コップが壊(こわ)れた: 컵이 부서졌다

災害(さいがい)で建物(たてもの)が壊(こわ)れた: 재해로 건물이 부서졌다

ノートパソコンが壊(こわ)れた: 노트북이 고장났다

Korea’s sweltering heat is set to continue until early August at the least, according to the state weather forecaster. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued heat wave warnings Monday across most of the country, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Ulsan, Busan, Daegu, North and South Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Chungcheong, as well as Jeju Island. A heat wave warning is issued when the daytime temperature hits 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) for two consecutive days or more. 

Seoul recorded its fourth tropical night in a row early Monday, with the lowest temperature in the morning at 26.5 degrees Celsius. A night is dubbed tropical if the temperature remains above 25 degrees Celsius throughout the night. The daytime temperature hit 31 degrees Celsius in Seoul on Monday, 33 degrees Celsius in Gwangju and Jeonju, and 34 degrees in Daegu before rain hit the city in the afternoon. Rain cooled some parts of Gangwon, North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang on Monday afternoon. “The heat wave will likely continue through this week and into early August,” said Han Sang-eun, a KMA official. “While the monsoon rains will likely descend from the North into South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday, this is expected to be the last monsoon shower of the year.” The official said early August will see some temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. 

Korea is not alone in enduring an extended heat wave this summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that a heat wave in the central United States, with some areas reaching 115 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, will continue through this week. The weather and climate agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce said nearly 124 million people in 26 states were issued excessive heat wave warnings, excessive heat watches or heat advisories last Friday. An excessive heat wave warning is issued when the maximum heat index temperature is higher than 105 degrees Fahrenheit during the day for at least two days. The rest of Asia, as well as the Middle East and Europe, are issuing alerts and taking measures to cope with the stifling heat. Heat wave alerts were issued in southern and western regions of China on Sunday, with some areas’ temperatures rising higher than 40 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Baghdad hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit last Wednesday, reportedly the highest in the world that day. Iraqis working in the city were allowed to take off work that day and the next due to the harsh conditions. And according to the BBC last Tuesday, some rail companies in the U.K. announced new speed restrictions during the hot weather after a rail buckled in North Yorkshire under the heat. 

Climate experts point to global warming as the cause of the excessive heat throughout the Earth. According to NOAA, the 17 warmest years on record all took place in the last 18 years.

スマートフォン買(か)った: 스마트폰 샀어

スマホなくした…: 스마트폰 없어졌어…

スマートフォンの壁紙(かべがみ)は何(なに)？: 스마트폰 배경화면 뭐야?

Religion is one of the oldest and most controversial topics for debate anywhere in the world. There are many types of religion. Despite the distinct characteristics that each religion has, all religions have one thing in common which is the belief in, worship of, and submission to a supernatural power in the form of a god or gods. 

Mankind’s continuous quest for knowledge and its scientific discoveries and triumphs have changed many people’s attitudes towards religion. For instance, a lot of people have considered turning their backs on it. Some people simply do not believe in a higher power. There are, of course, other people who still put religion in the center of their lives.

Believers of religion say that it is the foundation of people’s belief systems. It serves as a guide to every action and decision they make in life. It also enables people to live harmoniously with human beings and other forms of life. 

Second, with the help of religion, people have a more elevated treatment and understanding of the world they live in. Moreover, religion is what distinguishes people from other forms of living things. It keeps people from submitting to their instincts and desires of the flesh. 

Third, religion gives meaning to people’s lives. It helps people understand that events in their lives happen for a reason. Knowing that there is a supreme being gives people a sense of purpose and direction in life in preparation for the afterlife. Also, with the help of faith in a supreme being, people go through trials and adversities with strength and determination.

On the other hand, non-believers do not follow any religion because science and modernity are often viewed by many religions as evils of society. Religion can be the very thing that stops a person from aspiring to change the conditions that he or she was born into, believing that a bigger reward awaits in the afterlife. As a result, people who are restricted by their religion become stagnant and sometimes a burden to society.

