A three-minute speech should be short but powerful. Public interest topics such as the environment, human rights, and social justice are suitable for lectures by civic organizations. Which topic will be most effective?

 

Topic – White-Collar Crime

We know that poverty leads to crime.
Thieves, robbers, and theft are crimes that are mostly associated with poverty.
It was also because he was poor that people were generous to Jean Valjean.
I can understand his feelings because I know what poverty is.
However, while crimes like these are almost always exposed and the people involved are prosecuted and sent to prison, crimes committed by the powerful and the elite, corporate crimes, and state crimes are rarely exposed.
Even when they are, the root of the problem is often left untouched and the case is closed.
When bread is stolen, only a few people are affected, but elite crimes contaminate the whole society, which is fatal to the nation and society.
A recent precedent is the Busan Savings Bank crisis.
Looking at that incident, I think that the crimes committed by the elite in our society are almost at a severe level.
Landlords cannot make a profit from their land without tenants, but tenants can cultivate land without landlords.
However, today there are many people who make money defending these elite criminals and their crimes without reflection.
If you ask me, “But aren’t they educated people?” what should I say?
Our common sense is that they should not do that because they are educated.
But the reality is the opposite.
This is because the more you learn, the bigger a thief you become in Korean society.
People are particularly tolerant of white-collar crimes.
Is it okay for a socially recognized person or class to commit a crime?
Perhaps it is because our emotions are lenient towards the educated and the intellectual class.
No matter how much an individual tries to evaluate an individual objectively, the unconscious and deep memories will influence the evaluation with respect and recognition for white-collar workers.
However, what we should be wary of is that the more white-collar crimes are, the more they have a ripple effect that starts from the bottom of society.
It should be kept in mind that such crimes are a reflection of the limitations of the social structure.
We must consider that white-collar crime is an important target for the realization of normal social justice that we must solve.
Thank you for listening.

 

 

Theme – Don’t drink and drive

Did you know that most driving accidents are caused by drunk driving?
Many drivers don’t take drunk driving seriously.
Why do they drink alcohol, which can kill them or others, and then get behind the wheel?
“I only had a few drinks,” “It’s a short distance,” “It’s okay if I don’t get caught.”
Drunk driving is on a steady rise.
The number of accidents has been steadily increasing every year, from 26,873 in 2008 to 28,207 in 2009 and 28,641 in 2010.
It is our shameful number.
Moreover, this phenomenon is becoming more pronounced during the holiday season.
Drinking alcohol at a vacation destination increases one’s drinking capacity, but it also tends to relax one’s mind and lower one’s alertness.
Driving while intoxicated significantly reduces a driver’s ability to pay attention to the road ahead.
In addition, the ability to respond to situations is also reduced, making it difficult to react immediately when an obstacle is detected.
Judgment errors and momentary mistakes can even lead to hit-and-run accidents.
Many office workers who have had a drink with dinner and then drive drunk and cause an accident often flee the scene, and 24.5% of all hit-and-run accident victims are concentrated between 8 p.m. and 12 a.m. on weekdays.
They were bold when they got behind the wheel drunk, but when an accident actually occurred, they would leave the scene of the accident and flee, fearing punishment.
In Japan, the perpetrators of drunk-driving hit-and-run accidents are subject to up to 15 years in prison, and even those who encouraged them to drink are punished.
In Europe, including Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands, a driver’s license can be suspended for up to 10 years if caught driving under the influence.
There is only one reason for this punishment.
Drunk driving is the most dangerous form of driving that can cost someone their life.
We can see efforts in all countries to bring about a change in driver awareness through strong regulations.
The holiday season is just around the corner.
And the year-end and New Year holidays will be here before we know it.
I hope that this year, many people will change their ways and not lose their precious lives.
Rather than being afraid of punishment, we should think of it as self-harm for ourselves and murder for others.

 

 

