THAAD

Youjung Kwon

kwon1996@gmail.com

On July 13th, the Korean Ministry of National Defense officially announced the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) in the southeastern county of Seongju, a decision that brought up large amounts of controversy. With no end in sight to the protests, those who approve of THAAD, claiming it as a paradigm shift in the defense military system, and those discontented with the country’s disorder, still continue to collide. It’s not the first time mass protesters have gathered to publicly express their frustration. As much as THAAD triggers large amounts of dispute, it is portrayed to be a thoroughly complicated subject simultaneously affecting other countries. Through this article, we will try to clarify what THAAD is, and go beyond the bare facts to understand what the whole debate is really about.

What is THAAD? In retrospect, THAAD was first mentioned on January 15th, 2014, during a seminar held by the National Assembly, “How will we defend the North’s nuclear missiles?” THAAD, according to the Korean and US Ministry of National Defense, is defined as the following; THAAD, Terminal Altitude Area Defense, is an Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) first designed by Lockheed Martin in 1987 that intercepts ballistic nuclear missiles at its terminal phase. THAAD detects and tracks the threat that is launched from another country, and when the missile is on its way down, the THAAD missile is launched in order to stop the missile from fully landing. One THAAD missile is 6.16m long, has a diameter of 34cm, and weighs up to 900 kg.

 

Currently, Patriot-3 missiles exist as a nuclear umbrella that operates with an altitude of 40km, but if deployed, THAAD will be able to cover up to150km. The US Armed Forces in Korea plans to deploy one THAAD battery in Korea. This THAAD missile would be operated by the US forces only, and will have no relation to Korea’s defense operation control post.

Why does Korea need THAAD? In the big picture, Korea is the only country to be left divided, maintaining peace only under the Armistice Agreement in 1953. The deployment of THAAD is a joint response to North Korea’s constant testing of their missiles both on land and sea, with a definite intention to alarm US and Korea. The ongoing tension between the two countries snowballs the pressure to mount up systems of defense mechanisms. The expense for THAAD is mostly planned to be charged by the US; according to the US - South Korea Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), Korea would only need to provide the infrastructures that the THAAD would be deployed in, and the rest, including the developing, management, and maintenance would all be borne by the US. For these reasons, Korea does not need to supply any of the extra expenses, and at the same time, benefit from THAAD’s safety umbrella.

Then why is the deployment of THAAD an ongoing issue? Deployment without sufficient communication with the citizens became the first problem. As a defense, Park Geun Hye announced on July 21st, “ If there is any other defense mechanism that can save the Korean citizen from the North Korean nuclear missile, please suggest it to us,” in order to quell the citizen's anger. However, citizens doubt the true reason behind the deployment of THAAD, since it would be deployed in the US Military base, not near Seoul, where most of the Korean people’s population is situated. For these reasons, some are questioning if the real purpose of THAAD would be for the Korean people, since it would be situated in Korea.

The rise of tensions between the countries has also become another problem. Other countries’ outlook upon Korea is a crucial factor for Korea’s economy since Korea heavily relies on exports and imports amongst neighboring countries. In other words, Korea must reflect other countries’ suggestions in the deployment since some could find it unwelcoming. At the Shangri-La Dialogue held in May 2015, China had especially registered strong denunciation against the possibility of deployment because of the doubt that THAAD’s radar would be used for its original purpose. In other words, China was concerned that THAAD could use its X-band radar to intervene with China’s Anti-Access (A2) strategy, which defends China from outer threats. However, President Park Geun-hye has taken noticeably cautious efforts since 2013 in order to encourage peace between China and South Korea. Nevertheless, China seems inclined to treat South Korea as it did during the Middle Kingdom considering that China has been pressuring Korea to revoke the deployment of THAAD. This type of international intervention could hinder cooperative partnership between US, Korea, and China, and even delay the deployment of THAAD.

