This week's video news #4 (complete assignment online by Thursday April 10)

kim young-ah wrote:summary: There is the annual cherry blossom festival in Washingto D.C. To see the show, nearly a million visitors rush and they are attracted. Some people visit here for the first time and others do second time. And many flowers are an official sign that spring has come. In spite of cold weather, many people enjoy the 3000 cherry trees that Japan gave in 1912. It also marks a growing friendship between U.S. and Japan.

I'm of the opinion that many people enjoy cherry blossoms all over the world in spring. We Korea also have a Jin-hae(city) cherry blossom festival in April like the capital of U.S. But I'm sorry the cherry trees are Japanese national thing. Even if the blossoms are beautiful and we enjoy taking pictures under the trees.

My prediction is that Japan will be growing the friendship between U.S. and the nation, using the gift the cherry trees. In the future including nowadays, U.S. can accept Japan its friend rather than a rival. Relatively, the status of our country Korea will be down. Very sad. I think Japan takes a good advantage of its good things.

kim young-ah wrote:summary: There is the annual cherry blossom festival in Washingto D.C. To see the show, nearly a million visitors rush and they are attracted. Some people visit here for the first time and others do second time. And many flowers are an official sign that spring has come. In spite of cold weather, many people enjoy the 3000 cherry trees that Japan gave in 1912. It also marks a growing friendship between U.S. and Japan.

I'm of the opinion that many people enjoy cherry blossoms all over the world in spring. We Korea also have a Jin-hae(city) cherry blossom festival in April like the capital of U.S. But I'm sorry the cherry trees are Japanese national thing. Even if the blossoms are beautiful and we enjoy taking pictures under the trees.

My prediction is that Japan will be growing the friendship between U.S. and the nation, using the gift the cherry trees. In the future including nowadays, U.S. can accept Japan its friend rather than a rival. Relatively, the status of our country Korea will be down. Very sad. I think Japan takes a good advantage of its good things.

Kim Jin-Young wrote:(summary)
The Washington D.C, the capital of U.S ,has the cherry blossom festival which is annually held. Organizers say that nearly millions of visitors come to the Tidal Basin while cherry blossoms reach their peak through April 4th. The presence of 3000 pink blossom trees originates from Japan's gift to make friendly relation between two nations, Japan and U.S.

(opinion)
I'm of the opinion that those pink trees play an essential role in attracting quite a few people, even from overseas. Actually, a variety of cherry blossom festivals are annually held in Korea as well. However I sometimes wonder if these events in Korea is righteous, because our ancestors suffered from Japanese's atrocious violences and undeserved suppressions during about half of one century. I also think that Japan once appointed the U.S as a target during the World War Ⅱ. It's somewhat irony that two nations, Korea and the U.S, give a welcome to cherry blossoms, known as the Japan's national flower. I want to emphasize the point, the Japanese flower.
Also, we should know its background, so to speak, the reason why the gift was given to the U.S. What for? The Washington Post introduces the unknown history of cherry blossoms with the headline 'Behind the Beauty'. In 1905 Japan made a gift of cherry trees as a token of grabbing sovereignty over Korea from the U.S. This absurd agreement is known as The Katsura-Taft Agreement.


(prediction)
My prediction is that this event just like a kind of admiration of cherry blossom's beauty will be booming. In other ways, enjoying cherry blossom's beauty such as sweet smell and all white color is a good way to get rid of much stress. However, while enjoying many beautiful scenes, we should be aware that the U.S gave the permission for Japan to legally colonize Korea.
It is also likely that favorable relationship between the U.S and Japan will last thanks to cherry blossom trees which are not main factor to keep up the relationship, but a kind of flattery. For example, in 1988 Japan finally made it as to visa waiver. In contrast, we have failed to deal with it until now.

Kim Jin-Young wrote:

kim young-ah wrote:summary: There is the annual cherry blossom festival in Washingto D.C. To see the show, nearly a million visitors rush and they are attracted. Some people visit here for the first time and others do second time. And many flowers are an official sign that spring has come. In spite of cold weather, many people enjoy the 3000 cherry trees that Japan gave in 1912. It also marks a growing friendship between U.S. and Japan.

