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제 12 호 Metaverse: An Invitation to the New World

KICKER: LIFE (TECHNOLOGY) Metaverse: An Invitation to the New World Yeong-Jin Choi, Editor pch39067@gmail.com As we are coexisting with Corona more than a full year, new technologies are being developed and introduced to the world. There are some old technologies, too, which are newly highlighted for their usefulness. Have you heard about the term, “Metaverse”? The word metaverse was first introduced in the novel, “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson in 1992. It is a newly coined word combining the word “meta” which means transcendence*, and the word “universe” which means the world. Thus, metaverse is a concept of fluently combining the reality and the cyber world. *Transcendence: Experience that goes past normal limits, or the ability to achieve this. Metaverse in Games Roblox, Fortnight, and Animal Crossing all share one similarity. They all use metaverse technologies, which combine the cyber world and reality. All three of those games above are both popular and high in profitability* worldwide. What makes a good metaverse model then? Three qualifications are needed in order to be successful. Animal Crossing First, a high degree of freedom is required. Users of metaverse create their unique avatar, and act freely. Users can either design the character that looks identical with them, or they can just make up a character with an attractive outlook. If they want to swim or catch a fish in the game, they are free to do so. If the users want to build a house and sleep in it, sure, it is up to their free will. Second, social connection is needed for a successful metaverse model. Communicating with other users online is one of the key elements. Chatting or even talking with their own voices are very welcomed, and if not, at least showing emotions can be a good option. It is important to offer the users to exchange their feelings and thoughts not just in the real world, but also online. We should know that metaverse technology is not for free or being voluntary. Companies and government embraced metaverse because it can draw people’s attention, and if attention is drawn, they try it. Therefore, third, profitability should be marked as the last key to success. Not only the presenters gain the chance of monetary* advantages, but the users also get the chance to make money. Roblox, for example, offers a studio where everyone can make their costumes and maps in the game, and they can make money by selling what they have made. *Profitability: The fact that something produces or is likely to produce a profit. *Monetary: Relating to money or in the form of money. Pros and Cons of Metaverse As the technology enables the users to be connected anytime, anywhere, possible advantages of metaverse would be: fun to use, bring people together, improve work and increase education efficiency as people work and study at their home. On the other hand, metaverse can generate addiction, separate the users from the real world, be hard to adapt for elderly people, and overstimulate* the senses. Some say that after they used metaverse technology to do their work and study at home instead of going out, they felt headaches and felt unusually exhausted afterwards. *Overstimulate: To cause a part of the body to produce too much of a particular substance or have too great effect on a process. Gather Town Metaverse in Sangmyung Have you heard of the platform, Gather Town? Gather Town uses metaverse technology for virtual office, personal space, and lecture room. One major class in the Global Area Studies uses Gather Town during classes, making students discuss about the given topic freely and fluently. Since the platform offers to make multi-discussion rooms simultaneously, students can be divided into small groups of four to five each and share ideas privately. Speaking out loud while seeing each other’s face in a private room really makes students to feel like they are actually in a real office room. As a student who is attending the class above, I had some hardships while using the platform at first. Since I have never experienced metaverse platform outside games, there were lots of things to keep in mind like to press x for object interaction, or to press g to go through other people when we are stuck. The hardest thing to adapt was to stay in the same area with the speaker in order to hear what he/she says, because when we are not near him/her, we cannot hear a thing. As time went by, however, when I started to realize how to use the platform easily, I thought it was quite meaningful. Listening to the professor lecturing is one thing but having an opportunity to fully participate in class was another. O/X quiz, for example, was one of the things our class tried during the class, and it felt like a real quiz game to me since I had to move my character to the left and right for an answer. Embracing new technologies is always both interesting and hard. Though the concept of metaverse has already been quite familiar to the modern people after the Corona virus, there are still a few tasks to solve like addiction and the difficulty to adapt new technologies for elderly people. I personally believe that metaverse technology still has to take the long road to commercialization*. Therefore, I hope that advancement in metaverse is made as soon as possible to make the world a better place. *Commercialization: The process of making a product or service available for sale to the public.

• 작성일 2021-11-22
• 좋아요 Like 0

제 11 호 What is PMS and PMDD?

