朝(あさ)ごはんはちゃんと食(た)べて下(くだ)さい。: 아침밥은 꼭 먹어주세요.

朝(あさ)ごはんをつくっています。: 아침밥을 차리고 있습니다.

朝(あさ)ごはんは食(た)べましたか。: 아침밥은 먹었나요.

Colloquial language is informal language that people use in everyday speech. It may also be used in informal writing to create a conversational tone and a sense of realism to writing. Colloquial language is composed of words, phrases, and aphorisms that are shorter and less sophisticated. For example, contractions like should’ve (should have) and where’d (where did) are examples of colloquial language. The idiomatic expressions “go bananas” (to go crazy or insane) and “give me a hand” (help me) are also examples of colloquial language. 

Some of the components of colloquial language do not follow the rules of linguistics, but colloquial language is still considered standard language. Some people may mistake it as slang.However, colloquial language and slang are two distinct forms of languages.

Slang is a lexicon of words and phrases that are far more informal than colloquial language. It includes expressions that may not be considered standard language especially because only members of groups that speak a particular slang can understand specific slang expressions. Many linguists consider slang inferior to colloquial language because of its intentions to replace standard language. 

Slang expressions may be created and used based on their social significance and their relation to a subculture. In the past, slang was associated with outlaws because these people used to make up words that would not be understood by the general public as a way to protect themselves and their trade. However, in later years, slang made its way into pop culture, and it is now widely used by the youth, the media, and the entertainment industry.

Colloquial and slang expressions may undergo the same process of language formation since they may be coined from existing components of standard languages. The difference lies on how they are used. Colloquial language can still be used in newspapers, business meetings, and other formal situations because although it is informal, it is still considered standard language. It can still be understood by the majority. 

Slang, however, may only be used by certain groups of people. Its survival is dependent on how it is used by the group that created and speaks it. Slang may also be too vulgar and inappropriate, so it should not be used in formal settings.

All in all, colloquial language and slang are closely related but are not one and the same. They may have their similarities, but the main point of differentiation is that colloquial language is considered a standard language while slang is not.

消(け)しゴムがない。: 지우개가 없다.

消(け)しゴムはどこにあるの。: 지우개 어디 있어,

消(け)しゴムを貸(か)して下(くだ)さい。: 지우개를 빌려주세요.

Residents of a luxury residential complex by the sea in Busan apparently opposed government plans to build a higher breakwater - possibly leading to major property damage inflicted by a deadly typhoon. They said the sea view was more important than their own safety. Typhoon Chaba landed in Busan Wednesday morning, and within a few hours took at least three lives. Waves higher than 8 meters (26 feet) slammed through a seawall in front of Marine City, a luxury high-rise residential and commercial complex in Haeundae District, flooding the streets some 200 meters from the shore, lifting cars and shooting through windows of buildings. According to the Busan city government, 453 cases of property damage have been reported to the fire department and district offices in the city as of Thursday. Among them, 95 concern flooding. 

Investigations revealed that residents thwarted local government plans four years ago to build a higher barrier above the breakwater for fears it would ruin their views and bring down property values in the complex. After experiencing repeated floods during typhoons in 2003, 2010 and 2012, the Haeundae District Office in 2012 tried to build a 3.4-meter barrier above the existing 5.1-meter breakwater. “Some residents present at the meeting with the Haeundae District Office opposed building a 3.4-meter barrier above the breakwater,” said a 61-year-old resident of Marine City, who said she attended the meeting four years ago. “Some residents even cited examples from abroad in arguing that the view of the sea should not be ruined by a breakwater.” “Some residents opposed building any waterproof barrier above the 5.1-meter breakwater at all,” said an official of the Haeundae District Office. “Others asked for a 0.5-meter to 0.8-meter barrier instead of a 3.4-meter one.” In the end, Haeundae District and residents settled for a 1.2-meter high waterproof barrier above the 5.1-meter high breakwater in 2012. 

Others in the city are now paying for that decision. “I have never seen such a mess since I moved here from Seoul three years ago,” said a 34-year-old resident surnamed Jung. “The water was everywhere and it flooded up to my knees.” “I don’t know if I want to be living in Busan any longer, what with the recent earthquakes and all,” she added. In a restaurant some 20 meters from the breakwater in Haeundae, some 10 employees were cleaning up. The floor was littered with glass shards and debris brought in by the sea the day before. Windows to the restaurant remained broken. “It’s been a month since we opened up,” said an employee. “We all ran out of the restaurant as waves as high as a two-story building came at us.” Experts are calling for swift measures to guard against typhoons and natural disasters in the area. “Protection against natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons and tsunamis are equivalent in importance to the security of the nation,” said Shin Hyun-seok, professor of social environment at Pusan National University. “The local government’s statement that it couldn’t build a higher barrier because of residents’ opposition is a petty excuse.” “Experts have pointed out time and again that Marine City is too close to the sea, and can be in real danger in times of a tsunami,” Shin said. “Yet authorities placed more importance on the economic factor of a good view, resulting in what is now increasingly perceived as a man-made disaster on Wednesday.” 

