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While top representatives from each country...
were convening at the UN to discuss global peace-keeping and security,
despite the lack of any official recognition,
the self-appointed G's from around the world...
are convening for the peace-keeping and security of global youths,
hence the Non-Summit Meeting.
(Episode 138)
We shall begin the session.
I'm the Chairman of Non Summit Meeting, Jun Hyun-moo.
- I'm Secretary General Yoo Se-yoon. - I'm Chairman Sung Si-kyung.
- We are Junyoosung! - We are Junyoosung!
(Welcome representatives.)
Our representative from Malaysia is here with us.
Thamil, could you please introduce yourself?
(Hello. My name is Thamil Selvan.)
(I came from the Tampin District in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
(I'm currently doing a language study program at Seoul National University.)
(I'm going to be studying mechanical engineering at Hanyang University.)
Hello. My name is Thamil.
I studied Korean at Seoul National University last year...
and I'm planning to study mechanical engineering at Hanyang University.
I will do my best today.
(Welcome)
When I think of Malaysia,
Do you remember the tourism advertisement they made?
The advertisement that asks them to come visit.
It was really pretty.
(They were sending the advertisement to their global neighbors.)
Advertisements like these are very important.
- That's the image a foreigner would have of that country. - Right.
As a native Malaysian, you were happy with the advertisement too, right?
Even though people want to go, they won't because of that recent incident.
Why are you saying that?
(The two chair people don't seem to be on the same page.)
- The airport incident. - I don't know if I should say that you two get along.
- All right. - You're right. The incident at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un was assassinated.
The assassination did happen.
On the 13th of the month at 8:00pm, inside Kuala Lumpur International Airport...
According to reports, a woman grabbed Mr. Kim from behind...
(Kim Jong-nam was poisoned and killed by a dose of the nerve agent VX.)
(It's a substance that most ordinary citizens would have trouble handling.)
(It is believed that these four North Korean men are behind the attacks.)
(The police believe that North Korea was behind the assassination.)
(Currently North Korea is saying it wasn't them.)
How are they taking it over in Malaysia?
This was...
the first assassination incident inside Malaysia.
It has become a controversial debate topic.
North Korea has asked for the body of the deceased.
We told them that we would return the body...
after we figure out the situation.
(How did other countries react to the news?)
Okay. How did the other nations react to this?
We said that we'd investigate this incident closely.
- You're going to investigate it closely? - Yes.
It's because the Chinese public are really interested in this incident.
North Korea is our neighbor.
It is a country that is right on our doorstep.
If something happens in North Korea, China could also be in danger.
- Right. - Yes.
- This has become the talk of the town in Japan, too. - In the news.
- We had kidnapping issues with them before. - It's a sensitive issue.
- Right. - That's why we had special programs on this incident.
(A special on Kim Jong-nam's assassination)
(They are putting a great deal of importance on this.)
This incident was on the front page of the papers as well.
The word assassination...
is only a word that we hear in movies for Japanese people.
So, this has become a great shock for us.
It has become a big issue in Japan.
I'm most curious about the reaction in the US.
The US had always...
looked at North Korea suspiciously.
We also consider Kim Jong-un to be a very brutal...
and scary dictator. That's the image we keep seeing.
We believe that he ordered the assassination.
Also, even before this...
- he had killed Jang Song-thaek. - Right, Jang Song-thaek.
even back then,
we thought that he was capable of doing something like this.
In Switzerland, when the people heard the news,
we realized North Korea's politics wouldn't change.
We realized they wouldn't change.
Since Kim Jong-un grew up in Switzerland, we believed when he came to power...
that North Korea would start to open up a little more.
There were a lot of people with high hopes for this.
I believe North Korea is going in the complete opposite direction.
There are a lot of people who think like that and are very disappointed by this.
The suspect for Kim Jong-nam's assassination has been arrested.
We've got a clearer understanding now, but we don't know who the mastermind was.
That's where the opinions start to differ.
Was there an assassination that shocked everyone in your respective countries?
Historically,
- the Kennedy assassination is very famous. - That's right.
In 1963, President Kennedy went to Dallas in Texas.
- He was riding an open car during a parade, - That's right.
and a person named Lee Harvey Oswald...
took a gun and aimed at the window of the car...
and shot him. That's how the assassination happened.
He was arrested and before making his confession,
he was being led out of the police station two days later,
and a man named Jack Ruby shot him...
with a gun. Lee Harvey Oswald died.
Is Jack Ruby in prison?
No, he died a few years later due to cancer.
- So, he... - That's scary.
- There are a lot of suspicious circumstances. - It does sound scary.
In Mexico, there was a presidential candidate...
called Luis Donaldo Colosio-Murrieta.
He had criticized the Mexican government a lot.
He was very direct.
He was called the hope of Mexico.
One day, while he was campaigning, a man pulled out a gun...
and shot him. He was standing right next to him. He died.
It was never revealed who the mastermind was.
There are a lot of theories,
but the most likely theory is...
the assassination was ordered by someone on the opposite political party.
There are suspicious circumstances, but it was never undisclosed, right?
Yes, we still don't know.
They shot the opposing political candidate.
In India, the most famous person is Mahatma Gandhi, right?
He is called the father of India, right?
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated as well.
The assassin was a Hindu extremist and he shot him due to religious reasons.
He shot him three times with a gun.
Our first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi was also assassinated.
She was also assassinated for religious reasons, too.
She was shot three times and killed.
Her son, Rajiv Gandhi...
was assassinated and killed as well.
It was very shocking.
In Malaysia, we have an incident called the Mona Fandey affair.
She was a very famous pop singer...
and was known for being a witch doctor.
There was a politician,
who before the election,
wanted Mona Fandey to use black magic...
to help him win the election.
She asked for an enormous sum of money for her services,
The politician gave her a small amount of money.
So, the angry Mona Fandey asked him to close his eyes...
for a cleansing ritual.
And she told him to wait until the money fell down from the sky.
After she asked him to do that, she took a large axe,
and cut the politicians head off.
She cut his body into 18 different pieces.
She buried the 18 parts in the storeroom.
What happened to that person?
She was sent to prison.
She was given the death penalty.
The positive image that the advertisement had given us...
The slogan was, "Come to Malaysia".
I was planning on going to Malaysia next month.
- It's a beautiful country. - Malaysia is a country that I really want to visit.
It is a really beautiful country.
- There are a lot of great things about Malaysia. - Right.
Okay. I understand.
There must have been failed assassination attempts in your countries as well.
The most famous one would be the failed assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II.
In 1982, inside St. Peter's Square,
a Turkish assassin shot a gun at him.
He was wounded, but he didn't die.
The bullet was an inch from the right side of his heart.
People say the bullet was only 1mm away from hitting his heart.
He went into surgery right away.
He left the hospital four days later.
But what was most amazing was,
that he forgave the assassin and asked the government to pardon him.
He was given a life sentence...
- but he was released in 2000. - That's amazing.
Could you do it? Could you forgive the person who shot you?
That's impossible.
- He was forgiven because it was the Pope. - It was the Pope.
In Cuba, there was a US mafia...
that was running a casino.
But they had to close it down because of Fidel Castro.
They thought if they killed Pierre Trudeau,
Fidel Castro would go to the funeral in Canada because the two were close.
They plotted to kill him at the funeral.
- They had planned this out. - I feel bad for Trudeau.
- Pierre Trudeau was... - They are only using him as bait to kill Castro.
- That's too much. - It doesn't really matter.
it was a plan they came up with to kill Fidel Castro.
They canceled the plan later on.
I don't know why they canceled the plan.
But the person who was going to do the assassination...
is going to write a book and is doing interviews.
He claims that he was going to do it, but he never did.
If that book sells, then we could all write a book.
"I was planning on doing this..."
"But the important thing is, I didn't do it."
I had planned this, but I didn't do it.
"I was planning on buying JTBC."
- I was going to... - Right.
I'm not going to buy that book.
(Laughing)
The US tried many times...
to try and assassinate Fidel Castro. We failed every time.
According to the investigation that came from Cuba,
we had tried to assassinate him 600 times and we failed every time.
