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제 27 호 What is the truth?

Kicker : Opinion What is the truth? Separating Fact from AI Fiction in Modern Media By Jung - Hyun Kang, Trainee - Reporter eyesens1262@naver.com Until just a few years ago, AI was considered a distant, future technology that was inaccessible to the average person. But now, it seems we use it so frequently that it's hard to imagine our daily lives without it. How many times a day do you use AI? For college students, the more effectively you utilize AI in class and on assignments, the better your results will be, virtually guaranteeing improved academic performance. However, there's a problem: is the information you use for assignments truly trustworthy?" One of the drawbacks of AI's advancement is that it can create believable information, even if it doesn't exist. People of all ages are still unaware that AI can create news, so they tend to believe any text, photo, or video is true. AI has advanced to the point where memes have even emerged on social media, asking, "Is this AI?" when they don't believe something actually happened. Just how convincing is fake news? Why has this phenomenon arisen? Real-World Cases In May 2024, a Korean woman lost approximately $55,000 in a romance scam after video chatting with someone impersonating Elon Musk. The scammer used deepfake technology to create a convincing video call, leading the victim to believe she was in a romantic relationship with the Tesla founder. This case illustrates how AI-generated content can exploit human emotions and trust. Deepfake technology is also being weaponized in investment fraud. What began as malicious celebrity image manipulation has evolved into sophisticated fake advertisements featuring deepfake versions of famous executives endorsing fraudulent investment schemes, causing significant financial losses to unsuspecting investors. A South Korean media outlet recently aired troubling AI-generated content, including a video of a sparrow supposedly saying "The lovebug's natural enemy is the sparrow," photos of fake environmental activists, and images of alleged North Korean factory pollution—all created by artificial intelligence. Perhaps most shocking was the discovery that "The Velvet Sundown," a band with over one million monthly Spotify listeners, was entirely AI-generated and never existed. The Detection Challenge Paradoxically, young people who grew up in the digital age, despite being technologically savvy, are more vulnerable to AI-generated misinformation. Their rapid information consumption through social media platforms prioritizes speed over verification. Social media algorithms compound this problem by promoting engaging content regardless of authenticity, creating echo chambers where misinformation spreads unchecked. A 2024 survey by South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT revealed that citizens ranked financial fraud and voice phishing crimes as the third most concerning impact of deepfake-based fake news, affecting 16.75% of respondents. This demonstrates widespread public awareness and concern about AI-generated misinformation. The psychological impact extends beyond individual deception. If people begin questioning every piece of content they encounter, it could erode trust in legitimate news sources and institutions. The speed of AI content generation far exceeds existing fact-checking capabilities—AI systems can produce hundreds of persuasive but false articles while human fact-checkers verify a single claim. Building Information Literacy Addressing AI-generated misinformation requires a fundamental shift in how we consume and verify information. Traditional media literacy, while still important, is insufficient when misinformation quality rivals authentic content. Educational institutions must prioritize critical thinking about information sources, teaching students to verify content across multiple channels before accepting or sharing it. This includes understanding AI systems, recognizing artificially generated content, and cultivating healthy skepticism toward convenient or bias-confirming information. Media organizations bear critical responsibility in this challenge. News outlets must invest in better verification tools, train staff to recognize AI-generated content, and maintain transparency about fact-checking procedures. Technology companies must develop detection systems that can identify and flag AI-generated content appropriately. Individual information consumers must adapt their habits and develop new navigation skills. This includes cross-checking sources, verifying publication dates and claims through official channels, and remaining aware of personal biases. Moving Forward The challenge of distinguishing fact from AI-generated falsehoods represents a defining issue of our technological age. Successfully addressing it requires coordinated efforts from educators, technologists, journalists, policymakers, and citizens. The ability to critically evaluate information will become as essential as traditional literacy skills. The stakes are too high to ignore this challenge. We must act now—before AI-generated misinformation becomes so sophisticated and widespread that distinguishing truth from fabrication becomes virtually impossible for average people. Our response to this challenge will determine whether technology serves to inform and enlighten society or becomes a tool for widespread deception and manipulation. Sources: https://www.chosun.com/economy/tech_it/2024/06/11/OQQJM3JH4JFNBLTTUTBZQBOXWE/ https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART003093079 https://www.msit.go.kr/bbs/view.do?sCode=user&mId=307&mPid=208&bbsSeqNo=94&nttSeqNo=3185217 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXG5afPjGME https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS87K647XM4

• 작성일 2025-10-01
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제 27 호 How Far Can AI Go?

