies and get a kit with clean needle syringes, rubbing alcohol as well as a message motivating an addiction treatment. As a result, there was a dramatic drop in problematic drug

use, HIV infection rates, overdose deaths and drug-related crime rates. However, in countries like Bolivia, the government struggles to fight against criminal drug producers for drug illegalization.

The number of cases of drug use and drug addiction are conspicuously increasing worldwide. The use of drugs brings destructive effects to our body and health and even results in significant morbidity. This warning is not only for adults but also for adolescents as the mortality rate of adolescents is likely to grow up to become a worldwide problem.

Drug addiction is characterized as drug seeking and it is difficult to control and manage it by oneself. It affects people’s brains and challenges an addicted person’s ability to control oneself. Surges of dopamine affect the reward circuit and lead people to keep finding and use drugs. Due to its strong and powerful addictiveness, drug addiction is also considered as a relapsing disease. Drug use is not only one person’s problem but it also affects the society and the environment. The risk can start with one’s curiosity but grows rapidly and influences the whole community.

However, fortunately, drug addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed in various ways and the best way is to prevent drug use by parents and teachers educating youngers. It is important to get rid of all risk factors of drugs and enhance the protective factors. Just think twice before you make a decision.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 5 1

Works Cited National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Understanding Drug Use and Addiction. Retrieved from https://www. drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/ understanding-drug-use-addiction Chakravarthy, B., Shah, S., & Lotfipour, S. (2013, June). Adolescent drug abuse - awareness & prevention.

Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC3734705/ Commonly used illegal drugs.

(2017, April 14). Retrieved from https:// www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction/ commonly-used-illegal-drugs Teenage Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Prevention - Addiction Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.addictioncenter.com/teenagedrug-abuse/teenage-substance-abuseprevention/

52 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

Reasons why people use drug - The Department of Health. (2004). Retrieved from https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/ publications/publishing.nsf/Content/ drugtreat-pu bs-front5-wk-toc~drugtreatpubs-front5-wk-secb~drugtreat-pubsfront5-wk-secb-3~d rugtreat-pubs-front5wk-secb-3-1 American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff. (2019, June 11). Drug Laws Around the World: Death Penalty for Drugs. Retrieved from https://drugabuse. com/the-20-countries-with-the-harshestdrug-laws-in-the-world/ Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017, October 26) Drug addiction (substance use disorder). Retrieved from https://www. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc -20365112 Drug Policy Profiles. (2011, June 1). Retrieved from https://www.emcdda. europa.eu/publications/drug-policyprofiles/portugal

Disney Princesses : How It Has Shaped Us Yoorim Jang Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, 11th

In March 2019, Disney announced its plans to produce a live-action remake of the Little Mermaid, an Andersen classic that splashed into box offices in 1989. The animated version of the Little Mermaid has been a megahit ever since it was first released 30 years ago. Its popularity has been maintained, especially for its main character Ariel, the quirky mermaid princess with porcelain white skin, emerald green eyes, and lustrous red hair.

Thousands of Ariel fans waited for the day Disney would release the final casting of the film. Finally, out of months of rumors and gossip, in July, Disney announced the actress that would play the iconic character of Ariel, Halle Bailey, a 19-yearold actress and a member of an R&B duo.

Rob Marshall, the director of the film, commented that Halleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice, spirit, and innocence perfectly matched the intrinsic qualities the producers were looking for.

However, this news quickly became the hot potato in the movie industry, for Halle Bailey is an African American (Newman, 2019).

The casting of Halle Bailey for a role that has been traditionally white is a milestone in Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film history.

For years, Disney has been accused of stereotyping their female princesses.

It is inevitable for Disney to be in this battle with the public since even the most trivial implications and symbols they melt into their films can impact their main consumers, children. Adhering to those feedbacks and the changes in society, Disney princess films underwent numerous changes and experiments throughout the decades, one of which is the black little mermaid. In order to understand the significance of each change in Disney princess films, it is necessary to discuss the psychological impact it has on children.

Such issues would be first dealt with in general terms, by answering the question: what is the significance of these princesses in our society? It will be further interpreted with the analyses of two iconic Disney filmsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Snow White and the Frog Princess. Arguments would be discussed through both qualitative and quantitative approaches, using in-depth analysis as well as factual data.

Disney is by far the number one children entertainment brand in the world. The Disney princess line is the UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 5 3

most popular of them all, with sales in 2012 alone exceeding more than 3 billion dollars (Goudreau,2012). These heroines infiltrated our society, especially the culture of younger generations.

For its primary consumer cohort, preschool girls, Disney princesses are their friends, teachers, and role models.

Such entertainment sources can be even more influential in shaping children’s development than other educational materials. Observational learning is one of the most prominent skills in a child’s frame of reference, and they employ what they see and hear throughout not only their play but their social learning as a whole (Tonn, 2008). Thus, these films have the power to shape a child’s identity, which is the very reason why the minuscule modifications of details in each film are worth analyzing. Specifically, Disney princess films mold its viewers in terms of body image, gender roles, and autonomy.

The “looks” of each Disney princess would be the primary feature girls notice and find attractive. According to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, most children under 12 lack cognitive development to value abstract qualities.

Filmmakers are aware of this, so they focus on the film’s general aesthetic rather than on the details of a character’s personality.

Thus, although the intrinsic qualities of each figure would affect children in one way or the other, its influence is rather insignificant compared to the beauty of each heroine.

Now that the princess is all dressed up, she needs her prince, who is often the game-changer of the film. Most films base their storyline on the chemistry between the male and the female character, 54 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

and throughout this interaction, often each gender takes a fixed role. For their consistency, children usually internalize such qualities. A literary professor, Karen Wohlwend, conducted an ethnographic study in which she observed Disney fangirls for three years. The girls adopted princess storylines when they were playing with their dolls, and they even expressed gendered ideas in their daily lives. Therefore, it can be generalized that Disney princesses teach girls how a male and a female should behave, and even further educate them about femininity.

Nevertheless, the princess always falls into a damsel in distress. Her throne is threatened by evil forces. The reactions of princesses in times of conflict are also very significant in shaping children’s character. Will she fight back? Will she give up? Will she ask for help? In terms of developmental stages, children aged from 8 to 12 are still creating their own sets of values or schemas; they are not capable of qualifying princesses’ attitudes. Thus, girls are very likely to directly imitate the behaviors of the figures they idolize, whether they would autonomously fight by herself, or would she rely on others for help (Coyne, 2016).

Then, based on such standards, does the century-old princess, the prototype of all Disney princesses, set a good example for her fans? Disney’s first princess film was the full-length movie of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released in 1937. Walt Disney himself transformed a gruesome tale of the Grimm brothers into a romantic fantasy fairytale that is loved by children worldwide to this day. Snow White is the oldest, but yet the most iconic princess of them all. The very

proof of her fame is that she is the one who started this nasty cliché of Disney princesses. The story of this young girl most clearly portrays the societal views of a “good femininity” that many of us still have as the stereotypical image of a princess.

The first thing Snow does in the film is to scrub the stairs of the queen’s castle with a big cheerful smile. The princess hums over to the well and hoists up a bucket full of water. After she meets with the seven dwarfs, again, she does house chores. She cooks for the dwarfs, she does the dishes, she does the laundry, she even tucks them into bed. Don’t forget the smile. Snow does not seem the slightest disturbed or tired; she deals with the chores as if it is her duty. The dwarves and her animal friends praise her for it. Women indeed gained much independence during the early 20th century in that they had to participate in the workforce as many men entered the war to serve the country’s military demands. Nevertheless, after their husbands returned home, they were expected to be the supportive, poised, and obedient housewives that they used to be.

Snow White represents the domesticity that the society emphasized to women during the time of war (Davis,2001).

Snow’s characteristics can be interpreted in a broader point of view in relation to other figures of the story, especially with male characters. Before male characters enter the storyline, her life is a mess. She is haunted by her wicked stepmom, stalked by a huntsman, and eventually gets lost in the woods with nowhere. The seven dwarves realize how helpless she is and let her stay in their cabin.

She is saved. Then she is again poisoned

by the wicked queen when a mighty prince with his elegant white horse pops up out of nowhere. He graciously awards her with a magical kiss and suddenly ends her years of misery. She was in a coffin, dead, and all of a sudden, her life escalated to a cliché “happily ever after” as she married the prince. In fact, throughout the whole story, Snow White was wishing for “the one [she] loves to find [her] today that he will carry [her] away to his castle and that [they] will happily ever after,” as it is directly mentioned in the movie script itself. Thus, in this film male character is the hero, the rescuer, while the female character is helpless and needs protection by the male character.

The character that created all of Snow’s distress is the queen, who takes up a large portion of the scenes, almost as much as Snow. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the queen would be her activeness and her engagement in the storyline. In order to achieve her “goal” she sets up this meticulous plan; she sends a huntsman to kill Snow, she conjures up a poisonous apple to feed Snow, she morphs into an old lady to disguise herself, and she takes control of her whole plan through the magic mirror. This “goal” of hers is not that nice, but everyone would agree that she is strong, fearless, and creative.

She has the quality of a CEO that anyone today wants to achieve. Nevertheless, she is punished for her own actions. On the other hand, Snow White never set out on an expedition to find her prince charming.

Almost none of her actions were on her own will. Yet she was praised for it.

Perhaps, gracefully ever after is not only for the “fairest of them all”; maybe it was a matter of passivity. If you are willing UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 5 5

to wait patiently, happiness will come to you. Try to make it happen yourself, you would end up alone and defeated.

Another characteristic of an ideal female that is implied in this film is beauty.

This film cannot proceed without any allusion to beauty in almost every incident; every turning point of the plotline is based on a character’s physical appearance. The film starts with the classic line “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all.” The only thing the wicked widowed queen is interested in is to look into the mirror and recite this line, praying to be the “fairest of them all.” She sends a huntsman, conjures up a poisonous apple to kill Snow, and becomes the “fairest of them all.” However, Snow is the winner after all; the huntsman saves her, the seven dwarves provide her a place to sleep, and the prince gives the magical kiss, because unlike the queen, she is the “fairest of them all,” and nothing changes that. Snow White’s entire life revolves around her beauty. No other traits of Snow White are emphasized in the film, and yet, being pretty is not a character. Women’s value is determined by her beauty rather than her personality or intelligence. Essentially, Snow is merely depicted as the girl with a pretty face.

Other films during the early ages of Disney such as Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959) resemble the characteristics of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves: the obedience, domesticity of the female protagonist, the heroic masculine male characters, the evil widow as the antagonist and the emphasis on the pale skinny physique. She presented a beauty standard that would haunt her fellow princess for decades. She 56 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

is also very reliant on men and is never autonomous. Sadly enough, despite these implications of each classic film, it is these princesses that earn the most publicity and popularity. According to Google search data, Cinderella, Bella from the Sleeping Beauty, Ariel from the classic 1989 little mermaid, and Snow-white are the top 4 most popular princesses in the world.

From this popularity, the widespread stereotype of the ideal femininity - pale, skinny, and obedient – ran rampant within children society. Between 2009 and 2018, sociologist Charu Uppal conducted a research with 140 girls aged 8 to 12 from five countries: the US, China, Fiji, Sweden, and India. When girls from Fiji, India, and Sweden were asked to draw a princess, 61 girls out of 63 drew a light-skinned Disney-like character. The researcher never asked these girls to draw a Disney princess character. Additionally, girls answered that they could not be a princess because their skin was too dark and because they were not “girly” enough (Uppal, 2019). For decades, the idols of children have represented this single standard of femininity that is very similar to the globally widespread figure of an ideal woman. This is never a coincidence.

There are millions of tanned girls today that wish to have paler skin, there are millions of Asian girls that believe looking “Caucasian” is a compliment, there are millions of girls that end up being anorexic, and Disney did contribute to this abnormal trend.

Moving on to the latter half of the century, however, Disney started to break this pattern. The late 1960s and 1970s bloomed with a new trend of feminism that tried to redefine the female role. More

and more women joined the workforce and yearned for equal representation in society. They sought meanings in life other than marriage; they wanted to earn money, pursue their dreams, just like men.

Furthermore, as the American society grew in racial diversity, the typical Grace Kelly visual of pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair was not the only option for beauty; people started to accept various standards of beauty in women. Heroines of Disney reflected this trend of “new femininity” (McKenzie, 2015).

One of the best examples of this change is Tiana, the main character of the Princess and the Frog (2009). This animated remake of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale the Frog Prince portrays the story of a young waitress living in 1920s New Orleans who turns into a frog after kissing a prince. From skin color to personality, she is very different from our apple-phobia friend Snow, which is the very reason why her presence is such a meaningful incident in Disney history.

The most noticeable difference, as well as the very reason why Tiana was such a ground-breaking character, is Tiana’s skin color. To begin with, Tiana is the first non-white African American princess in Disney history. She grew up in an African American family of the south; she embraces her tanned skin and delicate natural curls; she dances to blues and jazz music. Disney adds a finishing touch and glamorizes the unique African American culture of 1920s New Orleans. In the film, Tiana, the poor African American girl, is praised and loved for her natural ebony skin.

However, through this animation, Disney delivers an even more

heartwarming message that external beauty does not matter. Tanned skin or pale skin, everyone’s looks can be beautiful, but what matters the most is the beauty coming from the inside – a person’s exquisite personality. This message is portrayed in the relationship between Tiana and prince Naveen. Tiana was not always a mammal in this film; after meeting the frog prince Naveen, she turned into an ugly frog too. However, even when she was not in her human form, the prince loved her beauty that comes from inside. Their relationship also developed very gradually, unlike other couples in Disney history that had a “love at first sight” moment. They developed feelings for each other as they got to know each other more, which is another proof that their relationship was not based on temporary beauty. Thus, viewers can learn that one’s physical appearance inevitably changes as time passes, but a person’s value and characteristic rarely change, and that is where a person’s charm comes from.

Another significant change is that the heroine has a specific goal of her own, and she plans to achieve that goal by herself. Ever since she was young, Tiana had a talent for cooking and dreamed of expressing her talent by running her restaurant. This princess worked at two diners, night and day, just to save money for her down payment. In the end, she did accomplish her goal from scratch. Furthermore, even during her amphibian days, when she was with the frog prince, she was the one that sought for creative ideas and solutions to return to their original selves. For the first time, a princess had something to do with her UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 5 7

life other than playing hide and seek with a prince, and Disney was more than eager to support its new independent queen.

This determined young princess broke all the previous stereotypical images of a Disney princess. Especially the fact that she was African American excited millions of black children across the globe. Elizabeth Dampier, the girl who played the voice of Tiana, mentioned that she never realized she was making a history. It is undeniable that the production of this film in 2009 was a game-changing moment in Disney history. However, some argue that the company has overly glorified the Black culture, to the point that the movie has become historically incorrect. The setting of the film is the 1920s, one of the darkest ages for the African American society, and in New Orleans, the southernmost city where the remnants of the cotton fields still exist until today. Critics say that in 1920s New Orleans, a black girl could not be friends with a white girl, could not marry a white man, and could not even breathe the same air with the whites. It is undeniable that racism was prevalent at that time, at this place of history. It is also true that history is not always pretty, and regardless, children must be educated by such facts.

Disney’s intentions of glorifying Black culture are evident: a bold response to silence those who accused Disney of whitewashing. Nevertheless, some might believe Disney just slabbed a band-aid on

58 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

a deep-rooted, grueling crevice, that this is a misrepresentation of history, not any chunk of history but a slice that would be agonizingly meaningful for some. While Disney makes a lazy excuse that modifying fictional stories is not a big deal, African American children on the other side of the globe would feel “empowerment” and “racial representation,” sweet, sugarcoated lies of their past, the so-called modifications of Disney (Adamkiewiez, 2016).

The title “princess” holds more significance than her literal royal position; she is the idol of millions of children world-wide. It is ridiculous to confine this figure into a single physical form. There is no such thing as an ideal princess-y aesthetic. A princess can be of any skin color and any body shape. Girls should be educated that they can be loved and respected just like a princess regardless of their physical form. Their fairy tale dream-come-true must not be shattered by something temporary and shallow as physical appearance. The personality of this role model also needs grave attention.

If she is to be the role model of thousands of fellow girls, she must be something more than the passive, helpless sidekick of princes. She should be inspiring, confident, independent, and intelligent, the qualities that should be encouraged to the future generation of women. As the number one children entertainment company, Disney has the burden to promote such ideas.

Works Cited Adamkiewicz, E.(2016).White Nostalgia : The Absence of Slavery and the Commodification of White Plantation Nostalgia. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.semanticscholar. o rg / p a p e r / W h i t e - N o s t a l g i a - % 3 A The-Absence-of-Slavery-andthe-of-Adamkiewicz/c95d924d 4134984300220e6ebee510158ee276a9 Bell, Haas, Sells.

(1999).

Introduction to From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture in Disney. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.academia.edu/1253754/ Introduction_to_From_Mouse_to_ Mermaid_The_Politics_of_Film_ Gender_and_Culture_in_Disney Binkely, M.(2016). Argument on Disney and Psychological Development by Madeleine Binkley. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.semanticscholar. org/paper/An-Argument-on-Disneyand-Psychological-DevelopmentBinkley/b2444a5af37d2b4f7f3672b99 a6225d06f3e45c6 Coyne, Sarah & Linder, Jennifer & Rasmussen, Eric & Nelson, David & Birkbeck, Victoria. (June 18, 2016).

Pretty as a Princess: Longitudinal Effects of Engagement With Disney Princesses on Gender Stereotypes, Body Esteem, and Prosocial Behavior in Children.

Child Development. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.researchgate. net/publication/304071159_Pretty_ as_a_Princess_Longitudinal_Effects_of_ Engagement_With_Disney_Princesses_ on_Gender_Stereotypes_Body_Esteem_ and_Prosocial_Behavior_in_Children Davis, A. (2001). Disney’s women: changes in depictions of femininity in Walt Disney’s animated feature films, 1937-1999. Retrieved March 10, 2020

from https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/ eprint/1382007/ Eisenhour, K.(April 2017) A Quantitative Analysis of Directives in Disney Princess Films. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from http://www. k a r e n e i s e n h a u e r. o r g / w p - c o n t e n t / uploads/2017/06/Eisenhauer-CapstoneExcerpt.pdf Gray, R.( August 1, 2019) Did Disney shape how you see the world?

BBC. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.bbc.com/worklife/ article/20190724-did-disney-shape-howyou-see-the-world Itmeizeh, M. (August 2017).

Evolution of Gender Roles and Women’s Linguistic Features in the Language of Disney. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/319328579_Evolution_ o f _ G e n d e r _ R o l e s _ a n d _ Wo m e n ’s _ Linguistic_Features_in_the_Language_ of_Disney McKenzie, B. (November 24, 2015). Disney’s Female Gender Roles: The Change of Modern Culture. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from http://scholars. indstate.edu/handle/10484/12132 Newman, B.(July 9, 2019) The white nostalgia fueling the ‘Little Mermaid’ backlash. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2020 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/ outlook/2019/07/09/white-nostalgiafueling-little-mermaid-backlash/ Uppal, Charu.(March 31, 2019) Over Time and Beyond DIsney--Visualizing Princesses through a comparative study in India, Fiji, and Sweden. Retrieved June 11, 2020 from h t t p s : / / w w w. m d p i . c o m / 2 0 7 6 0760/8/4/105 UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 5 9

The Gaming Revolution

by Big Data Seyoung Jang Branksome Hall Asia, 9th

The usage of technology has inclined drastically over the past decade as the amount of big data has also increased exponentially. Big data refers to enormous amounts of data that are too large to store in regular devices. It includes all the YouTube videos, snaps on Snapchat, search queries on Google, and emails that people use every day. The data is grouped, analyzed, and evaluated by companies to understand their user’s interests. For example, if you have been watching Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos for a whole day, your YouTube video suggestions will recommend a dozen more ASMR videos the next day. Like this, companies make predictions on people’s changing interests by recording their records. Especially in this era of fast-changing trends, big data has become an essential feature for companies to survive the competitive marketing field. Just like the videos recommended based on what the person watched, this can also happen within the world of games. Game designers analyze user data to understand their playing pattern and make enhancements based on 60 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

the information. The analysis of the user’s records through big data helps developers to make a customized game and enhance the customer’s experience.

Going beyond pure entertainment, gaming products have grown to a whole new industry. As the gaming industry has grown in size and value, numerous workspaces such as multimedia artists, video game testers, customer support agents, and game developers have been developed. The development of games has brought a whole new life to people around the world. According to Statista, there are currently over 2.4 billion gamers worldwide – which is about one-third of the global population. While most people assume that games are only for teenagers, 40% of the American gamer’s age range above age 36 (Statista, 2020). Also, over 40% of gamers replied that gaming has improved their emotional well-being along with forming online friendships (Anderton, 2018). The influence of the gaming industry is evolving globally as people get pleasure and social relaxation from entertainment. It has also bridged the generation gap by uniting families

together through games that are suitable for all ages. Now, it has become a question for developers how to apply the $130 billion-dollar-worth big data industry to the gaming products (Mallon, 2017).

The investigation of user data allows designers to create an optimized game and grasp the player’s attention.

When someone is playing a game, the analysts monitor their game performance in real-time, tracking when they stop, quit, or restart the game (Rijmenam, 2013).

Their top priority is predicting the cause for every performance. For instance, if many players abandon the game after a certain level, the analysts could assume that the following level was too difficult or not attractive enough. Therefore, they would make alterations such as adjusting the intensity of the level or increasing interactive elements to keep the players to play the game longer (Mallon, 2017).

This requires companies to provide the right award and the right time to enhance the player’s engagement. The more people play the game, the more data will be collected to reflect on their product. Not to mention, major game companies such as Nintendo has relied on data analysis to inquire the direction of modern gaming trends. In 2018, when the company realized that 53% of the total game sales came from mobile games, they immediately turned their focus to mobile-friendly products that are suitable for tablets and phones (Keys, 2019). The concatenation of events, where user experience and game developments are intertwined, has indeed led to the revolution within the gaming industry.

More and more companies are currently adopting the use of big data, and they have entered a rigorous competition to develop appealing games to the marketing; the companies struggle to establish further insights into the user’s interest. During this process, they can learn when the peak of demands happens by examining the elements that critically affect the user’s experience and satisfaction. For instance, during the lockdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, online gaming traffic increased by 75% in one week (Online Gaming Traffic in U.S., 2020). After identifying the significant rate of online gamers, the Nintendo company released a new edition of a social simulation video game called Animal Crossing that was published in 2001. The updated game went viral, dominating the gaming markets starting from early March and covering 55.4% of the gaming industry’s television advertisements in the U.S. (iSpot.tv, 2020).

The popularity spread worldwide, and the Nintendo Switch’s Animal Crossing editions are currently being traded at a much higher price online in South Korea as their sales increased by 67.8% over this year (Korea Animal Crossing, 2020).

Nintendo’s comprehensive analysis on the user’s satisfaction elements allowed them to thrive during the pandemic.

Furthermore, the analysis enabled the game designers to develop an optimized and advanced product to meet the user’s demand and boost their enjoyment.

One of the world’s most popular game also relies on global real-time data collection. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, also known as UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 6 1

FIFA Football, is a worldwide football video game made by the Electronic Arts (EA) gaming company. The game was listed in the Guinness World Record as the best-selling sports video game in the world as it sold over 282.4 million copies by 2019 (The Guardians). According to the Western Digital Corporation, the EA’s American football franchise makes a sophisticated approach using high technology tools. Professional American football teams use radiofrequency identification (RFID) chips that are attached to the player shoulder pads to measure speed, acceleration, and deceleration. The collected data during their on-field performance is shared with EA which is categorized to specific attributes such as their speed or scoring records to calculate the player’s final rating. Player ratings are updated each week during the football season (FIFA Franchise Data Master, 2018). During the 2018 FIFA World Championship game in Russia, video assistant referees (VAR) were allowed to keep a record of the game and communicate the outcome of each player. Exceeding its potential purpose of entertainment, the actual American football players are referring to the updated FIFA game when faced to new opponents. Based on their ratings, they identify what they lack compared to other national players. According to MuellerMoehring, the producer of the internal database group in EA, some players left a comment that they use the game to check their status as motivation to improve specific skills. The accuracy of data and its analysis has enabled the enhancement 62 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

of big data to be applied to a worldwide sports field.

Yet, despite the fast-growing use of big data, it is believed that there are some flaws in the big data system. During the process of real-time data collection, exceptional situations are also gathered simultaneously. As claimed by the Western Digital Corporation, the data analysts of FIFA look for inconsistencies between the player’s actual performance and their rates based on the data collected.

For example, one player could be ranked poorly by a low rate of scoring. However, in the actual game, his leadership skills or influence to the other teammates could make him the most valuable player. These intangibles are not recorded as a form of ‘data’, hence affecting the ranking system.

Not only does this weakness affect sports games but it can also alter user performance in online or mobile games.

For example, if a player is logged out by accident while playing a game, or if the gaming environment affected the time online, the data collected might lead data analysts to make a misjudgment.

Adding on, one of the most widely used big data platforms is Apache Hadoop, where a network of multiple computers deals with astronomical amounts of data and computation. However, as Hadoop is functioned based on Java, which is a widely used programming language, it makes the stored data vulnerable to cyber hackers and weakens the security (Dataflair, 2019). Once the data is leaked out to the public, numerous issues will follow, such as the infringement of user’s personal information and a massive drop

in the reputation of a company. According to Dataflair, Hadoop is also incapable of easy data interaction as it is unable to handle real-time data. Since Hadoop is a batch processing platform which functions without user interaction, it is efficient when organizing a vast amount of data as an input. However, providing an output value as a final result can be delayed depending on the computational power of the system.

To solve the limitations of Hadoop, Spark and Flink have come to use. These two streaming programs allow the continuous input and output of data and accelerate the speed of data processing along with security enhancements.

Big data helps to analyze and process user data which allows companies to apply user’s interests to create a customized game. By looking at the analysis, game designers are able to improve and create new platforms to enhance user experience. Judging from the fast-evolving data technologies, the future of big data is expected to bolster beyond the gaming industry. According to Simplilearn, the practical use of big data has already extended its impact to broader industries such as banking and security, social media platforms, and even health care providers. With the use of big data, the world would be centered for mankind, where everything is personalized just for their need.

Works Cited Keys, Sally. “Mobile Game Revolution of 2019: The Impact of Big Data on the Gaming Industry.” Women in Big Data, 10 Apr. 2019, www. womeninbigdata.org/2019/04/10/ mobile-game-revolution-of-2019the-impact-of-big-data-on-the-gamingindustry/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2020.

Kim, Byung-wook.

“Animal Crossing Exposes Korea’s Selective Boycott of Japanese Products.” The Korean Herald, 10 Apr. 2020, www.koreaherald. com/view.php?ud=20200409000821.

Accessed 9 May 2020.

Rijmenam, Mark Van. “The Gaming Industry Turns to Big Data to Improve the Gaming Experience.” Datafloq, 29 Oct. 2013, datafloq.com/read/gamingindustry-turns-big-data-improve-gamingexpe/137. Accessed 21 Apr. 2020.

Team, Editorial. “Meet the Data Master Behind EA Sports’ Popular FIFA Franchise.” Data Makes Possible, 19 Aug. 2019, datamakespossible.westerndigital. com/meet-data-master-ea-sports-fifa/.

Simplilearn. “Top 10 Big Data Applications across Industries.” Simplilearn, 29 Apr. 2020, www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/ big-data-tutorial/big-data-applications.

Accessed 9 May 2020.

“13 Big Limitations of Hadoop & Solution to Hadoop Drawbacks.”

Data Flair, 7 Mar. 2019, data-flair. training/blogs/13-limitations-of-hadoop/.

Accessed 9 May 2020.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 6 3

WHO and Countries’ Responses to COVID 19 Yuna Jang Homeschool, 9th

WHO Responses to COVID 19 The total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients was 3,882,421, and 273,676 were dead, in 217 countries as of May 9, 2020. COVID-19 is a virus that was originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and is spread by humans through airborne droplets or contact.

COVID-19 began spreading to many countries rapidly after the outbreak in Wuhan, and heavy criticism regarding the World Health Organization’s response to the COVID-19 has been raised around the world.

Due to the WHO’s inadequate response and pro-Chinese action, a half million have demanded for the resignation of WHO Director General. The WHO was established under the name of “World Health Government,” but after the coronavirus crisis, it has been called the “Worst Health Organization”. The WHO was once the center of global health policy.

In the 1980s, it was the WHO that made a major contribution to the eradication of smallpox, and in this process, information networks between member countries were established and these networks are still 64 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

in operation. Since then, the WHO has taken the lead in combating numerous epidemics such as malaria, measles, polio, and influenza. However, in 2006, after Director General Lee Jong-wook, who was called “Schweitzer of Asia,” resigned, the WHO began to be criticized under the system of Director General Margaret Chan. When the polio outbreak in Syria in 2013, there was a record of being accused by the Syrian government for not responding appropriately, and was criticized for the late response to the Ebola virus, which developed in Africa the following year.

Since then, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who took over the position of the Director General in 2017, has been the subject of the greatest criticism among all the secretaries. He was internationally criticized for classifying singles and homosexuals as “disabled” last year and was also accused of overusing unnecessary disease codes. In particular, the WHO’s trust has been greatly shaken by the COVID-19. The declaration of pandemic was made later than expected, thus it was criticized as a late response.

Moreover, the WHO caused controversy over China, which is the epicenter of the virus, with a biased statement, “The world owes China.” This has caused the WHO’s authority to fall, even ignoring WHO’s recommendations and in fact, over 100 countries banned independent travel. In addition, the signatories were obliged to share information about the current COVID-19 situation in accordance with international health rules, but they showed little trust in the WHO to the extent that sharing information was rarely observed.

Therefore, compared to the previous WHO’s response, it can be said that the current response is swept by the great powers and shows that the WHO is not functioning independently. Currently, the WHO is not fulfilling its role as an international health organization. As a result, individual responses from around the world have become more important, and international cooperation between countries should be made directly.

Germany responses to COVID-19 The director of the Biller Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany assessed that although the confirmed cases have been relatively high, they have been stabilizing. In addition, it was positively evaluated that there have been enough critical beds and ventilators in the German hospital. This shows that Germany has a well-established healthcare system and infrastructure, allowing it to respond faster to COVID-19. Thus, Germany is regarded as one of the countries that have successfully performed initial response through rapid restrictions. However, the government of Germany also faced a

conflict in terms of economic paralysis occurred by restrictions and concerns over public health. The German government recently announced the easement of containment measures on May 6, but again the number of new coronavirus patients surpassed 1,200. Thus, the decision to resume the German soccer league, the Bundesliga, raised concerns over re-proliferation. However, despite the increase in the number of patients, local governments continued to push for mitigation measures. The German government’s response to COVID-19 is largely something other countries should imitate, but it is still a challenge for Germany to end the blockade due to concerns about the economic downturn ( 주 독일 대한민국 대사관, 2020).

Japan responses to COVID-19 With regard to the COVID-19, Prime Minister Abe declared an emergency on April 7th. However, the decision of extending the current emergency period until the end of May was made on the 6th and then Abe’s Cabinet approval rate fell to 40%. This shows that the people of Japan are not satisfied with the Abe government’s response to the COVID-19. To summarize the Japanese government’s response, first of all, two cloth masks were distributed to each household. However, the so-called ‘Abeno Mask’ is too small for adults to wear, and the cloth mask for pregnant women, which was previously distributed, was contaminated with worms and fungi.

However, despite the controversy, the Japanese government decided to continue distributing the mask. Criticism continues with regard to the Japanese government’s UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 6 5

coronavirus prosecutor. The BBC Online has pointed out that the number of PCR (gene amplification) tests is small, and there have been doubts that the confirmed cases in Japan would be much higher than the current figure. The British Guardian and the Washington Post in the United States also pointed out that the scope of inspection should be expanded. The US Embassy said on April 3, “It is difficult to accurately determine the proportion of infected people, as the Japanese government has decided not to conduct a wide range of screenings” (TBS NEWS, 2020; THE DIPLOMAT, 2020). On May 10, the German embassy in Japan sent a message to their locals who are living in Japan as of late March. This can be interpreted that the Japanese government’s response did not proceed in an open direction, and the initial response was also insufficient. It can be seen that it is difficult to expect the prevention of spread and it is highly probable that self-restraint from going out will not be conducted even after the emergency is declared.

Iran responses to COVID-19 The Iranian government announced plans to deploy nearly 300,000 soldiers and volunteers in response to COVID-19.

The government also decided to close both educational institutions and cultural facilities. The Iranian Ministry of Health announced the procedure for conducting a visit to suspected patients and transferring them to a treatment center if they are confirmed to be infected. Firefighters are to be mobilized for prevention of epidemics in Tehran Road, and have started to build temporary hospitals like 66 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

China (CGTN, 2020).

England responses to COVID-19 Prime Minister Boris Johnson caused controversy by saying that he would still shake hands with everyone he met. When the Italian death toll reached 79, Prime Minister Johnson said, “Our country is still very well prepared. We have a good NHS (the UK’s national health system), a good inspection system, […] There is a good surveillance system that can track the spread of the disease.” However, Dr. Whitty, the government’s Chief Medical Adviser and Epidemiologist, presented the commission’s conclusions, which predicted that 80% of the UK population would be infected, resulting in massive deaths. This difference in stance eventually led to the UK’s late response.

Prime Minister Johnson was infected with COVID-19 and was criticized for not moving more quickly to introduce large-scale diagnostic tests and to secure essential medical equipment and beds.

When looking at the response of Johnson, the initial response in the United Kingdom was quite insufficient, and although a close analysis was conducted, the government in charge of actual administrative affairs ignored it and resulted in the fourth rank of the confirmed number. These countries are doing the best and worst jobs fighting coronavirus (HuffPost, 2020).

Korea responses to COVID-19 Korea is currently selected as one of the best countries in coping with COVID-19. First of all, the supply of mask was secured by the government.

When the price of masks surged due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it became difficult

to purchase. The government came up with a plan to distribute up to three masks on the specific day of the week. Second, the government showed a great response in terms of information delivery and communication with the public. Through the portal site, statistics are provided on a daily basis to confirm the number of persons diagnosed or infected, as well as the death toll. Third, all kindergartens and schools including universities across the country put the opening day off and started online classes which are currently in progress. Fourth, it showed the fastest testing speed in the world based on the advanced medical system and supported other countries by sending medical diagnostic kits. Additionally, the government held the general election in April as scheduled and successfully conducted without collective infection.

Conclusion The most important thing in dealing with COVID-19 is the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial response and public participation.

Korea and Germany are examples of countries that have performed well during the initial phases, while Britain and Japan were not. Communication with the public is essential to induce the participation of the people. The former nations gained active support from the people based on transparent information disclosure, but the latter did not. Therefore, the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial response is important, but in order to accomplish it and to respond to the public needs continuously, the government needs to release information transparently. The medical system also played a key role in coronavirus response. Germany and Korea

basically have a well-established medical infrastructure, so they were able to build up the inspection system more quickly, which led to a successful response (The Kyunghyang Shinmun, 2020).

It is still expected that it will take quite a long time for the coronavirus to be completely suppressed. Many countries are gradually withdrawing restrictions, as the dissatisfaction of people and the economic recession have been intensified.

But the secondary spread of coronavirus is expected. In this situation, countries must cooperate with each other to share information and discuss their responses to find more advanced solutions. Different countries have different social and economic environments, so there may be various problems, but if they discuss trials and errors or problems they have already experienced, they can expect more positive measures.

Works Cited Hjelmgaard, K. (2020, March 31).

These countries are doing the best and worst jobs fighting coronavirus. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.usatoday. com/story/news/world/2020/03/17/ coronavirus-how-countries-across-globeresponding-covid-19/5065867002/https:// thediplomat.com/2020/04/covid-19-inasia-a-country-by-country-guide/ Frank, A., &amp; Grady, C. (2020, March 22). Phone booths, parades, and 10-minute test kits: How countries worldwide are fighting Covid-19. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/sciencea n d - h e a l t h / 2 0 2 0 / 3 / 2 2 / 2 11 8 9 8 8 9 / UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 6 7

coronavirus-covid-19-pandemicresponse-south-korea-phillipines-italynicaragua-senegal-hong-konghttps:// www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/ coronavirus-this-is-how-the-world-isresponding/ NormileMar, D., HeidtMay, A., ServickMay, K., StokstadApr, E., &amp; HeidtApr, A. (2020, March 18). Coronavirus cases have dropped sharply in South Korea. What’s the secret to its success? Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.sciencemag. org/news/2020/03/coronavirus-caseshave-dropped-sharply-south-koreawhats-secret-its-successhttps://newseu. cgtn.com/news/2020-04-29/PandemicPlaybook-1-Recognize-problemPSKidWQ7Cg/index.html Parker, C., &amp; Eisenberg, J. (2020, March 12). ‘Over-reacting is better than non-reacting’ - academics around the world share their take on coronavirus.

Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https:// www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/ coronavirus-covid19-global-academicsinsights-pandemic/ U. (2020, April 9). 5 reasons the world needs WHO, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic | | UN News. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://news.un.org/en/ story/2020/04/1061412 Phillips, T., Orange, R., Smith, D., Graham-Harrison,

68 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

E., &amp; Roy, E. (2020, April 12).

Covid-19: How world leaders responded to the crisis. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2020/apr/12/covid-19-how-worldleaders-responded-to-the-crisis. 주 독일 대한민국 대사관.

Retrieved May 26, 2020, from http:// overseas.mofa.go.kr/de-ko/brd/m_7201/ view.do?seq=1347402 허완, R. (2020, April 10). 이것은 코로나19 대응에 관한 영국의 끔찍한 실패에 관한 얘기다. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.huffingtonpost. kr/entry/uk-coronavirus-response-failed_ kr_5e8e8f72c5b6b371812bc16f Marks, H. (2020, March 28). Japan’s Limited Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://thediplomat.com/2020/03/ japans-limited-response-to-the-covid-19pandemic/ Hu, Y. (2020, March 14). Graphics: How is Iran responding to COVID-19?

Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https:// news.cgtn.com/news/2020-03-14/ Graphics-How-is-Iran-responding-toCOVID-19--OPMAL4c5K8/index.html CNN (2020, May 09). “한국· 독일, 세계가 부러워할 팬데믹 대처의 모범국”. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_ art_view.html?artid=202005091051001

Whistleblowers: the Referees of Our Society Haeun Jeong Seoul International School, 9th

There’s just something about the high-pitched screech of a whistle that induces people to turn and look. Whether it is heard at a sports game by a referee or at a water park by a lifeguard, people are trained to stay cautious and alert. After all, the purpose of a whistle is to alert the crowd or the public about a troublesome situation. The term “whistleblower” originates from this very purpose. A whistleblower refers to a person who alerts the public by exposing secretive information that is often deemed as illegal or immoral within a private or public organization. They are the key players that can warn the public of problems such as national security, corruption, fraud, and violations of policies or regulations— especially the problems where the ones with power can always easily cover up (Kenton, 2020).