Even if you had tried every year, that would be at least twice a year.
We tried a lot.
So, Fidel Castro said this,
"If surviving assassination attempts were an Olympic medal, I'd win the gold medal."
Did he say that?
- He's right. - We tried so many unique ways to do it.
- Once we tried to kill him with a poisoned cigar. - He likes cigars.
We tried to do it, but he stopped smoking
Castro stopped smoking.
Or, since he likes swimming,
we tried to give him a germ infested swimming togs.
We gave it to him, but that failed as well.
Maybe he didn't like the design.
That could be true.
"Don't you have one in a different design?"
"This isn't my size."
He was an accomplished scuba diver as well.
We gave him scuba diving equipment infested with tuberculosis.
And that failed, too. We kept failing.
- This isn't a script for a comedy movie, right? - Maybe it wasn't his style.
- It wasn't stylish enough. - Or it wasn't the brand he wanted.
I'm curious to know how he survived all those attempts.
That's true.
(In the end, he died at the age of 90 after a living a long life in November 2016.)
I think we could have a discussion about tools and assassination methods.
I mentioned before the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
In 1991, he was traveling around campaigning for the Presidential election.
This one woman bowed to him in greeting.
She was wearing a suicide belt.
She pressed the button and it exploded.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.
If you tighten your abdomen as you bow,
the belt explodes from the pressure.
- It doesn't have a button. - Does it explode as your bow?
The bomber stays like this, but as soon as she bows, it explodes.
That's a very scary idea.
It was a very shocking incident for us.
We stopped an assassination with a good-looking man.
- Did you say a good-looking man? - Yes.
The Premier of China, Mao Zedong,
gave a celebratory greeting in front of Tienanmen Square every year.
The US tried to use this in an assassination attempt.
They selected a female spy...
and tried to send her into the country.
But we found out about the plan.
We picked out the most handsome man in southwest China,
and sent him to her.
As soon as she saw him,
she fell in love with him instantly.
- They got married. - Could you tell us something that really happened?
I confirmed the information on several news publications.
What happens if the female spy doesn't fall in love with him?
- What if she didn't like handsome men? - He's the best looking man in southwest.
The female spy could have different taste in men.
- He's the best-looking man in the southwest. - What if she didn't like him?
The population of China is huge.
- That's true. - I'm sure they did some research on her style, first.
- I'm sure they found out her style, first. - Do you think they did research?
They must not have trained the spy properly.
She fell for the best-looking man in the southwest.
The woman was suspicious of the man at the start.
The woman took out her gun and pointed it at the man.
I know that the communist party sent you.
- This sounds like the movie, "Shiri". - Right.
"But I do love you."
(They are writing a movie script.)
"How could you?"
"Who are you?"
(That was amazing!)
The man continued to say that he was doing this because of love.
The woman fell for him and married him.
He overcame that dangerous situation with marriage.
They got married.
Does she try and complete her mission later on?
Yes, after she gets married, she tries to complete her mission.
She comes back to China to try and do it.
The husband followed her.
Before she was about to attempt the assassination,
he drugged her.
And she fell unconscious, thus stopping the assassination attempt.
Maybe she knew the water was drugged.
The pill is dissolving in front of her eyes.
"Oh, thank you".
Wait inside.
Are you filming a movie?
(Anyway, the assassination attempt failed like that.)
The assassination attempt is endangering citizens as well.
Last October in the Philippines,
four current and former police man kidnapped and murdered a Korean man.
- Right. - It was a shocking development.
Could you tell us about murders of your citizens that happened in other countries?
There were eight Mexicans who went to Egypt to travel.
They were enjoying their time,
when suddenly Egyptian soldiers appeared...
and shot them.
- They had no reason. - They killed Mexican citizens?
They killed all the Mexican citizens.
We asked the soldiers why they did that later.
They said, "We thought they were terrorists. We were confused."
That's what they said.
- They shot them without warning. - They shot them without warning
They had no warning.
It looked like the Mexican citizens were doing something.
They were shot and killed.
We asked them and they couldn't clearly explain their reasoning.
We said to Egypt,
"If that is the case please pay compensation to the families."
- What happened? - They paid 160 thousand dollars.
They received 160 thousand dollars?
- It's not something you can solve with money. - Right.
There are a lot of bizarre incidents like this that happen in the world.
In the US, after the September 11 attacks,
there was a person called Balbir Singh Sodhi,
he was just walking down the street and was murdered.
They killed him because he looked like the people who followed Osama bin Laden.
But from our perspective,
the Taliban,
- wear the hats in a circular way and the tail is visible. - They're different.
People from the Sikh faith wear hats in a triangular way.
- We can tell the difference. - They are different.
- The people in the US think they are the same. - They look similar.
A lot of people went through a lot of hardship because of that.
- They just killed him. - Right.
(It's something that no one should go through.)
If one of your citizens gets murdered overseas, how does your country react?
If something like that happened to one our citizens while they were overseas,
our State Department tries to play an active role to help out.
- Right. - On their website,
they have posted relevant information...
and it gives you tips on how to contact your family.
They give you information on how to contact your family if something happens.
We try to help them out as much as possible.
If something like that happened to a Japanese citizen in a foreign country,
according to our law, we can prosecute that person in a Japanese court room.
We can do it, but first we check what kind of relationship we have with the nation.
According to that, we decide on where to prosecute that person.
The problem is, we only have extradition agreement with Korea and the US.
In truth, it is difficult to prosecute someone in Japan.
That's why if this happened in another country,
we have to trust the judicial system in that country.
That does happen sometimes.
All right. Let's say you committed a crime or someone committed a crime on you.
This could turn into a diplomatic issue.
In cases like this, does the crime have to prosecuted by the country it happened,
or should the judicial process happen in the criminal's home nation?
Let's have a discussion on that. How does it work in your countries?
Let's hear your thoughts on it.
Should the criminal be prosecuted in the country where it happened,
or should it happen in the criminal's home country?
If you think it should happen in the country where it happened, raise you hand.
In 1, 2 and 3.
Almost everyone has lifted their hand.
- Thamil is the only one who hasn't raised his hand. - This is a first.
Thamil is the only one.
Is Thamil the only one?
Thamil, could you tell us why?
Do you think they should be prosecuted in the criminal's home nation's laws?
I believe that the criminal should be punished in his home country.
It's because the criminal...
was a part of that society.
I believe it's that society's responsibility to correct this problem.
- Thamil, let's say, I... - Yes?
followed the law in my home nation,
but in Malaysia what I did is considered a crime.
And let's say I did that in Malaysia.
Will you tell me to get trialed in Canada? Even though it's not a crime in Canada.
- Malaysia can't punish him. - It's not illegal in Canada.
That's... Let me give you an example,
I have a son,
and he did something wrong in my neighbor’s house.
And he was scolded by my neighbors for it.
He comes back to my home...
and he told me what he did in my neighbor's house...
- You're saying the person should be punished in both countries. - Yes.
- The person should be punished in both countries? - Yes.
In the case of a family matter, what he said could be okay.
But the problem is I'm not the son of the Italian government.
That's the point.
When Europeans go to Indonesia or Malaysia,
a lot of people get arrested because of drugs.
We're allowed to carry and consume it for personal use.
But if we get caught doing that in those countries, we could be put to death.
There are a lot of problems like that.
There are a lot of incidents like this,
a person went to Canada and raped women.
- He raped women. - Was this a Malaysian?
- Yes, it was. - Did this really happen?
- This did happen. He went to Canada and raped a lot of women. - What happened?
He was imprisoned for 24 years in prison.
But I feel that 24 years isn't long enough.
- Wang Xinlin, did you want to say something? - I was going to agree...
but after listening to Thamil, I do understand him as well.
- Right. - Did your opinion change?
Yes. After listening to him, my opinion did change.
He's too easily swayed.
- A lot of mothers say this to their kids, right? - What is that?
- My home, my rules. - Right.
Like this rule, if someone committed a crime in my country,
they should be punished according to our country's laws.
- Right. - We have a similar saying.
It means where ever you are, you have to live according to the country's laws.
That is one our sayings.