Busan’s city government is planning on investing some 65.5 billion won in a 650-meter long breakwater near Marine City, and also in extending the waterfront area at the shore by 2020. Authorities confirmed on Thursday that at least seven died and three went missing in typhoon Chaba, which slammed across Jeju on Tuesday and into southern cities on Wednesday before dissipating in the East Sea near Japan. The Ministry of Public Safety and Security announced Thursday that it will provide 8 billion won ($7.18 million) as subsidies to Ulsan, Jeju, South Jeolla, Busan and North and South Gyeongsang to help cover repair costs in the aftermath.

皿洗(さらあら)いを頼(たの)む。: 설거지를 부탁하다.

プリントを頼(たの)む。: 복사를 부탁하다.

頼(たの)まないで下(くだ)さい。: 부탁하지 마세요.

The current armed conflict happening in Syria has been going on for almost five years now. The situation does not look like it is moving towards a resolution. As years passed, the Syrian Civil War that was triggered by its citizens’ protest against President Bashar al-Assad's government, has led to the creation of worse problems. One example is the issue about the alleged existence of a chemical weapon stockpile which may have already been used by President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

The U.N. fact-finding commission worked with the U.N. Human Rights Council Commission on Inquiry to investigate the issue on Syria’s chemical stockpile mainly because of the human rights violations involved in its use. The investigation discovered that over 50 incidences involved the use of chemical warfare agents in different parts of Syria which caused the death of almost a thousand civilians.

People involved in the investigation, along with many sympathizersfrom different parts of the world, say that the use of chemical weapons is not limited to those directly involved in the war.Noncombatants or civilians who are within the scope of the chemical’s effect may also be gravely affected. These innocent people have no way of protecting themselves from the effects of chemical weapons especially because chemical warfare agents can come like a thief in the night. 

Some people say that the use of chemical warfare agents is something that shows cowardice and desperation. It is a form of attack that is very unfair especially to those who are not directly involved in the conflict. Using war to address a conflict is already undesirable in itself. Adding the use of chemical agents to attack the enemy without considering how others will be affected makes it more abhorrent.

I am among those who are fervently hoping for the Syrian Civil War to come to an end soon. Many civilians already lost their material possessions, careers, family members, as well as their idea of a good future. The use of chemical weapons will only take away more innocent lives, and I don’t think it will make any of the parties involved more powerful than the other. It puts the lives of everyone in Syria, regardless of the side they are on, in grave danger. So, along with my desire for the Syrian Civil War to end, I hope that the use of chemical warfare agents will stop permanently.

上(うえ)に置(お)いてあります。: 위에 있습니다.

上(うえ)に何(なに)がありますか。: 위에 뭐가 있습니까.

上(うえ)から３番目(ばんめ)です。: 위에서 3번째입니다.

The leading cause of death among Koreans is cancer, while suicide, often ranked high on the list, has fallen compared to the past to fifth, new government data shows. A total of 275,895 Koreans died last year, up 3.1 percent from the previous year, according to figures released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday. The agency said the increase was largely due to an aging population. An average of 150.8 out of 100,000 people in the general population died last year from cancer, the No. 1 cause of death, followed by cardiovascular diseases with 55.6 people and cerebrovascular diseases with 48 people. “The number of people who died from pneumonia continued to rise, and it was the fourth-ranked cause of death in Korea, whereas it was 10th back in 2004,” said Lee Jee-yeon, a director at Statistics Korea. “Fewer people died from suicide, while more people died from pneumonia and cardiovascular diseases.” 

By type of cancer, most died from lung cancer, followed by liver and stomach. Of the total number of people who passed away from cancer last year, 34.1 had lung cancer, a 0.6 percent drop from the previous year. Stomach cancer was most prevalent among those who died from cancer in their 30s. Koreans also had the highest rate of stomach cancer in the world. Among those who died from cancer in their 40s and 50s, liver was the most prevalent type. Lee cited Koreans’ high rate of drinking as a factor. Those over the age of 60 died mostly from lung cancer. The number of men dying from cancer was 160 percent higher than the figure for women, but for both, the leading type was lung. The number of Koreans who killed themselves dropped 2.3 percent from the previous year to 13,513. The average number of suicides per day was 37. 