The term was first used in 1777 to describe two seamen, Samuel Shaw and Richard Maven, who accused the commander in chief of the Continental Navy, Commodore Hopkins, of torturing British prisoners of war. Their testimonies inevitably deprived Hopkins of power and

garnered congressional support to enact the first whistleblower protection law (National Whistleblower Center, 2018).

However, the word “whistleblower” really began to receive attention in the 1960s when many journalists began to write about Ralph Nader, a US civic activist who fought for governmental reform in the field of consumerism. As people began to recognize the positive impact Nader brought upon the public, they welcomed whistleblowers as positive contributors to the society instead of perceiving them as “snitches” or “informers,” words that tend to exude negative connotations (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). After Nader bravely set the example of a heroic whistleblower, people began to disclose information regarding corruption among the higher authorities.

With Nader bravely stepping up and making his case known through the press, he constructed a platform for many other important cases to come to light. For example, Daniel Ellsberg publicly released parts of the Pentagon Papers to denounce the government for its deceptions to the American public regarding the Vietnam UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 6 9

war. In 1964, Ellsberg was assigned to work on a top-secret report regarding the US involvement in the Vietnam War at the Research and Development (RAND) Corporation, a non-profit organization that was responsible for assisting the government with military strategies. The report gradually expanded to a 7000page report, later known as the infamous Pentagon Papers. Ellsberg described the report as “evidence of a quarter-century of aggression, broken treaties, deceptions, stolen elections, lies, and murder.” With revulsion towards President Nixon’s plans to bolster the range of deception and frauds, Ellsberg worked with Anthony Russo, his former coworker at RAND corporation, to photocopy the entire Pentagon Papers. In March of 1971, he leaked the papers to the New York Times.

After the report was released, the enraged American public initiated the movement for anti-Vietnam war, which forced the government to withdraw from the war they were bound to lose. Following the Pentagon Papers, Ellsberg also initiated the Watergate scandal where President Nixon and a few other government officials tried to seek revenge on Ellsberg for causing their embarrassment, only exposing more of their corruption. Due to these cases, President Nixon and a few other government officials were forced to resign (Daniel Ellsberg, 2019). Daniel Ellsberg had saved the lives of millions of American soldiers and eliminated corruption in the government by simply alerting the public of the government’s wrongdoings. His work demonstrated the power of whistleblowing and the great 70 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

impact it could have on the well-being of the entire public.

Whistleblowing is not only crucial in a government, it is also crucial in maintaining transparency for private companies and organizations. Another prominent example is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) corruption scandal regarding Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Phaedra Al-majid worked in a senior communications role for FIFA as a part of the Qatari bid team until 2010 and blew the whistle on bribery in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. She claimed that she witnessed firsthand bribes made to the African FIFA executives Issa Hayatou, Jacques Anouma and Amos Adamu of $1.5 million each to vote for Qatar (Cannon, 2019). Al-majid worked with Bonita Mersiades, a previous member of the Australian 2022 bid team, to provide evidence to lawyer Michael Garcia, who investigated their claims of corruption over a two and a half year period and submitted a report to FIFA with his findings.

Although the two whistleblowers specifically requested anonymity, Garcia disclosed their identities in the report and submitted to FIFA. Then, FIFA’s independent ethics adjudicator, HansJoachim Eckert, published Garcia’s findings in his report that not only cleared Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing, but also identified Almajid and Mersiades as the whistleblowers, placing them in a vulnerable position. After the report was published, FIFA vehemently denied the allegations and discredited the two

whistleblowers of their lack of credibility.

The two whistleblowers were unable to make a significant difference in the bid, however, their efforts opened more opportunities for further investigation into FIFA’s corruption. For instance, after the FIFA ethics committee investigation with the assistance of the US Congress, Joseph Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, and many other top executives were removed from their position for being indicted of money laundering and bribery (The Guardian, 2014). There would have been more extreme fraud if the whistleblowers did not try to notify the public of the increasing corruption levels in FIFA. Their work demonstrates that even powerful organizations like FIFA need whistleblowers to stop corruption within the organization.

Whistleblowers are risking everything for the greater good. Ellsberg protected millions of Americans and brought down the barrier of the American government’s propaganda. Al-Majid and Mersiades alerted the public to FIFA’s ongoing corruption to initiate a deeper investigation of the executives.

However, their work comes with great costs. Ellsberg had spies coming after him with the orders of annihilating him.

Al-Majid had to risk her personal security and the protection of her family as she had to deal with death threats made by extremists who supported the 2022 Qatar bid and continuous interaction with the FBI. She has stated that she will “look over my shoulder for the rest of my life” after releasing the allegations (Cannon, 2019). There are severe consequences that

come with acting for the greater good.

Nevertheless, when they were asked if they regret their decisions, neither of them did. Ellsberg described how he was aware of the consequences and he still released the papers for the greater good of the society. Al-Majid explained that her work was necessary regardless of the consequences because she was in a position where she was responsible for making the issue known.

Despite the great impact whistleblowers have in shaping a more transparent society, the whistleblowers are putting themselves at high personal risk. Because of their disclosure of corruption within an organization or of a powerful individual, they can be fired, sued, blacklisted, arrested, threatened, and in extreme cases, assaulted or killed.

There are severe consequences that come with acting for the greater good. The fear of facing backlash often dissuades many people from whistleblowing. Thus, there were many efforts to minimize these risks for the whistleblowers. The United States has shown the most effort to implement protection for whistleblowers. After the first whistleblower protection law passed with the help of Shaw and Maven in 1777, many other whistleblowing cases emerged, which constrained Congress to enact protection acts with more explicit detail in response to those cases across different fields. For instance, the Watergate Scandal induced the government to enact the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 to allow federal employees to form unions and to petition against the government (National Whistleblower Center, 2018). Due to UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 7 1

many flaws of previous acts, Congress continued to enact more legislation for whistleblower protection. Because of the concern of many employees working in private corporations that they could not be protected by the Civil Service Reform Act, the government enacted the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, which aimed to punish corporations that would fire its employees due to whistleblowing (National Whistleblower Center, 2018).

The government also strengthened existing acts by implementing extensions.

During Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presidency, the Congress passed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 and Obama signed the Presidential Policy Directive 19 for additional support.

There were also efforts made from an international spectrum. There are many non-profit organizations such as Transparency International and intergovernmental organizations such as the OECD that endeavor to devise acts that would protect whistleblowers who are entangled in cases that involve international law. OECD initiated a G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan where it included uniform guidelines for countries to adhere to in order to construct an efficient legislation to protect whistleblowers.

They also devised whistleblower protection programs that international organizations could easily incorporate into their organizations. One of the major policies they enforced was to implement an Ethics Committee. This branch of the corporation would aim to build a strong, ethical culture in the company; many renown international agencies such as 72 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

the ILO and even in large unions such as the European Union. These committees would ensure the protection of the whistleblowers by preventing retaliation by the company or the more senior officers in the organization. Non-governmental organizations such as Transparency International also assisted in establishing whistleblower protection internationally by creating forums that brought member states together to address various approaches to protect whistleblowers.

Through these forums, nations that have been able to implement a comprehensive set of laws for whistleblower protection can assist other nations in implementing legislatures that could at least resemble something like that of the United States and Canada. 27 countries out of the 34 OECD members have enacted either a dedicated whistleblower protection law or related legal provisions (Jaeger, 2016).

Yet, even with such legislatures for protection of the whistleblowers, there are still heavy repercussions that whistleblowers have to face due to the many loopholes that are existent in the legislature. In the case of Al-Majid, she initially tried to expose the FIFA scandal while remaining anonymous. However, her desire to remain anonymous was neglected and was put in a vulnerable position with continuous death threats. As the member of the FIFA Ethics Committee had breached her confidentiality, it shows that even the Ethics Committee, which is responsible for protecting the whistleblowers, cannot protect them. AlMajidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience demonstrates that even the Ethics Committee still has many flaws

that leave whistleblowers defenseless.

“The disciplinary committee’s decision today is one more example of an organization whose rules are mere formalities meaning nothing,” she said.

“Woe be to any other person who cares enough to risk personal safety to report FIFA corruption” (The Guardian). Another prominent whistleblower, Edward Snowden, also demonstrated the lack of protection for whistleblowers. Snowden’s whistleblowing initiated the largest global manhunt, which eventually forced him to go under a self-imposed exile in Russia as the American government revoked his passport (Kegu, 2019). When governments and large organizations are willing to go to such extreme extents to seek revenge on those who had exposed them, current legislation is clearly inadequate.

On the workplace level, many whistleblowers within their corporations often face whistleblower retaliation.

They often become victims of suspicion and are branded as a betrayer due to their act of whistleblowing. It becomes extremely easy for the corporations to justify firing them and rejecting them from receiving promotions. However, the substantial problem whistleblowers face is the difficulty they will have in getting a new job in a new corporation. Other corporations would try to reject these whistleblowers because the people in higher positions are aware that they will pose an imminent threat to their position because they know that it is extremely likely for the whistleblower to expose corruption existent inside their own corporations.

When considering all the potential repercussions that can be caused by whistleblowing, it is evidently frightening for people, who have witnessed corruption to choose, to blow the whistle. However, even when they choose to ignore the repercussions, many are overwhelmed by the moral dilemma that dictates them to choose between fairness and loyalty. When an employee is hired by an employer, the employee has an ethical obligation to stay loyal to their employer and take necessary steps to bring as much benefit possible for the employer. Yet, when they witness corruption within the organization, it seems as if it would be a more fair choice to blow the whistle in order to prevent further corruption and eventual deterioration of the organization. Because of this conflict, there are many cases where whistleblowers feel guilty even when they have acted upon a moral conduct.

However, they should not be feeling this level of guilt. All employees have the legal duty to be “loyal” to their employers.

Although the definition of “loyalty” itself is nebulous, it still implies that anything that the employee does should be for the benefit of the company, which will benefit the employer conclusively. Thus, although whistleblowing may seem to be a breach of loyalty, it is still providing the employers with an advantage in the long term where he or she will be able to continue to expand or at least maintain the company.

Society needs to recognize that fairness should still be prioritized over loyalty and support more whistleblowing to get closer to eliminating corruption UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 7 3

within organizations of all scales. Not only does this mean that people have to step up when they witness corruption, but it also means that everyone needs to try their best to create the most accepting environment possible. Whistleblowers are people that risk every bit of their lives for the betterment of the entire society; we, in turn, must return that favor.

Works Cited Association, Press. “Qatar World Cup Bid Whistleblower Fears for Her Family’s Safety.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Nov. 2014, www. theguardian.com/football/2014/nov/20/ qatar-world-cup-bid-whistleblower.

“Daniel Ellsberg.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 30 Sept. 2019, www.biography.com/activist/danielellsberg.

Jaeger, Jaclyn. “A Global Glimpse at Whistleblower Protections in OECD Countries.” Compliance Week, 29 Mar. 2016, www.complianceweek. com/a-global-glimpse-at-whistleblowerprotections-in-oecd-countries/3073. article.

Kegu, Jessica. “Edward Snowden Wants to Come Home: ‘I’m Not Asking

74 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

for a Pass. What I’m Asking for Is a Fair Trial.’” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 16 Sept. 2019, www.cbsnews.com/news/ edward-snowden-nsa-cbs-this-morninginterview-today-2019-09-16/.

Kenton, Will. “Whistleblower.”

Investopedia, Investopedia, 30 Mar. 2020, www.investopedia.com/terms/w/ whistleblower.asp.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Ralph Nader.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Feb. 2020, www.britannica.com/ biography/Ralph-Nader.

“What Is the False Claims Act?” National Whistleblower Center, 12 May 2020, www.whistleblowers.org/protectthe-false-claims-act/.

“Whistleblower Spotlight: FIFA Whistleblower Phaedra Almajid.”

Constantine Cannon, 23 Jan. 2019, constantinecannon.com/2014/12/18/ whistleblower-spotlight-fifawhistleblower-phaedra-almajid/.

“The Whistleblowers of 1777 - The Origins of National Whistleblower Day.” National Whistleblower Center, 19 Dec. 2018, www.whistleblowers.org/news/thewhistleblowers-of-1777-the-origins-ofnational-whistleblower-day/.

Marine Waste Hyeyoon Jung Branksome Hall Asia, 11th

Marine waste consists of a number of factors including but not limited to plastic, wood, metals, glass, rubber, clothing, and paper. Especially, the plastics and microplastics have been a severe problem for the environment of oceans. When marine waste accumulates, it results in marine pollution, which is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the oceanâ&#x20AC;?

(National Geographics).

For example, the Great Pacific garbage patch has been one of the most problematic examples of marine pollution in the world. It stretches over hundreds of miles and mostly consists of plastic fragments that are smaller than a centimeter long, turning the sea into a plastic soup. However, apart from the Great Pacific garbage patch, there are garbage patches in every ocean, at the center of huge circular motions of currents known as gyres.

There are various problems that have been raised regarding marine pollution.

First, marine waste can cause injuries to humans through an entanglement of the debris and cuts from sharp pieces of waste.

There are also economic consequences

such as the loss of tourists or the costs of removing marine waste from the ocean area. Finally, marine species such as sea turtles and whales can be restricted in their physical movements or in severe cases, become endangered, by being entangled in marine waste or ingesting it.

Before 1972, people around the world dumped all kinds of trash including sewage sludge, chemical, industrial, and radioactive wastes into the ocean. It was assumed that the effects of the waste and chemicals thrown into the ocean would be insignificant due to the sheer size of the ocean. Therefore, people did not have a clear understanding of the importance of preserving the marine environment.

Furthermore, dumping waste in the ocean has always been considered as the cheapest and easiest way of disposing of wastes because it did not require additional costs to do so.

Scientists have started to be aware of the plastic debris in oceans since the late 1980s, but one of the most significant areas of marine pollution, the Great Pacific garbage patch came to public attention only after 1997. It was discovered by Charles Moore, a yachtsman who found himself in a sea of plastic in the North UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 7 5

Pacific subtropical gyre. Returning to the area the following year, he found that the garbage patch had grown in both size and density. As of 2019, the Great Pacific garbage patch is estimated to be 1.6 million km2, which is 100 times bigger than its initial size. Since then, Moore has been trying to publicize the Great Pacific garbage patch and the importance of reducing marine pollution.

The London Convention, ratified in 1975 by the United States of America, was the first international agreement to advocate better protection of the marine environment. The actions that this agreement proposed included the prevention of the disposal of hazardous

materials at sea, controlling dumping by implementing programs to access, and the requirement of issuing dumping permits.

It also implemented regulatory programs such as training scientific and technical personnel in order to combat further marine pollution.

In 1996, the London Protocol was introduced to modernize and replace the London Convention. The Protocol prohibits all kinds of dumping in the ocean except for acceptable wastes on the list below. The acceptable wastes, such as dredged material, ensure the safe and efficient passage of ships and therefore is essential, but wastes such as carbon dioxide stream from carbon capture

Table 1. London Protocol â&#x20AC;&#x201C; list of wastes that can be consider ed for dumping 76 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

processes have yet to be given a permit for dumping. However, all kinds of dumping result in harmful effects on human health, fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, and potential interruption of navigation and port traffic, so the permits must be given out after serious consideration. The London Protocol was entered into force on March 24th, 2006, and as of March 2019, 53 parties are currently the Contracting Parties to it.

According to a recent study, about 35 million tons of plastic wastes are produced and thrown to the ocean by 2015. Particularly, 80,000 tons of them are microplastic debris and released into the sea life each year. Microplastic pollution has significantly impacted the sea, ocean, lakes, river, coastal areas, and even Polar regions around the world. Humans are highly exposed to microplastics by the use of daily products. Thus, the accumulation of microplastics is harmful for both the environment and humans since they produce toxic chemicals.

Microplastic is one of the most detrimental wastes to the marine ecosystem and it has been increasing at

Figure 1. Global plastics production

a rapid rate. According to Our World in Data, 350 trillion tons of microplastics are released into the sea today. These plastics originated from the fragmentation of larger plastic debris and are a major threat to the various sea animals that breathe contaminated water into their body. More than 114 species of marine animals were found with microplastics in their digestive tracts or tissues. The Utrecht University in the Netherlands estimated that 99% of microplastics are under the surface of the ocean. This demonstrates that most of the plastics are accumulated in the bottom of the sea or possibly inside sea animals. The plastic pollution can deter the growth of marine organisms and reduce the diversity of the sea animals living in the ocean.

Another significant issue due to the microplastic pollution is its negative impact on human health. Vast amount of microplastic fragments are flown not only into the sea, but also into accessible water and daily products that we consume. A recent study by the University of Newcastle in Australia showed that people consume 5 grams of plastic per week on average.

Even items like toothpaste or skincare products may contain plastic microbeads that damage human health. Visiting seashores or entering the ocean also can be risky since people are exposed to the plastic waste. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), pollutants such as dioxin, POPs, PBDEs, PCBs, PAHs are toxic to the human body because they are stored in the blood streams of our body.

Blocking the blood streams potentially leads to weak UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 7 7

immune systems, reproductive problems, and even cancer.

To reduce the plastic waste, many countries enforced laws that control the use of plastic materials and encourage eco-friendly products. More than 60 different nations banned the use of products containing microbeads to delay the pollution and alleviate health problems until 2018. This year, Peru announced the restriction of plastic bags in 76 of Peru’s natural areas from Machu Picchu to national museums. According to the Peru’s Environmental Minister, tourists at Machu Picchu have produced about 14 tons of plastic waste a year. To regulate the plastic use, the government aims to replace the plastic bags with biodegradable and sustainable bags that do not contain microplastics. Washington D.C. also launched an environmental policy of prohibiting the use of plastic straws in restaurants. After observing that about 4,000 plastic wastes are being released into the Anacostia River, they decided to start by banning the plastic straws.

There are multiple nations that have contributed in different way and have different stances regarding marine pollution on Earth. First, the United States has been one of the biggest generators of plastic waste in the world, generating 39.9 million tons of plastic waste in 2018.

However, in terms of mismanaged plastic waste, the United States contributes 0.86% of the world’s plastic waste that ends up in oceans. Under the Trump administration, the United States has not been enthusiastic in reducing plastic pollution, refusing to sign the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter to increase plastic recycling by 50%.

However, France has been committed to the protection of oceans, and plans 78 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

to launch a national action plan for the protection of cetaceans (aquatic mammals). France is also planning to equip the wastewater management network with filters by 2022 in order to prevent plastic particles from dispersing into the ocean. France contributes 0.08% of the world’s plastic waste that ends up in oceans. The United Kingdom has also created a budget of £61.4m to combat plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May had expressed passion in tackling the issue of marine pollution so that future generations can enjoy a natural environment that is healthier than current circumstances.

Under the current Prime Minister Boris Johnson administration, the UK has carried on the stance of reducing marine waste, especially plastic pollution. In terms of contribution to marine pollution, the United Kingdom contributes 0.21% of the world’s plastic waste that ends up in oceans.

China had been the biggest purchaser of plastic waste in the world, but when they banned imports of waste in 2018 in order to protect their environment, the world’s recycling system went into shock.

Although China had previously purchased waste for the purpose of processing it and selling it to make a profit, the Chinese government noticed that this processing of waste was damaging the health of the locals and caused environmental harm in the country. China’s decision to ban imports of waste impacted many nations, and they are currently finding new nations to export the waste to, such as Malaysia and Thailand. In addition, China has contributed 27.7% of mismanaged plastic waste that ends up in the oceans, and is one of the major polluters of plastic in the world. Indonesia is also one of the

top 5 polluters of plastic waste in the world. Most of the plastic waste in oceans are supplied by Southeast Asia, but by contributing 10.1% of the world’s plastic waste to the ocean, Indonesia is regarded as impacting a significant part of even Southeast Asia’s plastic waste pollution.

In order to combat marine pollution, the Indonesian government has said that they will reduce marine waste by 70% by 2025, and has pledged to spend up to $1 billion a year on cleaning up its rivers and seas.

India has tried to counteract marine pollution by being a signatory to MARPOL (International Convention on Prevention of Marine Pollution). By joining the United Nations’ Clean Seas program, India is planning to start a new activity to gauge marine litter. In order to draw up an effective marine litter policy, India is focusing on investigating marine litter in oceans. In terms of contributing to marine pollution, India has contributed 1.88% of the world’s plastic waste to the ocean.

In addition, the Republic of South Africa has contributed 1.98% of plastic waste that ends up in the ocean. South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs, in implementing policies to reduce marine pollution, hopes that target campaigns for reducing marine pollution will influence behavior change, thereby contributing significantly to reducing plastic leakage into the environment by 2030. In addition, The Department of Environmental Affairs is engaging with key stakeholders to launch a collaborative initiative that is aimed at boosting the collection of litter in areas with rivers in order to prevent it from reaching the ocean. Moreover, they are working to increase activities such as community-based waste sorting and recycling, which is a campaign called Source-2-Sea.

There are also multiple non-profit organizations (NGOs) that are related with combating marine pollution. One of them is Ocean Conservancy. With their headquarters situated in Washington D.C., Ocean Conservancy focuses on solving threats that oceans face. They are working to protect vital ecosystems, enforce accountability of leaders and legislators, and rally the world’s largest efforts to remove trash from beaches.

Ocean Conservancy is currently leading a program called Trash Free Seas, in which they mobilize the International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest volunteer effort on behalf of ocean health. They research and share key details about what is trashing the ocean with the public, the scientific community, and decision makers. They also prevent trash from entering waters by working with everyone from individuals to firms to change the products, practices, and behaviors that lead to ocean trash. Greenpeace is another organization that is involved in reducing plastic pollution around the world. One of the most famous and successful NGOs in the world, Greenpeace advocates that corporations take responsibility for the plastic pollution crisis, and calls for commitments to combat plastic pollution in the world. They are currently leading a campaign called “Stand Against Plastic Pollution” that persuades people to sign a petition that pressures companies to take action and move toward business models that do not involve wasting the planet’s resources by turning them into single-use products, which will inevitably become waste.

Two thirds of Earth’s surface is composed of oceans, and these oceans play a key role in regulating our planet’s climate, water cycle, and providing UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 7 9

habitats for many species that live in the ocean. Marine pollution exists in many parts of oceans in the world, and some of the most significant places where marine pollution exists include garbage patches in gyres of the oceans. However, since the invention of plastics, there has been a significant increase in the marine waste in oceans. Although marine waste consists of many kinds of waste such as wood, glass, and rubber, plastics comprise over 80% of the marine waste and has contributed majorly to the exponential growth in marine waste. Therefore, the problem of single-use and non-degradable plastic pollution also needs to be addressed in combating marine pollution.

The effects of marine pollution can be detrimental for both humans and ecosystems. Overall, governments around the world have become much more enthusiastic in terms of implementing policies and actions to stop the use of single-use plastics. These government measures, when properly planned and enforced, have been shown to be one of the most effective strategies in combating the use of plastics. There are different management practices for controlling marine waste around the world, but no single measure against marine pollution will be effective everywhere. Individuals, governments, the public and private sectors must all examine joint solutions in order to solve marine pollution and prevent the causes of marine pollution, such as plastic usage and littering.

In addition, because of the importance of oceans in maintaining the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environment and being a habitat, there needs to be international cooperation in solving the problem of marine pollution.

UNEP is one of the committees in the UN in which nations from all over the world 80 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

come together to discuss environmental crises such as marine pollution. This international collaboration can help in establishing agreements or protocols to prevent further generation of single-use waste, and also focus on counteracting the marine pollution in the world. In the case of marine pollution, both prevention and counteraction of world marine pollution problem will be crucial in establishing a better environment on Earth that everyone can benefit from.

Works Cited About. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.cleanseas.org/about Bauer, P. (n.d.). Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Retrieved from https:// www.britannica.com/topic/Great-PacificGarbage-Patch Boesch, D. F., Burroughs, R. H., Baker, J. E., Mason, R. P., Rowe, C. L., & Siefert, R. L. (n.d.). Marine Pollution in the United States. Retrieved from https:// www.iatp.org/sites/default/files/Marine_ Pollution_in_the_United_States.htm Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/ Environment/LCLP/Pages/default.aspx Countries Putting The Most Plastic Waste Into The Oceans. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas. com/articles/countries-putting-the-mostplastic-waste-into-the-oceans.html de la Mare, T. (2018, April 15).

Government promises ÂŁ61m to tackle scourge of ocean plastic pollution with Commonwealth nations.

Retrieved from https://www.independent. co.uk/environment/theresa-maycommonwealth-plastic-climate-changeocean-pollution-david-attenboroughblue-planet-a8305721.html Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/

France is committed for the protection of oceans in Our Ocean Conference 2018 (Nusa Dua, 28.10.2018).

(2020, February 20).

Great Pacific Garbage Patch. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www. nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ great-pacific-garbage-patch/ Great Pacific Garbage Patch ‘has increased 100-fold since the 1970s’.

(2012, May 9). Retrieved from https:// w w w. t e l e g r a p h . c o . u k / n e w s / e a r t h / environment/9253665/Great-PacificGarbage-Patch-has-increased-100-foldsince-the-1970s.html A Guide to Plastic in the Ocean. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://oceanservice. noaa.gov/hazards/marinedebris/plasticsin-the-ocean.html Hoff, M. (2015, June 9). Envision 2050: The Future of Oceans. Retrieved from https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/ envision-2050-the-future-of-oceans.

How South Africa will beat plastic pollution. (2019, February 22). Retrieved from https://www.iucn.org/news/marineand-polar/201902/how-south-africa-willbeat-plastic-pollution Hutt, R. (2018, June 14). Indonesia’s imams are joining the fight against plastic bags. Retrieved from https://www. weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/indonesiais-getting-religious-about-reducingocean-plastic/ India presents measures to prevent marine pollution. (2019, July 26).

Retrieved from http://India presents measures to prevent marine pollution International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Adoption: 1973 (Convention), 1978 (1978 Protocol), 1997 (Protocol - Annex VI); Entry into force: 2 October 1983 (Annexes I and II). (n.d.).

Retrieved from http://www.imo.org/en/ About/Conventions/ListOfConventions/ Pages/International-Convention-for-the-

Prevention-of-Pollution-from-Ships(MARPOL).aspx Jing, L. (2015, February 13). China produces about a third of plastic waste polluting the world’s oceans, says report.

Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/ article/1711744/china-produces-aboutthird-plastic-waste-polluting-worldsoceans-says-report Keeping South Africa’s oceans clean is everyone’s responsibility. (2018, June 8).

Retrieved from https://www.environment. g o v. z a / m e d i a r e l e a s e / 2 0 1 8 w o r l d _ ocenasday The Ocean. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/ocean/topics/oceanpollution/ Ocean Conservancy. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://oceanconservancy. org/programs/ Ocean Dumping: International Treaties. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.epa.gov/ocean-dumping/oceandumping-international-treaties Preventing Plastic Pollution. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.greenpeace. org/usa/oceans/preventing-plasticpollution/ Ritchie, H. (2019, September 24). Where does our plastic accumulate in the ocean and what does that mean for the future? Retrieved from https:// ourworldindata.org/where-does-plasticaccumulate Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2018, September). Plastic Pollution. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/plasticpollution Singh, K. (2018, June 13). National Marine Litter Policy: Government Begins Work On An Action Plan To Check Plastic Waste Flowing Into Oceans (S. Bhaskar, Ed.). Retrieved from https:// swachhindia.ndtv.com/national-marinelitter-policy-government-begins-workaction-plan-check-plastic-waste-flowingoceans-21330/ UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 8 1

Artificial Intelligence and Rethinking Communism Eugene Kang Ivy Collegiate School, 11th

The term “the Fourth Industrial Revolution” was first coined in 2016 by the chair of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab. It describes the gradual development of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, and other new world technologies. At its essence, the Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a “fundamental change in the way [people] live, work, and relate to one another.” This change is apparent.

There are self-KIOSK machines in place of cashiers. With the rise of online shopping malls, physical malls and retail stores all over the world are closing down. Businesses are becoming much more efficient with the utilization and analysis of big data. People all over the world are more interconnected now than ever, with cloud computing, mobile devices, and in some cases, virtual reality.

With that being said, it’s even more imperative that society approaches this inevitable transformation with caution.

Indeed, the World Economic Forum has already placed extra emphasis on possible regulations due to the harms posed by artificial intelligence. In analyzing the possible effects of this Fourth Industrial Revolution, communities can better 82 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

understand and prepare for the near future.

This essay discusses the possible effects of artificial intelligence on communities and possible ways in which governments should approach it.

The benefits of artificial intelligence are clear. First, convenience. When writing this essay, Smart Compose, a Google AI, added suggestions to the ends of sentences that would naturally complete thoughts in non-repetitive ways, drastically reducing the time necessary in writing this exact piece. This is an example of AI that might have gone under the radar, and people already yet unknowingly have applied it into their work. A more well-known and clearer example would be self-driving cars. Self-driving cars utilize artificial intelligence to make decisions on the road; for example, whether to brake or speed up. But the self-driving cars seen on the market currently are not fully autonomous yet. They still require driver to intervene in certain areas and at specific times, and Elon Musk announced a possible beta test of a fully autonomous vehicle in February 2020. However, this is still a clear example of AI enhancing convenience.

Second, efficiency.

This is commonly found in the case of businesses.

When researching and studying data and historical trends, AI is more adept at calculating risks and probabilities, helping businesses cut down on costs and make more money. AI also can help manage manual labor, again cutting down on costs and saving money. Additionally, at home, AI can track energy consumption and help cut energy usage. In essence, AI helps people make better decisions at work as well as at home. However, even with these benefits, there is an ongoing witchhunt against AI. While many of the claims are blown out of proportion, calling out a Terminator-esque future, there are some valid concerns that need to be taken into consideration.

The most obvious threat that AI poses to the society is job loss. If AI replaces human workers and the jobs they hold, companies can save a lot of money because there would be no need for them to hire people in the first place.

This is a trend that can be seen these days.

With automatic calling programs, there is little need for receptionists. Moreover, jobs in telemarketing, proofreading, bookkeeping, and more are being taken over gradually by artificial intelligence.

The impact will be much more drastic in the future. With developments in selfdriving cars, there will be no need for truckers. White-collar jobs are also at risk, because AI is much better than humans in analyzing and pinpointing market trends.

Now, some people do argue that new jobs will be created in the future. That may well be true. After all, during the First Industrial Revolution, people had worried about the same thing. They had worried that machines would make workers in manual labor lose their jobs. At that time, however, new jobs had created, and people had been able to adapt. However,

it is imperative to consider the reality behind this transformation. A major contention of job loss is the possibility that the government can re-train these workers, whose jobs have been taken over, to prepare them for new fields.

The problem with this contention is that when thinking of a trucker who is in his late 30s or early 40s, job training would be much more difficult. It is imperative to understand that the next generation will be able to adapt well and fit into these new jobs. However, it leaves the current generation behind. They will be the ones to suffer.

Another issue that has stirred up a controversy quite recently is unethical data usage. In 2018, just two years ago, Mark Zuckerberg testified before congress after Cambridge Analytica was revealed to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;harvested the personal data of millions of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook profiles without their consent and used it for political advertising purposesâ&#x20AC;? (Economist, 2018). Privacy is an inalienable right. For AI to work effectively, especially in terms of data analysis and providing comfort for users, it needs to utilize private data. As a result, large technology companies and social media companies, which many people see fit to throw their personal information at, have found a very lucrative way of making money, by selling and utilizing user data.

Everyone is at risk of losing their control over their very personal information.

Users, fooled and misled by cryptic and lengthy end-user license agreements, unknowingly sign away things that they may not want to provide in the first place.

One consideration is how users will be able to maintain privacy in a data-driven future.

Discrimination is an issue that continues to trouble our current society.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 8 3

Unfortunately, even with current AI capabilities, people still have to be wary of its presence. One area that has drawn concern is in criminal justice.

Law enforcement all over the US has been increasingly utilizing algorithms to determine the likelihood of a recidivist committing another crime. A study done

by COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions) in 2016 showed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;black defendants were far more likely than white defendants to be incorrectly judged to be at a higher risk of recidivism, while white defendants were more likely than black defendants to be incorrectly flagged as low riskâ&#x20AC;? (Larson, 2016). AI is severely limited in the fact that it works by looking at past historical trends to make inferences about the present and future. Where in the past, black people were indiscriminately imprisoned for just about anything, grew up in neglected communities unable to look for any bright future, and in many cases, were forced into gang lives. AI will continue to make discriminatory assumptions about black defendants, making it much harder for them to be judged fairly and put them on parole.

A final issue to consider is, to what extent will AI be allowed make decisions?

Take the example of self-driving cars and the classic trolley problem. Consider a passenger in a self-driving car. While the car is cruising at 80 miles per hour, a child suddenly runs out onto the road.

Then what should the car do? Should the car swerve to the left or right and crash into the surrounding buildings, posing a significant risk to the passenger on board, or should it try to slow down, hitting the child and probably severely injuring him or her, but keeping the passenger safe? In a nutshell, should a self-driving 84 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

car prioritize passengers or pedestrians?

When companies develop self-driving cars, this is a clear question that needs to be answered in coding. Someone will have to bear the burden of answering this question for everyone. Otherwise, when the situation arises, what will the selfdriving car do? In effect, the real issue here is what choices AI will be allowed to make and how governments are going to ensure that they do not infringe on the realm of the immorality.

The issues that arise from AI are varied and numerous but can be summed up in one idea: power asymmetry. More power leaves the hand of people into these large high-tech conglomerates that can afford to invest in AI in the first place. With the rise of AI, there comes a severe power asymmetry. Therefore, policies need to be implemented in order to support people to survive within the AI-driven society.

These solutions need to aim at preventing job loss or mitigating the threat of job loss as well as preventing severe power asymmetry and unethical data usage. One event that showed the conversation about possible solutions was in the 2019-2020 Democratic Primaries for the 2020 US presidential election. While the core of one discussion was focused on AI, the solutions each politician proposed were very different.

Perhaps one of the most radical policies was UBI or universal basic income. Andrew Yang, an underdog democratic candidate, proposed UBI as a solution to wealth inequalities as well as the possible threats that AI will bring about. UBI policy basically means that every citizen of a country, regardless of socio-economic standing, should receive a standardized paycheck of some predetermined amount. In Andrew Yangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

case, it was set at 1,000 dollars per month.

There are plenty of perks to this policy.

The UBI will relieve a lot of stress and assist the lower-income and middleincome families in buying groceries and other daily necessities. It allows more opportunity for the individuals to choose other options in life instead of being forced to work as a part-timer at low-paying positions. In case of job loss due to AI, there really is no question about the impact that UBI will have. It offers individuals a respite and a safety net when they are inevitably laid off. The only real issue that people find with UBI is, “where is the money coming from.” The money should come from taxes, of course. However, if the government provides grants with no conditions to every citizen in their country, they will have to deal with a huge financial burden. For Andrew Yang’s pledge, that price tag would reach trillions of dollars. Pulling off such a feat would require the government to restructure the budget and taxation policies.

The cornerstone of Bernie Sanders’ policy in his 2020 campaign was the federal jobs guarantee. This policy will provide any citizen with the opportunity to work for the government. The federal government will guarantee jobs to its constituents to allow people to maintain their quality of life in case where they might be laid off because of AI. There are benefits that come with this. A lot of unemployed people can work at public offices. In effect, it will boost the slightly declining economy similar to the effects of the New Deal under Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Now again, with any policy, there is both good and bad. First, again the issue of job retraining comes to mind. The current drafting of any federal jobs guarantee would ensure a

family-sustaining job with good employee benefits. In effect, the jobs mentioned would not be simple labor like picking up trash. When considering the approximately 48 million unemployed in the US alone as of April of 2020 (BLS, 2020) and the many more who will probably forgo parttime jobs as cashiers and food deliveries to receive better pay, job retraining would be quite expensive. One possible solution to this would be these would not be jobs with many requirements in the first place.

In that case, again, managing more than 48 million jobs in simple labor would be very costly and inefficient. However, if the government is willing to manage that cost, it could provide a fair safety net to the job loss provided by AI. Another possible solution to the variety of issues associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution would be to simply break up these large tech corporations such as Google and Amazon. Developing AI algorithms for commercial use is expensive and time-consuming. These large companies are going to be the first to fully implement higher-level AI due to the resources and influence they already have at their disposal. At this point, the gap between the large corporations and smaller competitors will be widened, by putting the smaller competitors out of business. Simply put, these large tech corporations would become central monopolies of power. It is already a visible trend, with companies like Google buying out their competitors. By breaking up these companies, governments can maintain the competitiveness that is central to a well-functioning capitalist society. Companies are prevented from gaining too much power and potentially abusing it as well. The only issue with this type of proposal is in execution. How UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 8 5

exactly are these companies going to be broken up? There are a lot of legal issues to consider, especially with trade secrets and brand names.

One final solution that has wide followership amongst the more conservative population is to heavily restrict AI development and implementation. Under this type of policy, the government would limit the areas of research that AI developers can go into, or they would impose quotas on the number of workers a company would have to hire.

The government could also create laws that would force companies to pay hefty fines and severance if they fire a worker in order to replace them with AI or machinery.

This kind of policy would ensure that workers are protected. They would be able to keep their jobs and continue to support themselves and their families. In a sense, it is the only way in which our societies would be able to maintain the status quo.

However, it ignores the international consequences that such a policy would have. Currently, countries like China and Russia are aggressively funding Artificial Intelligence research. In fact, they seem to have the urge to be at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. If any country were to severely restrict the development of AI, they would harshly fall behind in power and influence. Countries that have access to high-level artificial intelligence and associated technologies would be decades ahead in the military, economics, and more. In a sense, these countries would be free to then exert their political dominance over countries that failed to take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The resultant power asymmetry would severely upset the balance resultant peace that governments have relied upon until now.

86 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

With all that being said, it is important to consider the fact that artificial intelligence may bring about a drastic revolution in the regimes that hold power currently. The future with unlimited possibilities is near. Setting aside the actions, governments can take now to aid in the evolution of artificial intelligence, what might society look like in the far future? Many scholars have tried to answer this question by questioning the survivability of capitalism and rethinking communism. One such thinker, Aaron Bastani, proposed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fully Automated Luxury Communismâ&#x20AC;?. In a Fully Automated Luxury Communism, machines and artificial intelligence would be utilized in every aspect of production, bringing the marginal cost of living to nothing. Everyone would be free to live middle-class lives without having to worry about working. In truth, it could be argued that this is more true to Karl Marxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideology when he co-wrote the Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx, the father of Communism, detailed that workers would rise up and revolt in a class-conflict when technology begins to replace humans. When technology makes workers obsolete, that is when a dictatorship of the proletariat would establish. This might be one of the reasons why attempts of communists, as seen in Stalinism and Maoism, have failed thus far. Where technology cannot fully replace human work, inefficient humans are forced into labor. As such, they lose their competitive edge to capitalist nations worldwide. In the past, this led to the tragic forced labor and starvation of millions of people in socialist nations worldwide.

