4 · 40 words
Social issues
Inequality, housing, jobs, discrimination and the words of debate.
These are the words of the opinion pages. Several are built from the same few syllables: 격차 is a gap, 난 a shortage or hardship (취업난), 층 a layer of society (저소득층). Two are newer than the rest and very much of their time: 갑질, abuse of power by whoever holds the upper hand, and 고독사, dying alone and unnoticed. The sentences describe; they do not take sides.
The words
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Verb (1)
심화되다to deepen, intensifyVerb4
경쟁이 심화되면서 스트레스를 받는 학생이 늘었어요.As competition has intensified, more students are suffering from stress.
Noun (39)
갈등conflict; tensionNoun4
세대 간의 갈등을 줄이려면 대화가 필요해요.Dialogue is needed to reduce tension between the generations.
Said [갈뜽]. Literally “kudzu and wisteria”, two climbing vines that tangle together.
불평등inequalityNoun4
교육의 불평등은 다음 세대까지 이어질 수 있어요.Inequality in education can carry on into the next generation.
빈부 격차the gap between rich and poorNoun4
같은 도시 안에서도 동네에 따라 빈부 격차가 커요.Even within one city, the gap between rich and poor varies greatly from one area to another.
양극화polarisationNoun4
소득의 양극화가 점점 심해지고 있어요.The polarisation of incomes is getting steadily worse.
Said [양그콰].
주택난housing shortageNoun4
대도시의 주택난은 좀처럼 해결되지 않고 있어요.The housing shortage in the big cities shows little sign of easing.
가난poverty; being poorNoun3
그는 어린 시절 가난 때문에 학교를 그만둬야 했어요.As a child he had to leave school because his family was poor.
취업난shortage of jobs; difficulty finding workNoun4
취업난 때문에 졸업을 미루는 학생들도 있어요.Because jobs are hard to find, some students put off graduating.
Said [취엄난]. 난 means hardship, as in 주택난, a housing shortage.
실업률unemployment rateNoun4
정부는 청년 실업률을 낮추기 위한 정책을 발표했어요.The government announced policies to bring down youth unemployment.
Said [시럼뉼].
집값house pricesNoun4
집값이 너무 올라서 젊은 부부들은 집을 사기 어려워요.House prices have risen so far that young couples struggle to buy a home.
Said [집깝].
세대 차이generation gapNoun4
부모님과 이야기하다 보면 세대 차이를 느낄 때가 있어요.Talking with my parents, I sometimes feel the generation gap.
노숙자homeless person; rough sleeperNoun4
추운 겨울에는 노숙자들을 위한 쉼터가 문을 열어요.In the cold of winter, shelters open for people sleeping rough.
학교 폭력school violence; bullying at schoolNoun4
학교 폭력을 막기 위해 상담 선생님을 늘렸어요.More school counsellors were taken on to prevent bullying.
Said [학꾜 퐁녁].
따돌림ostracism; being left outNoun4
아이가 반에서 따돌림을 당하는 것 같아서 걱정이에요.I am worried that my child is being left out in class.
You suffer it with 따돌림을 당하다.
다문화multiculturalNoun4
다문화 가정의 아이들이 점점 늘고 있어요.There are more and more children from multicultural families.
외국인 노동자foreign worker; migrant workerNoun4
이 공장에서는 외국인 노동자들도 많이 일해요.Many foreign workers work at this factory too.
이민emigration; immigrationNoun4
삼촌 가족은 오래전에 캐나다로 이민을 갔어요.My uncle’s family emigrated to Canada long ago.
Leaving is 이민을 가다, arriving 이민을 오다.
난민refugeeNoun4
전쟁을 피해 온 난민들을 돕는 단체가 있어요.There are organisations that help refugees who have fled war.
학벌academic pedigree (the school one went to)Noun4
그 회사는 학벌보다 실력을 보고 사람을 뽑아요.That company hires on ability rather than on which university people went to.
