The Seoulite Volume 13 Issue 2 by The Seoulite

2 STAFF

STAFF PAGE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF- JAIMI KIM & STACY YUN LAYOUT JAY CHUNG EUGENE KIM JASMINE PARK

REPORTERS JOHN KIM SANGWON KIM BONA KOO JESSI KOO ELIZABETH SONG HELEN SONG MILTON YOON JONATHAN YUN

GRAPHICS AMY CHOI SEAN KIM LINDA PARK EUNA SUN WINSTON YOO

LAYOUT EDITOR- ELISA HAN GRAPHICS EDITOR- STEPHANIE SONG MANAGING EDITOR- KRISTINE OAK ASSISTANT EDITOR- EUNICE LEE CARTOONISTS DANIEL LEE JEANNE HAN

ADVISOR MS. CAROLYN BROWN

COLUMNS

By EUNICE LEE During times of crisis, Belding ground squirrels sacrifice their lives to save one another: it is not uncommon for a squirrel to yell and direct the predator’s attention towards itself, or for it to stay behind while the rest of the squirrels flee. For a while, scientists thought the squirrels were part of a naturally selfless species—until they discovered that the squirrels sacrificed their lives not for the benefit of their community, but to increase the chances of spreading their genes to future generations by allowing closely-related, more reproductively fit individuals fit to survive. What about people? When we give aid to the less fortunate, is it really because we are truly selfless? There is no doubt that it

By ELIZABETH SONG

is part of human nature to sympathize with others. For many, the willingness to aid others is innate; nevertheless, there is also no doubt that greed is a pervasive part of human nature as well. Ironically, the motivation for altruism comes out of greed—the greed for a feeling of satisfaction from helping another. Giving is an intrinsically rewarding process—that is why we are so happy when a loved one opens a birthday present, when we succeed in raising 12 million won for flood victims in Pakistan and China, or when we build homes and schools for those in impoverished, isolated communities. When we give, we expect something in return, which in this case is the feeling of selfaccomplishment and pride.

That is not to say people go into charity work with wholly selfish motives. The spirit of giving does exist; it’s just that one can never be perfectly selfless or generous. This is also not to say that being motivated by a sense of self-pride is unhealthy; there is nothing wrong with feeling good about helping others— in fact, you should feel good about giving aid to those struck by poverty or tragedy. In that sense, aid is a winwin situation. Biologically speaking, it is a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between individuals of a single species, much like that between ants and an acacia tree in the Amazon, or that between barber fish and blue whales.

the Secretary General

Security General Jane Woo shares her most unforgettable memories during her MUN career.

1. Did you experience any embarrassing moments in MUN? I had so many. The most recent embarrassing moment was when the Six Party Talks had me present an emergency crisis issue today. I was super dramatic and it’s now going to be published on TV. I felt really embarrassed after I realized how stupid I sounded. 2. How did you cope with it? There’s nothing I could do about it so I just forgot about it five minutes later. 3. What did you learn from it? I learned you probably shouldn’t call the news crew to film you doing something really embarrassing.

4. Do you remember any funny moments from MUN? I remember there were these delegates paying bingo in Thimun. Every single time you heard a MUN phrase, you put a marker [on the board]. The phrases were really random like “The delegate had a burrito” or “The delegate thinks the resolution is sassy” and they had to incorporate those in their speeches or POIs whenever they spoke.

5. Memorable moments? There’s one that I had in Security Council last year in Beimun. I was the delegate of the US and I completely owned the delegate of the UK because he got one of his historical facts wrong and I was able to point that out to him.

By AMY CHOI

4 POINT of INTEREST

Opening Ceremony Sets the

Stage for a Fruitful Debate By jessi koo The SEOMUN XIII conference hosted by Korea International School started as the delegates and faculty members filed in the seats of the auditorium. Seated Chairs waited on stage and delegates chattered quietly while the SecretaryGeneral (SG), Jane Woo, and Deputy Secretary-General (DSG), Hanna Kim, made final arrangements. The conference commenced after the SG welcomed the MUN Advisor, Mr. Kevin Duncan to the podium for his introductory speech. “On behalf of Korea International School, we would like to welcome all of you to SEOMUN XIII,” said Mr. Duncan. “There are many reasons to be excited about this conference. It’s exciting because of the G-20 conference Korea will be hosting …we have a speaker coming all the way from the United States. But we’re most excited to have all of you here. ” He not only commented on

