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On Life and LivingBy 안성기
THERE IS A LIST of criteria for what constitutes a living organism. For something to qualify as living, it must be composed of cells. It must be organized on multiple levels, and it must respond and adapt to its environment. It must expend energy. And it must grow and reproduce.
We live in a time at which this line seems blurred. It seems confusing — something may seem to behave as though it is living, yet it does not qualify as an organism.
This is nothing new.
Throughout the history of science, there have always been objects of study which have raised the question of what really does constitute something living. Viruses mutate and change at a rate too quick for researchers to keep up with — yet they are not living, because they do not — and inherently cannot — self-replicate. They may have a genetic code, but sharing traits with living organisms does not make something one when it is missing something crucial. It is this which sets viruses apart from bacteria, from other microorganisms. They are, quite simply, not living.❝ Sharing traits with living organisms does not
make something one when it is still missing the crucial features which constitute life. ❞So why, in the so-called age of science and technology, is it so difficult to accept the guidelines used by the scientific community for years? According to some, God created man in His own image — and humans created androids in their own. It seems that this has, in some ways, become one of the greatest drawbacks in the android industry. To see something that looks and feels just like you to be treated as not human feels wrong — of course it does. Empathy is a natural human response.
Except that androids aren't human — both in composition and purpose, they are not, and have never been, human beings. From the beginning, they were created to fill in the gaps where we could not — rather than to be us, they were made to be the mechanical counterparts of us. There are things that humans cannot do because we were not meant to do them. There are things that androids cannot be because they were not meant to be them.
If not for the perceived humanity transposed upon them by humans, perhaps there would be more clarity as to the role of androids in society. We may look the same, but we are different — in what we are made of, in our capabilities, in the purposes for which we were put on this planet. Looks can be deceiving, and what appears to be living, may not be, in fact, alive.
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Ahn Seong-gi, PhD, MD, aged thirty-three, is the newly-appointed head scientist at Abstrego Corporation. Despite his young age, Ahn boasts three degrees and was the most recommended scientist for his position by both the chairmen as well as the previous head scientist, Dr. Jeon Sang-hyun, PhD. Known for being firm in his beliefs and his resolute stance on android rights, Ahn has become one of the most recognized and influential voices in the android industry today.
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YOON KUNWOO
It's fairly common knowledge that Kunwoo hates androids. He hates the idea that a few computers and a bunch of code is enough to put him out of a job. At the point where robots can feel emotion, you have a problem — because the whole point of them, in the beginning, was that they could do jobs nobody else wanted to do. Things that were dangerous or boring. Not infiltrate the entertainment industry.
Kunwoo spends most of his spare time (not that he has much, being a uni student) researching the legal system and trying to find an effective solution to the android problem. The things have emotion, so they can't be gotten rid of altogether, but if the government would just pass a law that required human candidates for jobs to be preferenced over androids it would lower unemployment rates significantly.
Androids don't have families to provide for. They don't need the same things as humans — a roof over their head and an electricity source is more than adequate. Humans need so much more, and without jobs, how are they supposed to get those things? Coming from a family of seven, Kunwoo knows what it's like to have not enough — and both his parents worked full-time. The thing about androids is that they take the jobs that used to be things only humans could do. And he might not be studying economy, but Kunwoo's fairly sure that if there's no money circulation then the economy is pretty much dead. You need human workers for an economy.
J
Ambition runs in Eunhye's blood. The daughter of a man with the quintessential rags-to-riches story, Eunhye was told growing up that she could be anything she set her mind to be. So it's no surprise that Jung Eunhye followed her father's, her mother's, perhaps even her older brother's footsteps and set off in search for the Something that would push her towards greatness.
When Eunhye was eighteen, Abstrego Coporation overtook both Samsung and Apple as the next Big Thing and her fate was decided. It was easier for Eunhye than it would be for others, to secure a spot as a promotional representative (@parents thanks for your beautiful genes). From there, she spent years working overtime, pushing business deals, climbing the rungs of the hierarchical ladder step by step.
Eunhye's promotion should've come as no surprise for anyone who knew her. And yet — when twenty-six-year-old Jung Eunhye took over as PR Director, many claimed she'd bought the position with her face. Eunhye sees why people would be wary. When you get into Abstrego's as a Pretty Poster Girl, it's hard to shake off that label. But people forget that Eunhye went to Seoul University. They forget that Eunhye slaved away at this company for five years to get to The Top. They forget that what Eunhye lacks in book smarts, she makes up for in people smarts, with her one-in-a-million talent of wrapping buyers around her little finger and making sure they follow through.