Second, religion can get in the way of the creation of different laws and policies that aim to alleviate societies from different kinds of suffering. Religion can be something that holds societies back from succeeding and developing with modern times, creating great social divides.

Third, religion is often the source of discrimination, prejudice, andintolerance. It can divide societies which often creates conflicts and wars between people from different religions because of their conflicting or differing philosophies. In worst cases, religion can result in extremism.

ため息が止らない: 한 숨이 멈추질 않는다

ため息をつかないでください: 한숨 쉬지 말아주세요

ため息ばかりしている: 한숨만 쉬고 있다

New York-based burger franchise Shake Shack will make its long-awaited Korea debut in bustling Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Friday with five locally exclusive menu items, including a red bean milkshake, while maintaining the chain’s signature service and classic offerings. Shake Shack began in 2001 as a burger and hot dog joint in New York’s Madison Square Park. It was the brainchild of Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group which operates several restaurants in New York. Unlike other fast-food chains, Shake Shack is known to pursue what’s called “fine casual” dining, providing high-quality food and service at a reasonable price. “When I encountered a Shake Shack burger five years ago, I was mesmerized by not only its amazing taste but also the staff’s warm hospitality and vibrant mood,” Hur Hee-soo, SPC Group executive managing director, said at a media event on Tuesday at the soon-to-open Gangnam branch. 

SPC, a leading food and bakery chain in Korea that operates Paris Baguette, Baskin Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts, is an official local partner. “The brand mission of Shake Shack, ‘stand for something good,’ and our own, ‘the best way to happiness,’ have something in common,” Hur said. “And by collaborating, we believe we can make a bigger synergy.” Hur began building a partnership with Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti five years ago. With SPC taking over local management of the franchise, the Gangnam branch will be Shake Shack’s 98th location in the world. “This is a dream come true for me as well as Shake Shack,” Garutti said. “We never opened a restaurant here.” “In 2011, where there were less than 10 branches of us, he [Hur] saw the vision.” 

Shake Shack currently has over 90 branches in 13 countries. In East Asia, the franchise has two branches in Japan, and the one in Korea will be its third. Shake Shack said it is planning to open a second branch in Seoul within this year, but a specific neighborhood has not yet been decided. By 2025, it plans to open 25 branches in Korea. Ever since SPC officially inked an exclusive license deal with the international burger franchise in December 2015, even the smallest progress has made headlines, drumming up anticipation among local foodies. SPC and Shake Shack will provide the entire classic menu including the flagship Shack Burger, which is equivalent to a cheeseburger, as well as the Smoke Shack with smoked bacon and the vegetarian ‘Shroom Burger with a mushroom patty. Hot dogs and crinkle-cut fries are also on the menu. At 6,900 won ($6) for a single-patty Shack Burger, the price is comparable to that in New York, where the same item goes for $5.29 without taxes. 

Shake Shack has been introducing localized menus whenever it enters a new overseas market. For Korea, it has added a milkshake made from red beans and four types of frozen custards made from local ingredients. The burgers’ core ingredients, such as Angus beef, cheese and sauce, will be directly delivered from the United States, while fresh ingredients such as lettuce and tomatoes will be locally supplied. The franchise has also developed a partnership with local breweries Magpie Brewing Company and the Hand and Malt to provide craft beer to Korean customers. The Shake Shack branch in Gangnam District will serve its first burgers on Friday starting from 11 a.m. and will be open until 11 p.m.

足がしびれる: 다리가 저리다

足が痛い: 다리가 아프다

足つぼマッサージが好きです: 발 지압 마사지를 좋아합니다.

Many of the films released recently are sequels of movies that became blockbuster hits in the past. They are called film franchises. Good examples are the latest Mission Impossible, Fast and Furious, and Avengers films. The international viewing public seemed to respond very positively to these movies as they also became top grossers, some even surpassing the earnings of those that came before them. However, some say they film producers are making too many sequels. They call this “film franchise fatigue.”