When we go to that country,
we are promising to follow the country's laws when we submit for a visa, right?
That's why I believe, it's correct for the criminal to be prosecuted there.
How about in cases like this? A foreigner...
killed another foreigner in our country.
- They should follow Korean law. - Right.
That's why I said the criminal should be prosecuted in that country.
In Japan we had an incident that became controversial.
In France, a Japanese female student...
was murdered by a Chilean man.
The man fled to Chile.
Right now, the Chilean courts...
- and French police are... - It's a gray area.
If we say the person should be prosecuted in their home country,
there's no way to solve this.
- It should be solved in the country it happened. - Right.
This would be the most effective way to solve this.
Recently, the president of the Philippines....
threatened to kill Korean gangsters in the Philippines.
He gave a warning and this became a controversial issue.
Because criminals were punished on foreign land instead of their country,
there must have been a lot of unfair cases. Let's talk about that.
- You had something like that happen to you, Oogi? - Yes.
Wait, it didn't happen to me.
You surprised me when you said yes.
- Well, I'm really glad it didn't. - I'm glad too.
In Okinawa, an American in the military...
sexually assaulted a Japanese woman...
and killed her. But because of the alliance between America and Japan,
he had the right to be tried on US soil.
But the condition on that trial depended on whether he was on duty or not.
But because it was done outside of duty,
they judged he should be tried on Japanese soil and is currently on trial now.
But that man said this during the trial.
"She was wrong for being there."
Because of this incident, Okinawa is against the US military.
They feel strongly about this and want Japan to break off the alliance.
This story's not only limited to Japan.
We also have something similar.
Our country also had Hyo-sun and Mi-sun...
(Two girls were crushed by American armored vehicles.)
(Due to the Korean-US agreement, they were sent back to be tried in America.)
(The US soldiers were found innocent in the death of the girls.)
(This incident caused the citizens to protest.)
- Itaewon murder case. - Yes.
Same goes for the Itaewon murder case.
- It took 20 years for him to go to jail. - It took way too long...
- Too long... - It took 20 years.
(The Itaewon murder case was resolved in 20 years.)
Pakistan also had a similar incident like the Itaewon murder case.
There was someone named Raymond Davis...
who killed three Pakistani people.
When he was caught, they found out he was a CIA agent.
He was in jail when the US suddenly took him back.
But the citizens were angry that he was let go...
even after he killed three citizens. There were a lot of protests.
I think he should be punished back in Pakistan...
no matter how long it takes.
There was an incident between Italy and India that still hasn't been resolved yet.
- Yes. - Not that long ago, the Italian navy...
shot down an Indian fishing boat. They claimed to have mistaken them for pirates.
Either way, they were arrested by India...
when Italy started to go all out on getting them back.
They said they should be tried in Italy.
India claimed they should be tried in India because it happened in Indian waters.
That happened because there's a problem with the military rule.
It was done on a foreign area. Actually, that's why the navy...
are always on their ship.
If they're attacked by the pirates, they're allowed to defend themselves.
But those people died because they mistook them for pirates.
It's pretty complicated.
About 20 years ago in Switzerland, a Syrian diplomat...
raped a woman.
But because he was a diplomat, he had diplomatic immunity.
Before we could arrest him, he went back to Syria.
The people of Switzerland were extremely angry about that.
Switzerland wasn't able to do anything?
- Because he had... - He had diplomatic immunity.
diplomatic immunity, we couldn't do anything. But,
last year, he was found living in France under a fake identity.
So Switzerland requested France to extradite him.
I'm sure all countries have controversies surrounding diplomatic immunity.
Alex, your parents are also diplomats. Do you also have...
I actually had one too.
- Do you still have it? - Not anymore.
- You had diplomatic immunity? - Yes.
But in Switzerland's case, there's no benefit to that.
Because, we're acting as representatives of our country,
we want to show a responsible image to the other countries.
Is that why you're going all out now? Because you don't have immunity anymore?
No. When people hear the term diplomatic immunity, most people think...
they can get away with all kinds of criminal acts.
But that's not true.
- It's not. - They shouldn't.
But personally, there was one good thing about it.
- What? - When I had my diplomat passport,
every time I went to the airport...
- You didn't need to wait in line, right? - That's awesome.
I'm so jealous.
But now that I don't have it anymore, I have to wait in line now.
Korea is really good with those things.
In Korea, there are automated immigration customs.
Those were really nice.
Foreigners can also use those kiosks?
- Yes. - Yes.
- Even foreign students can use it. - I also submitted an application for it.
But you have to take off your glasses.
- Taking off your glasses in front of... - Sometimes, it doesn't recognize me.
(When I take off my glasses, it doesn't recognize me.)
Eventually, you have to go to a person.
- Please come this way. - That's funny.
While we were talking, we suddenly touched upon this topic...
It should apply to the military too.
But if someone makes a mistake in a foreign land,
they should be told they'll be punished 1.5 times more.
My country shouldn't defend me when I do something wrong.
While it's right for my country to save me when I'm in danger or treated unjustly...
I hope we can become a world without crimes someday.
We will now begin our main debate.
Yes.
Let us welcome our Korean representatives.
With their unique beauty,
they're known for collecting the stars...
Please welcome Block B's Kyung Park and Taeil.
(Swag)
(The 138th Korean representatives are Taeil and Kyung Park.)
- Hello. - Hello.
(They're the focus of everyone's attention.)
(Their nameplates turn on and off.)
You guys are the first in three years to carry around those flashing nameplates.
It looks pretty cool.
- Everyone... - Let's sit.
- Yes. - Please introduce yourselves.
Hello. I debuted on April of 2011...
as a rapping member of Block B. I'm Kyung Park.
I'm 26 years old.
- I see. - That's great.
- Taeil, you too. - All right. I debuted on the same date.
I'm the vocalist of Block B and 28 years old. I'm Taeil.
(Welcome)
(Block B surpasses "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God".)
(The completed group takes over the chart with their hit, "Yesterday".)
(Block B's Kyung Park and Taeil)
I'm curious. Block B is a Hallyu group.
Out of all these countries, which ones give you the hottest responses?
- We're really hot in Europe. - Really?
- Is that true? - Yes.
(During 2015's Paris performance)
(The Block B members are welcomed with loud cheers.)
You're also really popular in Pakistan.
- In Pakistan? - Please don't make up stories.
Are you saying they know Block B in Pakistan?
They know Block B in Pakistan?
They do. They really do.
There's a Pakistan K-POP fan group in Facebook.
I found out about them while looking at the pictures there.
That's how much people back in Pakistan love K-POP.
Kyung became a big issue after appearing on that program.
You have a Mensa membership?
Your IQ is 156?
I'm always saying this everywhere but my IQ isn't 156.
It's higher than 156.
Even if you get 300 percent, it's still 156.
- Is that the highest score? - Wow.
Were you always smart as a kid?
- I really liked doing math. - You did?
Yes. I would often hear I was very curious and creative as a kid.
You're also very used to bragging about yourself.
I always wanted to ask this of Mensa member but are you good at games too?
Like Starcraft. Are you good at games involving strategy?
For games like Starcraft, you need good control, so I'm not that good at it.
But I have confidence in board games that makes me use my head.
Games like Halli Galli.
(Halli Galli, a game where person who rings the bell first takes the card)
He has to be fast.
He has to be flexible.
What about you, Taeil?
Does having such a smart friend make you happy or make you feel uncomfortable?
Actually, I started to know about Kyung more after he appeared on the TV program.
Before then, I didn't really feel he was...
But I can feel his intelligence when we get our pay stubs every month.
I'm really weak with numbers.
But he's able to just look at it and calculate the numbers.
I checked with the calculator too.
- He's... - The agency must be afraid of him.
It'll be awesome if you catch a mistake.
I caught them several times.
(I caught them several times.)
(Joking)
- That's a good skill. - Yes.
- Let's look at our agenda. - Yes.
The 138th agenda with Kyung Park and Taeil.
- Please read. - Yes.
Now that graduation has passed, it's almost time for the new semester.
That's why I'd like to ask about this topic.
I want to go back to my school days.
Am I abnormal?