how Korea will be hosting the G-20 conference, but also introduced the SEOTV, the conference’s broadcasting team, which professionally captured interviews of the SG and DSG as well as incorporated technological effects and voiceovers throughout the clip. Following SEOTV’s video was the SG’s speech on taking every opportunity and her inspiration for MUN. “There’s something unique about SEOMUN,” said Jane Woo. “Every single one of you is here today due to your hard work and talent. Do not let anyone smother your MUN hope. My motto for MUN is one word: confidence. Let your confidence carry you for the next three days and have an educational and rewarding experience.” After the SG and DSG made their speeches, they gave the stage to an important guest speaker, Dr. Paul Jhin, CEO of the Information and

Technology Corps (ITCO). He described his journey from a college cheerleader to a United Nations’ cheerleader. Not only did he have an impressive resume, but he also made a speech that resonated within the delegates, encouraging them to strive for greater goals. Jenna Kwon, delegate of France from Security Council, gave her opinion on the opening ceremony. “I heard many inspirational speeches which helped me stay awake during the conference

By SANGWON KIM With research, resolutions, speeches and current events, there is no doubt that the workload for MUN is demanding. Not only that, but delegates have to miss at least two days of school, which forces them to be absent from classes and make up missed work. “Preparation is key because if you don’t prepare, you can’t participate much in debates,” said Soyoon Kim, Judge of the International Court of Justice. “Without a dilligent work ethic and commitment to MUN, you can’t get very far.” As preparation is so important in MUN, delegates need to dedicate a large portion of their time to MUN. In other words, they sacrifice time they

could use to to study or participate in other extracurriculars for MUN. “Especially as a junior, I feel that MUN, especially writing resolutions, takes up a lot of time I need to study for tests and finish homework,” said Amy Kim, the delegate of Mexico in Human Rights. Students who come from overseas especially miss a lot of school and have even more makeup work than the average delegate, such as Annette Wu, the delegate of Lebanon from Security Council and a student at British International School of Vietnam. “I’m missing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Monday, so that’s a lot of makeup work,”

said Annette. “I’m slightly worried about how I’m going to do four days worth of work when I get home.” Many students also sacrifice leisure time to for MUN. Students not only stay up late to finish their resolutions, but also cannot meet with their friends as much during weekends prior to conference. “It [MUN] definitely takes up a lot of my social life as I have to spend a lot of time at home just researching current events and preparing resolutions,” said Eunice Lee, delegate of Pakistan in Special Conference. Nevertheless, delegates found such sacrifices necessary and worthwhile for ini-

By AMY CHOI

and although it was kind of long, it was nice, impressive, and very organized,” said Jena. Towards the end of the ceremony the Phoenix Chamber Choir sang two songs to heighten the delegates’ spirits for the upcoming debates: Arirang and the United Nations’ National Anthem. After the stirring speeches, innovative video clip, and refreshing choir’s singing, the opening ceremony came to a close as delegates exited the auditorium, ready for their fruitful debates.

Delegates make sacrifices for MUN tiating productive debates at conferences, which shows how much they value the MUN experience. “Despite all the make up work, I never regret joining MUN,” said Annette. “I think it’s totally worth it because you can get so much more out of this [MUN].”gela Son had opposing views, “I don’t think dressing matters that much at all, because basically everybody dresses the same way: formal. Unless you dress informally, I don’t think it matters too much.” Nevertheless, all of those interviewed agreed that first impressions have a lasting impact on the rest of the MUN experience.

