영어 뉴스 공부하기: As South Korea ages, free rides become a headache

* age: 고령화되다 (동사)

* South Korea ages (is aging) : 한국사회가 고령화되고 있다 

* 골치꺼리다 : become a headache

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# Every day, 71-year-old Park Gyung-sun rides the sprawling subway of Seoul, delivering flowers, documents and other packages around the South Korean capital. People call this sort of work 'Silver Delivery' because its popular among senior citizens, who are entitled to ride the city's networks for free. Park can earn up to $550 a month due to the lack of transportation costs. However, as South Korea's population rapidly ages and it gets more expensive to run the subway, these free rides have become a thorny political issue, putting Park's job in peril.

 

* sprawling : 지저분하게 사방으로 뻗어 있는 => 복잡한, 느낌이 있음

* urban sprawl : 도시가 무분별하게 커지는 것

* around : 여기저기의 느낌이 있음

* 노인 : the elderly, senior citizens, older people

 

* entitle :  권리를 주다 

I'm entitled to it = I have a right to it. 나는 그럴 권리가 있다.

are entitled to ~ : ~할 권리가 있다

to give someone the right to do something

entitle someone to something: 

Membership entitles you to reduced season tickets.

entitle someone to do something: 

The people who are entitled to vote should be aware of that fact.

 

* empower : 홀로서기

* up to : 최대 = as much as

 

* lack : 부족 => 부재, 없다의 의미로 외워둬야 함

lack of confidence 자신감이 없다

lack of: 

The match was cancelled because of lack of support.

Most of his problems stem from a lack of confidence.

* 부족, 의 의미로 적합한 것은 short 

short of something 

We are short of money : 돈이 부족하다

used for saying that you do not have enough of something

Have you got any change on you? I’m £20 short (=I have £20 less than I need).

We’re one waitress short tonight, so everyone will have to work harder.

short on: 

He’s very bright but a little short on personality.

short of: 

They were three short of a majority, so the vote wasn’t passed.

short of money/food/clothing: 

Many of our clients are short of money.

* thorny : 가시 => 까다로운

 

* put ~ in peril : 위험한 상태가 되었다

danger

in peril: 

Jensen feared that his life was in peril.

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# "We're a bit nervous if we are asked to pay for a metro ticket. If we have to pay for the subway, we will have to think about alternative jobs. The Seoul Metropolitan Government should think a lot about this. It's a job for the elderly, and if it's gone, the elderly have no place to work.” Free rides have been a perk enjoyed nationally by those 65 and older for four decades and are credited with keeping senior citizens active. However, some cities are now threatening steep fare hikes or to raise the eligible age unless the national government shoulders some of the cost. The finance ministry is staunchly opposed. It says it has funded building and improving subway systems, and the cities should shoulder operating costs. In December, Seoul unveiled plans to hike fares by as much as 30%, although free rides for the elderly will remain in place.

 

* a perk : 특혜 = a privilege

* a benefit : (모든 사람이 누리는) 혜택  ex) 여름휴가

 

* credit : 신용 => 학점, 에서 유추되는 의미는 "인정", "칭찬"

I credit him with my success 나는 나의 성공이 그 사람 덕분이라고 인정해

I credit my success to him

be credited with ~ 덕분이다

(credit someone with something) to say or believe that someone is responsible for a particular achievement

Clinton credited Mike Boorda with bringing peace to Bosnia.

be widely/generally/wrongly credited with something: 

Fairlie is widely credited with inventing the phrase ‘the Establishment’.

 

 

* get around : 여기저기 돌아다니다

 

* threaten

to tell someone that you might or you will cause them harm, especially in order to make them do something

He’s been threatening me for months.

threaten to do something: 

The terrorists are threatening to kill the hostages.

threaten someone with something: 

One man has been threatened with legal action.

threaten someone’s life (=say that you will kill them): 

My life has been threatened on several occasions.

* steep fare hikes : 대폭 인상

* eligible : 법적인 자격 <-> qualified : 능력의 자격

* shouder some of the cost : 부담

shoulder the burden 부담을 짊어지다

* staunchly = firmly 완강한

 

* fund

to provide the money for something that costs a lot

The National Asthma Campaign is funding research into allergy and air pollution.

publicly funded legal services

 

* in place : 어떤 제도를 실행하고 있을 때 사용함

 

to exist and be capable of being used

We didn’t have the systems in place to deal with so many orders.

A staff of four counsellors is in place to handle calls to the new hotline.

put something in place: 

We need to put safeguards in place to prevent this type of accident occurring again.

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# Bae Ki-geun is the owner of Silver Quick Subway Delivery Service, where Park works. He says his business doesn't work without free tickets. “The recruitment criteria were set based on current subway fares, because delivery work requires employees to travel a lot by subway and it costs a lot. That's why we recruit senior citizens over 65. We've tried before, but it's not possible to hire people under the age of 65 in this field.” The issue is a political headache for President Yoon Suk-yeol. He promised fiscal consolidation upon taking office in May, but also counts elderly voters as a key support base. Currently, more than 18% of South Korea's population of 51 million is aged 65 or older. That's forecast to balloon to 40% by 2050. When asked for comment, Yoon's office said it will review whether local governments can hike up the age for free rides. A Gallup poll last week showed 60% of Koreans support raising the minimum to 70 years old.

 

* recruitment: 직원선발

* fiscal : 회계 / 정부재정

* financial : 재무 / 금융

* consolidation 강화, 안정

* take office : 취임하다 <->  leave office 퇴임하다

* on / upon ~ ing ~하자마자

* 현재 지금 : Right now, currently, in the present

  - Now : 그런데의 의미가 강함

* is expected to = is forecast to ~