Topic – Hikikomori

A person who does not go outside of their house and lives a secluded life inside is called a hikikomori.
In Japan, a person who does not go outside of their house and only uses the Internet is called a hikikomori.
The characteristics of this hikikomori are that they stay at home and only go out when they have a hobby or errands, go to a convenience store to buy necessities, go out of their room but not outside of their house, and rarely go out of their room for more than six months.
In Japan, this phenomenon of hikikomori has already become a social problem, and it is said that there are currently 700,000 hikikomori in Japan.
The bigger problem is that the number of people who are likely to develop hikikomori in the future is as high as 1.55 million.
The problem is that this phenomenon is not unique to Japan.
With youth unemployment at a record high, college students are delaying their graduation.
Those who have graduated worry about whether they will be able to find a job, those who have failed in their work life after entering society, those who have failed in love, and those who have closed their hearts and locked their doors.
They are in despair because they feel that they have no place in the wide world and that they are too insignificant.
Living alone in solitude becomes depression, and soon, the society grows increasingly hostile.
Korea is also the world’s strongest IT power, and one of the measures of maintaining this position is the spread of the Internet, the speed of the Internet, and the number of Internet users, and we have the highest level of all three.
With the spread of digital technology, you can learn about the world without leaving your home.
Left alone in the room, they become more violent and wild.
If left unattended for a long period of time, hikikomori is likely to lead to depression, a growing aversion to society, and even suicide or violent crime.
We don’t know exactly how many people are hikikomori.
Japan is actively implementing policies for the population as it becomes a social issue.
However, we are still in the early stages of implementing such policies.
Therefore, shouldn’t the government and local education offices work with schools across the country to investigate the reality of hikikomori and come up with countermeasures?
If we don’t take action and treat them in advance, we don’t know what bad things they might do as adults.

 

 

Topic – We need to think about the concerns of young people

Let’s say a young man has just graduated and got a job as an intern at a highly sought-after company.
Everyone thinks about him.
What kind of qualifications does he have to be able to join the company as an intern right after graduation?
I’m dying to know his qualifications.
Everyone was talking about the specs.
After entering university, those specs became a reality, and I have to do whatever comes my way.
I have four years left.
I have to get a TOEIC score, have good grades, do activities to improve my resume, and earn tuition.
There is a word called depreciation.
Have you heard of this?
It means that a portion of the money earned through sales activities must be set aside in advance as a cost to recover the initial investment.
This is because it is common sense that any business thinks about making a profit first, and profit comes second.
So what about young people?
Even if we don’t take into account the recent craze for private education, it is natural that a huge amount of money is invested in a person’s lifetime to acquire the qualifications required by society.
If all the money a young person has spent to acquire fixed assets in the name of qualifications is calculated using compound interest, it would require an unimaginable amount of capital.
Even if he is lucky enough to get a job easily under this structure, he will have to start amortizing his investment from then on.
Even if he is lucky enough to get a job, we start paying off our student loans as soon as we get a job.
The problem is the length of the amortization period.
In the past, this was not a big problem for the older generation, but young people today are spending too much money to recover through depreciation.
If the job they get is unstable or the salary is not enough.
So, perhaps depression, a disease of a dying nation, is a problem.
Young people of our time are worried that they will end their lives without even depreciating their own expenses.
If a company cannot even recover its operating costs through its sales activities, the members of that company will seek an escape, but if it is their own problem, there is no escape.
Also, if a young man cannot dream of the future while pushing up the rock of Sisyphus, what would happen?
I think that society would have no future.
In the 21st century, we should at least once discuss the problems and concerns of young people in society and think about them together.
They are too young and too dangerous to be left alone with this heavy burden.
Thank you for listening.

 

 

Topic – Our Republic of Korea

What image does Korea have when viewed from outside?
If you are curious, you can find the answer in the travel guides available in each country.
Perhaps the existence of travel guides is a hater and a harsh critic of Korea.
Korea is a dynamic and energetic country.
They are diligent and full of passion, working and moving without rest.
However, it is also the country with the largest gender pay gap among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and women earn 38% less in total wages than men.
There is another shame.
The suicide rate is the highest among OECD countries.
Sad records are increasing in the quiet morning country of Korea.
It is calculated that 31 people commit suicide per 100,000 people.
In 2009, 202 young people under the age of 25 took their own lives, and six of them were elementary school students.
In addition, they are responsible for their children’s private education and even work two jobs.
As a result, they have no time to rest or find joy.
It is no surprise that Koreans have a fiery temper.
The principles of certainty and speed that dominate Korea may seem amazing and attractive at first, but we cannot deny that this fast pace is ultimately due to economic reasons.
We run, we still run, we run and run, but we don’t know where we are running to.
This is our reality.
Why are we so busy?
Busy, busy, busy, tired, want to rest, but still busy.
Why is the suicide rate so high?
Why are we so busy?
Don’t we need to take a step back and take a break from competition and progress?
People who shout loudly outside but express themselves honestly in front of their families.
I’m Korean.
In fact, it is not easy to know the beauty of the place where you live.
Yongsan Sung Shim Catholic Church, Gilsangsa Temple, Sungrawon, and the Gansong Museum of Art are buried in the city center, but they are worth seeing again and again.
If you love, you will know, and if you know, you will see, so the scenery you see will not be the same as before.
We have many possibilities for improvement, as we have an image that is both anxious and beautiful.
I hope that you will have the strength to rest a little and let go a little.
Thank you for listening.