POINT of INTEREST

The

By BONA KOO In order to get through the long—at times tedious—MUN conferences, delegates carry their own “survival kits”, fully equipped with items that help them keep organized and entertained at the same time. All delegates brought the most essential items needed for the MUN conferences, which include pencils, notepads, and highlighters, erasers, and laptops. “I have eight different pens, highlighters, and many pencils just to be prepared,” said Sabrina Sung, the delegate of USA in ECOSOC. “I don’t use mechanical pencils because they break so easily, so I always have to have a back-up pencil.” While most delegates car-

Survival Kits for Delegates

ried such basic materials to Not being able to eat breakassist them with their work, fast was not the only difficulty some others brought a few un- that delegates had. Due to the usual items with them. formal attire requirement, For instance, delegates who delegates had trouble with did not have enough time in uncomfortable clothing and the morning to eat carried their breakfast, such as muffins and breakfast rolls, in their bags to stay energized for the conference. “My mother -ANNETTE WU

MY MOTHER GOT ME A

MUFFIN AND MILK FOR BREAKFAST, AND A LIP BALM BECAUSE I’M FROM VIETNAM AND IT GETS SO COLD HERE IN KOREA

got me a muffin and milk for breakfast, and a lip balm because I’m from Vietnam and it gets so cold here in Korea,” said Annette Wu, the delegate of Lebanon in Security Council.

blistered feet from all the high heels. “I brought extra shoes instead of high heels to wear after the debates,” said Yerin Kim, the delegate of Finland.

“I want to change my shoes before I get blisters on my feet.” Even though delegates sat down and worked, they got exhausted easily and needed a break at times to keep them more focused. They usually listened to music or texted friends with their cell phones. “I always carry around my iPod, cell phone, and laptop to keep me entertained during break time,” said Eunmaro Kim, the delegate of Sweden in General Assembly. In the end, whether or not what objects delegates put in their bags, they all had the same objective: to survive the conferences.

SEOMUNdelegates bear stress in their minds By Sangwon kim and john kim SEOMUN is a grand event between the international schools of Asia, and delegates are nervous about this conference and have a number of stresses crowding their minds. Nevertheless, delegates are able to cope with several different activities. “I feel that with all the extra schoolwork, MUN is even more stressful than it was intended to be,” said Ian Chang, Human Rights Watch. Many delegates felt that work from their schools overwhelmed their schedule. Many delegates have chosen to main submit a resolution, and during the debate, they are anxious on whether their resolution will be passed or rejected. They commit a lot of time and effort into produc-

ing a resolution. “I always practice a lot for any speech beforehand, because if I speak confidently, maybe the resolution I’m supporting will receive even more support,” stated Estevan Kim, delegate of Iceland from the Special Conference (SC). Speaking in front of an audience was regarded as the biggest fear people have as the delegates are placed in the spotlight a massive audience. For those in officerpositions, although they are veterans, they still have many hardships and strains they experience in the conference. “Sometimes, there is so much information. In the ICJ (International Court of Justice), all the information is presented from both sides, so

you have to keep following everything and concentrate on it, or you’ll get lost, so you can’t relax a lot,” said Jennifer Lee, a judge from ICJ. However, delegates have been able to triumph these stresses with activities to relieve them. One popular choice is to socialize with fellow delegates, make personal relationships with nearby partners. “I blow off any stresses with sports I play, mainly tennis and soccer,” said Ian Chang, delegate of Human Rights Watch. Many delegates (usually males) attempt at shaking off their weights through sports and physical activities. After the conference, many delegates plan to meet and socialize again, even outside of the committee.

“I usually go out for dinner, with other new friends, but never for too long, as I need to prepare for the next conference,” said Jennifer. However, other delegates go straight home and have their own meditation session. “I go home and usually watch television and listen to music, have my own area before I get back to work,” said Angela Yoon, delegate of Rwanda from Economic and Social Council ECOSOC. “I prefer not to go out, because I need to concentrate on getting my work done.” However, the stress compiles into a new meaning of bonding and a successful SEOMUN experience. Everybody just wants a good time at SEOMUN and meet new people.

6 COMMITTEE

Icj tackles the issue on whaling BY JONATHAN YUN

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) brought attention to the issue on whaling as the advocates of the Commonwealth of Australia accused Japan. Dennis Park, advocate of Australia, accused Japan of conducting illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean, especially in the seas that belong to Australia. “Whaling has been prohibited in [Australian waters] and therefore should be subjected to Australian legislation,” said Dennis. In his opening speech, Dennis also argued specifically against the Japanese government for funding the illegal deed. “Japanese whaling has continued over the past few decades. When asked for transparency in dealing with its program, Japan has refused or shied away from such requests.” In addition, Dennis covered the influence that whale hunting poses to the environment. “The Antarctic ecosystem is very fragile, and according to

various credible sources like Greenpeace and Sea Sheppard, the South Sea is not yet By amy choi fully recovered from industrialization to continue whaling,” said Dennis. “Even if Japan considers it to be fully recovered, whaling brings further potential for damage in the Antarctic ecosystem, which is also against various treaties. The treaties that the advocate of Australia mentioned, including the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, were acts that have been passed over many years and by different organizations, including the International Whaling Committee and the International

