<The Korea Times> Nov. 30, 2020
Moon under fire for staying mum on pending issues (현안에 대해 침묵하고 있는 대통령에 대한 비난이 커지다)
President Moon Jae-in is in the hot seat over staying tight-lipped for a month on controversial issues, inviting conflicts and divides, and dragging down his leadership approval rating. 문재인 대통령이 지난 한 달간 논란이 된 문제에 입을 굳게 다물며, 많은 혼란과 분열을 불러일으키고, 대통령 지지율까지 떨어뜨리며 난처한 상황에 빠졌다.
As a result, more people are growing critical of his uncommunicative behavior, with his approval rating dropping to near record lows. 그 결과로, 많은 사람들이 아무 말이 없는 그의 침묵에 대해 비판적으로 바뀌며 지지율까지 거의 최저 수준으로 떨어졌다.
Last week Moon again showed deafening silence when a yearlong power struggle between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl resulted in Choo's suspension of Yoon from duty over alleged ethical and legal breaches. 지난 주, 문재인 대통령은 지난 1년간 계속되어 온 추미애 장관과 윤석열 경찰 총장의 권력 투쟁의 결과로 추미애 장관이 윤리적 법적 위반 혐의로 직무정지가 되었을 때도 또 다시 침묵으로 일관했다.
Despite the unprecedented case that has drawn strong backlash from prosecutors to denounce Choo's decision as illegal and unjust, Moon, who appointed the top prosecutor, has kept silent on the issue. 추미애 장관의 결정을 불법적이고 부당하다고 비난한 검찰으로부터의 강력한 반발을 불러 일으킨 전례없는 사건에도 불구하고 최고 검사를 임명 한 문재인 대통령은 이 문제에 대해 침묵을 계속 하고 있다.
오늘의 단어
- be/come under fire : 비난을 받다. 맹비난을 받게 되다
- stay mum : 침묵하다. 어떤 것에 대해 아무것도 말하지 않다.
- be in the hot seat : 곤경에 처하다, 난처한 상황에 빠지다.
- tight-lipped : 입을 꾹 다문
- invite conflicts and divides : 혼란과 분열을 불러오다
- grow critical : 비판적이 되다
- approval rating : 지지율
- deafening silence : 귀가 먹을 정도의 칙묵, 적막함
- suspension : 직무정지, 정학, 정직
- alleged : (증거 없이) 주장된, 제기된 (allege : 혐의를 제기하다, 주장하다)
- breach : 위반, 불이행 / 절교, 불화
- draw backlash : 반발을 초래하다.
- unjust : 불공평한, 부당한
Government boosts response against highly pathogenic bird flu
The government stepped up efforts to curb spread of the highly pathogenic bird flu as the country reported a case at a duck farm for the first time in 32 months, the agriculture ministry said Sunday.
On Saturday, the country confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) of the H5N8 strain among domestic poultry at a duck farm in Jeongeup.
"It is very concerning that cases of highly pathogenic bird flu are reported in wild birds as well as at poultry farms," Agriculture Minister Kim Hyun-soo said in an online briefing.
The agriculture ministry placed a travel ban on people and cars within a certain radius of the area where the AI strain was discovered and ratcheted up disinfection in affected areas.
오늘의 단어
- pathogenic : 발병시키는, 병원성의
- step up efforts : 노력을 키우다
- strain : (동식물질병 등의) 종류, 유형
- poultry : 가금류의 (닭, 오리, 거위 종류)
- radius : 반경, 범위
- ratchet up : 조금씩 증가하다(시키다)
- disinfection : 소독, 살균
Black Friday online sales hit record $9 bil.
Shoppers stay home amid virus surge
Black Friday online sales hit a new record this year as pandemic-wary Americans filled virtual carts instead of real ones.
Consumers spent an estimated $9 billion on U.S. retail websites on Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping. That was a 22 percent increase over the previous record of $7.4 billion set in 2019.
Meanwhile, traffic to physical stores plummeted as retailers tried to prevent crowds by cutting their hours and limiting doorbuster deals. U.S. store visits dropped by 52 percent on Black Friday, according to Sensormatic Solutions, a retail tracker.
Even with that drop, Black Friday will still likely end up as one of the biggest in-person shopping days in the U.S. this year, Field said.
오늘의 단어
- -wary : ~을 경계하는, 염려하는 (=cautious)
- plummet : 곤두박질치다. 급락하다. (=plunge)
- doorbuster : 미끼상품 (짧은 기간 안에 아주 낮은 금액으로 판매하는 정책)
Virus tally exceeds 500 for 3rd day; authorities under pressure to toughen social distancing
The daily number of COVID-19 infections here exceeded 500 for the third straight day Friday, as the health authorities face growing pressure to toughen social distancing restrctions amid continued sporadic infection clusters across the country.
The daily infection numbers have been in triple digits since Nov.8, with the figure hovering above 300 since Nov.18, except for Monday. Amid deepening worries over the third infection wave, the government is expected to decide how to readjust social distancing curbs Sunday.
오늘의 단어
- tally : (누적된) 기록, 득점
- for the third straight day : 3일 연속으로
- in triple digits : 세자리 수로
- hover : 맴돌다, 서성이다
Tourism sector sinking into bottomless pit amid prolonged pnademic
The office of a tour company in central Seoul is almost empty as most of its employees have been on unpaid leave amid pummeting demand for travel caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
The tourism industry is suffering an unprecedented crisis caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Travel companies, hotels and airlines are laying off employees or having workers take unpaid leave, as no one is able to predict when the crisis will be over.
Staff at the nation's largest tour agency Hana Tour and runner-up Modetour Network have been reduced by 5.8 percent and 7.98 percent, respectively, while smaller firms, Yellow Ballon Tour and Redcap Tour, have seen 13.6 percent and 10.8 percent decrease in the number of employees.
HanaTour put most of its employees on unpaid leave for six months in June, which was supposed to end this month, but it has been extended for another four months until March next year, as there is currently no sign of travel demand seeing a recovery.
Industry officials said some smaller tour companies have already carried out a voluntary retirement program in a move to cut costs.
오늘의 단어
- unprecedented : 전례없는
- take unpaid leave : 무급휴가를 가다/가지다
- runner-up : 2위, 2등
- voluntary retirement program : 자진퇴직 프로그램