Issue 1 by Seoulite

Seoulite 2016 SEOMUN XIX NOVEMBER 25

24 PAGE S

TH E T RUTH A B O U T CLI MAT E C H A N G E MEE T YO UR S E C R ETA RY GE NE R A L

THE ESSENCE OF DEBATE

Seou lite Novemb er 2016 I ssu e #1

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Editors-in-Chief:

Reporters:

Sarah Kim, William Son

Alice Kang

Fiona Cho, Kirsten Huh, Sarah Jung, Kate Lee, Sia Cho, Samuel Oh, Eric Hwang, Dawn Kim, Yejune Park, Helaine Lee, Justin Chang

Assistant Editor :

Layout Artists:

Alice Lee

Marie Park

Jiwon Chung, Christine Lee, Seoyun Yoo, Young Jin Park, Catherine Cho, Jaywon Yi, Eugene Song, Andrew Kim, Alex Lee

Layout Editor:

Photogrophers:

Joonhee Han

Andrew Lee, Angela Ahn, Allyson Kim, Katie Ahn, Eileen Kwon, Anna Ganus, Brian Chun, Soo Yeon Kim

Managing Editor :

Copy Editor :

Photo Editors: Brian Kim, Esther Hwang

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Hello delegates, We are the editors-in-chief of Seoulite, the annual press publication of SEOMUN. We are honored to serve delegates, chairs, advisers, administrative staff members, directors and other participants throughout the SEOMUN conference. It is our utmost hope that all delegates have access to fruitful debates on different worldly topics and that they learn something new from this conference that they had previously not known. Over the next three days, our team of reporters, layout artists, and photographers will be creating a total of four issues of Seoulite and not only document the heated debates and potential remedies to global crises, but also capture the new friendships that were formed throughout this conference. We would like to ask the delegates and chairs for three things: First, please pick up our carefully made issues every day and read through the pages – we promise to fill our issues with interesting content ranging from migrant crises to nuclear proliferation along with a couple of pages of pure, simple entertainment. Second. When a press member approaches you for an interview, please cooperate – feel free to offer staff members your uncensored and personal opinions. Third, make sure to check out our Dropbox link, which will be shared to you by your Secretary General, as well as the SEOMUN website for dazzling color copies of all our issues! We will also be sharing all the images taken over the course of the conference, so look out for candid shots of yourself in intense debates. We wish all delegates the best of luck – happy SEOMUN!

Editors in Chief Sarah Kim, William Son

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NEW TALENT KEEP FOCUS & PROFESSIONALS by Samuel Oh

I’m not dismissing the value of higher education; I’m simply saying it comes at the expense of experience After the opening speeches in the General Assembly 1 (GA1), the delegates were divided into four different groups, with each group conversing on a different issue. The issues that were being discussed upon were broad, yet critical global crises. The four issues that GA 1 will focus on for this year’s conference involve regional conflicts, spread of communicable diseases, economic inequality, and the distribution and manufacturing of illicit drugs. The second group, which focused on increasing international cooperation to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, consisted of thirteen delegates that each proposed different ideas for potential resolutions. One of the policies that a few delegates agreed on was one that encouraged further implementation of educational programs that would increase the public’s awareness of basic preventative measures for disease.

“Certain courses including ways to prevent diseases and basic hygiene should be made mandatory in schools at a very early age so that people are aware of certain diseases and how to prevent them in their daily lives,” said Michael Rivera, delegate of Venezuela. “Programmes or workshops could also be created in order to educate not only children but also adults who do not have much knowledge about this area.” Other delegates in the same group thought otherwise, emphasizing that establishing an emergency protocol in case of a disease outbreak would prove to be more effective than implementing educational programs. “When there is a new disease outbreak, there could be an emergency protocol that a nation or the UN body as a whole adheres to in order to efficiently take care of the situation,” said Alex Yoo, delegate of Kuwait. “For example, a nation could have rules regarding the shutdown of schools and other public areas in the case of a disease breakout.” The remaining delegates, who could not agree with either of the resolution ideas presented by their fellow delegates, agreed on the idea of creating a sub-body in the UN that would deal with disease outbreaks. They argued that the existence of such entity would be effective to not only limit the spread of pre-existing disease, but also to prevent the outbreak of new diseases. “A sub-group or organization within the UN, made up of specialists and experts, could be created in order to efficiently deal with the flow of information of research of this field in order to facilitate the process of making a vaccine or taking precautionary measures,” said Felix Lee, delegate of Libya. These resolutions were found to be popular and are likely to be debated upon in the following days of the conference.

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DISARMAMENT COMISSION: THE JOURNEY TO PEACE by Helaine Lee

According to the delegate of Austria, Andy Byun, the two main aspects that designs stability within a nation. However, this balance of tranquility is soon broken apart with the presence of weaponry—the gateway to mass destruction. Now, the Disarmament Commission is ready to discuss this upcoming issue. The Disarmament Commission was given the topic regarding regulations of the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in armed conflicts and peacekeeping missions. The Disarmament Commissions worked diligently on creating a clause that would strengthen the security and constitutional usages of drones. Although drones are relatively new to the world, and the laws and regulations regarding the use of drones are still very broad, the usage of drones in warfare can be one of the most efficient

ways of combat and information gathering. The delegates not only insightfully thought about how they would enforce this Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), but also thought about civilian safety and protective usage. “The current situation that we have here is drone usage for warfare,” said Tim Covet, delegate of Indonesia. “We are still working what kind of drones will be used, how these drones will differentiate civilians and enemies. Most importantly, we hope that the regulations we propose will maintain civilian casualties, and a faster more peaceful regulations.” However, the argument also had a flaw according to Covet, regarding whether the boundaries of these regulations were condemned constitution because some of these rescue missions and national protection

plans required a seed that would inform the nation to prevent attacks. In other words, had the side where a nation would have to secretly spy in a foreign land. “However, using drones on a foreign territory might be viewed as espionage when you are spying on another country without that countries permission,” said Sky Park, delegate of Iraq. “In one word, using drones without legal approval is a crime.” Although it has been only been a day of the SEOMUN conference, delegates are continuing to work hard to solve this rising issue. Through more discussions and the upcoming committee debates, the Disarmament Commission approved the resolution with approval of the majority.