- I see. - Wait...
If you can go back to your school days and go back to being a teen, would you?
I would like to study more.
- You do? - Why?
Well, I'm living a really great life right now but...
I want to study again. I'm curious what it'd be like to live as a businessman.
If you studied more, you think you could have lived another successful life?
In my case, I spent my entire high school year in the practice room.
So if I could go back right now,
I would go back to play with my friends and take a lot of pictures.
I want to go and make some memories.
I don't have any special memories of back then. I was always practicing.
That's why Taeil is going all out recently.
- Let's stop there. - Oh no.
You should be protecting your own member.
Anyway, about whether it's abnormal to want to go back to your school days...
We'll now begin our debate on this topic.
(Main debate)
It's the season of new semesters.
Because he's busy preparing for the new school year,
the teacher, Aurélien, is using that as an excuse...
- to not come here. - An excuse?
He took a break from our program and is probably grumbling somewhere.
Grumbling about his students, maybe.
In time for the new semester, we'll be talking about our school days.
A lot of you are wondering why we're talking about new semesters now...
but the start dates are all different.
In Europe, we all start school in September.
Late August or early September.
In Italy, it starts in September.
We start in September and finish in June.
Our summer vacation last for three and a half months.
- That's why you go on a lot of trips. - Yes.
They really do go on a lot of trips.
America also starts in September.
Starting in August, we have a really big "Back to School" sale.
Because all the kids are going back to school,
the parents worry about what clothes their kids should wear and things like that.
They get new clothes, new supplies...
Back to School sales are probably the biggest sales after Christmas.
I think Japan has a very unusual case.
- Japan starts school in April. - April?
That's the time when cherry blossoms bloom.
That's why students always take pictures with cherry blossoms in the background.
I also have a picture like that.
(Oogi when he was in elementary school.)
But nowadays, because of global warming, it became a little weird.
There aren't any cherry blossoms anymore.
You're right. They really last for a short time.
So now, we always ask each other if the cherry blossoms...
will be able to endure this year.
- That's kind of... - That's sad.
- Yes. - In Korea and everywhere else,
the graduation album is really important, right?
But Pakistan doesn't have that.
The picture I used when I started school...
- That's used for our graduation. - What?
There's a difference in how I look...
Are you sure it's not because it's you?
Your face will last a long time.
Even I can see that it doesn't look like me.
(His face will never change throughout the years!)
While we're at it, let's also talk about what it's...
like during our graduation and entrance ceremonies.
In Germany, there isn't any big emphasis on starting school.
But in elementary, there's a very famous cultural tradition.
When you're in elementary, you receive schultüte from your parents.
It literally means "school bag". Those bags are only for the kids.
In those bags are things like pencils, notebooks, and candies.
- This was when I got it. - It's Niklas.
- Is that you? - Yes. My little brother was really jealous of me then.
He also wanted to go to school.
- He wanted to get the schultüte too. - He's upset.
- He is. - He's upset.
(Upset)
That's why my mother made him a...
- small bag. - I see.
Your brother is cute.
Switzerland doesn't put any emphasis on graduating or going to school either.
Even during my father's generation,
after graduation, he'd get his diploma in the mail and that was it.
- Really? - That's so cold.
- That's so... - That's sad.
- That's no fun. - It's been changing recently but...
even when we start school, all we do is go to school and come home.
We also don't have a entrance or graduation ceremony.
I think it's because...
we go to school without paying tuition.
If they do a entrance or graduation ceremony,
- the parents could think of it as them wasting their taxes. - I see.
We also don't pay for tuition...
but we have go to our graduation ceremonies.
It's mandatory.
If we don't go, it's really bad. We call it prom.
Prom is a dance party.
To go there, we work part time and save up money for a month.
We have to rent out a tuxedo and rent out a car.
For people who want to spent more, they rent out an Italian sports car for a day.
- Really? - When we're young, the insurance cost the same as the rent price.
So we put a lot of preparation into it.
(A Ferrari makes its appearance.)
(I've been waiting for this day.)
I thought prom was an American thing.
No, Canada and England also do it.
For us, it has nothing to do with graduation.
We just do it for the fall semester and spring semester...
It's just an event to dance.
I feel like the US has too many graduation ceremonies.
They do one for elementary and one for junior high school...
We weren't always like this. But as time passed, parents started to go overboard...
with their support for the kids.
We only used to have graduation ceremonies for high school and college.
But lately, parents have been holding ceremonies for junior high and elementary...
- There's even a ceremony for kindergarteners. - There is.
Yes, there is.
(Just like college, everyone wears a graduation gown and hat.)
(Congratulations on moving up a grade.)
Do you two have any memories of your graduation?
- A lot of people eat out on graduation day. - With family?
- They sit down together. - Yes, they sit together...
- and eat Chinese food. - Yes.
Yes, they do.
Our family ate hot pot.
But normally, people eat Chinese food. At least, that's what I heard.
"Our family ate hot pot but normally..."
"At least, that's what I heard."
You see, I'm not normal.
- What about you, Taeil? - My school was a really old school.
It was around for over 100 years. When we go in, the juniors...
would line up on the sides and sing a song for us.
I cried on my graduation day.
- Why? - On the day of my high school graduation,
it was confirmed I had to stay back one more year.
(Stifled laughter)
While everyone else went into college, the vice president and I had to stay back.
I really cried my heart out. I cried so much.
- I was so upset when I heard people talking about college. - But,
I also got confirmations that I had to stay back a year.
But I didn't cry during the ceremony. I cried after the ceremony.
- Next year? - I didn't get into college.
- You must have cried a lot then. - Yes.
When I got into junior high school, my mother cried.
- Why? - Why?
All these kids from different schools come together to meet each other.
- And there's this invisible tension between everyone. - I'm sure.
My mother was so happy, she would come and take pictures of me.
She'd come at me with her camera.
- That must have been so embarrassing. - I was in the middle too.
She would call my name and tell me to look at her.
I would grumble and tell her to go away. My mother sobbed,
"How could you tell me to go away on such a joyous day?"
I cried, saying I was sorry and she cried, hugging me.
My mother and I were both saying sorry and hugging each other.
- "That wasn't what I meant to say." - Yes.
Let's go make up by having hot pot.
Let's go eat hot pot.
In Japan, there's this entrance ceremony...
done by the VR headset.
(As expected of a country with great technologies!)
That's so like Japan.
These days, you can graduate from college by taking online classes.
Because it's an online class, during the...
entrance ceremony, everyone wears a VR headset.
They all turn that on and see the entrance ceremony of another school.
- That's funny. - Why would they do that?
Because it's an entrance ceremony. I thought it was funny too.
We can't leave out the uniforms when we're talking about school.
- I'm curious to hear about it. - Let's talk about uniforms.
- There are different cultures about uniforms. - Japan is pretty fancy, right?
Actually, students used to wear kimonos to school.
But the kimonos are very uncomfortable to wear.
Also, that was the time when we were introduced to Western cultures.
The uniforms were made to look like the military uniforms.
The boys wore gakuran.
The girl's uniform were influenced by the navy. They're called sailor uniforms.
- Sailor uniforms? - That's how they came to be.
Schools are ranked on the popularity of their uniforms.
- In Fukuoka, there's Hakata Girl's High School. - They're cute.
A lot of people like their uniform. They're really popular.
Those look pretty.
Our uniform are just gym clothes.
- That's right. - We wear gym clothes.
It's that yellow and red...
- Yes. - Gym clothes?
Yes. People keep saying that...
although it's good for preventing students from dating each other,
it's also bad how it lowers the students' confidence in their sexuality.
This wasn't in Mexico. But there was this popular uniform in Brazil.
It was a uniform that could be tracked down.
- What? - It had a GPS?
- They had a chip inside the uniforms. - Inside the uniforms?
Like a GPS, the parents...
would get notification on their cellphone saying,
- "The student arrived to school." - But they could change clothes and play hooky.
That's true. I'm sure kids have thought about doing that.
I was just joking.
In Germany, the culture of uniforms is disappearing.
