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Home › Forums › Short Online Seminars › Two Koreas, Summer 2020 › Session 4 (July 20) - South Korea Today
Juana Evink.
cgaoWhat are society and culture like in South Korea today?
Video: Society and Culture in South Korea
Readings (user the hyperlinks or download the PDFs below):
Laura HuffmanWhat are society and culture like in South Korea today?
Modern South Korea is a fascinating study in contradictions. One the one hand (mostly economic and technological) it's been progressive: going from being a debtor nation to a contributor, seeing its economy grow from one that was lacking compared to North Korea during the 1960s to the 11th largest economy in the world today. It's 5G technology gives it the fastest internet in the world; and it is the largest producer of Semiconductors in the world today. It's used its Hallyu soft power of Kpop and Kdramas to spread Korean culture globally. It's been able to use the 4 Ts of Track, Trace, Test and Treat to have one of the most enviable responses to Covid-19 in the world today (I recently read that South Korean cinemas have even reopened!). But behind all the remarkable economic growth and technological advancements, South Korea today remains a socially conservative society, one where LGBTQ+ people receive no protections (much less the ability to marry) and gay men completing their mandatory military service are targets for harassment. Kpop and Kdramas both reinforce traditional gender roles of dominant men (regardless of their sweet, clean-shaven 'flowerboy' image, which is shown to be just another form of hyper-masculinity) and submissive hyper-sexualized women in a culture that expects many women to choose between motherhood and career and 'many young Korean women aspire to become YouTube makeup coaches." (Kuhn, NPR). The dark side of Korean culture and society has recently come to light through the #Metoo and 'escape the corset' movements, in addition to 'sextortion' cases, which reveal a deeply embeded patriarchy in which men from police officers to teachers have participated in the mistreatment of women. What appears to have mattered most is just that: appearance, which, as Holliday and Elfving-Hwang argue, is tied not only to relationship 'success' in finding a partner, but also professional, as job applications feature a photograph and "physiognomy, a prominent form of 'Korean' divination, has been enthusiastically embraced. Around half of all Koreans believe that one can 'read' a person's character by looking at their face," (p. 70) resulting in Koreans getting plastic surgery not to look 'western' but to look like a more successful Korean.
While Kdramas may present South Korea as a wealthy 'promised land' for North Koreans able to see black market episodes on smuggled thumb drives, it is also one in which the elderly are increasingly impoverished and where at least one North Korean defector and her son even starved to death (https://www.npr.org/2019/09/17/761156048/in-south-korea-anguish-over-deaths-of-north-korean-defectors-who-may-have-starve). At the forefront culturally with kdramas on Netflix and Amazon Prime, BTS and Blackpink performing in a Korean/English hybrid on American TV shows, and Kpop 'stans' even trolling the American President's rally in Oklahoma, it is still a nation where tourists may travel for medical procedures and plastic surgery, but where South Korean women cannot get a technically legal abortion.
It's this dichtomy of South Korean culture I find most fascinating. Another element that makes it so interesting to study is the fact that while Kpop and Kdramas can reinforce traditional gender roles, I've also noticed that those same Kdramas and films are also starting to cast a wider net culturally: both the film Ode to My Father and the recent Kdrama Chocolate presented married couples with a Korean husband and a Vietnamese wife. Itaewon Class had a gay character, a transgender character, and a Black character, and also showed some of the discrimination those characters might realistically face in modern Korean society. Just as with the #metoo and 'escape the corset' movements, this willingness to hold up a mirror to its traditional and conservative society will hopefully allow South Korea to create a society as progressive as it economy and technology sectors have already proven to be.
Tom MuellerSouth Korea seems to be a classic global western society with its own intricacies. South Korea has reached a much later stage of capitalism – consumption being the key. Our economy is built on consumption, I think over 65% of our economy’s growth is based on consumption of goods, etc. Similar to our country there is a need for guest workers in South Korea to work the jobs that citizens do not want. They have taken others cultural entities and put a Korean bent on them. This globalization push was not only about products – steel and shipbuilding but also their cultural entities. We are seeing the exporting of Korean cuisine and music. So I watched a BTS video and then watched an American boy band video, Backstreet Boys (I had to look these up since I am more of a Hair metal and hip hop fan). BTS seemed very similar to the Backstreet Boys. The video I watched Stay Gold seemed to tell a story of breaking out of the darkness (being alone and having friends around out to bring you out). When I watched BlackPink it immediately reminded me of the Spice Girls. Both songs were very catchy and the videos were elaborate. Similar to the Spice Girls, it seemed the video I watched, was about “Girl Power”, but with women sexuality. I then asked my fifth grade daughter to watch them and give me her opinion. She had not heard of either group, but she said that the music was cool and she loved their dancing. She said that even though she does not understand Korean – she had an idea of the BTS song’s meaning thanks to the video. BlackPink was her favorite for two reasons – the song was an English and the “women were kicking butt.”
