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[영어사설] 조선일보 Korea Could Benefit from Immigration / Dec. 09, 2011 13:39 KST
국내 영자신문 사설입니다. 국내 사건 혹은 우리가 잘 아는 국제 사건을 다루고 있으므로 영어실력이 딸려도 충분히 추측하며 볼 수 있습니다.
초중급 정도의 실력에서는 징검다리 역할을 하는 이런 글을 많이 보시는 것이 실력향상에 아주 유리합니다. 단어는 절대 찾지 마시고 그냥 추측하며 읽으시기 바랍니다.
커스를 단어 위에 대기만 하면 발음과 뜻을 보여주는 다음사전 정도는 사용해도 좋습니다. 그러나 이것도 너무 자주 사용 하시면 곤란합니다. 죽죽 읽는 데 방해가 될 정도면 안됩니다. 독해는 연구하듯이 한 문장을 오래 붙들고 있으면 절대 오래 못 갑니다. 죽죽 진도가 나가야 됩니다. 모르더라도 그냥 지나가는 희생이 반드시 필요합니다. 이것이 가장 중요합니다. 이것만 하시면 분명 성공합니다.
Korea Could Benefit from Immigration
Dec. 09, 2011 13:39 KST
Golfer Tiger Woods is truly multi-ethnic, with Thai, Chinese, African American, Dutch and Native American blood. The U.S. is the only developed economy that has managed to keep its birthrate at 2 children per woman because of the high birthrate of immigrant families. At the present rate of increase in the number of immigrants, there are forecasts that Caucasians will account for just half of the country's total population by 2050.
Statistics Korea has come up with a forecast that the country's population will peak at 52.16 million in 2030 and then begin to shrink. In 2006, it forecast Korea's population would begin to shrink in 2018, but it pushed back that date by 12 years just five years after the original forecast because the birthrate inched up slightly from 1.08 in 2005 to 1.23 last year, while there has been an increase in the number of immigrant workers entering Korea. Last year, the number of foreigners living in Korea increased by 97,000.
In September this year, the famous Filipino musician Freddie Aguilar took part in a Chuseok festival for foreign laborers in Daegu. Around 400 workers from Southeast Asia were treated to an emotional performance that lasted more than four hours. Another popular Filipino singer performed at another event in Seoul in June, and the Asia Pop Music Concert was held in the southeastern industrial city of Changwon in late September. The events reminded many of the concerts put on decades ago to boost the morale of Korean laborers working in construction sites in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
As of June this year, there were 1.42 million foreigners in Korea, 590,000 of them laborers. The Samsung Economic Research Institute in a report last year said that 11.59 million immigrants are needed by 2050 to resolve a projected shortage of workers due to the low birthrate and aging population. Many immigrants are enterprising people who are willing to start a new life in a new environment. Most of some 7 million Koreans who have emigrated have earned a reputation for being diligent and hardworking and have adjusted successfully to their new homes.
However, letting in too many immigrants at once could trigger social conflict. In 2005, young Muslims living in France staged a massive protest against racism. Germany is still reeling from the revelation that an 11-year killing spree by three right-wing activists left 10 people dead. Eight of the murdered people were Turkish immigrants, and the killings have become known as "kebab murders." Opening the gates of Korea to foreign immigrants is a complex decision that must take into consideration the long and short-term interests of the nation, as well as the protection of the human rights of foreigners.
By Chosun Ilbo columnist Han Sam-hee