With artificial intelligence in control, society must consider the necessity of moving away from a society

centered around competition. It simply is not sustainable. Competition thrives in a society with equal opportunity. AI makes that obsolete as humans lose their desirability to large corporations.

The answer would be a society in which the fruits of labor of AI are distributed equally to every citizen. Instead of mega conglomerates taking advantage of people, everyone is able to reap the benefits of AI and enjoy a sustainable quality of life.

There are a variety of issues that need to be dealt with and prepared for in the coming years. Complacency is a cruel sickness that might leave workingclass people pinned and winded under the crushing wheels of capitalism.

Fortunately, many policy-makers are already scrambling to best prepare their nations to float in this riptide of artificial intelligence. The answer should not be preventing the next industrial revolution from occurring. Even when building a dam, a waterway needs to be ensured for water to continue to flow. Whatever steps nations should take to regulate the use of artificial intelligence and protect workers, artificial intelligence should continue to be developed.

Works Cited B., A. S. (2018, April 9). Why is Mark Zuckerberg testifying in Congress?

Retrieved May 11, 2020, from https:// www.economist.com/the-economistexplains/2018/04/09/why-is-markzuckerberg-testifying-in-congress Bastani, A. (2020). Fully Automated Luxury Communism. Verso Books.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Data. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https:// data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 Cerf, M., Burke, R., Payne, S., & Sloan, A. P. (2019, April 7). 3 Practical

Solutions to Offset Automation’s Impact on Work. Retrieved from https:// s i n g u l a r i t y h u b . c o m / 2 0 1 9 / 0 3 / 11 / 3 practical-solutions-to-offset-automationsimpact-on-work/ EPSC. (2019, October 31).

Retrieved from https://wayback.archiveit.org/12090/20191129071620/https:// ec.europa.eu/epsc/ Garimella, K. (2018, August 8).

Job Loss From AI? There’s More To Fear! Retrieved from https://www.forbes. com/sites/cognitiveworld/2018/08/07/ job-loss-from-ai-theres-more-tofear/#1186c4e523eb Grossman, P. (n.d.). Rethinking AI; rethinking our jobless future: Relate by Zendesk. Retrieved from https://relate. zendesk.com/articles/rethinking-airethinking-jobless-future/ Larson, J., Mattu, S., Kirchner, L., & Angwin, J. (2016, May 23). How We Analyzed the COMPAS Recidivism Algorithm. Retrieved from https://www. propublica.org/article/how-we-analyzedthe-compas-recidivism-algorithm Maxim, R., & Muro, M. (2019, February 25). Automation and AI will disrupt the American labor force. Here’s how we can protect workers. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/ the-avenue/2019/02/25/automation-andai-will-disrupt-the-american-labor-forceheres-how-we-can-protect-workers/ McClelland, C. (2020, March 2).

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Widespread Job Losses. Retrieved from https://www.iotforall.com/impact-ofartificial-intelligence-job-losses/ Yang, A. (2019). The War on Normal People The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future. Hachette Books.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 8 7

Climate Change and Conflicts among Countries Byoungchan Kang Fayston Preparatory School, 9th

Climate change, a word people have continuously heard for decades, is still having trouble finding a progression toward its effective prevention. Although nations agreed to reduce global carbon emissions in the Paris Agreement, the progress of enacting the agreement is at an impasse. To make efforts to resolve climate change that gets worse as days go by, understanding differences of the opinions and positions among the nations are crucial to accomplish the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Starting from 2015, countries tried to settle an agreement to prevent climate change. In Paris, December 2015, 195 nations acknowledged that the climate is changing because of human activity and decided to take actions and to make investments for a sustainable low carbon future (UFCCC, 2015). They agreed to limit the temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius, to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions, to obligate developed countries to support the efforts of developing countries, and so on (UFCCC, 2015). However, the emission of greenhouse gas has been 88 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

continued and there has been no sign of improvement in terms of climate change.

The 2019 UN Climate Action Summit was held by the United Nations to take more specific actions to handle the climate crisis. The result of the summit was not enough to develop detailed plans to limit the rise of global temperature to less than 2 degrees as they had planned in the Paris Agreement (UFCCC, 2015).

With the unsatisfying results of the previous efforts, the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25), which is a formal meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was held in Madrid, Spain, in December 2019. The COP25 was very important, as its agenda was to enact the Paris Agreement and to discuss each countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual climate action plans which are due by 2020. This meeting discussed urgent issues such as negotiating the international carbon market in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows Parties to voluntarily cooperate to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (Asian Development Bank, 2018), and finding the ways to support the damage and loss of vulnerable countries

in climate change (Evans & Gabbatiss, 2019). The COP25, however, failed to reach an agreement, and the resolution of the issues were postponed to the COP26.

Following the Paris Agreement, each nation is expected to set up its own goal every five years and make a progress.

However, each nation’s level of effort to reduce carbon emissions differs from one another depending on the nation’s level of economic development. Developing countries are working to reach their goals, whereas developed countries are barely making their efforts (Mulvaney, 2019).

Morocco, for example, is one of only two countries that plan to decrease CO2 emissions to a level constant with limiting to 1.5 Celsius (Mulvaney, 2019). Morocco is mapping out to generate 42% of its electricity production from renewables by 2020, and 52% by 2030 (Mulvaney, 2019). In contrast, the United States of America, due to President Donald Trump’s indifference toward climate change, has made insufficient commitment to resolve climate change. The U.S. government has planned to weaken the regulations of limiting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions and methane leaks from oil and gas productions (Mulvaney, 2019).

Moreover, the U.S. government is currently planning to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2020. President Trump, even before his presidential election, continuously asserted that the Paris Agreement is unfair to the United States and pledged to withdraw from it to protect the economic interest of the citizens of the country. Eventually, Trump decided that the United States

will formally exit the Paris Agreement in November 2020 (Friedman, 2019).

The impact of the U.S.’ withdrawal on climate change will not be small for both the U.S. and other countries. It is predicted that there will be little immediate impact on the U.S. economy, but it is possible that the investment in the renewable energy industry will decrease from a long-term perspective. Other countries will impose enormous amount of trade tax on U.S. products as they assert that it is unfair to bear the burden of preventing climate change (Jeong, 2017). However, some predict that the influence of the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on the expansion of clean energy will be minimal. However, the most concerning issue is that the influence of the United States and its international leadership regarding international problems will decrease. President Trump’s decision to exit the Paris Agreement leads other countries to become more aggressive toward trade and security issues. The spirit of the international cooperation for environmental problem will disintegrate.

For this, the U.S. has already caused harm to major allies.

Although the decision of withdrawal has become official, most of the American energy, manufacturing, and renewable energy companies are lobbying their government to remain in the Paris Agreement Act. Cloud Peak Energy, one of the United States’ biggest coal companies requested that the U.S. needs to stay in the Paris Agreement to resolve problems concerning climate change and carbon emissions (Jeong, UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 8 9

2017). Some large-scale enterprises such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and General Electric are insisting the U.S. to stay in the international community to prevent the establishment of the policies from the Paris Agreement without the U.S. which can be hostile to the U.S. oil, gas, and coal industries for the withdrawal of the U.S. (Jeong, 2017).

In consideration of the U.S.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, there are a variety of perspectives on whether compulsoriness is necessary to address the problems like climate change. However, in the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty intended to find agreements to resolve the climate crisis in 1997, the international community learned that coerciveness is not a good choice; the protocol was based on the principle of differentiated responsibilities among the developing and the developed countries (Santos, 2017). It recognized that individual countries had different abilities in their contributions to address climate change and different responsibilities for polluting the atmosphere. The Kyoto Protocol placed more obligations to the developed countries to reduce carbon emissions on the base that they had their own economic ability and more liability for polluting the atmosphere with severe levels of greenhouse gases and depleting fossil fuels to a dire level (UFCCC, 2020).

This decision, however, led to passive participation of the developed countries.

Thus, compulsoriness of agreements needs to be carefully decided.

In the past few decades, there have been several meetings to find a solution 90 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

for global climate change, and they ended up with disagreements. One of the core reasons for the disagreement is the different perspectives and positions among developing and developed countries. In the COP25, developing countries requested evaluation of the developed countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pre-2020 commitment to implementation and financing for the countries that are most affected by climate impact (Evans & Gabbatiss, 2019). However, the developed countries emphasized that countries should not dwell on the past. This difference led to disagreement on the intensity of rules for setting up an international carbon market (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement), with some countries opposing to the moves to avoid the double counting of emissions to prohibit carbon credits from the previous Kyoto Protocol system (McKenzie, 2019).

Moreover, they are also in stalemate on how to compensate countries that have been already suffering from the impact of climate change (McKenzie, 2019). Some developed countries are strongly opposing to be held responsible for climate-related damages, which could reach around $150 billion a year by 2025 (McKenzie, 2019).

If it is not possible to narrow the gap between the developed and the developing countries, we will eventually pass the tipping point to address climate change.

Examining the difficulties of previous agreements, voluntary goal setting of countries is more advisable than placing obligation on every country.

In the process of negotiating and signing future climate agreements, each country should first set its own targets, and then the United Nations evaluates them in

terms of their economic scale and ability.

Most countries prioritize their own economy over environmental problems.

As climate change is an inevitable result of their pursuit of continuous economic growth, countries need to make their own efforts to slow down this global crisis.

We need to sacrifice a certain amount of our economic gains in order to persist humanity in the world. For this, countries need to understand and respect the different situations among developed and developing countries. Climate change can be resolved only by cooperative work of international community, not just by the effort of individual countries.

Works Cited Asian Development Bank. (2018, April). Decoding Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.adb.org/publications/ decoding-article-6-paris-agreement Evans, S., & Gabbatiss, J. (2019, December 17). COP25: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Madrid.

Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https:// w w w. c a r b o n b r i e f . o rg / c o p 2 5 - k e y outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talksin-madrid Friedman, L. (2019, November 4). Trump Serves Notice to Quit Paris Climate Agreement. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.nytimes. com/2019/11/04/climate/trump-parisagreement-climate.html

Historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change: 195 Nations Set Path to Keep Temperature Rise Well Below 2 Degrees Celsius. (2015, December 13). Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://unfccc.int/ news/finale-cop21 McKenzie, M. (2019, December 18).

Key outcomes of COP25. Retrieved April 28, 2020, from https://home.kpmg/xx/en/ home/insights/2019/12/key-outcomes-ofcop25.html Mulvaney, K. (2019, September 19). Climate change report card: These countries are reaching targets.

Retrieved March 31, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ environment/2019/09/climate-changereport-card-co2-emissions/ Santos, M. (2017, February 20).

Global justice and environmental governance: an analysis of the Paris Agreement.

Retrieved April 27, 2020, from http://www. scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_ arttext&pid=S0034-73292017000100209 UNITED NATIONS Climate Change - Summit 2019. (2020, April 27). Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/unclimate-summit-2019.shtml# What is Kyoto Protocol? (2020, April 28). Retrieved April 28, 2020, from https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol 정 귀희. (2017, June 19). 세계 에너지시장 인사이트. 미국 트럼프 행정부의 파리 기후협정 탈퇴 결정과 그 파장, (17), 3–19. [PDF File]

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 9 1

How South Korea Contained COVID-19 Jiwon Kim Saint Paul Preparatory School, 11th

COVID-19 began in December 2019 when a group of unidentified pneumonia developed in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Initially, it was only known as a respiratory epidemic, but the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on January 9th that the novel coronavirus was the cause of pneumonia.

The WHO officially named the novel coronavirus as ‘COVID-19,’ where ‘CO’ refers to corona, ‘VI’ to the virus, ‘D’ to disease and ‘19’ to the year of 2019 when the novel coronavirus outbreak was first reported. The reasons for the disparity in United States and South Korea’s outcomes have to do with more than just size. January 20th, 2020, is the date of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in both South Korea and the United States. As of April 7th, South Korea is facing around four deaths per million people, while the U.S. has six times as many as 25 people.

People expect the death toll difference between the two countries to widen more in the future. The beginning was similar, but now it is showing utterly different progress. So, what kind of response capabilities did Korea take different from 92 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

the U.S.?

Medical and health policy first of all helped Korea to respond to the virus instantaneously. Korea was able to prevent the spread of the virus early on because they learned a lesson when facing a different coronavirus outbreak a few years ago. They did not stop planning even after the government declared the end of the epidemic. In 2015, a Korean businessman who was returning from the Middle East had a symptom of fever, cough, and pneumonia. He visited several medical centers for a diagnosis before he finally tested positive for MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) by coronavirus. 186 people were infected and 38 people died as a result of MERS in South Korea. When Korea tried to find the chain of transmission, officials faced a difficulty of tracing his movements. After the MERS epidemic, “Korea changed the law allowing the government to collect a patient’s data and security footage during an outbreak” (Vox).

Few years later, when the novel coronavirus outbreak occurred, Korea now used the contact tracing method where

all people who had been in contact with the infected were traced and tested. The government used all methods to accurately discover the transmission chain via such as GPS position tracking, CCTVs, and payment details through credit cards. By the system, the government transparently shared the confirmed patient’s movements to the public. Furthermore, the insurance system in Korea encouraged people to get tested and treated without having concerns of paying the treatment fee. While the U.S. depends on its private health care system, Korea depends on a public health care system. The United States is almost the only developed country that has not introduced state-led public insurance.

With respect to COVID-19, patients must pay the remaining medical expenses and hospital admission fees except for CDC examinations. In the U.S., many people do not have insurance because of the high cost of medical insurance, as the medical system is built around private medical insurance. About 27.5 million people, which is 8.5% of Americans, were uninsured. However, in Korea, the government is providing services by introducing a public health insurance system operated by the entire nation.

Except in cases where the examination is conducted at the request of the patient without any abnormal opinions from the doctor, the National Health Insurance Corporation, the central government and local governments pay the full cost of the examination, isolation and treatment, and these services are free of charge even for foreigners.

Korea’s economic and industrial

power also helped them to manage well with the coronavirus outbreak. A strong manufacturing base in Korea, such as medical equipment and daily necessities, led them to quickly reproduce and cope with the shortage of masks. Even though the United States has the world’s largest mask maker, its production bases were outside of the U.S., such as in China.

As a result, the U.S. was banned from importing the masks. While America was facing a panic-buying, running out of inventories like toilet papers and canned foods, Korea did not have any case except for the mask crisis. Even with the mask crisis, the Korean government responded with significant market interventions.

They instantly entered the market to produce large-scale of masks and sold at an affordable price. Moreover, it was banned to buy in bulk, so stable supply was maintained. Then what might have prevented Koreans from panic-buying?

There was no anxiety that they would not be able to find daily necessities after going through several similar situations, including SARS and MERS. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention transparently disclosed the corona-related situation through daily briefings. Trust towards the government reduced people from impulse buying caused by anxiety. Furthermore, Korea is world famous for its fast delivery system, and it is often called ‘bullet delivery’ or ‘rocket delivery’. As things are delivered on time even in this situation, there is no need for panic buying.

Lastly, social and cultural atmosphere helped Korea with the pandemic. Even the UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 9 3

researchers said that “for cultural reasons, masks are considered a hygienic practice even for healthy people in Asia, while in North America it’s considered something only sick people do” (cvc). Since Korea always faced a serious problem with micro dust coming from China, they already had habit of wearing masks. The environmental problems affected Koreans to store up masks in their houses. Choi Gwi-ok, a pharmacist in northern Seoul, said that “Koreans wear masks to protect themselves from infections, but, even more important, to show consideration for others in public.” On the other side, North America’s public health officials announced that there is no clear evidence that wearing masks will protect them from getting infected. Adding on to what the public health officials said, Americans view ‘wearing a mask’ as a ‘sign of disease’, thus this perception led them to not wear masks. However, masks are actually proven that they can prevent the spread of the COVID-19. Coronavirus is a droplet infection, which means that the saliva is absorbed into the body through any channel such as the nose or mouth.

Since the virus is not light enough to float in the air, people can prevent it by wearing a mask.

The other unique cultural aspect of Koreans is the “Pali Pali” culture. The word “pali” means fast in Korean. Their tendency of being quick and productive contributed to producing the diagnostic test kits just in 15 days from development to approval. Although the kit is made in a short period of time, it boasts 98% of the accuracy. Besides, more than 117 94 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

countries are requesting Korea’s support of the kit and other disinfectant products.

While Korea only had a low number of confirmed cases, health authorities already started developing a test for the novel coronavirus. Ten millions of masks are produced each day. Even a university student created a website (http:// coronamap.site) that maps the chain of infection. With their caring, organized, and fast-moving culture, Koreans were able to make a delightful achievement that would save the world from this coronavirus crisis.

While many Western media report on Korea’s thorough prevention of epidemic and amazing response against COVID-19, there is a lack of analysis on how Korea was able to achieve such capabilities. At the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak, many countries imposed entry ban on Koreans. As of now, they are praising Korea and asking to export supplies to their countries.

Even in a hostile nation of Korea, a Japanese Nobel Prize laureate Shinya Yamanaka has stated “I would lower my head to receive the information they have gathered about this virus.” With this outbreak, the world must have learned a valuable lesson. Having a habit of wearing a mask, keeping a social distance, and washing hands frequently can prevent the widespread of COVID-19. Korea’s successful coronavirus management skill would offer a way out for most countries that are stuck in lockdowns.

Works Cited Coronavirus: South Korea’s success in controlling disease is due to its acceptance of surveillance. (n.d.).

Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://www. google.co.kr/amp/s/theconversation.com/ amp/coronavirus-south-koreas-successin-controlling-disease-is-due-to-itsacceptance-of-surveillance-134068.

Information Service. KOREA.NET. www.korea.net/NewsFocus/policies/ view?articleId=184738.

Kim, E. Tammy. How South Korea Solved Its Face Mask Shortage. 1 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/ opinion/covid-face-mask-shortage.html.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, R. (n.d.). Korea’s Response to COVID-19 and Future Direction View: Key StrategiesMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. Retrieved June 14, 2020, from http://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/ brd/m_22591/view.do?seq=11

NormileMar, D., HeidtJun, A., HeidtMay, A., &amp; ServickMay, K. (2020, March 18). Coronavirus cases have dropped sharply in South Korea. What’s the secret to its success? Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://www.sciencemag. org/news/2020/03/coronavirus-caseshave-dropped-sharply-south-koreawhats-secret-its-success Oh, M., Park, W., Park, S., Choe, P., Bang, J., Song, K., . . . Kim, N. (2018, March). Middle East respiratory syndrome: What we learned from the 2015 outbreak in the Republic of Korea.

Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5840604/ 국가법령정보센터: 법령 본문 - 감염병의 예방 및 관리에 관한 법률. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2020, from http://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsInfoP. do?lsiSeq=188080

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 9 5

The Impact of the Livestock Industry on Climate Change Yujin Kim Seoul Foreign School, 11th

The issue of climate change has been described as ‘the defining issue of our time’ by the United Nations (UN).

According to the UN, there is an ‘alarming evidence’ that the tipping point leading to irreversible breakdowns and changes in major ecosystems may already have been passed, which may lead to the stimulation of climate change by natural environments instead of counterbalancing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. As one of the major contributors to climate change, it is evident that animal husbandry practices must be changed at all stages to meet the two goals of mitigation and adaptation in response to this threat (United Nations, n.d.).

Mitigation is one of the two approaches in addressing climate change introduced by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, and it refers to the actual reduction of greenhouse gases.

Adaptation is the other approach, and is defined as reducing the negative consequences of climate change and fully utilizing positive opportunities for further growth. This includes harnessing potential 96 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

injections in the economy through effective transitions between sectors and methods of production, exploring areas of innovation and possible economic growth through the cultivation of a new industry, and a just transition in the employment sector. Both of these methods are crucial in combating climate change.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO), the livestock sector has been undergoing change at an ‘unprecedented pace’ over the past few decades. As the human population exponentially increased in recent years, the increased pressure for food supply has led to a boom in livestock production, supported by technological innovations and other structural developments (UNFAO, n.d.). This trend is expected to continue, with demand for meat and milk projected to increase by 73 and 58% each by 2050, respectively, compared to 2010 levels.

Modern animal husbandry practices are one of the leading contributors to climate change, with livestock supply chains taking up 14.5% of human-induced

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the livestock sector, feed production and processing accounts for 45% of emissions, while the enteric fermentation of ruminant animal accounts for another 39%. 10% comes from manure storage and processing, with the remainder attributed to the processing and transporting of secondary animal products. Aside from the animals themselves, the usage of fossil fuels in various stages also accounts for 20% of emissions across all categories.

One of the main concerns arising from the livestock industry is the effect of the greenhouse gases produced, measured by the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of each type of greenhouse gas. GWP is an indicator that measures the relative effect of a greenhouse gas in terms of its potential impact on climate change over a fixed time period compared with the same mass of carbon dioxide (Gerber et al., 2013).

Only 27% of GHG emissions from the industry is carbon dioxide with methane from ruminant digestion and nitrous oxide from manure processing making up 44 and 29% of the GHG produced, respectively. Methane has a GWP of about 28-36 over 100 years, while nitrous oxide has a GWP of 265-298. This means that nitrous oxide is about 265-298 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of its contribution to climate change due to multiple factors such as its tendency to stay in the atmosphere for more than 100 years, and also its ability to absorb much more heat than carbon dioxide can (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2017).

Livestock is a crucial component

in global food supplies, supporting the livelihoods and food security of nearly 1.3 billion poor people. The sector takes up an especially significant portion of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives in developing countries, not only as a source of food and income but also as a store of wealth, a measure of social status, and an essential safety net for families in times of crisis (UNFAO, n.d.). Livestock residues also serve as fuel and building materials and improve the quality of soil for farming. This means that, without adequate support and transition measures, any radical or even incremental changes will inevitably lead to much greater implications in poverty and food security in developing nations. In addition, smallholders make up the vast majority of livestock production in developing countries. However, as demand for animalbased products increases and market standards shift, the ability of smallholders to remain competitive decreases (Gerber et al., 2013).

It is widely recognized that using animals as a source of calorie intake is inefficient by nature. Taking into account the resources used to grow the animals and to cultivate crops to produce feed for them, human intake of energy through animal products is much more inefficient than the intake of energy through plant products. Considering the effects of the livestock industry on climate change, one of the most prominent areas of intervention in terms of mitigation in this sector can be the increase in plant protein intake as a substitute to animal products (Veermäe et al., n.d.).

Currently, land causes a net sink of UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 9 7

approximately 11.2 giga tons of carbon dioxide a year, which is equivalent to 29% of total emissions. However, continued land degradation compromises this ability to act as a carbon sink and counterbalance human-induced climate change.

Livestock supply chains are a major cause behind human-induced land degradation.

Grazing currently occupies 26 percent of the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terrestrial surface, while animal feed production takes up onethird of all arable land. As can be seen in the recent spike in fires in the Amazon rainforest, the expansion of land for grazing often accounts for deforestation and desertification especially in Latin America. About 70 percent of all land used for grazing in dry areas is considered degraded due to overgrazing, compaction, and erosion (Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006).

To address this problem, action is needed on various levels by different parties. In the past, the UNFAO has made some effort in mitigating the environmental impact of livestock industries worldwide.

One of the major areas addressed by the FAO is livestock management, since it is so directly related to food security and nutrition as well as contributing to a myriad of further environmental effects such as climate change and land degradation. One example is the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM), developed by the FAO in order to help improve the understanding of GHG emissions in livestock supply chains, and to identify and prioritize areas 98 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

of intervention for mitigation. It is the first tool of its kind designed to support governments, producers, and institutions to calculate emissions from livestock and assess areas of improvement through the lens of climate impact (UNFAO, 2020).

However, GLEAM has had limited success in addressing the climate impact of the livestock industry. GLEAM has been working together with reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a subsidiary body of the UN, as a basis of policy directions for institutions and producers alike.

The GLEAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great publicity and userfriendly interface has been widely utilized to guide policies in terms of livestock management and related research. For example, it was one of the decisive sources in the recognition of cattle grazing as one of the most prominent causes of deforestation. However, it is only a tool for measurement instead of an extensive guideline and requires additional measures for local implementation.

Given the breadth and scope of the issue at hand, an extremely wide array of approaches may be taken to alleviate the livestock industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate impact. However, in order to best address this situation in an equitable and effective manner, three solutions must be prioritized: assist smallholders in developing countries, implement existing solutions, and transition between commodities.

Firstly, as mentioned before, smallholders are one of the largest stakeholders in animal husbandry in developing countries. They are also the

most vulnerable groups in transitioning from one mode of production to another, and must be prioritized by governments to avoid giving rise to further issues of poverty and displacement. The FAO names â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;policy reforms, institutional support and public and private investmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as methods of assisting smallholders in the livestock industry to enable them to compete in the new markets, as well as easing the transition of those who are exiting the sector, and to protect the safety-net function of livestock in especially vulnerable families.

Secondly, governments and institutions must utilize pre-existing solutions in a way that best suits local conditions. According to FAO, the wider adoption of best existing practices and technologies in animal feeding, health and husbandry, and manure management could help cut emissions from the livestock sector by as much as 30 percent as well as allow it to be more resilient (UNFAO, 2016). These methods are modeled on the practices already being undertaken by the 10 percent of producers worldwide with the lowest emission intensities. Major mitigation potential exists in areas with ruminant systems currently operating at low productivity, such as South Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. This could include the use of better quality feed in order to lower emissions from enteric systems and manure. Improved manure management practices that ensure the recovery and recycling of nutrients and energy retained in manure, as well as more efficient energy use along supply chains, could further contribute to mitigation in

this sector.

Lastly, the international community as a whole must ultimately aim to transition into lower-intensity mode of production in the livestock industry. This shift must be conducted over a period of time to ensure enough time for those involved in the production chain to adjust.

Two types of transition are possible in this case: the first is substituting a proportion of populationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; protein sources to plants. This is much more efficient and gives lower impact to nature as well as supports communities to tackle health issues like obesity and coronary heart disease. However, while many developing countries already have an exponentially growing plant-based protein market and the means to make these transitions, most developing countries do not have the same luxury. Therefore, the second type of transition may focus on shifting from highemission-intensity animal commodities to low-emission-intensity ones.

Different species of animals have very different emission intensities. Beef has an emission intensity of 342 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of protein, while pork only has 52. Within that figure, beef and cattle milk production respectively contribute 41% and 20% of total emissions from the industry, while pork and poultry only contribute 9% and 8% respectively. The increase in protein intake from commodities with lower emission intensities would have an overall effect of mitigation (UNFAO, 2016). This can be achieved on multiple levels. Many developing nations do not have the capacity to provide the required UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 9 9

subsidies and incentives to encourage small farmers to transition away from cattle. International funds such as GCF have an essential role in ensuring that this process can take place as one of the prominent short-term solutions.

Works Cited Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2006). Livestock impacts on the environment. Retrieved June 13, 2020, from http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~pel/ environment/meat_is_evil.htm Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Animal production | FAO | Food and Agriculture ... Retrieved June 13, 2020, from http:// www.fao.org/animal-production/en/ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2020). Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM). Retrieved June 13, 2020, from http://www.fao.org/gleam/ faqs/en/ Food and Agriculture Organization

100 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

of the United Nations. (2016). Livestock & Climate Change. Retrieved June 13, 2020, from http://www.fao.org/3/ai6345e.pdf Gerber, P.J. et al. (2013). Tackling climate change through livestock â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome.

United Nations. (n.d.). Climate Change. Retrieved June 13, 2020, from https://www.un.org/en/sections/issuesdepth/climate-change/ United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2017, February 14). Understanding Global Warming Potentials. Retrieved June 13, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/ understanding-global-warming-potentials Veermäe, I., Frorip, J., Praks, J., Poikalainen, V., Ruus, A., & Lepasalu, L. (n.d.). Energy consumption in animal production (Rep.). Retrieved https://enpos. weebly.com/uploads/3/6/7/2/3672459/ energy_consumption_in_animal_ production.pdf

Wildfire in Australia Seonmin Kim Ewha Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; High School, 10th

The wildfire in Australia was a big issue in 2019, due to its size, protraction, and damage. It lasted over 6 months, and it killed many animals such as koalas, kangaroos, and millions of farmanimals. According to BBC, an English broadcasting company, Kangaroo Island was fully covered by the wildfire and the fire destroyed habitats of wild animals.

Thus, the wide areas of forest were burned and roughly 14% of it disappeared (BBC, 2019). Also, the fire killed 10 firefighters and 28 people, and thousands of people became homeless. All parts of the country struggled from the fire and more than 6.3 million hectares were burned. Damages brought by the wildfire were much more serious than most people imagined (VOX, 2019).

To be more specific, the fire destroyed 6,000 buildings and 2,400 houses. Also, 1.5 billion animals were killed, and many animals became endangered, including the national symbol koalas. Thus, Australian government used the emergency relief fund to save the animals. Especially New South Wales, Victoria, and the southeastern area had a big damage, as Canberra International Airport was paused for a while (CNN,

2019). The fire also caused the air to be heated. The overheated air created â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pyro cumulonimbus cloudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which resulted in a lot of thunders. The sky became so red, and people had to wear gas masks or even carry oxygen tanks, because of poor air quality. The ember crossed the sea and reached the Kangaroos Island. The island was the first reserved place for bees and 21 more, but it got burned and many species could have been endangered.

Moreover, the smog flew even further to South Africa, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.

Some people think that it was caused by arson. Last November, a volunteer firefighter was under indictment because he made a fire on purpose at the Bega Valley.

The arsonist suddenly disappeared and then he returned to the fire-fighting duty.

Many firefighters were mad, depressed and felt betrayed. However, there has not been any clear evidence. People could prevent the big fires by making small fires, according to The New York Times. It is an old custom. This fire prevention program, which is mainly carried out by indigenous peoples living in northern Australia, has a small advantage by moving a small ember into a bush and scattering in the forest to make a calm fire. But the trees around it UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 0 1

are not damaged. Thanks to the program in the past decade, the fatal forest fires in northern Australia have halved and greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 40%, generating $ 80 million in revenue. The fire prevention program provided jobs to indigenous people in northern Australia, who suffered from chronic unemployment, and they earned money by trading carbon credits, enabling to establish infrastructure such as schools for indigenous people in underdeveloped areas (YNA, 2019).

Climate scientists argue that climate change can intensify natural disasters.

The fire spread so fast because of the fast wind, hot temperature, and other factors like dry weather and forest. All the factors created massive smoke plumes, triggering storms and impeding firefighters. The blazes made the skies orange and made it hard to breath. Climate change generally means that the climate system changes created by natural factors such as volcanic activity and perceptual activity, along with artificial factors caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change defines climate change, including natural climate fluctuations observed directly or indirectly by human activities that change the composition of the entire atmosphere and during comparable times. Because of climate change, the earth’s temperature rises, and it makes ‘global warming.’

Works Cited Cole, B. (2020, January 7). What caused the wildfires in Australia? Amid worst blazes for a decade, 24 people are charged with arson. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.newsweek.

102 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

com/australia-wildfires-arson-new-southwales-police-1480733 Hyeran Hyun. (2020, January 17).”Small fires prevent big fires”...

Australian native forest fire prevention Wisdom’. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.yna.co.kr/view/ AKR20200117072200009 How did Australia fires start and what is being done? A very simple guide.

(2020, January 07). Retrieved March 8, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/ world-australia-50980386 Yeung, J. (2020, January 14). What you need to know about Australia’s deadly wildfires. Retrieved February 21, 2020, from https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/01/ australia/australia-fires-explainer-intlhnk-scli/index.html Explainer: What are the underlying causes of Australia’s ... (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2020/jan/13/explainer-whatare-the-underlying-causes-of-australiasshocking-bushfire-season Aoraha, C. (2020, January 08). How did the Australia fires start? Causes of the bushfires explained. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://www.thesun.co.uk/ news/10670141/what-started-australianfires-spreading/ Irfan, U. (2019, December 30).

Australia’s hellish heat wave and wildfires, explained. Retrieved April 21, 2020, from https://www.vox. com/2019/12/30/21039298/40-celsiusaustralia-fires-2019-heatwave-climatechange Gramling, C. (2020, March 04).

Australia’s wildfires have now been linked to climate change. Retrieved May 17, 2020, from https://www.sciencenews.org/ article/australia-wildfires-climate-change

The Actions of China Paul Kim McLean High School, 10th

The world is now entering a new decade and exiting a decade that, for better or for worse, has developed global trends that will undoubtably continue throughout the 2020s. One particularly influential aspect of the decade was the actions of the Chinese government. The Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republic of China (PRC) continued to boast one of the fastest growing economies, largest militaries, and greatest GDPs throughout the 2010s. These staggering highs that China continued to achieve throughout the decade also came with extreme lows. China continued to appear at the bottom of various human rights indexes, serve as a hotbed for authoritarianism, and exist as one of the largest external threats to human rights and global democracy. They featured in countless stories regarding their blatant abuse of power. Stories about Chinese policies and actions became the norm in 2010s, with the international community seemingly mired in indecisiveness and ignorance. Chinese influence over the international community allowed them to escape scrutiny of its expansion of authoritarianism and its abuse of human rights, which could set a dangerous precedent for the 2020s and beyond.

In the 2010s, a large part of the mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage on China was its various human rights abuses, which manifested in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the PRC, but it has enjoyed certain liberties like a separate judiciary and legal system from mainland China, in addition to more freedoms than those of their mainland Chinese counterparts. In 2019, the Chinese government attempted to pass bill that would have allowed the Chinese government to arrest and transfer citizens of Hong Kong to mainland China. It was a clear threat to the basic liberties of expression and to the freedom of press that were enjoyed within Hong Kong. Protests ensued and escalated into a widespread movement for a fully democratic and separate government. Although Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended the bill indefinitely, the protestors continue to fight for a full democracy and an inquiry into the actions of the government and police, who took questionable measures including a ban on face masks and police use of live bullets to suppress the protests (BBC News, 2019). These actions, especially the ban on face masks, are problematic for many reasons; they were clear actions UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 0 3

taken to intimidate the citizens of Hong Kong and strip away their rights. Small violations of privacy like the ban on face masks could lead to a slippery slope that could lead to more and more intrusive bans that lead to restrictions of certain liberties. Face masks are also pivotal in protecting the identity of the protestors, who may otherwise be in danger. These actions were taken with clear intentions, and are symptomatic of the type of state that China currently is.

The actions of the police and government of China in Hong Kong pale in comparison to the actions and policies in mainland China. Mainland China is a dystopian state with consequences for anyone who dissents or speaks out against the clear injustices being committed.

During the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, which has continued into the 2020s, many top scientists who raised concerns about the disease or the response of the Chinese government were disappeared and possibly detained or killed. This included Ai Fen, who spoke out about the deaths of her colleagues and concerns. Her posts and articles were quickly deleted, and she disappeared soon after (Woods, 2020). Chinese cities are among the most surveilled cities in the world; the cities are among the most heavily surveilled in the world and new technology like AI and huge databases are utilized to create a modern surveillance state. This data is then used by the government to suppress dissent and other non-desirable actions (Mozur & Krolik, 2019). This suppression even spreads to the internet; as the Human Rights Watch notes, “The Great Firewall” allows the Chinese government to scour the internet to censor unsavory posts or articles, stopping this criticism from spreading and 104 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

becoming an issue for the government (n.d.). This information can be used in appalling ways. Tracking information was used to send Uighurs Muslims to concentration camps, due to their status as an undesirable ethnic group. There, the guards torture and rape the prisoners while classes attempt to turn them into desirable Chinese citizens (Simmons, 2019). All these actions are extremely problematic due to the disregard of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for privacy and personal liberties. These actions are taken to eliminate any sign of disunity or weakness that might undermine the power of the CCP, because they fear losing control of the country. However, this clearly comes at the expense of basic human rights of many citizens around the world taken for granted. These human rights should be protected and cherished, but they are suppressed and taken by the Chinese government.

The suppression and disregard for human rights shown by the Chinese government should be condemned and fought against. The actions are clearly despicable and threaten the very facets of life that have been valued for all of history. Despite this, however, the global community is unable to act because of China’s presence as a global economic power, which effectively limits the criticisms of its abusive actions. China is one of the world’s largest market due to its high population, in addition to being one of the largest exporters in the world (Desjardins, 2019). Many corporations cannot resist this temptation, and compromise their morals in order to work for or create products in compliance with China. Google was reportedly working with the Chinese government to develop a search engine that would censor

various topics as recently as 2019, which triggered an investigation by the Trump administration (Kharpal, 2019). Although the operation has since been shut down, the possibility of the world’s largest search engine collaborating with an oppressive, censoring foreign government should alarm the global community. Due to their major global influence, China is not hesitant to cause major backlash on even the biggest of organizations. The Houston Rockets and the NBA as a whole suffered major backlash from China because a general manager of the team had retweeted a tweet supporting the protests in Hong Kong. Chinese sponsors quickly left the organization and the Chinese government barred Chinese fans, who make up a large part of NBA viewership, from watching Houston Rockets games (Dixon, 2019).

All of these led to a significant loss in revenue for the team and the league, which will affect how other players, organizations, or corporations speak about China in the future. It sets an example of what happens if corporations do anything that might be perceived as damaging to the CCP. Most major corporations simply are not willing to sacrifice the possible profits and revenue to stand up to the Chinese government, which gives the Chinese government considerable influence over these corporations.

China’s global influence, however, is not limited to large corporations.

China has invested billions of dollars abroad, which includes their Belt and Road initiative, a development strategy aimed at improving global infrastructure and, ultimately, exporting excess Chinese products into developing countries in areas of significant economic opportunity, like Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Although the sheer volume of expenses

has been unsustainable, the intent behind the action has been to exert much more global influence clearly (Wo-lap, 2016).

The massive loans have also forced “strategic dependencies” in countries that may be unable to repay them. The investments by China in these regions have led to increased pressure on US allies and created potentially massive returns for China (USGLC, 2019). Despite this, China’s global reputation is much lower than the reputation of the United States due to many of the human rights issues listed above, but the US may never be able to recover if the current administration continues to harm is perception abroad and China continues to grow as an economic power. US perception is still extremely high in terms of cultural influence and perception, but the Trump Administration has undoubtably hurt international perception of the United States due to his “America First” policies and shameless attitude (Handley, 2020). The intentions of the actions of China have been clear; taking advantage of American absence on a global stage could lead to a future where China becomes the number one global influence. They have been aggressively pursuing policies to this end in order to raise their status as the premier global superpower.

It is imperative that the United States recognizes the risk that China poses to the globe and its position within the global community. The Chinese government has shown a blatant and repeated disregard for basic human rights in its actions in Hong Kong and its mainland. Through its disregard for basic privacy and human rights, the CCP shows its sole concern: remaining in power.

China serves as a symbol and threat to the liberties and values of the American UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 0 5

people, which is why it is critically important for America to stop Chinese influence from spreading throughout the globe. If a country with such a disregard for human rights combined with a 21st century attitude towards technology and global relations is allowed to become the premier superpower unchallenged, then it could spell disaster for the United States, its values, and its interests around the world. Just as the United States served as a beacon and bulwark for freedom and democracy, China could just as easily and already serves as a beacon for human rights abuses and authoritarianism.

