GLOBALIZATION AND KOREAN SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION
Korean War has been both a chance and havoc. Korea has experienced economic
turmoil in the past 50 years. The effects of economic volatility after Korean War affect the
Korean society. The effects becoming more powerful with the globalization that shaped the
economic, social, technology, and the culture of South Korea. Globalization is a wave of
influences that no countries can be totally immune and multicultural linkage between
countries become more dominant. Globalization that affects Korean Society nowadays is
mainly because of government intervention from the past. President Kim Young Sam and
Kim Dae Jung have vision to embrace the core concept of globalization. Koreas government
thought that the best way to face globalization is to adapt with current condition. This action
allows diverse aspect of globalization penetrate and give impact to Korean society.
POSITIVE IMPACT TO KOREAN SOCIETY
It is clear that globalization is a huge trend that brings transformation to every people
around the world in his or her daily life. Due to the various impact of globalization on Korean
society, many people will experience social changes and this change is regardless where they
live today.
The first positive impact that can be gained from globalization is education. As
globalization allows the exchange of information and ideas easier, knowledge for education
becoming borderless and the world has becoming closer than ever. In order to follow global
market, changes in development of the country, and also to enhance competitiveness in global
market, knowledge in technology, language, science, and other related factors of education
have been increasing to one of top priority in recent days. In 1990, President Kim Young Sam
understands the need of education and pushed an educational reform. It has an objective to

significantly improve the quality of workforce, enhance technology, and productivity in order
to keep up with high demand of skills in companies.
In addition, Globalization that has improved education in Korea has continuation
impact, the second impact, which is employment rate. In todays competitive environment,
higher education can help people to provide opportunities to meet international demand for
employment. According to OECD, Korea has shown a significant increase in employment
rate from 64% in 2011 to 66.1% in may 2015. Korea also has the lowest unemployment rate
at 3.7% compared to other OECD countries. This can bring positive impact to Korean society
since they will have a better income, lifestyle, and also status. Adaptation of education has
given opportunities for everybody to gain higher socioeconomic status and chance to live a
better world.
Moreover, Korean cultures also bring positive impact towards Korean society. One of
the cultures is that K-pop culture and Korean movies that gained international recognition.
Technology enhancement in globalization era enables various cultures to show itself and
easier to access information. Global media is like tools that can make people around the
world aware and understand of cultures face and identities. One of the examples is YouTube
channel that introduce PSY, Korean K-pop image to the world. YouTube channels enables
Korean culture spread across the world and Korea became one of important faces not only in
economy but also in cultures. This creates a new strong image of Korean culture in the eyes
of the world. Strong image and well-known culture should build strong identity in Korean
people in society. Korean people in society can conserve and promote culture as pride and
also national image because it is originally from Korea.
Globalization is proven to improve many aspects of Korean Society. The existence of
Internet and technology enables Korea to be important part of the world. It improves

economic aspect as well as spreading Korean culture across nations. Due to the globalization,
Korea acknowledge by other nations.
NEGATIVE IMPACT TO KOREAN SOCIETY
Korean now is increasingly exposed to other cultures because of borderless barrier.
Globalization often describe as westernization or Americanization. Globalization enables
western culture enters and interact with local cultures. Moreover, western culture that
characterized with capitalism and commercialism affect local cultures and change peoples
characteristics in their daily life.
The problem that needs to be noted is that the characteristic of western culture already
different from Korean traditional culture. Western culture is frequently known as a bad
characteristic by Korean point of view, such as materialism, hedonism, individualism, and
sensuality. In terms of sensuality, it is clearly shown the source of influence was coming from
American movies that usually shows sensuality scene and it affects young generation.
Traditional Korean culture did not adhere to show any affection to opposite gender in public.
However, today many younger generation of Korea shows affection of sensuality in public.
For example in the public transportation like subway, there are often found young Korean
couple are kissing and show affection to each other without concerning their surrounding.
Nevertheless, most of young Korean people getting used to see couples kissing and showing
affection. It is becoming acceptable in younger generation.
In addition, individualism culture also permeates traditional Korean culture that
characterized with collectivism. As globalization followed by improving in technology,
gadget and smartphones becoming lifestyles among Korean people. It makes most of Korean
people occupied with their smartphones. For example, in the subway people can actually
interact with others and make connections with different people. However, most people busy

