What Does The Nation Mean To You?

Friends! DSKUSSS is back with an writing on the function of the state. All of you maybe think about it after the series of some accidents in Korea. Check out this writing and let us know your opinions through comments.

What Does The Nation Mean To You?

Yunzee Kim

Graduated From Dongseo University

Broadcasting and Media Studies

Creatures have a tendency to maintain their homeostasis for their survival. When they face changes, they have two options. One is refusing the changes for the homeostasis and the other is adapting to them despite the break of the principal of constancy. In this case, the creature who chooses the latter would be evaluated as more advanced one for its adaptability and willing for its life. A nation is like a living creature. All changes and difficulties come to the state and it needs to decide on how to react them. Usually, it does not welcome the changes for its stability. However, if the nation faces them and changes itself to adapt, the state can improve than before.

 South Korea is facing a big change today. Due to recent government’s failure in controlling safety and accidents, people in South Korea have started thinking some basic questions on the nation such as what the nation is and what roles they should play for its citizens. Going through recent accidents like the Sewol ferry, the fire at the Goyang intercity Bus Terminal, and the Seoul subway crash etc, South Korea has faced the chance to change and to develop its own function. Nevertheless, the problem is that the state is reacting very passively to these accidents and the raised voices of citizens. The government or the politicians of South Korea seem not to try to find out causes of these accidents and regulate them by law.

Unlike South Korea, the U.S.A showed active reaction to some accidents like the 9/11 terror to its people. For example, when 911 occurred, in the scene of the accident, there were FBI agents, CIA agents, police officers, and firefighters etc. Since the all organizations came to the scene, there was confusion on how to control all the human resources. Due to the confusion, the America showed the clumsy disaster management system to its people. After the 9/11 accident, the U.S.A set a control tower to lead all resources and avoid confusion on the chain of command. The America advanced its national disaster management system by going through crisis.

Therefore, South Korea should react actively like the U.S.A. Although the recent accidents made us sad, the nation needs to make these the chance to reform its weakness. Then, the question on what the nation is will be solved because the nation can prove that the nation exists for citizens’ safety and it has enough ability to protect its own people. I hope South Korea prove these fact soon with specific actions.