Works Cited Desjardins, J. (2019, October 3).

Mapped: The World’s Largest Exporters in 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https:// www.visualcapitalist.com/mappedworlds-largest-exporters-in-2018/ Dixon, E. (2019, October 18). Adam Silver reveals ‘substantial losses’ for NBA in China. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www.sportspromedia.com/ news/adam-silver-nba-china-losses-darylmorey-basketball Handley, L. (2020, February 25).

The US is the world’s top ‘soft’ power - but Trump has damaged its reputation, survey says. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/ the-us-is-the-worlds-top-soft-power-buttrump-has-damaged-its-reputation.html Human Rights Watch. (2020, April 10). World Report 2020: Rights Trends in China’s Global Threat to Human Rights.

Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https:// www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/countrychapters/global Kharpal, A. (2019, July 17). Google

106 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

has been accused of working with China.

Here’s what they’ve been doing there.

Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https:// www.cnbc.com/2019/07/17/googlechina-what-businesses-the-search-gianthas-in-the-country.html Mozur, P., & Krolik, A. (2019, December 18). A Surveillance Net Blankets China’s Cities, Giving Police Vast Powers. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/ technology/china-surveillance.html Simmons, K. (2019, October 8).

Inside Chinese camps thought to be detaining a million Muslim Uighurs.

Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https:// www.nbcnews.com/news/world/insidechinese-camps-thought-detain-millionmuslim-uighurs-n1062321 The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words. (2019, November 28). Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asiachina-49317695 USGLC. (2019, December). China’s Growing Influence: Is America Getting Left Behind? Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www.usglc.org/chinas-growinginfluence-is-america-getting-left-behind/ Wo-lap, W. L. (2016, April 12).

Getting lost in ‘One Belt, One Road’ EJINSIGHT. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www.ejinsight.com/eji/article/ id/1281194/20160412-getting-lost-onebelt-one-road Woods, A. (2020, April 1).

Whistleblowing coronavirus doctor at Wuhan hospital mysteriously vanishes.

Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https:// nypost.com/2020/04/01/whistleblowingc o r o n a v i r u s - d o c t o r- m y s t e r i o u s l y vanishes/

The Father of the Pioneer of Artificial Intelligence, Alan Turing Naeun Kim The Buckley School, 10th

Alan Mathison Turing, the father of computer science and the foundation of artificial intelligence, was the most important intelligence who contributed to the victory of Great Britain over Germany during World War II. Germany, the greatest opponent of Great Britain, had a device to send coded strategic messages, called Enigma. The Enigma code generated by the Enigma machine was incredibly hard to break because of its frequent-changing patterns with a number of rotating wheels connected to letters on the keyboard. For instance, even if the same letters were entered, all letters would be different in the Enigma Code. Due to this complicated technology, the Allied Forces struggled to figure out how to decipher the code in 1941. However, after a series of struggles, under the leadership of Alan Turing, the Ultra (Copeland, 2019a), Allied intelligence project, had successfully deciphered the Enigma Code in. He and other mathematicians invented the Bombe, the electro-mechanical machine, to decipher the Enigma Code by devoting to this invention for a half year.

The Bombe searched for patterns of the Enigma keyboard and the coded messages by implementing machine learning. This laid the foundation of machine learning

algorithms and machines that led to the development of artificial intelligence (Ray, 2019).

Alan Mathison Turing was born in an upper-middle-class on June 23, 1912, in Maida Vale, London, England. He had traditional schooling by attending Independent Sherborne School when he turned thirteen. He started to become interested in math and science since then. Later, he attended Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College, also known as Cambridge University, and studied mathematics. He proved the central limit theorem during his college life, so he was elected as a Fellow of the college in 1935 as he graduated.

After college, he started to write papers on mathematics. In 1936, he published On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem to present a universal machine, later called a Turing machine. By defining a definition of computation and giving a limitation on how many computations are possible, he showed the algorithms of the modern computer, making a foundation of the computer. After publishing, he studied mathematics and cryptology at the Institution for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and got a Ph.D. in 1938. Then, he returned to Cambridge UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 0 7

to work on deciphering as a part-time position with the Government Code and Cypher School (GCCS) (Hodges, 2019).

During WWII, from 1939 to 1945, he devoted himself to deciphering the Enigma Code at Bletchley Park, the GCCS wartime station. He had major achievements during this time such as creating the Bombe in 1940 (Copeland, 2019b). He became the leader of the Ultra with his extraordinary achievements. He also figured out how to decode the U-boat communications, German’s communication method within submarines. In July of 1942, Turing developed a complicated codebreaking technique, named Turingery.

This technology contributed to breaking the Lorenz cipher machine, a German cipher system for high security. In December of the same year, Turing went to America to advise the US military by sharing knowledge on Enigma and Bombe machines (IWM Staff, 2018). In 1943, he devised Delilah, a portable machine that securely encodes a voice message.

It was able to scramble the phone call using special arithmetic, which is very hard to break. This was a groundbreaking development since Delilah was portable (J., 2012). In 1945, he was awarded an OBE—Order of the British Empire, which is an award for people who contributed to the war effort (The Order of the British Empire – College of Arms, n.d.)—for his achievements during WWII (IWM Staff, 2018).

Even after the war, he continued his research on code-breaking using mathematics. He wanted to invent the electronic computer. However, the National Physical Laboratory dominated their power by supporting American projects. Frustrated, he started to focus on marathons—almost becoming qualified for the British team in the Olympic games 108 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

in 1948. He soon returned and continued working on the learning machine, which became the most important asset to the GCCS. He focused on comparing computation and the human brain to create a machine that can beat the human brain, founding artificial intelligence. He also designed the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) by drawing a blueprint for stored-program computers. Although this was never built, his ideas and design attributed great advances in computation and computers. This design greatly influenced other designs of electric devices such as English Electric DEUCE—one of the earliest British computers that were available on markets, which was a down-sized version of Alan Turing’s ACE (English Electric Deuce Computers Introduced – Event – Computing History, n.d.)—and American Bendix G-15—a computer created by the Bendix Aviation Corporation, using an electrically storedprogram, for scientific and industrial markets (Ollig, 2018).

In 1948, he moved to Manchester University, holding high-ranking mathematics department positions. In 1950, he wrote Computing Machinery and Intelligence, which is the first addressing of artificial intelligence. He proposed an experiment called Turing Test in this paper with an effort to set the standard for technological designs for computational machinery. In 1951, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society due to his achievement in 1936. He continued his work, but it got interrupted due to his arrest for his sexual affair with a young Manchester man in 1952. This is because homosexuality had been illegal in the United Kingdom in the 1950s. He confessed everything to the police and got charged with gross impropriety as well as got disqualified for continuing his career

as a cryptologist. He got convicted and was forced to choose temporary probation or imprisonment. He chose probation and underwent chemical injection of a synthetic estrogen hormone for a year.

He died on June 7, 1954, at his own house in Wilmslow. His cause of death was asphyxia due to cyanide poisoning in his body. Some people argued this was suicide, but there are some people who consider this case as an accident resulted from his chemistry experiments (Copeland, 2019b).

The Turing Test was created to test whether machines can think like humanbeing. It was the primary way of testing artificial intelligence on computers. In his paper, he mentions the Imitation Game.

This game is originally about trying to persuade the judge to believe a girl is a boy and a boy is a girl. Instead, he changed it, so the game would include AI (Rouse, 2019). The Turing Test requires two people and one computer: one person to question the other person and the computer. The questioner would ask them about specific subjects within a special format and context. After the test is repeated several times, the questioner chooses who was the computer and the respondent. If the computer has an ability to persuade 30% of the judges to believe as it is human, it passes the test.

This test was proposed in Computing Machinery and Intelligence that Alan Turing published in 1950, establishing the basis of Artificial Intelligence (What Is Artificial Intelligence? How Does AI Work? | Built In, n.d.).

Alan Turing mentioned that he is expecting, in fifty years, the computers would have a storage capacity of 109 and have 70% of fooling the judges after five minutes of questioning. He also added that at the end of the century, computers

would have the ability to communicate perfectly like human-being. However, this was quite impossible by the end of the twentieth century because there are two different types of questions asked in the Turing Test: empirical, a question that enables the respondents to use their experience and knowledge to answer it, and conceptual questions (Oppy & Dowe, 2019). In 1966, one of the first AI programs passed the restricted Turing Test: ELIZA—a psychotherapist machine that simulates a conversation with humans, created to show that it is possible to have a conversation between humans and machines—created by Joseph Weizenbaum at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. ELIZA was built to mimic the behavior of a Rogerian psychotherapist (Landsteiner, 2005).

Even though it is much later that artificial intelligence would actually pass than Turing guessed, technology in computer science improved more and more in the twenty-first century, succeeding at creating an AI machine that passed the Turing Test. In 2014, a Russian chatbot called Eugene Goostman officially passed the Turing Test for the first time. Eugene Goostman made 33% of the judges believe that the machine was a 13-yearold boy from Ukraine. Those tests’ sizes are very small, producing not very reliable results (Oppy & Dowe, 2019). However, the Turing Test set up the standard of what “thinking” is for machines.

In 1936, Turing suggested a computing machine in his paper, On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem.

This machine is an idealized mathematical model that has an unlimited memory and a scanner that scans all data of memory under the instructions—stored in the memory—of the program. This is his UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 0 9

stored-program concept, which allows the machine to learn and improve by itself (Copeland, 2020). The Turing machine consists of an infinitely extensive tape that is divided into squares, a tape head that has the capability of performing various tasks, and a control mechanism that can be modified in the head. The tape’s squares have a printed limited number of symbols or are blank, and the tape head reads those symbols with an ability to read, move, and modify what’s on the squares. This information processing continues until it stops and the system reads its output.

This laid the basis of all digital computers (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020).

Since Turing’s proposal on the

learning machine, artificial intelligence (AI) has developed with great advance.

AI is one branch of computer science that studies creating smart machines that require an algorithm that works similar to the human brain in order to complete tasks. People easily regard AI as an advanced technology that they would never encounter. However, this is not true at all. AI is already in people’s daily lives, enhancing their quality of life. For example, now there are built-in AI in every smartphone, such as Siri, Alexa, that people frequently interact with (Absr, 2018). Face ID also uses machine learning technology to scan the face and check if it matches the phone owner’s face. Additionally, recommended sections in websites like

Timeline of Alan Turing’s Achievements 110 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

YouTube, Netflix, or Instagram use AI to analyze what people prefer to watch, read, and observe information (Marr, 2019).

Another astonishing feature of AI is that various companies are heavily relying on AI. Since companies, especially those in banking and finance, are required to store and preserve vast amounts of information, they need AI to automatically take care of those (Absr, 2018). Like this, AI allows people to have safer, more productive, and more comfortable lives.

Works Cited Absr. (2018, November 14). Impacts of Artificial Intelligence in everyday life.

GeeksforGeeks. https://www. geeksforgeeks.org/impacts-of-artificialintelligence-in-everyday-life/ Copeland, B. J. (2019a, April 4). Ultra | Allied intelligence project | Britannica. https://www.britannica. com/topic/Ultra-Allied-intelligenceproject#ref1073435 Copeland, B. J. (2019b, June 19). Alan Turing | Biography, Facts, & Education | Britannica. https://www. britannica.com/biography/Alan-Turing Copeland, B. J. (2020, March 24).

Artificial intelligence—Alan Turing and the beginning of AI | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/ artificial-intelligence/Alan-Turing-andthe-beginning-of-AI English Electric Deuce Computers introduced—Event—Computing History. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2020, from h t t p : / / w w w. c o m p u t i n g h i s t o r y. o rg . uk/det/6159/English-Electric-DeuceComputers-introduced/ Hodges, A. (2019). Alan Turing.

In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2019). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford. edu/archives/win2019/entriesuring/ IWM Staff. (2018, January 5). How Alan Turing Cracked The Enigma Code.

Imperial War Museums. http://www.iwm. org.uk/history/how-alan-turing-cracked-

the-enigma-code J., G.-C. (2012, May 30). Alan Turing: Codebreaking and code-making | New Scientist. https://www.newscientist. com/article/mg21428672-700-alanturing-codebreaking-and-code-making/ Landsteiner, N. (2005). Eliza (elizabot.js). https://www.masswerk.at/ elizabot/ Marr, B. (2019, December 16).

The 10 Best Examples Of How AI Is Already Used In Our Everyday Life. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ bernardmarr/2019/12/16/the-10-bestexamples-of-how-ai-is-already-used-inour-everyday-life/#651495b11171 Ollig, M. (2018, October 26).

Bits and Bytes OnLine: Bendix G-15: a ‘personal computer’ from 1956. Bits and Bytes OnLine. https://bitscolumn. blogspot.com/2018/10/bendix-g-15personal-computer-from-1956.html Oppy, G., & Dowe, D. (2019). The Turing Test. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford. edu/archives/spr2019/entriesuring-test/ Ray, S. (2019, December 15).

History of AI. Medium. https:// towardsdatascience.com/history-of-ai484a86fc16ef Rouse, M. (2019, June 6). What is Turing Test? A definition from WhatIs. com.

SearchEnterpriseAI. https:// searchenterpriseai.techtarget.com/ definition/Turing-test The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, April 3). Turing machine | Definition & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/ technology/Turing-machine The Order of the British Empire— College of Arms. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.college-ofarms.gov.uk/news-grants/news/item/136the-order-of-the-british-empire What is Artificial Intelligence? How Does AI Work? | Built In. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://builtin.com/ artificial-intelligence UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 111

Utopia: Finding the “Perfect” Economic System Erin Kim Geelong Grammar School, 10th

Winston Churchill famously said, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” There has been much debate on how a country should manage its money; experts claim the precise model of how an economy is run determines the line between poverty and prosperity.

As citizens living in a society with rather normalized economic cycles, it is rare to sit down and truly think about the impacts different economic models have on us.

This leads up to the grand questions: Which economic system is the best?

Which economic system minimizes the sacrifice of poverty?

All of these questions revolve around the fundamental idea of economic systems. An economic system describes the way an economy functions, including the main task of determining how the wealth of a nation, especially in terms of production and consumption of goods and services, is distributed among the people. For example, one nation may strive to mold an economic system where the main value is equality, while other 112 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

nations may prioritize equity. In a system where equality is methodized, higher tax payment may be required for the higher tax bracket. In contrast, in a system where equity is stressed, policies of social welfare may be advanced. Alternatively, an economic system also strives to find the best solution for basic economic problems.

For example, asking basic questions such as “What to produce?”, “How to produce it?”, and “Who gets what is produced?” aims to discover different methods in which the economic problem of scarcity can be solved. A specific economic system is ultimately solidified by corresponding government through a set of entities and policies, such as tax laws and social welfare policies.

Governments have always contemplated what economic system would be the most efficient. However, in reality, no system is “perfect”. Utopian perfection, especially in terms of something as complex as dealing with the economy, is blatantly impossible.

However, although perfection is impossible, it is certainly crucial to put in effort to minimize problems that

originate from lousy economic models.

Furthermore, it is salient to realize that ideological differences in economic systems should never result in political conflict. Observing the global economy from a historical perspective, as well as today, it can be noted that it operates on the basis of certain principles. The revolution of economic models can be widely divided based on the principle of societal values, namely: a primal community, ancient civilization, feudalism, capitalism and socialism. There were also periods when the socio-economic formations meshed together, while there were also times when popularized system theories never made it to the real world.

Although the diverse types of economic systems are primarily concerned with the modus operandi of market mechanism, it is interesting to observe the development of early market characteristics without the existence of structure. Primitive societies 10,000 years ago mark the emergence of “economies” with no convenient medium of exchange, where distribution smoothly occurred without modes of money. The prevalence of hunter-gatherer lifestyles demonstrated daily routines of individuals hunting food for survival then migrating to new areas.

The repetition of hunting and migrating placed strong emphasis on food being an object of value worthy of distribution.

However, food was distributed quite differently from what many would expect in comparison to the world we live in now. Instead of the “strongest man” taking the food all for himself, the food was distributed on the key value of

traditionality. With a primitive society usually manifesting in the form of closeknit tribes, society itself was viewed as a blood family. This emphasized the principles of kinship obligation and the morality of sharing food. Making sharing regarded as a vital and obvious principle.

The African Bushmen demonstrate this in their lifestyles with evidence such as, “It seems very unequal when you watch Bushmen divide the kill, yet it is their system, and in the end no person eats more than the other… No one doubted that he would share his large amount with others, and they were not wrong, of course; he did” (Thomas, 1959).

Anthropological evidence also suggests that in some cases, privileges are granted towards the hunter in appreciation of his labor. Since the killing of an animal is usually a co-operative activity, one might expect to find it portioned out according to the amount of work done by each hunter to obtain it. Some cultures in Australia had even flourished under a system where members of society would get the amount of their portion based on their relation to the hunter.

The milestone of societal development includes the establishment of a centralized state, or in other words, a “civilization”. The era of centralized states was marked with the formation of a central apparatus of command and rulership. The foundation of new economies in civilizations, such as Egypt, Rome, and Mesopotamia, brought about the urgent need of a medium of trade.

In contrast to the previous primitive societies, society required the individual UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 11 3

to do barter trade to exchange goods. A sophisticated writing system also assisted in the purpose of barter trade, keeping track of debit and credit accounts for merchants. Another significant aspect was the impact of the class system labor on the distribution of goods and services.

A hierarchy of superiority enabled distribution to be focused on satisfying the upper class. Extortion of labor and unproportionate distribution of goods was common in societies such as Hindustan or ancient Egypt where every man was bound by a principle of religion to follow the occupation of his father. The authority polarized considerable portions of the population away from their traditional jobs and utilized their labor energies in ways that fulfilled the wishes of a ruling personage or small elite. Herodotus delineates how the pharaoh Khufu ordered all Egyptians to work for himself. Some, accordingly, were appointed to draw stones from the quarries in the Arabian mountains down to the Nile, others he ordered to receive the stones when transported in vessels across the river. The rise of the class system in hand with barter trade tempted many with a surplus of wealth, giving precedence to values that were the complete opposite of primitive societies, such as individualism and selfishness.

The backbone and preconditions of a market society was slowly set up with the advancement of human civilizations.

Market coordination went through a steady process of solidification as monetary capital in the form of currency joined suppliers and demanders together.

In reference to the primitive societies 114 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

and early civilizations mentioned previously, this was a huge contrast, with the tangible benefit to sellers being reflected in a set medium of trade. In 600 BC, Lydia, which is current day Turkey, minted the first official coin made from electrum. The single invention of the coin prompted Lydia’s prosperity, making it one of the richest empires in Asia Minor.

It is interesting to note the origin of the phrase “as rich as Croesus’’ links back to the last Lydian king in order to praise his breakthrough of the coin. To no big surprise, the rumors of the mighty miracles of the coin quickly reached other neighboring empires, including Classical Rome. But the main obstacle was the fact that traditionality, with values of command, was still uncontested for.

Although basic characteristics of profitmindfulness was founded, this did not guarantee that provision of goods and services were assured. The competitive nature of a market was not applicable to these medieval societies. For these reasons, elites strived to use slavery as a mean to marshal labor.

The state of complete market society was not fully testified until the fall of Ancient Rome and the rise of feudalism from the 9th to 15th century. The newly built society featured the end of an order characterized by an imperial retinue at the top and massive slavery at the bottom, with the replacement of diverse feudal vassalage descending from lord to serf, and the eventual appearance of bourgeois system with distinct classes of workers, landlords, and entrepreneurs. Specifically, land that was owned by the king would be

parceled out to lords known as tenants in chief in exchange for their military and political support. The great lords would then pass down land to lesser lords, lesser lords then to local lords, and finally local lords to peasants. Although a class system was still evident, the interaction between the gradation of roles increased competition, further warranting a market run on competitive pressures and rewards of an all-embracing network. In the Agreement Between Lord and Vassal, Hugh de Lusignan exploited his corrupt relationship with lord William V of Aquitaine, as well as described French society with the integration of feudalism, recounting “a convoluted intermingling of loyalties that was characteristic of the period and instrumental in developing strain between nobles that resulted in competition for each other’s land” (De Lusignan, unknown). Although he did recall a corrupt nature and frequent abuse of inferior individuals, it is fascinating to note that society did indeed shift from no competitive flexibility to having a form of competition among the people.

Mercantilism was first called as the “early stages of capitalism”, or “commercialism”, with putting emphasis on economic values of trade. With the development of transportation modes such as ships, merchant overseas traders slowly rose to prominence in 17th and 18th century Germany, England, and the Low Countries. With trade having central importance in amassing wealth, nations designed mercantilism to maximize exports and minimize imports. As 17thcentury merchant Thomas Mun wrote,

“we must observe this rule; to sell more to strangers than we consume of theirs in value” (Mun, 1621), countries slowly succeeded in accumulating wealth through putting tariffs and subsidies on traded goods. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, arguably the most influential proponent of mercantilism, called for complex economic strategies that protected the French crown from a rising Dutch mercantile class. His ideas were hugely popular among the monarchy as well as the people, until the mercantilism promoted imperialism. Soon, his ideas were overshadowed by the theory of free market economics.

The transition to commercial capitalism was supported by Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Smith explained that mercantilism was only partially a market-coordinated system, with the rest being heavily reliant on imperialism. Smith bitterly complained that government monopolies granted exclusive trading rights to groups such as the East Indian or Turkish companies, causing a flimsy economy too dependent on regulated prices and wages. With the failure of mercantilist policies such as the increase of the French navy, Smith’s theories started to expand into what we now know as commercial capitalism.

Although Smith never explicitly states the word “commercial capitalism”, the overall nuance describes the model based on the concepts of capital, value, work, and capitalization, where the role of the government would be narrowed, and gifted to private entities. These ideas were shifted into “industrial capitalism”, with UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 11 5

the start of the industrial revolution from 1760, which manufacturing processes were heavily popularized. The main characteristics of capitalism were not changed, but rather the type of trade shifted from merchants to factories. With rapid development continued, this has ended with what we see in many countries today as “state capitalism”. One common sight is that private entities still control the market, but the number of these private entities, or companies have increased significantly. In countries such as the US, the free market relies on these companies such as Apple and Amazon.

The main figure for socialism, Karl Marx, marked the criticism of capitalism.

As the original author of the Communist Manifesto, he was a firm believer of the political ideology of communism and the socialist values within. Das Kapital outlined the contradictions of industrial capitalism as well as the potential method to overcome it (Marx, 1867).

Marx recognized that “the history of all hitherto existing society is the history class struggles”. He divided capitalism’s antagonism into two fundamental classes; the bourgeoisie and proletariat. He stated that capitalism was run on the exploitation of the worker, since the workers did not own the means of production and had no control over their labor. Therefore, the workers were essentially no more than machines working to produce profit for their capitalist masters who became well off not paying a worker their full value of what they produced. He said, “Capital is dead labor, that vampire-like, only lives by sucking living labor, and lives the 116 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

more, the more labor it sucks”. As the final objective of capitalism is to maximize profits, every small single thing becomes a commodity, even infecting basic human needs such as education and healthcare.

Socialism was outlined as a solution to these problems, with emphasizing values of government intervention through redistribution policies.

To view the debate of capitalism versus socialism in depth, a case study of relevant countries can be utilized to observe the real life effect of economic systems. A good example is the comparison of South Korea and North Korea, with both countries having similar starting conditions. After the split up, both countries suffered from the aftermath of Japanese colonization and civil war.

Poverty was prevalent, with the GDP of South Korea being around 4 billion USD, while the GDP of North Korea also being around the same figures. To view the figures now, South Korea had a GDP of 1.6 trillion USD in 2018, while North Korea had a GDP of 32 billion USD. Although external factors may have played an indirect role in affecting economic growth, the direct pushing factor can only be the economic model of each nation. South Korea adopted a capitalist system while implementing systems of fast industrialization, reaching the top ranked GDP nation it is today. On the other hand, North Korea adopted a dictator orientated system of socialism, resulting in a wave of poverty.

Does this mean capitalism is the superior system? Maybe. But also, maybe not. In theory, pure capitalism

creates a utopian society. In theory, pure socialism also creates a utopian society.

Theoretically, both systems are supposed to function perfectly. The main problem is that real life application causes side effects, such as capitalism’s tendency to exploit the inequality gap and socialism’s tendency to face difficulty accumulating wealth quickly. Each system has hidden problems that are exposed when applied to real life. That is why some countries have reached middle ground with a mixed economy, where the economic system contains combinations of capitalism and socialism based on the scenario.

The problem of economic systems further extends to the correlation between economic systems and politics. Milton Friedman (1962) proved the undeniable link between political and economic systems in his book “Capitalism and Freedom”. Although economics and politics are often taught as separate subjects in school, with economics being about materialistic wellbeing and politics being about individual freedom, the two concepts are intertwined. For example, it is impossible to mix the state-led socialist economy of the Soviet Union with the individual political freedoms of the US to establish a “democratic socialist” society. The simple reason for this is economic freedom and political freedom is interdependent, and through curtailing the former, it limits the latter. It is purely impossible to ensure a political democracy where citizens have a voice when the government controls every aspect of their money.

The initial problem from this is that

a society’s politics relies heavily on the economic system. With a stable economic system, this transitions into a smooth political regime, and ultimately results in a strong society overall. However, in the case of when this is not, the citizens suffer in an unstable regime. Venezuela, a good example of a failed regime due to the lousy implementation of dictatorship and socialism, has collapsed from the 4th wealthiest nation by GDP per capita into the 68th nation (CNN, 2019). The citizens constantly suffer from unemployment, poverty, hunger, lack of education, lousy healthcare systems, poor access to water facilities, worsened crimes, increased refugees, and constant riots. This proves the significance of a strong economic system, and how a snowball effect occurs with the lack thereof.

Another issue is the tendency of conflict due to opposing opinions on economic systems. It is basic human nature to receive the urge to fight those who think differently, as they receive a feeling of threat. With the big debate of capitalism versus socialism, this has also equated to war of democracy versus communism.

Major conflicts such as the Cold War first originated from ideological differences, with the US supporting democracy and the Soviet Union supporting communism. The conflict existed in many forms, including diplomatic tensions, technological rivalry, and espionage. Although not an exact conflict, the rise of McCarthyism in the US during the 1950s described the unfair prosecution of accused communists. They lost their job and status in society solely due to their political belief, and some UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 11 7

individuals were also victim to the witch hunt, being falsely accused.

In conclusion, the delicate nature of an economic system will always have problems, regardless of what the policy is. However, governments need to be alert to, and continuously try to minimize the problems. The global community also needs to make an effort to prevent wars or tensions originated from these ideological differences.

Works Cited Economic System - Overview, Types, and Examples.

(2019, December 14). Retrieved from https:// corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/ knowledge/economics/economic-system/ Friedman, M. (1975). Capitalism and freedom. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.

Heilbroner, R. L., & Boettke, P. J. (2019, January 9). Historical development.

Retrieved from https://www.britannica. com/topic/economic-system/Historicaldevelopment

118 | UNSEEN - THE J OURNAL OF KYHS

How we endured the McCarthy purges in US. (2019, May 13). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/worldus-canada-48218827 MARX, K. A. R. L. (2014).

Das Kapital. Place of publication not identified: CREATESPACE. Sanchez, R. (2019, January 24).

How Venezuela spiraled downward into chaos. Retrieved from https://www.cnn. com/2019/01/24/americas/venezuelacrisis-maduro-guaido-explained/index. html Smith, A. (1910). The wealth of nations. London: Dent.

So, P. by W., & 8, A. (2019, August 8). South Korea: GDP comparison with North Korea 2017. Retrieved from https:// www.statista.com/statistics/1035390/ south-korea-gdp-comparison-with-northkorea/#:~:text=In 2017, South Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nominal,South Korean won in 2008.

What was mercantilism? (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.economist. com/free-exchange/2013/08/23/whatwas-mercantilism

Endangered Marine Animals Hannah Kim Asia Pacific International School, 8th

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) states that 40% of the ocean’s animals are affected by pollution, overfishing, loss of coastal habitats, and other problems caused by humans.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic, diverse creatures scattered across the globe are vanishing from our sight, without humans noticing it. The number of species becoming endangered is getting out of people’s hands, reaching a point where restoring the endangered animals are no longer obtainable. According to the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, an act established to protect endangered and threatened animals, approximately 2,270 species of marine life live either endangered or threatened all around the globe.

From the smallest plankton to the gigantic blue whale, a great amount of marine animals are dying out because of many different kinds of factors. One well-known species, the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is an herbivore found in tropical or subtropical oceans. These turtles migrate through the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, but today, it is rarely seen due to hunting that reduced the species estimated at 90%, according to

the National Wildlife Federation. It proves that the loss of sandy beaches, marine populations, and fishers’ fishing methods greatly affected the decrease in these green sea turtles. Other than turtles, fishes are not an exception as well. According to the Red List of the Endangered Species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are about 1,414 marine fish species that are threatened on our planet.

Above all, one primary reason why underwater animals are threatened is because of pollution. Every year, the amount of plastic being thrown away into the ocean is skyrocketing, creating many different kinds of consequences.

One serious impact that is significantly affecting the lives of marine species in the Pacific is the Great Pacific garbage patch.

It is also called the Pacific Trash Vortex, and this garbage patch covers the Pacific Ocean’s 1.6 million square kilometers.

This garbage patch threatens the ocean itself, but it also causes many animals to die out. More than 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds are affected every year.

Marine animals become vulnerable when plastic is taking over their habitat.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 11 9

Plastic straws that are thrown away into the sea are often found in sea turtleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noses. When the turtle is not able to remove the straw, it makes it hard for the turtle to breathe and creates extreme pain.

Animals consuming plastic is another severe problem. Sea animals, including birds, fish, whales, sea turtles, and so on, are easily tricked that plastic is food.

Notably, small particles of plastic make it easier for animals to think that plastic is food. These plastics are commonly called microplastic, tiny bits of plastic that are not even visible to the human eye.

There are generally two types of microplastics: primary microplastic and secondary microplastic. Primary microplastic is plastic that is already manufactured as big as 5mm or smaller.

These kinds of microplastic can easily pass through sewers and land in the ocean.

Secondary microplastic originates from big plastic waste that is dumped into the sea and is afterward broken down into small pieces by U.V. waves, wind, and ocean waves (Beaulieu, 2017). Not only that microplastic can pollute the sea, but if animals consume these kinds of plastic, humans will be the final to eat the microplastic. Microplastic contains toxic chemicals that can create health issues for both humans and marine animals.

In addition to this, ocean transportation by humans can end up crashing with marine animals and cause death. Oil spillage from ships also can affect every single aquatic animal. The oil suffocates fish, makes birds unable to fly, and blocks necessary sunlight for underwater photosynthetic plants.

Cleaning the spilled oil takes time and lots of help. It is essential to finish cleaning the oil in a limited amount of time because the oil left for a long time can critically 120 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

harm the environment. As oil does not dissolve in water, so leaving the oil will continuously cause harm to marine life for an extended period. Mining can sometimes have a significant connection with water pollution. Mining operations typically utilize large amounts of freshwater, which results in acid-generating sulfides, toxic heavy metals, waste rock impoundments and water. This contaminated water is mostly deposited at free-draining piles, which has the risk of flowing down to nearby streams and rivers. The deposited water pollutes the river, eventually leading to immense deaths of fish.

Another reason for marine life being threatened is climate change. Climate change is changing the underwater world and is changing the whole pattern of the ocean. Burning fossils, deforestation, and producing cement are all contributors to producing carbon dioxide. More seriously, the rate of carbon dioxide released to the air is rapidly increasing as time passes.

As carbon dioxide increases, global warming is making the ocean heat up. The oceanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s circulation is becoming messed up, affecting the animals that followed the former flow. The greenhouse effect refers that heat is trapped underneath the atmosphere of Earth, which makes the temperature of the planet rise. Human activities that include using electricity, deforestation, burning fossil fuels are all ways of producing carbon dioxide. But the reason why the ocean is impacted by this is that the ocean absorbs most of the heat that is in the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s atmosphere.

It is shown that about 90 percent of the carbon dioxide goes into the ocean. But because humans are creating an enormous amount of carbon dioxide every day, even the ocean is not able to handle all of the carbon dioxide produced.

The greenhouse effect is also leading to the rising of sea level. Every year, the sea level rises 13 inches (Nunez, 2019). Rising sea levels can cause drastic impacts on marine life. It threatens the reef crests as well as the animals that use the crests as habitats for breeding, laying eggs, or rearing young. Sea turtles, marine mammals, and open-ocean sea birds are some of the organisms that make use of such habitats.

Marine animals are very sensitive to the temperature when they are breeding and laying eggs, but the rising temperature is making a difficult environment for animals to survive. Atmospheric warming results in the melting of inland glaciers, triggering the increase of sea levels with significant impacts on shorelines such as coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, and loss of habitats. This is increasing the vulnerability of many marine animals and their habitats. Ocean acidification limits marine species’ ability to construct their shells and skeletal structures, such as corals, plankton, and shellfish. This also exacerbates current physiological pressures such as impeded respiration and reproduction and reduces development and survival rates during organisms’ early life stages.

Climate change’s other impact on the marine ecosystem is coral bleaching.

Coral bleaching is one of the most devastating consequences of climate change. When the water temperature rises, corals get rid of the algae that live in the coral’s tissues. As a result, the coral turns white, which can cause a tremendous amount of stress and can lead to death.

Recent years have seen frequently reported outbreaks of coral bleaching worldwide, with coral loss in some regions exceeding 70 percent (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.).

The number of bleached corals due to increasing temperature in the Indo-Pacific Ocean is accelerating, putting corals in danger. Furthermore, rising temperatures can have a direct effect on marine species’ reproduction and population. Temperature determines the number of male and female offspring of marine reptiles such as marine turtles. Sex ratios being too unequal with each other will threaten the survival of the population. If only one kind of sex is only produced, it will be extremely hard for the species to find their mate and reproduce.

These are not the only effects climate change is altering. The migration pattern of marine animals is changing due to the temperature of the oceans. The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) estimates that more than 80% of marine organisms are migrating, which impacts where they feed and breed their offspring. These changes are accelerating, with aquatic species happening ten times faster than on land. Fishes rely on very stable ocean temperatures for their food sources. As temperatures rise, they have to search elsewhere for cooler waters. Other kinds of marine species’ geographical distribution are changing, such as the growing seasons of these fish.

Whales, which feed on mostly krill, are moving toward the North Pole because of the migration of krill. This can be very dangerous, because they are not used to the new habitat.

The location of the ideal water temperature may change for many organisms, as the oceans warm. Research has shown that in response to rising sea temperatures, fish in the North Sea have migrated further north or deeper into the ocean. For example, the distribution of penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula area is shifting due to global warming as the UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 2 1

sea ice is reduced. We are seeing several marine animals migrating up to 600 miles from where they were several decades ago (Frerck, n.d.). A study estimated that 802 species of important fish had migrated north, including halibut, herring, tuna, and cod (CBC, 2014). These fish moving to another habitat will make the fish more abundant in colder waters. But another problem that will appear is that the fish in the tropics will start to disappear. These changes will impact humans in the end, destroying the ocean and making all valuable fish disappear.

Globally, the number of overfished stocks has increased in half a century, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Bycatch is always occurring all over the world due to fishing. Bycatch is capturing unwanted marine organisms when searching for another species. This, too, is a severe marine threat which, along with hundreds of thousands of sea turtles and cetaceans, causes the needless loss of billions of fish.

Bycatch can sometimes be a problem we can’t fix, but using certain fishing gear can make the problem worse. Because fishing gear doesn’t only target one species that people want to catch, other species are likely to be caught as well. Also because more people are fishing more fish, the amount of bycatch will increase proportionally.

Bycatching is a serious problem as well, on some occasions catching critically endangered species. Some fishers catch more fish than they are supposed to catch.

A study determined that “every year, at least 7.3 million tons or more of marine life are caught as bycatch” (Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction, 2013).

For instance, beluga sturgeon, classified as critically endangered according to the 122 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

IUCN Red List, is the producer of caviar which is unfertilized eggs of the fish.

Caviar is considered a delicacy which leads to overfishing of the species, significantly impacting the population of sturgeons.

Twenty-seven species of sturgeon are on the IUCN Red List, and four species are now possibly extinct. Furthermore, during the migration of sturgeons, damming rivers makes it difficult for sturgeons to reach their spawning grounds (IUCN, 2010).

As time passes, it becomes harder for us to recover all the harm we have done to the environment and the marine animals. We can never bring back an extinct species, and it will take thousands of years to recover our Earth. Although many people realize the severity of the situation, the effort we are putting in is not enough. Therefore, it is every individual’s duty to help preserve our oceans and save animals.

Works Cited Greenhouse gases are depriving our oceans of oxygen. (n.d.). Retrieved June 01, 2020, from https://www. unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/ story/greenhouse-gases-are-deprivingour-oceans-oxygen Beaulieu, N. F., & Mehta, S. (2018, February 26). A brief introduction to microplastics. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from http://moocs.southampton.ac.uk/ oceans/2017/11/18/brief-introductionmicroplastics/ How we can destroy the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2020, from http://www.wwf.org. au/news/blogs/how-can-we-destroy-thegreat-pacific-garbage-patch#gs.16fkzo The ocean and climate change.

(2020, May 08). Retrieved May 19, 2020,

from https://www.iucn.org/resources/ issues-briefs/ocean-and-climate-change Ocean warming. (2018, December 05). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https:// www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/ ocean-warming Goal 14: Life below water. (n.d.).

Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https:// www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ sustainable-development-goals/goal-14life-below-water.html Un. (2019, April 10). Greenhouse gases are depriving our oceans of oxygen.

Retrieved June 01, 2020, from https:// www.unenvironment.org/news-andstories/story/greenhouse-gases-aredepriving-our-oceans-oxygen Sea Level Rise. (n.d.). Retrieved June 03, 2020, from https://marineconservation.org/what-we-do/programareas/climate-change/sea-level-rise/ Marine problems: Climate change. (n.d.). Retrieved June 06, 2020, from https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/oceans/ problems/climate_change/ Frerck, R. (n.d.). The Effects of Global Warming on Marine Migrations.

Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https:// blueocean.net/the-effects-of-globalwarming-on-marine-migrations/ U.S. Department of Commerce, & National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2016, June 23). How does overfishing threaten coral reefs?

Retrieved May 27, 2020, from https:// oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral-

overfishing.html Endangered Ocean. (2018, May 22).

Retrieved April 03, 2020, from https:// ocean.si.edu/conservation/solutionssuccess-stories/endangered-ocean Sturgeon more critically endangered than any other group of species. (2020, February 20). Retrieved June 02, 2020, from https://www.iucn.org/content/ sturgeon-more-critically-endangered-anyother-group-species What is Bycatch? (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.bycatch. org/about-bycatch Green Sea Turtle. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.nwf. org/Educational-Resources/WildlifeGuide/Reptiles/Sea-Turtles/Green-SeaTurtleKonrad, H., Shepherd, A., Gilbert, L., Hogg, A., McMillan, M., Muir, A., & Slater, T. (2018, April 02). Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines.