Kicker:LIFE (HEALTH) What is PMS and PMDD? by Seo-Won Hong, Cub-Reporter / Yeong-Jin Choi, Reporter eunoia1025@naver.com / pch39067@gmail.com Up to 75% of menstruating women have experienced some form of premenstrual syndrome. Premenstrual syndrome, which is called PMS, has a wide variety of signs and symptoms. Women whose PMS symptoms are so extreme that they cannot do the normal things have premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It is called PMDD which is more serious than PMS. Through this article, I’m going to introduce what is PMS and PMDD, each symptom and mechanism and how to respond according to symptoms. In addition, I will examine the cause of PMS and PMDD. What is PMS? PMS refers to the physical and emotional symptoms that a woman experiences in the weeks before menstruation. Women get some premenstrual symptoms which start five to 11 days before menstruation and typically PMS symptoms go away once menstruation begins. The most common emotional symptoms of PMS include mood swings, depression, feeling upset, anxious or irritable, and oversensitivity. Physical symptoms of PMS can include abdominal bloating, acne, breast tenderness or swelling, digestive upsets including constipation and diarrhea, appetite changes with food cravings, tiredness or trouble sleeping. What is PMDD? Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is similar to PMS but is a much more severe form of PMS. PMDD has a more significant impact on a woman’s daily life so doctors and other experts classify PMDD as a depressive disorder. While 75% of women who have their periods may have mild PMS, PMDD is much less common. Only between 3% and 8% of women get symptoms of PMDD. Women who get mild symptoms of PMS may not need a doctor’s help to cope with the symptoms. However, PMDD is a more extreme form than PMS so it may require additional treatment. Women with PMDD might need to talk to doctor. A doctor diagnoses PMDD when a woman experiences five PMDD symptoms including emotional symptoms such as depressed mood/irritability, anxiety/tension, mood swings, impatience, etc. PMDD symptoms include diminished interest in daily activities, difficulty concentrating, easily tired and decreased energy, feeling overwhelmed or out of control, appetite changes, insomnia, painful cramping, and bloating. How are PMS and PMDD treated? Mild symptoms of PMS can be managed with lifestyle changes and sometimes medicines. Changingdiet to increase protein and carbohydrates and decrease sugar, salt, caffeine, and alcohol can help alleviate symptoms. Regular exercise stimulates the release of endorphins so this can relieve emotional symptoms. Meditation and yoga help irregular menstrual cycle. Coffee decreases blood pressure and causes irritation. Cutting back on caffeine can relieve the mood swings. Aromatherapy is also effective in coping with mood swings. PMS affects a woman’s headache when Estrogen hormones decrease. Eating beans, kidney beans, lentils, and flax seeds can help to maintain estrogen levels. Drinking enough water is necessary for abdominal bloating. Fatigue or feeling tired can be relieved by eating iron rich foods. Sometimes medicines can help manage symptoms. Women with severe symptoms of PMS or PMDD should talk to a doctor. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is one of the treatments for PMS. These medications are mood stabilizers and antidepressants. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, or NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, are prescribed to reduce pain. Diuretics also can be prescribed to reduce fluid buildup. Medicines should be prescribed by a doctor. Cause of PMS and PMDD Expert claims that the exact cause of PMs and PMDD is unclear. Yet, they have defined that levels of estrogen* and progesterone* drop during the week before the period can trigger the symptoms of PMS like back pain, headaches, tender breasts, and joint pain. Changes in brain chemicals or deficiencies* in certain vitamins and minerals can also play a role in causing PMS. Intaking too much salty foods, alcohol, and caffeine can worsen the symptom as well. Caution is needed with PMS and PMDD since they can worsen the symptoms of certain chronic conditions like asthma*, allergies, depression, anxiety, seizure* disorders, and migraines*. Plus, the symptoms of PMS can be similar to or overlap with other conditions like perimenopause*, depression or anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid* disease, and irritable bowel* disease. If you are uncertain whether you are experiencing PMS or something else, try to calculate the cycle of the symptoms. If the symptoms come and go in a distinct pattern, like month after month, it is mainly considered as PMS. If you are still uncertain, visiting a doctor is highly recommended. What usually causes PMDD then? Just like PMS, experts are unsure of what exactly causes PMDD. It might be an abnormal reaction to normal hormone changes that happen with each menstrual* cycle. The hormone changes can cause a serotonin* deficiency, which is a substance found naturally in the brain and intestines* that narrows blood vessels and can affect mood and cause physical symptoms. If a woman has a family history of PMS or PMDD or has a personal/family history of depression, postpartum* depression, or other mood disorders, or smokes cigarettes, she has a high rate of risk factors for PMDD. *Estrogen: A female hormone that is important in sexual development and that causes changes in the uterus. *Progesterone: A female hormone that causes the womb to prepare for pregnancy. *Deficiency: A state of not having, or not having enough, of something that is needed. *Asthma: A medical condition that makes breathing difficult by causing the air passages to become narrow or blocked. *Seizure: The action of taking something by force or with legal authority. *Migraine: Severe continuous pain in the head, often with vomiting and difficulty in seeing. *Perimenopause: The time in a woman’s life when changes start happening in her body that will result in the period when se gradually stops having blood flow from her uterus each month. *Thyroid: An organ in the front of the neck that is involved in controlling the way the body develops and works. *Bowel: The long tube that carries solid waste from the stomach out of the body. *Menstrual: Connected with the time when a woman menstruates. *Serotonin: A chemical in the body that carries messages from the brain that helps you feel relaxed and happy. *Intestines: A long tube through which food travels while it is being digested after leaving the stomach. *Postpartum: After giving birth. Connection Between Endocrine Disruptors, PMS, PMDD Some studies claim that endocrine disruptors* take a part in intensifying PMS and PMDD. Xenoestrogen*, one kind of endocrine disruptor which is easily found in toiletry preparations, cosmetics, sanitary pads, and underwear has a similar structure with in-body estrogen which disturbs normal estrogens. Volatile organic compounds like polymer absorber and phthalates* are well used to make sanitary pads. Phthalates is one kind of endocrine disruptor which can also disturb unbalance on estrogens. According to the Environment International Journal in 2020, over 90 percent of feminine sanitary products contained measurable amounts of phthalates, and some products were marked highly condensed. An authoritative survey carried out by the Ministry of Environment told that many women have experienced PMS when they used disposal sanitary pads. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment suggests changing the sanitary pad into organic pure cotton pads if suffering with PMS and PMDD. Since organic pure cotton pads include no chemical biohazards*, it can help ease the pain. *Endocrine Disruptor: A chemical that can affect the systems in the body that produce and control hormones. *Xenoestrogen: Xenobiotics that cause an estrogenic or an antiestrogenic effect in Metazoan. *Phthalates: A chemical compound used in making plastics, which is believed to be dangerous to health. *Biohazard: Something, such as a disease or a chemical, that may harm people, animals, or the environment. Even though lots of women go through their periods or experience extreme pain, and sometimes are unable to focus on their daily lives, women themselves consider that their pain is obvious and what they must endure. Yet, there is a lot of research made in the area of PMS and PMDD, and experts are trying hard to help ease women’s pain. What I want to emphasize is that it is very important to directly understand what can cause PMS and PMDD, what actions we can take to prevent the symptoms, and what can we do if we face PMS and PMDD. There is an old saying, “If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it”. How about we do not enjoy the pain but try to wisely avoid it this time? Sources: https://url.kr/umnt91 https://url.kr/q4e916 https://url.kr/3o4p1a https://url.kr/f4kdqn https://www.healthline.com/health/premenstrual-syndrome#symptoms https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/premenstrual-syndrome/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-pmdd https://news.naver.com/main/read.naver?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=004&oid=366&aid=0000298549 https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/premenstrual-syndrome-pms#symptoms-of-pms https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/premenstrual-syndrome-pms