I'm of the opinion that many people enjoy cherry blossoms all over the world in spring. We Korea also have a Jin-hae(city) cherry blossom festival in April like the capital of U.S. But I'm sorry the cherry trees are Japanese national thing. Even if the blossoms are beautiful and we enjoy taking pictures under the trees.

My prediction is that Japan will be growing the friendship between U.S. and the nation, using the gift the cherry trees. In the future including nowadays, U.S. can accept Japan its friend rather than a rival. Relatively, the status of our country Korea will be down. Very sad. I think Japan takes a good advantage of its good things.

Like me, Young-Ah chose this topic to show her own prediction and opinion as well.
I agree with your prediction as for making relationships by using something.
I walked around school to enjoy cherry blossoms and read a couple of articles that said that cherry blossems reached their peak this weekend.
Also I hope that Korea will build up a good relationship with the U.S

I really enjoyed reading it!

Lee yujin wrote:Summary
Bernake said U.S economy will get wores the first half of this year before it will get better.
Probably the second half of the year the economy will be picked up by the stablization of the interest rates and housing.

Opinion
Nowday U.S have gone through the difficult time since the submorgage problem broke out.
Also bacause of the economic crisis of this most powerful country, the whole world seem to face with difficult time. Iim of the opinion that U.S should do take action on this crisis as soon as possible and as wiesly as possible.
Because this cisis would not be limitied to U.S. Since the pirice of oil and grain has been soaring, many poor country is suffering from femine and poverty. I even read the article that said Haiti people lived on the dust because of the high price of the food.

Prediction
As Bernake said this crisis could be extended before the recovery. It needs more time to deal with complcated problems on housing and loan interest rates. But I hope U.S economy will get better soon.

Oksun wrote: Summary : Big crowds are drawn toward the City's tidal basin, with annual cherry blossoms festival starting in Washington D.C. Three thousands cherry trees, which were Japan's 1912 gift to the United States, are to reach their peak through April 3rd.

Opinion: When Korea was under Japanese imperialism, Japan planted many cherry trees all over the country to mark its domination over Korea. Despite vestiges of Japanese imperialism , we descendants enjoy the cherry blossoms,especially in Jinhae,every year. I'm of the opinion that the case is almost the same with the States. Japan gave 3000 cherry trees to the U.S. in 1912 as token of friendship. However, 28years later, it provoked the World War two by attacking on Pearl Harbor. With all the suffering from the War, many Americans and people from the world enjoy and feel awesome at the splendid, spectacular cherry blossoms ! Japanese national flower in Washington D.C.? I take this to be historically ironical.

prediction: My prediction is that, the U.S. will try to maintain and consolidate the relations between two countries with its cherry blossoms festival held every year. This is because the United States wants to position itself as the world's "Only Superpower". In terms of promoting the national interests, the U.S. benefits from the festival as well.

Lee yujin wrote:Summary
Bernake said U.S economy will get wores the first half of this year before it will get better.
Probably the second half of the year the economy will be picked up by the stablization of the interest rates and housing.

Opinion
Nowday U.S have gone through the difficult time since the submorgage problem broke out.
Also bacause of the economic crisis of this most powerful country, the whole world seem to face with difficult time. Iim of the opinion that U.S should do take action on this crisis as soon as possible and as wiesly as possible.
Because this cisis would not be limitied to U.S. Since the pirice of oil and grain has been soaring, many poor country is suffering from femine and poverty. I even read the article that said Haiti people lived on the dust because of the high price of the food.

Prediction
As Bernake said this crisis could be extended before the recovery. It needs more time to deal with complcated problems on housing and loan interest rates. But I hope U.S economy will get better soon.