“May was the month with the highest number of suicides; 10.1 percent of the total number of people who killed themselves committed suicide in May,” Lee said. April came in second with 9.9 percent, and December had the lowest with 7.2 percent of total suicides, matching a worldwide trend of suicides peaking in late spring and bottoming out in the winter months. The number of men who committed suicide was 240 percent higher than the figure for women. Suicide continues to be the leading cause of death among those in their teens, 20s and 30s. Cancer led in other age groups. The death rate was lowest in Seoul, with 306.6 deaths per 100,000 people last year, followed by Gyeonggi with 328.7 deaths. The figure was highest in the southern port city of Ulsan, with 383.9 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by North Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang, both with 381.8 deaths. The number of people dying from alcohol-related diseases rose 5.4 percent year on year to 9.3 people per 100,000 who died last year. The number of men dying from such diseases was 680 percent higher than the figure for women and was highest among those in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

下(した)をむかないで。: 내려보지 마.

下(した)から二番目(にばんめ)。: 뒤에서 2번째.

これ以上(いじょう)下(した)には行(い)きたくない。: 더 이상 아래로 떨어지고 싶지 않아.

The nation’s largest business lobby group said Friday that it will dismantle two scandal-ridden nonprofit foundations and launch a new project, following accusations that associates of the president were involved in the groups’ creation, operation and fundraising. Critics, however, said the move is an attempt to destroy relevant evidence. The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) issued a press release on Friday and announced its decision to create a new cultural and sports foundation. “The business community will dismantle the Mi-R Foundation and K-Sports Foundation and create a new cultural and sports foundation,” it said, promising transparency and better effectiveness. 

The Mi-R Foundation was launched last October to encourage cultural exchange and support companies involved in cultural products. The K-Sports Foundation was opened last January to promote Korean sports. Within two days of its launch, the Mi-R Foundation collected 48.6 billion won ($43.2 million) from 19 conglomerates, including Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK and LG groups. The K-Sports Foundation raised 38 billion won within six days of its launch. Opposition lawmakers have said Choi Sun-sil, a longtime friend of President Park Geun-hye, used her influence over the creation and operation of the foundations. They also accused An Chong-bum, presidential senior secretary for policy coordination, for having strong-armed conglomerates to make massive contributions. The FKI said the two foundations have many overlapping projects and various management and organizational inefficiencies were shown. After dismantling the two, a new foundation with 75 billion won fund will be created, it said. “The amount is the combined funds of the two groups,” an FKI source said. “There will be no new fundraising.” It also promised to appoint directors of the new foundation transparently and make public the audit outcome of its financial operation. The opposition parties condemned the FKI’s move as an attempt to destroy evidence. 

“The bank accounts linked to the two foundations will disappear during the process of dismantlement,” said Rep. Kim Young-joo of the Minjoo Party. “The two foundations are trying to launder suspicious records. They must immediately lay bare how they operated the 78.8 billion won of funds until now.” Rep. Lee Jae-jung demanded the Blue House to come clean about the scandal. “The FKI’s plan is a de facto admission that it will destroy evidence of the administration’s involvement,” he said. The People’s Party also joined the criticism. “They are trying to do the same thing under a different title,” Rep. Park Jie-won, acting head of the party. “The FKI is distrusted by the public because of its shameless practices. There is no need to create another foundation, and the money should be returned. If the companies want to make contributions to society, they should do it voluntarily. There is no need for powerful people to strong-arm them." The FKI’s plan to dismantle the foundations to create a new one will also face procedural difficulties. Following the scandal, all members of the board of the K-Sports foundation resigned, making it legally impossible to hold a meeting to approve its termination. Handing over its funds to the to-be-launched foundation also requires the approval of the board. The Mi-R Foundation still has a board of directors, and it won’t face procedural difficulties. 

Meanwhile, the prosecution said it may still investigate the scandal based on a petition filed by a civic group, even if the two foundations are dismantled. Spec Watch Korea filed a petition to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on Thursday to investigate Choi, An, Chairman Huh Chang-soo of the FKI and other businessmen over the accusations of bribery. “Although our arraignment right over the foundations will be terminated after their dismantlement,” a prosecution source said, “we can still investigate the individuals involved and prosecute them."