 

 

Topic – I hope that a mature Internet culture will be established

Hello, everyone.
I think about whether the Internet is something that we should do for the rest of our lives.
If it is not, I get into a lot of trouble.
Some people may say that the Internet is already a necessary tool, not a tool of choice.
It’s like cars, trains, TVs, radios, or something like that. It’s something that’s so deeply ingrained in our lives that we want to avoid it, but we can’t.
However, if I get older in the next 40, 50, or more years, and if I have the dignity, personality, and refinement to match, I wonder if the Internet will mature as I get older.
Is there anyone who can speak with the same wind in their fingers?
Can we surf the web for ten hours and search for information?
Can we challenge the cyberspace as aggressively as we do now?
What can we gain from doing so?
Will we be able to use the Internet more respectfully when we get older?
Will Internet culture take root in the years to come?
Our generation, who have grown up with the Internet, and the older generation, who have lived without the Internet and suddenly encountered it, will be different.
Of course, there will be clear differences between our generation, the generation now in their early and mid-teens, and the generation to come.
They will accept the Internet as a part of their everyday lives, not just a tool.
It is said that the function of recording using the old VTR was spread through the active efforts of sellers and people over the course of several decades.
Of course, adults were never taught how to use VTR in regular education.
The Internet was also spread through a similar process, but it is included in the regular curriculum.
After going through the curriculum, they will probably apply realistic moral codes much more strongly than they do now.
I think that’s enough to get them to treat me a little better when I’m older.
I think you’re wrong.
We have to think about it.
How can we become a respectable old netizen?
I hope that today, I can vote for the side that is difficult, and tomorrow, I can vote for the side that has a little possibility.
This is something that we all have to do together.
For the generations just below yours, for those who are preparing to learn Hangul typing, and for those who will be using the Internet in the future.
Thank you for listening.

 

 

Topic – Efforts to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Hello, everyone.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for taking the time to come here despite your busy schedule.
How did you get here today? Did you come by car? Or did you take public transportation?
Did you come by bike or on foot?
I took the subway here today.
It was a choice to minimize the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by driving a car.
According to the analysis results of a report published jointly by the Climate Change Action Research Institute, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency in 2012, the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted by South Korea in 2011 was 610 million tons, the seventh largest in the world.
For reference, South Korea ranked seventh in the world in 2010, and its per capita carbon dioxide emissions were 12.6 tons in 2011.
This is more than the per capita emissions of Europe, China, Germany, and Japan.
To prevent the temperature from rising by more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, cumulative carbon dioxide emissions must not exceed 1.5 tons between 2000 and 2050.
However, if the current trend continues, emissions will exceed 1.5 tons before 2030.
In fact, we don’t need to make any great efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Just think of the familiar things we all know but don’t always do.
Raising the air conditioner temperature by just 1°C can save three young pine trees.
Also, reducing computer usage and TV viewing time by just one hour each can save twelve young pine trees.
Don’t forget that the more trees survive, the less carbon dioxide is emitted into the earth’s atmosphere.
There are many other ways to conserve the environment and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as using public transportation, saving water, and refraining from using disposable items.
Compared to 1990, South Korea’s carbon dioxide emissions increased by 144% in 2011, ranking third in the world after China and India.
It is now more urgent than ever for all South Koreans to actively participate in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which are increasing at such a rapid rate.
Small efforts make a difference.
If we can conserve the environment by taking the stairs instead of the elevator and unplugging unused electrical cords, wouldn’t we be willing to put up with this level of trouble and inconvenience?
Please remember that your small interest and practice can protect our environment. I will end the presentation here.
Thank you for listening.

 

 

Topic – We need a living space for the elderly

Hello, everyone.
Thank you very much for attending.
Experts often talk about the elderly issues and retirement plans from the perspectives of pensions, insurance, financial management, retirement start-ups, nursing homes, the silver industry, and returning to farming.
However, in fact, they seem to be less interested in what kind of consideration should be made for the elderly in cities where the daily lives of the elderly take place.
Let’s think about the lives of the elderly in the city.
The reason why I mention the elderly and the city is because the days when it was possible to say that an old man lives in the countryside have long passed.
Today, a significant number of the elderly live in cities or urbanized rural areas.
People don’t want to move into a nursing home or senior town early because they are getting older, or they want to move to the countryside even if the facility is hotel-grade.
For many elderly people, such a lifestyle is an unavoidable choice.
They want to live with others for as long as possible.
They find great meaning and comfort in spending their old age in the place where they have lived since their youth.
Now that cities are entering the age of aging, I think they should be equipped with spaces for elderly life to some extent.
Only then can various age groups coexist in the city and truly embody the meaning of community, don’t you think?
The idea is that we should create a foundation for life, meaning, and deep human relationships for those who have led society.
Thank you for listening.