Union for the Conservation of Nature. However, the advocate of Australia realizes that there are loopholes in these laws. “There are abuses in these loopholes, and Japan takes advantages of these loopholes,” said Dennis. “However, Japan has closed the door and the lack of communication has forced Australia to doubt that Japan is not using these whales for scientific purposes.” Timothy Cho, advocate of Japan, has defended his nation by justifying whaling as an act for scientific purposes. “Japan strongly believes

that the whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, as granted by a special permit for the JARPA II research, is a just and noble act of scientific research under Article 4 and 8 of the International Convention on the Regulations of Whaling,” said Timothy. The advocate of Japan also supported whaling as a part of Japanese culture. “Whales have been a part of Japanese culture for hundreds of years,” said Timothy. “The Japanese people regard whale meat as an essential part of their diet, tradition, and culture.“ The heated debate between the advocates of Australia and Japan has impressed the chairs. “At the beginning, I was more towards Australia’s position,” said James Ham, deputy assistant president. “However, Japan’s advocates presented a case that is both compelling and full of content. I am interested to see the changing view of the entire court as well.”

Special Conference zeroes in on first issue By MILTON YOON This year at SEOMUN, the SPC will focus on economic growth and prosperity. Due to the recent increase in natural disasters, delegates’ interest in helping countries hurt by the national hazards. During the opening speeches of SPC in the mini-auditorium, most of the delegates informed others that they were focusing on issue 1, which is instilling a long term aid plan for disaster stricken nations. Most countries supported this cause because their own nations experienced similar disasters. “Bangladesh is a disasterprone country, so when it is hit by a disaster, it can’t recover,” said Jisoo Kim, delegate of Bangladesh. “So it harms [the] socio-economic growth. That’s why I’m fo-

cusing on [the first issue].” Even other nations who have yet to experience these disasters supported the issue because the overall damages are too immense for the disaster-stricken nations to solve by themselves. “We’ve seen how natural disasters can split families and stunt the growth of developing nations,” said Hannah Birmingham, the delegate of United Kingdom. “We believe that developed nations [like the U.K] can play a large role.” Some even supported the cause in order to prepare themselves from these disasters so they would not have to go through the trouble that some other nations have had to go through. “[I support this idea] so

that the Maldives doesn’t experience the same situation that happened in 2004 by the Indian Ocean ear thquake and tidal tsunami,” said InHyeok Yo, the delegate of Maldives. Delegates decided that By EUNA SUN establishing a long-term aid plan was much more productive than having a temporary, short-term plan. “[Long-term aid plans] are better because short-term financial aid plans rely too much on outer sources,” said

Jisoo. “However, having a longterm plan will help the disaster stricken sustain themselves after receiving help.” Even after the opening speeches, the delegates continued to talk about the common issue during lobbying. Four large groups each containing more than six people focused on instilling a longterm financial aid plan.

COMMITTEE

Same goal, different races By sangwon Kim There were oppositions within discussions about various issues in the Human Rights Council (HR). The committee was divided into three groups, discussing resolutions on three issues. The three main issues were about natural disasters, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and poor education. Many delegates were interested about natural disasters, yet had different viewpoints on how to approach the problem. Kevin Chun, delegate of the Bahamas, was occupied into preparing susceptible countries by improving necessary facilities. “We need to educate the young and improve the schools, so when disasters do strike, people will not panic and be conscious of the situation,” said Kevin. On the other hand, another delegate believed that communication between developed countries and developing countries was essential into lessen-

ing the damage of these storms. “So basically developed nations can easily receive information from satellites and such, and they can cheaply, quickly send information to the countries in danger,” said Eugene Nam, delegate of the United Kingdom. Concerning the issue of STDs, half of the delegates looked positively at organizing a new organization comprised of UN members that would help patients with STDs. “This program is like an organization that helps people who can’t afford such medication to treat their STDs. It’s sort of like a donation process,” said Jenny Kwon, delegate of Namibia. Yea Young Koh, delegate of Liechtenstein, believed that rather than forming another organization, the patients should depend on NGOs that are already existent, and cooperate. “The process would be funding NGOs and hospitals