Kicker: ISSUE - OPINION How Far Can AI Go? By Chae-yun Lee, Reporter o4nly_1@naver.com How much do we really know about artificial intelligence (AI)? From generative chatbots like ChatGPT to platforms that create art and music, and even editing tools such as CapCut, AI has woven itself into nearly every corner of our daily lives. Today, it not only helps with school assignments and everyday tasks, but also extends into creative fields once considered uniquely human. This raises an important question: just how far can AI go? Generative Chatbots: A Comparison When most people think of AI, generative chatbots are often the first examples that come to mind. Among the most prominent are ‘ChatGPT’ by OpenAI, ‘Gemini’ by Google, and ‘Claude’ by Anthropic. Each offers a slightly different approach to AI-driven conversation. ChatGPT has become globally recognized for balancing user-friendliness with detailed, coherent responses. Google’s Gemini, backed by the company’s powerful search infrastructure, stands out for its ability to integrate real-time information with Google’s broader ecosystem. Claude, meanwhile, emphasizes safety and careful reasoning, often delivering responses in a tone that feels more empathetic and reflective. Their differences highlight how rapidly this technology is evolving and how it is reshaping the way we interact with information. Picture 1: ‘ChatGPT’, ‘Gemini’ and ‘Claude’ The Advantages of AI The benefits of AI reach far beyond chatbots. Tools such as ‘Perplexity AI’ allow users to access vast amounts of information almost instantly, streamlining research and saving valuable time. Creative platforms like ‘MidJourney’ and ‘Stable Diffusion’ let users generate striking images in minutes—without professional training or expensive equipment. For students, this means projects and presentations can be completed more efficiently. For businesses, AI reduces costs by automating tasks that once required entire teams. For artists, while controversial, it offers a new way to experiment with ideas and expand creative boundaries. AI’s ability to save time, reduce labor, and produce polished results makes it an increasingly powerful companion in both academic and professional settings. The Other Side of AI Of course, AI is not without its drawbacks. One of the most pressing issues is ethics. Many AI art generators are trained on existing works without the creators’ permission, raising questions about copyright and fair compensation. In writing and music, AI’s ability to mimic the style of specific artists blurs the line between inspiration and plagiarism. Another concern is misinformation. Generative AI can produce convincing but entirely false texts, images, and videos. Deepfakes—AI-generated videos showing people saying or doing things they never did—pose serious risks to politics, journalism, and personal reputation. Misused, AI could spread falsehoods faster and more persuasively than ever before. There is also the problem of overreliance. Because AI delivers quick and polished answers, students may be tempted to lean on it rather than developing their own research, writing, and creative skills. Over time, this dependence could weaken critical thinking and originality, both of which are essential for academic and personal growth. Using AI Wisely So, is AI a friend or a threat? The answer depends on how we use it. AI can certainly act as a helpful partner—saving time, reducing costs, and supporting both learning and creativity. But it cannot replace human judgment, creativity, or responsibility. To thrive in an AI-driven world, we need media literacy more than ever—the ability to question, evaluate, and critically analyze the information AI provides. Rather than accepting its outputs at face value, we must verify, cross-check, and recognize the limits of what AI can and cannot do. AI is a tool, not an authority. As AI technology advances, its influence on our lives will only deepen. It is already shaping classrooms, offices, and art studios, and its role will continue to grow. But just as calculators never eliminated the need to understand mathematics, AI should never replace our ability to think, question, and create. The challenge for our generation is to embrace the opportunities AI provides while holding on to the skills that make us uniquely human. Ultimately, AI is not here to replace effort, but to redefine how we approach knowledge and creativity. As the technology grows more sophisticated, we, too, must grow wiser. The future of AI is full of possibility—but how far it goes is up to us. Sources: AI platforms and applications

• 작성일 2025-09-30
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제 23 호 ALIENS