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OPENING CEREMONY INTRODUCES THE THEME OF “EMBRACING DIVERSITY” by Yejune Park As hundreds of MUN delegates from various international schools entered the grand conference room of KINTEX, SEOMUN XIX hosted by Seoul Foreign School (SFS), started with its annual opening ceremony. Head representatives along with a guest speaker, spoke at the podium to introduce this year’s theme of “Embracing Diversity” and to welcome all members to the conference. As soon as the Secretariats introduced themselves, Mr. Stuart Kent, SFS principal, came up on stage to welcome attendees and to further elaborate on the theme: “embracing diversity”. Mr. Kent started off with an inspirational story of a woman who did not give up in trying to save a starfish. In addition, he continually emphasized on how she acted as a significant contributor to the overwhelming problem and mocking of strangers, highlighting the need for more people to set her trait of unguarded hardworking efforts as a model. He then stated that the delegates should contribute to writing resolutions to solve global conflicts and make a difference to the world outside of school they would soon become a part of. “Embracing diversity is something we have achieved even before the conference began,” Mr. Stuart Kent said. “Students of varying nationalities, religions, genders, and MUN experience have all convened here, and I am very thankful for that. Delegates, practice what it means to be a contributor as I believe it will make a difference to the world outside of school you will soon become a part of. Get ready to step along the path of becoming a contributor.” The next person to speak in front of the large audience was guest speaker Mr. Tuel, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Discussing his challenging journey as a refugee, he pointed out the hardships of living as a refugee abroad due to the lack of opportunities and asserted that refugees need help to be integrated in society in order to help fight for justice and against authoritarian regimes. “It is not easy for refugees to live in such a developed country,” Mr. Tuel said. “Even though I mastered in microbiology and chemistry, I was not able to speak about them in Korea because there were no open chances that allowed me to. Despite difficulties, I developed techniques of overcoming obstacles. We have to fight, struggle, and win.” Following Mr. Tuel, Ms. Signe, Human Rights Advisor, gave her interpretation of the theme of “diversity.” She stated that “diversity” is the art of thinking individually together, and that delegates should use their own experiences while learning from the experience of others. Closing the ceremony, Hyongmin Kim, administrative director, highlighted the true merits of the phrase “embracing diversity” through the example of the diversity of chocolates in a box. “Imagine a box of chocolates with varying textures, flavors, and colors,” said Hyongmin Kim. “This is a model of unity and diversity. You all have your own stories of life no one can tell, wide varying samples of religions, and heritages. We don’t have wars or persecutions or human right violations here, yet we have a lot of diversity. Here, a brand new chocolate box lies open for you. It is your decision. No matter what your goal is, make it worthwhile.”

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IN THE HIGH CHAIR By: Justin Chang

Sitting in her high chair overlooking the hundreds of delegates participating in SEOMUN XIX, Secretary General Jenna Han gleams with pride. With nearly five and a half years of MUN experience under her belt, Jenna’s position as the Secretary General is the culmination of the toils and stresses that she—and many other delegates—had endured. “When I first started MUN in 7th grade, the biggest challenge I had was writing resolutions, working with other people, trying to main submit, and becoming delegate that incorporates all the aspects instead of focusing on just one aspect,” Jenna said. “As I became a chair, my responsibilities were more about including all the delegates into the debate, even those who were less willing to participate. I strived to be a chair that was more inclusive.” ‘I declare the opening of the conference.’ With a booming voice, Jenna signals the commencement of SEOMUN XIX. In that moment, she is perhaps the most important person in the hall. Residence at her position of admiration allows her to wield great power and to be regarded by fellow delegates with the utmost esteem. But with great power comes great responsibility, and she remains as a dedicated member of MUN. “This is my second year as a Secretary General and I again have many logistical tasks to carry out in order to ensure that all the participants have a good experience,” Jenna said. “My primary task is running the conference as a whole and making sure that everyone is satisfied and that the conference rooms and the supplies are in prime condition.” For many, some of the greatest hurdles are to eloquently debate the issues or to lobby with fellow delegates to pass their resolutions. But for Jenna and the other Secretariats, the hurdles start prior to the conference. “Before the conference, I was in charge of ordering all the materials, getting all the snacks and goody bags prepared,” Jenna said. “But we not only prepared the stuffs for the conference but also came up with the topics and selected the chairs. We also tried to make sure that all the delegates were allocated to each committee because this year’s theme is ‘embracing diversity,’ So, instead of designating certain countries to certain schools, we tried to make sure that we embraced diversity in this year’s conference.”