• 작성일 2021-08-25
• 좋아요 Like 3

제 11 호 Trash Turning into Clothes, TRASHION

Kicker: LIFE (TRASHION) Trash Turning into Clothes, TRASHION A Sustainable Alternative to the Fashion Industry By Sol-Hyang Park, Reporter cookie7152@naver.com Do you know that the Fashion industry is one of the biggest factors in environmental pollution?Even those who are not interested in fashion know some of the world's famous fashion brands better than other fields. Like this, fashion already came deep into our lives friendly and, moreover, fashion has become a very important cultural style expressing our individuality. Therefore, we easily get to be indifferent about this problem and not to know the gravity of the situation. However, fashion is creating serious environmental problems that we should all be aware of, and fortunately, more and more consumers are now turning into "value consuming" in the Corona-era. Today, let me introduce 'TRASHION,’ one of the sustainable fashion trends. Background of Sustainable Fashion Trends The entire process of producing, selling, purchasing, managing, and scrapping in the fashion industry is considered as industrial pollution comparable to the oil industry – the fashion industry is the third most polluting of all industries. According to the U.N. European Economic Commission, it accounts for 10 percent of the world's carbon emissions.Much water is also used in making clothing. Approximately 20 percent of the world's industrial water is used to make clothing. Pesticides we use to produce cotton account for 20 percent of the world's pesticide use. Greenpeace also analyzed that we need 7,000 liters of water to produce a pair of jeans, and 32.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide are emitted in the process. What also accelerates the problem is the “Polyester,” the synthetic fiber that we use the most. Cheap and readily available polyester accounts for 60 percent of all fibers produced. However, in the manufacturing process, since it is a ‘man made’ fiber, a great deal of chemicals and fossil fuels are used compared to natural fiber. Life story of the Polyester Also, as we wear it and do the laundry, 35% of total microplastic pollution is caused according to a 2017 report by the IUCN (International Conservation Federation for Processing Process). This is equivalent to each person in Europe and Central Asia dumping 54 plastic bags into the sea each week. Furthermore, it takes at least 500 to 100 years to break down since their basic properties are similar to plastic. Clothes buried in landfills emit gas equivalent to 7.3 million cars on the road in the process of rotting. This gas contains carbon dioxide and methane, which is the cause of global warming. In other words, the whole process of making, washing, and throwing away clothes is a nuisance to the environment. Even worse, 'Fast Fashion,’ a trend that quickly produces and distributes clothing is in vogue. Fast fashion has grown rapidly in recent decades through SPA brands such as Zara and H&M, which have the design immediately reflecting the latest trends, low price, and fast product rotation. Along with, consumers buying and throwing away more clothes, the cycle of production of throwing away of clothes is accelerating. As more and more people are aware of the seriousness of these problems, “Sustainability’ has become a fashion trend in recent years, especially “TRASHION(or upcycling).” What is Trashion? Trashion is a new term combining "Trash" and "Fashion," which is a fashion using used goods and trash. This is largely in the context of upcycling, the rebirth of substances that need to be discarded as more valuable substances, rather than be thrown away. Trashion appears in various forms. As long as we re-use the garbage to be thrown away, we can apply it to fashion more than we can imagine. - Newspapers, plastic cups, CDs, foils, wrappers, paper boxes, etc. Anything can create new artistic value if we display our sense of fashion. A representative example of trashion is “FREITAG," a global upcycling bag brand based in Zurich, Switzerland. FREITAG was founded in 1993 by brothers Marcus and Daniel Freitag, and they wanted to develop a waterproof functional bags at first rather than pursuing environmental protection. However, in the process of getting the material, they started with the rebirth of trucks’ waterproof fabrics from factories, car seat belts, and waste bike rubber tubes, and it is currently making $7.77 billion a year in revenue. FREITAG, located in an industrial complex in Zurich, separates each colorful waterproof fabric from trucks, cleans them, and turns them into products like bags and wallets.FREITAG drew attention as it upcycles waterproof fabrics which once were trash, and also each product has the only design in the world since the fabric has no fixed color or pattern. Why Expensive? Who’s Buying? What about the price? You can think it would be cheaper to reuse trash, but it is not. Upcycling is a new design work itself - it recycles discarded materials but also adds new designs to recreate them as valuable items, so its value increases. FREITAG is also high-priced, around 200,000 won to 8.7 million won. It’s because all products are handmade, and due to the characteristics of the production process, there are not many products. It also reflects the value of the design, process, effort, and time of recreating. In fact, some say that FREITAG is too expensive compared to its quality, but many people evaluate it positively as it exerts efforts to protect the environment. They acknowledge and respect the value. Since its foundation, it has been creating a huge fan base of consumers. The main consumers of trashion are the MZ generation who are young and prefer to purchase products which have socially significant importance. This is because they think they can express their values by purchasing and possessing eco-friendly brand products. As MZ generation's eco-friendly consumption trend continues, developing products considering the environment is now a must, not an option, in the fashion industry. Become a New Business Model Along with this trend, many start-up fashion companies around the world are expanding their businesses by building their own trashion like FREITAG. Furthermore, many existing large fashion companies are also introducing this new business model considering the growth potential of upcycling. You can see many trasion shows all over the world. In the case of Korea, Kolon, a Korean fashion company, established “Re;CODE” as an upcycling fashion brand to reduce the inventory of clothes being incinerated. It has been expanding trashion with inventory collection (using inventory of clothing from affiliated brands), a industrial collection (using airbag, car seats), and military collection (using old military supplies). Recently, it collaborated with NIKE, continuing to make new attempts. In addition, ‘CUECLYP’ collects discarded umbrellas and makes various fashion items. Umbrella is often thrown away when the flesh or head is broken, even if the fabric is fine. Cupliff collects these umbrellas ,separates, washes, and uses them as unique fabrics. Moreover, it creates new products by fabrics from discarded air bags, discarded tents at camping sites, and Tybeck which can be recycled 100% as a plastic. On the official site, you can see various fashion items such as bags, pencil cases, and airpod cases. Ther are also card case kits that can make card cases, so that you can experience upcycling by yourself at a low price. Also, it has been actively collaborating with other companies recently. It produced Hyundai Motor Studio event goods with BTS and Pocari Sweat Blue Label's campaign goods. ‘UI: KIN’ makes bags by processing canvas thrown away by new writers and art students. It gets a lot of attention as it reduces the gap between fashion & art and cycle talent as well as resources. Besides, if you search with interest, there are many brands that make trendy products with an eco-friendly mind. Trashion was not loved from the beginning. It was recognized as dirty made of trash, used goods, and old. Moreover, there were many different kinds of clothes besides them, so it was too hard to be part of fashion.But trashion is now a beloved trend in the fashion industry. It is not only eco-friendly, but also a solution to fast fashion in the modern era, changing our perception of upcycling. I hope that there will be many efforts to develop trashion more, and everyone won’t take it for granted. In other fields beyond fashion, if we all try with concerns for the environment, the Earth and humans can co-exist.