Kicker: OPINION ALIENS Do aliens really exist? By Myung-Kwan Kang, Reporter Kmmg199999@naver.com Do you think extraterrestrials exist, or do you believe they do not? The truth is, no one knows for sure. In this article, we will explore what extraterrestrials are and discuss the possibility of their existence.Extraterrestrials, or aliens, refer to life forms originating from celestial bodies other than Earth. This broad term encompasses not only alien animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms but also specifically refers to life forms with intellectual capabilities. https://kr.pinterest.com/pin/38562140553429623/ Does extraterrestrial life exist? The universe continues to expand even as we read this. In this vast universe, there are stars, planets, and galaxies that we don't know about. However, there is a planet called Earth, and life forms called humans exist. In other words, the possibility of us existing on this Earth is extremely low. The existence of humans means that there may be life on other planets. For example, if someone goes to an amusement park every year, will they be able to go to the amusement park again next year? If you ask me, I will tell you that I will go if I can. However, if you ask the same question to someone who has never been to an amusement park in their life, they will probably say they can't go. In this way, we can think about the existence of aliens through inductive reasoning. On the other hand, a UFO that aliens ride on is an unidentified flying object, which refers to any flying vehicle that is thought to have aliens on board, but whose identity cannot actually be confirmed. In other words, it is an unidentified flying object, but no one can confirm whether it actually exists. America's Position The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) formed a research team of 16 individuals, including astronauts, astrophysicists, and astrobiologists, and published the results of their study on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) conducted over the past year. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that the team has not found any evidence that UAPs originate from extraterrestrial sources. The team attributed this to a lack of high-quality observational data necessary to scientifically support sighting claims. While many eyewitness reports are intriguing and persuasive, they are often inconsistent, and the data or sources to explain them remain unclear. Therefore, it is essential to use artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to collect and analyze data more scientifically and systematically in the future. https://kr.pinterest.com/pin/3448137208893833/ Additionally, NASA announced that it would support the government's UAP research with space observation tools and expertise. Administrator Nelson also expressed his personal belief in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. "The size of the universe observable by humans is about 46.5 billion light years in radius. However, we cannot know how big the universe is beyond the observable universe. Currently, there are 170 billion galaxies that we can observe, and each galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars. There are more than 400 billion stars in our galaxy alone. The world-famous astronomer Carl Sagan said, “If life were to exist only on our Earth in this universe, it would be a colossal waste of space.” Fermi's Paradox In 1950, Edward Teller, Herbert York, Emil Konopinski, and Enrico Fermi were having lunch in Los Alamos. The topic of their conversation was the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations, and they predicted that there would be countless such civilizations among the countless stars in our galaxy. While enjoying lunch and discussing, Enrico Fermi, who had been listening quietly, asked them: "So where are they?" This question is known as Fermi's Paradox. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox Considering the vast scale of the universe, the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent life is high. However, where are all those extraterrestrial civilizations? It would be expected that there would be many of them, but we have never seen any. Scientists around the world have come up with various hypotheses to solve this paradox posed by Fermi. Aliens Exist Already on Earth If you look at the Avengers and Superman, you will see that aliens are living in secret, blending with human society. Additionally, considering works such as the Pyramids and the Nazca Lines, some claim that aliens have visited Earth. Unable to Communicate According to astronomer Carl Sagan, extraterrestrial intelligent life exists, but it has not yet been able to visit Earth because their technology has not developed enough for interstellar travel. Similarly, humanity is sending out radio waves, but when these waves travel too far, they become distorted. Aliens Don't Exist American astrophysicist Michael H. Hart said that if there were a species capable of interstellar travel, there would be many aliens in the universe. However, not being able to see an extraterrestrial civilization means that it does not exist, and for a higher civilization like ours to emerge, a probability similar to winning the lottery 100 times in a row is needed. Extraterrestrial Civilization Has Not Yet Emerged This hypothesis suggests that humanity is the most advanced civilization in the universe. Because the universe is relatively young, having been created only 13.7 billion years ago, higher life forms may not have yet emerged. According to scientists' research, the universe could last for more than 1 trillion years. Therefore, the current age of the universe is young, and higher life forms may not have yet emerged. Based on the exploration of extraterrestrial life, it's clear that there are many viewpoints and theories about the existence of aliens. The universe is vast and largely unknown, with countless galaxies, stars, and planets suggesting a high possibility for life beyond Earth. Both historical and modern scientific efforts, like those by NASA, continue to investigate unidentified aerial phenomena and other signs, but solid proof is still missing. Thinkers and scientists, like Carl Sagan, have considered the chances of life in the universe, and paradoxes like Fermi's highlight the contradiction between the high likelihood of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of observed evidence. Additionally, cultural references and claims of ancient alien visits spark imagination and fuel ongoing debates. In the end, while there are strong arguments and evidence on both sides, the question of whether extraterrestrial life exists remains open. The pursuit of knowledge through advanced technologies and scientific research is essential as we continue to explore this profound question. The mystery of extraterrestrial life serves as a reminder of humanity's curiosity and the endless possibilities that lie beyond our current understanding. Sources: https://www.news1.kr/world/usa-canada/5172501 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCbDh09jV4M https://www.viva100.com/main/view.php?key=20200417010006541 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIEzWorFANc https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/23184582#home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=224jWmDzQlY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6drT03RWdY https://kr.pinterest.com/pin/4151824650912972/

• 작성일 2024-09-11
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제 22 호 Animal Diplomacy Through the Bao Family