Kim Jin-Young wrote:(summary)
The Washington D.C, the capital of U.S ,has the cherry blossom festival which is annually held. Organizers say that nearly millions of visitors come to the Tidal Basin while cherry blossoms reach their peak through April 4th. The presence of 3000 pink blossom trees originates from Japan's gift to make friendly relation between two nations, Japan and U.S.

(opinion)
I'm of the opinion that those pink trees play an essential role in attracting quite a few people, even from overseas. Actually, a variety of cherry blossom festivals are annually held in Korea as well. However I sometimes wonder if these events in Korea is righteous, because our ancestors suffered from Japanese's atrocious violences and undeserved suppressions during about half of one century. I also think that Japan once appointed the U.S as a target during the World War Ⅱ. It's somewhat irony that two nations, Korea and the U.S, give a welcome to cherry blossoms, known as the Japan's national flower. I want to emphasize the point, the Japanese flower.
Also, we should know its background, so to speak, the reason why the gift was given to the U.S. What for? The Washington Post introduces the unknown history of cherry blossoms with the headline 'Behind the Beauty'. In 1905 Japan made a gift of cherry trees as a token of grabbing sovereignty over Korea from the U.S. This absurd agreement is known as The Katsura-Taft Agreement.


(prediction)
My prediction is that this event just like a kind of admiration of cherry blossom's beauty will be booming. In other ways, enjoying cherry blossom's beauty such as sweet smell and all white color is a good way to get rid of much stress. However, while enjoying many beautiful scenes, we should be aware that the U.S gave the permission for Japan to legally colonize Korea.
It is also likely that favorable relationship between the U.S and Japan will last thanks to cherry blossom trees which are not main factor to keep up the relationship, but a kind of flattery. For example, in 1988 Japan finally made it as to visa waiver. In contrast, we have failed to deal with it until now.

billy wrote:Summary: FRB chairman Ben Bernanke expects the US economy will stay at its current level or even may contract a little, but it will pick up in the 2nd half of the year as a result of aggressive interest rate cuts and stabilization of financial conditions and housing market.

Opinion: Bernanke told before congress that the US ecoonomy will improve in the 2nd half of the year 2008 even though it may retract a little from its already troubled state. However, I am of the opinion that the US economic president Bernanke's prediction is a little dangerous and biased. When the economic concerns resulting from the so-called subprime mortagage loan started to arise last year, many financial newspapers and investment companies reported that no one would be able to predict the impact it might have on the world economy, let alone the USA. Some financial experts expected that its economic loss might be more than the staggerting 500 billion dollars and the US government is reported to have put in 150 billion dollars as only an emergency measure. That is, as no one expects the strongest country would ever experience this economic fallout, any quick-tempered prediction may play havoc with the sign of recovery.

Prediction and 'Why': My prediction is that even though there is a little bit of good sign that the economy will get back on its right track such as seemingly stabilized gold and oil price and stock market, we must not come to any hasty conclusion that the US economy will pick up sooner or later. You may have heard about the so-called Butterfly Effect, which means a little flapping of one butterfly in Beijing could end up with a devastating tornado in the US. It looks like the direction may turn backward this time from the US to the rest of the world. As the New York Stock Earket tumbled down, the world stock market indexes were shaking as well. The world economy is already too connected to underestimate the financial impact of the giant market. For now, we have to wait and see.

Lee Pilsu wrote:Summary: Federal Reserve Chairman, Bernanke, made a short announcement about the (U.S.) economy before the Congress panel. He said that the economy will be bad and could even contract in the first half of this year, but it will change for the better in the second half of the year due to interest rate cuts, financial and housing market woes disappears and some other reasons. It is reported that if it had not been for the emergency funds, the financial market could have turned into a chatic situation.

Opinion: To be honest, I don't have any personal opinion on this news article because I don't know much about economy. But one thing that I noticed was that his presence and his remarks should carry a significant and powerful meaning because he was surrounded by scores of cameramen and U.S. Congress panels.

Prediction: My prediction is that Korean economy will suffer in the first half of this year and will pick up in the second half because I heard Korean economy is influenced a lot by the United States'.