I was intrigued with the birthrates discussion. There is a theory called Demographic Transition, it states that as an area becomes more developed economically then it will bring down their birth and death rates. In the Traditional Stage, an area has high birth and high death rates. The high birth rates are because families need a large number of children to help them work the farms and the high death rates (so relatively more children die during this time) are due to the lack of medical knowledge, technology, etc. However when society reaches post-industrial, they have low birth and death rates. South Korea is definitely in that category, however their birth rates are so low that death rates are higher and they will have negative population growth. I was also intrigued by the issue of women’s rights, etc. It seems South Korea and the United States have similar issues. I did some quick research and found that South Korea has an enormous gender pay gap – “…As of 2017, the gender wage gap of full-time workers in Korea has marked 34.6 percentage points and ranked number one, followed by Estonia (28.3) and Japan (24.5) (OECD 2019). https://www.jil.go.jp/english/jli/documents/2019/017-02.pdf Economics is not the only gender issue, assault and discrimination are others. Similar to the United States, the #MeToo movement brought a large discussion of sexual assault and discriminatory incidents after years and years women being shamed or worried about retaliation in telling their stories. South Korea has taken measures by increasing maximum sentencing for sexual assault and increasing the length of time a woman can come forward. There has been a rise in training at schools and workplaces. As men, we need to be allies of our women colleagues, friends, etc. We have also seen a change in attitudes of the LGBTQ+ community as misunderstandings become corrected. South Korea does have a ways to go – they need laws to protect this community and the LGBTQ+ are battling the conservative Christians for these rights – another similarity to the United States.
Tom MuellerVery good post - as I read your comparison of globalizing and conservatism, I started to think about a spectrum of describing “highly developed” countries – Western Europe, Japan, the United States, South Korea, etc. Powerful economic countries that can reach across the globe still seem to be behind on some personal freedoms and equality. It would be interesting to complete a survey in these countries that asked about attitudes of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. After reading about the plastic surgery of the young in South Korea, I thought about when I was in high school and that friends of mine – if they had the money were getting nose jobs. As I was watching TV this hot weekend (I changed channels throughout the day), there seemed to be quite a few plastic surgery commercials, however they were not geared towards young people but older people – eliminate those baggy eyes, tighten your neck etc. Same issues – different time periods – different locations.
Julie WakefieldThis is such a broad question - not sure it is approachable on that large of a scale. So I will focus on few ideas from the lecture to talk about.
Demographics of South Korea....https://www.populationpyramid.net/republic-of-korea/2019/
The population challenges South Korea faces today have been many years in the making. For close to 50 years, South Korea has experienced some population decline to now actually experiencing negative population growth (deaths out number births). Some data shows a very light growth rate of .03% other resources show a slight negative. (Is it possible this slight growth is as a result of the immigrants mentioned in the lecture? I know traditionally South Korea has not had a reputation for being open to many migrants but now welcoming more in an attempt to address the demographic divide). However, the challenges this brings forth has led to many different policy changes. The demographic dependancy for South Korea has shifted from supporting the younger population with education and other related services to needing to focus on the elder cohort and services related to their care. Pension policies are reflecting the lack of work force as the ages of early pension collection and pension investment goes up slowly. This policy changes requires people to work longer in their lives, again addressing the lack of children therefore a reduced workforce.
Industrial and economic growth are definitely something to cheer for! Their place in the globalized economy is solid and they have created a specialized niche in the electronic and other industries (ship building, cars). Samsung and Hyundai make more than just phones and cars. Samsung has a strong hold across the technology world with phones, TVs, household appliances, etc https://www.koreaexpose.com/samsung-products-basic-information/#:~:text=Samsung%20Electronics%2C%20the%20largest%20subsidiary,and%20security%2Fmonitoring%20systems%2C%20to. Hyundai has the cars but also the ships and other things like construction equipment (forklifts) and factory equipment! Each of these two major corporations have many branches that have created these niches. The technology is always pushing and the production quality has a strong reputation - these two things have helped South Korea carve it's place in the globalized world. https://atlas.cid.harvard.edu/countries/121
And then there is Korean pop culture - strong and influential throughout the world. I have numerous students 'obsessed' to different levels of different aspects - K-pop, K-dramas, etc. I volunteer for a exchange student program and help conduct interviews for students who want to study abroad. One of the programs is a State dept spronsored language focused program. There are many applicants, usually 5 - 10 from our small region (1000s nationally) who express specific interest in studying Korean due to exposure to the multiple variations of Korean culture.
