 영어토론방 | Home>영어토론방 |
No Hope for Korea?
페이지 정보
본문
Statistics from the Center for Immigration Studies in the United States show that about 172,000 South Koreans have immigrated to the United States since 2000. This number almost equals the total number of South Korean immigrants to the United States in the 1990s, which amounted to 183,000 in a span of ten years. Considering that it takes about three years to prepare for immigration, this shows that there was an upsurge of people who decided to emigrate after the financial crisis hit Korea in 1997.
If we include the number of people who have left South Korea for good and emigrated to countries other than the United States, the total number of emigrants from 2000 onward would be much greater. Those who sent their children for early study abroad programs are, in the long term, potential emigrants.
If we look at the enormous interest in emigration exhibitions and fairs, we can see there is a large number of people who are considering or preparing for emigration. On television shopping channels, emigration help programs are becoming hit products.
Why are these people leaving their home country for strange and distant lands? There are those who are leaving the hellish educational conditions of this country, those who cannot bear the deadly burden of private education expenses, those who cannot find a job in Korea and those who are leaving to find new opportunities for business. Another group of emigrants are those who can make a fair living here but are repulsed by the bickering in politics and the social injustice. They all have different reasons for leaving but to sum up, they are leaving because it has become difficult or distasteful to live in this country.
We cannot cling to them or blame them for leaving. Their exodus from South Korea is the result of the problems that Korean society has, and their exodus is not the reason for the problems. On the contrary, the increase in emigration is desirable in a way because it promotes internationalization and creates a worldwide network of Koreans.
What worries us is not the fact that emigration is on the rise but the problems in our society that make these people leave. The emigrants are trying to escape from the educational, economic, and political chaos that has gripped our nation.
These are problems that need to be solved by those who are staying here.
The number of schoolchildren in Seoul who went abroad for study hit a record high of 5,928 last year, an indication that parents are spending on their children's education despite the nation's sluggish economy.
A total of 5,928 schoolchildren went overseas between March 2004 and February 2005, up 33.9 percent from 4,427 in 2003, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education yesterday.
The figure has been rising since 2000 when the government allowed high school children to study overseas. Prior to that, those students had to go through checks with their local education authority. The total number of students nationwide who went overseas for study reached 10,300 in 2002, according to the Education Ministry.
When the number of students living overseas with their family is added, a total of 12,317 students from Seoul went abroad last year. In other words, an average of 34 students left Seoul per day.
"Parents think they would like their children to master English at a young age. It's like their children being insured," said education official Lee Eun-suk.
She said the struggling economy slightly affected some parents as the number of students heading for Asian countries surged 50 percent to 855 last year while students for Australia and New Zealand are decreasing. "The expenses are a lot cheaper and those countries (Asian countries) are closer," said Lee.
About 40 percent of students went to the United States, followed by 15 percent for Canada and 14 percent for China, according to the statistics
Question
1. Have you seen other going to foreign countries for better life or education?
2. Do you plan or want to move to another country for your or for your children's education?
3. For what reason do Koreans go or immigrate to America or foreign countries?
4. What impact will this(Korean leaving Korea) bring? What solutions can there be to stop this problem?
이 글은「대학연합영어토론동아리」www.pioneerclub.com에서 제공하는 영어토론 정보입니다.
If we include the number of people who have left South Korea for good and emigrated to countries other than the United States, the total number of emigrants from 2000 onward would be much greater. Those who sent their children for early study abroad programs are, in the long term, potential emigrants.
If we look at the enormous interest in emigration exhibitions and fairs, we can see there is a large number of people who are considering or preparing for emigration. On television shopping channels, emigration help programs are becoming hit products.
Why are these people leaving their home country for strange and distant lands? There are those who are leaving the hellish educational conditions of this country, those who cannot bear the deadly burden of private education expenses, those who cannot find a job in Korea and those who are leaving to find new opportunities for business. Another group of emigrants are those who can make a fair living here but are repulsed by the bickering in politics and the social injustice. They all have different reasons for leaving but to sum up, they are leaving because it has become difficult or distasteful to live in this country.
We cannot cling to them or blame them for leaving. Their exodus from South Korea is the result of the problems that Korean society has, and their exodus is not the reason for the problems. On the contrary, the increase in emigration is desirable in a way because it promotes internationalization and creates a worldwide network of Koreans.
What worries us is not the fact that emigration is on the rise but the problems in our society that make these people leave. The emigrants are trying to escape from the educational, economic, and political chaos that has gripped our nation.
These are problems that need to be solved by those who are staying here.
The number of schoolchildren in Seoul who went abroad for study hit a record high of 5,928 last year, an indication that parents are spending on their children's education despite the nation's sluggish economy.
A total of 5,928 schoolchildren went overseas between March 2004 and February 2005, up 33.9 percent from 4,427 in 2003, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education yesterday.
The figure has been rising since 2000 when the government allowed high school children to study overseas. Prior to that, those students had to go through checks with their local education authority. The total number of students nationwide who went overseas for study reached 10,300 in 2002, according to the Education Ministry.
When the number of students living overseas with their family is added, a total of 12,317 students from Seoul went abroad last year. In other words, an average of 34 students left Seoul per day.
"Parents think they would like their children to master English at a young age. It's like their children being insured," said education official Lee Eun-suk.
She said the struggling economy slightly affected some parents as the number of students heading for Asian countries surged 50 percent to 855 last year while students for Australia and New Zealand are decreasing. "The expenses are a lot cheaper and those countries (Asian countries) are closer," said Lee.
About 40 percent of students went to the United States, followed by 15 percent for Canada and 14 percent for China, according to the statistics
Question
1. Have you seen other going to foreign countries for better life or education?
2. Do you plan or want to move to another country for your or for your children's education?
3. For what reason do Koreans go or immigrate to America or foreign countries?
4. What impact will this(Korean leaving Korea) bring? What solutions can there be to stop this problem?
이 글은「대학연합영어토론동아리」www.pioneerclub.com에서 제공하는 영어토론 정보입니다.
댓글목록
등록된 댓글이 없습니다.