Retrieved June 04, 2020, from https:// www.nature.com/articles/s41561-0180082-z Climate change forcing fish stocks north: Study | CBC News. (2014, October 11). Retrieved May 15, 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/ climate-change-forcing-fish-stocks-northstudy-1.2796207 Nunez, C. (2019, February 27).

Sea level rise, explained. Retrieved June 08, 2020, from https://www. nationalgeographic.com/environment/ global-warming/sea-level-rise/

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 2 3

Students Deserve Better Lunch Eugene Kwon Pioneer Middle School, 8th

Each day, 29.8 million students of nearly 100,000 schools in the US eat their lunch by the National Lunch Program (School Nutrition Association, 2019).

However, currently, schools are failing to serve healthy and fresh food to students.

Many students and parents are unsatisfied with the quality and menus of school lunches. They think that the government should take action to enhance the quality of school lunches. The government should make stricter regulations that provide higher standards of nutrition and pick better and healthier menus.

Many people complain that the current school lunch system has a lot of problems. One of the main problems is studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; obesity is caused by school lunch.

Unhealthy food served by school leads to obesity of students. Student obesity had nearly tripled since the 1970s. Nearly onefifth of school-aged children have obesity (UC Davis Health). Also, a research by the American College of Cardiology found that students who ate school lunches are more likely to be obese compared to students who bring lunch from home.

In addition, students who eat school lunches are more likely to eat unhealthy meals, sugary drinks, and eat less fruit 124 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

and vegetables (Family Education, 2010).

Experts say that unhealthy school lunches are a contributing factor of the childhood obesity epidemic.

Further, these problems can lead to poor performance of students in school.

On average, students who bring lunch from home have higher test scores than those who eat lunch from school, for about 0.03 to 0.04 standard deviations (about 4 percentile points) (Brookings Institution, 2017). In addition, school lunch times are too short. Lunch times are a big influence on students. Short lunch times can block students from eating healthy foods. A 2015 study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health found that students who had less than 20 minutes to eat ate significantly less of the healthy food on their plates. Also, students tend to throw away uneaten food.

Current guidelines for school lunches limit calories to 850 for high school meals, 700 for middle school and 650 for elementary, and more than double the mandated minimum servings of fruits and vegetables while reducing the sodium, saturated fats and trans fats in school kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; diets. As for vending machines, current guidelines and standards say that schools

should only sell plain or carbonated water, low-fat milk, fat-free unflavored or flavored (chocolate) milk or milk alternatives. Schools can also sell fruit and vegetable juice with no added sugar.

High schools can also sell calorie-free carbonated drinks (USDA). However, these guidelines are too loose. Schools are still allowed to sell carbonated drinks at vending machines. Also, the calorie limits are too high. The US calorie limit per meal is 700-850 calories. Other countries such as Korea or Japan limit their school lunch calories up to 700. If there are too many calories in school lunches, it can lead to obesity and other health problems.

While many parents expect the government to increase budgets on school lunches and try to enhance school lunch quality, the current administration has set major budget cuts. Budget cuts include spending less on programs that feed children, and can lead to feeding students cheaper and more processed food.

Students were eating more vegetables and healthy food and taking less saturated fat at school under the Obama-era, according to Business Insider. The National School Lunch Program fed about 30 million children each school day in 2014 and costed $12.7 billion. The federal government spent another $3.7 billion in 2014 to feed about 14 million children through the School Breakfast Program.

Moreover, the New York Times found out that the Agriculture Department gives healthy and fresh food to the schools. It is the schools that process it to junk food.

For example, schools turn raw chicken into nuggets and fresh fruits into sugary pastries.

Many countries around the world are clearly serving better school lunches compared to the US. For example, school

lunches in France are nutritionally well balanced. French government states that at least 45 minutes must be allowed for each meal, and that school lunches must contain a raw vegetable or fruit, animal proteins, and dairy products (The Guardian). Another example is that school lunches in Japan often come with a main dish (form of protein such as fish or meat), rice, and a side soup. Also, students aged 6-12 must have about 650 calories (Business Insider). In addition, twice a year, parents are invited to tastetest the food. Additionally, Italy, South Korea, and UK also serve better school lunches. Italian schools serve soup, fresh fruit, pasta, salad and more. Many of the ingredients are claimed to be organic.

Also, school lunches in Korea consist of soup, rice, kimchi, and two other side dishes. The US government has to improve school lunches by learning from other countries.

However, not only lunch qualities are bad but there are also plenty of sanitary issues in the US. Some schools in the US are doing a bad job of keeping kitchens clean. Sometimes, they serve food that has gone bad. For example, according to NBC news, twenty-two children became ill after having lunch at a San Diego elementary school cafeteria in 2013. Nearly two dozen children were transported from the school to a local hospital. Officials claim that the children possibly drank a bad beverage, such as juice or milk, and likely suffered food poisoning. Bad incidents of school lunches are happening in many schools.

The schools and government should pay more attention to school lunches.

In order to enhance the quality of school lunches, the government should take a quick action. Schools should place healthy and nutritious foods like fruit and UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 2 5

vegetables prominently in lunch lines.

Schools should make sure students are consuming healthy food every day. The government should also make stricter regulations that ban unhealthy beverages and snacks but add healthy and fresher foods. They should minimize the number of vending machines in school and only sell sugar-free healthy beverages and snacks. The federal, state, local governments should also reflect on students and parents’ opinions to enhance the quality. Campaigns and movement should be more influential. Students and parents all have diverse opinions when it comes to school lunches. Many students and parents are unsatisfied with the current lunch system. Listening to students and parents might be the best way to improve school lunches. Therefore, the government should enhance the quality of school lunches based on what they reflect from students and parents.

Works Cited Brueck, H. (2018, December 10).

Kids across the US are eating fewer whole grains and more sugary milk in school lunches. See how federal rules have changed for the worse. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider. com/trump-administration-relax-schoollunch-rules-2018-1 Brueck, H. (2018, December 10).

Kids across the US are eating fewer whole grains and more sugary milk in school lunches. See how federal rules have changed for the worse. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider. com/trump-administration-relax-schoollunch-rules-2018-1

126 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Are school lunches really important for your kid’s health? (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://health.ucdavis. edu/good-food/blog/school-lunches-andkids.html Unhealthy School Lunches Not Making the Grade. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.artinstitutes. edu/about/blog/unhealthy-schoollunches-not-making-the-grade Anderson, M., Gallagher, J., & Ritchie, E. (2017, May 03). How the quality of school lunch affects students’ academic performance. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/ brown-center-chalkboard/2017/05/03/ how-the-quality-of-school-lunch-affectsstudents-academic-performance/ Komisar, L. (2011, December 03).

How the Food Industry Eats Your Kid’s Lunch. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/ opinion/sunday/school-lunches-and-thefood-industry.html (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://schoolnutrition.org/ aboutschoolmeals/schoolmealtrendsstats/ Child Nutrition Programs: Spending and Policy Options. (2015, September 25). Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https:// www.cbo.gov/publication/50737 Hutton, L. (2010, January 14).

Unhealthy School Lunch Standards.

Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https:// www.familyeducation.com/life/healthyhot-lunches/whats-mystery-meat-schoollunch-standards-fall-short National School Lunch Program. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/foodnutrition-assistance/child-nutritionprograms/national-school-lunch-program/

What Chaebols have done for Korean Economy Yunsu Lee Homeschool, 11th

Introduction to Chaebols Chaebol (chei·bl) or Jaebol is a word that describes the few families who lead the economy and business of South Korea. Its denotation, according to the “Oxford Dictionary” is: (in South Korea) a large family-owned business conglomerate (Oxford Dictionary). The word Chaebol (재벌 in Korean) originates from the Japanese word Zaibatsu (財 閥), which also has the similar meaning of a big family running conglomerate in Japan. They are, in most parts, vertically integrated conglomerates, and in most cases became horizontally integrated as they grew in scale. Korea has several Chaebols who represent the country’s economy, the most famous and wealthiest of them being the Samsung group’s Lee family. Others include: the Hyundai group, SK group, Lotte group, LG group, CJ group and many more. As Korea, along with the world, moved into the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the age of data and computers, new Chaebols leading the area rose (신찬용, 2013). These new groups are heavily technology and data based such as Kakao (now the same

company as Daum), NCSoft and Nexon.

But how does this unique economic system work? And will this work forever?

History of Chaebols To fully understand this unique economy, the history of Chaebols must be inspected. However, in order to discuss the history of Chaebols, one must first inspect the history of modern Korea first.

The concept of Chaebols, or something similar has always been present in Korean history. In fact, the concept has been there in almost all ancient countries within aristocrats. Although the current Chaebols of Korea are not quite like the previous aristocrats, they do work in a similar fashion, just with less power. Chaebols really started to be created when South Korea was in its growing period. After the Korea War and the Republic of Korea was established, the country went through a very fast and miraculous economic growth. During these times, the bright ideas of the current founders of Chaebol groups accelerated the economic growth.

The real growth spurt for Chaebols was when former president and dictator Park Chung-hee came to power in 1963 UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 2 7

through a coup. Although he was depicted as a military tyrant, he was fast at catching that Chaebols were the highway to a strong economy. In order to make Korea a stronger nation, Park passed the “8ᐧ3 Bond Freezing Measures’’ supporting the Chaebols as much as he could using all the country’s power and resources, even illegally. This brought most of the more traditional Chaebols of Korea to its current state (신찬용, 2013). Currently the top 10 Chaebols make up around 77% of the country’s GDP, deciding on the trends and swaying the economy (이석, 2018).

Not only do Chaebols and their companies control the economy, they also play a huge role in the culture of Korea.

An ideal lifetime route for most Koreans to take would be to graduate from a wellknown high school; then graduate Seoul National University, one of the best universities in Asia; and then get into a Chaebol group company (often referred to as “Daegiop’’ in Korea). This pattern is an epitome of “success” in Korea along with other East Asian clichés such as being a doctor or continuing the family business. However, as the economy evolved, the Chaebol groups also did.

Except the most traditional and wellfounded Chaebols (such as Samsung, Hanjin, LG, Hyundai, etc.), many new Chaebol groups have come up to become one of the strongest economic leaders of Korea. The relatively new Chaebols include groups or companies such as NCSoft, Netmarble and Celltrion. Even these relatively new groups followed the traditional paths of becoming a Chaebol group, but the even newer unicorn 128 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

startups such as “Woowahan Brothers” are shaking the grounds of the Chaebol tradition. Although these billion dollarsworth unicorns may threaten the Chaebol system, Chaebols still hold a very firm position in the Korean Economy.

The Effects of Chaebols on Korean Economy and Culture Although the Korean government has been sponsoring more and more smaller businesses and startups, Chaebols still have the major influence in the country’s economy. First, Chaebols make up a major part of the Korean GDP. The four major Chaebol groups (Samsung, Hyundai, SK, LG) recently reached almost half of all 60 Daegiop revenue.

This means that out of the 60 Daegiops, the top 4 groups combined had a higher revenue than the rest 56 groups combined.

These 4 groups also make up around half of South Korea’s GDP. In 2018, Korea’s GDP marked 1.6932 trillion dollars (equal to around 1.918 quadrillion Korean Won) with the 4 groups making up nearly half of that number. In 2017, the percentage was over 50%, and when extended to the top 10 groups, it was over 70% (이석, 2018). According to NH Investment Securities, around one-third of the Korean population are hired workers. One-third of the population is estimated to be around 17 million people, and (citing the Chosun Business News by Chosun Ilbo) the top 30 Chaebol groups’ workers add up to 1 million or 6% of the 17 million. Indeed, 6% is not a high number. The seemingly trivial number humbles the Chaebol influence. But, considering that a job at a Daegiop is one of the most preferred

in Korea, this should be interpreted in another way. Millions of people look for jobs, but only 6% of them are accepted into the best companies (이윤학 et. al., 2016). The system, somewhat similar to college applications and preparations (even with acceptance rates), forms a culture and lifestyle – as explained above with the “epitome” of success in Korea – that further extends the Chaebols’ influence in Korea.

The Korean Life The vast influences of Chaebols make up the very life of many Koreans.

The groups’ requirement for high standards make many Korean high schoolers live without much of a dream but going to a good college. Moreover, because Chaebols are literally the country itself, the average Korean citizen lives in a Chaebol world.

To borrow words from “Visual Politik EN” (a YouTube channel), “imagine an average Samsung employee”: He gets up in the morning in a house built by C&T, a construction company by Samsung. Then follows up on the latest news using his Samsung Galaxy phone. Then he takes his Renault Samsung car (now owned by Groupe Renault), that he gets insurance from Samsung Hwajae (the Samsung owned insurance company) and drives to work at Samsung. On the weekend, he wants to spend quality time with his family, he takes his Samsung car and goes to Everland, Samsung’s very own theme park. As this image shows, to Chaebol employees and their family, the company is everything to them (Producers of Visual Politk En, 2017). The Chaebols’ influence does not stop there. Many Chaebol groups

(especially Samsung) are the face and image of the country in many ways. In fact, in some cases, the companies have more awareness than the country. According to a survey done in Sydney, some people knew of Samsung but did not know it was from South Korea. In less cases, some people were not aware of the country at all (Producers of 약빤방송Yakfollower, 2016). In addition, the Chaebols make the country into a brand in international terms. The Chaebols’ products around the world constitute one brand: South Korea.

Lotte’s work of selling different Korean foods around the world, Samsung with its mobile phone brand Galaxy and other Chaebols advertise Korea to the world.

Other Conglomerates If the massive effects of Chaebols are (at least in short terms) very effective for a national economy, are there any other similar systems? To start, Japan also has Chaebols, or in their language: Zaibatsu.

In fact, as stated in the beginning, the word Chaebol comes from this Japanese term. Even before Korean companies started to build their empires, Japan had several Zaibatsu and other conglomerates.

Encyclopedia Britannica says that, similarly to their Korean counterparts, Japan also has its big 4 groups: Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Yasuda, and Mitsui. They also make up a major part of Japan’s GDP and once held direct control over 70% of the commercial stock exchange. While the Korean Chaebols boomed in a short period, the Japanese Zaibatsu have a long history dating back to the 19th century after the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

However, in 1946, after the end of the UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 2 9

Second World War, the Allied occupation authorities ordered the Zaibatsu dissolved.

Stock owned by the parent companies was put up for sale, and individual companies of the zaibatsu empires were freed from the control of parent companies. The management of the individual companies, however, was not radically changed, and to some extent the coordination and control of the previous organization remained.

This seemed to be the start of an end, but after the signing of the 1951 Peace Treaty, the broken-up companies started to group themselves into what is known as enterprise groups (kigyō shūdan), reforming the previous Zaibatsu.

Although not as strong as the traditional Zaibatsu, these modern conglomerates played a major role in rebuilding the post-war economy of Japan (Editors of Britannica, n.d.). Moving away from Asia, other Chaebol like conglomerates include the Rockefeller Group, Rothchild & Co., Walmart, Volkswagen AG, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Exor NV, Ford Motor Company, etc. (Bain, 2018). Although these groups might not have as much influence and power in their country like the Chaebols or Zaibatsu do, these corporates are the most influential entities in the world economy. These groups not only lead the world economy, but also shape the world’s future economic systems.

The Future of Chaebols Like many other conglomerates, Chaebols led the Korean economy up to this point. However, as a new age of technology, companies and startups are on the rise, and will Chaebols be able 130 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

to survive and keep their current status forever? When discussing Chaebols, many news media and financial journals are disapproving of the colossal corporates ( 이래경, 2017). Through Joongang Ilbo (a well-known news media in Korea), Dr. Jong Wha Lee, a Korea University’s economics professor, champions the opinion that Chaebols are getting out of hand. He claims that changing the Chaebol economic system too quickly might bring upon a bigger side effect, but the uprooting of the system is necessary over time. These massive corporates monopolize the market and suppress the growth and livelihood of small and middle sized businesses (이종화, 2016).

Other media such as The Science Times Kor. also assert similar views. Chaebols are too massive of an entity in the Korean economy, having too much influence.

They (quite literally) are the Korean economy itself, therefore not easy to disband but necessary. The current obvious opinion is that Chaebols will not crumble anytime soon (이강봉, 2017). They are too powerful and currently essential to the national economy. However, maybe, a not so obvious future might be waiting for Korea and its Chaebols.

The Fall of Nokia The scenario shows the self-brought downfall of the great companies. Although the current Chaebols have taken measures to keep up with the fast changing trends (by creating trend analyzing, future seeing teams within the company), it is a possibility that they might not just be “modern” enough or suited for a new society. A real-life example happened

in 2007 when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone. With the iPhone and new power of “software” brought about the downfall of Nokia, the greatest mobile phone company at the time (the fall also known as the “Elopcalypse”). During the following years of the iPhone, Nokia’s dominant mobile phone market share plummeted, going from a 49.4% to just around a 3% in the second half of 2012. Nokia at the time was not only a mobile phone world giant, but, like the Chaebols, part of Finland’s culture. In fact, Nokia’s annual income was greater than the national annual income (Lee, 2013)! Similarly to current Koreans, the Finnish also had the “standard” life course that included Nokia. The downfall of the mobile titan brought upon an earthquake in the Finnish economy. “The first two years post-Elopcalypse in Finland involved painful readjustment” says Padraig Belton of BBC. “But profitable exits and eyewatering funding infusions have drawn attention to the sparkling northern lights of the tech sector.” Finland’s fall of Nokia was not the end of its economy. It was a beginning to a new start. A new era of startups, especially in the tech sector, led the country into its new golden age.

Nokia’s ashes gave birth to the “Finnish phoenix[es]” (also from Belton) such as drawElements, Pryte, and SuperCell, most of which were merged into bigger

companies. Now, Finland is the home to many of the biggest startup pitching like Slush Helsinki and Polar Bear Pitching (Belton, 2015).

Back on track, then what can Korea learn from all this? Nokia was thought as invincible, like the many Chaebols, but still fell because of a completely new period of economy. Although many Chaebols are taking measures to prevent such downfalls, there are still possibilities to the Chaebol-apocalypse. This might bring upon an age of startups like Finland (as startups are quite the trend in the current Korean economy), or a completely fresh economy previously unseen. The future of Chaebols is yet to be sure, but it is inevitable that a new type of economy is coming in the near future.

Conclusion Chaebols were an economic miracle that elevated the Korean economy from near bottom to ranking it (according to the Korean Herald) 12th in the world GDP ranking and 4th in Asia (Lim Jeong-yeo, 2019). Chaebols have melted into the Korean culture and lifestyle becoming the very livelihood of many Koreans.

Maybe they are the future to the national economy, leading it like it has done so well until now. Or maybe, the iron fortress that stands high above the Korean economy might just be starting to crumble.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 3 1

Works Cited 시사저널, 이석, 2018, 4대 그룹 자산, 한국 Gdp의 절반 넘었다, http:// www.sisajournal.com/news/articleView. html?idxno=176544, Feb. 12 2020 비즈니스 조선 (조선일보), 전재호 기자, 2018, 최근 1년 직원수 가장 많이 늘어난 대기업은 Cj, https://biz.chosun.com/site/data/html_ dir/2018/11/15/2018111500965.html, Feb. 12 2020 연합 뉴스, 신창용 기자, 2013, 재벌 탄생의 기원은 박정희 정권 8·3조치, https://www.yna.co.kr/view/ AKR20130624000900005, Feb. 12 2020 NH 투자 증권, (연구소 소장) 이윤학, (수석 연구원) 하철규, ( 수석 연구원) 김진웅, (수석 연구원) 서동필, (책임 연구원) 김범준, 2016 대한민국 직장인 보고서, (2016), Feb. 12 2020 Youtube, Politik EN, How did SOUTH KOREA become so RICH? VisualPolitik EN, (2017) https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=6Ro6FlHe5eQ, Feb. 12 2020 Famcap.com, David Bain, 2018, The World’s Top 750 Family Businesses Ranking, https://www.famcap.com/theworlds-750-biggest-family-businesses/, Apr. 9 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Zaibatsu, https://www.britannica.com/ topic/zaibatsu, Feb. 24 2020 중앙시평 중앙일보, 이종화 ( 고려대 경제학과 교수), 2016, [ 중앙시평] 재벌과 한국 경제의 미래, https://news.joins.com/article/20990016, Jan. 15 2020 132 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

The Tomorrow 다른백년, 이래경, 2017, 재벌개혁 없이 미래도 없다, http://thetomorrow.kr/archives/4004, Jan. 15 2020 The Science Times (네이버포스트), 이강봉, 2017, 대한민국 경제에 있어 ‘재벌’의 의미 ([시론] 두산 그룹의 기업 변신 사례를 보고), https://www.sciencetimes.co.kr/ news/%EB%8C%80%ED%95%9C% EB%AF%BC%EA%B5%AD-%EA% B2%BD%EC%A0%9C%EC%97%90%EC%9E%88%EC%96%B4-%EC% 9E%AC%EB%B2%8C%EC%9D%98%EC% 9D%98%EB%AF%B8/, Jan. 15 2020 BBC Business News, Padraig Belton, 2015, Finnish phoenix: The startups rising from Nokia’s ashes, https:// www.bbc.com/news/business-31044810, May 02 2020 BBC Business News, Dave Lee, 2013, Nokia: The rise and fall of a mobile giant, https://www.bbc.com/news/ technology-23947212, May 02 2020 BBC Business News, Edwin Lane, 2016, Nokia: Life after the fall of a mobile phone giant, https://www.bbc.com/news/ business-35807556, May 02 2020 The Investor (The Korea Herald), Lim Jeong-yeo, 2019, Korea ranks 12th in world GDP ranking: World Bank, http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view. php?ud=20190707000187, May 10 2020 Youtube, 약빤방송Yakfollower, 2016, What do you know about Korea? // 외국인들이 생각하는 한국, https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=fdnY32oBT5I, May 15 2020

Militarized Drone Seoyoon Lee McLean High School, 10th

These days, drones are familiar to many people. Among their functions, the most well-known is that drones are used as cameras. However, do you know that the drone was initially made to use as a weapon? It can be said that the drone is the most threatening weapon that exists today.

What is a drone? Drone is an unmanned aircraft or a plane that can fly without an actual pilot on board. It was first invented by Nikola Tesla, American inventor and an electric car company namesake. On November 8, 1898, he was granted his patent for a “Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or Vehicles.” It was only sixteen years after the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk flight. Tesla’s initial drone, which is known as the “Ruston Proctor Aerial Target,” was a radio-controlled pilotless airplane. Tesla explained that the pilotless airplane must be wireless, and he envisioned a drone powered by electrical waves. Even though its intended purpose was to be used as a flying bomb, Tesla realized that the device was more powerful than he expected. He predicted that the drone will be used for warfare in the future and believed that it would be

able to bring peace between the nations.

However, despite his hope, it did not bring world peace. Also, contrary to its intended purpose, it was never used in a combat scenario.

Therefore, the new project called the “Kettering Bug,” was launched. It was asked to Charles Ketting, an American inventor as well as an engineer, by the United States Army during World War I. It was powered by a two-stroke V4 40-horsepower DePalma engine, which was massively produced in the Ford Motor Company for about $40 each. To ensure that the device had fired its target, a mechanical system was also devised to track the distance of the device’s flight.

The first flight was on October 2, 1918.

However, since the plane climbed too steeply, it crashed and ended with failure.

Among its 6 flight tests, the Kettering Bug only had two successes at Amityville and Carlstrom. Therefore, it was never used in combat, just like Tesla’s “Ruston Proctor Aerial Target,” and its technology remained a secret until World War II. The drone was first launched as a weapon by the CIA over Afghanistan in 2000. However, it was an unarmed drone.

Since the first launch of drones, the CIA UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 3 3

had continued to launch drones. In late 2001, there was some air war against the Taliban. However, the utilization of armed drones was not launched until February 4, 2002, by the CIA. The CIA first used unmanned drones to assassinate Osama bin Laden, who was suspected as a terrorist of the September 11 attacks. Since the first use of weaponized drones, it has been still the most utilized weapon. The most recent use of armed drones known to date is the assassination of Quasem Soleimani, the Iran general, by the United States MQ-9 Reaper Drones on January 3, 2020. MQ-9 Reaper is the primary offensive unmanned strike vehicle for the United States Air Force. With its twenty meter wingspan, it is moved via satellite signal. Reapers are not launched from a far distance, so it will crash if there is a delay in the firing.

Therefore, it has to be taken off a few kilometers away from where the drone will fire at the target and then pointed to find the firing angle. It usually takes about thirty seconds to hit the target. However, Reapers are not autonomous devices, meaning even though they can fire at the target, they cannot make a decision on who, how, and when to kill the target.

Instead, these factors are decided by a pilot in a ground control station in the United States (Lee, 2020).

There are many issues caused by its diverse uses. The biggest advantage is that it would reduce the probability of starting the war since the drone would only strike the target, not strike many innocent civilians in order to achieve their goal, and therefore can save many lives. In addition, the use of armed drones can reduce operational hours for pilots. However, the use of armed drones would cause difficulty for pilots to have often transitions in their positions in the society after their 134 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

retirement. They have to switch between combat mode at their work and to civilian mode at their personals. Even though the drones are commonly used weapon, they are sometimes used for other purposes, such as to spray fertilizers, monitor animals, take photos or videos of places that people cannot easily visit. The most important use of unarmed drones recently was the photos and videos of hospitals in China. Recently, the Coronavirus pandemic has been rampant. Since there are a lot of infected people in China, being the starting point of COVID-19, not only foreigners but also nationals cannot or hardly visit China. However, by utilizing drones, it is possible to monitor the brief situations in China without visiting, even though it might be hard to comprehend the specific situations or obtain the data.

As times have changed, the use of drones has also increased worldwide.

How many nations do you think are utilizing armed drones? Currently, thirtynine nations are utilizing armed drones in the world, including the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and Spain (Bergen, 2019). Among those thirty-nine nations, the first phase of drone warfare was dominated by the three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel. The United States was the first country to acquire armed drones. Compared to most of the other nations, who started to develop armed drones after 2010, the United States started developing armed drones in 2001, which is approximately ten years ahead of other nations. The United States also acquired armed drones in the same year. Since the United States was the first nation to start utilizing armed drones, they are one of the major exporters of armed drones in the world. Followed by the United States,

Israel acquired armed drones in 2004.

Even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unclear when the country started developing armed drones, there are innumerable drones in Israel. Israel was the second nation in the world to acquire armed drones. Although the United Arab Emirates is known as the nation that started developing armed drones right after the United States, which was in 2002, they acquired armed drones in 2011, seven years after Israel acquired their first armed drones. The United Kingdom started developing armed drones in 2005. They began with developing the Taranis UCAV and started testing in 2013. However, they

had already acquired armed drones in 2008. This was possible because they had purchased Reaper drones from the United States in 2007 and armed them in 2008.

The increasing demands on armed drones have been supporting the emerging United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; economy.

Even though the first phase of drone warfare was dominated by the United States, drones in the United Kingdom and Israel have been rapidly proliferated over the past five years, and Pakistan and Turkey also joined the development of armed drones. An increasing number of nations are getting interested in and started to develop armed drones. While the number of armed drones is increasing dramatically, the number of lightweight surveillance drones are also increasing around the world. There are currently thousands of military drones that are used for surveillance and the number will continue to rise (Sabbagh 2019). The experts predict that more than 80,000 surveillance drones and 2,000 attack drones will be exchanged between nations in the next ten years. The graph below shows the prediction that the United States will purchase more than 1,000 combat drones in the next ten years, while the other countries, such as China, are predicted to purchase more than 68 combat drones. Also, the experts predict that the United States will acquire more than 43,000 drones UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 3 5

in 2028, which is extremely higher than other nations, such as China, where they will acquire 8,543 surveillance drones.

After the first failure of the armed drone on September 11, 2002, the armed drones have been deployed by the United States in Afghanistan since then. However, the armed drones were most highly used during the four years of war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The figure below depicts 136 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

the number of strikes and missions in Iraq and Syria between 2014 to 2017.

The armed drones are most commonly used by the military. However, that does not mean that the military is the only group of people that use armed drones. Thus, there are many concerns about the misuse of armed drones. One of the biggest worries is the use by terrorists like ISIS. In 2009, the drones killed civilians in Gaza. Forty-two drones had massacred eighty-seven civilians in total (Human Rights Watch, 2009). The two Islamic State men launched a drone, which is about six feet wide, with a small bomb inside the drone, in January of 2017.

The bomb had landed on an Iraqi army outpost and scattered Iraqi troops. This incident caused the rapidly accelerated campaign of armed drone strikes by the Islamic State in northern Iraq. In addition, the terrorist announced the establishment of a new “Unmanned Aircraft of the Mujahideen” unit, a fleet of modified drones equipped with bombs, and claimed that its drones had killed thirty-nine Iraqi soldiers in a single week. Thus, if the number of “Unmanned Aircraft of the Mujahideen” units armed with drones increases, it would threaten the whole world with terrors (Warrack, 2017).

Since terrorists can have access to

armed drones, the international control and regulation of armed drones are necessary, as in the case with nuclear weapon regulations. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, TPNW for short, is the first international agreement that prohibits countries to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten nuclear weapons. This treaty was signed in 2017 by all member states of the United Nations. Wouldn’t there be a need for international control and regulation of armed drones, as there are global regulations on nuclear weapons?

Works Cited The ‘Aerial Target’ and ‘Aerial Torpedo’ in the USA. Hargrave Military Academy, www.ctie.monash.edu/ hargrave/rpav_usa.html.

Aeronautics and Astronautics Chronology, 1915-1919.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ Timeline/1915-19.html.

Atherton, Kelsey D. The History Of The Drone In 9 Minutes [Video]. 24 Nov. 2014. Popular Science, www.popsci.com/ watch-brief-history-drone/.

---. Read Nikola Tesla’s Drone Patent... From 1898. 19 Aug. 2016.

Popular Science, www.popsci.com/ nikola-tesla-patented-drone-controlsin-1898/.

“Coronavirus: Drone footage captures incredible rush to build hospital in China.” USA Today, 24 Jan. 2020, w w w. u s a t o d a y. c o m / v i d e o s / n e w s / world/2020/01/24/coronavirus-dronecaptures-incredible-rush-build-hospitalchina/4563689002/.

The Countries Set To Dominate Drone Warfare. The Countries Set To Dominate Drone Warfare, www.

statista.com/chart/20005/total-forecastpurchases-of-weaponized-militarydrones/.

DePalma, V-4 Engine. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, airandspace.si.edu/collectionobjects/depalma-v-4-engine/nasm_ A19340009000.

Dilanian, Ken, et al. “U.S. Now Moving Toward Armed Drones, Lethal Force in Niger.” NBC News, 25 Oct. 2017.

NBC News, www.nbcnews.com/news/ africa/u-s-now-moving-toward-armeddrones-lethal-force-niger-n814341.

“Drone video of South Carolina tornado damage.” USA Today, 13 Jan. 2020, www.usatoday.com/videos/news/ nation/2020/01/13/drone-video-southcarolina-tornado-damage/4452187002/.

The Evolution of the Cruise Missile.

Defense Technical Information Center, web.archive.org/web/20070304213844/ http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb= getRecord&metadataPrefix= html&identifier=ADA162646.

Gladstone, Rick. “A Treaty Is Reached to Ban Nuclear Arms. Now Comes the Hard Part.” The New York Times.

The New York Times, www.nytimes. com/2017/07/07/world/ americas/unitednations-nuclear-weapons-prohibitiondestruction-global-treaty.html.

“The history of drones in 10 milestones.” Digital Trends. Digital Trends, www.digitaltrends.com/cooltech/history-of-drones/.

How Do Drones Work And What Is Drone Technology. 2020. DroneZon, www.dronezon.com/learn-about-dronesquadcopters/what-is-drone-technologyor-how-does-drone-technology-work/.

Human Rights Watch. “Israel: Misuse of Drones Killed Civilians in Gaza.” Human Rights Watch. Human UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 3 7

Rights Watch, www.hrw.org/news/ 2009/06/30/israel-misuse-drones-killedcivilians-gaza#.

Lee, Peter. “Iran attack: how Reaper drones really carry out airstrikes.”

The Conversation. The Conversation, theconversation.com/iran-attackhow-reaper-drones-really-carry-outairstrikes-129411. Accessed 7 Jan. 2020.

Marcus, Jonathan. “Saudi oil attacks: Who’s using drones in the Middle East?” BBC News. BBC News, www.bbc. com/news/world-middle-east-49718828.

MQ-9 Reaper. Military.com, www. military.com/equipment/mq-9-reaper.

Nikola Tesla predicted drones in 1898. 2016. Big Think, bigthink.com/ natalie-shoemaker/nikola-tesla-predicteddrones-in-1898.

Pickrell, Ryan. “Nearly 100 countries have military drones, and it’s changing the way the world prepares for war.” Business Insider. Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com.

Pros and Cons of Military Drones.

2018. Grind Drone, grinddrone.com/ review/pros-and-cons-of-military-drones.

Scharchburg, Richard P. Charles Kettering. Kettering University, web. archive.org/web/20080522152907/ http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/about/ charles_kettering.jsp.

Sifton, John. “A Brief History of Drones.” The Nation, 7 Feb. 2012. The Nation, www.thenation.com/article/ archive/brief-history-drones/.

Smith, Mitch. “’It’s Creepy’: Unexplained Drones Are Swarming by Night Over Colorado.” The New York Times. The New York Times, www. nytimes.com/2020/01/01/us/drones-FAAcolorado-nebraska.html.

138 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Smith, Saphora, et al. “U.S. military drone shot down over Yemen, officials say.” NBC News. NBC News, www. nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-militarydrone-shot-down-over-yemen-officialssay-n1044726.

“Strait of Hormuz: US confirms drone shot down by Iran.” BBC News.

BBC News, www.bbc.com/news/worldmiddle-east-48700965.

“Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons.” United Nations, www.un.org/ disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/.

Uzialko, Adam C. “10 Cool Commercial Drone Uses Coming to a Sky Near You.” Business News Daily. Business News Daily, www.businessnewsdaily. com/9276-commercial-drones-businessuses.html.

Warrick, Joby. “Use of weaponized drones by ISIS spurs terrorism fears.”

The Washington Post. The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/world/ national-security/use-of-weaponizeddrones-by-isis-spurs-terrorismfears/2017/02/21/9d83d51e-f382-11e68d72-263470bf0401_story.html.

Images Bergen, Peter, et al. World of Drones. New America, www.newamerica. org/international-security/reports/worlddrones/who-has-what-countries-witharmed-drones/.

Sabbagh, Dan. “Killer drones: how many are there and who do they target?”

The Guardian. The Guardian, www. theguardian.com/news/2019/nov/18/ killer-drones-how-many-uav-predatorreaper.

UK Drone Strike Stats. Drone Wars, dronewars.net/uk-drone-strike-list-2/.

International Cooperation for Cybercrimes Shin Lee Western Reserve Academy, 10th

Cybercrimes, defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, are “criminal offenses committed on the internet or aided by the use of computer technology.” In the 21st century, cybercrime has become one of the most significant and urgent security issues, following the increasing dependency on modern technology. The National Security Agency gives examples of cybercrimes, including “remote hacking intrusions, the placement of malware, spearphishing and other means of gaining access to networks and information.” However, these are only a small piece of cybercrimes occurring online. Cybercrimes include more, such as cyber theft, in which one’s money or things of value is being stolen (BJS), and electronic vandalism or sabotage, which essentially is a terrorism online.

The actors of cybercrime nowadays have a rather clear motivation than those in the past. In the past, internet worms, a type of programs that “infect, replicate and spread among computer systems” (Brock, 1989), had no intent to gain anything other than its acknowledgement.

However, recent cyberattacks focus on gaining something, ranging from data and information to financial gains (Friedman,

2016).

The amount of damage evoked from cyberattacks is unimaginable. In 2017 alone, it was discovered that more than $172 billion was lost globally and victims of cyberattacks spent an average of 23.6 hours to recover their losses (Farahbod, Shayo & Varzadeh). When considering that 978 million people were affected, 23.6 hours of time loss evidently led to huge work force loss. Not only that, tremendous amount of money is used to prevent cybercrimes and recover from its aftermath; from $300 billon to $1 trillion dollars were spent on those funds, according to a 2013 research (Farahbod, Shayo & Varzadeh). It is hard to prevent cyberattacks through conventional measures, since attackers are nearly impossible to track, and their attacks cannot be intercepted offline. However, considering the massive amount of damage it brings and privacy issues, it is evident that cybercrimes should be strictly regulated through new measures.

Cybersecurity measures have only been in our lives since early 21st century, but many countries have already developed strong measures against criminal acts.

Many scholars have already implemented UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 3 9

their methods to research about various cybersecurity measures of countries such as the United States, People’s Republic of China, and European countries including Switzerland, France, Germany, and more.

It is said that the US did not make many official treaties (in general, whether it was about cybersecurity or not) during the Obama administration, and very few “formal” international cooperation was made on the matter of cybersecurity (Kshetri, 2014). Informal cooperation, on the other hand, had some distinguishable results. In 2009, FBI sent a cybersecurity professional to Estonia, who worked with Estonian officials and Dutch National Police to treat cybercrimes. In result, the FBI solved a “high profile click hijacking case”, which is a type of cybercrime where the attacker tricks users to click unintended elements and ultimately leaks private information. This crime could have made a loss at least $14 million (Kshetri 2014).

When it comes to collaboration with other countries, the United States still has a long way to go. The US’ relationship with China is ambiguous. They do have experiences when they have cooperated to work on cybercrimes, such as the joint operation of the FBI and Chinese authorities to shut down illegal websites dealing with child pornography (Kshetri 2014).

However, they have not established any “comprehensive cybersecurity system”, in which they can share information and resources. It is even said that there is a sense of distrust between the two entities (Li & Yun, 2017). A case also reports “a request for assistance takes place through an exchange of letters […] Beijing forwarded 10 letters through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received responses 140 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

to only two” (Kshetri, 2014). Li and Yun describe this phenomenon as a result of political, economic factors and cognitive differences between two countries.

The US’ relationship with Russia is not well, either. In October 2016, Russia was accused for infiltrating in political organizations involved with the US election. Obama, consequently, placed a sanction on Russia (Fidler, 2016).

Although Russia and the US worked together on some cases in the past, such as the arrest of Viktor Pleshchuk who stole $9 million from the US division of Scotland through cooperation with Russia in 2006 (Kshetri, 2014). Kshetri elaborates on Russia and US’ relationship, stating that anti-Americanism in Russia plays a key role in the Russian government’s response.