And — not to be petty, but who was girl that buddied up with the telecommunications CEO and secured the biggest business merger of the century? Oh, yeah — Eunhye. Right. Turns out she's not just another pretty face after all.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝙴𝙽
Iѕѕυє 67
DEAR FATHER STONE STARE LOVE&FUTURE
JI HANEUL TWENTY SEVEN ABSTREGO CEO HUMAN
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NAM SEO YEON, as many do, comes from humble beginnings. Her mother always did what she could to make ends meet, her father struggled with alcoholism, her older brother left the family as soon as he could and never looked back. So she had to fend for herself, and when this opportunity came up, she wasn't stupid enough to turn it down.
Of course, that was five years ago, and Seoyeon is in a much better place now than she was then. Despite no longer being the #edgy twenty-year-old she was at the time, Seoyeon is by no means what one might consider an open book, or a fun time, but — she's doing her best, okay? That should count for something.
L E E
thirty-four years old
Is he a politician? Businessman? Underwear model? People can never quite seem to put their finger on what, exactly, they think Lee Seunghyun is. He seems like he can be anything — polished and professional when he meets with corporate executives, smooth and charismatic as he wines and dines all the information he could possibly want out of people. He's something of a human chameleon, and it leaves a feeling that he might have something to hide, something to gain.
The short answer is this: Lee Seunghyun is a professor of ethics at one of the most prestigious law schools in South Korea. His area of expertise is corporate ethics, and he frequently serves as a consultant in corporate lawsuits. His face brings his students to class, and his lectures make them stay.
In truth, Lee Seunghyun is a man with his own agenda. He's no stranger to the corruption in the business world — his grandfather made all of their money through ties to gang activity, and his father lost everything when he was exposed for embezzlement among other things. He's an ex-chaebol, if you will. Lee Seunghyun doesn't have something to hide, because nothing he's ever done has been illegal. He doesn't have anything to gain, because he's been living in the same Seoul penthouse for years now. He doesn't do this for any reason other than that it's the right thing to do, because these corrupt corporate executives are just going to fuck everyone over if they continue. Can you blame him for being a little skeptical when companies are handed over to people too young to be responsible?
PEOPLE
The sun is just beginning to rise when the door opens and Shin Jung-hyun walks into the cafe. She makes small talk with the baristas as she waits for her drink (A large caffe mocha) and then sits down at a table, pulling up her agenda for the day.
By KWON BIN
Earlier that week, Minister Shin had passed legislation which would allow the Korean government to directly assist scientific and technological corporations. Although such a move has long been endorsed by the public, past government officials were wary to cross the muddy line separating the public and private sectors, preferring to issue more generalized block grants towards programs which aided government research in science and technology.
Not Shin Jung-hyun. "I think there's an age-old misconception that competition fosters innovation, but that's simply not the case. Science and technology are the pinnacles of human cooperation — of what occurs when we come together with a shared vision that we want to do things better."
THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
Minister Shin is no stranger to the world of business. Having worked in the technology industry for many years — first as an engineer, then as a strategy manager and lobbyist, the minister holds valuable insight into the mysterious enterprises of companies such as Samsung, Hyundai, and of course — Abstrego.
With over ten years of experience in the private sector, it came as no surprise that the thirty-five-year-old Science and Technology Committee member rose as the lead candidate for Minister of Science when Park Yun-ho stepped down last January. Even so, she admits that it still feels strange to be in such a high-profile position of power. "Is it challenging? Of course it is. But that's also what makes it all-the-more rewarding." And when asked how she's dealt with the infamous bureaucratic red-tape that plague most government officials, the minister just laughs. "I wouldn't know. I'm an engineer, you know, not a politician."
Male ║ Twenty-nine ║ Human║ Head of Security║ Abstrego ║ song jae rimIf experience is what lands the job of head of security than that's what got Jongsoo to where he is today. His father was a lead scientist in abstrego, and as much as the son mourned the passing of his father, he wasn't about to take in to the science field. He grew up in the company, pretty much, as he always accompanied his father when he was a teenager. Jongsoo saw the robots being built by the technicians, he saw behind the glass walls the meetings being held by the former CEO, and he saw the androids become more human like. The metal disappeared, replaced by synthetic flesh, something that looked so strange to him. And the rise of emotions that he found unnecessary for the androids to have.
He went into training to become a security guard, moving up with each year that passed. Gaining the position of head of Security, dedicated to his work, he doesn't take kindly to others that doubt his skill. He's been doing the job pretty well for the past few years, he doesn't need someone lower than him to tell him he needs to be careful and double check things. One day he learned of his father's death, an accident, but with a fatal consequence. After his father's death, people around him did not think that Jongsoo changed. In fact, they believed that he got over the shock pretty quickly. But the smiles and the friendly chatter, over time, started to decrease. Now, he speaks when needed, partakes in meetings as necessary but avoids unnecessary outings. Except for the few he has grown close to, it is rather difficult for Jongsoo to spend time with others outside of work. His mind is mostly focused on the safety of the people in abstrego and the secrets that are locked behind its walls.