Alyssa YffHi Laura! I agree! Your first sentence summarizes this lecture and readings very well. I was also fascinated by the number of contradictions in Korean Culture. I was really interested in the dichotomy between the patriarchy within South Korean society and how some women are really pushing against the societal values on beauty. Have you ever read Naomi Wolff's "Beauty Myth" there is an excellent chapter on East Asia and these beauty expectations on women as an ever present system of oppression on women. However, i think that these expectations and values have evolved since Wolff's book, where we are now seeing "flower boys" and a push for men to also pursue a more perfect complexion and physique. It was a very interesting! Thank you for your post.
Tom MuellerJulie – good post. Thank you for sharing Population Pyramid, it really hits the points that South Korea is going to run into problems in the near future. You are correct – this is going to be huge burden on the younger population and governmental funding. I also wonder how this will play out in political policy. In this country, especially in Pennsylvania, seniors not only are larger in numbers but also more likely to vote. In my state when economic downturns occurred and cuts were needed to the budget, education and youth services were deeply cut while programs for the elderly had mild cuts. Will we see a similar situation in South Korea? Also will this mean that South Korea will need to open up their immigration policies to fill labor positions? I know that it was discussed in Japan a few years ago.
Jane HannonMany of the articles dealt in some way or another with evolving gender roles and gender norms. Together, the articles depicted South Korea as a society that has traditionally been patriarchal, but is undergoing change. Victoria Kim detailed how the #MeToo movement has pushed back against the sexual harrassment of students in schools and Kasulis and McCurry chronicled how scandals such as the Nth Room and spycams have generated widespread outrage. Consequently, serious legal consequences have started to be meted out for these types of offenses. According to Kuhn, the "escape the corset" movement has arisen as young women push back against social pressure to conform to predetermined standards of feminine beauty. At the same time, according to Surcouf, the "flower boy" persona pioneered by K-Pop bands like BTS has carved out space for young men to assume styles and personality traits traditionally branded as feminine. Although women often experience pressure to leave the workforce to care for children, Stangarone suggests that as fertility rates continue to decline, women's workforce participation may become essential to sustaining economic growth.
Jane HannonGibson's article on the ways that Covid-19 has exacerbated the challenges faced by the elderly in South Korea contained some information that surprised me. Knowing that South Korea is a prosperous country with Confucian traditions, I was surprised by the statistic that 43% of the elderly lived in poverty. According to the article, elderly people who can't afford air conditioning had been accustomed to congregate in public places to keep cool, but the pandemic made that impossible. Furthermore, it shut down jobs they depended on for income and the increased use of digital technologies to minimize person-to-person threatens to leave the elderly even further behind. I had not realized that South Korean society was stratified by age in this way.
Laura HuffmanJane - you make an excellent point about the contradiction to between Confucianism's filial piety and the treatment of the elderly in South Korea. When I was in rural South Korea last summer, I remember learning that some modern urban Koreans will pay caretakers to perform the ancestral rites at the graves of their ancestors in rural areas. And yet, one could argue, that caregiving could be better served on the still living, suffering in the heat!
Jane HannonTom and Laura, I too found a lot to ponder in the analysis of the popularity of cosmetic surgery among young people in South Korea. I have no idea exactly how widespread this practice is in the United States, but my sense is that is far from unusual, though likely more common among older people than younger ones. But beyond that key difference, the motivations for pursuing it did not strike me as that different. South Korean employers may be more forthright than American ones in asking for photographs with employment applications, but yet in the U.S., we have seen again and again that physical appearance plays a large role in determining an individuals' employment and romantic prospects as well as how strangers perceive their character and interact with them on a daily basis. So while the article demonstrated that a focus on physical appearance is important in South Korean culture, this might actually be one of the less distinctive aspects of South Korean culture. I found the speculation as to whether this was a result of Westernization, patriarachy, and nationalism or a reaction against these forces interesting, but at the same time I doubt these abstract considerations go through individuals minds as much as more immediate professional and social considerations.
Alyssa YffWhat are society and culture like in South Korea today?
Like Julie stated above, this is a HUGE topic and I also will focus on a few topics that I found particularly interesting. Many of the articles spoke to South Korea's society and gender roles, which I found very interesting. Like Laura mentioned above, the lecture and the articles really illustrated the contradictions within South Korean society regarding gender expectations and the corresponding inequalities that exist. It also tied into their current successes and future economic progress.