By Sean kim

to distribute aid to the most urgent areas first,” said Yea. The last issue centered on how education was not prevalent in many developing countries, and delegates had unique ideas on how to approach the problem. “With the formation of a UN organization called ‘UNISTUDY’ to further help the education in these countries by funding and development,” said Jessie Headrick, delegate of the Republic of Korea. On the other hand, Tobie Kim, the delegate of Brazil, focused on enforcing nonvio-

lence within schools to make them safer, and make it a better learning environment. “First of all, Afghanistan amended a law in which any kids over the age 18 cannot touch weapons, and so prohibition within schools with no weapons within schools will be crucial to nonviolence” said Tobie. Although delegates had different methods of approaching the subject, they had the common goal of searching for the best solution available.

ECOSOC delegates work cooperatively to submit resolutions By BONA KOO

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) productively spent the first day of the conference lobbying and merging ideas together to form resolutions.

By LINDA PARK

The three issues ECOSOC will debate this time are: promoting biofuels in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), enhancing environmental supervision, and promot-

ing the balance of environmental protection to sustain tourism in Southeast Asia. “The delegate of Iraq understands that a greener economy will benefit countries. Also, since oil is nonrenewable, countries should shift to biofuels,” said Kelly Cho, the delegate of Iraq. Joanne Lee, the delegate of Bangladesh, was the main submitter for the first issue regarding biofuels in LEDCs; the resolution focuses on improving international relations to have connections with MEDCs and LEDCs “We’re trying to have a grad-

ual transition into using biofuels because changes won’t happen overnight,” said Joanne Lee, the delegate of Bangladesh.” While the delegates struggled to determine who the main-submitter was for the first issue, those concentrating on the second issue concerning environmental supervision worked more efficiently. “Our group is going really well,” said Chris Kim, the delegate of Iceland and main-submitter for issue two. “Even though we have a lot of new people to MUN, they all posed creative and realistic ideas, so I feel prepared,” Nevertheless, the delegates supporting issue two came upon an obstacle when Vivian Lee, president of ECOSOC, forced the group to separate and form two independent resolutions. “This [was] so confusing

because we [had] already combined our resolutions together so there was no point of breaking up into two groups if we know what each other will say,” said Chloe Lee, the delegate of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Contrary to the popularity of the first two issues, only two worked to write a resolution resolving the third. “We’re trying to balance out consumer demands and conserving native ways to preserve the environment,” said Jennifer Kim, the delegate of Costa Rica. Despite these hardships, delegates finally came to a consensus regarding their respective issues and successfully readied themselves for the upcoming debates.

8 FOCUS

SAT vocabulary source of confusion By Elizabeth song Aberration. Extenuating. Perfidious. These are just some of the words on the dreaded vocabulary list for the Standardized Aptitude Test (SAT). While using such vocabulary may create a favorable impression when delegates present themselves in MUN, it also poses complications when debating. “Sometimes, I don’t even know what [questions to ask] to question because I don’t even know what [the delegates] are trying to say,” said Justin Lee, delegate of Aus-

tralia in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). “It’s difficult to make [points of information (POIs)].” The main reason delegates use these terms is to impress and look intelligent when their resolutions are shallow. Sometimes misuse leads to further trouble. “Usually delegates who use bigger words do it all for show,” said Christina Hahn, delegate of Japan of Six Party Talks. “In most cases, they don’t even use the words properly. There was one delegate

who mixed the words ‘refute’ and ‘rebut,’ which came out as ‘rebute’ and it was so funny.” However, according to CJ Baek, delegate of Iceland in the Human Rights Council, the complexity of the terms is not enough to actually cause difficulties in MUN. “I think [using big words] is generally okay,” said CJ. “It doesn’t really affect the debate. Most of the time, [delegates] use simple words.” Whether or not the use of complex vocabulary leads to conflicts, the importance

of MUN does not center on word choice but rather on the delegates’ ability to communicate their opinions and share their stances on the respective issues up for debate. “Using hard words doesn’t reflect a good image,” said Justin Huh, advisor of the Association for Sustainable Human Development (ASHD) in the Advisory Panel (AP). “It’s better to convey the message effectively than to sound smart.”

