Hello! This is Daily Hangul, here to upgrade your Korean skills to the next level!
Today, we’re diving into a topic that is both futuristic and incredibly relevant: discussing the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in managing future pandemics. This is perfect for when you want to engage in high-level conversations, understand Korean news about technology and public health, or participate in professional or academic discussions.
Lately in Korea, there’s a huge buzz around the government’s new ‘AI-Driven Epidemic Response System’ (인공지능 기반 감염병 대응 시스템). This topic is everywhere, from news headlines to tech seminars. So, let’s learn the essential vocabulary to discuss it like a true expert!
Key Expressions for Your Arsenal
Here are three powerful expressions that will make you sound incredibly fluent and analytical when discussing complex topics.
1. 선제적으로 대응하다 (seon-je-jeo-geu-ro dae-eung-ha-da)
- English Meaning: To respond preemptively; to take proactive measures.
- Detailed Explanation: This is a key phrase in strategic discussions, from business to public policy. 선제적 (seonjejeok) means “preemptive” or “proactive,” and 대응하다 (daeeunghada) means “to respond” or “to counter.” Using this phrase shows you’re not just thinking about reacting to problems, but about anticipating and preventing them. It’s a very formal and sophisticated expression, perfect for reports, presentations, and debates.
2. 양날의 검 (yang-nal-ui geom)
- English Meaning: A double-edged sword.
- Detailed Explanation: This is a fantastic idiom to express nuance. Literally meaning “a sword with two blades,” it’s used to describe something that has both significant benefits and potential drawbacks. When you’re discussing the power of AI, mentioning that it can be a 양날의 검—for example, balancing its predictive power with data privacy concerns—shows a deep and balanced understanding of the issue.
3. -(ㄴ/는)다고 해도 과언이 아니다 (-(n/neun)da-go hae-do gwa-eon-i a-ni-da)
- English Meaning: It is no exaggeration to say that…
- Detailed Explanation: This is a powerful sentence structure used to make a strong assertion while maintaining a formal and intellectual tone. 과언 (gwaeon) means “exaggeration.” You attach this to a verb or adjective to emphasize that your statement, while sounding grand, is factually accurate and not an overstatement. It adds great persuasive force to your argument.
- Verb stem + -ㄴ/는다고 해도 과언이 아니다
- Adjective stem + -다고 해도 과언이 아니다
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these expressions work in a natural conversation between two colleagues, Min-jun (A) and Ji-hye (B).
A (민준): 지혜 씨, 정부가 새로 발표한 인공지능 감염병 예측 시스템에 대한 뉴스 보셨어요? 빅데이터를 활용해서 바이러스 확산을 미리 예측한대요.
(Ji-hye, did you see the news about the government’s new AI infectious disease prediction system? They say it uses big data to predict viral spread in advance.)
B (지혜): 네, 봤어요. 그 기술을 활용하면 미래의 팬데믹에 선제적으로 대응할 수 있겠더라고요. 잠재적인 피해를 크게 줄일 수 있을 거예요.
(Yes, I did. It seems we could respond preemptively to future pandemics using that technology. It could significantly reduce potential damage.)
A (민준): 저도 동의해요. 하지만 방대한 개인 정보를 수집하고 분석해야 하니, 사생활 침해 문제도 무시할 수 없겠죠. 그야말로 양날의 검인 것 같아요.
(I agree. But since it has to collect and analyze vast amounts of personal data, we can’t ignore the issue of privacy invasion. It really seems to be a double-edged sword.)
B (지혜): 타당한 지적이에요. 윤리적 가이드라인 마련이 시급하죠. 그렇지만 AI 기술이 미래 공중 보건의 패러다임을 완전히 바꿀 것이라고 해도 과언이 아니에요.
(That’s a valid point. Establishing ethical guidelines is urgent. Nevertheless, it’s no exaggeration to say that AI technology will completely change the paradigm of future public health.)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
Korea’s identity as an “IT 강국” (IT powerhouse) is a source of national pride. This drives massive public and private investment into cutting-edge fields like AI. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government heavily utilized technology for contact tracing and information dissemination, which was seen as a key factor in its initial response.
When you discuss a topic like AI in public health, using phrases like 선제적 대응 and 양날의 검 aligns your language with the style used by Korean experts, journalists, and policymakers in formal debates (시사 토론). Mastering these doesn’t just improve your vocabulary; it shows you understand the analytical framework through which these issues are discussed in modern Korean society. You’re not just speaking the language, you’re speaking their “language of logic.”
Let’s Wrap It Up & Practice!
Fantastic work today! You’ve learned three advanced expressions that will allow you to discuss complex technological and social issues with confidence and nuance. You can now talk about proactive measures (선제적으로 대응하다), weigh pros and cons (양날의 검), and make a powerful argument (-는다고 해도 과언이 아니다).
Now, it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the Blank:
- 인터넷의 발달은 편리함을 주었지만 부작용도 있어서 (___________)이라고 할 수 있다.
- (The development of the internet brought convenience but also has side effects, so you could say it’s a __________.)
- Sentence Creation:
- Think about a major change in your country or the world. Using “-(ㄴ/는)다고 해도 과언이 아니다,” write a sentence about its impact.
Leave your answers in the comments below! We’d love to see you put these amazing expressions to use. Keep up the great work