• 작성일 2021-08-24
• 좋아요 Like 1

제 10 호 Lost Jobs, Disappearing Jobs, and Growing Jobs

Kicker: SOCIETY Lost Jobs, Disappearing Jobs, and Growing Jobs by Nam-HoYun, Eugene Ha, Reporter tree32847@gmail.com eugine16@naver.com One of the goals in most people’s lives is to have a decent job and get a high salary. College students usually spend most of their times studying and, participating in club activities to make “specs” to get a job they want. Jobs are surely a part of our lives, but some jobs are gone and never will come back. What caused them to disappear? What kinds of jobs are disappearing? What can we learn from the past? Jobs that are forgotten You may have never heard about knocker-ups, but their job was simple. They woke the workers up in the morning just in time so that they can prepare to go to work. Some just knocked the doors, and others used pea-shooters or sticks. You could see knocker-ups until the 1940s and 1950 in Britain and Ireland. Unfortunately, as alarm clocks were getting more affordable and the spread of electricity sped up, knocker-ups had to find other jobs. ▲ Knocker-ups Switchboard operators are also one of the jobs that cannot bring home the bacon. They were popular from 1880s to 1960s. Back in the days, switchboard operators connected calls by inserting a pair of phone plugs into the appropriate panel. Sometimes, they also had to respond to the questions regarding their company, which is similar to today’s customer service representatives. As the technology evolved, not requiring human interaction between calls, switchboard operators can only be found in history books. ▲ Switchboard operators The 4th Industrial Revolution and COVID-19 Jobs that we see today might not be the same tomorrow, or next year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics, the number of locomotive firers, respiratory therapy technicians, and even accountants are decreasing. Jobs that are vulnerable to new technology or automation are mostly in danger. ▲ Jobs that are about to disappear At the same time, data analysts and scientists, AI and machine learning specialists are on the rise. We are living in the era of The Fourth Industrial Revolution. It means that the boundaries between the physical world and the digital world are getting blurry. Now we can order foods, buy clothes, pay rent, and chat with others with the tip of your finger on your smartphone screen. As the process gets simpler and faster, the total number of jobs will eventually decrease. In other words, because of the internet (mostly because of AI and robots), the speed of jobs growing or declining is faster than ever. Thus, the global pandemic is pushing this shift to the limit. Nowadays, we see more kiosks than employees everywhere. For example, fast food store employees and warehouse workers will continue to decrease due to the influence of robots and kiosks. Like the aforementioned knocker ups and switchboard operators, they can disappear into the past. Now, we are currently living in the COVID-19 era, with social distancing, non-face-to-face classes and non-face-to-face meetings being the trend. In the meantime, digitalization and mechanization are developing rapidly, and we can predict many jobs that will disappear in the future. Jobs that will disappear McKinsey, a global consulting firm, published a report titled "The future of work after and-19" that introduces future jobs. This job future report, which narrows down more than 800 jobs to 10, provides predictions about jobs that will disappear. ▲Predictions about jobs that will disappear - Retailers, banks, post office workers: frontline employees interacting with customers on site - Leisure, travel, hotels, restaurants, airports, entertainment: in the long run, labor demand is likely to slow down due to the transition to remote work and the accompanying decline in business trips. - Office staff: all administrative staff working face-to-face in the office will disappear (hospitals, courts, factories, etc.). - Production and maintenance work: factories, farms, residential/commercial sectors, etc. In the post-COVID-19 era, three trends will accelerate. Telecommuting, e-commerce, automation and AI. Telecommuting is perhaps the biggest and most obvious of the effects of COVID-19. It was analyzed that more than 2,000 of the 800 occupations would continue to work from home. ▲Online meeting E-commerce has also grown 2 to 5 times more than before the pandemic. E-commerce, delivery and social media jobs increased by 5.1 million. Virtual tasks such as telemedicine, online banking, and streaming entertainment services are also emerging. ▲E-commerce Finally, automation and the introduction of AI in areas of high proximity will accelerate. McKinsey surveyed more than 800 CEOs and said two-thirds of them planned to increase investment in automation, robots and AI. In fact, many companies have deployed automation and AI in warehouses, grocery stores, and call center manufacturing plants to reduce on-site density and address the surge in demand. ▲ Introduction of AI from Hyundai Historically, jobs have changed as new technologies have emerged, problems have improved, convenience has been pursued, and human quality of life has improved. If there is a job that disappears, there is another job that occurs. Especially in the 21st century, there is a tendency to shorten the lifespan of jobs and shorten the period of change. Accordingly, experts say that securing human-like creativity, which is difficult for artificial intelligence such as design thinking to imitate, is a way to survive in the future job market. Also, as this change is accelerating due to COVID-19, there will be more jobs that will disappear from our lives today. We need to slowly prepare to adapt to job changes with the new world. Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-35840393 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchboard_operator https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/04/30/the-u-s-jobs-disappearing-the-fastest-infographic/?sh=46d3130f1b86 https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19 https://www.facebook.com/McKinseyGlobalInstitute/photos/a.10150308137096428/10157584087671428/?type=3

• 작성일 2021-05-28
• 좋아요 Like 0

제 10 호 Why Luxury?

