Two Koreas
There are two Koreas. I am not talking about the North and the South. I am talking about the two contrasting narratives about Korean society, one positive, another negative.
For one, contemporary Korea is a cool, cultural powerhouse with oversized global influence. Its entertainment products attract audiences worldwide and conjure positive images of the country. From K-pop to K-cuisine to K-beauty, Korea is now the world’s hottest place, you could argue. Korea also boasts the popular story of an economic miracle, rising from the rubble of war to become one of the world’s richest countries with technological and manufacturing prowess.
Life in Korea can be convenient and fun. Streets in Korea are clean and safe – you can freely roam around at night without worrying. Food is outstanding. Public transportation is cheap and yet very advanced and efficient. So is its healthcare system. And there exists every imaginable social and private service that will make your life easy.
But there is another opinion of Korea, this one quite damaging. The so-called “Hell Joseon” or a living hell narrative aptly summarizes this version of Korea: It is a country with a high level of anxiety, conflict and competitiveness. Typical Koreans face intense competition in education and the workplace, as well as the pressure to conform to high societal expectations and group pressure. They work the longest hours among the advanced countries, leaving no time to dine together with family – that is if they have a family: Young people do not get married and have children for various reasons, creating a concern that the country might disappear by the next century.
Inequalities and social polarization in Korea are among the worst in the world. People fight fiercely against each other, divided by social groups and identities. Politics to mitigate social conflicts do not exist and politicians are plain third-rate.
In many surveys finding the “World’s Happiest Countries,” Korea typically ranks among the bottom, featuring highly discontent and stressed respondents. People in the surveys and online forums quite often express the dissatisfaction such that they would not want to be born again in Korea, or move abroad if possible. All in all, it is Hell Joseon, Joseon referring to the last Korean dynasty, a feudal society eventually colonized by imperial Japan.
Which version of Korea do you subscribe to? The first, hip Korea, is usually appreciated by many foreigners who are hooked by the country’s cultural products, advanced technologies, and efficient social systems. Hell Joseon is a perception often shared by many domestic Koreans born and raised in the highly stressful social atmosphere.
Which Korea is real then? Both are. It’s the two sides of the same coin. The social distresses Koreans endure are perhaps the by-products of the rapid economic and material successes they enjoy. Behind the glamour of K-entertainment lies a grueling industrial system that manufactures stars in a Hell-Joseon style.
As someone who spent roughly equal amount of time in and outside Korea respectively, I see both sides. The Korea I grew up with and worked in has indeed many issues and concerns, but the Korea I see from abroad is a beautiful country which boasts its ever-rising soft power.
I feel like Hell Joseon is a satirical term in that it conveys Koreans’ self-reflection. That is, the country is certainly not a hell, but Koreans want to see and recognize its deep problems to make the place better. Self-depreciation and cynicism can be used as a force of betterment, although it may take lots of time and effort. In a positive slant, I’d like to say Korea is half full, rather than half empty – but it is only because it’s a New Year. We will see how the country navigates the rest of 2024.
Min Seong-jae is a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University in New York City. He is a 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Korea.