Korea is currently under a dilemma of whether to keep an international alliance with the US, or either to sustain the existing partnership with China. However, the core of this debate should be based not on where THAAD should be deployed, but on whether to place it in Korea at all. The only thing THAAD can be replaced by is sufficient diplomacy between all countries and even within our own country. If the genuine reason of THAAD deployment is for the safety of the citizens, there is no other better solution than peace. All countries must cooperate, in good faith, in order to persist through international unrest. The situation is grave, yet with internal and external effort, there is a way for all of us.

See EU Later

How Britain is rolling out of the European Union

Kwon1996@gmail.com

   On June 23rd 2016, Britain officially voted themselves out of the European Union (EU). Also known as the Brexit, the vote resulted in a 51.9 to 48.1, a 3.8% win for leave amongst 33,550,000 total voters. It has been 43 years since Britain entered the European Economic Community (EEC), the former group of the EU. In the following article, we cover everything you need to know about the Brexit, including what it is, why it happened, and the political, economic, and macroscopic impacts it will bring upon all of us.

What is the Brexit?

   Brexit is the combination of Britain and Exit, as Britain has been weighing either to leave or stay in the EU. Contrasting to the frivolity of the term, this referendum has mounted the most votes since 1992. The vote was initially proposed by David Cameron, the prime minister of Britain. Since the beginning of his term, he has emphasized the "in or out referendum," giving full rights to the citizens to decide the future of their country. Little did he know that because of these votes, he would later resign as the Prime minister. Britain's' citizens have turned their fate around.

The History between EU and Britain

   The European Union first began as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951 after World War two in an effort to alleviate the remains of war and to formulate an atmosphere of unity and free trade. In other words, the first six countries of ECSC unanimously decided that free trade would ensure interdependence and peace, decreasing collision amongst countries. The European Union has since functioned as a single market that manages all 28 countries under a unified system and law. Britain finally joined in 1973 after two rejections by EU’s president Charles de Gaulle of France. The EU strives under the following four principles:

 

- Economic to political union (policies on health, environment, security, migration)

- Mobility, growth, stability and a single currency (Euro, traveling without visa, resources)

- Human rights and equality (Charter of Fundamental Rights, Lisbon Treaty)

- Transparent and democratic institutions (Unfair power)

Why Brexit?

   Then why has Britain decided to leave? The first reason lies in the unfair economic and political stance Britain is pinned into. Britain has walked along with the EU’s unified policies, but has also kept their independence by using the pound. The pound was used as the key currency after the Second World War and before the US took over the trade economy, proving Britain’s financial power. However, since Britain became a part of the EU, following the EU’s regulations has hindered Britain from fully expanding and experimenting among the global market. As a result, Britain was conflicted into two groups, those that value the global power and tariff free trade in exchange for limited rights, and those that do not, finding more opportunities outside of the EU.

   Numerically, Stronger In, a campaign that stands with staying in Britain, claims that each household contributes around £340 to the EU every year, resulting in 10 times the amount of benefit that the EU provides with its membership. However, half of the people in Britain preferred this money to be decreased and invested into education, research and development. Thus, taking a bit of risk with enough ground seemed more of an advantageous option for Britain.

   The second reason lies in Britain’s discontent with the policies of EU concerning immigration. Starting from last year, the EU has set a certain number that the members of the EU need to accept. Britain, accepting the 7th largest number stirred controversy. The surge of immigrants have unintentionally and improbably lead to an unemployment drag. Thus, this accusation bloomed internal conflict and angst between immigrants and Britain’s citizens. Similar cases of this phenomenon seemed to arise in other EU countries, including France, Italy, Denmark, and so on, increasing the voices that demanded out of the EU.

