midterm essay;changes in Korean society

midterm essay;changes in Korean society

Until just a few decades ago, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Korea, which was divided between the two Koreas after the Korean War and the colonization by Japan, has made a lot of efforts to revive its economy by sending women as nurses and men as miners to Germany. Now, Korea is one of the OECD member countries and has grown into a country with an economic competitiveness that of the past. The world's leading culture of K-pop, with BTS as the centerpiece, has become very popular, especially in Southeast Asian countries, and the movie "Parasite," directed by Bong Jun-ho, recently attracted worldwide attention. The fact that South Korea has achieved rapid economic and cultural growth in a relatively short period of time is probably due largely to the Korean character. Korea has long placed importance on group life and has developed a group culture. There is also a general tendency toward family life. This means that all Koreans like to do something together. For this reason, it was the pledge to "live together in prosperity" and the burden of supporting the family that provided the basis for the trend toward economic growth. Koreans also tend to place great emphasis on cultural life. Over a long period of history, literary works and classical songs have been created, some of which have been passed down to the present. Culture is so important for Koreans that most of their leisure time consists of cultural life. This trend is behind the development of culture.

In addition, our society overthrew a long-standing dictatorship and achieved democracy today. This is because of the courage of the people who spoke out on the streets despite the horror and tyranny of the dictatorship of the time. Thanks to them, Korea's democracy can exist now, and these influences continued even when the Park Geun-hye administration was overthrown a few years ago.

In some ways, it is changing positively, and in others, it is not First of all. To talk about culture, Korean cultural content has begun to gain global attention in recent years. Many K-pop idols, including BTS, EXO and BLACKPINK, are expanding their influence by knocking on the doors of not only Korea but also other countries with their singing and dancing weapons. In addition, the latest film "Parasite," directed by Bong Joon-ho, is another indication of its influence, with its four-time winning streak at the U.S. Academy Awards. The development of culture has a very positive impact because as culture spreads globally, foreigners will have more opportunities to learn about Korean traditions and culture, and it can also cause interest in Korea.

It can be proudly said that the change in culture is positive, but the change in the economy is ambiguous. It cannot be denied that large corporations have exerted enormous influence until Korea was freed from poverty in the past. Because their influence is very obvious. However, the nation's economy is also too dependent on several conglomerates to be denied. Big companies known by name, such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG, are actually earning income by exporting many of their products overseas. In the past, the current Korean economy, already out of poverty, would have been able to solve poverty with an economic system that relied on conglomerates, but it no longer needs to depend on conglomerates. Nevertheless, the long-standing dependence on conglomerates and the monopolistic system of conglomerates have already made it difficult to reduce their dependence. While many people suggest start-ups as a way out of the conglomerate-dependent system, start-ups are also not easy to challenge. First of all, if people want to start a business, they must already have the capital to be used for it, but it is not easy to raise capital. Also, starting a business does not guarantee that it will succeed. There are some cases of success as a startup, but that is very few.

In addition, Korea's economy is heavily dependent on exports. Since it has become difficult to procure goods as the two Koreas are divided, Korea generally repeats the process of importing parts needed to manufacture products, assembling them and exporting finished goods back overseas. As a result of relying on exports, if there are any problems with the economies of certain exporters that Korea depends on, Korea will be affected as well. Korea has succeeded in escaping poverty in the past, so it will be difficult to grow further with the same economic strategy as before. It will have to find and implement other alternatives as soon as possible. It is also a slightly unstable situation politically and diplomatically. North Korea is always fickle, U.S. pressure on the North's actions is being poured entirely onto South Korea, and it should be wary between China and the U.S. The aftermath of the economic blow from Corona 19 is also pouring in.

I think the issue of equality in gender is changing very positively. In the past, Korea had long been accustomed to Confucian ideas during the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty's long history. Preference for boys was very strong, and the effects even continued until the late 1980s, often leading to abortions for girls. As educated women entered society over time, women began to feel unfair about the household chores given to women in the past and the difference in employment rates and wages between men and women in the workplace. I think the numerous gender debates that are taking place in Korea now are a process that leads to equality. Until a few years ago, schools taught gender equality only about gender-related job prejudice. But now many people are talking about a much more complex, very chronic, old inequality. In the past, people could not properly claim what they wanted because they were afraid of other people's eyes, but after many changes, people could speak up for their rights. This will surely have a positive impact.

First of all, it is likely to bring about a change in my values. Over the past few years, South Korea's perception has rapidly changed. It has broken long-established social customs by destroying the corrupt Park administration through several candlelight vigils and peaceful demonstrations. This kind of progress in Korea will lead me to take action when I want to. Also, old customs are not a matter of course and can be considered problematic. By asking the question "why?", I raise the question of course and hope I can find our own answers to it. I will also be able to look at the future more dispassionately. What will Korea need in the future, how it will grow, and what should be done to become the right people for Korea?