 

 

Topic – Systematic support for immigrants is needed. Hello, everyone

In the season of autumn, I hope that peace and well-being will be with you.
Autumn seems to have a different charm from spring.
In the rice paddies, the fruits of the past year’s efforts are ripe and golden, and the trees lining the streets change into their colorful clothes and light up the streets.
But autumn is also a season that cannot erase the feeling of loneliness that comes with the end of the year.
There is a neighbor who is spending a lonely time this fall.
They are immigrants who left their home country and settled in Korea.
With the recent surge in the number of immigrants entering Korea, there are growing calls for multifaceted attention and support to address the issue of immigrants.
Programs to support immigrant women and multicultural families are being developed through various organizations, but they are still in their infancy.
The most pressing issue is the fact that there are no professionals to take charge of this issue.
Immigration of foreigners to Korea, which has a strong single ethnic identity, has occurred rapidly for a very short period of time. As a result, the importance of the issue of immigrants has been highlighted, but there has been insufficient time to train professionals to study and solve this problem.
The lack of professionals has resulted in sloppy and inefficient policies that are half-hearted.
The next problem to be overcome is the closed-mindedness of our people.
Immigrants are marginalized and excluded from our society. They rarely have the opportunity to participate in community activities.
Moreover, it is very difficult for immigrants to receive sufficient Korean language education, so the chances for them to adapt to and integrate into our society are becoming increasingly slim.
Our society is already becoming multicultural. It is now so easy to find people of a different race to us.
We must actively help the settlement of the strangers within us, even to adapt to the irresistible tide of the times.
We must develop a systematic education program for them and actively support their employment.
I cannot hide the joy and excitement of meeting my family before the biggest holiday of the year, Chuseok.
However, instead of only looking at the joy shared in the small world of my family and I, please expand your horizons and look out for our neighbors who may be spending a lonely holiday.
Please do not forget that they are my neighbors who take the same subway as me and walk the same streets as me.
Chuseok is just around the corner.
I hope you have a happy holiday with your loved ones. That’s all for today. Thank you for listening.

 

 

Theme – Face the world with a righteous heart

“She was a beautiful person who fulfilled her duty until the end.”
“He is the righteous man of our time whom we should all follow.”
This is a tribute posted on the Internet by netizens after the story of Kim Young-in (53), a driver who died while saving students by blocking a school bus that was sliding down a hill on the 18th.
Kim was killed when the bus he had stopped in front of a school in Jinyeol-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, slid down the road with eight students on board and he tried to stop it with his body, but was run over by the wheels. In a harsh society where people do not care about their neighbors, Kim did not spare his precious life.
It is a heart-wrenching and unfortunate story.
Nam-gu is considering applying for the designation of Kim as a martyr.
Our society owes him a debt, so it is only right to honor him as a martyr.
In addition, the representative figure who showed a strong spirit of sacrifice last year was Lieutenant Han Ju-ho.
He was a member of the Navy Special Warfare Command and died while rescuing the Cheonan. His death touched the hearts of the entire nation.
The noble life of Han Jun-wi will be included as a learning case in the sixth-grade moral textbook for elementary schools, which will be distributed from March.
I am also pleased to see that the ‘Hanjuho Prize’ has been established.
On March 30, the first anniversary of the death of the special forces personnel, they plan to select and award the special forces personnel. The Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation selected seven people, including First Lieutenant Han, as the 2010 Social Righteous Persons.
This includes Korean international student Lee Jun (33), who saved a citizen who had fallen onto the tracks at Nezu Station in Tokyo, Japan, in October last year.
Lee is called the “second Lee Soo-hyun” in Japan.
The late Lee Soo-hyun. On January 26, 2001, a Korean international student died while trying to save a drunken Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks at Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo.
Lee’s selfless death at the age of 26 moved the hearts of people in both Korea and Japan.
It also contributed to improving relations between the two countries, including changing the perception of Koreans in Japan.
In Japan, the ‘Lee Soo-hyun Scholarship Foundation’ was established in 2002, and various events have been held in his memory.
It was a valuable sacrifice.
It’s been 10 years already.
The 10th anniversary memorial service was held at the Seoul Press Center on the 25th, with people from all walks of life in attendance, hosted by the ‘Lee Soo-hyun Humanitarian Culture Foundation Establishment Committee’.
On the 26th, memorial services will be held in Busan and Tokyo, where Lee’s alma mater is located.
These people who have practiced self-sacrifice are an example to our society.
The message they are sending is valuable.
In this society where selfishness prevails, we see hope.
We must honor, remember, and record their noble deaths.
So that the spirit of noble sacrifice can be passed down to future generations.
We must not forget them.
They gave their lives for the sake of society.
They were also members of our society who had families and children.
We must strive to become better people like them.
Thank you for listening.