Kicker: LIFE (LUXURY CONSUMPTION) Why Luxury? Luxury Consumption of the MZ Generation By Sol-Hyang Park, Reporter cookie7152@naver.com CELINE, DIOR, BVLGARI, GIVENCHY & GUCCI, BALENCIAGA, SAINT LAURENT! You must have heard of those luxury brands. Each group of brands are affiliated with the fashion group company, LVMH & Kering. Stock price of the two companies continued to curve upward in the Covid-19 rebound. As the saying, “There is no recession in luxury goods,” shows, consumption of luxury items is steadily increasing despite the continuation of Covid-19. Who, why, is buying luxury goods? Soaring Popularity of Luxury Goods From the start of the Corona Pandemic, the fashion industry has been hit hard. According to the MTI(Ministry of Trade and Industry), the total sales of the main three department stores (Lotte, Shinsegae and Hyundai) fell more than 10% last year from the previous year, as people do not go out and buy new clothes in the recession. Despite this situation, however, the total sales of luxury brands of the department stores in 2020 increased by 15.1%, and also, this year's total sales of the 1st quarter increased by 21% compared to that of last year. Furthermore, there is still an open-run chaos in front of the department store's luxury hall, where people line up for a long time before opening. Revenge Spending The first thing many experts say about why they are so enthusiastic about luxury goods is revenge spending, in which suppressed consumption desires are vented. They say that many people are tired of staying at home due to the prolonged Covid-19, so they purchase luxury goods for refreshing. It seems that people have spare money saving on dining out, overseas travel, and leisure expenses semi-mandatory, then spend money on luxury goods. Furthermore, compared to last year, people who were limited in activity are slowly going out and buying things as they get used to the pandemic and become numb to the Covid infection. In doing so, not only online but also offline consumption of luxury goods is rising steeply. MZ Generation Who is the main consumer of such luxury goods? Luxury goods were exclusive to middle-aged people, but in the past 1-2 years. the main consumers of luxury goods is moving to 20-30s as the purchase of luxury goods in 20s has increased rapidly.According to Statistics Korea last year, the major department stores, Lotte and Shinsegae Department Store account for nearly 50% of luxury goods sales in their 20s and 30s. At this rate, it is said that 20-30s will soon surpass half of the total sales of luxury goods. Experts say the young MZ generation soon surpass half of the total sales of luxury goods. These consumers are called ‘MZ generation’, which includes Millennials and Generation Z, ranging from late teens to late 30s. They are familiar with the digital environment that uses SNS a lot and have a strong characteristic of pursuing unique experiences. Flex Culture Flex culture, a culture that shows off one's success or wealth, is a big part of their luxury consumption. Flex culture is a culture that shows off one's wealth to others by saving money diligently and purchasing luxury goods, where self-satisfaction and self-expression coexist. With the development of SNS, the desire to reveal oneself in SNS naturally leads to this Flex culture, and this showing-off culture is expanding into luxury shopping. The consumption desire suppressed by Covid-19, seems to be more prominent as it meets the flex culture. In fact, we can easily see luxury related contents such as luxury shopping haul and luxury hashtags through social media such as YouTube and Instagram. The main consumers of this content is also the MZ generation, and they are used to purchasing luxury goods by obtaining luxury information and tips through SNS. Increased Online Luxury Sales Platforms The increase in online luxury sales platforms that allow non-face-to-face luxury shopping is also a major reason for the increase in luxury consumption. We used to buy luxury goods cheaply at local or airport duty-free shops while traveling, and also many luxury brands treat offline stores as their main distribution channel. However, recently, we can buy diverse luxury goods online freely. Not only the brand’s online shopping mall, there are many luxury online shop where luxury brands are collected in one place such as Kakao Talk gift giving, Trenby, Luxury Gallery, and Dcode. The main consumers of these channels are, of course, the MZ generations who are familiar with online shopping and overseas direct purchasing. Luxury Brands & Department Stores Aimed at the MZ Generation Now the MZ generation is called the big hands in the luxury market, and many luxury brands are changing to reflect this. Targeting the MZ generation, they have begun to produce a collection of new, trendy and colorful attempts aimed at young people rather than sticking to the traditional classic designs. In addition, many luxury brands are selecting popular idols and actors as their ambassadors(models) for their brands to build a young image. Moreover, they also combine virtual reality such as hot games and avatars. For example, Gucci recently collaborated with Geppetto which is popular among the MZ generation. Above all, they work hard on SNS such as Instagram and YouTube, promoting all of these activities and communicating with the MZ generation. Luxury brands trying to communicate with the MZ Many department store companies are also introducing ‘2030’ memberships, strengthening their use of private cafes, birthday benefits, and luxury lineups to lower VIP entry barriers. "The Hyundai Seoul," which was opened at Hyundai Department Store recently, has also emerged as a hot place for the MZ generation, with hot restaurants and cafes gathered together, decorating lounge spaces with designs aimed at them. As much data suggests, the consumption power of the MZ generation will gradually increase. This phenomenon is expected to be over a new culture, not a sparkling consumption due to Covid-19. However, some people take a critical view of the luxury consumption of the young. They say luxury consumption cannot be reasonable, and it is just unwise overspending. However, it is freedom of consumption to satisfy one's desires with the money one earns, so one has no right to say anything, whether or not the consumption is reasonable. On the other hand, as they advise, it is recommended to control oneself from excessive luxury consumption beyond one's spending capacity. As the saying goes, “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.” Let’s spend happily in due degree so that you won’t regret in the future!