Kicker: OPINION Animal Diplomacy Through the Bao Family By Su-Young Kim, Reporter /kimsuyoung@gmail.com Last April, a Korean-born panda named Fubao returned to China. As much as she has been loved by people, many people are sad. Fubao was born in Korea as the daughter of Ai Bao and Le Bao, who came to Korea from China in 2016 due to China’s panda diplomacy, but she must return to China because pandas, who have reached the age of four, need to mate. From now on, let’s find out what animal diplomacy is and what examples are there, including the panda diplomacy that China is working on. picture1 A Korean-born panda named Fubao https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/animalpeople/human_animal/1128866.html Animal diplomacy mainly refers to the dispatch of animals with special meanings, such as endangered and rare animals, as diplomatic special envoys to other countries. This has the advantage of being able to exert a great influence with a softer image than diplomacy in the military and economic fields. The representative animal diplomacy is China’s panda, which has become a symbol of Chinese animal diplomacy since China presented pandas to President Richard Nixon in 1972. South Korea sent ponies to the United States in April 1995 and received diplomatic specialties such as Siberian tigers in 2010, and polar bears in 2011 from Russia, and Siberian tigers and ibises from China. Let’s learn more about the history of animal diplomacy. History of Animal Diplomacy Giraffes, which mainly live in Africa, have been a good diplomatic gift for thousands of years. In 46 BC Caesar conquered Asia Minor and Egypt and returned to Rome, where he marched down the streets with exotic animals such as lions, leopards, monkeys, parrots, and ostriches to celebrate his victory and show off his power. Among them, the most prominent animal was the giraffe, believed to be a gift from Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. The Romans saw the giraffe and called it "Camelopardalis," saying it was a strange animal with both a long neck of a camel and a spotted pattern of a leopard. This word is still used as a scientific name for giraffes today. Since then, various rulers who ruled Egypt have conducted giraffe diplomacy. Constantinus IX of the Byzantine Empire also received a giraffe as a gift, and King Friedrich II of the Holy Roman Empire exchanged white bears for Egyptian giraffes. The Sultan Faraz of Egypt's Mamluk dynasty sent a delegation, including giraffes, to Samarkand, the capital of the Timur empire, to be seen well in the Timur empire, which ruled most of the Islamic world at the time. As you can see from the above case, animal diplomacy is one of the diplomatic methods between countries, and I found that there is a long history of mutual practice for friendly relations. But people are worried that pandas who used to live in Korea will return to China and be unable to adapt, so why did China set panda diplomacy as a rental form? A Change in the Way of Panda Diplomacy From the beginning, panda diplomacy was not done in the form of a lease. For example, after President Nixon's visit in 1972, the United States and China agreed to exchange animals in a friendly manner. Mao Zedong sent two pandas to the U.S. Zoo, and Nixon gave them two muskoxen in return. However, since 1984, China has not offered pandas as gifts to maintain their population. Instead, the other country receives about $1 million in rent every year on the condition of renting a 10-year lease. Rent is said to be used for panda protection and research. Thanks to these efforts, two years ago, Giant Panda's extinction rating went down one notch from "crisis" to "vulnerable." South Korea was initially awarded a panda couple, Ming Ming, and Li Li, in 1994 to commemorate the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China. But is this animal diplomacy okay for animals? From their point of view, the habitat where they live changes and various environments such as food, weather, and people suddenly change, so isn't it a selfish behavior of humans? Ethical Animal Diplomacy In recent years, countries that rent pandas have often returned them to China early because it is difficult to bear the cost of maintaining pandas with strict food, along with the annual rent they have to pay, When allegations of panda abuse were raised in the United States, PETA which is a global animal protection groups strongly criticized that family, friends, and social animals, like pandas, should not be forcibly dropped into their habitats and exchanged like gifts. In particular, Jason Baker, vice chairman of PETA's Asia branch, said, "Pandas are not objects that can be easily exchanged for diplomatic purposes," adding, "They are very intelligent and social animals that exist in close ties with family and friends, so they should never be exchanged randomly." Animal diplomacy, such as panda diplomacy, is a diplomatic method that has been implemented since ancient times and continues to this day for friendly relations between the two countries. However, as interest in animal welfare is increasing, I think we should consider reflection and diplomacy in other ways and reflect on if animal diplomacy is harmful to animals. Sources: http://newsteacher.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2023/09/27/2023092700090.html https://m.blog.naver.com/planet-keepers/223156224791 https://nownews.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20230304601007

• 작성일 2024-06-04
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제 21 호 What Do You Think of “Open AI” Being Sued for Defamation and Copyright Infringement?

