Mid-term essay - Changes in Korea society

Korean society is changing. In the U.S.-led Billboard and Hollywood-led cultural industry, the Korean cultural industry has been more successful than ever before, with bts gaining worldwide popularity, director Bong Joon-ho's work "Parasite" becoming the first foreign film to win a prize for works at an Academy Awards and the Netflix drama "Kingdom," made from fusion of Korean historical dramas and zombies. In the past, Park Geun-hye of the impeachment protests received worldwide attention as the corona virus also revealed in the national characteristics and the spotlight. However, this is not the only positive change that is taking place in Korean society.

Differences between non-regular and regular workers still exist, and the gap between the rich and the poor has not narrowed. Job-related policies are only effective in improving short-term statistical indicators but are rarely felt. Moreover, many small business owners are struggling as the economy shrinks due to Corona 19. Korea's potential growth rate is falling every year. The biggest problem with the nation's economy is that low growth is becoming entrenched. No growth, no distribution. In export-driven countries like Korea, the sluggishness of traditional flagship industries such as manufacturing, automobile and shipbuilding directly leads to an economic crisis. In many industries, China's technological prowess is almost catching up or overtaking the technological prowess of Korean companies, and the nation's future will inevitably become very uncertain if the semiconductor industry, which currently leads the Korean economy, is defeated. For society to be healthy, the number of middle-class people must be high. But the proportion of middle-class people in the Republic of Korea is gradually decreasing, and excessive polarization could undermine the stability of society. There are many reasons for the polarization, but it can be attributed to the long-term slump in domestic consumption, economic instability, job insecurity, dual structure of the labor market, the transfer of wealth through education and assets, and the globalization of capital and finance after the financial crisis. Ironically, the Gini coefficient, which represents an income imbalance, is getting worse. The haves accumulate relatively more wealth, the haves continue to live in poverty, and the ladder of class shift continues to disappear. These economic problems are causing the problem of low birthrates.

Conflict between men and women is one of the social problems that have emerged in Korean society recently. Governments and businesses seem to try to reduce gender discrimination in society in many ways. However, criticism and hateful comments are pouring into the media and the Internet, which promote gender conflict. The number of cases in which the other party is witch-hunting, defending obvious wrongs, or unconditionally siding with events that should be viewed objectively is increasing.

Politics is also one of the problems of Korean society. Various public welfare and economic issues are worsening, but politicians' problem-solving methods have not improved at all. They still map out the direction and policies of the party based on outdated regional conflicts, stand before the public by showing them only at the time of the election, and always hinder the role of the National Assembly as a legislature, such as holding a bill that requires the passage of a party between parties as hostage and demanding the other party's own demands, and also block the passage of a bill that does not conform to the ideology of their own parties, delaying parliamentary proceedings. After all, in some parliamentary sessions, the number of bills processed is zero.

Relations with North Korea are also one of the risk factors for Korean society. Although the inter-Korean summit has been continuously held since President Moon Jae-in came to power and the Panmunjom Declaration and Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September have been successful, North Korea is still delaying denuclearization, and North Korea continues to test missiles. It is one of the anxieties of Korean society so far as it continues.

These social problems in Korea will become more relevant later when they graduate from college and move on to society. I think it would be difficult to live in this country if a society where the gap between the rich and the poor is as strong as it is now, and it is difficult to find jobs. I look forward to solving social problems one by one and facing a good country to live in.