When we hear the word 'patriot', we are apt to think of deceased patriots, such as Kim Ghu, An Jung-gun, and Ryu Kwan-soon. So I may hesitate to answer, "Yes," if someone asks me if I think I am a patriot, because I am not as great as those deceased patriots. Nevertheless I think I am patriotic, and actually I have been trying to be so, because patriotism is very important to me, and traditionally, Koreans, including me, have regarded patriotism as one of the most extolled virtues. I don't think all patriots must be as great as those deceased patriots. I entirely agree that patriotism is basically a love for one's country. To be sure, so far as anyone loves his country, he can be a patriot. I think a more important thing is how one's patriotism is shown in everyday life. In other words, there seem to be many　 Koreans who have a distorted concept of patriotism.
　　　 Now, let's look around us. We can see many students who carry EASTPAK backpacks wherever young people are. EASTPAK is an imported brand. The greatest strength of EASTPAK is a simple design, I guess. However, if you knew how much an EASTPAK backpack cost you would be surprised. It is around 50,000 won. It is surely too expensive for students to buy. But many young people, not only university students but also middle and high school students, and even elementary school students, have EASTPAK backpacks in spite of the high price. Even though there must be several other reasons for the vogue of EASTPAK backpacks, many Korean students are carrying the expensive bags just because their friends have EASTPAK backpacks. At present, EASTPAK backpacks are obviously in fashion among students.
　　　 I don't want to emphasize a "Buy-Korean" campaign abruptly. What I want to talk about is the fact that some people who have EASTPAK backpacks put small badges with the Korean national flag, the T'aeguk flag, on them. A few months ago, a high school girl carrying an EASTPAK backpack with a badge of the T'aeguk flag on it was interviewed on a TV news program. When asked why, she answered, "Because all of my friends are doing so, and I want to look like a patriot." That is why she put the badge of the T'aeguk flag on her EASTPAK backpack. In these difficult economic times, many young people buy foreign-made goods without any hesitation and put badges of the T'aeguk flag on the bags just because it is in fashion. Then they are puffed up as if they did something great as patriots.
　　　 It has only been a short time since the movie Titanic finished its run. Titanic was a film delivered directly from Twentieth Century Fox to our country. Many Koreans seem to misunderstand that, in the case of an imported movie, if a movie is delivered directly from a foreign company, as more Koreans see the movie the more money the foreign company earns. "It can be the principle reason for the outflow of our foreign reserves to see Titanic," according to an opinion posted on Nowunuri. Though Titanic was not the first film delivered directly from a foreign company to Korean theaters, the movie was made an exceptional object of criticism by public opinion, because while Titanic was being released, as you know, there was also a gold-gathering campaign for the recovery of the domestic economy. Actually a reader's opinion article related to these facts published in a Korean newspaper said, "A movie ticket costs 6,000 won. If 3 million people watch Titanic then that would come to 18 billion won. And since the movie was delivered directly, 9 billion won would go straight to the U.S. So if about 5 million people saw the movie the gold-gathering campaign would be in vain." Twentieth Century Fox estimated 4 million tickets had been sold in Korea. If the article in the newspaper was correct, the first-run theaters showing Titanic in Korea would have paid 12 billion won. But the article ignored an important fact.
　　　 In actuality, according to the movie industry, only about 1,300 won per ticket goes to Twentieth Century Fox in Hollywood. Through the direct distribution system, ticket revenues are divided in half between the theater and the production company. With the 3,000 won that it receives per ticket, Twentieth Century Fox pays taxes levied by the Korean government and advertising and marketing fees. In the end, less than a dollar left Korea per person who watched the movie. So if 4 million Koreans watched the movie, less than 5.6 billion won was taken from our foreign reserves. By a final count reported by the Chosun Ilbo, however, over 3.4 million Koreans participated in the gold-gathering campaign and raised over $2.17 billion. Therefore there's no comparison.
　　　 But there are two important points that I would like to make about our distorted concept of patriotism. One is that some Koreans, who didn't watch Titanic with the wrong idea about the movie and gold-gathering campaign, are still watching other imported movies instead of Titanic. The other thing is the fact that, even though gold-gathering campaign was not futile, 5.6 billion won was taken from our foreign reserves. Koreans have been suffering serious economic difficulties. In this economic situation, 5.6 billion won is definitely not a small amount of money. Moreover, I think that now is the time we should save even a few coins, even temporarily. If the 5.6 billion won had been saved, the gold-gathering campaign would have been more helpful to our domestic economy.
　　　 In short, it is no use to throw water on thirsty soil, and a strong dike is certain to be destroyed by even a small hole. I dare to say that there's no one who wants to be a traitor. I am not accusing those who bought EASTPAK backpacks or saw Titanic of being traitors. If anyone thinks EASTPAK is better quality, he can buy it, and if the movie Titanic is worth seeing, anyone can see the movie. Yes, it is one's own business. But I just want us to think at least at this time what influence our behaviors have on our society. Now is the time we must show our real patriotism. We should not only be patriotic when we watch a soccer game between Korea and Japan, but also practice our love for Korea in our everyday lives.