Meticulous preparation is but one of many responsibilities Jenna has as the Secretary General. As not merely the leader but the planner and coordinator of the conference, Jenna and her team are responsible for greasing and maintaining the fine tuned machine that is SEOMUN XIX. For Jenna, the next three days will prove to be the greatest hurdle yet. “My most urgent and tangible worry would be making sure that everything runs smoothly for the next three days.” Jenna said. “I know that comes more from the chairs and the debates but I will try to make sure everything is perfect at the logistical level. Prior to the conference, I took care of preparing snacks and communicating with both KINTEX and the hotel; I will continue to be in charge of logistics for the next three days.” Though, to the Secretariat, the conference is less about debating issues in committees and more about resolving the numerous unexpected difficulties sure to arise in the next few days, Jenna and her colleagues still ‘remain actively seized of the matter.’ Harboring the spirit of MUN and the precision of a leader, Jenna is driven more than ever, and promises a successful conference for the many participating delegates. “One of my concerns and yet my biggest goal at SEOMUN XIX is to make sure that all the delegates get a fruitful experience,” Jenna said. “I began MUN at a very young age so it has become a large part of my identity. The many experiences I had in debating and interacting made it both a stress adder and a stress relief. I hope SEOMUN XIX can be successful and provide the same experience for the other delegates and that MUN can be something that they can do outside of school and really enjoy.”

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HRC II ADDRESSES EVERYDAY CASES OF DISCRIMINATION By Dawn Kim

On the first day of the conference, the Human Rights Council II (HRC II) focused on everyday instances of discrimination in society as a whole. Delegates presented their pre-written resolutions to others and lobbied to fine-tune them and gain more votes. Some delegates focused on the discrimination of women in the workplace and efforts to empower them to achieve gender equality. The majority of the resolution focused on specific requirements to be met by individual employers. However, some clauses of the resolution equally emphasized the need for awareness of social equity, spanning from school curriculums and nongovernmental organization cooperation to social media.

Other delegates focused on the more recent issues of discrimination of minorities in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation. Specifically, these delegates pinpointed the human rights instruments, devising plans to add a tenth instrument for LGBTQ members.

“The problem of gender equality is based in society’s roots rather than recent situations or events,” said Martin Kim, delegate of Cuba. “Until now, women have held a secondary or minor role in the workplace. By elevating women to a higher status, society will adapt to change its view on women. [Therefore,] we will focus on aspects such as law and social media, to go back to the roots and find the cause of gender discrimination as a whole.”

“It needs more emphasis since the UN has been neglecting LGBTQ discrimination for a long time,” said Andy Yoon, delegate of Vietnam. “There are lots of problems in the status quo that LGBTQ individuals are facing such as arbitrary detention, overwhelming punishment in the criminal justice system and also general problems with the state or government posing very conservative laws. By converting the instrument into binding law, we will help LGBTQ rights gain more momentum and

“It needs more emphasis since the UN has been neglecting LGBTQ discrimination for a long time,” said Andy Yoon, delegate Other delegates focused on the more recent issues of discrimination of minorities in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation. Specifically, these delegates pinpointed the human rights instruments, devising plans to add a tenth instrument for LGBTQ members.

ensure that more conservative nations will cooperate.” Other delegates discussed the exacerbation of child exploitation and mistreatment, largely due to an increase in technology and persistent warfare in certain regions. In addition, the delegates pinpointed less economically developed countries (LEDCs) such as Africa and Uganda as the prime hubs of child abuse, ranging from lack of education to the impressment of child soldiers. To combat such difficulties of less developed countries, several delegates came together to devise an international hotline, which would uncover instances of mistreatment. “One thing that we are trying to focus on in this resolution is trying to raise awareness in different campaigns on how anyone can help,” said Sarah Barth, delegate of Germany. “One really important one is the outreach system, a help line that is available in multiple languages. Children or their parents can call to express their grievances whether they are getting abused at home, or being trafficked. Although many nations do not have cellphones, it is something that must be implemented so that a large group of people can have access.”

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“The evidence outlines the fundamental, or the most essential identity of the IFAD”

ICJ Discusses Funding IFAD To Eradicate Poverty By Kate Lee

On Nov.24, the International Committee of Justice (ICJ) proposed and discussed a resolution regarding the issue of whether or not to enforce funds for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to eradicate poverty, or to decrease the amount of labor required in farming for the good of the International Labor Organization (ILO). This resolution contained five pieces of evidence, which were based upon the complaint filed by the IFAD, who challenged the decision of a court in times where the governing body of the ILO stands against a decision or considers it a “fundamental fault.”

The arguments contending the first resolution’s effectiveness were not the only points the delegates discussed. In fact, there were many more delegates willing to support the evidence by claiming that it receives acknowledgement for its credibility, relevance, and originality.

The first evidence, “The fund shall possess international legal personality”, stressed the need to establish funds for the IFAD to help eradicate poverty through agriculture. To explain the evidence even more thoroughly, Judge Erica Lee pointed out the evidence’s importance in its giving rights to people to freely support the IFAD. In addition, Judge Jeffrey Heo supported this evidence by explaining the importance of the IFAD and the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labor Organization’s (ILOAT)’s legal power to rule over it.

Following the praise, judges presented their critiques on the evidence. Despite the fact that some thought of this evidence as essential in explaining the main resolution’s importance, several other judges proposed ideas that went against the ones that supported the resolution.

“The evidence outlines the fundamental, or the most essential identity of the IFAD” Jeffrey said. “This evidence gives the ILOAT jurisdiction over the IFAD as they are defined as a legal personality, therefore making the importance of giving any person the right to fund the IFAD be evident in the resolution.”

“I believe that the first evidence isn’t too important since it only reinforced the needs to give global rights to people who wish to fund the IFAD” Judge Shyla Bector said. “But despite its insignificance, this evidence has relevance and is an official document, so it should have a high rating.”