FOCUS

NEWcomers struggle with

MUN jargon By MILTON YOON There are lots of rules and guidelines that some newcomers have trouble grasping in MUN. Certain phrases that delegates use in debate are one of them. Delegates must always direct their speeches to the chair instead of the audience, and they must address people by their delegations instead of their names. However, delegates new to MUN have difficulties following the rules and have to constantly remind themselves to speak in proper order. “When I first joined MUN, I had constant prob-

By LINDA PARK

lems […] talking with MUN phrases,” said Marcus Lee, delegate of Iraq in the Human Rights Council (HR). “During the [practice] debates I attended in school, I constantly had to refrain myself from talking out of order.” Not fully understanding the phrases and talking in an improper way frequently lead to embarrassing moments and portrayed them as underprepared delegates. “Last year, I forgot to follow the MUN [phrases] and [spoke in first-person pronoun],” said Justin Lee, the delegate of Aus-

By SEAN KIM

tralia in Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). “I felt embarrassed in front of the other delegates [when the chair] scolded me. I’m just relieved that I didn’t make that mistake again in the actual conference.” Even though the newcomers are unfamiliar with the MUN style at the beginning of the conference due to inexperience, more experienced delegates say that it comes naturally as time passes. “I had problems when I was a freshman,” said Justin. “However, now, [as a more experienced MUN mem-

content vs. delivery By jonathan yun “I like you” is not the same as “I love you.” Likewise, “I love you…” is not the same as “I love you!” In these conferences, delegates not only debate on global issues, but also indirectly argue which is better: content or delivery. Most people think that the delivery should be the priority when presenting resolutions. “Even though you’re speaking to a sleeping crowd, you still grab their attention by speaking with interest,” said Kenny Kim, president of Human Rights Council. “The rhythm of how you present your resolution is crucial.”

Delegates also pointed out that there are more advantages that come with professional delivery. “People try to see how you articulate and transfer your information,” said Younghwan Sim, delegate of Finland in the General Assembly. “If you sound unconfident, more delegates try to go against you because you seem easier of a target. And although the information is irrelevant, if you present your resolution in a convincing way, then the resolution can still get passed.” However, there are delegates who say that the

ber], I didn’t need to remind myself to follow the rules.” Some chair members realize and try to address this issue before the actual conferences by giving extra help to get newcomers accustomed to the MUN style. “The freshman had problems [with MUN phrases] in the beginning of the year,” said Debbie Rhim, Deputy Assistant President for Special Conference (SPC). “[But] after the two months of mock-debates, they now are accustomed to the phrases.”

By SEAN KIM

content is far more important than the delivery. “Although you have confidence when presenting your resolution, if you have flaws in the resolution itself, it is not good because people in these conferences are smart enough to identify those errors,” said Vivian Lee, president of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Becca Thrope, delegate of the Russian Federation in the Six Party Talks, believes that content of superior quality is the most important. “What you say is more beneficial because you can

delivery your resolution in a really nice way, but if has no argument, then it is useless,” said Becca. “There is more impact if it has good content.” Yet, it is undeniably best to have both outstanding content and deliver to get a resolution passed. “If you have good research, then you will speak well,” said Jane Woo, Secretary General. “Likewise, having good research will allow you to speak well. Therefore, both delivery and content is equally important.”

10 COMMITTEE

Security Council Lobbies for Resolution

by jessi koo The Security Council (SC) has always been unique in that it is much smaller than most committees and allows certain countries to use veto power to strike down a clause or resolution that goes against a particular issue. The SC has no main submitter but a group of co-submitters; thus, lobbying is extremely important since delegates can contribute several ideas and submit them as a whole. SC delegates lobbied on three different issues: the reform of the SC with special emphasis on the admission of new permanent members, the situation in Northern Uganda and other areas affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army, and political reconstruction of the Somalia government. With regards to the reform of the SC, Tae Hoon Kim, the delegate of Mexico questioned the delegate of the United States and the delegate of France on their opinions about

