Elteto.net

A Seoul National University student has dropped out of the school to protest the university entrance examination system and compulsory military service.

It is always important to have a perspective on world issues that is not influenced solely by one's own national media (or even worse, just by one media outlet). Browsing through international news, some stories help us understand how different cultures react to their people's actions.

This story from the Korea Times probably appears inconsequential to many Americans. Really, who would even bother to report on an American student dropping out of an American higher education institution? There would be no headlines generated, and if the student in question wanted to make a point, he or she would not gain much publicity.

The story sheds some light on how important education and career are in a society that expects hard work to be the norm, and shuns the "I am just not good at it, I do not feel like doing it, I can always try again if I fail" attitude. Are American college students lazy? Do they have no values, motivation, or dedication to excellence? Maybe they just have no severe consequences to face for their failures. Or are Korean students just under too much pressure, and individual expression and activism are culturally discouraged?

Granted, the United States has no compulsory military service. If it did, there would be--beyond doubt--a large number of students (among others) protesting it, utilizing more severe measures than just quitting school. Would withdrawal from one's education make a point, though? Would it make anyone ponder the fairness of the SAT scores or the need for a mandatory tour in the Armed Forces? Would dropping out of school even have anything to do with the latter issue?