“Evidence #1 doesn’t directly explain the definition of international legal personality.” Judge Seokyung Park explained, “Evidence should be clear to the issue but it was not. The term can be controversial so it can be the first step for the solution, but cannot be a crucial evidence for this case.” After a long debate, the evidence received a rating of 5 out of 10, settling the heated arguments that arose from the judges.

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BLAST FROM THE PAST REVISITING THE

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

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By Alice Lee

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These often unsung heroes understand…that poverty, disease and famine are just as deadly and destructive as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Individuals…are taking on these challenges in their communities, volunteering to make a difference. They remain the true champions of our work towards the Millennium Development Goals. Kofi Annan

On Sept. 2000, the General Assembly of the United Nations got gathered together and to decided to meetset six main goals to meet: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development, all by year 2015. But the question still remains: were any one of these ambitions met by 2015? The answer is obviously, no. In fact, none of the six goals were completely met by 2016, 18 years after they were officially declared. In other words, there are still millions of people suffering from dire and challenging conditions especially in underdeveloped countries that are often suffering from lack of resources and unsanitary conditions.

Among such people are 161 million children worldwide suffering from malnutrition and stunted growth according to the 2016 report from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Furthermore, another one billion people are also living in poverty and according to the World Economic Forum, it would take another 50 years to lift the majority out of such difficult situations.

At the same time, however, it is not telling the whole truth to claim that all the efforts to alleviate levels of poverty have all gone to waste. Indeed, there is still a long way to go, but according to Our World in Data, efforts by nonprofit organizations have decreased the percent of world population that lived in absolute poverty from 44 percent in 1981 to levels below 11 percent in 2013, exactly 32 years later. Taking this fact into account, it is practical to predict that poverty may be completely eradicated in the following 50 years if such altruistic work continues. As the Millennium Development Goals were not achieved by year 2015, the UN General Assembly formally accepted a new set of 17 measurable Sustainable Development Goals ranging from ending world poverty to achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls by 2030. Hopefully, this time, such objectives would be reached with more efficiency and support from more people and nonprofit organizations reaching out to help out others suffering from various causes.

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2017 SEOMUN TO BE HELD AT PAEKTU MOUNTAIN By: Marie Park

Until that day when Mt. Baekdu is worn away and the East Sea’s waters run dry, May God preserve our country, our longliving homeland! -Excerpt of Korean National Anthem “Aegukga” The location of SEOMUN XX has been confirmed to be the highest peak of Paektu Mountain, which measures to be 2744 meters high. Located on the border between North Korea and China, the treasured Korean landmark will see hundreds of MUN participants come next Thanksgiving. As there is a large caldera (Heaven Lake) at the top of the mountain, delegates are advised but not required to bring swim goggles, waterproof bags, and towels. Delegates will be required to wear life jackets, which will be provided at an additional fee included in the participation fee paid before the conference. The remote mountain was chosen as a SEOMUN location due to its rugged beauty and its representation of Korea. “In an increasingly technological era, it gets more and more difficult to spend time in nature,” said Gregory Paek, coordinator of SEOMUN XX. “Paektu Mountain is one of the most representative icons of Korea. Holding SEOMUN at Paektu Mountain would be a great opportunity to proudly display our Korean heritage while we appreciate nature, not to mention provide a fresh, unique take on a MUN conference.” Paektu Mountain’s remote distance from most Korean international schools and its location near North Korea could potentially be a factor of difficulty for SEOMUN participants to attend the conference. The most recommended mode of transportation to take is a plane to China, then a helicopter to Paektu Mountain, as it would be very difficult to reach the mountain any other way. “Sure, it might be a little inconvenient holding the conference at such a remote place,” said Monty Verest, location scouter of SEOMUN. “However, any inconvenience or costliness that may be present are cancelled out by the symbolic and historical significance of Paektu Mountain. The location reflects the nature of SEOMUN, where students from different international backgrounds come together, representing countries from all over the world, discussing world issues, and promoting international cooperation.”

faux news

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GLOBAL WARMING: A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY

by Kirsten Huh

Millions of people around the globe contribute to climate change today, regardless of their intentions. They engage in daily activities that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, which include working in factories, riding non-electric cars, and electricity production. Industries that generate electric power produce more pollution than other industries, due to the combustion of non-renewable resources, like coal. In essence, most of the air pollution comes from the byproducts of human activity, making humans at fault for this worldwide catastrophe. According to a recent report by the National Geographic, annual emissions of greenhouse gases have increased by nearly 25% worldwide since 1990. From such rapid escalation surfaces the issue of global warming, a major topic central to the discussion of many committees this year. Various environments, particularly the Artic Ocean, have suffered from the severe negative consequences that global warming brought, as the ever-growing emission rates of greenhouse gases have been fatal to such ecosystems. According to National Geographics, scientists predict that the food web will collapse if global warming continues to grow at this rate. “The marine population will decrease as a whole if no nations take action to tackle global warming,” said Amy Kim, Assistant President of the Environmental Committee. “It is like a chain reaction. If one species diminish, so will its predators, and so on. If this continues, in the end, the marine population will be gone forever.” Due to such environmental phenomena, natural disasters have also been on the rise. In Aug. 2016,

