Midterm essay : Changes in Korea society

“How is the Korean society changing? Is it changing better? How will those changes affect you personally?”

 Korean society has changed steadily. In the midst of constant change, Korea has achieved results, partly changing in positive directions, but some are still isolated. Let's talk about big changes.

 First, it's a cultural aspect, Korean Wave. Korean culture has not received much attention in the world market in the past. However, since the 2000s, attention has begun to be paid to Korean culture in various countries. First of all, K-pop is in the spotlight. Only a few years ago, K-pop, which belonged to the non-mainstream in the global market and was popular only among the maniacs, has become something that cannot be ignored. BTS is one of the leading players in this success. Their popularity was different from that shown in the existing idol culture, and they gained huge popularity around the world. Trendy songs and colorful visual performances made it feel like watching a single art performance. This aspect has not only been seen in the music market but also in the film industry. Bong Joon-ho's parasite won four Academy Awards, making it a global hit.

These two examples do not simply suggest that Korea's "one singer" and "one movie" have become popular in the world. Their music and works are meaningful in that they reflect the image of Korean society and traditional culture. BTS has included the consumption culture of the current younger generation, including "YOLO", "Tangjin(탕진)," in its lyrics, and dealt with social issues emerging in Korea such as "glass ceiling." In addition, it included Korean history such as the May 18 Democratization Movement and reflected the most Korean and traditional culture such as Korean dialect, Korean traditional music, and Hanbok. In response, foreign media and fans abroad have expressed interest in Korean history and tradition by interpreting the lyrics and analyzing the meanings contained in them, not just listening to music and dancing. Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" also contains dark parts of Korean society and social problems. Parasites satirized the gap between rich and poor and class conflicts in capitalism. It comically solved the problem of polarization in society and suggested many things.

In terms of culture, I think Korean society has achieved great growth and is moving in a positive direction. This is because it is gradually gaining global attention and is attracting attention in the global market through Korean-style works rather than those tailored to mainstream culture.

 Secondly, it is a change of civic consciousness. Korean citizens have steadily changed in a progressive and advanced direction. Looking back on history, citizens have consistently voiced opposition to the absurdities of society and presented problems. In this regard, there is no significant change from the past, but there is a big difference in that it has matured. Civic uprisings in the past were mainly violent demonstrations. Also, a few voices were often out of the spotlight. But today's society has changed a lot. The way citizens pose problems to society has matured. Citizens have accomplished the outstanding feat of winning the impeachment of former president ‘Park Geun-hye’ through the peaceful demonstrations, candlelight vigils. In addition to these great achievements, citizens are constantly united and vocal in various social issues.

Korea's mature civic awareness was also revealed in the latest Covid-19 incident. Social distance is a structure in which individuals have to make sacrifices for the common good. In response, citizens did not complain much and showed a high participation rate, taking it for granted. In the case of medical staff, they were willing to volunteer in areas where collective infection was serious. Other citizens were willing to help people who were left out by the disease, and most people participated in the five-part mask system, which was implemented to prevent individuals from monopolizing masks, even though only two masks a week could be purchased per person, with most people participating without complaint and prioritizing common interests. With this sense of citizenship and government's response, the Republic of Korea has come into the spotlight as a successful case in the Covid-19 quarantine.

Another notable point is that one of the problems that has recently emerged in Korean society is feminism and gender equality. Various sex crimes have occurred in Korea, including the "Me Too Movement" in Korea, the so-called "Nth Room" incident that came to mind recently, and the "a hidden camera" incident. From this point on, the issue of gender inequality in Korean society was raised, which led to a feminist movement. The movement is not limited to the issue of sex crimes, but to the issue of gender discrimination prevalent throughout Korean society. Such changes in social perception led to more extended accidents. The perception of gender discrimination caused individuals to break away from the "sexual stereotypes" and the Confucian and conservative way of thinking prevalent in Korean society.

However, the stereotype in society that women should be in charge of most of the child care has left women alienated from economic activities. In the job market, women were recognized as someone who would one day leave the company due to childcare and childbirth. This has led to the perception that men are more stable and continuous workers than women. This led to a decline in the birthrate. Instead of giving up their economic activities and giving up their long-cherished dream of giving up marriage and childbirth due to childbirth.

Also, economically, the Republic of Korea still lacks a lot. Korea still lies in a large business-oriented economic system. Large companies account for a very large portion of the nation's economy, with the entire economy being dominated by the success or failure of large companies. Recently, the startup business has provided institutional devices for more small and medium-sized companies to grow, but the economic crisis along with the Covid-19 has brought them back into place.

It takes a lot of time to change the social perception. But changing the social structure based on changed perceptions is a difficult task that requires several times more time. I think the society of the Republic of Korea is currently in a transition period. Problems with wrong stereotypes in society have been steadily raised and urged for change. Clearly, today's Republic of Korea is more mature and moving in a positive direction compared to Korean society in the past. However, I think there are still many shortcomings. I think we should have a problem with more. Such actions can bring together and further develop society. Also, you should not be complacent.

These changes in society have made many changes to me. First of all, the biggest change is the change in my thinking. In the past, I thought marriage was an essential element in life. Therefore, I have thought that when the right time comes, I should marry the best person at that time. But now the idea has completely changed. Marriage is not essential at all, and I don't really want to get married unless I've met someone I really want to be with all my life. It is also the same with childbirth. For now, I have no desire to give birth. Also, many things that were not inconvenient in the past began to feel uncomfortable and felt problematic. I felt that the stereotypes in society and the parts that I took for granted may not be taken for granted, and I became aware of the problem in many areas. Another change of thought is pride in our country. Recently, pride in the home country was very small, with the so-called "Hell Joseon" appearing. Neither did I. I was having a bit of a sadistic thought. However, I became more proud of my country's culture, and my pride in my country increased as I went through the Covid-19 accident. It is obvious that the country still has many limitations in terms of economics, but despite such shortcomings, the country of Korea has improved.