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heejoon likes androids. they do paperwork for him, and he doesn't have to worry about them taking his job because no matter how many androids there are in the world, there will always be those people who refuse to see an android psychologist over a human one. the whole point of psychologists is that people are comfortable talking to them, and so there's got to be a range of options. and androids can't really relate with family problems, while heejoon can (which is probably not that great, but it helps with his job so whatever).
when he first graduated from university, heejoon was idealistic. he wanted to help people. he got a job working in child protection services as a child psychologist. but it was too depressing to see kids in situations similar to what he had experienced as a child, and so he eventually resigned and created his own practice, where he can safely avoid all family-related angst that might remind him of his own past.
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K I M H A N E U L ──────────────────────── minister for defence
28 + m + humanMOST PEOPLE ASSUME that Haneul is just another spoiled brat whose parents have perfected the art of tax evasion. They assume that he throws money around to get things done; they hear his name and think of his great-grandfather, who was nearly imprisoned but got out of it with money. They ignore the legacy that he's trying to carve for himself, the legislation he's been fighting for since the beginning. They ignore the fact that he's trying to abolish the draft for the past two years, they ignore the fact that he puts far more time than he needs to into his job and does his best to represent the people's wishes.
It's times like these when he wonders why he bothers. Why try to help people who call for your resignation? Why help people who hate you and see you as nothing more than your father's puppet? But Haneul is, above all else, stubborn. Once he sets his mind on something, it's nigh impossible to change his course, and he's decided that even if it takes several thousand cups of coffee and close to a million arguments with higher-ups and lower-downs, Kim Haneul is damn well going to abolish the draft and get the military some half-decent funding.
Others are always asking why the military doesn't just buy a bunch of androids and then abolish the draft. Aside from the cost, Haneul refuses to let them because androids have feelings, and he intends to ask them if they actually want to work there before they get forced into it. It's a controversial opinion, but Haneul knows that when push comes to shove, he wants to have a foot in as many camps as possible. Maybe some of his father did rub off on him after all.
Besides the fact that he’s won “Most Likely To Break The Law Rather Than Enforce It” for three consecutive years now, Beom Hyunsik isn’t all that special. He was a normal Korean boy who didn’t do extremely well at anything. His grades were so-so, he was an amateur artist and he was average at sports. Maybe the only thing he did well in was making friends. Because with Hyunsik, there’s no pressure or competition. He’s too lazy to keep grudges and can’t find anything to fight for, so naturally he became everyone’s safety net. And nobody says it aloud but everyone knows — you feel safe around him because if you thought you were doing bad, he’s worse.
But does Hyunsik care? Of course not. He somehow survived military academy and is now an official Abstrego Militia enforcer. But it really doesn’t matter what his job is. As long as he’s paid, he’s fine. Which explains his extremely laid back attitude towards his work. He passed his tests back in the academy, so he’s competent enough, but he’s no way close to being an excellent soldier. But he doesn’t show any intention of being one either. He’s more interested in partying his nights away and reporting to work late with a hangover. He might get fired (or killed) one day very soon, but does Hyunsik care? Of course not.
As for his opinion about androids? He treats them just like he would with any human. And oh they don’t have feelings? Great, one thing less to worry about. Besides, you could say Hyunsik is almost an android. On a physical level, he does have a biomechatronic arm. (Why? He wasn’t paying attention and he got shot. Did it teach him anything? Only that hospital food sucks.) On an emotional level, does it look like Hyunsik has feelings? He does, but he’s already built himself a reputation for being someone too lazy to feel anything. Even during his beloved parties, he’s not usually the life of the party. He’s usually the laid-back dude who makes his way from clique to clique, enjoying mild conversation and somehow knowing everyone. But well, if Hyunsik has a superpower, it’d be that — somehow knowing everyone. Or his consistent ability to just not care.
name: Dian (Dee-ahn) Nakamura
age: 27
gender: female
species: human
occupation: Scientist
position: Abstrego Personality Specialist
appearance: Tao Okamoto
description:
Dian is cold, calculated, and logical. She's never been one to form relationships with others, but she doesn't mind. It's not that she doesn't understand emotions, in fact, she understands them too well which is what landed her a job at Abstrego.
Originally an AI specialist at a Japanese Company, Dian became obsessed with creating more and more lifelike AI. Feeling limited by her current employed, she eventually joined the team of scientists at Abstrego as a personality specialist for their androids. Nothing fascinates her more than seeing her work come to life. This shouldn't be confused with her having affection for the androids, though. While some scientists see them as their 'children,' they're just work for Dian.
Nobody really knows that much about Dian, mostly because she keeps to herself. She seems quiet, but that's mostly due to her feeling uncomfortable speaking the Korean language despite actually being quite good at it for a foreigner.