• 작성일 2021-05-28
• 좋아요 Like 1

제 10 호 Eco-Friendly Soap, Reborn – Zero-Waste Trend

Kicker: LIFE (ECO-FRIENDLY) Eco-Friendly Soap, Reborn – Zero-Waste Trend By Eugene Ha, Reporter eugine16@naver.com Do you know the recent entertainment program "Yoon's Stay"? Yoon's Stay is about Korean celebrities serving food to while tourists who are visiting Korea and staying at a hanok. Special types of shampoo and toothpaste were provided to guests here. Solid toothpaste and paper-wrapped shampoo in glass bottles, not ordinary plastic containers, have become a hot topic. Environmental soap has been an issue in Korea since recent years. Recently, it has been talked about in connection with the zero-waste movement to use eco-friendly products. Let's find out why eco-friendly products and, environmental soaps have become an issue and what the zero-waste trend is like. TvN's ‘Yoon’s Stay’ recently ended with a reality program for foreign guests who enjoy the Korean atmosphere in a hanok. Yoon’s Stay's amenities, which appeared in the first episode, brought great attention. Solid eco-friendly shampoo, body wash and toothpaste started as somewhat unfamiliar but meaningful items. They are placed in a glass bottle without a tube container or plastic container. It became a hot topic as much as the beautiful old houses and neat Korean food. ▲TvN program, Yoon’s Stay's amenities As the number of voluntary plastic-free users has increased recently, soap has been newly highlighted. Most liquid sanitizer containers are plastic, but soap simplifies packaging by using paper, etc., and there is no plastic waste left after using it up. Commercialization of Solid Soap Solid soap, which was used as a popular cleaning agent in the past, has given way to liquid cleaners such as shampoo, body wash, and cleansing foam by function since the 1990s. There's also a bad perception that people who don't care about their skin use this soap because it's a bit cheap. However, as the category "hand-made soap" was created a few years ago, the price and quality of the product have increased, and some people have been using soap. Recently, more and more people choose this solid soap because plastic waste is not emitted. In particular, people in their 20s and 30s have seen a movement to minimize plastic in their daily lives, and soap has begun to draw attention as an environmental alternative to liquid sanitizers. The eco-friendly brand 'Aromatica' introduced four types of soap bars late last year in line with consumer demands for solid soap. According to brand officials, demand for shampoo bars has increased in particular. ▲ The eco-friendly brand Aromatica’s soap bars The Reason for the Increased Demand for Soap. First, the quality of the soap itself. Unlike the old soap, soap with abundant foam and no pull after use was made, applying technology such as making soap with food ingredients and compressing liquid ingredients as it is. Second, there is a hot issue about zero-waste. No matter how much the quality has improved, it is true that it is uncomfortable compared to liquid cleaners. It is easy to soften and hygienically manage in humid bathrooms. Nevertheless, the increasing number of people choosing soap means that the zero-waste fever is hot enough to bear the inconvenience. What is Zero-Waste? Zero-waste refers to the preservation of all resources through responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery, without burning all products, packaging and materials, without discharging them into the land, oceans, or air that could threaten the environment or human health.A few years ago, the zero-waste challenge, which reduces waste generation, was popular in everyday life. Less waste, a similar term, refers to eco-friendly values or lives that reduce unnecessary waste emissions to protect the environment, which is a little easier to challenge than zero-waste. It is difficult not to discharge any waste right now. So we call it zero-waste, but it's actually more of a less-waste. ▲ Zero-waste How To Do in Daily Life - Refusing things you don't need: You must refuse disposable straws or spoon paper cups provided for the packaging of beverages or food. Nowadays, many people write down a lot as a requirement when delivering. - Use item for a long time - Think twice before buying something - Good recycling - Recycling abandoned things Many companies, including McDonald's, which removed straws, AmorePacific, which introduced refill stations, Iris, which removed vinyl labels, and Starbucks, which replaced existing straws with paper straws, are already participating in the zero-waste challenge for the environment. As clean beauty and vegan beauty become issues, many companies are participating in zero-waste, with beauty brands gradually reusing packages. Solid soap is receiving a lot of attention due to zero-waste and has recently become a hot topic due to a program. Not only this, but a number of other eco-friendly movements are slowly settling in with us. Recently, many people have a lot of eco-friendly values. If you didn't know about the zero-waste movement, let's take this opportunity to find out and join together because it seems to be a trend that we should continue to pursue. Why don't we start with something simple?

• 작성일 2021-05-27
• 좋아요 Like 1

제 9 호 Information You Do Not Want to Miss for Stock Investment: For Stock Newbies to Make a Fortune

