By Kwon Dae-hyuk
I tore a ligament in my left knee while playing basketball 11 years ago. But I did not discover this until 2002, as I felt no pain my left knee. I had put my knee out at times. Every time I went to a doctor about this matter, they said it was ``nothing serious.'' They might have had difficulty in finding my torn ligament, since it is hard to find the injury through an X-ray. However, the problem continued to recur and I realized something was wrong.
After an MRI test, I learnt that my left knee's ligament was torn. The doctor told me ``it is not serious, especially for walking and running. However, reconstructive surgery is advisable.''
Considering the fact that I had no insurance to cover it and my family finances were not that good, I worried about whether to have the surgery. At that time, I was a student preparing for the test to go to university. This was one of the reasons affecting my studies.
Under the circumstances, my parents insisted on my operation without hesitation. I had the reconstructive surgery and now my left knee feels much better.
However, I recently started to be concerned about a new problem. It is not my personal injury, but the issue regarding the safety of U.S. beef.
President Lee and his administration stress that the beef imported from the U.S. is definitely or almost safe, and given that there is no evidence of anyone dying from eating it, it is time to stop the candlelight protests and focus on reviving the economy.
Watching the recent news about the recall of U.S. beef, a new mad cow case in Canada and Korea's quarantine system, which hardly inspects imported beef, it does not seem that the public can trust the government's remarks. People are afraid of becoming one of those who might get the disease despite the exceptionally low chances of this.
The President believes unnecessary regulations on corporate operations should be eliminated. With that logic, things that make workers worried must be thrown away as they are one of the most economically crucial factors. In other words, considerable anxiety over food safety could be useless regulations on people's economic activities. The government has to take far more reliable steps for assuring safety.
At his inaugural ceremony, the President said he would be a servant of the citizens, while speaking to foreign investors about him being the ``CEO of Korea Inc.'' But, I hope the President will instead be a parent for all Koreans.
A wise parent is much more devoted than an honest servant and guides members. Such parents give love. That's why they think family's health is more important than anything else.
If the President ran the state like parents lead a family, I believe it is not impossible to accomplish his '747 project', which means 7 percent annual growth, double per-capita income to $40,000, and becoming the world's 7th largest economy. Have you seen the children who do not listen to their wise parents?
Kwon Dae-hyuk is a senior student majoring in English interpretation and translation at Dongguk University in Seoul.