Author: admin

Khao Yai National Park, a mere 200-km away from Bangkok, it is the most visited natural reserve and is situated at an easy access from the capital. It is ranked among the densest forests in the world, that is why it is now a UNESCO world heritage site and Asean National heritage site. It covers more than 2000 square kilometers of Tropical forest, grassy hill slopes and mountain stream valleys. Its natural beauty is simply breathtaking. Apart from driving through the magnificent forest and grassland landscapes, enjoying enchanting waterfalls and trekking on nature trails, camping, biking and bird or game watching are the principal activities in the park. Some of the other interesting activities in the national park are:

Wildlife: from dawn into the wee hours, Khao Yai National park offers exciting adventures like trekking through the mountain jungles and swimming in cascading falls. There’s rock climbing and rappelling, white water rafting and mountain biking as well as quiet bird watching and night safaris.

Golf: With its alpine climate and rolling terrain, the Khao Yai area is a location for golf. Khao Yai has eight golf resorts that combine the natural charm with contemporary amenities to give a perfect stay in this enchanting vicinity.

Adventure sport: Be it kids’ adventure, family fun, amazing thrills, team challenges or even fear factor activities; Khao Yai promises fun and excitement for families, corporate groups and team building activities. Visitors can enjoy life at the Greenery Resort with exciting activities like ATV, Zorn Ball, Thunder Hawks and Rock Climbing amongst other thrilling activities.

Vineyards and wineries: The farm and winery, which is, at the same time, a classy resort and a wellness spa, is located in the green field of vineyard, where Shiraz, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah and Chenin grapes are cultivated. In order to disseminate the process of vine making, an educational tour of winery can also be organized.

Shopping: Khao Yai has big outlet malls and shopping arcades that can fulfill the day for shopping lovers.

Due to Khao Yai’s alpine climate and fertile soil, farms, ranches and vineyards have sprung up as well as recreation facilities, hotels, resorts and eateries.

Student: Chabuskhan Hamdalee

Dokdo: Korea’s Sovereignty and Territory

H.Yoo

A country is defined by its sovereignty and territory, and Dokdo lies at the heart of what defines Korea as a country. Japan started claiming Dokdo as part of its territory since the twentieth century. Japan, by taking advantage of its economic superiority over Korea, pursued tacit agreement with other countries to claim Dokdo. As a result, not a few countries have wrongly marked Dokdo’s position in East Sea, and there has been some distortion in the ownership of Dokdo. As a result, the relationship between Korea, which has historically held a negative view of Japan, and Japan has worsened. In this regard, Dokdo is a representative case of the long-standing conflict between the two countries arising from Japan’s colonization of Korea. In particular, Dokdo symbolizes Korea’s determination to never again be subjected to foreign control.

Ever since Japanese rule, Japan has maintained its dominance over Korea, and because of Japan’s continuous efforts to restrain and limit Korea’s progress and claims, Korea have had difficulty expressing its views in international relations. The conflict over Dokdo and the nomenclature the “Sea of Japan” instead of “East Sea” exemplify this situation. However, Korea has vigorously claimed ownership of Dokdo because it clearly understands that any sovereignty must defend its territory at all costs. Given this directive, Korea has engaged in a wide range of campaigns and movements at the global level to address its conflict with Japan and claim rightful ownership of Dokdo. Not only the government and nongovernmental organizations but also celebrities and even ordinary citizens have taken active part in promoting various campaigns to expose the truth behind Dokdo, including the “Do You Know Dokdo?” campaign, which is designed to disseminate across the world the fact that Dokdo belongs to Korea, not Japan. In addition, Dokdo has three registered residents: a married couple and the Dokdo lighthouse keeper are registered residents of the island. Dokdo is not a place suitable for comfortable living because of harsh conditions of East Sea, including its frequent typhoons and isolation. However, these people reside on the island because they consider it their duty to the country to exert ownership of the island. Although Japan has recently engaged in some military provocation toward Dokdo, this residence makes any such efforts more difficult and solidifies Korea’s claims.

Although there is still a long way to go, these efforts have had considerable influence on the global community, which has started to acknowledge the issue and sympathize with Koreans. For example, a new law enacted in July 2014 in the State of Virginia requires school textbooks in the state to use the name “East Sea” alongside “Sea of Japan.” This would not have been possible without the participation of numerous individuals dedicated to the cause.

These activities raise the question of why Korea and Koreans are so adamant about their ownership of Dokdo. I believe that this fundamentally arises from their innate desire to never again be manipulated or controlled by any foreign power, especially Japan. That is, Dokdo may simply mean some economic and political benefits for Japan, whereas the territory symbolizes freedom for Korea.

Freedom is something no true Korean would forgo at any cost.