   Lastly, there lies a psychological factor in the radical decision to leave the EU. After voting, many of the citizens confessed during interviews that they voted to leave because they felt far from inclusion in the British politics. Many felt that the opinions of citizens themselves weren’t being respected or heard. In other words, they felt that giving a shock to Britain and waiting for what would happen was better than the current social oppression that they were in. Political paralyzation, in psychological terms, can also be found amongst supporters of Trump. Leaders of Britain that are soon to take action must keep in mind that repairing the social damage is needed. The decision to leave was, to some extent, influenced as much by the lack of opportunity and distrust towards the government as the animosity towards the EU.

Brexit’s Impact

   Resulting from the three reasons above, the aftermath of the Brexit that is soon to impact Britain can be seen in the following three scenarios. Economically, there will be large amounts of currency that will leave with immigrants, submerging Britain into depression. Uncertainty of the future of the pound will also bring down its value. In fact, one week after Brexit, the value of the pound ntell the most since 1985. This will inevitably ensure second hand impacts in other countries, including Korea.

David Cameron, the Prime minister of the United Kingdom, has worked to reflect the opinions of Britain, but has constantly alarmed its citizens by emphasizing during his speeches that, “the future of Britain would become unsure <they> leave Britain.” After the Brexit was confirmed, he stepped down as prime minister and left the seat in chaos. Moreover, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), the largest party that stood with leave, had went back on one of its main promises, “We send the EU 350 million a week. Let’s fund our NHS instead. Vote Leave. Let’s take back control,” justifying it as a mistake. Neil Farage, UKIP leader who spoke live on TV right after the vote, earned a great amount of controversy and insult from even the leave voters.

   The political impact, on the other hand, also brings hardships for both political leaders and Britain’s citizens. The withdrawal of Britain follows Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, stating that in the short term of two years, Britain needs to look over its policies with the EU and choose what to keep and what to newly pass. This includes all policies ranging from the movement of products, services, capitals, and labor to politics, and national defense. Even if all of the policies are not set in these two years, Britain is automatically withdrawn from the EU, leaving Britain completely lost amongst the global market.

   Furthermore, even if Britain leaves the EU, it will be uncertain if they will be able to control the number of immigrants that enter the country. There are undecided gray areas for reasons to why people enter and leave a country, and even if discerning it becomes possible, Britain is still a free trade country that earns a large part of its income from trade. This means that simply blocking immigrants would not only mean less currency, but also a surge of hard feelings between Britain and the country where the immigrants come from. All in all, the promises the leave side proposed are all too one-sided, overly adventurous, and unstable to follow.

   Lastly, Brexit macroeconomically formulates an atmosphere of anti globalization and isolationism, and increasing violence. In fact, between June 16th and the 30th, there were a total of 3,076 Brexit related crimes, a 42% increase of 2015’s 916. The day after the decision of the Brexit, June 25th, recorded the highest number of 289 in just one day, which concerns the safety of both immigrants and Britain. This fact is crucial for understanding that stepping out of the pool of the EU doesn’t mean independence, and isolation for the exchange of others leaving only brings angst amongst each other. This finding may come in handy during the upcoming US Presidential elections in August, 2016.

What Next?

   Following the resignation of Cameron on June 24th, Theresa May has become Britain’s new prime minister for the leadership of the Conservative Party. As Cameron’s six years as the country’s leader came to an end, he announced his plans to stay on as the member of Parliament for Witney in Oxfordshire. May has said repeatedly that she will not trigger the Article 50 until she is sure Britain can access the single European market, but also gain the ability to set limits on EU regulations.

   A petition has been signed by over 4.1 million people for a second vote, the most since the government petition process was introduced in 2011. However, the Foreign Office responded, “The referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say,” and restated that it was important to figure out the next step to ensure the best possible outcome for Britain.

   Brexit has so far not noticeably impacted Korea. However, there will be imminent consequences in the automobile and marine industry once Britain and Korea signs a separate FTA as there is an automatic 10% tax on trade. This may lead to a decrease in trade and moreover, a change in in consumer psychology, which may impact the next few years. The Brexit is not only an issue for Britain and EU, but also for us in Korea. As students, we must stay tuned, enlightened on global current events, and keep a critical mind to become a true comprehensive citizens.