a wildfire broke out in Cajon Pass, a mountain pass in California. Reports show that in less than an hour, the fire had expanded from two acres to 1,000 acres. The primary causes of this destruction were accumulations of bad weather conditions, such as high temperatures and low humidity. Furthermore, such occurrences propelled by global warming are destroying the homes of millions in not only California, but also several other nations in the world. Delegates of the Environmental Committee have mulled upon measures that must be taken to solve this growing problem of global warming. Over the course of the lobbying time, many potential solutions were brought up. “A way to fight global warming would be to limit carbon dioxide emission rates by using fossil fuel alternatives,” said Hyerin Yun, delegate of Brazil. “Another way would be to implement carbon tax, so that companies would be prompted to use alternative resources over carbon.” Other solutions provided by Jeffrey Ahn, delegate of Kazakhstan, focused on the reaching of a consensus among different nations. “Because of the varying views of nations, making agreements would be the first step. Doing so would facilitate the battle against global warming.” Global warming is the most prominent among the problems concerning climate change. However, contrary to common beliefs, there are also other aspects of climate change that threaten the environment. Various nations worldwide are battling the problem of extreme weather, ranging from thunderstorms to earthquakes. Considering the comprehensive scope of climate change, quick and resolute solutions are needed to combat the problem.

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ISSUE OF FOSSIL FUELS‘FUELS’ DEBATE FOR SOLUTIONS by Sia Cho

In current society, demands for energy have been “skyrocketing.” With economic improvement, domestic renovation, and even political agendas being fueled by this essential resource, nations and corporations have been scrounging for new and efficient ways to acquire more energy. However, with the development of such methods, one of the most valuable necessities in our world is not being taken into consideration: the environment. Considering the inconsiderate extraction of energy sources, using methods such as fracking and carbon-emission based refinery, are by far one of the biggest contributors to the issue of climate change, which is a topic being covered by the Environmental Commission this year. “Climate change is something that the world as a whole needs to deal with,” said Ansh Prasad, president of Environmental Commission. “As of now, tangible problems resulting from the phenomenon include implications that force the economy to collapse, such as disasters, like floods, that result from melting ice caps.” Despite its importance, climate change is failing to be recognized as a serious threat, even to the extent of being labeled as a “hoax” by some. Various companies and individuals have been behind these allegations, including Exxon, an American oil and gas corporation, mainly marketing strategies or business methods. Contrary to those denials, the delegates of the Environmental Commission voiced differing opinions. “Climate change is an issue that is scientifically corroborated, with the rising temperature of the oceans, the melting of ice glaciers, and other discernable factors being present,” said Patrick Lee, delegate of the United States of America. “These are aspects even observed in Korea, and they definitely disprove the claim that climate change is a hoax.”

In the case of Exxon, the prevalence of climate change was repeatedly denied in order to meet customer needs and to ensure the minimum investment for various operations. Likewise, other oil companies appeared to abuse the pretentious claim as well, maintaining the upper hand in the fossil fuel industry with oil prices. “The denials of climate change that these organizations are making are a part of a grand scheme,” said Jiwon Lee, deputy assistant president of Environmental Commission. “In fact, the claim that climate change is a hoax is a hoax itself.” Regardless of the fact that companies attempted to falsify the reality of climate change, the delegates remained resolute to believing otherwise, and instead worked on developing numerous solutions to address the issue. “The development of sustainable fossil fuel alternatives—which pertains to wind power, hydroelectricity and other renewable energy sources, will result in a low rate of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere,” said Chae Yoon Kim, delegate of Mongolia. “This will ensure the minimum amount of carbon dioxide emission, alleviating the effects of climate change.” With climate change rapidly becoming evident in the society, such measures are being proposed not only by these delegates, but also by the delegates in the actual United Nations as of now. Although companies and individuals vying for profit and political success deter these efforts, sustainable solutions to combat climate change are being developed across the world, attempting to relieve future generations of the grave consequences that are already beginning to emerge today.

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A CONFLICT WITHIN SPC By Eric Hwang

Special Conference (SPC) offered solutions to the three main issues for the committee in this year’s SEOMUN: ensuring global security, promoting development in the fields of information and telecommunications with regards to transnational security, and eliciting international cooperation to combat terrorism. Specifically, one group of delegates came up with a resolution that emphasized the necessity of having more structured cooperation between countries in the war on terror. In addition, they proposed the idea of screening in order to eradicate terrorism in an effective manner. “A database with information regarding terrorist intelligence will be created in order to ease access of terrorism related intelligence to individual countries,” said Madhav Chadha, delegate of Panama. “In addition, cutting the funding of terrorist organizations will directly combat terrorism. To take care of terrorism, the refugee scanning process should be enhanced while extremist ideologies should be discouraged.” The remaining delegates in the group proposed a different resolution that clashed against the ideas of the aforementioned resolution. Furthermore, delegates focused more on utilizing the media and

addressing the issue to others to indirectly combat terrorism within their solution. “By blocking certain media in which terrorists tend to use media to brainwash people, terrorism can be countered by eliminating the possibilities of extremist groups recruiting the youths and others,” said Han Win Maw, delegate of Somalia. “Besides censoring media, educating people of the wrongdoings of terrorism will most effectively eradicate terrorism.” Both teams of delegates considered the opposing resolutions to contain flaws that their own resolutions had addressed, and thus were adamant in the belief that their proposed idea was superior to the other side’s. Madhav criticized the opposing resolution for its lack of tangible solutions, as well as its inability to address terrorism in the short-term. However, Lynn Maekawa, delegate of Afghanistan, pointed out how her resolution has the potential extirpate the roots of terrorism, not just temporarily. In essence, with the common goal of obliterating terrorism, the two groups had arduously created their resolutions to tackle each of the concerns that the members of the committee had presented.