Kicker: OPINION What Do You Think of “Open AI” Being Sued for Defamation and Copyright Infringement? By Su-Young Kim, Reporter /kimsuyoung1342@gmail.com Have you heard of ChatGPT? It is an interactive (Chat) artificial intelligence service based on Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) developed by Open AI. These days, you can see many college students doing assignments using ChatGPT. Since ChatGPT was released, it has been attracting attention and has been used by many people. Recently, however, ChatGPT has been going through an unsavory affair, being embroiled in lawsuits such as defamation and copyright infringement. Let's find out what's going on and discuss what you think about issues like this. According to Mark Walters, a gun rights activist in the U.S., ChatGPT described him as a “charge of embezzlement”. Walters heard from reporter Fred Riehl about ChatGPT's hallucinations. Liel asked ChatGPT to summarize Walters' nonprofit organization, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). However, ChatGPT accused Walters of embezzling SAF funds. It is a typical case of hallucination. Walters immediately filed a defamation lawsuit against Open AI. Open AI emphasized, "Chat GPT is not subject to defamation because it is not a publication." Open AI claimed, "Furthermore, its reputation was not flawed because no listeners actually believed in the content of malice or slander." For defamation requirements to be established in the United States, they must be false, must be announced to third parties without immunity, and the defendant's responsibility for intentional or negligence must be clear. In addition, the litigant must suffer substantial damage. The Georgia judge rejected the request to dismiss Open AI. Technica, a U.S. IT media outlet, said, "Open Ai’s claim does not appear to have been convincing to the judge," adding, "The judge ordered the trial to resume." *Litigant: A person who requests the court to exercise jurisdiction in his or her name and the person subject thereto such as plaintiff and the accused First, what is hallucination? It is a phenomenon in which false information is produced convincingly as if it were true. It is also the biggest drawback of generative AI. For this reason, companies hesitate to put generated AI into their systems or products. This is because if AI gives a wrong answer in the decision-making process within a company, it can have fatal consequences for management. Recently, AI hallucination solutions through search cognitive generation (RAG) have emerged. RAG is a technology that makes generative AI come up with a reasonable answer. Before AI answers, it searches for its own source or evidence. After that, the answer is presented based on the relevant evidence. Until now, the main methodology was the fine-tuning method, which retrains the model by putting corporate data into LLM. In addition to Walter's defamation lawsuit, the U.S. daily New York Times filed a lawsuit on December 27, 2023, against open AI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. The New York Times filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court in Manhattan, New York, arguing that "millions of articles published by the company were used to train chatbots as sources of information, and are now competing as reliable information providers." The New York Times negotiated with Microsoft and Open AI in April, but when it broke down, it filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit said it "must be held liable for billions of dollars in legal and actual damages" without exact financial demands. Last year, the Korea Online Newspaper Association (KONA) said, "Artificial intelligence learning is a service that processes the original work at a qualitatively different level from the service stipulated in the existing news service terms and conditions," and "It is not only unfair to use news without consent based on the 'research purpose' clause of the old terms and conditions, but also a clear copyright infringement." Also, the Korea Association of Newspaper called on Big Tech to stop widespread copyright infringement, such as using news content without prior consent or source specification when developing generative artificial intelligence. It was a request for Big Tech to consult with copyrighted media companies in advance on the standards and methods of using news content for the development of generative artificial intelligence technology and to establish a reasonable compensation system. This demand started first in the foreign media. Digital Content Next (DCN), an organization affiliated with the media group, released a table to ensure intellectual property protection, transparency, accountability, fairness, and safety, saying, "Most of the actions of media companies using content for the purpose of learning or producing results go beyond the "fair use" allowed as an exception to copyright law violations." It is 7 Principles for Development and Governance of Generative AI. According to this principles, generative AI developers and distributors should respect copyright holders' rights to content, and media companies have the right to negotiate and fairly compensate for the use of intellectual property rights. Copyright law should stipulate that content creators are protected from unauthorized use of content, and generative AI systems should be transparently disclosed to media companies and users. Also, Generative AI system developers should be held accountable for the results, and there should be no risk that generative AI systems will cause or cause unfair market competition. Finally, generative AI systems should be safe and minimize the risk of privacy infringement. What do you think? Do you think AI's hallucinations and copyright issues are serious? Or do you think it's too sensitive? How will you use Generative AI like ChatGPT in the future? Sources:https://m.blog.naver.com/tigensoft/223222776822 https://www.kina.or.kr

• 작성일 2024-02-21
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제 20 호 Smoking Bans in the United Kingdom

Kicker: OPINION Smoking Bans in the United Kingdom - Is it Really Possible to Quit Smoking? By Yun-Seo Jung, Reporter yysj1230@naver.com On October 4th, at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, northern England, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a national plan to create a non-smoking generation. The plan is to ban all cigarettes in 2040 by gradually raising the age at which people can buy cigarettes. As of 2023, the government designs to make it a "non-smoking generation" by legally prohibiting people from buying cigarettes under the age of 14.Prime Minister Sunak said, “People learn to smoke at a young age. Four out of five smokers start smoking before the age of 20,” adding, “The majority of these smokers try to quit later in life. “If we can break this vicious circle, we can eliminate the biggest cause of preventable death and disease.” he emphasized.He said, “I propose to raise the smoking age by one year every year from now on.” He said that the current age for purchasing cigarettes in the UK is 18, and it has been decided to raise this age every year.He said, "I suggest that we raise the smoking age by one year each year in the future." The current age to buy cigarettes in the UK is 18, and he proposes to raise it by one year each year.In fact, the UK already raised the legal selling age for cigarettes from 16 to 18 in 2007. According to the British government, the prevalence rate of smoking among 16 year olds and 17 year olds has decreased by 30% through these law changes. Currently, 6.4 million people in the UK smoke, about 13% of the population, and the government predicts that this policy will reduce the number of smokers by up to 1.7 million by 2075. According to the Kahn Report on Britain’s smoking policy, “The biggest cause of preventable disease and death is smoking,” and “Smoking causes 64,000 deaths annually.” Furthermore, Professor Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said, “Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death,” and added, “A smoke-free generation will significantly reduce the burden of health insurance on people.”The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that, "The negative environmental impacts of smoking are significant." and that "Countries should implement tobacco control measures." In fact, the process of producing and consuming cigarettes emits about 80 million tons of carbon dioxide every year, which is said to be similar to driving about 17 million cars every year. Although some people actively support the British government's smoking ban policy in order to prevent diseases and protect the environment, there are also opinions that banning individual smoking in the country itself is an infringement of individual rights. In addition, there are voices of concern that legal sanctions on this could revitalize the tobacco black market. New Zealand's smoking ban policy Then, let's take a look at the current situation in New Zealand, the country that first implemented the smoking ban, to find out whether the country's smoking ban will work well. New Zealand passed the world's first tobacco sales ban on December 13, 2022. The bill states that those born after 2009 will not be able to purchase cigarettes even if they reach the age of majority, and those who violate the law and sell cigarettes to the targeted will be fined approximately 125 million won. New Zealand has also reduced the number of stores where cigarettes can be sold to 600, 10% of the 6,000, and decreased the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes. However, due to the fact that these- smoking restrictions are targeted at cigarettes and leaf tobacco, the sales rate of electronic cigarettes has soared. In addition, electronic cigarettes are sold in front of schools, making them more accessible to youth. The New Zealand government originally advocated for electronic cigarettes, saying they help people quit smoking, but as the rate of electronic cigarette smoking among teenagers increased, they announced new regulations restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes on June 6th. The new regulations include banning most disposable electronic cigarettes and prohibiting new electronic cigarette stores from opening within 300 meters of schools. As mentioned above, a controversial part of the UK's smoking ban policy is electronic cigarettes. This is because the UK also does not include electronic cigarettes in its smoking regulations. Accordingly, the UK announced that it is considering imposing a tax of up to 80% on vaping devices, which are liquid electronic cigarettes. Actually, on July 7th, the British Times reported, “Tax vaping for a smoke-free generation.” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering imposing a levy on vape devices as part of a landmark bill to stop smoking. Then, he said, "It is the most important public health intervention policy by the government throughout history and generations," adding that there will be difficult decisions. The Times said that the government is considering a tax plan to prevent children from buying electronic cigarettes, and that regulations on electronic cigarettes are expected to be implemented. To sum up, the national smoking ban policy has the advantages of actually reducing the smoking rate, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and preventing the incidence of various diseases, but concerns about an increase in the sales rate of electronic cigarettes or a black market for cigarettes cannot be ignored. What do you think of this policy? If the country bans buying and selling cigarettes, would it really help people quit smoking? Please feel free to leave your comments below. Sources : https://www.mk.co.kr/news/world/10869065 https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25207079 https://www.bbc.com/korean/articles/cpryrwg5v4vo?xtor=AL-73-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnaver%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bkorean%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