외모 지상주의lookism; judging people by appearanceNoun4
외모 지상주의 때문에 자신감을 잃는 청소년도 있어요.Some teenagers lose confidence because people are judged by their looks.
성차별sex discrimination; sexismNoun4
같은 일을 하는데 여자라는 이유로 월급이 적다면 그건 성차별이에요.If a woman is paid less for the same work just because she is a woman, that is sex discrimination.
소외exclusion; being left behindNoun4
디지털 기기에 익숙하지 않은 노인들은 소외되기 쉬워요.Older people who are not used to digital devices are easily left behind.
고독사dying alone and unnoticedNoun4
혼자 사는 노인이 늘면서 고독사도 사회 문제가 됐어요.As more old people live alone, dying alone and unnoticed has become a social problem as well.
독거노인elderly person living aloneNoun4
자원봉사자들이 매주 독거노인 댁을 방문해요.Volunteers visit the homes of elderly people living alone every week.
Said [독꺼노인].
수도권 집중concentration in the capital regionNoun4
수도권 집중이 심해지면서 지방 인구는 줄고 있어요.As more and more is concentrated around the capital, the provinces are losing people.
수도권 is Seoul and the area around it.
출산율birth rateNoun4
출산율이 낮아지면서 문을 닫는 학교가 생기고 있어요.As the birth rate falls, some schools are closing.
사교육private tutoring; cram schoolsNoun4
사교육에 드는 돈이 부모들에게 큰 부담이에요.The money spent on private tutoring is a heavy burden for parents.
As opposed to 공교육, state schooling.
최저 임금minimum wageNoun4
최저 임금이 오르면 아르바이트생의 시급도 올라요.When the minimum wage goes up, part-timers’ hourly pay goes up too.
공정fairnessNoun4
공정과 정의를 요구하는 목소리가 커지고 있어요.Calls for fairness and justice are growing louder.
사회 안전망social safety netNoun4
실업 급여는 중요한 사회 안전망 가운데 하나예요.Unemployment benefit is one of the important parts of the social safety net.
사회적 약자the socially disadvantagedNoun4
사회적 약자를 배려하는 제도가 더 필요해요.We need more measures that look after the socially disadvantaged.
시민 단체civic group; non-governmental organisationNoun4
여러 시민 단체가 환경 보호 운동을 벌이고 있어요.Several civic groups are running campaigns to protect the environment.
기부donationNoun3
해마다 연말에 어려운 이웃을 위해 기부를 해요.Every year at the end of the year I give money to neighbours in need.
봉사volunteering; service to othersNoun3
주말마다 복지관에서 봉사를 해요.I volunteer at the community welfare centre every weekend.
Volunteer work is 봉사 활동.
저소득층low-income groupsNoun4
저소득층을 위한 지원이 더 필요해요.Low-income households need more support.
취약 계층vulnerable groupsNoun4
더위가 심할 때는 노인 같은 취약 계층이 특히 위험해요.In extreme heat, vulnerable groups such as the elderly are especially at risk.
사각지대blind spot (people a system fails to reach)Noun4
복지 제도에도 사각지대가 있어서 도움을 못 받는 사람이 있어요.The welfare system has blind spots too, so some people get no help.
갑질abuse of power (by the stronger party)Noun4
손님이 직원에게 갑질을 하는 영상이 퍼졌어요.A video of a customer bullying a member of staff spread online.
Said [갑찔]; from 갑, the first and stronger party in a contract.
혐오hatred; disgustNoun4
인터넷에서 특정 집단에 대한 혐오 표현이 문제가 되고 있어요.Hate speech against particular groups is becoming a problem online.
청소년 문제problems affecting young peopleNoun4
청소년 문제는 가정과 학교가 함께 풀어야 해요.The problems young people face have to be solved by families and schools together.
This list belongs to Society and the news — three lists and 120 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.