Kicker: LIFE (STOCK MARKET) Information You Do Not Want to Miss for Stock Investment: : For Stock Newbies to Make a Fortune By Dong- wook Kim, Editor/ Nam-Ho Yun, Reporter smartpodo@kakao.com / tree32847@gmail.com When the KOSPI broke the 3,000 point mark, from late 2020, regardless of age or gender, everyone is becoming a shareholder. Among the new investors in the first half of 2020, 53.5% of the investment is made by people in their twenties, of which more than 25% are university student investors. University students’ interest in the stock market is at a climax right now. Compared to 2019, the number of new stock accounts of which 20s made has quadrupled and stock lectures and YouTube contents based on the stock information are highly increasing. Why are university students eager to invest in the stock market? What made them to be interested in stock investments? I will cover this social status from the perspective of university students. In addition, let us find out some information for university students who just started to invest. Investing is Inevitable Since people started to wear a mask to protect themselves from the global pandemic, they also had to protect their wealth. First, the interest rate is near to zero (0.5%). This means that the economy is in a bad situation, and banks are not able to provide a high interest rate. Historically, college students preferred putting their money in a bank. However, with the interest rate coming down, there is almost no merit. Second, it is easier than ever to start investing in the stock market with a smartphone. MTS or Mobile Trading System has become popular among college students. They are familiar with using new technologies and smartphone applications. At the same time, internet banking also has become famous and easy to use. With their synergy, everyone can move their money 24/7 with a few taps and scrolls on the smartphone screen. Third, every price is going up. House prices in Seoul are a good example. The average house price (34 pyeong, 112.2m2) is now above 600 million Won and it is still going up. Even Bitcoin, which many consider as a dangerous asset, is now above 50 million Won. Looking at these prices, college students have no choice but to start investing their money into the stock market. There are many other reasons why college students eagerly invest their lump sum of money in the stocks. They may be different, but they all desire to make money for their future. Lots of opportunities and optimism seem to be lying in the stock market for most university students. Needy Tips for Investing in Stocks You might wonder how can university students invest in the stock market. There is a list of things that college students should refer to when investing in stocks. Some people lose money when they invest, while some people earn a fortune. What are the differences between them? How can you earn money in the stock market? Usually, most of the normal investors tend to buy stocks by just looking at the graph. Without knowing the theory of buying and selling stocks, you have a great chance to lose your money. Stock is a unit of capital issued by a traded stock company listed on the stock market. In simple terms, it is for companies to make extra operating funds, so they give out some percentage of the management rights to their shareholders. You now know the basic term of how stock is traded in the market. Then you might ask, ‘When do stocks rise and fall? If stocks were issued by companies, are they the ones who are in charge of the price?’ This is half right and half wrong. Companies have a limited number of stocks, so they are not able to control the stock prices arbitrarily. The stock price basically follows the supply and demand law. Because the number of shares that can be issued is limited, if there are many people who want to buy, the price will go up and if there are many people who want to sell, the stock price will go down. However, there is another way that stock price can be decided. It is by estimating the value potential of a company. It chains with the supply and demand theory because people will start to buy more shares of a bright company. Referencing financial statements of the company can work too. Financial statements usually contain accounting reports of the financial status of an enterprise. They are a kind of an advertisement to shareholders for companies to report their financial status. There are four important factors to look out for in financial statements. They are balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements and footnotes. Summary of Financial Statement of Megastudy® (Unit: one million won) 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 Liquid Asset 83,724 90,650 81,373 55,381 25,920 Non-Current Asset 390,380 342,166 285,818 229,052 205,904 Total Assets 474,104 432.816 367.191 284.433 231.824 Current Liabilities 147,587 147,572 129,518 93,301 53,643 Non-Current Liabilities 50,565 34,687 21,719 13,329 6,455 Total Liabilities 198,152 182,259 151,237 106,630 60,098 Capital 1,184 1,182 1,176 1,162 1,162 Total Capital 275,952 250,557 215,954 177,803 171,726 Total Capital&Liabilities 474,104 432,816 367,191 284,433 231,824 This sheet is the balance sheet of a company called ‘Megastudy’. The total assets of this company were sharply increasing from 2016 to 2019. You can also check that the total liabilities of the company are increasing which means the company needs more money for management. These are the signs that shareholders are after for this stock. The stability of a company depends on the increase of capital they own. Even though Megastudy® did not provide footnotes, they act as a simple summary for complex numbers in financial management. Thus, we can guess that Megastudy® is a stable right-wing directed company in the long term. For more details of companies, you can join some chatting rooms in kakaotalk which summarize the main events happening in the stock market. All That Glitters is Not Gold Isaac Newton, who found Newton’s laws of motion, bought shares of a company named the “South Sea Company” in 1720. It was one of the so called “hot stocks” during that time. Unfortunately, he lost 20,000 Euro while investing in the company, which is now worth more than 130 million Won. He could make an outstanding theory by watching an apple falling, but he failed to predict when the stock price will fall. Even one of the greatest physicists could not beat the market and had to leave empty-handed. You have to ask yourself why you are willing to put your money in certain stocks. Is it because someone recommended the stocks? Or if you are totally new and just started investing because it is what others do, you should be careful. Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is what people usually underestimate. It is desirable to set your own financial goal and investment thesis. There are so many financial “gurus” out there on the internet. On YouTube, there are countless YouTubers recommending good-looking stocks. Interestingly, there is almost no one commenting when their hot stocks come crashing down. Everyone has to be responsible for their decisions. In addition, the stock market is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Every now and then, there will be ups and downs. Unprecedented events will happen. The ones who hold for the long term usually win. S&P 500 index for example, which contains 500 companies in the U.S., had an annual return of 10%-11% from 1926 to 2018. Therefore, if you invest your money in the stock market with your own decision and aim for the long term, the rest will naturally follow. <Historical chart of the S&P 500 Index> Sources: http://corp.megastudy.net/sub04/sub02_2.php http://www.sisamirae.com/news/article.html?no=42397 https://www.macrotrends.net/2324/sp-500-historical-chart-data

• 작성일 2021-03-06
• 좋아요 Like 5

제 9 호 Polices That Change From 2021

Kicker: LIFE (POLICY) Policies That Change From 2021 : Focused on Youth Aged from 20s to 30s By Dong- wook Kim, Editor smartpodo@kakao.com In January 2021, everyone is enjoying the start of the new year of the cow. There are a lot of changes in 2021 especially in policies that some youth can have interest in. What are some new policies that can benefit Sangmyung University students? Can these new policies help students to live a better life? I will explain some changed policies from the increase of minimum wage to housing benefit that can be tempting to students. Raise of Minimum Wages and Soldier’s Salaries One of three university student is told that they are doing a part-time job. This shows how much college students work. There is a great news for these diligent students. The raise of a minimum wage. All the part-timers are familiar with the word ‘minimum wage’. Minimum wage means the minimum amount of money that an employee gets paid after some work is performed. The unit of the minimum wage is calculated per hour. There are some kind employers who pay their part-timers more than the minimum wage, but most of the employers pay their workers the minimum fixed by the law. In 2021, the wage becomes 8720 won, which there is increased 1.5% by 2020 at 8590 won. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, they have decided to raise the minimum wage in 2021 due to COVID-19. They are expecting to rapidly overcome the pandemic if low-wage worker’s lives stabilize. For a quick calculation to feel this raise, if you work 209 hours in 2020, you were expecting to earn 1,795,310 won. If you work the same amount of time in 2021, you will earn 1,822,480 won. Summarized Minimum Wage of 2021 The soldier’s salaries are also waiting for a raise in 2021. If you are a robust Korean man, it is inevitable to do military service for about two years. It would be great to earn more money than before. The budget for the military service in 2021 is expected to have the highest growth rate and the money for improving soldier’s welfare is expected to be the best so far. Salaries of Sergeant by Year The salary of a soldier is expected to increase 12.5% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Sergeants earn 608,500 won per month. Next on, corporals earn 549,200 won, and privates earn about 496,800 won. One more thing, for the first time 10,000 won is provided to the soldiers for haircuts. Tuition Notice Obligations for Pilates and other Sports Facilities To reduce the inconvenience of making phone calls or to visit the place to find out the price, fitness centers, Pilates facilities and golf practice centers must post the prices outside of the business establishment. For instance, if fitness centers post the price, they should post it precisely like 30,000 won a month if applied for a year. This change is expected to bring convenience for consumers to compare the prices of the sports facilities and enjoy activities at a reasonable price. New Certificate for Animal Health Technicians So far to be an animal nurse to assist veterinarians, you need to complete the course through some specialized school facilities and then graduate from a university with a related department. However, the age of 20 million pets is expected to happen which is about one out of two households is raising a pet Due to this amount, systematic management of animal health care is needed under the government’s direction. Animal technicians are needed desperately, so the government made a new certificate for the animal health technicians. Animal health technicians’ treatment is expected to get better and pet lovers are expected to get better services. Merging of Digital Jobs Job openings are getting harder and harder due to the economic downtown, but the job market for IT/Internet jobs which are the key factors of the fourth industrial revolution is growing day by day. According to the job positioning company Saramin, compared to other jobs, the number of IT fields related jobs has increased 25.7% more than the previous year. Since the smartphone came out, it is common news but the increasing rate of the digital jobs is unusual. Due to COVID-19, the demand for internet services and the spread of smart devices has accelerated, so companies are hiring a lot of server and security experts more than ever. If you are having a hard time getting a job, why not move to IT? Separate Payment for Housing Benefits for Youth From 2021, single young adults in their 20s who live apart from their parents can get some money support from the government. This includes most of the university students who live in a different area from their family or live in a dormitory. Households whose income and property are not greater than 45% of the median income will benefit from this new policy. The amount of support that you would get depends on your percentage of income and the number of household members in your family. The money is paid separately to the account designated to you on the 20th of each month. Housing Benefits for Youth (Unit:won/month) Number of Households Seoul Incheon, Gyeonggi Province Sejong City, Metropolitan City Other area One 310,000 239,000 190,000 163,000 Two 348,000 268,000 212,000 183,000 Three 414,000 320,000 254,000 217,000 Four 480,000 371,000 294,000 253,000 Five 497,000 383,000 303,000 261,000 Six 588,000 453,000 359,000 309,000 Applying for the separate payment is quite simple. You can visit the community center near your residence or visit the online homepage of ‘Bokjiro’. Some documents to certify your condition whether you are suitable for the payment are needed. Bokjiro Page for Applying Separate Payments Like the policies that the article introduces, since students are focused on studying and employment it is hard to be interested in these beneficial policies. Why don’t we pay a little more attention to the newly revised policies which can benefit your busy life? We do not know whether these policies might help make our lives easier. Sources: https://www.jobaba.net/thema/3092/02 https://www.mk.co.kr/news/economy/view/2020/12/1304041/ https://www.smlounge.co.kr/woman/article/46926 https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2020&no=719944