• 작성일 2023-11-25
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제 19 호 The Battle of the Billionaires in Silicon Valley

Kicker: OPINION The Battle of the Billionaires in Silicon Valley By Jun-Seo Park, Reporter from23juns@naver.com Recently, Meta released Threads, a text based SNS. Threads received a lot of attention, with 30 million subscribers signing up within 16 hours of its release. Instagram officials introduce Threads as a new text-oriented space where you can freely share your thoughts, follow friends and creators you are interested in, and communicate with people all around the world with common interests. How to Use Threads It is easy to create Threads accounts because you can create a Threads account through your Instagram account without a separate signing up process. Threads supports up to 500 characters of text per post. In addition, photos and videos can be uploaded, up to 10 photos can be uploaded, and videos can be uploaded up to 5 minutes long. As an additional feature, once a post is uploaded, it cannot be modified. If you want to modify it, you must delete it and upload it again. There is Twitter, Threads-like SNS. But the difference from Twitter is no hashtag function and no DM* function. Also, Twitter supports follower feeds and time series feeds, but Threads does not support that way. In other words, there is no function to show only the posts of the people I follow, and there is no function to show them in chronological order. Instead, Threads shows you posts that fit your interests through algorithms. * DM: Direct Message An additional feature is that Threads is not supported by the PC version and can only be written lightly on the mobile. In my opinion, when people write on the PC version, they tend to write somewhat seriously, so I think it was intended to make it light on mobile. This orientation of Threads seems to be receiving some response. It shows that it is a simple SNS space where each person shares their opinions and thoughts. And in an era when directed photos or addictive short videos are overflowing, people who feel tired will likely be interested in Threads, which is an SNS that gives a light feeling. In addition, short-forms which means short videos, such as YouTube's ‘Shorts’ and Instagram's ‘Reels’, are gaining popularity, and I think Threads has satisfied the consumers’ desire which want a short-forms even in the text. There is Twitter as a text-based short-forms, but in people's perception, Twitter is considered closed because there is a lot of political and provocative writing, while Threads pursues an open and friendly space. Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg As mentioned earlier, text based SNS previously have Twitter, which Elon Musk acquired in 2022. Later, on July 6, 2023, Meta released Threads, which is very interesting. This is because there was an incident in June 2023 in which Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg announced that they would engage in a physical duel through a mixed martial arts game after causing conflicts online. Due to the release of Threads, the argument between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk is getting worse. Why Did Elon Musk Acquire Twitter? There are two main reasons why Elon Musk acquired Twitter. First, Twitter is more likely to be used for other purposes than to grow the function of Twitter's original business, social network services. Big data related to individual tendencies is needed to succeed in FSD** that Tesla is studying. If FSD is possible, you can watch movies and shop while driving. This is because big data related to individual tendencies and interests is needed to implement such services. There was no way Tesla could get this big data, but Twitter could be a great tool. Therefore, it can be assumed that the shell of SNS is needed rather than the original purpose of SNS. ** FSD: Full-Self-Driving. Driving a driverless car, which is the fifth stage of self-driving cars. Another reason Elon Musk took over Twitter is that Elon Musk's final dream of Twitter is to provide social network services and financial services at the same time. It is to call, send messages, shop, and pay with one app. Elon Musk has already taken the path of a pioneer for the digital finance business through PayPal, but has failed. PayPal's predecessor was X.COM, and Elon Musk had already planned to make X.COM the world's largest financial institution in 2000. And he is now trying to achieve his dream through Twitter, which he failed to achieve 22 years ago. So, it can be assumed that he bought it as a ‘private company’ last year, knowing that it was impossible in the form of a general ‘stock company’. In conclusion, it remains to be seen whether the newly released Threads will be able to win the competition with Twitter and dominate the SNS market. As the directions pursued by Twitter and Thread are slightly different, I hope that they will be able to move well in the direction they pursue. Sources: https://help.instagram.com/179980294969821/?helpref=related_articles https://www.aitimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=152314 Image source: https://maily.so/farmingletter/posts/5833d531