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ECOSOC DIVES FIRST INTO THE ISSUE OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT By Sarah Jung Breaking the silence of the conference room with the striking of a gavel, the chairs declared the beginning of ECOSOC’s first day of SEOMUN. Delegates stepped up to the podium to introduce their perspectives on three main issues: endorsing youth employment in response to graying demographics, reducing gender disparity in literacy rates in impoverished areas, and achieving sustainable economic development in sub- Saharan Africa. The controversy regarding youth employment in response to graying demographics was the first subject of debate after the lobbying session. Reduced productivity of youths leads to lower income and demand, essentially decreasing taxes used for supporting social security programs and other general welfare programs. “I aim to highlight the rising concern regarding the increasing aging population in economically developing countries,” said Janice Hahn, chair of ECOSOC I. “Delegates need to recognize that the youth now hold the responsibility for the elderly, as well as the burden to find jobs for themselves, both of which will grow to be more troublesome as the older population is constantly increasing. I hope that, with this issue, delegates will be able to find a solution to prepare the youth to become adults that can financially support themselves.” Within the five years giving rise to the economic crisis, the world youth labor force participation decreased from 55 percent to 51 percent, and the youth employment-to-population ratio decreased from 48 percent to 45 percent. Statistics show that the labor force is continuing to grow in povertystricken areas of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, reducing job availability. “Embracing the diverse age range within the work forces would be more than crucial for the growth of economy, job availability, and humanity,” said Yoon Lim, delegate of Guatemala. “If every workforce has the same age range and is completely homogeneous, then it would not be as diverse. Having a diverse range of people regardless of their age, race, and gender would foster a better working environment as well as a better economy because more people are contributing.” Yoon’s response stemmed from the fact that youth unemployment rates have continued to be higher than adult unemployment rates by four times.

Delegates’ solutions to resolve the plight of youth unemployment were all connected with the idea of supporting diversity internationally. “Our nation is facing a big problem with unemployment,” said Jimin Lee, delegate of the Republic of Korea. “I hope to propose clauses that focus on locational training, so that the youth can have more job experience. Moreover, retirement age laws should be proposed. It is difficult for the elderly to quit their jobs and pay taxes while they support themselves after retirement at the same time.” With the lobbying session officially open for the mixing of ideas and opinions, the delegates quickly became absorbed in the heated discussion of the resolutions for the upcoming debate.

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ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TACKLES DESERTIFICATION AND LAND DEGRADATION by Hannah Kim In an attempt to tackle the concerning issue of desertification and land degradation in Asia, delegates of the Environmental Commission assembled to discuss and draft a plausible solution. To-day, with drylands taking up a third of Earth’s land area and home to a third of the world’s popu-lation, the issue of land desertification and degradation is an issue that demands more attention. Additionally, detrimental effects of desertification, such as the reduction of agricultural products and a shortage of food supply, heighten the importance of the issue. “There are three main areas we focused on for our resolution,” said Grace Kim, delegate of Philippines. “The first is creating research programs with incorporation of technology. Since this is-sue branches from the fact that local farmers are unaware of proper usage of land, farmers can be informed through further research. The second is urging governments to set regulations that help nomadic tribes, whose livestock often overgraze and harm land, move out of areas more easily. The third is raising awareness, so that more people are mindful of the proper methods of farming and using fertilizers and herbicides.” While the delegates were formulating the resolution, a conflict regarding countries’ stances was brought up. The delegate of Iran denied the existence of climate change and prevented other del-egates from including clauses, although climate change is considered as one of the biggest fac-tors causing desertification.

“Iran is mostly dependent on oil exports and the burning of fossil fuels,” said Stephen Lee, dele-gate of Iran. “If the resolution were to include clauses that worked to reduce climate change, Iran’s industry and economy would be heavily affected. Moreover, there is not enough evidence to prove that climate change is occurring.” The other delegates supported the delegate of Iran’s stance and agreed to strike any clauses re-garding climate change and the reduction of fossil fuels. Delegates accepted the idea that the is-sue of climate change cannot be resolved in one clause due to its generality and complexity. Another idea that the delegates unanimously agreed upon was the urgency and weightiness of desertification and land degradation. Regardless of whether they represented a country from Asia or not, all delegates considered this issue a pressing global problem. “Tackling this issue is especially essential to Mongolia because the main source of income for most Mongolians is farming. Therefore, Mongolians’ farming and living lifestyles is the key fac-tor that is causing the problem,” said Chae Yoon Kim, the delegate of Mongolia. “However, this phenomenon is not only occurring in Mongolia but also in other countries around the world. Alt-hough this issue directly involves Asian countries, the severe impact and heavy importance af-fects numerous other countries in the world.”

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SIX PARTY TALKS ATTACKS ISSUES IN EASTERN ASIA By Katie Kim The three topics that the Six Party Talks (SPT) will be dealing with over the next three days are more relevant today than ever before. From the territorial disputes in the East China Sea to nuclear tensions within the Korean peninsula to the rights of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) defectors, the timeliness of these topics adds to the significance of collective security among the international community. During the lobbying session, delegates were divided by the three different topics to create resolutions in hopes of solving the issues at hand. However, collectively, all delegates worked toward one goal: cooperation. Delegates discussing the topic “Measures to resolve territorial disputes in the East China Sea” frequently mentioned “cooperation and communication.” The group discussing the topic “Ensuring the basic rights of DPRK defectors” had similar goals. “On everything we say, the DPRK will clash,” said Juha Lee, delegate of the Republic of Korea (ROK). “There has long since been historical tension between the DPRK and the ROK, and when delegates from each nation face a standoff, conflicts are bound to occur. The key to resolving conflict will be for both delegates to maintain composure and a

