On the morning of March 27th, I heard disheartening news. A naval patrol combat boat, Cheonan sank to the bottom of the Yellow Sea near Baengnyeongdo with 104 crew members on board. An unidentified explosion tore a hole on the bottom of the ship and two minutes later the stern of the ship was sheared off, causing it to sink. Unfortunately, hopes of finding survivors trapped inside the Cheonan has diminished day by day. Then, what should be done at this point in time?

 The navy force is striving to clarify the cause of the ship’s exploration. Moreover military sources have already noted three possibilities: a North Korean attack, an internal explosion and a collision with a large rock. Of course, it is important to determine the exact cause of the incident. But it is much more important to deal with this difficulty by taking proper countermeasures. Both the navy and the government are being blamed for not reacting with speed and accuracy. Contrary to their endeavor to clarify the cause, military authorities did not bring details of the incident to light until quite recently. They also cannot avoid the severe criticism of not looking for the missing sailors immediately. These kinds of countermeasures are not trustworthy, can make people feel frightened and even give rise to other suspicions. The real problem is the very countermeasures they took. Frankly speaking, their countermeasures were really terrible whether the ship sank due to an external force or internal cause.

 Not long ago, a thief broke into the rooms of the Residence Hall of Chonnam National University and ran into a security guard brandishing a sword. When my friend told me about that incident, I got upset not because of the incident but because of the countermeasure of the Residence Hall Administration. It did not have any comment about this incident. It should have notified residential students of this fact and warned everyone to be careful.

 Looking ahead at our lives, we already know that there will be many accidents and incidents that we will not be able to handle on our own. Life can flow in unexpected ways and sometimes problems occur all at once. However, how you deal with these matters, the countermeasures you take, can show your character. It is likely to expose your weaknesses easily at this time. It also offers a chance to grasp one another. Above all, ‘profound sight’ toward any given situation is required to resolve problems effectively. The countermeasure was extremely lousy and gave me a lot of disappointment. Remember, the countermeasures you take will show who you are.

By Lim Seon-hye, Head Student Editor
#291 Desk Column