Movie producers these days are into maintaining film franchises.Standalone films or those that have definite endings have become very rare. It has been observed that if a movie earns humongous amounts of profit, there would be a big possibility that producers would create a spin-off or a continuation of the film. The process goes on and on until producers hit a dead end or until the film franchise no longer has the same impact on people as it did with the earlier releases. At some point, film sequels become bland and boring.

Because of film franchises, it can be said that producers just recycle movie material that has proven itself to be profitable. The creativity and artistry behind film production are gone because all film producers can think about is the guarantee of a big profit. Maintaining film franchises is just a way of showing how the film industry has become too episodic. Films are like prolonged versions of TV shows that are shown in big screens. Storylines are too stretched and manipulated because producers need to have something to work on for their next films. 

Many compare film sequels with old products that are placed in new packaging or stale cake that does not taste as good as when it was served fresh from the oven. For some, film sequels will never be at par with the first and original releases. So, the film industry should just move away from maintaining film franchises. Instead, they should go back to creating new stories that will coincide with realities of life. Producers should go against the profit-centered motives of producing films and once again give people fresh and new standalone movies that will create big impacts in society.

手を上げて: 손을 올려

手と手をつないでください: 손과 손을 잡고

手から滑り落ちてしまった: 손에서 미끄러져버렸다

Seoul police announced Thursday that they have rounded up 73 people involved in racing their luxury cars on public roads during the wee hours of the night. From May 2015 to May of this year, police found 73 people who participated in 22-kilometer (13.6-mile) races from the Jangam Station in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, to the Songchu three-way intersection and back. 

The racers were grouped into twos and threes by the horsepower of their cars, and as many as 10 to 15 such groups participated in the midnight race from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., according to police. The participants drove at about 60 kilometers-per-hour until they hit the Sapaesan Tunnel, a 4-kilometer-long four-lane tunnel, where they reached speeds of 200 to 324 kilometers per hour. The speed limit in the tunnel is 100 kilometers per hour. Some motor service center owners helped racers tweak the electronic control unit of their cars in order to allow extreme speeding. Police said some of them received roughly 3 million won ($2,649) per car. Among the 73 drivers booked by police, only one was a woman. All 73 face the charge of violating the Road Traffic Act and five have been arrested for being chief organizers of the races. Six men were found to have raced at least 100 times since May of last year. “We always knew there were these reckless drivers on the road,” said Jeon Seon-seon, a police officer in charge of the investigation at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. “But it has always been hard to catch them in the act. We began our investigation in February and have been working since then.” The officer added that they caught one of the group’s leaders when about 100 people gathered in a parking lot on Some Sevit Island on April 15 to show off their Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes, BMWs, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and more. 

They also gathered to encourage more people to participate in the races. But Jeon said that the police lacked the evidence needed to arrest them at the time. Since then, authorities have caught groups of cars leaving Jangam Station and passing through the Songchu three-way intersection repeatedly. “We rounded up suspects by looking into the blog sites and online communities of race participants and leaders,” Jeon said. The five chief organizers were all engaged in an online community of foreign or luxury car owners, whose membership count ranges from 3,000 to 77,000. The driver’s licenses of the five arrested individuals have been revoked, and 66 others have been suspended for 40 days. Among the five arrested for organizing the races, a 38-year-old driver surnamed Park participated in 312 races since May of last year. Park got into an accident on May 17 during a race in the Sapaesan Tunnel. The BMW that he was driving hit a Mercedes-Benz, then grazed the wall of the tunnel before flipping over. 

According to police, some 70 percent of the 73 participants are white-collar workers, including doctors, accountants and businessmen. They said about 71 percent of them were in their 30s. They also said that 60 percent of the participants’ cars are priced at over 100 million won. Seoul authorities seized 10 cars from chief organizers and race participants.