I came back to Korea after a long time abroad, and one of the most visible issues that I notice in Korean society today is that of polarization. Polarization generally refers to the splitting of society into conflicting groups such as rich and poor, old and young, and urban and rural, which this rapidly growing and competitive country has experienced quite a good deal over the years. But what makes today’s polarization particularly challenging is its scope and nature. The type of divisiveness Koreans are experiencing now is what some scholars call “affective polarization,” where in-group members exhibit animosity toward out-group members. And it seems to be widespread across Korean society.
Affective polarization is based on strong negative feelings toward other social groups and may lead to hate speech. I hear disparaging expressions all the time both online and offline. “Mum-choong,” or mum-roach is a derogatory term referring to mothers who supposedly lack manners in public spaces due to their sole focus on caring for their children. “Teulddak” is a combination of the word “denture” and “crackle” to mock the elderly who keep chattering with their dentures. “Han-nam,” literally translated to “Korean men,” has very negative connotations suggesting that all Korean men are misogynistic and inferior to men of other national origins. The list goes on and on.
Moreover, the partisan politics of Korea is where affective polarization is the most dangerous. Politicians and supporters of politicians are entrenched in their political tribalism and consider the other side to be the enemy. They mock and attack those who share different ideologies. With extreme affective polarization, there is little room to negotiate or compromise with the other side, let alone cultivate rational discussion. Their political opponent becomes the “devil.” And what do you do with the devil? You kill it. That’s how political violence is born. We recently observed this happening in the United States, another country where affective political polarization is at its highest. The January 6 attack on the U.S. capitol and other violence arose due to extreme partisan politics. Korea seems to be on a similar trajectory.
Polarization is also a main cause of the spread of fake news and various types of misinformation. Extreme partisan activity spreads fake news to denounce and attack their opponents with, and many choose to support such disinformation – whether they truly believe it or not – to belong to their own social groups and to be liked by their own "kind." This is especially true in the social media environment where users can easily select, edit and share information with like-minded people.
As such, polarization, especially the affective kind, is a serious threat to democracy. We may see people retreat to their partisan echo chambers and refuse to engage with the opposing side, thereby lowering social tolerance and understanding in society. We see polarization spoil the health of the information ecosystem with fake news and hate speech and cause political turmoil and violence. If left untreated, it may lead to social disintegration and general social instability.
It seems that political polarization is only intensifying here in Korea, with each election campaign becoming more acrimonious toward the opposing side. In the United States, with its checkered racial history, vast geographic divisiveness, and entrenched two-party system, polarization makes more sense than it does in Korea, which has no such factors. In fact, I wonder how this relatively small country became so divided along the lines of gender, age, geography and so on.
How do we mitigate polarization and promote social cohesiveness? Honestly, I do not know how to tackle the issue. Maybe a small contact and dialogue with those who share different beliefs and opinions from our own is a start. I know it is a difficult task, especially when it involves politics and religion. But if we try, small, step by step, then we may begin to see that we share some common ground as Koreans and as human beings.
Min Seong-jae is a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, New York City. He is a 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Korea.
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