Anti terrorism

Youjung Kwon

kwon1996@gmail.com

   As society advances simultaneously with the expansion and amalgamation of various nations and cultures, terrorism and anti terrorism movements have gained momentum over the past few years. The abysmal episode of the 9/11 attacks and recent IS terrors among Middle Eastern nations have intimidated governments and struck fear into individuals all over the world. In order to alleviate this paranoid atmosphere, the Korean government promulgated and enforced a new Anti Terrorism legislation, number 14701 on May 3rd, 2016. In this article, we plan to examine the definition, purpose, and dynamics of anti terrorism, and finally the controversy that it stimulates.

   Anti terrorism legislation aims to prevent terrorism, prepare the nation for imminent danger, and protect its people from the threat it projects. “Terror,” according to anti terrorism laws, is defined as the unlawful use of force to intimidate or coerce against the government or local agencies for social objectives. Terrorism has five notable characteristics: First, it is premeditated. Second, it is directed at a wider audience than the victims. Third, it attacks random yet symbolic targets. Fourth, these acts are perceived by society as abnormal. Lastly, it tries to influence political behavior in some way, such as to persuade revenge tactics or undermine the government.

   During the 1970s, Italy suffered from the Red Brigades, a national terrorist group. They were led by Marxist university students that were ready to rise up against their "capitalist masters." They committed more than 10,000 terrorist acts throughout Italy, including kidnappings, bombings, political assassinations, and shootings, killing over 400 people. As the Red Brigade’s violence germinated over the years, the Italian government increased the authority of the police to stop them. One of the most successful tactics the Italian government used was to reduce the sentences of convicted terrorists if they volunteered to provide information about the Red Brigade activities. Many eventually decided to cooperate with the authorities, and the Red Brigade consequently began to collapse. By the mid-1980s, the Red Brigades were nearly extinct. This way, Italy was able to successfully counter its threat.

   However, although there have been effective measures taken to combat anti terrorism, there have been times where repercussion diverged from those actions have occurred. In the case of the US, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI, the US’ prime law enforcement organization) was criticized severely for consistently phone tapping without a warrant. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the FBI had used an elaborate program called Stingray in order to eavesdrop on suspicious phone calls over the past five years. Stingray is a system that includes an antenna, computer software, and a particular installation, and imitates a phone base station in order to connect to a phone without direct connection. When this fact was leaked, the FBI was denounced nationally. However, there was only public rage that took place, but no specific actions were taken in order to change the system. This was a public instance where an anti terrorism countermeasure had backfired.

 

   As expected, Korea is also going through controversy after this anti terrorism legislation was passed. The arguments of those who agree are as such: first, the nation is protected by a minimum amount of safety. As Korea has been a divided country with constant threats from the North, there is more need for the government to be cautious. Most of OECD countries have already passed counterterrorism laws and ran institutions that act as a control tower. However, domestic counterterrorism regulations are very weak, for there is a total of only five legislations related to terror statutes. Second, those who support anti terrorism assert the importance of premeditated elimination of those who are in great suspicion of terror acts by eliminating a small portion of everyone’s rights, rather than fully taking away everyone’s right to be safe. Lastly, ordinary citizens are not inspected, meaning there is no risk of personal information to be exposed or hacked.

 

   However, there is another side that disagrees to this legislation. Their reasons are as follows: when the government has the right to gather information without the consent of individuals, there is a possibility to abuse this power. This inevitably leads to those in power becoming only stronger with this dominance. Anti terrorism legislation opposes the basic human rights stated in the constitution, disregards the existing separation of powers, and fully goes against warrant requirement laws. Second, the anti terrorism law’s definition of “terrorist” is flexible and vague, meaning that anyone can be defined within this category with a bit of fabrication and comprehensive investigation. Although the nominal objective of anti terrorism laws was intended for the good of everyone, the end does not justify the means. In other words, individual rights should still be respected.