• 작성일 2023-08-11
• 좋아요 Like 1

제 18 호 Bitcoin

Kicker: OPINION (Economy) Bitcoin By Jun-Seo Park, Cub-reporter from23juns@naver.com Bitcoin price is rising as the end of the U.S. FED*'s rate hike has recently become visible. This price rise can be seen as reasonable because the market always looks to the future, not the present. However, the increased economic risks along with bankruptcy of banks in the U.S., which continued several times until recently, have adverse effect on the stock market. The reason is that in the case of stocks, valuation is based on the future cash flows of companies. So, if economic risk increases above a certain level, companies’ cash flow and financial soundness will deteriorate. In summary, the current situation is a mixture of two aspects. It is an increase of recession risk and liquidity supply due to a rate cut. In this situation, how about Bitcoin? Recently, there has been little correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market, and it has a higher correlation with gold. This is because it still belongs to risky assets, but at the same time, it also belongs to commodity assets. In other words, the economic risk increases, and accordingly, the favorable factors of increased liquidity due to interest rate cuts have a significant impact on Bitcoin. Also, the high correlation between Bitcoin and gold can be said that what Bitcoin ultimately aims for is to become a safe asset such as gold. So, let’s focus on the intrinsic value and principles of Bitcoin as to whether it can really be considered a safe asset. * FED: abbreviation of Federal Reserve System, United States central bank system that carries out the country’s monetary and financial policies What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is an open-source program created by an anonymous programmer named Satoshi Nakamoto on January 3, 2009. Satoshi Nakamoto has not been identified so far and is believed to be dead. For this reason, there is no issuer, and unlike existing currencies, quick and safe transactions between individuals called P2P are possible without the intervention of the government, central bank, or financial institutions. In addition, unlike the existing legal currency, which the government can mint more if it wants, the maximum issuance is limited to 21,000,000. So far, about 19,000,000 Bitcoins are in circulation. Bitcoin So, how is Bitcoin being made? Receiving new Bitcoin payments is called ‘mining’. Bitcoin mining can be said to be a reward for Proof-of-Work (PoW). To mine Bitcoin, you have to use tremendous computing power to find a very complex password called a ‘hash’ value, which is called PoW. Bitcoin’s Intrinsic Value People think of Bitcoin as a negative being with a strong speculative nature. For a representative reason, they think that Bitcoin is an illusion that has no intrinsic value.Before discussing the intrinsic value of Bitcoin, let’s think about the intrinsic value of legal tender. The legal tender used by most countries as a medium of transaction is secured only by trust of the country and has no collateral value other than that. In extreme terms, when the country goes bankrupt or is on the verge of survival, our legal tender immediately becomes a piece of paper. In other words, even the legal tender that we commonly use has no intrinsic value. The legal tender lost its value after President Richard Nixon of the United States declared on August 15, 1971, that the dollar would no longer be converted into gold. Previously, dollars had intrinsic value because dollars and gold were exchanged equally. However, from the day the dollars were freed from gold, the United States government was able to issue dollars without any collateral. Since then, legal tender, including U.S. dollars in most countries, have steadily lost their value, and inflation has continued to arise from the prices of goods and assets that should be purchased by exchanging currencies such as dollars. The Mechanism of Bitcoin: Blockchain and Halving Bitcoin’s system is a trust system based on no trust. To understand the meaning of this phrase, we need to understand blockchain, a technology used in Bitcoin. Blockchain is a form of distributed database managed through a P2P (Peer to Peer) network. And it is a technology that stores books containing transaction information in several computers connected to the blockchain network rather than in a central server. Therefore, since records of all Bitcoin transactions are recorded on the blockchain network, forgery is difficult and Bitcoin provides market participants with transparency and reliability. The ‘consensus mechanism’ is used to verify the validity of the transactions recorded on these blockchains. Here, the term ‘consensus’ is reached using the aforementioned PoW. Bitcoin Halving Bitcoin has a ‘halving’. Halving is that the number of Bitcoins per block mined through the process of PoW decreases by half every four years. On January 3, 2009, the first bitcoins were mined 50 bitcoins as compensation for the creation of the ‘Genesis Block’. Since then, due to the halving, it has been reduced by half every four years to 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 and as of 2023, 6.25 per block will be given as compensation. What does this mean? Assuming that demand is constant or increases further, prices rise, so if Bitcoin becomes scarce in the future, a price increase can be expected accordingly. It will be difficult for Bitcoin to be used as a key currency itself. Rather, in the current inflationary era, where legal tender can be printed without any limit, I think Bitcoin will be a means of storing value to preserve purchasing power in the long run. Now, Bitcoin is an object that we should study with interest, not with a negative view. Source: https://bitcoinone.net/bitcoin/reference/2021/the-genesis-block.html Image sources: https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/wealth/why-the-price-of-bitcoin-and-ethereum-is-surging-after-svb-collapse/news-story/8e98645e0592c2848f271041afca1c7f https://stormgain.com/blog/bitcoin-halving-dates-history

