[English] Speaking Study Stuff 1st Week

Death Penalty
Excerpted from the Korea Herald
Kang Ho-sun killed seven women between 2005 and last December. Arrested last week, he confessed his crimes and told police where he abandoned the bodies of his victims. The remains of all but one of the victims were recovered at the places indicated by Kang. The man is guilty of multiple murders and is certain to be sentenced to death, but, thanks to Korean practices, he will almost certainly be spared execution and live on taxpayer money.
The latest serial murder case has fueled the perennial debate on capital punishment. While law enforcement officials, criminologists and human rights activists argue inconclusively on the desirability of a death sentence, the death row population in Korea has increased to 58 and the nation has been classified as "abolitionist in practice" by Amnesty International. No one has been executed since Dec. 20, 1997, although the court has passed death sentences on many people. This is an absurd situation.
Twenty-three convicts were hanged on the same day more than 11 years ago by the Justice Ministry of the Kim Young-sam administration. It looks as if the mass executions were conducted because the conservative government, which had lost the presidential election a few days before, anticipated that the incoming progressive government of Kim Dae-jung would eventually abolish the death penalty. Laws have not changed since, but executions have been suspended. The National Human Rights Commission, which was established by the Kim administration, has recommended the abolition of the capital punishment.
In 2005, Yu Yeong-cheol was convicted of killing 21 people and abusing their bodies. In 2007, Jeong Nam-gyu was sentenced to death for killing 13 people and injuring 20. After trial, Kang Ho-sun will join these and other death-row inmates who are virtually assured that they will not be executed thanks to this country`s advanced protection of human rights. Some expect that the advent of a conservative government after 10 years of progressive rule could change the picture, but there is no such indication yet.
The international trend is away from state executions. As of December 2007, 102 countries have abolished the death sentence and 64 nations recognize capital punishment. In between, 31 states, including Korea, maintain capital punishment but do not execute those sentenced to it. In the centuries-old debate, abolitionists have emphasized the danger of convicting and executing innocent people and capital punishment`s apparent lack of preventive effect.
However, there is the disturbing fact in Korea that murder cases have increased by a remarkable 32 percent over the 11-year period since the government stopped execution. The de facto abolition of the death sentence is tantamount to the administration`s rejection of the judiciary decision even if execution itself comes under executive government`s jurisdiction. The simple principle is that convicts given the death penalty should be executed unless there are reasonable grounds for retrial. If the death sentence needs to be discontinued, laws should be rewritten accordingly.

QUESTIONS

(1) What should be the right punishment for Kang Ho-sun under the law? Do you think he deserves the death penalty? What about life imprisonment (being locked up in prison for life)?

(2) Some of Korea’s newspapers have disclosed the photos of Kang. Do you think this violated his rights to privacy, or even his human rights? Do criminals, like Kang, have human rights?

(3) The article states that Korea maintains the death penalty but do not execute those who are sentenced to it. What do you think about this situation? Should Korea either abandon the death penalty or carry it out? Considering that many countries are abolishing it, is the death penalty constitutional?

(4) Recently a “fan online café” was created supporting Kang, called “ilovehosun.” The creator of the café said it was created to defend Kang’s human rights. Over 2,000 people have joined the café. What do you think about this?

(5) How can Koreans make sure that such incidents like Kang Ho-sun’s killings are prevented in the future? How should we compensate the victims?


Superstition is…

Originally the word superstition meant something like "standing still in apprehension or awe," but since has been rather watered down in its application and use. According to the writer Raymond Lamont Brown, "Superstition is a belief, or system of beliefs, by which almost religious veneration is attached to things mostly secular; a parody of religious faith in which there is belief in an occult or magic connection."

Another way to put it is that superstition is an irrational or nonscientific belief in the existence of certain powers operant in the world, with positive or ill (usually ill) effects, and therefore a concomitant belief in the counter-effects of amulets, tokens and such, and the power of certain actions (or avoidance of some actions, such as not walking under a ladder) to diminish or deflect these ill effects and/or to promote the positive influence (i.e. crossing one's fingers, or rubbing a beneficent stone, for good luck) of these indeterminate and usually unnamed powers.



1. Are Koreans generally more superstitious than Westerners? Support your opinion.

2. Do you have any charms or items you carry with you on special occasions? Do you have a luck hat/ shirt/ pencil for exam?

3. Do you know anyone who visits a psychic regularly?

4. Have you ever visited a fortune-teller to hear your "sa-joo"? Do you believe in "sa-joo"?

5. Will your mother visit a fortune-teller to hear your "goong-hap"?

6. Do you think there is some truth behind some superstitions?

7. What superstitions did you have as a child? What about now? Were you afraid of the dark when you were young? If so, what did you do?

8. If someone you trust told you they'd seen a ghost, would you believe them? Why or why not?

9. What was your "tae-mong"? What do people say it means?

10. Why are some people afraid to admit that they're superstitious? Are they afraid that others will think they are weak or foolish?