negotiating, not an aggressive, attitude.” Despite the slight opposition from other delegates, the delegate of DPRK explained her position regarding the issue, lamenting the misunderstanding of the Korean peninsula’s situation by the international community. The delegate expressed her desire for future cooperation, and to specifically have countries return the defectors. “Basically, all the other delegates believe that South Korea is kidnapping defectors for intelligence purposes,” said Julie Song, delegate of DPRK. “The other misconception is that the defectors are criminals not escaping for persecution. Regardless of these misunderstandings, my hope is that the countries who are harboring defectors will return them as soon as possible.” Regardless of the apprehension for clash between the ROK and DPRK, the collaborating delegates in the group were writing a resolution to give humanitarian aid to help the defects not only in the short term, but also in the long term. According to Juha, the defects from North Korea were often subject to human trafficking. “Since China has a capitalist economy, it has been cooperating with ROK, but also it is basically the only trading partner that North Korea has,” added Justin Cho, delegate of China. “Our goal is to advocate the middle ground that aims to resolve the issue in such a way that corresponds to the interests of the international community,” The delegates hope that the debates further into the conference will allow the different countries to cooperate and resolve the different issues in Eastern Asia.

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QUOTE BOX: HOW TO MAINTAIN COMPOSURE IN HEATED ARGUMENTS IN THANKSGIVING SPIRIT

“Often times, preparation helps with maintaining composure. Cold-hearted evidence and assertions based on the evidence make heated debates calm down.” Chris Lee, Disarmament Commission Delegate of Brazil

“It is important to maintain your confidence even when you’re in a heated debate. To maintain composure, it is important to not get emotional and stay objective and faithful to your country’s stance.” Andrew Kim, GA II Delegate of Ghana

“Speak slowly and keep breathing so that you don’t tense up. Also, bringing up notes will help make sure that you don’t get flustered by forgetting things.” Natalie Ong, Disarmament Commission Delegate of Iraq

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PROJECT MUNWAY by Marie Park

Maggie Liao, Republic of Korea, Special Conference “I am wearing a navy, polka-dot dress because I knew that we had to wear formal attire, and I thought a dress would fit that standard. I was surprised to see everyone wearing black and white, because back in Canada, a lot of people wore a lot of different colors at conferences, so I was expecting the same for SEOMUN.”

Nguyet Vo, South Africa, Environmental Commission Joaquin Streegan, Pakistan, ECOSOC II “I am wearing a blue suit. Since SEOMUN is a formal conference, I wanted to look formal and as good as possible. I chose to wear a blue suit over a black suit because blue is my favorite color, and I wanted to be different from everyone else.”

“I am wearing a black turtleneck, black dress pants, a grey blazer with stud detailing, and a statement necklace. To be honest, I just chose the clothes I did because it is so cold outside. And as for the blazer and necklace, they are pretty, so they help make my outfit look less drab. I just put something together that looks good and fits the dress code.”

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HSC DISCUSSES CONFLICT IN CYPRUS ISLAND by Alice Lee

On Nov. 24, the Historical Security Council (HSC) debated about the Cyprus Question set in year 1974, unlike the other committees that discussed major conflicts of the 21st century. Specifically, the Cyprus Question deals with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, an Eastern Mediterranean island below Greece and Turkey. This confrontation of the Cyprus Question was initiated when the President of Cyprus, Makarios III, proposed several constitutional amendments, which were rejected by the Turkish Cypriots. Dealing with this controversy, Minjae, delegate of France, proposed his resolution with three major clauses. “There are three major points that should be addressed regarding the Cyprus Question,” Minjae said. “The first point is to approve the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to operate until the council considers the question of Cyprus resolved, calls for the creation of United Nations Temporary Commission on Cyprus (UNTCOC), and recommends the formation of the Cyprus Question Committee (CQC) to discuss the issue with a wider perspective.” While delegates approved the last two operative clauses calling for the creation of UNTCOC and the formation of CQC, there were several objections to the first clause that approved the UNFICYP to operate in order to ensure the stability and safety of the Cyprus Island. Specifically, the delegates of Italy and Japan raised their concerns regarding the use of Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus.

“The extent to which the military should be incorporated in Cyprus Island is crucial to maintaining peaceful conditions,” said Rosa Beck, delegate of Italy. “If the military outside of the UN is overused in Cyprus Island, then it may disturb stability and may lead to further conflict between the two main communities: Greek and Turkish Cypriots.” In contrast, the delegate of France clarified that only the UNFICYP will be used to keep peace between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In other words, the UNFICYP’s main purpose would be to reduce tensions and prevent potential conflicts between the two groups. In addition, mediation of any peace talks regarding the issue as neutral power will be carried out to settle such confrontations. With 15 for, and none for abstain nor against, the three operative clauses passed successfully. “The resolution deserves to pass, since the delegate of France touched upon all aspects of taking care of the conflict of Cyprus Island and provided sufficient responses to rebuttals from other delegates,” said Andrew Kim, president of HSC. “Overall, the debate was carried out without any major challenges despite the fact that the whole debate was unprecedented in terms of the fact that it touched upon past events in the late 1900s.”