 

   Then what is an appropriate measure that the government can take in order to properly counter this problem? In a broad view, the government must focus on increasing education. Prevention is better than a cure, but unfortunately, our laws are more to serve as a cure than prevention. Nothing is better than fundamentally understanding the differences between one another to reduce hate and terrorism. On a more elaborate view, the government must modify the legislation that they have passed. The indiscriminate power to investigate without a warrant must be reassigned from the National Intelligence Agency to the counterterrorism center. Also, an institution of restraint must be set up in order to rein in rash decision-making.

 

   The recently passed anti terrorism legislation has created a permanent burden for the government and the nation. There are still many that hold suspicion against each other and authority, let alone uncertain regulations. Hardly a week goes by without an act of terrorism affecting innocent people in the wrong place and wrong time. When the nation is able to finally reassure its people, countering this scourge will become much easier.

 

Halal

Youjung Kwon

Kwon1996@gmail.com

 

   In such an ever growing technological society, which has inevitably resulted in instant and even unsanitary foods, reliability towards everyday dietary and tools has unfortunately plummeted. For this reason, halal food and cosmetics have become an upcoming trend to compensate for these problems. In this article, we aim to focus on what halal is, the two most latent contents of halal: food and cosmetics, and how Korea and even sejong is adjusting to the dissemination of this new movement.

 

What is halal?

   

   About one-fourth of the earth’s population, estimated to be about a little more than 1.5 billion, are Islamic muslims. Muslims base their lives on the scriptures of the Qur’an and thoroughly follow the contents indicated in the texts. Among the narratives that they specify, “Halal” means to be “allowed.” According to the Shari-ah law, halal is one of the five measures of morality: Ford (compulsory), Mustahabb (suggested), Halal (allowed), Makruh (not recommended), and Haram (prohibited). These five commandments are enforced as long as one does not suffer from it and are merged into the Islam culture, making them inseparable.

 

What is halal food?

   Halal food is food that has been processed according to the halal regulations, also known as Dhabihah. As the nature of halal food, it does not include haram: no poisonous substances, no liquid that stupefies (ie. potable alcohol), and no materials detrimental to the body. The reason why halal has funneled into the spotlight owes its reason to halal’s morally produced procedures and clean sanitation, which ultimately guarantees its taste, freshness, and quality. As a matter of fact, halal industry takes up 16 percent of the world’s, approximated to be about 160 trillion dollars worth.

   To understand “morally produced by Islamic law,” it means to avoid haram. First, hygiene and exact declaration of its components are crucial. There must be no excretion, blood or saliva originating from animals, and the ingredients inputted must be written according to the halal certification format. Second, additives contaminated by haram or humans are not allowed. This applies to the time beginning from its production to transportation and even retail.

   Extending on to Dhabihah, Dhabihah is a humane method of slaughter, purposed to kill with the least amount of pain required. The steps in butchery goes as such: one must first hold the animal’s head towards the Mecca, the holiest city according to Qur’an, and shout the phrases, “bismillah ir rahman ir rahim, Allahu ekber (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious. the Most Merciful / God is greater). Then, with a metal knife specifically made for the slaughtering process, the butcher must quickly cut from the neck through the veins to its esophagus. This is done in order to push out all of the blood in the animal’s body since Islamic law prohibits drinking of animal blood. A small merit rooting from this commandment is that the meat becomes softer, but a downside is that there is little gravy to enjoy after cooking. Along with the rules mentioned above, it is essential that the slaughtered animal is killed for the one purpose of being consumed.

   As demonstrated as above, halal food undergoes rigorous inspection in safety and hygiene, which promises establishment of trust amongst customers. In fact, credence towards halal food has heightened its popularity among wellbeing and vegetarian groups in countries such as US and Europe. Korea’s domestic market has also caught up to the pace by signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU: official partnership) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and by even promoting halal food in the Korean industry.