The closest thing we have to uniform cultures...
was Hitlerjugend during the Nazi era. That's basically...
a youth organization where they taught and raised the children for Hitler.
Things like uniforms remind Germans of Hitler's Nazi Era so much.
Although there are some who wants to revive the use of uniforms,
most people are still against implementing that system.
- What did you two wear? - Although we both modeled for modern uniforms,
when we were students,
baggy pants were in trend back then. It cost us 20 dollars in Dongdaemoon.
We wore baggy pants and wore really tight jackets.
And to complete the whole look, we wore belt with buckles.
- The skull belts. - Yes.
- We'd wear buckles with skulls or brand logos. - Or with eagles...
Yes. And when we raised our hands, our buckles would show.
- What? - Where did you live back then?
- I lived in Mapo back then. - What about you?
I lived in Songpa.
Uniforms differed by district.
- What did you wear? - What?
We were the opposite. We'd wear really tight pants.
When we took off our pants, it was so tight...
that it'd flip inside out when we took them off.
I think it was in trend for us to wear tight fitting clothes back then.
- That's interesting. - There are countries with uniform...
cultures and countries without uniform cultures.
Let's take a vote about student uniforms.
Do you think it's better to wear uniforms? Or do you think it's better not to?
If you think wearing it is better, raise your hand. In 1, 2 and 3.
(It's better to wear uniforms to show you're a student.)
Both Block B members raised their hands.
How many of you wore uniforms?
(China, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, India)
People who wore it are okay with it.
Anyone who never wore it but want to?
(Honest)
I never wore it but I wish I had.
The children are really stressed and the parents are really stressed...
about picking the right colors and which outfit looks best.
But if you wear the same clothes, all you have to worry about is learning.
You have more laundry without uniforms.
I think a little differently. I think it's because of cultural differences.
Our class time is only 4 to 5 hours long.
- Really? - So,
wearing uniforms for just four hours...
and changing when you go back is...
- You guys don't study, do you? - It's uncomfortable...
And students would like to show their individuality.
It's human nature to do that.
Students should be allowed to express themselves freely.
They should be able to wear whatever they like.
Won't that interfere with their education? If they're left to do whatever they want,
they'll be more focused on their appearances instead of their studies.
They'll spend more time on their looks.
- That's the student's problem, not the education. - That's what our parents say...
I was just curious. Because when they're at school,
the greatest thing about uniforms is...
how everyone's all together and part of the same group.
Regardless of where you were born or from...
Indians are very sensitive about that.
That's what I liked best about wearing uniforms.
I think it's better for students to wear uniforms.
Just like what Lucky said, it cause less discrimination.
For example, if a student is seen on the streets...
and in a dangerous situation,
- the people will... - They'll see it's a student?
Yes. They'll see and help the student. That's why I think it's better.
You were talking about how wearing uniforms would cause less discrimination...
but that doesn't stop students from bullying each other either.
I'm not saying it'll end it. I'm saying it'll cause less problems.
Besides, people can wear really expensive shoes, belts, watches, or rings.
They can wear expensive accessories.
I think Niklas is right when he talks about this.
But in Pakistan, there are a lot of companies...
that sell very pretty shoes and accessories for a very cheap price.
(What did he just say?)
- It's true. - Wait...
Zahid, that's not what I'm talking about.
For a second there, I thought you were the owner of a shoe factory.
You can buy and change things like accessories for cheap in Pakistan.
But if you don't wear uniforms, you'd have to change clothes everyday.
- And that's... - But wait. If you say it like that,
it's like saying that after graduation, you have...
to only worry about clothes until the day you die.
You're saying we have to worry about what we...
wear everyday for the rest of our lives.
- Wait... - Actually...
- That's... - He said, "For the rest of our lives".
It's not because we're poor.
But children from poor families will definitely feel left out.
If all students wear uniforms, people tend to think...
all the students will have the same mindset.
But actually, I don't think that's being very realistic.
There are so many different personalities and beliefs for different people.
I think it's much more important to teach...
them it's okay for everyone to be different.
I disagree with what Alex just said.
I don't think there's any need for kids to accept their differences.
- Because, in our country... - In our country?
there's a free meal plan.
But even if there are free meals, most students...
- are embarrassed to admit they're eligible. - Yes.
That's why there are many who don't use it.
If you get rid of uniforms and make them accept that they're...
different from the others,
they'll be forced to feel shame, especially during their puberty.
I also agree.
I never wore uniforms when I went to junior high and high school.
The rich kids would always...
wear really high quality jackets. Even kids could tell the difference.
Our family wasn't poor...
but we didn't spend a lot of clothes. We only had three jackets for fall.
I only use one jacket for winter.
- I only had three. - Why does anyone need three jackets?
It's cold. There's three months in winter. I need one for each month.
Anyway, whenever I wore them,
I would feel inferior...
and feel insecure about myself.
- Then, who hates uniforms? - Me.
When the school forces its students to wear...
what it wants them to wear, isn't that sexual discrimination?
- Sexual discrimination? - There are girls...
who'd like to wear pants.
You're saying they force girls to wear dresses when they want to wear pants?
What if a girl doesn't want to wear a dress?
- Then... - Nowadays, I think they can wear both.
- Is that fair? - Nowadays, they can wear pants or dresses.
In a girl's case, it's fair.
- But in a boy's case, it's unfair. - Can boys wear dresses too?
- I see. - Why would...
Girls are expected to wear dresses while boys are expected wear pants.
You're saying that deciding on what people should wear based on their gender...
- is a dangerous thing, right? - Yes.
Because the style is different based on your gender.
- Girl's uniform is different from boy's uniform. - Yes.
The school is deciding for the students...
- on what they should wear. - Yes. The fact that they even have a say on...
- what girls should wear is a little... - Yes.
Japan is a little...
We have this thing where we feel safe when we're the same.
- Yes. - It's in their culture.
We hate sticking out and being different from everyone else.
But when you go to places like Shibuya,
- they're so different. - Very different.
- Like Harajuku... - Harajuku is where all the unusual...
That's where you can see a man wearing a uniform.
- A man wearing a uniform? - Yes, he wears a sailor uniform.
He might be a student, you know?
Those people probably feel safe when they're different.
I see. I feel like I should say this too.
I didn't know this would go on the news...
Have you heard about the back breakers?
It's used as a term to describe kids breaking their parents back by making...
them buy expensive jackets for them.
What kind of back breaking items were there in other countries?
In Japan, there were these things called Randocell.
They were bags worn by elementary school kids.
They're very small but very expensive.
They would have different prices but...
The cheapest bag, made in China, would cost 100 dollars.
(Attacked by the facts)
You didn't have to be so specific.
I don't attack you.
(I don't attack you.)
How much is the most expensive?
The most expensive one would be worth over 2,000 dollars.
- That would be made by horse leather. - Wow, look.
- That's... - It's horse leather.
- Wow. - Randocell.
When I was in high school,
the sneakers from Prada were really popular.
- You can tell it's Prada from far away. - Yes.
- Because of the lines. - Yes, the lines.
Anyway, back then, those cost around 400 to 500 euros.
- It's the same as 700 to 800 dollars. - That's expensive.
Back then, almost 80 percent of the students had a pair.
- I see. - Isn't that the same sneaker that was popular in Korea...
- recently? - The shoe that Soon-sil dropped?
- That's the same one, isn't it? - No.
I just...
Yes, it was that same brand.
- But I don't think students would have worn that shoe. - Either way...
For us, it's our birthday party.
Depending on where we do the party,
there's a difference in rank.
When I'm preparing for my birthday party,
my friends would always ask me where I was having it.
If I'm doing it at a VIP club, they'll come no matter what.
But if I do it somewhere else,
- they'll say they'll think about it. - Just do it at a pub.
Those aren't true friends.
What kind of friends are those?
In America, it's probably cars.
- It might be different between states... - You're the same as us.
But on average, if you're 17, you're eligible to drive.
That's why when it's their 17th birthday,
everyone goes to their parents and begs,
pleading with them to buy them a car.
While everyone else rides the bus to school,
- I'd drive... - And turn on the music.
Yes. I'd drive to school.
When I park my car in the school, I'd feel...