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SC LOBBIES TO RESOLVE CONTROVERSY IN SYRIA By: Yoo Bin Shin

The ongoing Syrian Civil War and external military threat attacks to combat terror have put Syria and its civilians in desperate need of help. In an attempt to manage Syria’s political instability and violence, the Security Council (SC) launched its first day of conference by assembling diverse perspectives on resolving this crisis. According to Jayhee Cho, delegate of Malaysia, the situation was engendered by the unceasing discord between the government and citizens along with the brutality of internal and external interventions. “The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic

“There are measures we can propose to better the lives of Syrian civilians and bring means to end this conflict.”

started in 2011 during the Arab Spring revolution,” Jayhee said. “Bashar al-Assad used brute forces and violent methods to stifle political opposition and protest, kindling the wrath of the Syrian people, leaving the country fractured into rebel groups. In the midst of all, the citizens of Syria are left plunged into this conflict. About 6 hundred thousand people died in the conflict in total which is an astonishing number. Measures must be taken to reduce basic crossfire and clamor damage caused by the actions of all the parties.” Delegates unanimously agreed on dividing the resolution as a whole to tackle two main facets of the issue: military intervention and humanitarian aid. Delegates of other countries such as Russia and the United States have sided with the Syrian government and rebel groups respectively and have continuously employed violent methods in attempt to provide support. Wonjai Lee, delegate of the USA, recognized the need to effectively regulate intercessions by proposing new methods of diplomatic negotiation. “This delegate’s method of solving the Syrian crisis recognizes the problem that all the state callers of the issue are widely divided,” Wonjai said. “This delegate’s objective with the new method of diplomatic negotiation is to make sure it does not fall apart just because of one agenda. To that end, we’re proposing a joint intervention center which is an extension of a presumable ceasefire we’re going to put in place, and that’s going to be responsible in monitoring military intervention.” Other delegates emphasized point of contention the resolution will address was humanitarian aid. Many viewed the Syrian civilians, whom have no choice but to flee the country as their lives are at stake, as being oppressed by this crisis. Therefore, delegates discussed the importance of a more pragmatic alternative of providing humanitarian and financial aid in order to avail the pitiful citizens at this case. “One example of a clause would be about strongly demanding an end to the continuous violation of rights of women and children,” Jay Jang, delegate of New Zealand said. “Other clauses would include setting up neutralized safe zones so that refugees can come into those zones protected by UN peacekeeping troops and creating more borderline military is about setting up a No-fly zone so that planes can’t drop barrel bombs on the civilian populations. Although matters cannot be resolved, we hope to bring maximum aid for these civilians.”

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ADVISORY PANEL TACKLES ISIS’S SMUGGLING OF SMALL ARMS By Fiona Cho The first day of the conference marked the beginning of the Advisory Panel’s struggle to solve major issues within the greater Syrian conflict. In particular, the smuggling of small arms and light weapons was a topic that almost all delegates addressed. Terrorist groups, such as ISIS, that brought such weapons under the pretense of military supplies, only reinforced the violence that Syria had been facing for years. Delegates proposed various clauses related to this issue during the three-hour lobbying session. “Our topic is preventing small arms and light weapons from going into Syria,” said Paya Hosseini, advisor of Lebanon. “We are trying to control this by adding more support on the border and trying to increase transparency between nations and within the international community.” However, other advisors disagreed, pointing out that the solution was not so simple. They mentioned many other factors that could prevent such solutions from being successful. “The biggest issue right now is ISIS,” said Kenny Lau, advisor of China. “The side that is smuggling the small arms is ISIS, and they are the side we cannot control. We can control Jordan, we can control Turkey, and we can even control the Syrian government, but ISIS cannot be controlled.” The advisors agreed to Kenny’s statement, admitting that ISIS seemed to be the major force

contributing to the mass influx of weapons into Syria. The advisors then came up with a variety of solutions that prevented ISIS from engaging in further actions. “ISIS is using these weapons for terrorist actions and not for the contribution of peace in Syria,” said Joyce Zhang, advisor of Saudi Arabia. “We plan to shut down their source of weapons and encourage strikes against the group. Other than that, we encourage monitoring the transfer of weapons through intelligence agencies, tracing the paths vehicles take to deliver the weapons.” Through this one issue, advisors were able to come up with multiple solutions that paved the way for more clauses. Some delegates even merged clauses to ensure that their solutions would be as effective as possible, resulting in clauses such as the one about tracking down ISIS’s smuggled weapons. “I suggest that we track ISIS’s transporting of these weapons through our intelligence agencies,” said Angel Li, advisor of Syrian Arab Republic. “However, other options can also be taken into consideration, such as calling for the help of peacekeepers.” The first lobbying session has only just ended, but the advisors are already enthusiastically participating in order to fully prepare for the beginning of the debates.

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BUS

Riding a bus is not recommended unless you live fairly close to Kintex, because transferring in between buses and being stuck in traffic are not so ideal. But if you still decide that riding the bus is your best choice, don’t miss the bus with the number #9700 if you’re coming from the Gangnam area, or #8109 if you’re coming from the Seongnam/Bundang area. Compared to other methods of transportation, the cost for the bus fee is at the max, 3000 won.

How to get to KINTEX With free air conditioning, heating, and a fixed time schedule, riding a subway is one of the best options you have in a city like Seoul. In addition, riding a subway is more efficient compared to using other transportations. For example, subway tickets are 47000 won cheaper than riding a taxi when going to KINTEX. In order to get to KINTEX by subway, get off at Daewha Station exit number 2. The only downside to riding the subway is that there might not be any seats left, and that there is a walking distance of 15 minutes from the subway station to Kintex, so don’t forget to wear parkas!

KINTEX By Yejune Park Layout by Andrew Kim

S e ou lite Novemb er 2016 Iss ue #1