Don't leave children alone in the home for long - Ms. Hyungmi Chum, Associate Prof. Ulsan College, Korea

I am an Associate Professor at the Kyongju based Ulsan College.

The UNESCO in its World Heritage list has included the entire city of Kyongju. This speaks of the importance of this city, to say the least. In addition to this, Kyungju was the capital of the Shilla dynasty. Shilla enjoyed peace and prosperity. Free from the worries of domestic conflicts and external invasions, it achieved rapid development in the arts, religion, commerce, education and all other fields. The Shilla capital had a population of over one million then. Its citizens led an affluent life and the city boasted magnificent royal palaces and Buddhist temples.

It was around this time that Buddhism flourished here under the patronage of the nobility and the court, exerting tremendous influence upon state affairs. Some of Korea's outstanding historical monuments are attributed to the creative genius and religious fervor of the artisans of this time. Among the monuments representing the great cultural flowering of that period are Bulguksa temple, and Sokkuram Grotto Shrine, both located in the vicinity of Kyongju.

I am associated with the Department of Social Welfare which teaches a variety of topics in the discipline of social sciences in order to allow the students of the college to work better for the society and later the country upon graduating from the college.

I am also the President of the Ulsan Association of the Social Workers. Apart from teaching, I remain engaged with the social activities that I have shouldered. I feel elated as and when I find some time to raise the voices of the prevailing issues that confront the Korean society.

My special sphere of interest if that of the Welfare of the Child, in the home and beyond. My forum of late has been creating a sort of awareness in and among the Korean society in particular and beyond in general on the challenges our societies have been facing due to the increasing spread of viewing of pornographic scenes by our tender hearted children. Viewing porno materials at home and outside is increasing in the Korean society. It is the Internet that has facilitated our kids to surf such websites and kill their time instead of reading books.

The fact is that it is these children who have been viewing such stuffs are those who are left alone in the homes by their working parents.

Growing urbanization of the Korean society demands both the partners to go in for work and in the process the children after attending to the schools are left alone for hours and hours. It is this loneliness in effect that has compelled the children to go in for such sites that not only damage their tender hearts but also bring in various anomalies in the society.

Nevertheless, let me tell you frankly that it is not a Korean problem only but a worldwide issue. I suppose Nepal too should have this phenomenon though it could be in its embryonic stage. But the problem is there.

We at this Association present our views and express our ideas on how to create a sort of awareness among the parents and the children so that this evil does not have its damaging effects upon our child, the future of Korean. In this regard, we utilize the power of the media and Television Commercials and at times we have had serious campaigns as well to let the people know of the growing effect of this issue in our society. I am happy that our volunteers too work day-in-day-out to make aware the parents of its effect. The fact is that, better late than never, we have campaigning centers in the entire country. Our efforts are paying slowly. It would take some time but we will keep moving forward without taking respite given the colossal dimension of its impact on the society.

However, no clear statistics is available to ascertain on the numbers of the children surfing the websites. But then what is also clear is that the number is growing every day at an alarming rate.

Looking at the issue in hand and its possible impact on the society, we have devised a slogan that is for the exclusive use of the parents, the Korean parents. The slogan reads as follows: "Don't leave the children alone in the home for long".

Apart from all these, I have heard that Nepal is a mountainous country with plenty of high mountains. I am also told that you the Nepalese are proud of Lord Buddha being born there. Well, Buddhism has a great impact in our tradition and culture, which one could notice easily.

Regarding the children issue on which I am working here, what I would like to suggest you that tell your working parents not to leave their grown up children in the homes for hours and hours. I presume, no child on earth is a bad child. Circumstances and compulsions and at times the sheer neglect of the parents to them facilitates in them a sort of hatred against their own parents and the society which ultimately leads the child to go the way we the parents and the members of the society would wish to refrain..

The parents of any urbanized society must strike a sort of balance on how to manage the official duties and to take care of the grown up children back at home. Any negligence on the part of the parents vis-à-vis their kids will even aggravate the problem in question. Thanks that the Korean society has taken note of our efforts made in the recent years.

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