 

How does one obtain halal certification?

   In order to obtain halal certification, one must first fully understand the procedure that international halal certification institutions, such as JAKIM (Malaysia) and MUI (Indonesia), undergo to validate its process. As the expiry of halal certification is only one year, one must take into account and annually take note of the small changes of the process that the institutions make. After fully comprehending the procedure, one must visit Korean halal certification institutions, such as Pentaglobal, GCC, or Halal Industry Research Center, and go through the authentication process. Certification fundamentally depends on the Islamic law, which means full understanding of Islam as a religion is also required.

 

What is halal cosmetics?

   Halal cosmetics is, alike halal food, cosmetics that uses ingredients from halal substances. Because it does not include extractions from pigs or potable alcohol, countries such as Indonesia, favoring natural looks, are increasingly becoming interested in halal cosmetics. According to 2015’s, “Present Islam’s Economic Briefing,” global halal cosmetics is predicted to double, from 2013’s 40 billion dollars to 2019’s 73 billion dollars. These numbers are proportionately large in scale, considering it only includes halal cosmetics, not the whole halal industry.

 

How does halal differentiate from other types of cosmetics?

   As the nature of halal cosmetics, there are restrictions into what can be included as ingredients. Recycled water is not allowed and any substance affiliated with haram and animals classified as Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species and Flora (CITES) are prohibited. Although potable alcohol is banned, khamar, which is alcohol that does not intoxicate no matter how much consumed, such as Cetyl or Ethanol, is allowed.

   

   Halal cosmetics also shares differences and commonalities with Natural / Organic and vegetarian cosmetics. Organic cosmetics is usually regulated under the US Department of Agriculture, which legally monitors their cosmetics and other substances to be composed of 70 percent organic ingredients. This means it must be mostly naturally extracted, and preservatives, such as paraben and sulfate, are banned. Extending onto this guideline, companies thoroughly follow the expiry date and store their cosmetics in glass, rather than plastic or rubber, in order to maximize the quality.

   Similarly, Cruelty-free cosmetics and Vegan Beauty parallels with halal cosmetics in their faith. Vegan beauty, rooting from vegan and vegetarian, is usually classified by dermatologists as cosmetics that do not contain by-products of animals, such as fatty acids, collagen, and gelatin. Cruelty-free also shares the ideology of Vegan, where it does not include anything associated with any type of animal cruelty or animal testing. Halal can be seen as an ultimate combination of Organic, Cruelty-free, Vegan cosmtics, and essentially the halal certification.

 

What are Sejong students doing to raise awareness?

   Sejong Nanuri, Sejong’s Innovative and Sharing Volunteer Group, has fast realized this latent field of halal food and formed a volunteer group named Stimulating Culture Interaction (SCI). SCI aims to solve the lack of awareness in halal amongst Sejong students. They have held various programs, such as making halal rice balls, improving perceptions of Muslim culture by education, and selling halal food in the school cafeteria. Yoonjung Yang, one of the volunteers, commented, “It felt rewarding to visually be able to perceive the people's perceptions slowly change as we carried out the volunteer work.”

 

How should Korea prepare for the bloom of latent halal industry?

   Halal industry, including not only the above mentioned halal food and cosmetics, but also a whole obscure fields yet to be discovered, is expected to become the next big current. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: regional intergovernmental, political, and economic union of Arab states in the Persian Gulf) and international halal product certifying institutions are taking steps to cooperate, finding a way to better certifying procedures and environments.

   As halal is becoming not only a lifestyle tendency of the Islamic countries, but also of anyone who wishes for an upswing of daily customs, halal industry is expected to be a big hit. Hence, it is important for Korea to follow the current with eager anticipation, keeping up with the pace of International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHIA), to target consumer layers.