December Issue
Secrets seem to be overflowing the bath tub the more revelations surface about the big company's treasurer. How did he end up with that title? What exactly happened that made him run from home? And why does he despise androids so much?
Growing up in the poorest districts in jjokbangchon provided the young Bau with very little education. Despite that, he ranked at the top of his classes. To him, life was only about providing for his family, especially after his father (who recently passed away) fell to gambling.
"Money was already tight before he started going to the Casino. Life just became hell right after... It was as if life was a merry go round and I was stuck in an endless circle and I couldn't get off," Mr. Bau admitted in an interview with Finance Insider. It was only him, his mother, and his father. Bau Jian also shared that after he graduated high school, he left his home to pursue education abroad in china. After learning Chinese fluently, Jian majored in business and marketing. His career as a treasurer and businessman was deliberately slow as he joined then quit multiple of businesses. He did not really feel like he was going anywhere with them and he wanted to grow. However, his career took off when he finally was hired by Abstrego Inc. under the former CEO.
" I like the company very much. We are definently doing the work of the future generations and I am proud of what I can contribute. The people however... completely different story."
It is not a secret that Jian has a few clashes with people alongside him. Interviews of coworkers reveal that he is rather a very demanding and controlling person, expecting nothing but the very best. Despite that, most of his coworkers have not complained about him, either because they love him despite his demanding nature or because his unfaltering smile has already won over too many hearts at the company.
In a company surrounded by androids and a company that creates androids, why does Jian have such a deep rooted hate towards them? Could it perhaps be something from his past before he joined the company? Perhaps, an unrequited love interest? Stay tuned for the next issue of January.
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SON DAHYUNG : twenty & human & male & militia assassin & yoon jeonghan
“ I’M NOT A GIRL ” Dahyung has lost count of the number of times he's had to correct people about his gender. His long hair throws so many people off, which he finds ridiculous. Because most girls don't have his jawline, or any of the other physical features that tend to belong to guys — this is also ignoring the fact that guessing someone's gender based on their physical appearance is risky at best: trans, agender and non-binary people exist, and with the amount of people who think he's a girl, he's fairly sure that people are just as blind as they are stupid.
It takes a lot to get Dahyung truly angry. Most of the time, he'll ignore you if you annoy him, or go quiet. Occasionally he'll walk off. The most common reaction you'll get from him when he's annoyed is a passive-aggressive smile and a quiet ‘you believe that, then.’ He doesn't see the point in wasting valuable time arguing with idiots, when he could be getting work done.
Nobody's really sure how he kills people. Nobody's ever witnessed it. He seems too much like he wouldn't sit in one spot for hours on end and then shoot someone from afar. He seems like the sort to engage in hand-to-hand combat, but other than that? He doesn't fit the typical assassin image. Not that that stops him from being one, because Dahyun's never been one to conform.
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jisung doesn't do excitement. at most he'll get mildly interested in things, perhaps slightly invested — but excited? nope. the only things that get even close are the possibility of creating stronger alloys or stronger android skin; and getting an actual job where he uses his actual phd for something useful.
he doesn't understand abstrego. first, they turned him down. like, sure he may have gotten solid c's in everything except maths, physics and chemistry up until his final year of school (they were boring and he did well in the things that counted); sure he may have nearly lost his scholarship (he got it back); sure he may hate corporations for monopolising the market (it's justified); but why would you turn down someone with a phd in materials engineering? when your androids are so pathetic that they can bleed out from a single cut?
second, the aforementioned androids. if you have the capability to build people with bulletproof skin, why in god's name would you instead decide to build people with skin as weak as a human's? jisung has a long list of complaints to do with abstrego being more interested in commercialism than research. he's out here trying to create stronger alloys and lighter cast iron and other such useful things in the back of the shop, while they're wasting entire well-equipped factories and laboratories.
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[ 25 ; human ; bisexual ; vp ]
Former scientist and current vice president of Abstrego, Kwon Iseul is said to be more void of emotion than androids are supposed to be. He rarely smiles and is as blunt as it comes. But this doesn't stop him from being one of the most desired men in all South Korea. Iseul never wanted to be vice president. He would have preferred to be a scientist like his father, the acclaimed "Father of Androids". However, after his accident when he was eighteen, his life took a tailspin and he started to lose his way.
Iseul, now in his late twenties is a seemingly apathetic businessman who does his job as though he was born to do it. He doesn't particularly care for this whole android vs. human situation currently going on. He honestly doesn't have the time to worry about it. When he was hired, he swore he would focus solely on the survival and success of Abstrego. Anything else would have to wait until later - that includes love. He finds relationships too trouble, normally going for intimacy with no strings attached. If he does have friends, they associated with his work. Is his leg the only thing that's machinery?