But there are different ranks there too.
Students with money would drive convertibles or sports car...
to look good in front of their peers.
Wealthy families...
- would even buy a brand new Ferrari for their kids. - Really?
- Wow. - Wow.
(A Ferrari for driving to school)
(You'll have everyone's attention.)
- It's so hot. - It's so hot.
- How old were you when you got a car, Mark? - High schoolers...
- I never had my own car. - What?
- What did you ride? - I rode the school bus.
- You didn't drive? - No.
- You rode the bus? - The bus was Mark's.
- That makes sense. - Really?
What was your first car?
- I got my first car as my graduation present. - Ferrari?
It was just a Nissan.
- Just a Nissan? - What?
- Just a Nissan. - I'm sorry.
He said it was just a Nissan.
It was a foreign brand?
- Wow. - That was...
I'm saying it wasn't a sports car.
For us, we would rent out a mini truck or a rickshaw...
- and... - You can rent rickshaws?
- Yes. People who weren't well off would... - They'd rent it as a group?
Yes, the whole neighborhood would carpool together.
They have school buses in other countries.
But we had school rickshaws.
What you all talked about exists in Germany too.
Things like who has the most expensive birthday parties...
and things like who wears which brand. And it's funny because...
rich people in Germany don't like to show off their wealth.
But interestingly, rich people only show off...
how rich they are when they're in high school.
It's the only time when they can show off their parent's wealth.
They don't show off their wealth after graduation?
Back then, I didn't really care too much about it...
but it would bother my mother a lot.
Because there's this tension among the parents too.
- There is. - So basically, I didn't have a lot of friends...
but I wouldn't have wanted to be friends with them anyways.
The popular spots around school differ by the generations.
What would you say is your hot place?
In the US, fun things are always happening in the cafeteria.
It's the only place where everyone in school...
comes together to eat lunch together.
Things like fights...
are always starting in that place.
And the popular kids are sitting on one side...
while the losers are sitting on the other side...
Where did you sit, Mark?
I was in the middle.
I liked being ambiguous and in the middle.
For us, it'd be the school bus.
- School bus. - Yes. It was the school bus for us.
Because of safety issues,
a lot of mothers would worry...
- about their kids being kidnapped... - Do criminals stay away from school buses?
It's safer.
But when you get on there, it's a whole new world. The seating went like this.
The front seats would be taken by the smart kids.
They'd all wear glasses and would sit there, reading their books.
In the very back were all the noisy kids.
They were really noisy.
And in the middle were all the couples.
They'd be doing things there.
Doing what there?
Talking. They talked.
- They would only talk and... - Then you should have said "talk".
You're good at noticing the details.
Anyway, I met my first girlfriend on the school bus.
- In the bus? - The bus?
- Did you confess to her? - Well,
I was always the last one to be picked up by the school bus.
So there weren't any seats left. One day, when I got on,
there was only one seat next to that girl.
So I sat there and started talking to her.
And ants exploded.
It was going really well.
- Did you just say ants exploded? - Ants exploded?
I think he meant they had good chemistry.
Yes, it was going well.
Since I was always the last one on the bus,
- the girl used her bag to save that seat for me. - With her bag?
(That's so cute.)
That's so romantic.
And not only did I make my first girlfriend there,
but I also got my first kiss there.
- First kiss? - Yes.
It happened when...
- Tell us everything. - The bus was going when the driver suddenly...
stopped the bus and went out.
All the students there would ask us if we were a couple.
And they'd say, "Kiss! Kiss!"
- "Kiss!" - How do you say that in Spanish?
- Beso! Beso! - Beso! Beso!
- Beso! - Beso!
- Beso! Beso! - Beso! Beso!
All right. That's enough joking around.
- So did you kiss her? - Yes, I kissed her.
They kissed.
Besame mucho.
We have another story.
I have an opposite love story.
The hot place in Japan is the school's backyard.
- Backyard? - Yes, backyard.
A lot of people give love letters...
and make love confessions there.
So, I also tried confessing in the backyard.
- You did? - Can you say it in Japanese?
(After class,)
(I'll wait for you by the school's backyard.)
What was the girl's name?
("Your Name")
I confessed to her but she vaguely rejected me.
What does it mean to be vaguely rejected?
It's just...
saying, "I'm sorry".
But normally...
(I'm very sorry.)
No, they wouldn't do it like that.
(Okay. I understand.)
No that's not how it is.
Anyway, it's embarrassing to be rejected in the school's backyard...
so there are people who run all the way to the school gates from there.
(There are people who run to the school gates.)
- One out of two people would run? - Yes.
What did you say when you confessed to her?
I think this is a very Japanese way of speaking...
But you don't say "I like you".
You first talk about your memories of them.
For example, "Remember when we first met during freshman?"
- That's romantic. - During our freshman year?
(I'm very sorry.)
I'm saying it's not like that!
Remember when we met during freshman?
(Who are you? Your name is?)
- This makes me feel excited. - That was cute.
When I was young, there was no such things...
as a hot place in our school.
The only place we can go to play once a year...
was a tiger park near the school.
- What did you just say? - Tiger park?
Isn't it dangerous to play there?
Every year, we're taken on a picnic to see the tigers.
The whole park is 625 square km.
It's one of the top five tiger sanctuaries in India.
Did 2 of the 70 students go missing by any chance?
Where did he go?
He was just here.
Taeil? What was the hot place in your school?
- For us, it was probably the coin karaoke. - Coin karaoke?
We could sing 1 song for 20 or 30 cents.
I was the vocal for our school. When a vocal for another school came by,
tensions would start to fly.
- You'd go into the booth next to their's. - Yes.
We knew they could hear us.
I remember how we'd sing with our mouths on the mic.
There are many big and little incidents that happen in school.
Can you tell us about various school incidents that happened in your countries?
Lately, schools in Germany have been struggling with drug problems.
Students have been doing and dealings drugs in school.
They'd do it before classes,
during their break times, or after school's over.
There has been an increase of people doing drugs...
so it's becoming a big issue.
In fact, in 2013,
in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, a teacher...
has been found selling drugs to his students.
- A teacher? - He was caught?
Yes. But when they caught him, he stated he...
still had morals because...
he sold it to everyone except the students in his class.
- That's... - He said that?
- Should we be relieved? - What?
As your teacher, I love you all.
(As your teacher, I love all my students.)
Mexico's case is a little shocking.
In a junior high school in Mexico,
during breaks, students made money through prostitution.
- It was a huge issue. - Is that true?
Three girls would use their break time...
to sell their bodies to their male classmates.
They would ask for 20 to 50 dollars.
But what was more shocking was how they all had boyfriends.
It was revealed later on...
that those boyfriends made them do it.
- They made them... - That's sick.
- That's crazy. - So they could make money?
- Yes. - Wow.
That's shocking.
In Japan, we have a very serious issue with ijime.
(Ijime, a form of severe bullying within the school)
There has been a lot of cases of students...
ignoring people who transferred from Fukushima.
- It become such a huge issue in society. - That's so mean.
The students from Fukushima either refuse to go to school...
or try to commit suicide.
It's because they don't just ignore you.
In fact, even the teachers call those students "germs".
- The teachers? - Yes.
- Germs? - Germs are like bacteria.
Also, the students treat them very harshly.
In a junior high school in Yokohama, they'd say,
"You're from Fukushima, right?"
"You're getting a lot of compensation, aren't you?"
- They say that and... - Take their money?
- Yes. - They take their money?
They took about 15,000 dollars...
- From those students? - Yes.
(As the mayor, I feel deeply responsible for what has happened here.)
(I'll take great measures so this never happens here again.)
(The board of education made a formal apology.)
There are also a lot of cases in Korea too.
Do you remember any, Kyung?
When I was in school, the biggest problem...
was going on bread errands.
Stronger kids would...
always ask the weaker kids to buy them things.
They would make them go buy bread without giving them any money.
Recently, an elementary teacher said she was trying to
teach students about the negative impact of school bullying...
by calling two students...
- and... - She made everyone curse at those two.
Yes. After that was revealed, it became a huge issue...
- recently. - Yes.