Dr. Jung-Kim's lecture spoke about the economic progress South Korea has made since 1997 focusing on electronics, automobiles and building a capitalist economy. The South Koreans have been very successful and have really come a long way economically. They are definitely a success story and their path to economic growth has been interesting. However, the position seems precarious if they do not pursue more policies that integrate women into the workforce and prioritize greater geder equality. The Diplomat article stressed how gender inequalities could actually hurt South Korea's economic progress and that it is in the best interest of the nation to actually reduce these inequalities. The statistics presented in this article were quite startling and really highlighted the extent of patriarchy and how embeded it is within South Korean society. The article stated that South Korea ranked last in the Economists "Glass Ceiling Index" and they spoke to how discrimination runs rampant within the hiring process. What I found really interesting is how these "old fashioned" expectations and roles imposed on women in Korean culture are actually hindering economic progress. The article stated that the IMF has published data to support that integrating women in the the Korean workforce will help increase their GDP. I also liked that this article examined South Korean against other East and Southeast Asian nations. It really helped provide additional context to South Korean gender expectations and society. It did make me wonder if this also holds true in Japan? We see the opening of the article speaking to Japanese gender inequalities - but it didn't mention problems of economic growth. However, I do think that Japan is also facing real demographic challenges with their aging population - so I would assume its pretty similar?
Continuing on the topic of gender and society, I really enjoyed reading the article comparing BTS and Blackpink. The article speaks to the talent of both Korean Pop groups - each of them have members that are incredibly talented musically. However, inequalities exist between these two groups and highlight some of the bigger gender issues within Korean society. BTS has enjoyed incredible success and has had millions of dollars in sales, while Blackpink has done well but their sales are not even close to BTS. Likewise, the boys in the group have successfully redefined "masculinity" globally and have in many ways challenged the convetional definition of masulinity. These so called "flower boys" exhibit characteristics that are new and unique to the pop world: nice and romantic. However, the women in Blackpink have not had the same success in challenging gender roles and stereotypes - rather they have been strengthened. The story becomes even more complex as the Asian Times article examined how Korean boy bands have challenged the conventional definition of masculinity and "reshaped korean culture," while their behaviors have been hypocritical. This was seen in both the article and the lecture with the Burning Sun scandal.
Likewise, I found the gender expectations surrounding korean women to be fascinating and a very different story from the male experience. The beauty industry and the expectations placed on South Korean women feels very extreme and detrimental. The idea that many South Korean women pursue plastic surgery and the double eyelid surgery illustrates this quest for perfection. The advertisements for plastic surgery in the subway system was really interesting. It almost sounds predatory as they had to banned in the subways. As Laura mentioned above, the idea that beauty is so closely tied to success in Korean society. However, I still think that much of this occurs in the United States as well. I loved seeing the "Escape the Corset" movement and the exhibit by Jeon Bora (I would actually like to see more of her exhibit). I am glad there is a movement to push against this societal pressure and illustrate the natural beauty of Korean women. I hope this movement continues to build momentum and that we see a larger cultural shift for women in South Korea.
Alyssa YffHi Tom,
Thanks for your post! I liked your discussion of the demographic transition model and how this is a concern in South Korea. This made me think about Japan and how they have addressed these issues? I do not have the answer, but I think it would be really interesting to see if Japan has addressed any of their gender disparities to help with economic growth and integrate women into their economy. Do you know anything about this?
I also really enjoyed your comment that men need to be allies to women - THANK YOU! South Korea and the United States both have a ways to go in terms of legislation to protect women from discrimination and harassment. I mentioned the book "Beauty Myth" by Naomi Wolff above. It is a great read and very helpful when we consider these issues.
Alyssa YffJust a random connection, there is a British-Japanese singer/songwriter, named Rina Sawayama, who has been really challenging stereotypes of Asian women and pushing back on discrimination and micro-aggressions faced by the Asian community. She lives in Great Britain and was educated at Cambridge, but I think she serves as a new voice and potential role model:
Meghann SerilThere was so much information to digest in the lecture and readings for this week. Something that stuck out for me, perhaps because it hits close to home, was the discussion of foreigners in South Korea. Several of my extended family members from the Philippines are OFW or Overseas Filipino Workers in several locations including England, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. I've heard a lot of stories about the mistreatment of these workers and the lack of legal recourse in the countries in which they are employed. Something new to me was the importing of foreign brides. I'm curious why there is a greater need in rural areas and if this is related to the life expectancy of women in Korean or just a huge difference in demographics in rural vs. urban areas? I'm also curious if there is or could be a push for legislation to provide protections or legal recourse for women who experiences violence or discrimination in their marriages?
I was also interested in the phenomenon of medical tourism and if data is kept on the countries from which most of these participants come and the surgeries they choose? Knowing about "Asian" beauty standards in the Philippines, I know that lighter skin is preferred, as well as the double eyelid surgeries. Although Korea seems to have more a mix in their demographics, I wonder, if like the United States there is housing segregation that contributes to the racism and colorism that continues to happen.
The lectures and readings certainly raised a lot of questions for me. I look forward to our discussions this week.