with their smartphones instead of interact with other people. Moreover, hedonism becomes a
new way of peoples life. Many people use their money to buy branded stuff that extremely
expensive, younger generation spend their money to drink alcohol, and lastly they spend their
time to go to club at night.
Another vivid example can be seen from Insa-dong that losing its cultural identity.
Nowadays, Insa-dong that originally known as a place for antiques and traditional artworks
changed into different place. Place that used to be representative of Korean culture now is
fading. The streets have lost their name and there are many new stores such as cosmetic and
cafes among antique galleries. Moreover, local people that open business from long time ago
forced to change their business in order to compete and survive.
Traditional characteristic of Korean culture starting to lose their face and affecting the
way people live. Therefore, South Korea that known as safest city already affected by
western culture and brings negative impact towards Korean society. Changing in lifestyles of
younger generation could harm traditional culture and create possibility that culture could not
be passed to next generation. Thus, traditional culture could be gone.
CHALLENGE OF GLOBALIZATION
As the rapid pace of globalization has spread in South Korea, globalization are likely
evoking many protests due to undermine labor and environmental standards, worsen the gap
between rich and poor and blurring the national identity of South Korea. First, due to the need
of being competitive on the market, many employers have run a low labor and environmental
standards. In 2004, according to Trade Union Confederation, South Korea has ranked almost
the lowest amongst 139 countries in terms of labor standards. The workers worked overtime
without paid and they got underpaid wages where the workers did dirty and dangerous job.
Not only they were underpaid, but also they did not get health insurance from the companies.

Moreover, regarding to the environment standard, many factories produced tons of waste that
affected the environment in terms of air pollution and water pollution. It is due to the force of
globalization, which makes the companies forget about the Korean society. It shows that the
need for fulfilling the globalization has forced companies to conduct a low labor and
environment standard in order to stay competitive in the market and gain more profits.
Second, globalization has only benefited for rich people not poor people. As South
Korea has a widespread of chaebol system, many people argued that the globalization would
only make rich people become richer. This argument has emerged due to a strong power of
chaebols to control South Koreas economic, making poor people as powerless as slaves.
Even though poor people get a chance to get a better education, however, they believe that
they will be employees or workers. A senior research scholar in Columbia University
supports this argument. He said that a fair business competition could not be conducted in
South Korea due to the powerful of chaebols.
Third, globalization is only blurring South Koreas identity. South Korea has adopted
homogeneous society since a long time ago. According to Korean Journal of Comparative
Education, old generation has a strong national identity who are not giving permission for
their children marry foreigners. However, due to the globalization and the flows of human
capital in South Korea, many younger generations have a different national identity, which is
affected by other countries. Younger generation marry foreigners without concerning the
national identity. The concept of pure blood has been destroyed by young generation, while
old generation want to keep pure blood families line.
In brief, the challenges of globalization in South Korea create serious issues and
broaden the social gap between rich and poor people. Thus, what government needed to do is

keeping an eyes on the globalization and social issues, they need to act regarding to every
movement to globalization.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is clearly shown that globalization has changed Korean society in both
positive and negative ways. In positive way, yes modernization is proven to help Korea
survive from crisis since Korean War. Technology development, infrastructure development,
and changing in policies bounce Korea back from crisis. This turning point started from
government vision that embrace globalization that brought results in increasing GDP from
negative growth to positive growth and continue improving from year to year. Nonetheless,
there are also negative impact and challenges that lies ahead and need to be considered. Since
globalization is closely related to identity and affect lifestyles of people, it is necessary to
understand the value of own culture. Because in the end, if Korea careless in maintaining and
preserving their own traditional culture, next generation will forget their true color of original
culture. There will be need to balance preserving own culture it reality of globalization.

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