• 작성일 2021-03-02
• 좋아요 Like 5

제 8 호 Changing of Makeup Trends

Kicker: LIFE (MAKEUP) Changing of Makeup Trends Makeup is not essential By Eugene Ha, Reporter eugine16@naver.com Usually, many women take longer to get ready to go out than men. If you have a job associated with your image or, on a day when you have to look good, you have to pay attention to your looks and clothes hours before you go out. However, now a new makeup trend has emerged due to corona. This has also brought about a change in our lifestyle too. Some women are on a cosmetics diet by not putting on makeup at all or minimizing steps, which is also linked to the anti-corset movement to break away from the obsession with appearance. Now what happened to the makeup trend? Let's find out about the new cosmetic trend issue. A Downward Trend in Color Cosmetics Color cosmetics have been in recession since Covid 19. The first reason is to refrain from going out due to social distance, and secondly, color cosmetics have the characteristics of being applied to the mask well. In fact, in the Women's Beauty Category Report 2020 on Open Survey, the top 3 cosmetics products, which have been used less than before Corona 19, have been released. The first liquid foundation is 37.1% lower than the previous one, and the second cushion is 40.9%. Lastly, lipstick shows a trend of decreasing by 56.7%. When we look at the figures from online shopping malls, Lotte Home Shopping reported that the amount of orders for color cosmetics decreased by 31.6% in February. Gmarket, which recently surveyed color cosmetics between July and August, decreased by 12% compared to the same period last year-on-year. As you can see, color cosmetics have lost their popularity in the Corona era. New Makeup Trends, Eye Makeup The current makeup trend is shifting to a tendency to emphasize eyes instead of lips, which used to be number one in color makeup. Eye makeup has also increased significantly in the proportion of product sales, and export items are also driving this trend. GS Retail's Health & Beauty Store Lalabla announced in April that sales of eye makeup products had increased significantly. According to CJ Olive Young, the No. 1 health and beauty store in October, eye makeup sales rose 13 percent year-on-year and color cosmetics sales declined, although the ratio of eye makeup products was 39.7 % in January when Corona was not in full swing. As a result, various beauty brands are quickly responding to changing in this makeup trends, reflecting that in an atmosphere of stagnant color, the proportion of color makeup that emphasizes eye makeup is being marketed with a strategy that does not place much emphasis on color. New Normal, Mask Makeup Instead of omitting the lips covered by the mask and skin makeup that can be applied with makeup, more and more women are emphasizing their eyes clearly and splendidly. As the cosmetics industry is increasingly interested in makeup that will not smear on masks, various mask makeup tips are being shared on SNS, focusing on the newly coined word ‘maskproof’. In addition, make-up has now emerged for an era of choice, not a necessity. As mask wear has become mandatory, it is supported by many women to create natural skin while doing makeup, except for invisible parts. Do Not Want to Wear Makeup, Out of the Corset Women's lives have also changed greatly. Some women are participating in cosmetic diets and do not wear makeup at all or minimize the makeup phase while putting on makeup only on areas that are not covered by masks. There are women who have been suffering from skin problems such as contact acne due to long-term use of masks. There are also many people who do not wear makeup or only eyes on the streets to keep their masks safe for long periods of time. It is also linked to the anti-corset movement to break away from women's obsession with appearance. In the post-Corona era, as more people declare no-makeup or simplify the makeup stage due to the frustration caused by masks, the trend is being reshuffled around various functional cosmetics such as skin and lotion rather than color cosmetics too. As result, the makeup trend created by corona has made it easier for women to go out without having to wear makeup. Even those who thought it was essential are no longer required to wear it. Cosmetics manufacturers are able to make and export eye makeup products. It is so sad that we cannot do our color makeup properly because of the mask, but this new makeup culture trend seems to be meaningful because it has influenced and brought about changes in various aspects of our lives. Sources: https://www.mk.co.kr/news/business/view/2020/07/721206/ https://www.fnnews.com/news/202008271408152185 https://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LS2D&mid=shm&sid1=103&sid2=376&oid=421&aid=0004913073

• 작성일 2020-12-07
• 좋아요 Like 1