The biggest issue schools have to deal with seems to be bullying among the students.
Can you tell us how severe bullying was in your country?
Mexico is kind of really bad.
Actually, 60 percent of our youths want to commit suicide because of that.
There was a junior high school in Mexico that played a game called El Columpio.
Columpio means swing.
You'd play the game by grabbing someone's arms and legs and swinging them.
- After you count to three, you'd throw them against the wall. - The wall?
- Yes, they'd throw them. - That's...
They did that twice to a kid.
That kid fainted and had to be taken to the hospital.
He went into a coma...
and ended up dying after four days.
Lately, Japan has been using social media to bully people.
For example, in their group chat,
if someone writes, "Did you do your homework?", everyone would ignore him.
But when someone else writes, "Are you busy?",
someone would answer back with "Let's go eat" and so on.
That person is made to feel that they're being bullied.
They're sneakily making him into an outcast.
- We also have that in Korea too. - Yes.
So they developed a program to prevent that called "Feel".
Words like "stupid", "die", and 20,000 other...
harmful words are caught by that program.
And when those words are caught, their parents are notified.
We don't really have any issues with bullies in Pakistan.
Instead, we have issues with a lot of group fights.
You know how they say...
a student's fight is the parent's fight in Korea, right?
But for us, a student's fight is the district's fight.
- The district? - Yes. When I was in high school,
there was a huge fight between two villages.
About 100 to 200 people gathered there...
- Fight between villages? - Yes, the villages fought.
- With one call, everyone will come. - The caller must feel have felt bad.
That's why...
it went on the news and became a huge issue.
On December 2016, a male student...
was taken to the hospital when he said his stomach hurt.
The doctor found...
nails weighing 0.7 kg in that student's stomach.
- Nails? - Yes, nails.
- Nails? - Apparently, that student had been...
bullied since last year. He couldn't endure it anymore...
and tried to hurt himself.
- That's why he ate all those nails. - He ate them?
Yes, he ate them on purpose.
- He wanted to hurt himself? - Yes, he wanted to hurt himself.
When I was in junior high school, I was fat...
so I was also bullied.
I was so scared of going home by myself...
that I called my mother to pick me up from school.
But long ago, my mother was the district's biggest gang leader.
Your mother was the leader of a gang?
Yes. She was so famous that...
when my mother came to school, everyone knew who she was.
And when my mother looked at those students, she could tell they were gangsters.
- She knew right off the bat? - Yes.
Anyway, that's why I still can't forget about what happened that day.
When I came out, my mother crossed her arms...
and made the students bullying me stand in a line with their head down.
She was chastising them.
The students saw me...
and said, "This must be your lovely son."
They treated her like an older sister?
She's like a school senior.
- Right. - It's not like they can call her, Sir.
She was a prominent member of select circles, after all.
According to my aunt, when my mother...
was young, if any of my aunt's boyfriends...
cheated or did something bad, my mom would confront them.
One time, she even hit one with a column.
- With what? - A column?
Did she pull out the column?
She's like Samson.
(You terrible people!)
(Smacking)
That hurts!
She was a problem solver for her friends.
- Yes. - What does your mother do?
She is retired now and staying at home.
She's just retired.
She retired from her previous profession.
- She's retired from her job. - That's quite amazing.
From that time until I graduated, they never bullied me again.
Schools set up particular rules in order to prevent accidents.
However, there are times when overly strict rules become a cause of controversy.
In 2015, a school in Germany...
placed restrictions on girls' dress code.
It was summer, so many girls were wearing...
things like hot pants and cropped shirts.
They were wearing a lot of revealing clothing.
The school placed restrictions on these kinds of clothing.
They said students who wear...
these clothes to school will have to cover themselves up with XXL-sized shirts.
The girls got very angry.
They claimed that the boys and male teachers...
being unable to concentrate from seeing their bodies...
isn't something the girls should be punished for.
They claimed that male students need to learn...
that girls' bodies aren't a sex object.
After they voiced their criticisms,
the restriction was lifted.
There was an outrageous regulation in Hokkaido.
One middle school in Tokyo...
ordered the students to wear white underwear without any patterns.
- The underwear? - What?
- Yes. - We had that too.
How would they check that?
- It happened in China as well. - Why underwear?
- We also had restrictions on skin color. - Right.
It's not like it's going to show.
The idea behind the rule was for students to act like students.
There's no reason for students to wear fancy underwear?
It's not proper for students to wear fancy underwear.
It was very controversial for being so outdated.
Also, it raised the question of what it means to be a proper student...
and whether that had anything to do with education.
In the region of Vaud in Switzerland,
students who miss school without the school's permission...
have to pay a fine of 700 francs.
In Geneva, you have to pay...
a fine of 150 francs for one absence.
If you're absent twice, you have to pay 350 francs.
If you're absent three times, you have to pay 1,200 francs.
- How much is that? - It's over 1,000 dollars.
- Wow. - It's harsh.
- You can't miss school. - Right.
Going to school is mandatory.
(The rule reflects their values.)
Also, in one region of Switzerland,
the students have to shake the teacher's hand before and after class.
However, two Muslim students refused to shake the teacher's hand...
based on religious beliefs.
- It was a female student? - Yes. They refused to shake her hand.
- They can't do that? - Yes. As a result, the families had to pay a fine.
(A fine of 5,000 francs)
There was another, similar situation.
A lot of elementary schools...
in Switzerland teach swimming as a mandatory part of the curriculum.
However, two Muslim girls refused to swim...
with the boys and had to pay a fine.
Zahid, does Islam allow for swimming?
In Islamic culture, men and women do not normally swim together.
If they do, they will have to cover their bodies.
- However, refusing to shake hands is a bit harsh. - I see.
In Italy, students have the right to refuse attendance and go on strike.
If there is an issue in the school...
or the students don't agree with a kind of education reform,
they can independently decide to go on strike.
Even for really serious social issues,
they can do a sit-down strike.
I was a part of several strikes.
When Italy decided to participate in the 2003 war in Iraq,
the students were all against it and...
did a sit-down strike.
We got to school early in the morning and blocked the teachers from entering.
What do the teachers do?
They call the police.
- It's unimaginable in Korea. - We did it for three days.
Of course, there were students who were playing,
but most students formed their own classes...
and taught the younger students.
It was a very good experience.
Can you tell us about awards that are particular to your country?
Did you get a lot of awards?
I got a rather unique award.
I did a lot of performances for school festivals,
so my school awarded me with a good merit award...
for spreading the name of our school.
It was an award of recognition.
What about Kyung Park?
I didn't get any special awards, but I did get a lot of regular awards.
- Top student awards? - Top student awards, Math competition awards,
- For outstanding achievement. - essay awards...
for prose. I also received a lot of appointment awards.
What was your most memorable award?
There are so many to chose from.
(I see...)
You got so many.
(A braggadocious Mensa member)
I can't help you if you go that far.
I got an award when I was in elementary school.
It was the uniform award.
I got a uniform award, which is...
awarded to the student who wears the cleanest uniform for the year.
Since I was young, I was very neat and tidy.
My mother told me that...
when I was six years old, I looked at my uniform...
and said, "What is this?" She said I was very scrupulous.
- You were? - Yes.
- "What is this?" - That's what she told me.
Students who study well, take good care of their health,
and have good principles are awarded...
the three merits prize...
for achieving these three merits.
Also, exemplary students...
are given an armband...
with red lines.
You can get up to three lines.
More lines mean greater merit.
In America, there are so many different kinds of awards.
There are so many. In the spring semester,
there's what we call Awards Night.
- My goodness. - It's like an awards ceremony.
They give away math awards, science awards,
sports awards for each category,
good citizens award, and volunteer award.
Are there students who don't get any?
There are some who don't get any as well as students who get many.
When I attended an international school, the school system was similar...
to that of the US system.
When I was in grade school,
I received this award every week.
- Every week? - The award was for...
doing all my homework for that week.
I got it every week.
I never got that award.
Aren't there a lot of awards in Germany?
Yes. In Germany, we don't give out a lot of awards.
In Korea, students know who did the best...
and who got what grades.
That never happens in Germany.