restricting their veto power. who discussed the situation in “Since the five permanent Uganda had several solutions members can use the veto about achieving harmonyin power, they might abuse their Uganda and assisting refugees power and serve the coun- and citizens. try’s interest instead of the international interest. ,” said Tae Hoon. Leon Jun, delegate of the United States, wanted to create a balance in the council by having one permanent member and two nonpermaBy wINSTON YOO nent members for a successful vote, “Funding isn’t a whereas, Jenna Kwon, the del- problem in this council so we egate of France, was willing to should focus on humanitarian make more compromises. issues such as providing medi“We are willing to make cal and psychological attention compromises that are strong to the people,” said. Annette enough,” said Jenna. “Instead Wu, delegate of Lebanon. of restricting the veto power, Michelle Meltke, the delmaybe there should be more egate of Uganda also empower for African countries.” phasized the need to take Though the issue of the the future into consideration veto power remains to be through asking a more sophisconversed further, delegates ticated country or organiza-

tion to help Uganda maintain stability and security. “Since Uganda is involved in a civil war and doesn’t have a stable government, there needs to be an organization such as the UN to help the government stay peaceful,” said Michelle. As for the issue regarding the reconstruction of the Somalia government delegates found the need to request for the establishment of weapons transactions and more border patrols so that weapons don’t enter Somalia and reach the Islamic Fundamentalist Alliance (IFA). Tom Kim, delegate of the Russian Federation, expressed his opinion on the overall ambiance of the SC conference.“ The environment is friendly and the delegates are working together effectively, coming up with resolutions that I’m sure will be debated fiercely.”

GA adopts different methods of aiD By JOHN KIM

In their opening speeches, delegates of the General Assembly (GA) expressed their ambitions and the issues they will be focusing on throughout the conference, which include promoting Information and Communication Technology (ITCs) in the context of mitigating poverty, alleviating the debt crisis in developing countries, and developing a guideline for member states to agree on a balanced Intellectual Property (IP) system. The GA especially focused on discussing measures to alleviate the economic crises many third world nations suffer from today. Delegates were divided on whether to use ITCs or debt relief programs to promote economic growth. Those who encouraged the use of ITCs based their sup-

port on the claim that ITCs reach out to lower class citizens by giving them better access to knowledge necessary for productive job development. Justin Kang, the delegate of Estonia, strongly advocated the use of ITCs for relief, asserting that they were crucial for increasing public awareness and encouraging national unity. “The ITCs [will be helpful] because they close the gap between the rich and poor and aid communication among citizens,” he said. On the other hand, Matt Kuritar, the delegate of the Republic of Korea, concentrated on providing debt relief measures to resolve economic problems in third world countries. His stance was supported by Siri McFarland, the delegate of Rwanda, who gathered a

By AMY CHOI

group of delegates who were willing to co-submit a resolution promoting such measures. “If Rwanda gets this resolution to pass, it will not only be helping itself, but also other countries faced with similar situations,” said Siri. “There will no longer be a debt problem in so many countries.” Whether the delegates will ultimately choose to adopt

ITCs or debt relief to resolve the economic crisis still remains up in the air. Delegates looked forward to the upcoming debates and hoped to agree on a possible solution to aid developing nations suffering from poverty today. “We expect a lively debate since the two resolutions already introduced have lots of potential,” said Minchul Cho, the delegate of Sudan. “There are split opinions on two resolutions that almost pose the same purpose. Tomorrow will be a successful conference.”

COMMITTEE

Countries unite to help DPRK

by helen song The first issue of the Six Party Talks was promoting collaboration to prevent and curb environmental degradation in North Korea. One delegate acted as a representative for each country and went to the first caucus session of the conference to discuss and create operative clauses for the issue. One of the main problems the six delegates, including the delegate of North Korea (DPRK) identified was the continuous deforestation and degradation of North Korea’s land. They all agreed that reforestation was needed to prevent further deforestation and replenish the land. “What you guys need to remember is that lumber is one of North Korea’s main exports and they need to cut down trees for their economy,” said

David Kim, Assistant President of Six Party Talks. “Wood is also the primary source of energy in rural areas, so that is a big reason why so many trees are being cut down.” With the chair’s help, the delegates came to the conclusion that North Korea would need advanced technology to replenish its forests without harming its economy. However, instead of sending them monetary funds, they decided to directly provide DPRK with the equipment to prevent North Korea from misusing resources. Another environmental problem the six countries identified was the increasing number of endangered species and the decreasing biodiversity in the DPRK. There are many rare animals and plants in