According to National Cybersecurity Strategies in Comparison–Challenges for Switzerland, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands have established cooperation with the EU and NATO. Not only that, “the 2016 EU Network and Information Security directive require member states to develop national cybersecurity strategies.” As Baezner and Cordey say, “all strategies emphasize the significance of international cooperation within the framework of regional and international organizations in order to improve collaboration in the cybersecurity domain.” The EU and NATO have established a platform where countries can cooperate and exchange information within. This will enable more immediate reaction to cybercrimes and enable countries to share information and react faster on vulnerabilities and such. In order to enhance cybersecurity, there should be an international cooperative organization where countries can exchange resources

and cooperate in order to resolve any cybersecurity issues.

International cooperation around cybercrime is going to be an unprecedented effort. Although it is similar to traditional relationships, as it pursues each countries’ welfare and benefit through cooperation, it will also differ from the conventional type of cooperative protocol, since cyberspace issues are directly associated with sensitive information. It will naturally be limited in order to protect each country’s secrecy, such as militarily important ones related to national security. Therefore, international cooperation is crucial in maintaining cyber security.

Works Cited Nicole.keller@nist.gov. “Glossary.”

NIST, 28 Feb. 2019, www.nist.gov/itl/ smallbusinesscyber/cybersecurity-basics/ glossary.

“Home.” National Security Agency Central Security Service > What We Do > www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/understandingthe-threat/.

“Cybercrime.” Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), www.bjs.gov/index. cfm?ty=tp&tid=41#terms_def.

Friedman, Allan A. “Economic and Policy Frameworks for Cybersecurity Risks.” Brookings, Brookings, 28 July 2016, www.brookings.edu/research/ economic-and-policy-frameworks-forcybersecurity-risks/.

Brock, Jack L., Jr. COMPUTER SECURITY: Virus Highlights Need for Improved Internet Management.

Government Publishing Office, 12 June 1989. GAO, www.gao.gov/products/

IMTEC-89-57. Accessed 5 June 2020.

United States, Congress, “Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section.”

Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, Dept. of Justice.

Farahbod, Kamy, Conrad Shayo, and Jay Varzandeh. “CYBERSECURITY INDICES AND CYBERCRIME ANNUAL LOSS AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS.” JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES: 63.

Angang, Li, and Zhu Hong.

“Comparison and Analysis of the Legislation on Cyber Security between China and the US.” Proceedings of The Fifteenth International Conference on Law and Language of the International Academy of Linguistic Law (IALL2017): Law, Language and Justice. 2017.

Kshetri, Nir. “Cybersecurity and international relations: The US engagement with China and Russia.”

Proc. FLACO-ISA Joint Conf.. 2014.

Li, Angang, and Yun Chen.

“Research on Sino-US Cybersecurity Law Enforcement Cooperation From the Perspective of International Law Enforcement Cooperation.”

2nd International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2017).

Atlantis Press, 2017.

Fidler, David P. “The US Election Hacks, Cybersecurity, and International Law.” AJIL Unbound 110 (2016): 337342.

Baezner, Marie, and Sean Cordey.

National Cybersecurity Strategies in Comparison–Challenges for Switzerland.

ETH Zurich, 2019.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 4 1

Luxury Brand: What It Is and What We Should Know About It Jin Lee Western Reserve Academy, 10th

Luxury, until now, has been a widely disputed term by scholars.

Each individual or group has their own definition of luxury brand, and it is making process of determining a luxury brand challenging. Therefore, before moving further, this paper is going to use the definition cited in The Marketing of Luxury Goods: An exploratory study – three conceptual dimensions by Vickers and Renand to clarify the qualities of luxury brand. It states, “Luxury goods are different than non-luxury goods by the extent to which they exhibit a distinctive mix of three important dimensions of instrumental performance: functionalism, experientialism, and symbolic interactionism” (Vickers & Renand, 2003).

Firstly, functionalism, in essence, claims each existent (both physical and mental) in our society has purpose and the ability, or function, that meets the need of other parts of society. In other words, luxury brands exist for purpose to serve the needs of customers in the society. This ‘need’ could be a high-quality product, limited stock/season product, or any kind 142 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

of need. Secondly, experientialism, as the name implies, argues that knowledge comes from experience. In the fashion market, there are certain skills that cannot be achieved without prolonged practice.

For example, the analyzation of market, and the distinguishment of garments and product designs are skills that require years of training to master. Considering most of the recognizable luxury brands were founded around 1900s to even early 1800s, it has pride and image of high-quality training, and it cannot be underestimated. Thirdly, symbolic interactionism simply refers to the subjective meaning people resemble when encountering objects, events, or behaviors.

For example, the fancy LV (Louis Vuitton; a luxury brand) logo instantly resembles the brand and its richness. Concluding, luxury brand is defined by a brand which serves the society’s need based from their skilled experience and influencing people to remember the quality of the service.

Although creating and satisfying the criteria for becoming a luxury brand seems almost impossible, luxury brand exists in many types of markets. According to Bain

& Company, the top 3 markets are personal luxury goods (clothing and accessories), luxury cars, and luxury hospitality. Other markets included food, fine arts, furniture, and transportation. Luxury brand also exists in many regions, although Europe was dominant for last few decades. Today, Europe holds 32% share of the market, Americas hold 31%, and Asia (ex-Japan) 24% (D’Arpizio et al., 2019). Due to its characteristic of expensive price, the biggest customer population is generation Y (i.e. millennials; widely accepted birth year is from 1981-1996), second and third being the following generation (generation X and baby boomer). However, small proportion of generation Z (widely accepted birth year from 1997-2012) occupies 7% of the customer population.

As seen in the data, luxury market exists everywhere, and everyone is part of the market.

But why do customers buy luxury goods? The first reason is self-esteem.

Based on the article from Psychology Today, people have hubristic pride (excessive pride) and authentic pride (pure accomplishment from work). When one’s hubristic pride is higher than the other, people do not tend to buy luxury goods.

However, if it is the other way, people are more likely to buy luxury goods. This happens because the purchase of luxury goods acts as an materialistic reward of one’s achievement (McFerran, 2014). For example, doing well in work or earning bonus is certainly authentic achievement, but is figurative without anything to ‘show off’ other than talking about it. On the other hand, the purchase of luxury goods

grants one a title ‘who bought a luxury brand,’ which is a physical reward given for one’s achievement. Moreover, the purchase grants one more benefit and selfesteem because it enlarges the audience to express one’s achievements. As described earlier, luxury exhibit three distinctive dimensions, and one of it was symbolic interactionism. By owning a luxury product, people’s recognition of the owner changes significantly. Therefore, the purchase of luxury goods not only satisfies the customer’s self-esteem, but also improves their social status, which is a win-win. The second reason is authenticity being defined as “being true to its purpose” (for clarification).

As a matter of fact, the second reason relies more on functionalism and experientialism, which describes the purpose of its brand and the longevity of the brand being authentic. Luxury products, following to functionalism, has an inevitable responsibility and purpose to acquire outstanding quality (for example in material, design, customer service, delivery and such) at all times, and is the most important factor before customers make decisions. According to Deloitte, 39.1% people responded “quality” to the question “what one thing most draws you to a luxury brand?” Luxury goods prove their authenticity, in other words their value, by quality, and customers responded by buying the product without doubt (The Creative Studio at Deloitte, 2017). In conclusion, the temptation to buy luxury products come from impulse for selfsatisfaction and trust of authenticity.

However, it is impossible for UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 4 3

humans to be mistake-free. Luxury brand, similarly, could not avoid those mistakes.

Of course, it strives to meet the expected authenticity by any cost. But fashion, like art, makes people resemble different meanings. For example, color red signifies joy and excitement in China. On the other hand, some interpret red as blood or violence. With this factor underlying, some offensive or questionable designs from luxury brands were passed in a few products. According to NBC news in February 2019, Gucci released a $890 turtle neck, Katy Perry released a pair of black shoes with facial design of big red lips and Prada released a full collection with the design of a monkey with facial expression with the same big red lips for unbelievable price (Talmazan, 2019).

Surprisingly, they all have one thing in common: they resemble blackface (Associated Press). Blackface is a term used for theatrical makeup which mainly served to help non-black actors caricature features of black people. This act, without doubt, is a very serious racial issue, and is currently hard to see. However, the designs mentioned above seemed to include racial discrimination. Moreover, according to CNN news in February 2019, Burberry, in their showcase, featured a hoodie with a noose around its neck (Picheta, 2019). A noose was a loop made with a rope that was often used to hang people or trap animals. This became a big issue because the design resembled suicide and oppression, which is an unfavorable visual. Yet, the real question is “How is this careless mistake going to affect the luxury brand?”

144 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Short answer: not much. Long answer: it touches on the fundamental of the brand in the long run. As mentioned earlier, luxury brand has an underlying trust with the customer that it will provide the best quality products to them.

However, luxury brands started to break this trust, by producing poor quality products. They started to pre-assume that any product above the average line will be accepted “decent” or “buyable,” because of their social recognition. Because of this presumption, luxury brands have been arrogant and made a huge mistake of touching the sensitive social issue like racism. Although it is unclear if the brand intended the offensive factors in the design, or was truly an accident while designing, the design and its impact are not going to affect brand’s sale significantly. As if to respond to the impact, the products became overpriced with poor quality for any product—to repeat, any product.

According to Gucci official website, a yellow T-shirt with its only design (a text) saying “GUCCI SEXINESS” is $490.

Customers can easily buy that kind of colored T-shirt with the same design for $10 or less in H&M. Luxury brands, despite their issues, still hold a significant part of the fashion industry. It provides dominant qualities and incomparable satisfaction compared to other fashion shopping. It contributes to people’s economic spending and raise of self-esteem. However, from time to time brands tend to forget those fundamentals.

It is touching on the sensitive issues in society and trying to justify mistakes. It is expanding the range of clothing to casual

clothing yet with poor quality. It has come to a state that we, as customers, should rethink about the recognition of luxury brand and question the authenticity of luxury brands.

Works Cited Vickers, J and Renand, F. (2003, December 1). The Marketing of Luxury Goods: An exploratory study – three conceptual dimensions.

Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://www. ingentaconnect.com/content/westburn/ tmr/2003/00000003/00000004/art0000 6 ? t o k e n = 0 0 6 3 11 b e 8 3 f 4 e 4 b 3 b 4 9 264f655d375c6b687633504541676 2496e58654624736a4235205f217d3f67 5f 2c92f518effca76 D’Arpizio C, Levato F, and et.al.

(2019). Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, Fall-Winter 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.bain. com/contentassets/8df501b9f8d6442 eba00040246c6b4f9/bain_digest__ luxury_goods_worldwide_market_study_ fall_winter_2018.pdf McFerran B. (2014, May 22). Why Do We Buy Luxury Brands—and How Do They Make Us Feel? A tale of two types

of pride. Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/ blog/ill-have-what-shes-having/201405/ why-do-we-buy-luxury-brands-and-howdo-they-make-us-feel The Creative Studio at Deloitte.

(2017, July). Bling it on, What makes a millennial spend more? Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://www2.deloitte.com/ch/ en/pages/consumer-industrial-products/ articles/young-premium-consumer.html Talmazan Y, and Radnofsky, C. (2019, February 7). Gucci apologizes and stops selling $890 ‘blackface’ sweater.

Retrieved June 6 2020, from https:// www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gucciapologizes-stops-selling-890-blackfacesweater-n968681 Associated Press. (2019, February 18). Retailers, fashion brands struggle with racial insensitivity. Retrieved June 6, 2020 from https://www.nbcnews.com/ news/us-news/retailers-fashion-brandsstruggle-racial-insensitivity-n972601 Picheta, R. (2019, February 20). Suicide isn’t fashion’: Burberry apologizes for hoodie with noose around the neck. Retrieved June 10 from https:// edition.cnn.com/style/article/burberrynoose-hoodie-scli-gbr-intl/index.html

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 4 5

Controversy of the Belt and Road Initiative Ansu Lee Yongsan International School of Seoul, 9th

The ever so famous Silk Road was the road that revolutionized humanity.

Bringing together diverse ideas, an entirely new culture within the EuroAsian world was created. The massive success of the Silk Road proved itself through many ways during the ancient times. Thus, China is now wanting to recreate the past, and attempting to spread its economic influence all over the global market once again.

This ambitious idea that China has planned for itself is now known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Belt and Road Initiative.â&#x20AC;? The Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the BRI, is a colossal trading strategy that would connect as much as 68 countries including 4.6 billion people, for faster and better trade. This plan was first adopted by the Chinese government in 2013, and is expected to finish by 2049 (CSIS, 2020).

The BRI is not just one definitive project, rather it is an umbrella idea with multiple smaller projects running inside. To break it down, the BRI is created as a system that would not only obviate the current ongoing negative miscommunications between Euro-Asia nations, but also build infrastructures around the Euro-Asian world which would fasten the current 146 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

ongoing trades. The sheer scale of this project reflects upon itself with the massive cost that follows along. The prices are not definitively set; however, most journalists and analysts assume it would be around 4 to 8 trillion dollars (CSIS, 2020). As the project shows itself, the pure nature of it is to create more connections throughout our world and especially connect with China.

The real effectiveness of this project is still very much questioned; however, it is still true that the benefits are clearly laid out. When China does succeed in creating peace by resolving ongoing trade wars, it will help speed up exporting and importing of items and determining the price of the items that are being exchanged. To put this into deeper context, imagine a group project. It is a situation where multiple opinions must work together towards a common vision and goal. They want to achieve the same thing, but they have clashing opinions when getting there.

Now, if one person of that group project is able to handle every dispute and create an unbreakable chemistry, that is a sense of what China is trying to do in the global market. They are uniting large numbers of countries under one common goal. Better trade.

At first glance, the BRI has many positive aspects supporting its cause. The ability to remove almost all complications and mishaps when trading is a massive benefit to the global market. Especially countries like the Philippines where trade is more desperate than ever, the project will give an opportunity to further expand their economy. If in fact the BRI is certainly implemented correctly, we can see a massive growth in not only successful countries but also countries that struggle to fit in the complicated global market. However, the direct outcome China suggests may be a sugar coating for what may truly happen if this project fails. As massive as this project is, the failure that may come with it is also very massive. If this project does not reach the expected outcome, the amount of money that would be wasted as well as the coming negative relations that China may make would be a great threat to the status quo. Furthermore, the economic benefit the world may possibly see does not even apply to every country. Azerbaijan for example, would lose 4.06% of their GDP from their participation of the BRI. Following this, Mongolia and Tajikistan will also see a loss within their GDP. This also shows why 14 out of 54 countries in Africa have held back from signing up to this project due to its risks (Dahir, 2019).

The low reliability of the BRI added with the possible decline of a countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP shows an underlying damage this project proposes. Moreover, due to the controversial pros and cons of the BRI, the project is still under various disputes.

The controversy of the BRI does not stop here. When looking at matters subjectively in various points of views of various different countries, the BRI is an even bigger threat. If the BRI were to

be successfully operated, China would eventually have control over the entire Euro-Asian market. From a democratic stance, this poses a great threat as the communistic government of China may influence smaller developing countries in a fashion that violates the democratic morals (Kung, 2020). Much as the democratic morals may suffer, the American economy may also suffer. As mentioned, this project will mostly only help the Euro-Asian market and is exclusive to this region only.

The exclusion the BRI proclaims maybe because China does not want to associate with the USA in any positive economic way. Since the United States and China are both in an ongoing trade war, the BRI will help China finally advance and surpass their rival in becoming the biggest economic powerhouse in a global scale. As seen, the BRI is economically worrying for many countries, and it also can be seen as a moral threat against any country with democratic values. Thus, the worries of the USA and many other democratic countries are clearly visible in a case where the BRI succeeds.

So, how have other countries other than the United States have reacted? Most counties have reacted in a positive manner trying to create stronger bonds with China for their future success. For example, Russia was the first who was against the idea of joining the Belt and Road Initiative.

However, at further inspection they noticed the inevitable bandwagon effect and saw the amount of economic loss if they were to not join. This eventually led the Russian government to decide to be friend of China rather than decline their offer. Like this, many countries are supporting this project in order to not be left out in the economic overflow of the future. The pressure put on them dictates UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 4 7

their control over their economy. China’s BRI not only physically affects many countries but also psychologically pushes countries to make irrational decisions.

As for now, China has mostly ignored any disputes and controversies over the BRI. The fear of many Americans and the negative impact it may have on smaller countries are mostly overlooked by the Chinese government (Cheung, 2020). These actions are what lead to the hundreds of articles online in which they harshly criticize the BRI. Despite the many disputes, China has not responded; therefore, only growing more tension rather than cooperation. The role China has to take is one that requires extreme amounts of attention and care. They know the scale this project holds and should act as a global leader in doing so. However, their lack of response given to the contributing countries added with the disease that shook the world – COVID-19 – lessened the trust and reputation of China around the world. Because of these factors, China is now at fault at an international level, and their role as a leader is declining as fast as their reputation. The situation has worsened as time goes, and more and more Asian countries are declining transactions with China. In a project that solely relies on alliances and good relations, China is at a risk of losing everything. The world has fallen in terror and even the BRI being withheld, there is a possibility that this plan might end up as a disaster. The failure that comes with the amount of distrust in China will lead to a world with an incomplete BRI.

148 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Works Cited China’s Negative Influence Around the Globe. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// w w w. m c c a i n i n s t i t u t e . o r g / c h i n a s negative-influence-around-the-globe/ How will China’s Belt and Road Initiative Change the World? (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.americanbar. org/groups/construction_industry/ publications/under_construction/2019/ winter2019/china-belt-road-initiative/ China’s Massive Belt and Road Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinasmassive-belt-and-road-initiative Kung, C., Yu, & Tony. (2020, May 7). How China’s Belt and Road Initiative Went Astray. Retrieved from https:// thediplomat.com/2020/05/how-chinasbelt-and-road-initiative-went-astray/ Dahir, A. L. (2019, September 30). These are the African countries not signed to China’s Belt and Road project. Retrieved from https://qz.com/ africa/1718826/the-african-countries-notsigned-to-chinas-belt-and-road-plan/ How will the Belt and Road Initiative advance China’s interests? (2019, October 18). Retrieved from https://chinapower. csis.org/china-belt-and-road-initiative/ Standish, R. (2019, October 1).

China’s Path Forward Is Getting Bumpy.

Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic. com/international/archive/2019/10/ china-belt-road-initiative-problemskazakhstan/597853/

Fossil Fuel VS Solar Power Yemin Lee Lake Braddock Secondary School, 9th

What is energy? By the dictionary definition, energy is “the quantitative property that must be transferred to an object in order to perform work on, or to heat, the object” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). As humans have developed, our need for energy has increased alongside the quality of our technology.

There are many sources of energy we now use, from nuclear power to the ones we are most familiar with – fossil fuels and solar power. Like a double-edged blade, these sources of power may serve as either a trusty servant or a sinister foe in alternative situations. Nevertheless, humans are the ones who use energy at the end of the day. By learning the qualities of the energy we use, we will be able to develop a stronger foundation to base our choices upon.

Fossil fuels have been used in our society starting from the industrial revolution in the late 18th century and have been the dominant power supply ever since. Thanks to its abundance and simple methods of manufacture, almost all industries which require energy have developed around this source. Surprisingly,

this is true even to the current era – the 21st century. Despite the various convenient aspects of fossil fuel, many experts are constantly showing concern towards their harmful effects. Fossil fuels have been known to be notorious for harming miners as well as other primary workers, and even more for their emission of pollutants in burning or excavating procedures. To top it off, fossil fuels come from organic materials, meaning they have a limited stock in the end. Though not fit for use in larger industries yet, many households are turning to solar cells for this very reason.

Solar energy has decisively been one of the most primitive sources of power from the birth of the human race, as it fundamentally fueled our life cycle and the ecosystems around us. As technology improved, the solar energy had first started being directly harnessed with the help of lenses from around the 7th century B.C. Since then, it has become usable as a source of electricity with the invention of solar cells in the 20th century – the form we now relate with solar power. While it is praised for its infinite stock and low rate of pollution, along with high levels UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 4 9

of safety, it is definite that technology has not advanced far enough yet to allow solar panels the efficiency and cheap manufacturing which is crucial to factories and such businesses. Both sources have strong pros and cons, meaning that they will likely be more influential when used in the appropriate fields.

Though it has faced many levels of criticism, one cannot deny that fossil fuels have rooted itself deep into the fundamentals of the current world.

Statistically, this monopoly holds up 80% of the energy we use on a daily basis (Penn State University, 2018).

From charging phone batteries at home to powering vehicles with gasoline, it is virtually impossible to find a place in the modern world that does not require the energy made by burning fossil fuels. The major reason for this heavy reliance is the abundance of fossil fuels, as the U.S. had produced nearly 2.81 billion barrels of crude shale oil in 2019 alone and had produced about 756 million short tons of coal deposit in 2018 (EIA, 2019). Not only that, the fossil fuels are initially very easy to manufacture and use since the basis of using energy from coals, petroleum, and natural gases come from the simple act of burning them. Abundancy and ease of use calls for low costs, meaning it is an extremely expedient choice for a consumer over any other alternatives.

Thanks to these benefits, fossil fuels have kept and most likely will continue to keep the position of the most widely used source of energy.

Of course, there is a definite reason for the backlash fossil fuel has been 150 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

getting. Fossil fuels are discovered literally from fossils in Earth which have turned into pools of energy after some millennia of compression and decomposition, meaning there is a limit to their quantity.

No matter how abundant they are now, it is only natural that we will be reaching the end of the stock one day. Not only that, fossil fuels themselves impose a great threat in the way they are excavated and manufactured for use. Overturning large areas of land and removing land mass for mines, as well as aquatic disturbances from overturning underwater deposits, would most definitely damage the environment. The factories of fossil fuels would then burn the raw materials and emit CO2, which leads to trapped heat and a change in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels are responsible for nearly three-quarter of CO2 emissions in the U.S., but what is more is that they also emit other toxic gases such as mercury, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide (NRDC, 2018). The entire globe is affected by this in constant increments, with 1.4 million acres of affected land in the Appalachian region alone (UCSUSA, 2016). But even that is not as much of a threat compared to the direct danger miners and direct workers of the field face. They are always at risk of pneumoconiosis from breathing in the toxic air and dust, and also of the ceiling giving in over their heads. Fossil fuels may be considered just as an easyto-access energy source to the average American, but it nevertheless holds severe consequences.

On the other hand, solar power is often praised for its innocuous nature.

Mentioned in nearly all instances regarding alternative fuel, or, energy sources to replace fossil fuels, solar energy is looked upon on a positive note by most scientists of the field. Because the solar cells gain energy through sunlight and sunlight alone, they do not require burning of any kind. Naturally, they are free from waste products or smoke – quite safe and harmless unlike the product of fossil fuels.

Solar panels do require space to install them, but that is all that they require since it does not need to be dug up or modified before turning into energy. Another merit to keep in mind is that the sun’s energy is infinite, contradicting the turbulent storage of fossil fuels which might show its bottom in the near future. There will be no end to solar power, meaning nobody would have to worry about energy running out or it being limited to a select few.

Now, thanks to its numerous merits, there are nearly 78 gigawatts of solar put to use in the U.S. (SEIA, n.d.). As such, the sun’s power may be the key for fueling all the human civilization in the future – just like how it has been the very essence that fuels life on Earth.

So why don’t we just drop fossil fuels and switch to solar power? Well, the simple answer to that is the fact that our technology has not yet developed enough. An average household needs about 16 panels powering them, which seems reasonable at first, but that is only statistical. Even if one fits all of the panels on their rooftop, and then makes all the payments, files, and adjustments in their household for the use of solar energy in the place of fossil fuels, the amount of

energy from the solar panels will end up vacillating in the long run. It is difficult and inefficient to store energy in the solar panels long-term, and solar power will get immensely unreliable if the weather affects the amount of sunlight. Fog and clouds could cover the sky on any given day, and the hours of charging will shorten greatly near the winter equinox.

Not only that, the entire electric system of the household could be ruined if some stray tornado were to rip the panels off.

Despite its flexibility and decreasing costs, the total necessary fee for installing rooftop solar panels still sums up to about 10,000 USD (UCSUSA, 2014). Though not an entirely unreasonable price, such an amount is still a strain for an average family of the middle class. The concerns of instability, topped with the inordinate price of installation and maintenance, make it very hard for fossil fuels to be replaced with solar power as of now.

In sum, fossil fuels and solar energy touch opposing ends of the spectrum.

While fossil fuels are handy, they are harmful. Solar energy, on the other hand, may be great for the environment but not as cheap and easy to handle as its counterpart. Fossil energy will indeed be your friend in the current world, and for those who need to have a large and easily manufacturable source of energy, but solar power just may turn out to be the perfect alternative for those who can bear a bit of expenses and can collect sunlight fairly well. Both sources of power have their pros and cons, and an intelligent choice of the consumer could maximize the positive effects while greatly reducing UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 5 1

the negatives. A great choice for the civilization may not always mean the best for the environment, and vice versa, but it does not mean that the choices have to be black and white – there will always be a reachable happy medium.

Works Cited Kopp, Otto C. “Access Britannica School.” Edited by EB editors, Britannica School, school.eb.com/levels/high/article/ fossil-fuel/35002.

Ashok, S. “Access Britannica School.” Edited by EB editors, Britannica School, school.eb.com/levels/high/article/ solar-energy/68559.

Denchak, Melissa. “Fossil Fuels: The Dirty Facts.” NRDC, 16 July 2019, www.nrdc.org/stories/fossil-fuels-dirtyfacts.

“The Hidden Costs of Fossil Fuels.”

Union of Concerned Scientists, 30 Aug. 2016, www.ucsusa.org/resources/hiddencosts-fossil-fuels.

“Solar Power on the Rise.” Union of Concerned Scientists, 25 Aug. 2014, www.ucsusa.org/resources/solar-powerrise.

152 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

“Environmental Impacts of Solar Power.” Union of Concerned Scientists, 5 Mar. 2013, www.ucsusa.org/resources/ environmental-impacts-solar-power.

“About Solar Energy.” SEIA, www. seia.org/initiatives/about-solar-energy.

“U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Where Our Coal Comes from - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), www.eia.gov/ energyexplained/coal/where-our-coalcomes-from.php.

“Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).” , www.eia.gov/ tools/faqs/faq.php?id=847&t=6.

Nunez, Christina. “Fossil Fuels, Explained.” Fossil Fuels-Facts and Information, 2 Apr. 2019, www. nationalgeographic.com/environment/ energy/reference/fossil-fuels/#close.

“Energy Production and Consumption in the United States.”

Energy Production and Consumption in the United States | EBF 301: Global Finance for the Earth, Energy, and Materials Industries, www.e-education. psu.edu/ebf301/node/457.

Being a Multilingual Young Eun Lee International School of Phnom Penh, 9th

Illanguage.org defines monolingual as a person knowing only one language which is 40% of the world population, and the population is mostly in the United States and United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Bilingual is a person who can use two languages especially with fluency, which is about 13% of world population, and most of the people are in the United States and Africa. Trilingual is a person speaking three languages fluently, which is about 13% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population and most of the people are in Hong Kong, Norway, and Philippines. Multilingual is a person who speaks more than two languages, but often four languages or more, which is 3% of the world population, mostly in Switzerland and Morocco. Cambridge defines multilingual as a person who is able to use more than two languages for communication or written or spoken in more than two different languages. The number of multilinguals covers only 15 percent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population.

According to the New York Times, multilingualism has been an important aspect in the world. Multilingualism is

important because of trade and business.

One of the languages mostly used in trades and businesses is obviously English. For example, people in Sweden, Switzerland, and Singapore speak English at work, while they speak their native language when they return home. Using the same language enables easier and faster trade and business. Another importance is that when people move to other countries for work or to live for a long time, they need to speak the language spoken there to be assimilated in the new society.

Furthermore, according to Psychology Today, the importance of multilingualism is that many people keep their cultural heritage and identity by speaking their languages. Thus, an increasing number of people who speaks more than two languages would allow us to communicate with different people and discover different cultures.

The necessity for multilingualism has been increasing, and in fact, a lot of families in the US nowadays have become a multilingual or bilingual family from a monolingual family. Things change with an increasing number of families UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 5 3

fostering and wanting multilingualism or bilingualism and encourages their child/ children to learn at least one language but more (Michael, 2019), which is English and another language, and another language could be their home language or the native language that they speak.

Then, how can people be multilingual? Being multilingual is not easy, but if they try hard to learn the language and follow the steps, they can be multilinguals. First, when people are not familiar with the new language, they can naturally become a multilingual.

For example, if people go to a foreign school, they would be exposed to another language and learn the language by experience. Studying in a country using a foreign language would also let people to gain proficiency at the language easily and to speak fluently. If people are surrounded by the environment where the specific language is spoken all the time, it would become easier to focus on that language and get used to it. Joining a language club that people are interested in would also help not to forget the language.

Additionally, recording what they have done and using chat-based apps would help maintain the language skill, and Verbling would connect a user to a native speaker and do lessons, which would improve the language skill.

Second, people can intentionally get used to the language faster. People will become multilingual faster if they start by learning two languages, instead of more than three languages, at the same time.

People can organize half an hour of study time for learning language each day. Then 154 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

they would not get mentally overwhelmed or stressed when they are learning two languages at a time (Sohn, 2019). There will be less confusion, thus, they would be able to speak many languages better in the long term. It is also recommended to have at least one hobby related to each language. A hobby related to the target language gives an opportunity to relate to different people using the same language but probably from different cultural backgrounds. A language related hobby, for example, could be tai chi, one of Chinese exercises. Doing tai chi would help to meet Chinese speakers or simply, new people.

There are some more hobbies that can help learn and practice new languages.

For example, cooking. Watching cooking shows in French or in Chinese and reading Russian cookbooks can help people learn new languages. Music can also be a hobby that helps learning different languages.

This is because most countries or cultures have their own musical tradition. For example, people could take guitar lessons in Spain and take vocal lessons in Russia (FluentU, 2019). Last is dance. Learning Flamenco can help learning and practicing Spanish, because Flamenco teachers do not really speak other languages except for Spanish.

Then what are the benefits of multilingualism? There are several benefits of being a multilingual. The first is that multilinguals have more careers available, meaning that they have more opportunities of getting employed. When people speak multiple languages, then the value as an employee increases with the

different languages that they have learned.

For example, In San Francisco, over 50% of the families looking for a nanny want to hire somebody who is fluent in many different languages. This is because the children can get exposed to different languages, and this would lead them get interested, learn, and speak more than two languages. Getting exposed to diverse languages would give the children chance to know, learn, and further, to get better career.

The second benefit is that multilingualism improves a person’s working memory, as multilingual education works to improve an individual’s memory. This improvement provides better information processing capabilities when they get exposure to new audio, ideas, concepts, and real-life experiences. At the same time, people who have multilingual education experience have lower levels of fear and anxiety than those who do not have multilingual education opportunities, as those people would less likely to experience mental health disorder.

Third, being a multilingual ultimately makes learning another new language easier. Once a second language has been learned and the person can speak that language fluently, it becomes easier for that person to learn a third language, and so on. In other words, each additional language, when fluently spoken, will make it easier for the person to speak another language quickly. This is possible as brain growth is encouraged, concentration is improved, and the amount of time needed to switch tasks is reduced.

In this context, multilingualism also lowers the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease (Connectus fund, 2019) and provides a benefit called “super tasking” which is a type of multi-tasking that allows people to switch from task to task without delays. Only 2% of the world population has the ability. This ability can give people a huge benefit for future employers or for their own business opportunity as well.

The other benefit is that people can travel with more convenience because people can understand what the other person is saying. Multilinguals can know what they are ordering at a restaurant, ask for directions to specific destinations, and ask for some recommendations. It should be easier and more convenient when people can speak the local languages in that specific country they visited (Brainscape, 2019).

Multilingualism gives a lot of benefits in different ways. Especially, it has been giving a big influence on education sector these days. Now there is education called multilingual education or multilingual classrooms. Across Europe, multilingualism is important, because there are many migrant children or families who have their mother tongue which is different from the main language spoken in the country they are living in (Europa, 2019). Therefore, those migrant children have brought new languages and their language skills to the education and classroom. This is a benefit to the individual, to schools and society.

According to Europa, in the EU, just under 10% of all students learn language other than their mother tongue. This raises UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 5 5

questions about the European Union’s linguistic diversity. They also think that schools need to adopt the teaching method which could engage with children’s cultural background in a positive way to help the students to thrive throughout at school. Thus, multilingualism is not only about languages, but also about cultures, which would help the people from different backgrounds to be integrated.

Works Cited BONJEAN, Dominique.

“Multilingual Classrooms.” Education and Training - European Commission, 31 Oct. 2019, ec.europa.eu/education/ policies/multilingualism/multilingualclassrooms_en.

Chief, Editor in. “6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Multilingualism.”

ConnectUS, 10 Apr. 2019, connectusfund. org/6-advantages-and-disadvantages-ofmultilingualism.

Emily Riedel. “Reaching New Heights: How to Learn Multiple Languages to High Levels of Fluency.”

FluentU Language Learning, 29 July 2018, www.fluentu.com/blog/how-tolearn-multiple-languages/.

Erard, Michael. “Are We Really Monolingual?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Jan. 2012, www. nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/ are-we-really-monolingual.html.

Grosjean, François. “Bilingualism’s Best Kept Secret.” Psychology Today,

156 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Sussex Publishers, 1 Nov. 2010, www. psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifebilingual/201011/bilingualisms-bestkept-secret.

“How to Learn 30 Languages.”

BBC Future, BBC, 29 May 2015, www. bbc.com/future/article/20150528-how-tolearn-30-languages.

Kruschewsky, Gabriela.

“6 Multilingual Benefits That You Only Get If You Speak Another Language.”

HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/multilingualbenefits_n_5399980.

“Multilingual People.” Multilingual People - Are You a Polyglot?, ilanguages. org/bilingual.php.

“MULTILINGUAL: Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary.”

Cambridge Dictionary, dictionary. c a m b r i d g e . o rg / d i c t i o n a r y / e n g l i s h / multilingual].

Sohn, Jewon. “Being Multilingual (And How to Actually Maintain It).”

Medium, Advo, 24 June 2017, medium. com/advo/being-multilingual-and-howto-actually-maintain-it-7032657f1945.

“The Amazing Benefits of Being Bilingual.” BBC Future, BBC, 12 Aug. 2016, www.bbc.com/future/ article/20160811-the-amazing-benefitsof-being-bilingual.

“The Cognitive Benefits of Being Multilingual.”

Brainscape Blog, 4 Oct. 2018, www.brainscape. com/blog/2018/10/cognitive-benefitsmultilingual/.

Concentration Camps in North Korea Ha Eun Lee International School of Phnom Penh, 8th

In a way, concentration camps are prisons in North Korea. However, nothing like the concentration camps are currently utilized in other countries. While living conditions are horrible in North Korea, it is much worse in the concentration camps. For all the prisoners, it is basically a torture. Many prisoners have died due to starvation, disease, accidents, or torture.

Since the North Korean government denies all human rights set by the United Nations, they do whatever they want to their prisoners. They say the camp is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;re-education campâ&#x20AC;?, while North Korea has never released any information about the camps or prisoners. Only North Korean defectors that were once in the concentration camp have explained how hideous the camps actually were. In the camps, they allegedly get poor meals such as a rotten cucumber a day. In extreme hunger, they would start hunting for animals such as rats and snakes to eat them for survival, and due to poor sanitation, they end up dying of diseases.

North Korea mainly built these concentration camps to interrogate prisoners and to exploit labor. Whenever they needed to get answers they would have to get answers from prisoners.

They would bring them to concentration

camps, sentence them, and then have them do labor by force. Prisoners go to the camps if they disobey the North Korean government or do something wrong, such as attempted escape, illegal trading, and so on. If a person breaks the law, the guilty person might be sentenced by life in prison, or death. Thus, people who break laws would end up in these concentration camps.

The concentration camps are so horrible in North Korea because it is not set as an environment people can live in.

All the labor prisoners do not get enough food or rest. But that is not the end of the cruelty. People also get tortured as a method of interrogation. The freedom in North Korean concentration camps is incomparable to prisons in other countries such as the United States or South Korea.

Escape is unthinkable, or even having a bit of free time is also impossible. In North Korean concentration camps, work will be the only thing prisoners do.

News media reports that there are 1520 concentration camps in North Korea.

Many prisoners are charged for crimes such as stealing food, illegal trading or illegally crossing the border. The exact number is unknown, but some provides an estimation of about 710,000 to 3,550,000 UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 5 7

people are killed in concentration camps.

This shows how cruel North Korean concentration camps are. They do not care about how many people died, but only desire progress of North Korea. Therefore, the leading cause of death in North Korea is not age. The 3 major causes are ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, and cerebrovascular disease.

What North Korea is doing is unacceptable as North Korea is violating the universal human rights. They continue to kill people through torture by abusing the government’s authority. What the North Korean government is doing at all the concentration camps should be stopped. While they are abolishing all concentration camps, they should also stop torturing people or abusing the government’s authority on citizens.

They should allow people to have more freedom. When they recognize human rights and respect people’s lives, it will benefit the country in many ways. Next, North Korea should make laws that the UN and the international community would acknowledge. This is to build more mutual trust between countries and for the international community to respect North Korea. This also would benefit many countries because they would start engaging with each other more by trading, communicating, and other exchanges with North Korea.

Then in the later future, North Korea should change from dictatorship to a democracy. A dictatorship system supports an absolute authority, meaning the country is ruled by one person. This shows that dictatorship does not care about the opinions other than the leader.

This shows a great absence of equality and freedom. By changing into a democracy country, North Korea may be recognized as a part of the international community.

158 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Works Cited Nebehay, S. (2019, March 08). North Korea maintains repression, political prison camps: U.N. expert. Retrieved February 08, 2020, from https://www. reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-rightsun/north-korea-maintains-repressionpolitical-prison-camps-u-n-expertidUSKBN1QP28J Fifield, A. (2017, December 11).

North Korea’s prisons are as bad as Nazi camps, says judge who survivedAuschwitz.

Retrieved March 08, 2020, from https:// www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_ pacific/north-koreas-prisons-are-as-badas-nazi-camps-says-judge-who-survivedauschwitz/2017/12/11/7e79beea-ddc411e7-b2e9-8c636f076c76_story.html Frej, W. (2017, December 18).

North Korean Prisons Are Worse Than Nazi Concentration Camps, Says Holocaust Survivor. Retrieved April 08, 2020, from https://www.huffpost. com/entry/north-korean-prisons-nazicamps_n_5a2fad6ce4b0461754330e3d Smith, L. (2017, September 28). ‘We were forced to throw rocks at a man being hanged’: Prisoner exposes life inside notorious North Korea forced labour camp. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ world/asia/north-korea-forced-laboursurvivor-camp-15-hermit-kingdom-kimjong-un-a7971926.html Pfeiffer, E. (2020, February 13). A man who escaped from a North Korean concentration camp just shared what life is like there. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.good.is/Communities/ man-who-escaped-north-korea-prisonexplains Hincks, J. (2017, December 12).