For instance, if we're writing a book review...
and the teacher really liked a particular review,
he would have to ask the student beforehand...
and ask if he can read the review to the entire class.
He would have to get the student's permission.
What if the student says no?
Despite the teacher's compliment, the student could...
feel embarrassed by having it read out loud.
- Some do in fact refuse. - It could be embarrassing.
On the other hand, in Pakistan...
In Pakistan, before the school break,
parents are invited to the school...
to receive the student's report card.
That's the worst. They gather the parents to hand out grades.
There's no time to tweak the report card.
It's really annoying.
The parents would look at the grades...
and the parents of students who didn't get good grades would...
get mad and sometimes hit their kid.
- They get hit right on the spot. - That's too much.
They do this on what we call Parents' Day.
The parents and officials of the school attend this event.
Various performances are presented,
and I got to perform when I was in junior high school...
and sang about the school's problems...
to the attending guests.
Many of the problems were resolved as a result.
(Wow)
Do you remember the song?
I'll sing it for you in Korean.
- You can do it in Korean? - Yes. I'll make it short.
Taeil, listen to his vocals carefully.
(Anticipation)
Taeil, listen to his vocals carefully.
(Anticipation)
There are many problems in our school.
What are we going to do?
We have a big school, but we have only one bus.
It gets smelly, crowded, and annoying.
The school yard is too hard because it's covered with dirt.
What if we get hurt? What are we going to do?
It's very catchy.
(Zahid is the master singer.)
They can't help but change it. It's really sad.
It feels like they'll get hurt playing in the school yard.
It's like the hurt child is singing the song.
I can almost feel the smell of the crowded bus.
- Still, he's clapping in his song. - What are we going to do?
Because the song worked,
we got one more bus and about 15 computers.
After that, I became...
known as "the hero of the school".
Kyung Park, you were even the class president.
I was whenever I attended school in Korea.
I also ran for school president as well.
- Did you get elected class president? - No. I came in third.
I went around the school campaigning.
- It was a little election. - You must have ambitions for titles.
I think I did to some degree.
How do other countries elect class presidents?
In Japan, there's the school council.
- The school council. - Instead of students who are popular and have leadership,
students who are kind and can't refuse usually are on this council.
There are students who actively volunteer,
but most students don't want to take part.
- Were you ever the class president? - Yes, many times.
You couldn't refuse?
That happened to me when I was a senior in high school.
Students don't want to do it in their senior year.
They want to focus on studying,
but everyone was applauding me to do it.
I was often appointed just because someone said I was the previous year's president.
"He was the class president last year."
Then, the teacher would say, "Really?"
In a way, the class president is the mediator between the teacher and students.
- That's right. - It's the liaison.
- It's hard. - It's harder because there's no power.
- Right. - Conversely, in Pakistan, the class president does have power.
The class president even has the power to punish students.
- They can even punish his friends? - Yes.
It's like Eom Seok-dae.
Eom Seok-dae!
- It's like Eom Seok-dae. - Sorry Se-yoon but get in the plank position.
"Okay..."
It doesn't make sense.
Did you punish your friends?
Yes. I did.
I was nicer than most.
"One blow, two blows. "
"I'll just give you five blows."
He finishes with some clapping.
(Zahid's signature clapping)
(Clap, clap, clap)
If a student in the class does something wrong,
the class president is held responsible.
It's interesting how it's so different from Mexico.
Since we're not a very competitive nation,
there are no class presidents or school presidents.
- There's none of that. - Same here.
If there was a class president, I think the students would ridicule them.
"Who do you think you are to control us?"
"Who do you think you are?"
- I think that's what would happen. - In Switzerland,
there are class presidents, but like the Swiss president, there's no special role.
- In the start of class, - Is there any one with influence in Switzerland?
You keep saying how people are so powerless.
Even the president is powerless.
What power would a class president have?
Is the class presidency also a collective?
The class president just does menial tasks like attendance.
There's also the stigma of being a nerd associated with the class president.
- They may also get teased by other students. - I see.
In Italy, there are no class presidents, but when the teacher has to step out,
she would designate one student to write down the names of students...
who talk while she's gone on the blackboard.
Normally, the teacher picks the weakest student in class.
The other kids would say, "I dare you to write down my name."
"If you do, I'll end you."
- It's similar to Korea. - It's exactly the same.
The class would be in complete disorder, but as soon as...
the teacher enters, there are no names on the blackboard.
The US has a different class system, so there are no class presidents.
The students rotate to different classes...
instead of taking various subjects in one classroom.
There is, however, the school president and vice president.
It's very much like a presidential campaign.
They make pledges and campaign posters.
There's even corruption.
There's corruption?
Are there influential people?
There are some candidates who come to school early...
to hand out cup cakes and cookies...
to students as they come to school. That's a form of corruption.
- It's a bribe. - That's corrupt campaigning.
Nick, were you ever the class president?
I never was the class president.
- Class president, student council, - Just as I expected.
homework, studying was completely outside my sphere of interest.
I didn't care about any of that because I didn't know what I wanted to become.
I'm lucky that I wasn't too stupid,
but I do regret having lost a lot of opportunities back then.
I remember when I was young, I was slightly anti-social.
- I didn't have a lot of friends, but... - Nick is anti-social?
I didn't like going to places with a lot of people.
My parents became really worried and sent me to a counselor.
Are you trying to say I need counseling?
If you like.
After meeting with the counselor, I developed a crush...
- and went to see her on every break. - She must have been pretty.
Then one day, the counselor told me,
"Christian, you cannot come here anymore."
Having seen so many dramas, his lines are all dramatic.
- The counselor knew how you felt. - I was really hurt.
- She was very pretty. - "Christian, I know why you've been coming here."
(I know why you've been coming.)
- It's like a drama. - It's heart-pounding.
(A nice memory)
For the 138th's Non-summit meeting, we discussed Block B's...
Taeil and Kyung Park's topic, "Is it abnormal of me to want to go back to school?"
Can you tell us what you thought of the show?
It was a very useful time since I got to hear about stories from various countries.
I was really nervous before I came, but I had a really good time. Thank you.
- Kyung Park? - I watch the show at home quite often, but I was surprised by...
how everyone is so much more handsome in person.
- That was most surprising. - The screen butchers their good looks.
They're awful on screen.
They're not awful, but...
Who stood out the most?
The person who is more noticeably handsome than on screen,
is Lucky over there.
- Lucky! - Lucky!
He has the charm of the middle aged man.
Thank you.
Do you want me to send you a bag of sesame seeds?
A bag of sesame seeds will last you quite a long time.
I've never received that as a gift before.
- It's very endearing. - It's the best gift.
Right.
Let's wrap up the Non-summit meeting without borders.
Until the day we regain normalcy!
I picked this because it reminded me of the school bus, where love blooms.
Our Yoo Se-yoon will wrap up for us.
- He has to? - He has no choice.
Every day, on the bus to school,
I always see her sitting in the same seat.
It's okay, I don't mind. Don't feel pressured to make a move.
That's a wrap!
A whistle-blower leaked top military secrets and was...
convicted to 30 years in prison, causing much controversy.
- Leaking national secrets is a crime.
It requires a lot of acting. There's no way to really find out.
- Do you think he's a hero? - The intent is important.
We don't know their true intentions.
Some might report in order to get the reward.
Wait,
the individual values their own interests first.
- Does that mean it's okay do do whatever you like? - Wait.
(A sharp debate over the topic of whistle-blowers ensues.)
Even after 16 years of acting, she's the still-charming actress, Yoon Jin-seo.
- I think platonic love is possible. - There is no touching at all.
Not even animals live without physical love.
It's a lot less fun,
but it's still possible.
How is it different from deep friendship?
I think it's possible to endure out of love.
If that's possible, how did India come have a population of 1.3 billion people?
- Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet... - Did they date?
even married...
the Berlin Wall.
They married the wall?
One woman fell in love with a snake,
and 2000 guests attended their wedding.
(There are no limitations to love.)
(Any and all forms of love are permitted.)
(Non-summit Meeting, Mondays at 10:50pm)
Subtitles by OnDemandKorea