DPRK, and it is in the interest of the world’s biodiversity to keep them alive. However, in the DPRK, they are not being pres er ve d. BY STEPHANIE SONG “The problem is that many North Korean citizens are continually using endangered species as food,” said Dvyne Nosaka, one of the delegates of DPRK. “Some people are hunting and eating these species everyday.” The idea of creating a national park where all species would be safe came up, but realized that it would be highly infeasible. They were unable to

come to a solution for helping endangered species, but were optimistic they would find one. The chair ended the caucus session and asked everyone to write operative clauses on their own so they could make more progress tomorrow. All the delegates seemed honestly very focused on helping North Korea’s environment, but did not disregard North Korea’s current political status and came up with realistic solutions.

Active lobbying in AP leads to effective merging By Elizabeth Song Focusing on the three issues of minimizing energy consumption in coordination with expanding energy supply, ameliorating energy poverty in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) and promoting the further development of carbon capture and storage (CCS), the Advisory Panel (AP) engaged in vigorous lobbying after the opening speeches. Advisors and delegates emphasized the importance of encouraging the development of alternative energy sources and giving aid to LEDCs. “Most people think More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) cannot get any benefits from helping LEDCs,” said Huey Choi, delegate of the International En-

ergy Agency (IEA). “But LEDCs can share resources and cooperate with MEDCs so that developing countries can have more r e s o u r c e s .” Most of the memBy SEAN KIM bers of the AP also agreed that lowering the levels of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions in the air was a pressing problem that had to be addressed. “CCS can reduce 19% of carbon emission,” said Nam Jin Kyung, delegate of India. “If humans cannot stop CO2, then CCS should be implemented in

the member states.” However, Tommy Kim, advisor of Green Peace, went against the majority due to environmental problems. “Green Peace is an organization that focuses on environmental safety, but CCS has potential negative impacts,” said Tommy. “There is a high possibility that the places [that store carbon] can leak and cause severe damage to the environment.” Besides environmental drawbacks, the exorbitant price of implementing CCS was a concern that delegates and advisors talked about when lobbying.

“The cost to store carbon costs a lot right now,” said Jason Huh, advisor of the Association for Sustainable Human Development (ASHD). “We discussed how to lower the price and how certain nations need to foster an environment in which companies will be comfortable developing cheaper ways of storing CO2.” Deputy Assistant President HeeJae Choi complimented the lobbying progress. “At the moment there are a lot of clauses being merged and discussed,” said HeeJae. “By the way delegates are fully explaining their issue and opinions, I think the attitude of the delegates today will be good for tomorrow’s debate.”

PHOTO COLLAGE

COLUMNS

What

beverage

55%

keeps you hydrated during the conference ?

28% 13%

By KRISTINE OAK

TODAY’S FASHION TREND: 11/04/2010 At SEOMUN conferences, delegates from many different international schools, Foreign Language Schools, and even from overseas congregate. All delegates have to follow the formal dress code of Model United Nations, but they individualize their formal wear, expressing their inner fashion senses. The formal trend for girls: 80’s Vibe  High waist Skirts: tight around the mid waist, and straight around the thighs  Shirts: White simple or striped collar shirt tucked inside the high waist skirt Blouses: Shiny silk or satin blouse, either halter neck or 3/4 sleeved  Tights: slightly see through, glittery, or plain black  Flats or high heels, blocked at the toes and heels

The formal trend for guys: Classic Suit  Formal black suit: top and bottom  Plain colored tie: narrow width  Black casual-formal, shiny shoes  White simple collar shirt

By SEAN KIM

Although there are variations on formal fashion styles, the 80’s high waist and the classic suit are in the lead today. There are always ups and downs with formal wear. Formal wear is not conspicuous like casual fashion wear but does have certain twists. Show other delegates your passion for fashion. Will you be IN? or will you be OUT?

CARTOONS

SEOMUN daniel lee CARTOONS BY:

ILLUSTRATED jeanne han

By JEANNE HAN

By DANIEL LEE