Adoptions by Transgenders

Actually, we’ve discussed about adoption several months ago. At that time, when assuming that there was just one side of parents, some members were against his or her adoption. Because people thought that a mother and a father have different roles in their home, so there should be both of them for their children. Then, what if one of them is a transgender?
Several months ago, Ha Ri-Soo, who changed sex from a man to a woman, got married. Her marriage announcement was quite a surprise, however the announcement that she wanted to adopt a baby was even more shocking.
About this matter, Lee Gwang-Pil, a singer and an activist of adoption, submitted a petition to the court. He argued that Ha Ri-Soo offended other adopters, because she has overused the word ‘adoption’ slightly before the marriage. He said that he isn’t opposed to the adoption by transgenders but people had to consider the stability of adopter’s family. People like him can’t help but objecting her decision because of several reasons.
People are anxious about the confusion that the children will get. Even though parents try to hide the truth, some day children will find out about their parents’ abnormal condition compared to other parents. Then, it will be hard for them to understand the reality and what they face. The bigger problem is that the children will not be able to get along well with other students if they find out that their mother or father is a transgender. Especially, in the case of Ha Ri-Soo, her adopted child will be left out as soon as he/she enters the school, because she is a famous celebrity not just in Korea, even abroad.
However, some transgenders who are planning to adopt just like Ha Ri-Soo, are protesting vigorously. They argue that they are not different from other parents who are sterile. If Ha Ri-Soo is not allowed to adopt children, they claim that they will emigrate from Korea to other country.
Actually, there are no legal restrictions on adoption for transgender parents. However, institutions of adoption simply cannot accept their opinion. Furthermore, most of these institutions are managed by religious organizations. As a result, even though transgenders are qualified for adoption legally, the reality might be hard for them to adopt in our society.
People against the adoptions by transgenders, are they narrow-minded person or realistic person? Do you think that there are enough people who are open-minded in our society?



1. What do you think of adoptions by transgender celebrities like Ha Ri-Soo?
2. What is your opinion on adoptions by transgenders (common people, not celebrities)?
3. What are the limits of rights and privileges of transgenders?
4. What are the requirements and qualifications for being a good parent?

No	Word	Description
1	Death Penalty
	Arrested	체포하다
	confessed	인정받은, 정평 있는, 자인한
	abandoned	버림받은, 버려진, 황폐한
	indicated	가리키다, 나타내다
	sentenced	1. 문장, 판결 2. 선고하다
	spared	1. 용서하다, 시키지 않다 2. 예비의, 결핍된
	perennial	사철을 통한
	inconclusively	결론에 이르지 못하는
	desirability	바람직함
	abolitionist	a person who is in favour of the abolition of sth
	Amnesty	1. 대사(大赦), 특사, 사면 2. 사면하다, 대사하다
	absurd	불합리한, 어리석은
	convicts	유죄의 판결, 확신
	hanged	1. 걸다, 달아매다 2. 매달리다
	mass	큰 덩어리, 모임, 일반 대중
	presidential	대통령의
	election	선거
	anticipated	예기하다, 기대하다
	progressive	전진하는, 진보하는
	abolish	폐지하다
	suspended	매달다, 중지하다
	Commission	위임, 임무
	convicted	유죄의 판결, 확신
	inmates	피수용자
	advent	출현, 도래
	debate	1. 논쟁하다 2. 토론
	accordingly	따라서
	deserves	1. 사막 2. 사막 같은, 불모의
	imprisonment	1. 투옥, 구금, 자유형(自由刑) 2. 강제적 구속, 감금
	compensate	보상하다
	defend	방어하다
2	Superstition is…
	Superstition	미신
	apprehension	우려
	awe	외경
	belief	믿음, 신뢰
	operant	1. 움직이고 있는, 작용하는, 자발적인 2. 기능공, 기사
	concomitant	1. 수반하는, 부수된 2. 부대 상황, 부수물, 공존성
	irrational	이성을 잃은, 불합리한
	indeterminate	1. 불확정한, 부정(不定)의, 막연한 2. 애매한, 미해결의, 미정의
	deflect	1. 비끼다, 빗나가다, 편향(偏向)하다 2. 구부리다
	rubbing	1. 문지름, 마찰 2. 안마, 마사지, (비명(碑銘) 등의) 탁본(拓本)
	diminish	줄이다
	psychic	영혼의
3	Adoptions by Transgenders
	Adoptions	채용하다, 양자로 삼다
	assuming	주제넘은, 거만한
	adoption	채택, 양자 결연
	adopt	채용하다, 양자로 삼다
	submitted	복종시키다, 제출하다
	stability	안정
	celebrity	명성
	adopt	채용하다, 양자로 삼다
	qualified	자격 있는
	privileges	특권