Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
ROUNDTABLE Korea needs to restore social trust, unity to overcome extreme polarization
Participants of a roundtable event hosted by The Korea Times pose at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Feb. 2. From left are Gregory Hill, chief administrative officer of the University of Utah Asia Campus; Oh Young-jin, president and publisher of The Korea Times; Emilia Gatto, ambassador of Italy to Korea; Ugo Astuto, ambassador of the European Union to Korea; Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church; violinist Han Soo-jin; and Johannes Andreasson, deputy chief of mission at the Swedish Embassy. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Baek Byung-yeul
International panel diagnoses country's social fractures, path forward
Experts in Korea called for an urgent restoration of social trust and a revival of the communal spirit to overcome the extreme political polarization and fragmentation currently paralyzing the nation.
At a roundtable hosted by The Korea Times, Monday, leaders from diplomacy, religion, academia and the arts gathered to discuss the event's theme, "Global Korea: Questioning Korea’s Leadership Today."
Despite Korea’s economic success, panelists warned that deep distrust, fueled by the recent imprisonment of a former president and intense political turmoil, now threatens the nation’s future on the global stage.
Moderated by Oh Young-jin, president and publisher of The Korea Times, the panel included Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church; Ugo Astuto, ambassador of the European Union to Korea; Emilia Gatto, ambassador of Italy to Korea; Johannes Andreasson, deputy chief of mission at the Swedish Embassy in Korea; Gregory Hill, chief administrative officer of the University of Utah Asia Campus; and violinist Han Soo-jin.
Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, speaks during The Korea Times’ roundtable event at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Pastor Lee began by addressing the deep-seated problems facing the nation, ranging from the breakdown of social unity to the record-low birthrate. When asked for his diagnosis, Lee pointed to social division as the core crisis.
"As you know, right now there are many divisions and social conflicts," Lee said. "The most difficult problem to solve is this conflict. Our religious people should take a role as a mediator and peacemaker between all the different societal groups."
The pastor emphasized that the political turmoil has left the public in a state of anxiety. He proposed spiritual renewal as a fundamental solution, referencing his recent sermon topics.
"You must get rid of the 'old nature' of factionalism and put on the 'new nature' of harmony," Lee said. "We have to remove all the negative things from our society and put on new clothes for a new society to bring good news to the people."
Violinist Han Soo-jin speaks during The Korea Times’ roundtable at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The discussion also turned to inter-Korean relations. Lee shared the detailed history of the stalled Pyongyang Heart Hospital project, initiated by Yoido Full Gospel Church. He revealed that the initiative began in 2007 at the specific request of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, whose family had a history of cardiac problems.
"We started construction, but it was suspended in 2010," Lee explained. Despite the church recently securing sanctions exemptions from the United Nations and the United States to import medical equipment, Lee painted a grim picture of the current reality.
"Months ago, I talked to the North Korean ambassador to the U.N.," Lee said. "He answered that Kim Jong-un said, 'You must not talk to any people in South Korea.' That is the final answer right now. They even previously asked for 260 small hospitals across the North, but now, there is silence. We have to pray for peace."
Panelists attend The Korea Times’ roundtable event held at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Fairness lessons from Europe
The European envoys offered perspectives on how to build unity from the ashes of conflict.
Ugo Astuto, ambassador of the European Union to Korea, speaks during The Korea Times’ roundtable event at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Astuto explained that the European Union emerged from what he called a “European Civil War” (1914–1945), which transformed the continent from a power balance based on force to one grounded in equality before the law.
When challenged by Oh regarding the criticism that the EU’s consensus-based decision-making is inefficient, Astuto offered a different perspective.
"It is a slow process, but it works and is extremely reliable," Astuto said. "The secret is about a sense of fairness. It allows all 27 member states to feel equally represented. This creates a sense of belonging to a community that looks to the future."
Andreasson from Sweden pointed out a strange contradiction in Korean society. He observed that while people trust each other enough to leave expensive phones on cafe tables, they have almost no trust in their political system.
Emilia Gatto, ambassador of Italy to Korea, speaks during The Korea Times’ roundtable event at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
He suggested that Korea could bridge this gap by looking to its own history, specifically the "tangpyeong" (grand harmony) policy of the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) era.
"Tangpyeong, for a time, seemed to have worked, on the grounds of fairness [and] treated the different factions fairly," Andreasson said.
Gatto, who affectionately calls Koreans the “Italians of Asia” for their passion and peninsular geography, highlighted the underlying anxiety in Korean society.
"You are always racing because you have a fear," Gatto observed. She mentioned social jealousy and a disconnect where the older generation feels unappreciated for their economic sacrifices, while the younger generation feels their soft power achievements are unrecognized.
"I think we are just 'one generation behind' in terms of reconciling these values," she said. "You were a 'team of 50 million,' but now that compactness is shaking. You don't have to look to resemble a small U.S. You have 5,000 years of history and cultural uniqueness to be proud of."
Johannes Andreasson, deputy chief of mission at the Swedish Embassy in Korea, speaks during The Korea Times’ roundtable event at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Violinist Han agreed, mourning the loss of the communal spirit that once held Korean society together.
She recalled how Koreans united during the 1997 financial crisis, a period of national bankruptcy that forced the country to accept a massive bailout from the International Monetary Fund. During that time, citizens joined a nationwide gold-collection campaign, voluntarily giving up their personal jewelry to help pay off the national debt.
"That communal spirit is sadly lacking now," Han said. "The younger generation feels they have to fend for themselves because society isn't meeting their welfare needs."
Han also sparked a debate on the role of artists, expressing concern about the increasing politicization of the arts community.
"Politics creates division, but art should strive for unity," she argued. Looking forward, she proposed a concept of what she called “total art,” a convergence of music, media and dance, as the next engine for hallyu, or the Korean wave.
Demographics and definition of success
Gregory Hill, chief administrative officer of the University of Utah Asia Campus, speaks during The Korea Times’ roundtable event at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The panel also discussed the global demographic crisis, noting that Korea is no exception. Pastor Lee said his church has set an ambitious target: a birthrate of 2.0 within the congregation, encouraging families to have three children to help counter the nation’s critically low fertility rate of roughly 0.7.
The experts added that numbers alone are not the answer.
"More women than men graduate from university in Korea, yet workplaces are dominated by men. You are not using your full human capital,” Andreasson said, highlighting a structural inefficiency in Korean society.
Gatto added that paternity leave is the key to leveling the playing field, recounting her own experience where hiring women is seen as a risk due to child care duties. "It must be a shared responsibility," she said.
Hill of the University of Utah took the argument to the macro level, suggesting that the very education system that drove Korea's success now needs a reset.
"The competitiveness of Koreans brought about the Miracle on the Han River, but it also leads to individualism and isolation," Hill warned. He noted that while universities are seeing progress with more women entering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, the broader society must shift from a self-centered perspective to one of selflessness.
"We need to teach students that it is not just about 'me' winning the competition," Hill concluded. "It is about how you contribute to the greater system. That shift in mindset is crucial for Korea’s next leap."