• 작성일 2023-05-31
• 좋아요 Like 3

제 17 호 Deglobalization

Kicker: OPINION Deglobalization By Jun-Seo Park, Cub-reporter from23juns@naver.com For decades, the global economy has been grown in terms of globalization. Developed country’s companies can manufacture high-quality product by using developing country’s cheap labor and low taxes. And these developing countries were able to grow by wages paid by companies in developed countries. As mentioned, so far, companies around the world have built factories anywhere in the world in pursuit of cheap labor and low taxes, free from a fear of war. But nowadays, it seems that deglobalization has been proceeding. Deglobalization is, literally, fragmentation of globalization. Countries around the world have been reducing their dependence and integration between the world by reducing exchanges of trade, investment, capital, and employment. Deglobalization is accelerating by the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and the hegemonic conflict between the United States and China. Deglobalization Accelerated by the Russia-Ukraine War The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the global economy has been enormous. It has brought high prices to the global economy, which was about to wake up from the COVID-19 pandemic. And also it has split global supply chain into two pillars of the United States and Russia, accelerating deglobalization triggered by the United States-China’s trade war. Russia started a war, and as a result, the United States and Europe has imposed economic sanctions on Russia. Economic sanctions such as price ceiling of the Russian crude oil have worsened international relationship. A Destroyed building at Ukraine by Russia’s invasion Cases of Deglobalization Have you ever heard IRA, CRMA, and Reshoring? These are the most representative examples of deglobalization. IRA is an abbreviation of ‘Inflation Reduction Act’. It was proposed to reduce government spending to curb inflation in 2022. IRA’s core content is that subsidies and tax credits are provided only for EV* produced in the United States. In addition to this, differential support is provided depending on how many of raw materials from the United States are used. IRA also includes preventing production of semiconductor companies subsidized by the United Sates government in countries that pose a threat to United States security, such as China. Accordingly, the EU introduced CRMA. CRMA is an abbreviation of the ‘Critical Raw Material Act’. It is supposed to legislate differential articles that EV batteries with low proportion of European minerals are imposed additional tariffs and curtailed subsidies. Reshoring is a phenomenon in which domestic companies that have entered overseas have been returning to their own countries. *EV: electric vehicles Hegemonic Conflict between the United States and China Since the 2008 global financial crisis that resulted from Lehman Brothers, the world has overcome the crisis by cooperating with the United States. At this time, China was weak to challenge the United States. So, all countries have joined globalization, focusing on efficiency, as a one-pole system centered on the United States. But nowadays, China has become as powerful as the United States in recent years. China and the United States are in competition with each other through future’s critical industry such as information technology and semiconductors. In this situation, deglobalization seems natural for the United States, which wants to maintain its hegemony, China, which wants to be reborn as a new hegemonic country, and protectionism triggered by these countries. Protectionism will accelerate theworld’s deglobalization. When the conflict between the United States and China is escalating, Korea has been with the United States in national security and China in economy. It’s time to finish the tightrope walk and stand on one side. This is because high-tech exports to China can deprive the United States of its hegemony and cause security conflicts with Korea. Which Side Should Korea Stand on? As mentioned, Korea has an important relationship with the United States in terms of national security. And China is also important in economic terms because China accounts for a large proportion of exports. When you think about the Korean economy, we should cooperate with China. But I think national security is much more important than the economy, especially after COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. Therefore, economic growth can be promoted only when national security is supported. So, we have to pay a lot of attention to the United States. Korea might have had the same proportion of diplomacy and exchange with the Unites States and China. Now, there may come a time when we need to reduce the weight of one side and increase the weight of the other. Do you think Korea should be with the United States or do you think it should be with China? Sources: https://www.newspim.com/news/view/20230203000450 https://www.doopedia.co.kr/search/encyber/new_totalSearch.jsp https://www.news1.kr/articles/4943005 Image sources: https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002818183 Trade war 'hasn't made America great again,' says China – DW – 06/02/2019 https://economychosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2022/11/21/2022112100001.html

• 작성일 2023-02-19
• 좋아요 Like 0