Midterm essay; Changes in Korea society

Korean Society and COVID-19

 After the Korean War, South Korea’s GDP per person had shown an unprecedented growth rate. Just in 60 years, the rate has increased by more than 400 times. It is definitely true that such a fast growth rate made today’s Korea exist, but it is also one of the main factors of the social and economic problems of the current society.

 COVID-19 showed how much Korean society came to maturity and how capable the government is in dealing with national disaster. Compared to MERS in 2015, it is considered to be more controlled. Unlike other countries that suffer from the ruinous blow of the virus, citizens of Korea pretty well obeyed the government’s request to stay home and to keep a social distance. And with their power, they track one’s mobile phone data and credit card records to get the source of infectee’s route of infection. This is a big change compared to the management of another coronavirus in 2015, MERS. 

 It is certain that Korean society has shown a great change in all parts of the fields. But since many of the Korea economy and companies are still depending a lot on trade with other countries, such viruses as COVID-19 can influence one’s society a lot. And no one knows how long this virus or any other fatal virus will affect our society. The outbreak of COVID-19 is devastating the domestic and global economies. The current situation of chaos in overall factories and governments, the impact will depend on how long the disaster lasts and how the government puts effort into countering the situation. As for Korea which whose degree of dependence upon foreign trade is as high as 68.8 percent, which is approximately 2.4 times higher than Japan who is 28.1 percent. The closure of a Chinese factory, which saw industrial production drop by more than 20% in January and February since the COVID-19, had a cascading effect on Korean companies that depended on parts from then on.

 In order to overcome this too much dependent situation, the country has to give help to small businesses. Yet now, startups do not have enough power to replace major companies' influences on economic growth. Their portion of the economy remains too small. For example, the total of business funds that was invested to support small businesses and factories in 2019 was just over half of Samsung's income in one quarter of Samsung’s bad year. I am not saying that startups need to replace the work of major companies such as Samsung to boost economic growth. What we need is the spread of their attitudes in innovation, and new technology so that small companies can show their real ability.

Developments of Korean Society and gender

 As I have already mentioned the economic and industrial perspective of change while dealing with the issues of Covid19, I would now like to talk about the gender aspect of changes and developments in Korean society.

 Since ancient times, men and women have different abilities due to differences in gender roles. Today, however, as society and technology developed, women and men have come to play equal roles. However, this has not been done yet. Women still feel that they are not treated equally in society both socially and morally. Too many people are tied to the past. Since the Korean War, Korea has achieved rapid economic growth and has rapidly developed its society. However, one’s way of thinking has not achieved much growth. This has led to generational conflicts and discord between older generations who emphasize women's gender roles and women of the present generation who fight for gender equality. The conflict is bound to intensify because they lived in a different time period and different backgrounds. Korea has shown women's social ability by high GMAT women's test rate among OECD countries, but Korean society still has an overwhelming gap in male and female benefits and an overly low ratio in the company's senior positions. Some women call themselves feminists, fighting against these unequal rights. Feminists are human rights activists who claim equal rights between women and men. However, in some cases, these heroines who claim legitimate rights are ridiculed as "bumpy" in society and are rather isolated from society.

 Many bosses think that men value work more than women and show a more responsible aspect. There even is a case that a woman employee of a company getting stripped her chances of promotion, because the company insists women can always live with her husband and relieve the financial burden, but males must support his family himself. As a result, there are so many well-educated women who are still losing their potential. Only when women are not caught up in prejudice and their rights are guaranteed, can the country expect further developments. To this end, the government should also make efforts to ensure that women are reinstated in inevitable situations due to their role as women, such as maternity, and to stop discrimination in society. The economy has grown, but I think the citizens' level of thought is very low compared to other countries. In order for society to grow, all citizens must have the right thoughts and ideologies.

Korean Society and Me

 Korea has shown great development and a lot of changes in less than 50 years. In addition to the above mentioned, the cultural development of Korea has led to a great deal of success in promoting and establishing Korea around the world. These changes in Korea have influenced me in various ways and will affect me more in the future.

 Due to the changes and developments in Korean society, we can enjoy welfare and service today through advanced technology and education. Also, as South Korean society changes, relations with North Korea is showing a difference. I personally dream of traveling around the world, so if inter-Korean unification is achieved, I would be able to travel Europe via the Siberian railway. As Korean society had changed and people's perceptions have changed little by little, it made it possible for women to be part of society. Instead of confining women to just taking care of the family at home, I am now able to fulfill my dream by receiving an equal education. Therefore, I say with confidence that changes in Korean society has been and will keep affecting me directly and indirectly.