North Korean Prisons: Report Details Crimes Against Humanity. Retrieved February 08, 2020, from https://time. com/5060144/north-korea-politicalprisons/

Coronavirus Sungtack Oh Haven Christian School, 10th

When someone dies in a family, the other family members hold a funeral, weep over the death, and commemorate the person. There is no standard way of holding a funeral but mostly, the family members gather, have a time of commemoration, and talk about the one who is dead.

However, because of the epidemic, people lost the chance to share the memories of the deceased one. This happened because of the deadly coronavirus. This virus is highly infectious and the death rate is not to be underestimated.

In December 2019, the novel coronavirus started from a city named Wuhan in China. The population in Wuhan is approximately 11.08 million which is more than the population of Switzerland.

There is no established or confident theory regarding the diffusion of the coronavirus.

However, there are lots of theories which are somewhat logical.

One of the theories the experts insist is that the coronavirus started because the people in Wuhan ate different unique kinds of foods, like bat cuisine and even pangolin. Bats and pangolins are discovered to be the host of coronavirus. As Chinese people ate the host of coronavirus, they are infected

with coronavirus and the virus spread very rapidly.

The theory above has a good scientific evidence, but at the same time, it has a flaw. It is argued that the coronavirus in bats are not the same as the coronavirus found from the infected people. According to a research, coronavirus from bats does not directly infect humans. This means that the coronavirus comes to humans by a secondary host. Secondary host could be snakes, birds, porcupine, and hedgehogs.

For instance, snakes were on sale on the markets like bats. However, as snakes are not mammals, it is argued that they are not likely to transfer the virus. Thus, this gives power to the opinion that coronavirus is not spread by eating those animals. In addition to this, the people in Wuhan did not suddenly begin to eat bats and pangolins. They have been eating those kinds of animals for a long time, and this demonstrates that the coronavirus is less likely to transfer and spread by eating the host animals (동아 사이언스, 2020).

The coronavirus has spread in an incredible speed. The cause of this virus is still vague and there is no solid theory.

Then what is this coronavirus? The coronavirus has similar genetic codes and UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 5 9

arrangement with SARS and MERS. This kind of similarity causes the coronavirus to have similar symptoms with SARS and MERS, which are high fever and throat pain that could lead to critical condition.

However, if one has a healthy immune system, it is likely to end like a simple flu. In a study that was made in China, the death rate was at about 2.3 percent which is not a high rate. However, as this virus is highly contagious not like MERS or SARS, the implicit death toll should be a big number.

The coronavirus has spread all over the world as the 7 continents have all been affected by this harmful virus. According to a dashboard about the coronavirus made by Johns Hopkins University, the total confirmed cases is two million, and the total death is 178, 481. The US, Spain, and Italy take the top 3 countries of infected people recording 825,306, 28,389, and 183,957 each. The total death is 24,648 in Italy, 21,717 in Spain and 20,797 in France. Like this, the US and countries in Europe did not do a good work on protecting the citizens from the coronavirus (Johns Hopkins University, 2020).

The coronavirus is a very hazardous virus that may lead people to death.

Usually, it is critical for the elderly people.

This is because their immune system is not as good as healthy young people.

However, young people also die. Young people die when they are afflicted with other kinds of disease. For example, in South Korea, a 17-year-old teenager died because of the coronavirus, and the experts said that the strong immune system of the teenager considered his body as an enemy, so the immune system attacked the body.

However, this does not happen often and is a unique phenomenon.

160 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

The coronavirus is very dangerous, and early detection is very important.

Then, what is the symptom? The wellknown symptoms are fever, fatigue, and dry cough. However, every person has the same symptom. The symptoms also include, runny nose, sore throat, stomach pain, muscle pain, and fingers and toes turning red. All the symptoms differ case by case and person by person. When one has high fever, has a sore throat, and coughs a lot, one could suspect that he or she is infected by the coronavirus and needs to go to the hospital (CDC, 2020).

The coronavirus has taken lots of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. The countries fear the virus because of its huge influence on the countries. Because of that, the companies and nations are concentrating on developing the vaccine that would let mankind win the war with the virus.

However, scientists claim that it would be available after a year since the virus emerged. It is because viruses always mutate to another form and the research about coronavirus started when the circumstances became severe. It would take a lot of time and money for the vaccine to be developed, tested, and get opened to the public. Until that time, people would have to use other kinds of medicine to get cured (Gallagher, 2020).

The coronavirus infected more than two million people. This number is huge, and it has affected the world not only by harming people directly, but also by interfering economy, politics, and several other things in our casual life. The coronavirus has affected the economy in many ways. First, the factories in China are closed or are operated by a few people, so the production has become slow. Due to the slowed production, for instance, the price of computer equipment

increased. As the supply could not catch up with the demand, the price of CPU, memory, motherboard, and other parts of the computer increased. Moreover, selfemployed people and restaurants have been having a hard time because people refraining from coming out and eating out at a restaurant. Consequently, the sale goes down, while maintenance expenses are the same. That would make them go bankrupt. Additionally, the countries dependent on tourism have encountered a problem because tourists would not come, and the government would not allow foreigners to come. That would cause the economy to be shaken. Yet the economy is not the only thing that gets affected.

People get affected too. The aversion to Asians has become more severe than it used to be. For instance, a white American spread hydrochloric acid to an Asian who was going out to dump the garbage. Like this, coronavirus has affected all aspects of our lives.

The coronavirus is fatal to weak people and infects people very quickly and easily. It has been a big threat to our daily lives and our country. The most essential thing is to help and think about one and another. If people do not do this but be selfish, the coronavirus would become more severe and would not disappear.

It would be better if people think about others and not just about themselves. If this goes for a long period of time, fear for the virus could turn to rage towards certain group of people and that would result in violence and chaotic situation.

For the cruel situation not to happen, reliance and respect between each other are needed. This is not an easy situation.

Thus, people need to build solidarity to overcome this hardship.

Works Cited “Coronavirus.”

World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ novel-coronavirus-2019.

“COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).” ArcGIS Dashboards, www.arcgis. com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6.

Gallagher, James. “Coronavirus Vaccine: When Will We Have One?” BBC News, BBC, 18 May 2020, www.bbc. com/news/health-51665497.

Reynolds, Matt, and Sabrina Weiss.

“How Coronavirus Started and What Happens next, Explained.” WIRED, WIRED UK, 27 May 2020, www.wired. co.uk/article/china-coronavirus.

“Symptoms of Coronavirus.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 May 2020, www.cdc. gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptomstesting/symptoms.html. 동아사이언스 . “신종 코로나 원인은 박쥐, 하지만 확산 숨은 주범 따로 있다.” 동아사이언스, 30 Jan. 2020, dongascience.donga.com/news. php?idx=33949.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 6 1

Virus and Violence in Europe Justin Park Yongsan International School of Seoul, 9th

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, people are showing immense fears toward the virus. Europe, as one of the continents influenced by the virus, is no exception.

When the fear is changed to social stigma, they get displayed through hostility and racism against Asians. For instance, Dr. Zhou, a British-Chinese scientist, was humiliated at Gatwick Airport by people calling her coronavirus. Hate crimes against racial minorities have been in an exponential increase since 2012 in the United Kingdom, for example. The problem of racism certainly exists still.

On May 13, 2020, Susan Williams, a member of parliament of the United Kingdom, said that there was a 21% increase in hate crimes targeted at Asian since the coronavirus outbreak. Although the increase seems abrupt, as shown in the table above, it is no greater than the 16% increase in racist crimes per month since 2015. Another evidence proving that

162 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

social stigma is unrelated to frequencies of hate crimes can be found during the West African Ebola virus crisis.

In December 2013, the WHO called out an epidemic for the West African Ebola virus. Ebola, originated from West Africa, was a highly-contagious virus that has taken approximately 11,000 lives on the planet. Nevertheless, statistics provided by the European Union showed that there was no pattern, sometimes even decrease, in numbers of hate crimes toward Africans since the West African Ebola was announced epidemic. The cases of hate crimes motivated by Afrophobia have gone on a constant decrease since 2014 in countries such as Sweden and Spain, but in some countries like Germany, the number has increased.

What is the takeaway here? Sarah Gaither, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, gives an answer in her interview with

CNN. She states in her interview, “I don’t think anyone’s kid is born racist. Children are born into a world that has systemic racism, and they’re born into a culture that harbors racists attitudes and racist ideologies and those ideologies seep into everything.” No matter what form the threat is, there will be limited numbers of communities impacted by the virus.

People who are not originally racists did not change to racists due to the pandemic.

Racists are racists, that was her point.

The change the pandemic has brought to Europe is an excuse for racists.

From the perspective of racists who had actively sought to harm racial minorities, their actions turned from racism for themselves into racism for racial minorities. According to Sky News, a British News organization, there was a series of verbal abuse against Asians where racists insulted the Asians to leave their country. Moreover, few of them were found using the term “coronavirus” in the insult.

Why is this problematic? First, hostility against individuals is never justified. Moreover, it is even more unjustified to discriminate people who are completely not responsible for the spread of the virus. But secondly, according to WHO, the pandemic is likely to not end as long as social stigma is present. There were two reasons. First, discrimination induces people to hide their illnesses to avoid hostility. Second, it hinders people from seeking medical care. Social stigma, by the end, will affect every individual in the globe.

Xenophobia has always existed.

Yet, violence led by the fear can never be legitimized. It is an international burden to prevent violence and social stigma to not only help the marginalized but to save more people from the virus. The residents of Chinatown cried in February against racism: “Fight the virus, not the people.”

Works Cited Davis, L. (2020, June 06). Children aren’t born racist. Here’s how parents can stop them from becoming racist. Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://edition.cnn. com/2020/06/06/health/kids-raised-withbias-wellness/index.html Mercer, D. (2020, May 5).

Coronavirus: How many COVID-19 hate crimes are in your area. Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://news.sky.com/ story/coronavirus-how-many-covid-19hate-crimes-are-in-your-area-11979427 A guide to preventing and addressing social stigma associated with COVID-19. (2018, June 21).

Retrieved June 11, 2020, from https:// www.who.int/publications/m/item/aguide-to-preventing-and-addressingsocial-stigma-associated-with-covid19?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwq-w5o3Y6QI VO8EWBR1MZQIUEAAYASAAEgK34 _D_BwE Hate crime recording and data collection practice across the EU. (2020, May 12). Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2018/ hate-crime-recording-and-datacollection-practice-across-eu

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 6 3

NATO: The Past and the Future Subin Pyo Tenafly Middle School, 8th

On April 4, 1949, the founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed an alliance that promised to “resolve to unite their efforts for collective defense and the preservation of peace and security” (NATO, n.d.). The main contribution to the creation of NATO was the impending threat from the Soviet Union after the end of the Second World War. The European nations felt the dire need of an alliance against the Soviet Union as their freedom and safety were at significant risk.

The United States was one of the key countries that contributed to the creation of NATO. It was the first military alliance that the United States joined outside of the Western Hemisphere. With the end of the Second World War, many European countries struggled in an attempt to rebuild their economies. Being aware of this issue, Secretary of State George Marshall from the United States created a recovery program called the “Marshall Plan” (NATO, n.d.). The Marshall Plan promoted the idea of sharing interest and coordination between the United States and the European countries. The Marshall Plan is still remembered to be one of the most significant historical events.

Presently, NATO has been cooperating 164 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

with the central purpose – aiding other countries in need – of Marshall Plan.

However, the Soviet Union refused to participate in the Marshall Plan.

Furthermore, all the European countries under the Soviet Union’s control were not allowed as well.

The Soviet Union preventing the European countries only made their situation even worse. As a counterpart of NATO, the Soviet Union created an alliance called the “Warsaw Pact” (NATO, n.d.). Warsaw Pact was a collective defense treaty that involved seven other Soviet satellite states located in Central and Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact supported regional economic organizations throughout the seven countries, supporting them to reinforce the damages done from the war. Eventually, the Warsaw Pact grew its powers to the point where they were referred to as the “Eastern bloc” while NATO was referred to as the “Western bloc” (NATO, n.d.).

As the Warsaw Pact grew its power, it was inevitable for both parties to oppose each other and lead them to build their defenses. What is now called an arms race started and lasted throughout the Cold War. The Warsaw Pact, however, was not able to last as long as NATO did. Shortly

after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the Warsaw Pact was declared at an end in February 1991.

Although NATO was first made as a military alliance against the Soviet Union, it continued to develop for continued years. NATO now has 29 countries enrolled as members. NATO functions under its main principle to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means” (NATO, n.d.). NATO’s powerful and efficient military system traces back to the time of its creation. NATO is famous for its strong military powers even today with spendings given by each of the 29 members. Nine of the members have now been using 2% of its GDP, while the United States spends about 3.4% GDP annually (Reality Check Team, 2019).

However, their main goal is to first solve issues with diplomatic efforts and then would use their military forces as their last resort.

NATO’s previous experiences have enlightened them that the usage of military forces does not directly result in resolution. If the cases fail with their diplomatic methods, they will undertake what is called the “crisis-management operations” (NATO, 2009). The crisismanagement operation involves both military and nonmilitary methods to solve the issue. Through this operation, NATO can deal with a broad spectrum of crises that may be causing a threat to the security and the safety of the alliance’s territory and its population.

This crisis-management operation was used previously on several occasions.

The crisis-management operation also includes civil protection even on natural disasters provoked by floods, earthquakes, technological incidents, and other humanitarian disasters. NATO has begun

developing these protection measures for civilization as early as the 1950s for protection against nuclear attacks. All the actions that they take as NATO are ruled under a founding treaty called “Article 5 of the Washington Treaty”, which was made on April 4, 1949 (NATO, n.d.).

As their military forces are an alternative in many cases presently, their political department is one of the vital emphasis that NATO has, and is continuously working on to develop furthermore. Due to this reason, their principal value as a democratic alliance is to consult and discuss among all members.

All decisions in NATO are, therefore, always decided through consensus (NATO, 2020). NATO’s main priority has been building trust with one another and always using the means of discussion to reach an agreement among all members.

All members are invited to confer among themselves to decide any security-related problems inside NATO. This particular approach to any kind of issue has helped to stray them away from harsh conflicts among other nations and allowed them to build strong bonding and respect each other’s voices.

NATO has been using this competent system on both branches – military and political – and had led them to promote other members to join. As NATO is an international alliance with different countries with various cultures joined as members, it made a program called the “Membership Action Plan”.

The Membership Action Plan (MAP) is a NATO program that assists the individual needs of countries who are wishing to join the alliance with advice, assistance, and practical support (NATO, 2011). Although NATO has stated that a country’s participation in the MAP program does not affect the decisions upon the alliance UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 6 5

on future membership, it has shown to many countries to be sufficient. Currently, the Republic of North Macedonia and Bosnia are the participants of the MAP. The MAP program is mainly operated by providing countries with candid and concentrated feedback on two aspects: technical and political. This feedback continues with the country’s progress on the MAP program. Additionally, the MAP program comprises annual meetings held with all NATO members and other aspiring individuals at the level of the North Atlantic Council to assess the participants’ progress. The progress would then be recorded based on the annual progress report. In the preparation for this, the participants in the MAP program are allowed to attend meetings and workshops with NATO civilian and military experts. This occasion contributes great enlightenment for the participating countries as the meetings often provoke a vast scope of the discussion of issues relevant to the membership to the alliance.

In the past, seven countries were able to join the alliance after they participated in the MAP program. Those countries were Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania. Albania and Croatia were able to join the alliance later in 2009 (NATO, 2011).

With the new members joined, NATO has become able to perform to their fullest power with all different strengths of each nation members performed.

NATO has been involved in countless major and minor events internationally around the world. One of the most famous events that NATO reacted to was the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States. On October 4, 2001, after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC were confirmed to had caused by someone from abroad, NATO agreed to assist the United 166 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

States with a package of eight measures (NATO, 2018). With the request from the United States, NATO commenced its counter-terrorism operation – Operation Eagle Assist – from mid-October to midMay 2002. This mission was the very first time that the alliance has ever launched a counter-terrorism operation. NATO sent seven AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) radar aircraft to help patrol the skies while a total of 830 crew members from 13 different NATO countries flew over 360 sorties.

Furthermore, this mission was also the first time NATO used its military force under Article 5 operation.

Furthermore, NATO also has assisted countries suffering from natural disasters. One occasion was the alliance’s aid to Pakistan after an earthquake. On October 8, 2005, a devastating earthquake hit Pakistan and led to approximately 53,000 deaths and 75,000 people injured and four million to be homeless just in a day. Pakistan was in dire need of Support and NATO upon receiving a request, assisted the country in the urgent relief effort (NATO, 2018). They airlifted about 3,5000 tons of supplies for the people while they also commissioned engineers, medical units, and specialist equipment.

This event was one of the most extensive humanitarian relief operations that NATO has ever conducted and ended on February 1, 2006. NATO continued to give aid and assistance to countries hit by natural disasters such as Ukraine, Turkey, Portugal, and many more.

Currently, NATO has not fallen back at all on their continued effort to be engaged in many events worldwide. One of the most recent missions that NATO has been involved in was the training mission in Iraq. In July 2018, the Iraq government requested NATO to support

them in training with the cooperation from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (NATO, 2018). This mission is ongoing, and several hundred NATO trainers are helping them in “non-combat” training and “capacity-building” missions. The training conducted by NATO trainers focuses on areas such as countering improvised explosive devices or IEDs, civil-military planning, maintaining armored vehicles, and military medicine.

Through this operation, it has been assisting Iraq instructors to build more viable, translucent, and comprehensive national security structures and institutions. NATO has previously given help to Iraq’s military forces from 2004 to 2011; they conducted a training mission otherwise known as NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I).

Although this was a comparably smallerscaled operation, it still gave great support to Iraq’s security forces.

Similar to its mission held in Iraq, the alliance is also administering a training mission in Afghanistan currently. NATO is leading a non-combat mission called the Resolute Support that provides training, consultation, and aid to Afghan security forces and institutions (NATO, 2018).

Resolute Support was initially launched on January 1, 2015 and has been continuing since. This operation involves 17,000 personnel from NATO and their partner countries. This mission can be argued to be the essential operation that the alliance has ever been part of. Through this operation, NATO was able to form a new partnership with Afghanistan by forming a universal international community and long-term financial support from the Afghan security forces. NATO’s continuous involvement and engagement to help other countries have helped NATO to gain more allies and partner countries to support them in both political and economic ways.

More than sixty years have passed since the day the alliance’s treaty was signed. Significant changes have been made to the trend of the nations. Army attacks on the countries can now hardly be seen. Instead, threats such as terrorism, cyberattacks, the turmoil caused by the disruption of energy supplies, and trade wars among countries are much more visible and likely to happen. It is a fundamental concept that NATO must follow this trend accordingly to stay as an active alliance as it was in the past. Many different critics and analysts have been expressing their concern over NATO. In the Council Special Report, James M. Goldgeier said that NATO must expand its perception to other countries outside of the United States and European countries to stay “relevant” (Goldgeier, 2010). He has further stated that NATO must dismiss their usual traditional distinction of threats found outside the North Atlantic treaty area. He claimed that all threats must be considered equal to them and work to confront them all. Otherwise, he has expressed that the United States’ interest in NATO will abate. Many experts have agreed with this statement that NATO should expand its alliance to countries with non-European democracies such as Australia to gain genuine international cooperation. Although NATO was able to keep peace and order among the European countries for six decades, many critics are voicing out its negligence towards the changes in trend (Office of the Historian, n.d.).

For a significant number of years, the United States’ military has remained as “number one” and it is expected to be kept that way. However, from the economic point of view, other Asian countries such as China and India have been showing exponential growth in their national UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 6 7

economies to the point of placing second in the world rank. Several analysts have expressed that the declined U.S. power in NATO may lead to severe problems during their operations, especially in countries that reject American influence. Besides, the rise of growth in Asian countries is implying the importance of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific (Office of the Historian, n.d.). Therefore, many suggested NATO must seek amendments to their current systems.

President Trump, during several occasions, showed support for the multipolar with his “America First” slogan. President Trump has conveyed his dislike of the European Union and the critical perception of NATO. The United States is the country with the most amount of GDP put into NATO, while most of the member countries are contributing less than 1-2% of their GDP. Although, in the beginning, the United States took more burden to assist other countries from their economic damage, now that all members of the countries are well off economically, the United States has been pressing them to share an equal amount of burden. Furthermore, the traditional norm of Western countries for freedom and democracy has been showing its decline in the most recent years. Three of the member countries, Hungary, Poland, and Turkey, are no longer assessed as full democratic countries. Their increase in a free press and also the rule of law is now putting the country under pressure. Only 13% of the world population was founded to support a free press. As more and more Western countries’ pursuit of democracy is diminishing, their motivation for NATO is on the decline as well. These changes among the Western countries are provoking changes in NATO’s future.

Although it is yet unclear how NATO 168 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

will approach these rapid changes, many believe that NATO will continue to fight against various threats to achieve global peace.

Works Cited Office of the Historian (n.d.), Retrieved from https://history.state.gov/ milestones/1945-1952/nato Goldgeier, J. M. (2010), The Future of Nato. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.

NATO (n.d.), Why was NATO founded? Retrieved from https://www. nato.int/wearenato/why-was-natofounded.html NATO (n.d.), What was the Warsaw Pact? Retrieved from https://www.nato. int/cps/us/natohq/declassified_138294. htm NATO (2009), The North Atlantic Treaty. Retrieved from https://www.nato. int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_17120. htm NATO (2011), Crisis management.

Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/cps/ en/natolive/topics_49192.htm NATO (2018), Operations and missions: past and present. Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/ topics_52060.htm NATO (2020a), The consultation process and Article 4. Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/ topics_49187.htm NATO (2020b), Membership Action Plan (MAP). Retrieved from https://www. nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_37356. htm NATO/OTAN (n.d.), Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/nato-welcome/ index.html Reality Check Team (2019), Trump: What does the US contribute to Nato in Europe? Retrieved from https://www.bbc. com/news/world-44717074 The Future of NATO: Strategic Monitor 2018-2019 (n.d.), Retrieved from https://www.clingendael.org/pub/2018/ strategic-monitor-2018-2019/the-futureof-nato/

Postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Sangyeon Song Gyungwon Middle School, 8th

The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics that were set to take place this year have been postponed due to the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Olympics are now expected to start on July 23rd, 2021 (IOC, 2020). The final agreement to postpone the Olympics was made on March 24th, 2020 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the prime minister of Japan with the advice given by the World Health Organization (WHO) (Rich, Futterman & Panja, 2020).

Such decisions were made due to the severity of the current situation revolving around the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the 84th situation report presented by the WHO, as of April 13th, 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic caused 1,773,084 cases and 111,652 confirmed deaths.

Also, currently there are 213 countries, areas, and territories that are involved and affected by the virus (WHO, 2020).

Not only the athletes and the hosting country that are a part in making the Olympic dream comes true, but the whole world was paying attention to whether the Olympics would be postponed. The reason for such drawn attention from the world was because the Olympics are not just a simple sports competition. They are a

prodigious event that the whole world is a part of and that provides an opportunity for the world to unite as one group. Moreover, the obstacle to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympics, the Covid-19 pandemic, is a substantial issue that the world is focusing on due to its severe repercussions and rapid spread.

The severity of the Covid-19 pandemic led to postponing the Olympics which is now alarming the world and forming new aspects of the future.

Starting from 776 B.C. until 393 A.D., what is known as the Olympics were held. At first, the Olympics were predominantly part of a religious festival to honor Zeus; therefore, the Olympics were more of a religious activity than a recreational sports game (Penn Museum, 2019). Then the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. It took 1,503 years for the Olympic games to return. The person who succeeded in the resumption of the Olympics was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin. He came up with the idea to revive the Olympics in 1894. After he gave out the proposal, the delegates from 34 countries were so thrilled with the plan that they suggested conducting the games in 1896 and having Athens support it as UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 6 9

the first host (Penn Museum, 2019).

The significance of the Olympics evolved as the aspects of different activities changed alongside the shifting epoch. Nowadays, the Olympics are no longer a religious activity, rather they are a symbolic activity that consists of a clear aim. The Olympics aim to make the world a better place through sports, which is why they operate on principles like unity in diversity (IOC, 2020). Such principles could help the world become a place of freedom, without discriminations such as racism. For instance, these days there are not any limits or special requirements other than the pure skills as a sportsman when one desires to participate in the Olympics.

In contrast, in the ancient Olympics where the world was very discriminatory, only free men were allowed to participate in the games. How the current Olympics changed along with the rapidly changing society and adapted the new values and beliefs of the people is something very significant (Penn Museum, 2019).

The fundamental reason why more people are involved and inquisitive about the Olympics than before is because it has been proven to have positive effects and goals, comprising entertaining activities, including developed and enhanced technology skills than before which enable easy monitoring of the games, and so on. These amusing, convenient, and upright features of the Olympics are the explanations as to how the Olympics were able to seize the attention of people from all over the world. Many developed countries hope to be the hosting country of the future Olympics because of the multiple benefits that they can obtain from it (IOC, 2020).

First, the Olympics are a world scale event that naturally gain a great amount of 170 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

awareness from people worldwide. This is a superb merit because it is a chance to promote awareness for the city that the Olympics are taking place in along with the country that the city is a part of. When the city becomes well known by a lot of people, it naturally increases the number of tourists that visit later which adds up to the profit from tourism and expands the tourism industry (Pettinger, 2018). Also, by enhancing the awareness of the hosting city and country, more people could get interested in the traditional culture and history of the place. For instance, the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics became the spark in getting people to experience and understand a part of Korean culture and its beauty (IOC, 2018).

Second, the Olympics could result in tremendous profits from commercials.

The Olympics receive quite a lot of focus and attention from countless people; therefore, the commercials that take place at the hosting city during the Olympics come back with a fairly good amount of money. For example, the commercials that took place during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on NBC cost about 900 million dollars in total (Bruell, 2018).

Also, some small profits are made by revenue from ticketing, local organizing committees, and a share of the proceeds from the sales of television broadcast rights.

For these reasons, the competition to become the hosting city is very competitive. Olympic Host City elections are held to choose between a few cities and see which city is the most capable of hosting the Olympics in the particular year.

This election was also held on September 7th, 2013 for the sake of choosing the hosting city for the 2020 Summer Olympics. At the following election, two

other cities, Madrid and Istanbul, were competing with Tokyo to earn the chance to host the Olympics. At last, Tokyo won and obtained the honor to host the 2020 Summer Olympics (IOC, 2013).

The postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics is the absolute first time that the IOC has decided to postpone the games. The IOC had made decisions to cancel the Olympics due to World War I and II; however it is the first time in history that the Olympics are being postponed. Even during the Korean War, the Olympics were held which essentially put the Covid-19 pandemic and its severity on a higher level than a war that 25 countries were involved in (IOC, 2020). Postponing the Olympics was an inevitable result considering the Covid-19 pandemic and there are broadly two reasons.

First, the current characteristics of the coronavirus is very insecure. It is very quickly and easily spread from one person to another, and there is no vaccine developed at the moment. In this case, events like the Olympics are considered to be very dangerous because it involves tons of people from all over the world making it more capable of spreading the virus (Kirby, 2020). Also, the idea of not having vaccine means it is harder to deal with unexpected occurrences and conditions.

Second, in the past, the Olympics were only canceled when the hosting country took part in a war. If the hosting country was safe and had nothing to do with the war, it did not really affect the games. However, in this case, the virus is currently affecting numerous countries all over the world including Japan, the hosting country of the 2020 summer Olympics. Therefore, it is risky to host the Olympics because in the worst situation,

it will result in chaos in Japan if the virus spreads wider and gets out of control (IOC, 2020).

Despite the fact that it was the best possible decision to postpone the Olympics considering all the factors that are involved in this event, there are still both positive and beneficial results along with the negative and discouraging elements with this decision. When looking at the postponement from a positive perspective, it is an appropriate choice reflecting on all the possibilities and worst possible outcome imaginable when the Olympics were to be held as scheduled originally. It was definitely the right choice for the sake of the athletes, audience, and staff for their safety.

Currently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people ended up being in some tough situations due to the many turbulent changes in their lives. The Olympics are recreational sports games that should be appealing and entertaining; however, in this kind of mood and situation, not many people will be able to fully enjoy and cheer during the games.

Rather, they would be occupied in their minds with the affects, causes, current situation, etc. about the coronavirus (Ramsay, 2020). Also, if the people end up not being interested or having fun, it is negative from the perspective of Japan, investing organizations, and the IOC because they might not be left with enough profit compared to the investment, instead, leaving them with a deficit.

Now, let us think about all the losses and discouraging aspects of postponing the Olympics. There are mainly two effects that would occur. First, the Olympics are an immense event that requires various preparations in advance.

This long-term preparation is no joking UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 7 1

matter. Usually the host country prepares to host the Olympics for about 11 years before the actual event. They have to start preparing to enter the Host City Elections that are held by the IOC. These efforts and preparations are primarily driven by business concerns. Starting from about 9 years before the planned Olympics, about 3 to 5 countries are chosen as the final competitors after the countries bid to the IOC. Then the bid continues, and the countries usually present the IOC with further benefits that they promise when the games are held (IOC, 2013).

Evidently, the Olympics are a huge commitment and a promise between the hosting country and the IOC. Also, the Olympics are a high-risk megaproject that require a lot of commitment and economic investment (Wallenfeldt, 2020). Unlike other megaprojects, the Olympics have a specific time by which they have to finish the preparation of the facilities; therefore, it costs a whole different scale of money to meet the expectations and the plans within the limited amount of time (McBride, 2018).

As shown, hosting the Olympics costs quite a lot of money and is a huge turning point for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic profit for the few years before, after, and during the Olympics. Also, this is not a small scale of money, so most of the time the country has somewhat of a plan on how to make up this money and resume economic growth (Hyde, 2016). Therefore, it is a very serious and harsh situation for Japan that the Olympics are postponed because it breaks all the rhythms set and affects the economy in a serious way.

For instance, Japan this year is known to face some economic degradation due to the postponement. Besides the economic loss that the countries face, postponing 172 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

the Olympics is a huge pressure on the hosting country because then they have to keep the facilities in their highest quality for another year which tends to cost an extreme amount of money. The overall domestic economical final loss of Japan could go up to about $5.42 billion to $6.32 billion according to the Nikkei Asian Review as of March 24th, 2020 (Imahashi & Regalado, 2020).

Second, due to the postponement, some athletes cannot participate in the Olympics anymore. All athletes have an Olympic retirement period and they have their personal peak years where they can make the best out of themselves (Malinowski, 2011). Therefore, some athletes might not be able to physically perform or would prefer not to participate in the Olympics due to the postponement.

It is probably very depressing that they cannot participate due to the one-year difference. It is very unfortunate that some of the athletes cannot participate after their long, harsh years of preparation and practice towards the Olympics but the world of Olympics full of professionals is not that easy or simple for the athletes to just accept the reality and take it as their destiny.

The postponement of the Olympics draws a great deal of attention and is a global issue that many people are engaged in. It involves an abundance of people from all sorts of fields that take part in the Olympics by participating, supporting, and arranging the games. Due to the large number of people that are involved, there are many different views on postponing the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics to 2021. There are optimistic and encouraging views along with some negative and antagonistic views made and seen by athletes, organizations and

investing companies that took a part in the Olympics.

In the aspects of the athletes many of them were opposing the thought of postponing the games at first when the situation was not as serious. Their main thoughts were that the Olympics are the stage they have been dreaming of and working towards for the last 4 years. This gave them the idea that it is total nonsense for them that their dream might be stopped by a virus. Many of them used to point out that they would still like to compete and show the world their hard work and passion (Klosok & Church, 2020). Most athletes were thinking like this until mid-March when the situation began to get worse as time went by. The United States, Canada, Italy, France, and many other countries started to see an increase in case numbers by a huge amount, which intensified the severity and danger of the status quo. As the overall situation got worse, it was recognized that now China was not the only country that should take this event seriously. The athletes also started getting the alertness that this might get really out of hand (Wickenheiser, 2020).

From then, more athletes began thinking about the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic and many of them started to accept the idea of postponing the Olympics; therefore, when the IOC confirmed that the Olympics are being postponed, most of them stated positive and supporting comments rather than negative and opposing comments about the decision. For example, Double Olympic super-heavyweight judo champion Teddy Riner, Britain’s 200m world champion Dina Asher Smith, two-time Olympic diving medalist Tom Daley, and many other athletes who are

planning on participating in the Tokyo Olympics posted comments on social media about how they are still going to work hard to reach their goal next year.

Even the Japanese athletes who probably were disappointed the most also supported and spread warm messages about the postponement of the Olympics. For instance, the tennis star Kei Nishikori said in a video message on his official app, “It’s a bit of a relief that it wasn’t a cancellation, and I think postponing turned out to be a good solution for all players. I’m really happy the Olympics will still happen in Tokyo in 2021” (KYODO NEWS, 2020).

A variety of organizations that are a part of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics have similar but different views on postponing the Olympics. First of all, the IOC who was the ultimate decision maker for this event is shown to be disappointed and feeling unfortunate about the postponement because they have put in a lot of effort and it causes them a tremendous amount of loss when the Olympics are postponed until 2021.

For instance, they had already set up the majority of the plans for the games including media partners, volunteers for the games, the Olympic schedule, etc. saying that their postponing of the games basically means that they would have to rearrange all the plans they had already set up in advance because many of them might not work anymore. Nevertheless, the IOC is accepting the situation and beginning to take action to work out the current situation to make the Olympic dreams come true for many athletes, sponsors, fans, and so on (IOC, 2020).

Second, the WHO is definitely supporting the IOC’s decision and even advised the IOC to postpone the games in their process of making the decision.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 7 3

This is a very normal and definite action that the WHO needed to take because they should be one of the organizations that are most aware of the current situation as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative health organization (IOC, 2020).

Last, the hosting organizations and the various sponsors have understood the situation and many of them decided to support the postponement even if it brought them some disadvantages or losses. IOC has mentioned in an open interview that the many sponsors and broadcasters have already expressed the idea of support and continual cooperation.

Also, at the interview they pointed out that the National Olympic Committees (NOC) across the world have been extremely supportive with the announcement (IOC, 2020).

The breakout of the virus in the middle of getting ready for the Olympics was something nobody could have predicted or prepared for which was why the IOC and Japan were having a hard time making the right decisions at first. It took the IOC four more weeks to make their final decision after the idea of postponement was initially brought up. The organizers of Japan resisted the longest and pointed out that if Japan were safe and back to normal there would be no problem hosting the Olympics as planned; however, the global situation was getting worse day by day. Consequently, the extreme situations of most countries resulted in more countries announcing their withdrawal from the games.

Also, some of the committees like Australia pointed out that their athletes cannot train or prepare for the Olympics when the widespread restrictions are in place to control the virus (Rich et al., 2020). As more problems developed, 174 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

there were additional countries that insisted on withdrawing from the games and raised their voice saying that the games should be postponed in the current situation. At last because the majority of the countries claimed that the games should be postponed, the IOC and Japan were finally knocked down (Silverman & Close, 2020). They eventually decided to postpone the games, and this was when the real problems began to spark. After the IOC announced the postponement, Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confirmed case numbers began to spike exponentially. Before, it was considered by the world that Japan did not have as many problems as the other neighboring countries with their case numbers; however, after the Olympics this year has been called off, the numbers increased so much that they are now the 23rd country out of 211 to have the most serious situations as of April 22nd, 2020.

This shows how it could have turned out horribly if the Olympics were held on schedule (WHO, 2020).

Undertaking all this turmoil, many people brought up the need to reconsider the problem-solving ability and the judgement of the IOC. They insisted that the IOC needed some commitment and regulations related to the unexpected situations. Many were worried that the IOC would make the same mistake and fail in managing the situation properly.

These worries and concerns raised the voice in needing a manual or a verified process beforehand within the IOC and with the hosting countries. For example, there should be a clear agreement manifested in the contract between the IOC and the hosting country of how to handle the situation when an unexpected problem occurs like the sudden spread of an unfamiliar virus, the happening of

a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, etc. It is now proven that these situations should be considered beforehand for a smooth handling of the event (Boykoff, 2020).

The Olympics are a traditional and meaningful activity that have been continued for centuries. It started even before the 1st century. It is considered significant by many people worldwide due to its positive and rightful purport.

Unfortunately, the Olympic Games that were to be held this year in Tokyo have been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result of the postponement, many people involved in the Olympics were disappointed and Tokyo, the hosting city, experienced huge economic loss; however, it was still the right choice considering the current situation and case number of many countries worldwide.

Even though the IOC has made the right choice after all, many countries and people are insisting that they needed to make the decisions quickly. In order to do so, people argue that the IOC needs a manual or a verified process made for this kind of unexpected situation. Also, they say that there should be an agreement between the IOC and the hosting city in advance so that they can avoid conflict and make a decision as soon as possible.

The postponement of the Olympics was certainly not an enjoyable event, but it helped the world to gain crisis awareness and be more prepared for the future.

Works Cited 2020 Host City Election. (2019, October 17). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.olympic.org/2020-hostcity-election ATHLETES AND NOCS REACT TO POSTPONEMENT OF TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES - Olympic News.

(2020, March 24). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.olympic.org/ news/athletes-react-to-postponement-oftokyo-olympic-games Hyde, T. (2016, August 8). Are the Olympics ever worth it for the host city? Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.aeaweb.org/research/are-theolympics-ever-worth-it-host-city IOC President: “It will require everybody’s efforts to make these Games a symbol of hope.” - Olympic News. (2020, March 25). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.olympic.org/news/ ioc-president-it-will-require-everybodys-efforts-to-make-these-games-a-symbolof-hope Klosok, A., & Church, B. (2020, March 25). Athletes react to ‘heartbreaking’ Tokyo 2020 postponement. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://edition.cnn. com/2020/03/25/sport/athletes-reactiontokyo-2020-olympics-postpone-spt-intl/ index.html McBride, J. (2018, January 19).

The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ economics-hosting-olympic-games Pettinger, T. (2018, November 8). Costs and benefits of hosting the Olympics. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.economicshelp.org/ blog/29/sport/costs-and-benefits-of-theolympics/ Ramsay, G. (2020, March 28). The logistical nightmare of reorganizing the Olympics. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/27/ sport/tokyo-olympics-postponementimplications-spt-intl/index.html Reactions from Olympic Movement stakeholders to IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee joint statement UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 7 5

- Olympic News. (2020, March 25).

Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https:// www.olympic.org/news/reactions-fromolympic-movement-stakeholders-to-iocand-tokyo-2020-organising-committeejoint-statement Silverman, H., & Close, D. (2020, March 24). Olympic teams and athletes want the 2020 games postponed. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://edition.cnn. com/2020/03/24/us/olympics-postponecoronavirus-spt/index.html The Olympic Museum Educational and Cultural Services. (n.d.). PDF. The Olympic Rings. (2019, January 31). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.olympic.org/olympic-rings Welcome to the Ancient Olympic Games. (2018, December 20). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www. olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games Who We Are. (2020, March 26).

Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https:// www.olympic.org/about-ioc-olympicmovement The Games: The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games - Penn Museum. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.penn.museum/sites/ olympics/olympicorigins.shtml Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) Situation Report – 84. (n.d.) (pp. 1–11).

Wallenfeldt, J. (n.d.). 7 Ways Hosting the Olympics Impacts a City.

Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/list/7ways-hosting-the-olympics-impacts-acity Imahashi, R., & Regalado, F. (2020, March 24). Olympics delay to cost Japan $6bn in economic losses. Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://asia.nikkei. com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/ 176 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Olympics-delay-to-cost-Japan-6bn-ineconomic-losses Kyodo News. (2020, March 25).

Japanese athletes generally positive about Tokyo Olympic postponement.

Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https:// english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/03/ d8b0134df69f-japanese-athletesgenerally-positive-to-tokyo-olympicpostponement.html Wickenheiser, H. (2020, March 18). Twitter . Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://twitter.com/wick_22/ tatus/1239985862819155970? ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^ tweetembed|twterm^12399960671832 4 3 2 6 4 & r e f _ u r l = h t t p s : / / w w w. v o x .com/2020/3/24/21185843/summerolympics-postponed-coronavirustokyo-2020 Kirby, J. (2020, March 24). Tokyo 2021? The decision to postpone the Summer Olympics, explained. Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.vox. com/2020/3/24/21185843/summerolympics-postponed-coronavirustokyo-2020 IOC. (2020, April 17). What goes into postponing the Olympic Games?

Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https:// www.olympic.org/news/what-goes-intopostponing-the-olympic-games Boykoff, J. (2020, March 26).

Coronavirus postponed the 2020 Tokyo Games. . Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/think/ opinion/coronavirus-postponed-2020tokyo-games-olympic-system-still-sickncna1168821 Malinowski, E. (2011, July 12).

For Athletes’ Peak Performance, Age Is Everything. Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.wired.com/2011/07/ athletes-peak-age/

Railway and a Nation’s Economy Seongjoon Yang Seoul Academy, 8th

The first railroads consisted of carts were moved by horses and on wooden tracks. This type of railroad was built in the sixteenth century. The first railway with locomotives was the Penydarren Tramroad at Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales in 1804. It successfully pulled ten tons of irons and seventy passengers. The locomotive operated at a maximum speed of five miles on the track that is nine miles long (World Railroad Records & Firsts). The first commercial railroad for passengers opened on March 25, 1807, between Swansea and Oystermouth in South Wales. This railroad was initially built to transport limestone by horsepowered vehicles. The passenger service ended in 1826, lasting nearly twenty years because horse-powered buses stole most of the railway (World Railroad Records & Firsts).

The first railway system in the United States of America was built by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company between the coalfields at Carbondale and their canal at Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

They ordered a steam locomotive from a British company called Foster, Rastrick

& Company. The locomotive was called the Stourbridge Lion and was tested in Honesdale on August 8, 1829. The performance of the locomotive was good but was too heavy to operate on the wooden rails. Therefore, that railway was used to propel coal cars to go down by gravity as an inclined plane and pull them back up using stationary steam engines (World Railroad Records & Firsts). The first commercial railway service for passengers in the United States was the South Carolina Railroad, which opened on Christmas Day of 1830. It used the “Best Friend of Charleston” steam locomotive. The length of the railway was six miles in Charleston, South Carolina. The locomotive itself could go at a maximum speed of thirty miles per hour, but passenger trains were limited to approximately twelve miles per hour.

However, in other countries, railways were built much later (World Railroad Records & Firsts). For example, the first railway in Korea opened in 1899 from Noryangjin station in Seoul to Incheon city. It was a distance of twenty-six miles or forty-two kilometers. This railway UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 7 7

system was called the Gyeongin-line, which means it is connecting Seoul and Incheon (Williams).

Followed by trains, the subway system was inaugurated. The first subway system in the world was the Metropolitan Railway in London that opened on January 10, 1863. It first operated nearly four miles between Paddington - Bishop’s Road - and Farringdon Street via King’s Cross. The subway was operated by steam locomotives to haul gas-lit wooden carriages. The subway system is now being used as the London Underground.

The first subway system in South Korea was opened on August 15, 1974, and operated nine stops from Seoul Station to Cheongnyangni Station. The subway system continued to extend and develop, which made Seoul to have the best subway system in the world (Korean Culture and Information Service, 2014).

The first electric-powered public passenger railway was opened on May 12, 1881, by Siemens. It was a 1.5mile railway at Lichterfelde, Germany, which carries a maximum of twentysix passengers up to a speed of thirty miles per hour (World Railroad Records & Firsts). As time passed, the speed of trains got faster. The first bullet train was introduced in Japan in 1964. It was called the Shinkansen. The first bullet train line was called the Tokaido Line, which was from Tokyo Station to ShinOsaka Station. The trains used for this bullet train system was the Shinkansen 0 series, which remained in use until 1999 (Japan Rail Pass, 2019). The first bullet train system in South Korea was opened 178 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

on April 1, 2004, from Seoul Station to Busan Station. The first twelve trains used were built in France by Alstom, and the other thirty-four trains were built by Rotem, which is a South Korean company with Alstom’s technology.

Railways brought a huge impact on our lives. It is now a factor that affects the nation’s economy. Railways improve the nation’s economy greatly. It helped the economy by exporting railway systems, locomotives, and trading goods.

Companies that make locomotives, such as Alstom, Bombardier, Hyundai Rotem, Siemens, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, etc., export locomotives to other countries and earn significant amounts of money which contribute to their country’s economy greatly. For the United States, the Transcontinental Railroad made domestic freight trades to increase due to less amount of time taken than before.

In Europe, the gross domestic product increased significantly as railroads were built across the continent between 1870 and 1910 (Caruana-Galizia & MartíHenneberg, 2013). Subway systems contributed greatly to the growth of the economy too. Subways transported workers who strived for their nation’s economy. As workers moved faster, they saved their time and worked longer which contributed to the economy to grow. The longer workers worked in industries, the more products were produced so that it helped the economy. Since importing and exporting goods by railroads are four times more efficient than by road, railroads made countries’ economies grow.

Railways will be an important factor

for the economy in the future too. As the speed of railways gets faster, people can travel more rapidly which can make the railroad industry beneficial. Since the cost of trains is cheaper than airplanes, travelers could choose to ride trains as an alternative to airplanes. In case of South Korea, if North Korea opens their border and develops their railway system, there can be a huge benefit as more freight can be transported further by rail. South Korea will have an important role in cargo transport by railways. It is because it is at the end of the railroad that starts in Europe. Busan is a port city where lots of cargo are imported and exported by ships. Thus, Busan can be a good place where cargo from ships can be put into trains moving towards other countries by rail. If more trade is being made by railroads, nations will have their economy to grow efficiently. In the future, there will be more freighter locomotives than passenger trains internationally, because importing and exporting products will increase. Therefore, long-range railroads will have an advantage that it can transport goods in a long distance on one rail. For developing countries, building subway systems can help develop their economy because mass transit can make workers move quickly which could make them produce more products that help the economy develop. For instance, South Korea developed greatly in the 1970s and 1980s, thanks to the subway system inaugurated in 1974. Therefore, it is evident that building subway systems can lead to the development of countries.

People usually travel by airplanes

because they can travel much faster than by rail or road. However, the price of travelling by airplane is more expensive than travelling by rail or cars. Thus, travelling by train will increase in the future, as the speed of trains get faster due to the advances in technology, and people would choose to ride trains to get to their destination which are cheaper than airplanes. Also, trains have a greater advantage in domestic travel because airports are normally located far from the center of cities, but train stations are in the middle of cities. The time that it takes to travel from the airport to the city center is significantly longer than the time from the train station to the city center.

The demand from people to transportation is growing fast. The passenger and freight activity will become more than double the amount in 2050. Even though this is great for nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; economic growth, it is bad for our Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s atmosphere due to the increasing emissions of carbon dioxide. Many of the carbon dioxide emissions come from road vehicles and airplanes, which are vital uses to transport cargo and passengers. On the other hand, most railway systems as well as highspeed railways are electric. Therefore, high-speed rail can be an alternative to short-distance domestic air travel. Highspeed rail is cheaper than short domestic flights for the same distance. Before 1996, electrified railroads were only 1.14 trillion kilometers. In 2016, 2.82 trillion kilometers of rails were electrified. Since the railroad is the only transportation system that is highly electrified, it should be the best way to move people and cargo UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 7 9

over short distances (Iea, 2019).

Railroad has been growing together with countries for decades and centuries.

It helped people to move around places quicker than before and developed the economy. It is expected that the role of railroads will be greater because the demand for freight and travel will increase significantly in the future. The faster speed, cheaper price, and better accessibility of railways will make the short-haul domestic travel done by trains.

The advantages of railroads can lead to another significant development due to its use of electricity. The electrification of railroads can be beneficial to saving our planet Earth from pollution and global warming. Therefore, railroad will continue to contribute to the growth of economy.

Works Cited World Railroad Records & Firsts. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.railserve.com/stats_records/ railroad_firsts.html Williams, G. (n.d.). Republic of Korea. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from

180 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/ skorea.html Braniger, R., & Church, C. (2019, January 25). History of the Shinkansen: The Japanese Bullet Trains - JRailPass.

Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https:// www.jrailpass.com/blog/shinkansenbullet-train-history Information Service. (n.d.).

KOREA.NET. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/ Society/view?articleId=121100 How Freight Rail Drives Economic Growth. (2019, March 14). Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.aar. org/article/small-towns-global-marketsfreight-rail-drives-economic-growth/ Iea. (n.d.). The Future of Rail – Analysis. Retrieved April 10, 2020, from https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-ofrail Caruana-Galizia, P., & MartíHenneberg, J. (n.d.). European regional railways and real income, 1870–1910: a preliminary report. Retrieved from https:// www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0 3585522.2012.756428

Smartphone Addiction Michelle Yoo Asian Pacific International School, 8th

People tap, swipe, and click their smartphone 2,617 times on average daily, while heavy users touch as many as 5,427 times a day (King University, 2017). That amount of interaction with smartphones has led to as many as 50 percent of young people feeling like they are addicted to their smartphone. Smartphone addiction is defined as “problematic patterns/ behaviors involving compulsive use of the smartphone” (WhatIs, 2018) and is considered one of the most severe issues around the world. There are about 3.8 billion smartphone users around the world which means 45.04% of people have smartphones today while 1.56 billion smartphones are sold each year (Statistia, 2020). In fact, most children own a smartphone by the age of 7 or 10 at least (The Guardian,2020). Furthermore, in extreme cases, teenagers who spend five or more hours using a smartphone are 71% more likely to have suicidal thoughts and 51% more likely to get less sleep than normal (TigerMobiles, 2019). Smartphone addiction is classified as nomophobia, a portmanteau word that stands for “No mobile phone phobia” (WhatIs, 2018).

Even though there are many signs that people are becoming addicted to their

devices, there is still no official criteria for identifying smartphone addiction.

Therefore, figuring out the possible ways to solve and prevent this issue should be the priority for societies if they are aware of its seriousness (Time, 2019).

There are several symptoms of smartphone addiction. Common symptoms are, people are likely to get distracted, have physical discomfort, and furthermore cannot live without a smartphone. People use their smartphone no matter time and place such as most commonly during driving and eating that can cause harder to quit and live a normal life without it (Carton, 2018).

Approximately 66,000 people try to use their smartphones while driving and in fact 1.6 million crashes occur each year (Snyder, n.d.). In the extreme case, 1 out of 4 car crashes in the United States occur because of the misusage of smartphones, and crashes are 6 times more likely to occur if the driver is using phone (Snyder, n.d.). As these symptoms repeat, smartphone addiction can cause physical harm. People, especially young adults, can experience a lot of stress on their spine as they hunch over to use their smartphone. This pain is often called “tech UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 8 1

neck” (netsanity.net, n.d.). Other common conditions that people who use their smartphones a lot can experience are “text claw” (a sudden pain and stiffness through the wrist), “texting thumb” (pain in the thumb), “eye strain” (vision issues and dry eyes), and “sleep loss” (The Economics Times, 2019). These physical health risks can become worse as time passes, but they can be less severe if appropriate moderation happens. For example, to reduce activities that create pain in parts of the body, experts recommend taking a break often and stretching (The Globe and Mail, 2018).

Not only can smartphone addiction impact one’s physical health, but it can also quite directly impact the brain. One study showed that the ratio of gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) to glutamateglutamine (Glx) in the brain is significantly related to smartphone addiction, depression, and anxiety (ScienceDaily, 2017). In addition, another study showed that people with smartphone addiction have decreased self-awareness and suffer from a lack of activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (Tech Times, 2020). Over 30% of South Korean children aged 10 to 19 were overdependent on the smartphone at the end of 2019, and the rate is getting higher (Seoulz, 2020). As a result, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held 16 camps across the country for about 400 middle and high school students to help combat internet and smartphone addiction (CNN, 2019.). At the camp, teenagers were encouraged to do various activities to help them stay mentally healthy. After spending one month in the camp, it seemed the camp actually helped the students to reduce their time on using their smartphones, but it is not sure how long the effects will remain (CNN, 2019).

182 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

There are some helpful and effective ways to avoid and prevent smartphone addiction before it is too late. Some ways include noticing smartphone usage, setting personal goals, or letting the government start a campaign about it and provide related programs. The first thing to do is to identify how seriously one is addicted to their smartphone. There are different websites that provide smartphone addiction (compulsion) tests that tell people their level of smartphone addiction.

In the short smartphone compulsion test from the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, people can learn whether their smartphone usage is normal and if they should consider seeing a psychologist. After identifying how much they use their smartphone, people can start to set personal goals. Setting general goals is important but more significantly, identifying specific personal goals can be more helpful in preventing a smartphone addiction. Writing a specific goal will be mentioned later in detail. When one is trying to prevent a smartphone addiction, the first step to do so is to decide on what goals can be accomplished. Maybe the goal can be focused on not using specific apps or limiting the time one uses their phone every day, etc. After that, the goals can be shared with others to be motivated and eventually will be able to accomplish them. The next step is to keep working on the goals and try to make them attainable but not too easy to accomplish. The final step is to reward oneself after goals are completed and come up with better goals such as trying different areas or different strategies (Action for Happiness, n.d.).

In reality, the severity of smartphone addiction can differ, but most people already have a smartphone addiction.

Solutions to overcome this addiction are

needed in the modern world. One efficient way that media outlets such as CNBC News recommend is to immediately delete apps and schedule times when you can use your smartphone. According to CNBC news, it is recommended to make one’s smartphone less attractive by using a grayscale filter or even organizing apps on a different page to reduce the time you spend looking at different kinds of apps.

If this is too difficult, it is recommended to put your smartphone elsewhere and not bring it with you everywhere you go (D’Onfro, 2018). There are various apps, such as Offtime, Moment, and Break Free that might help solve a smartphone addiction quickly and efficiently. Offtime has a function that can block distracting apps at specific times. Other similar apps like Break Free track smartphone usage, and alert people to which apps they are most addicted to (Goldman, 2015).

On the other hand, it is widely believed that there are ways not relying on apps or functions in the smartphone to curb addiction, for instance, identifying how to use spare time wisely, remembering one’s personal goals. According to multiple websites, the average daily usage of a smartphone is approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. So if one decides to stop using their smartphone for a day, they can have up to 3 hours and 15 minutes to do different things. Secondly, by setting specific goals and creating reminders repeatedly, smartphone addiction can be reduced quite easily. According to a study published by the Dominican University of California, writing down the goals is the most effective way to achieve those goals. Therefore, if one writes down the specific goals and shares it with others, it is likely that they will be able to solve their smartphone addiction.

However, despite the seriousness of smartphone addiction, people do not need to stop using their smartphones. In fact, in a study that was conducted in the United States, 51% of respondents said that they are using their smartphone to do work and 49% of them spend more than an hour on their phones for work-related reasons/issues (Starr, 2019). Then how can one possibly not use their smartphone for even one day? There are some “microproductive” ways to avoid spending too much time on specific apps and instead focusing on work (Dave Schools, 2018).

Smartphones are going to continue to be a part of our lives. Developing healthy habits while using these devices is the best way to stop people from becoming addicted to them. If people think about how much time they are spending on their phones and remember the importance of taking breaks and being present, they can create a healthy relationship with their smartphone and avoid the behaviors that cause addiction. Furthermore, the governments can implement some ways to help their citizens to go on the right path like what France, the United States, and Japan did as they sometimes ban people to use their smartphones with different kinds of policies (Wang, 2018).

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 8 3

Works Cited Rouse, M. (2018, May 24). What is smartphone addiction (cell phone addiction)? - Definition from WhatIs. com. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/ smartphone-addiction-cell-phoneaddiction Smartphone Addiction Statistics: All You Need To Know About Overuse of Cell Phones. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.tigermobiles. com/faq/smartphone-addiction-statistics/ Chen, B. (2019, November 13).

Texting While Walking Is Dangerous.

Here’s How to Stop. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www. nytimes.com/2019/11/13/technology/ personaltech/distracted-walkingtwalking.html?searchResultPosition=4 Price, C., Price, & How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life. (2018, February 08). Smartphone Addiction: Steps to Use Phone Less. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://time.com/5139859/ smartphone-addiction-solutions/ Peeples, L. (2018, December 17). Can’t put down the phone? How smartphones are changing our brains and lives. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/ surprising-ways-smartphones-affect-ourbrains-our-lives-ncna947566 Jenkins, R. (2018, November 12).

How to Reduce Smartphone Distraction at Work (and Home). Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.inc.com/ ryan-jenkins/how-to-reduce-smartphonedistraction-at-work-and-home.html Cell Phone Addiction: Stats and Signs. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://online.king.edu/news/cellphone-addiction/ 184 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Grohol, J. (2018, October 08).

Coping with Cell Phone Addiction.

Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https:// psychcentral.com/lib/coping-with-cellphone-addiction/ Murphy, C. (2020, February 20). You might just be addicted: Smartphone use physically affects your brain, study says. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.usatoday. com/story/tech/2020/02/19/addictionhow-smartphone-use-can-affect-yourbrain/4809590002/ Muhammad, Z. (2019, December 02). Smartphone Addiction Now a Psychiatric Disorder. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www. digitalinformationworld.com/2019/12/ smartphone-addiction-now-a-psychiatricdisorder.html Jeong, S. (2019, October 21). The teens so addicted to phones they’re going into detox. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/20/asia/ smartphone-addiction-camp-intl-hnk-scli/ index.html Coughlan, S. (2019, November 29).

Smartphone ‘addiction’: Young people ‘panicky’ when denied mobiles. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.bbc. com/news/education-50593971 Smartphone addiction creates an imbalance in the brain, the study suggests.

(2017, November 30). Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.sciencedaily. com/releases/2017/11/171130090041.htm Barton, A. (2018, March 19). Five ways to reduce the physical harms of smartphone use. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/ life/article-five-ways-to-reduce-thephysical-harms-of-smartphone-use/ Tech Neck, Text Claw and Smartphone Pinky: How Gadget Addiction

Is Causing Deformities - Tech: Boon Or Bane. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ magazines/panache/tech-neck-text-clawsmartphone-pinky-how-gadget-addictionis-causing-deformities/hearing-loss-dueto-earphones/slideshow/69953000.cms Robin.

(2018, August 22).

5 Surprising Physical Dangers of Smartphone Addiction. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://netsanity.net/ smartphone-addiction/ Times, C. (2020, February 20).

Smartphone Addiction Can Cause Brain Alterations Physically and Mentally as Studies Show. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.techtimes.com/ articles/247459/20200219/mri-s-showhow-much-damage-to-your-brain-asmartphone-addiction-can-inflict.htm John, & JohnJohn. (2020, February 04). Smartphone Use in Korea is Getting Out of Hand and Hurting Koreans.

Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https:// seoulz.com/smartphone-use-in-korea-isgetting-out-of-hand/ Jillianiles. (2018, January 10).

These simple steps will help you stop checking your phone so much. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.cnbc. com/2018/01/03/how-to-curb-yousmartphone-addiction-in-2018.html Gail Matthews. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https://www. dominican.edu/directory-people/gailmatthews Goldman, J. (2015, October 21). 6 Apps to Stop Your Smartphone Addiction.

Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https:// www.inc.com/jeremy-goldman/6-appsto-stop-your-smartphone-addiction.html Starr, R. (2019, September 18). 51% of Americans Handle Work on Their Cell Phones ... In the Bathroom. Retrieved May

20, 2020, from https://smallbiztrends. com/2019/09/cell-phone-use-at-workstatistics.html Media, P. (2020, January 30). Most children own a mobile phone by the age of seven, study finds. Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/ society/2020/jan/30/most-children-ownmobile-phone-by-age-of-seven-studyfinds Turner, A., Ash Turner, & BankMyCell. (2020, May 02). 1 Billion More Phones Than People In The World!

BankMyCell. Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/ how-many-phones-are-in-the-world Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dea, S. (2020, February 28).

Cell phone sales worldwide 2007-2020.

Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https:// www.statista.com/statistics/263437/ global-smartphone-sales-to-end-userssince-2007/ Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving. (n.d.).

Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https:// www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/ cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phonestatistics.html Yanhua, W. (2018, April 17). How other countries deal with smartphone addiction. Retrieved May 24, 2020, from https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/howother-countries-deal-it

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 8 5

The Only Virus Present is Your Racism Sung Won Yoon International School of Kuala Lumpur, 10th

The world is suffering from a global pandemic: the COVID-19. The tiny virus initially spread from a small market in Wuhan, China. While the virus infected animals at first, then people got infected by those animals and began human-tohuman transmissions. As of June 9, 2020, over 188 countries were affected with a total of 7,218,406 cases and 409,101 confirmed deaths. The situation is bad enough on its own; the calamity caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 is devastating not only in poor countries but in many developed countries. For instance, the Tokyo Olympics is postponed, leaving Japan in a despairing position, after paying hundreds of billions of yen. In addition, many countries’ governments gained more authorities and power. Governments work with more budgets and power than their usual times. For instance, in the United States, the Congress passed a package worth $2 trillion, or 10% of their GDP. The pandemic caused the most dramatic expansion of government power since the Second World War. However, the global pandemic brought not only health care and economic issues but also many other problems.

Of more concern is that the outbreak 186 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

of COVID-19 has led to a surge of racism around the world against Asians. Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, people of Asian descent in the U.S. have faced increasing discrimination from those around them. In London, a 23-year-old Singaporean student of Chinese ethnicity was assaulted culminating in verbal and physical attacks against “the initiators of the coronavirus.” In the U.S., AsianAmerican students frequently reported that they feel unsafe at school. A ChineseAmerican high school student in Florida said, “Asian-Americans like me are feeling hate infect every one of our lives. Not only do we have to be afraid for our health, we have to be afraid of being ourselves”. This accurately and most precisely represents how every Asian descent feels every day while the pandemic is getting worse and worse each day. Far from attempting to assuage such nationwide persecution of the Asian population within the U.S., President Trump himself has been actively aggravating it, publicly calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus.” NBC News condemned such actions, pointing out that “using the label ‘Chinese virus’ will further inflame racial tensions in America.”

Back in 1976, when Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in Nzara, South Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo, the outbreak of the virus also brought racism and xenophobia into the world.

According to CNN, “In both the United States and Europe, Ebola is increasing racial profiling and reviving imagery of the Dark Continent.” Ebola is tenaciously portrayed as West African, African, or from countries in parts of the world that are racially black, although the colors of people has nothing to do with the spread of the virus.

While the world fights against the Coronavirus, some people again brought racism in 2020. Such racist remarks are so harmful because they not only criticize a fundamental part of people’s identity and scare them from being themselves, but also allow for the perpetration and insidious spreading of racism, which can culminate in heinous attacks against Asians, both physical and verbal. Cases are continuously reported. CNN reported that a man on the subway in Los Angeles shouted that Chinese people are filthy and that “every disease has ever come from China.” These attacks are happening in other countries as well. A Singaporean student was beaten up in London and suffered from facial injuries in a “racially aggravated assault.” Jonathan Mok, the victim of this shocking racist attack, told CNN that a group of four men told him, “We don’t want your coronavirus in our country”, while they punched and kicked him to the point where he got facial fractures.

It seems the COVID-19 outbreak opened doors to racism that should have been kept shut. However, blaming Asians for the virus is a racial discrimination and

absolutely unacceptable. First, such racist accusations are factually untrue, as they generalize the entire Asian population despite the virus originating in a small part of China. Second, even if one may correctly identify someone from Wuhan, that does not give him or her the right to abuse another human being physically or verbally.

The COVID-19 is a global pandemic and people are all facing it together; people should encourage cooperation and support, not hatred, racism, and xenophobia. However, scapegoating has always been around the society where we live in. Way back in 1942, when many American citizens worried that the Japanese ancestry were spies for the Japanese government, without any evidence, they placed over 120,000 Japanese-Americans in concentration camps. They lived in poor condition even though they were American citizens and paid taxes.

Continuing on from Ebola, Spanish Flu and the outbreak of SARS, the everexpanding pandemic has changed the whole world. Some Asian population around the world has been suffering from racism ranging from physical assaults to verbal attacks due to their racial identities.

It lumps together the entire Asian population and blames it for “starting” the virus, often leading Asians to question their identity and blame themselves.

People must not fall for the allure of scapegoating a certain population for their problems but instead join together to face the virus as a unified international community.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 8 7

Works Cited Bardella, Kurt, and NBC News THINK contributor. “Trump’s ‘Chinese Virus’ Coronavirus Tweets Echo His Mexico Insults - with Similar Results.”

NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 18 Mar. 2020, www.nbcnews. com/think/opinion/trump-s-chinese-viruscoronavirus-tweets-echo-his-mexicoinsults-ncna1162261.

Farzan, Antonia. “Is It Racist to Call Coronavirus the ‘Wuhan Virus’?

GOP Congressman’s Self-Quarantine Tweet Sparks a Debate.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Mar. 2020, www. washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/09/ coronavirus-wuhan-virus-gosar/.

Gassam, Janice. “Stop Using The Coronavirus As An Excuse To Be Racist.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Mar. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/ janicegassam/2020/03/03/stop-usingthe-coronavirus-as-an-excuse-to-beracist/#6c2739ea7be9.

Guy, Jack. “East Asian Student Assaulted in ‘Racist’ Coronavirus Attack in London.” CNN, Cable News Network, 4 Mar. 2020, edition.cnn.com/2020/03/03/ uk/coronavirus-assault-student-londonscli-intl-gbr/index.html.

188 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Haynes, Suyin. “As Coronavirus Spreads, So Does Xenophobia and Racism.” Time, Time, 6 Mar. 2020, time.com/5797836/coronavirus-racismstereotypes-attacks/.

Popa, Ovidiu. “The Japanese Concentration Camps.”

WAR HISTORY ONLINE, 7 May 2015, w w w. w a r h i s t o r y o n l i n e . c o m / w a r articles/japanese-concentrationcamps.html#:~:text=Most%20 prisoners%20from%20Japanese%20 concentration,up%20being%20 unable%20to%20work.

Sarkisian, Jacob. “Rapper Kash Doll Is under Fire after Sharing a Racist Coronavirus Meme That Plays on Disney Princesses.” Insider, Insider, 4 Mar. 2020, www.insider.com/rapper-kashdoll-sharing-racist-coronavirus-disneyprincess-meme-2020-3.

“Stop Making Racist Jokes and Memes about Coronavirus.” Happy, 31 Jan. 2020, happymag.tv/stop-makingracist-memes-about-coronavirus/.

“The State in the Time of Covid-19.”

The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, www.economist.com/ leaders/2020/03/26/the-state-in-the-timeof-covid-19.

Australian Bushfire Eunjae Yu Fayston Preparatory School, 11th

Fire, the most innovative discovery in mankind history, has always been a double-edged sword to humans. Australia, the country with a fire season coming every year, is presently fighting against the bushfire that is violently burning the east and south coast of the Australian territory. The vicious occurrence of the bushfire is caused by the severe drought for successive months, and hot and dry weather caused by a phenomenon called Indian Ocean Dipole. To settle the problem, the Australian government and authorities are conducting their utmost.

However, the world might need a broader, comprehensive solution to resolve the problems concurrently happening around the world.

To begin with, Australia has fought against wildfires from about 19th century.

As the world was becoming industrialized, factories emitted unhealthy gases, causing worldwide air pollution, and greatly contributing to global warming. In addition to that, Australia’s location is another one of the biggest contributors to Australia’s prevalent wildfires. As known, Australia sits in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. This causes the countries located in the southern hemisphere to experience hotter summer, since the

“Earth’s tilted rotation axis (Seasons)” causes the simultaneous occurrence of the hottest season and concentrated sunlight exposure to the southern hemisphere.

Along with the two factors of Australia’s frequent wildfires, there is one last decisive factor to the bushfires: the Indian Ocean Dipole. According to BBC, Indian Ocean Dipole, also called Indian Niño, makes the western part of the ocean warmer and the eastern part cooler. This leads to less rainfall in the eastern side, including Australia. Obviously, less rainfall is critical to Australia, considering the impact a rainfall has on fires. To support, Holden states that “declines in summer precipitation and wetting rain days have likely been a primary driver of increases in wildfire area burned.” Although his research was based on the United States, the general impact precipitation has on relieving fires cannot be neglected.

Likely to the recent bushfire, there was a violent bushfire called Black Saturday.

The Black Saturday bushfires were the worst in Australian history. 173 people died and properties worth of millions of dollars burnt (Past). Thus, Australia has been experiencing harmful bushfires since late 20th century occurring at two to four years interval. However, this time, it is not UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 8 9

the same in its size and severity.

According to news.com.au, more than 10.7 million hectares – approximately the size of South Korea – of the territory of Australia and more than 2000 homes have been burned so far (2000). As Australia’s bushland – which accounts for about 17 percent of the country’s territory – is mostly located on the eastern coast of the land, the fire started along the boundary between the states, New South Wales and Victoria. From area near to the two states, the blazes moved along the bushland, wooded areas, and national parks such as Blue Mountains.

Cook mentions that whether a house will survive or not from a bushfire counts on various factors, however, “Justin Leonard said there was no such thing as a fireproof house.” (Cook). Harmful damages as such on social infrastructure and the land are disintegrating the growing economy of Australia.

The cost of the overall repairment for the country has now been estimated to be over a 100 billion dollars, which is the costliest natural disaster that has ever happened in Australia (Read & Denniss).

The cost of this natural disaster relief can be conjectured when compared to the Black Saturday bushfires: they costed 4.4 billion dollars. In response to the wildfire, the government promised to offer at least 2 billion to the National Bushfire Recover Fund. In addition, Canada, in compensate for Australia’s aid when there was a big fire in the British Columbia, helped Australia fight against the bushfires by sending nearly 100 firefighters (Rabson).

Moreover, the United States and New Zealand also sent firefighters as an aid to Australia. However, these were far too much less than how much was actually needed. McDonald states that the Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised 190 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

to provide “11m for the National Aerial Firefighting Centre” but denied more backing, while Mr. Rawnsley has mentioned the momentousness of the aviation (McDonald). Substantial factors that would have caused or will cause economic deterioration have also been excluded from the calculation: “effect of injuries and shortened lives due to smokerelated stroke and cardiovascular and lung diseases, or damage to species and habitats, the loss of livestock, grain and feed, crops, orchards and national and local parks” (Read). In addition, intangible values were excluded: cost of mental health problems and unemployment, increases in suicide, substance abuse, relationship breakdowns and domestic violence.

Next, the apprehension is that not only the economy has been and will be damaged by the bushfire, but also the existing animals have perished and will be mangled due to the horrendous bushfire.

Australia is known for its biodiversity, and Queensland and New South Wales contain about 56 percent of the Eucalyptus forest in total. The Eucalyptus forest is the major habitats for koalas, gray kangaroos, and other animals. As the bushfires started from and moved along the forests, various animals lost their home, or even worse, their lives. Zaveri and Rueb state that there are between 600,000 to 700,000 species in Australia. According to Dickman, an ecology expert from the University of Sydney, it is suggested that as many as 480 million animals were likely to have died in the New South Wales fires. Unfortunately, this sorrowful number is understated, as he used lower density rates that apply in sparser, drier regions; also, only New South Wales and Victoria are the included area of the estimation. If the estimate were to include every region that could have been damaged by the fire, the estimate is

likely to present even worse outcomes.

Moreover, according to Dawes and Thorne, the damage can possibly include the deaths of fish. In opposition to that, Zaveri and Rueb claim that the estimates made by various scientists exclude the animals’ survival instinct. Furthermore, as the animals lost their habitat, they started invading human’s habitat.

The end of this bushfire season of Australia is yet to come “[…] and may even get worse if recent years are a guide” (Yeung). The starting points of the fire – New South Wales and Victoria – declared state of disaster and state of emergency, respectively (Yeung). Aid from the United States, Canada, and New Zealand will fight the violent fire with the firefighters that are hardly working on extinguishing the fire. Despite all the endeavors and anguish to settle the problem down, bushfires are still burning priceless values destructively.

Australia is highly responsible for its bush fires caused by its natural conditions.

However, the world should contemplate the solution that would make the planet healthy, not the respective nations. The world is getting warmer and warmer worldwide, and everyone knows that the Earth is not like the Earth ten years ago.

It is true that the world has transformed to a more convenient and satisfying place to live due to industrialization and digitalization. People can contact others through smart phones every single second, can eat foods of good qualities at any place, can go wherever they want, and so on. However, these are not the priceless values that the humanity should pursue.

People were happy to contact with people within their community. People were happy eating food, whether it was good or not. People were happy traveling nearby towns and parks. Maybe, the technology

has gone too far without regulation. The humanity was so amazed by the greatness that they even forgot to prepare for any safeguards that would have protected them from serious perils. Now, the humanity is suffering because of what they have done.

In order to settle down the current situation, the world and worldwide organizations should suggest innovative solution. For instance, make renewable energy sources prevalent among the industries. Currently, the world is using exceptionally more fossil fuels as its energy source than any other energy sources. In contrast, the use of renewable energy sources is barely diminutive. The use of renewable energy sources, which will automatically reduce the use of fossil fuels, one of the biggest pollution factors, will improve the overall environmental conditions. Likewise, solutions are various. The world should take those solutions into actions so that the people live for real priceless values, such as our planet. Moreover, people can learn the best lesson from this: nothing in excess.

Works Cited “Australia Fires: Crews Battle Blazes across NSW and Queensland.”

CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Nov. 2019, edition.cnn.com/australia/livenews/australia-fires-live-nov-12-intl-hnk/ index.html.

“Australia Fires: NSW Inquiry to Probe Climate Change Impact.” BBC News, BBC, 29 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/ news/world-australia-51301917.

“Australian Plants and Animals.”

NSW National Parks, www.nationalparks. nsw.gov.au/plants-and-animals.

Bureau of Meteorology. “Indian Ocean Influences on Australian Climate.”

Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Scheme=AGLSTERMS.AglsAgent; CorporateName=Australian Government - Bureau of Meteorology, www.bom.gov. au/climate/iod/.

UNSEEN - T H E JO U R N A L O F K Y H S | 1 9 1

“Bushfire.” Bushfire | Geoscience Australia, www.ga.gov.au/scientifictopics/community-safety/bushfire.

“Canada Offers More Aid for Australia as Bushfires Burn | CBC News.”

CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 9 Jan. 2020, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadaaid-australian-fires-1.5420418.

“CSIRO Warns of Fish Deaths and Algal Blooms after Bushfire Contamination.” ABC News, 25 Jan. 2020, www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-25/ bushfire-ash-in-waterways-could-affectmurray-quality/11896592.

Denniss, Richard. “The Bushfires Crisis Will Cost Australia $100 Billion, Experts Say.” NewsComAu, News.com. au, 17 Jan. 2020, www.news.com.au/ finance/economy/australian-economy/ with-costs-approaching-100-billion-thebushfires-are-austral ias-costliest-naturaldisaster/news-story/3c5fd4f7dabacc896ce cd0167095d4b8.

Epstein, Kayla.

“Australian Wildfires Are Turning the New Zealand Sky an Apocalyptic Orange.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 5 Jan. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/ weather/2020/01/05/australia-wildfiresare-turning-new-zealand-sky-anapocalyptic-orange/.

“Eucalypt Forest.” Department of Agriculture, www.agriculture.gov. au/abares/forestsaustralia/profiles/ eucalypt-2016.

“How Did Australia Fires Start and What Is Being Done? A Very Simple Guide.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/worldaustralia-50980386.

“Is Climate Change to Blame for Australia’s Bushfires?” BBC News, BBC, 11 Nov. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/worldaustralia-50341210.

“Is There Such a Thing as a Fireproof House?” ABC News, 18 Feb. 2020, www. abc.net.au/news/2020-01-22/bushfirebunker-fireproofing-houses/11885578.

Joshua Busby, Matto Mildenberger.

“Analysis | Australia’s Fires Have Devastated Millions of Acres. What’s the Political Damage?” The Washington 192 | UNS EEN - THE JOURNAL OF KYHS

Post, WP Company, 13 Jan. 2020, www. washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/13/ australias-fires-have-devastated-millionsacres-whats-political-damage/.

McDonald, Tim. “Australia Fires: The Huge Economic Cost of Australia’s Bushfires.” BBC News, BBC, 20 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/ business-50862349.

McDonald, Tim. “Australia Fires: The Huge Economic Cost of Australia’s Bushfires.” BBC News, BBC, 20 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/ business-50862349.

“Ongoing Economic and SocioEconomic Impacts of the Australian Bushfires.” C&D Restructure and Taxation Advisory, 10 Feb. 2020, cdrta. com.au/2020/02/05/the-wider-economicand-socio-economic-impacts-of-theaustralian-bushfires/.

Shift, | Resilience, and | Guest Bloggers. “The Whole System Impact of the Australian Bushfires. - Infrastructure Resilience Featured.” The Resilience Shift, 28 Jan. 2020, www.resilienceshift. org/bushfires-resilience/. team, Reality Check. “Australia Fires: How Do We Know How Many Animals Have Died?” BBC News, BBC, 4 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/50986293.

White, Shane. “The World Energy System.” World Energy Data, 14 May 2020, www.worldenergydata.org/world/.

Yeung, Jessie. “Millions of Animals Are Dying from the Australian Wildfires.”

CNN, Cable News Network, 9 Jan. 2020, edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/australia/ australia-fire-wildlife-deaths-intl-hnkscli/index.html.

Yeung, Jessie. “What You Need to Know about Australia’s Deadly Wildfires.”

CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Jan. 2020, edition.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/ australia-fires-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/ index.html.

Zarroli, Jim. “Australia’s Massive Fires Threaten To Slow Decades-Long Economic Boom.” NPR, NPR, 12 Jan. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/01/12/795235653/ australias-massive-fires-threaten-to-slowdecades-long-economic-boom.