The Dark Side of South Korea's Incredible Economic Success
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ย. 2024
- Just a couple of decades ago, South Korea was a hugely underdeveloped country with a mostly uneducated population and an economy that was performing worse than the North Korean one. Today, South Korea is one of the most developed countries in the world - and its transformation has been nicknamed the "Korean Miracle". But this miracle came with a price...
I'm just in the process of picking a topic for my next video. Got a suggestion for what "Dark side of..." you would like to see? Let me know!
Dark side of India
Middle Eastern Boom?
Dark side of Israel,if you dare
darkside of youself, what a useless video, very negative and non informative, do something entertaining
The dark side of the United States
So ironically South Korea isn’t as efficient as they want to be because they value the aesthetics of hard work(long impractical hours), rather than modernizing their concept of efficiency.
Honestly I am not at all surprised when the older generations are pretty much this if not intentionally making it harder for the younger generations resulting in degraded and broken systems for which gate keep people out of meaningful employment while delaying career advancement for others. Without efficiency these systems are all the worse and I say this from experience having worked more than my fair share of blue collar jobs especially with older businesses that refuse to update their processes and equipment resulting in productivity losses as well safety issues.
This is result of capitalism now being felt in Korea. It promotes workaholics and success. Less and less jobs for more people. Stakes are twisted to suit companies at the expense of people.
they dont wanna be work holic…
Maybe more of them should work from home.
More than a century and a half ago a Jewish philosopher and economist predicted these recurring, almost insoluble problems of capitalism - increasing concentration of income and markets in the hands of a few companies and unemployment due to this concentration and the advance of technology taking the place of labor. That economist was called Marx.
I am a Korean girl born in the early 80's in South Korea. My grandparents lived under Japanese occupation, and they went through the Korean War with their children. And when their children grew up, they made the Miracle on the Han River (Korean Miracle in the video). They are my parents, and when I was born, South Korea had grown economically enough to host the Seoul Olympics in 1988. My parents did their best to educate me, and I studied hard like any other Korean child. I believed it would bring me a bright future, and that's how I learned it. I even had a master's degree, but I have been struggle with getting a job for over a year. In the end I got one at a small company. I had to work all night and have dinner while drinking unwanted alcohol (Hoesik). I was not happy and eventually I quit my job. However, the reaction around me was not warm. I was told that I am too spoiled and fragile to deal with stress because i grew up with abundance. They said "Who doesn't get stressed?". Undoubtedly, It is grateful thing to have a place to work for the generation of my grandparents and parents who went through the Japanese colonization and the Korean War. Over the next few years, I repeatedly joined and left a couple of companies, and during that time my self-esteem and self-confidence went down. In the meantime I had to watch two of my close cousins commit suicide. Not necessarily, but honestly, I couldn't help but think that they might not have done if they hadn't lived in Korea.
Sorry! my comment becomes unintentionally long. But watching this video, I completely got the feeling that I was watching myself and my family and just wanted to let people know that it's pretty accurate from Korean's perspective as well. Thank you Dom for making a great video! 👍
______________________________________
Thank you so much for the comments and heartfelt messages on my story. To be honest, I didn't expect this much. It means a lot to me.
To tell you a little bit more of my story, I have been mentally and physically exhausted from cultural or social pressure since then. I decided to travel to other countries and stay in Australia for a year with the money I saved from the work. Koreans around me advised me that It was not the time to run away. I admit it. It was avoidance. But I think it was the right prescription for me rather than taking the medical pills. I had an opportunity to look into myself in Korean society more objectively through myself living in a different country of various cultures and races. It helped me think that I was not totally wrong. It slowly but gradually recovered my self-esteem and confidence. I found myself feeling at ease in a society where embraces and acknowledges the existence of diversity.
Currently, I have been studying Spanish and teaching Korean in Colombia for 5 years. Yes, I still feel uncertainty and anxiety when I think about the future. I still have doubts about myself.
Living in a foreign country as a foreigner is never easy. Living and travelling are two different things as many of you know. However, at least these are the choices I have made and I am willing to be responsible for it. Korean friends and family say that Korea is the best place to live for Koreans. Just for me, keeping a distance myself from the society has worked and given me an opportunity to find myself easier. Please do not generalize every Korean with my story. We are all different. I watched the video and relate to it, and based on my story, I simply wanted to let people know that this is really happening. Many of my students in Colombia have a dream about Korea in the Hallyu(Korean wave). As a Korean teacher who loves them, I have always been thinking how to show another side of South Korea, then I think I can fulfil the mission with this video so they can plan their dream more realistically and better than mine. Thanks again to all of you with warm words! 감사합니다! 🥰
Your feelings are completely valid, don’t let anybody convince you that you are spoiled. That kind of life is not sustainable.
You are a great individual everything you commented on came right from the heart . I live in the United States of America and for many many years I used to have 3 jobs at the same time sometimes 4 jobs at the same time. I would sleep 2 hours a day sometimes many times I would go for two three weeks without even sleeping 1 hour . A few of the jobs were manual labor also some were not so it was very tiring but I always like a challenge! I know a lot of people thought I was crazy and couldn't even believe I'm somehow still alive 😜 . After endless years of doing that routine I now work one job about 10 hours a day 6 days a week only 60 hours . Believe it or not when I'm off work I try to relax and I do but after I sit down for a little while I always got to get up and do something around the house . 🤣😂 I can't relax if I know there's something to do . As far as committing suicide never because you have to think of yourself as an extraordinary individual if you're able to do more hours or more hard tests than other people do . What does that kill you makes you stronger 💪 . Even though I know I've wasted a lot of my life working over working . It's great self-esteem to have as much motivation as possible . In my opinion life without an extreme challenge would be boring .
I say HR and managers are spoiled if they think they're entitled to have employees go to Hoesik. Are you still struggling with work?
@@motivationperseverance3077 Not everyone likes extreme challenges, different person has different mindsets and will power. It has worked out well for you. I am happy for you.
any culture that forces you to spend more than two times a week with your coworkers after your job is a bad situation. I have a feeling that maybe this was a way for the boss to get laid before - get the girls drunk. I have experience w korean bosses hiring my friends then trying to sleep with them as if its normal.
This shows us that governments should not only prioritize economic situations, but also the human one (happiness, family, rest, recreation, etc.).
HAHA...good one!
agree
That could be very dangerous, thats giving to the government a superpower under the people, as the "fathers" of the society, if it happened under a government a little bit more authoritarian than the standard, imagine what could happen... censorship, repression, taxes "for the sake of the people"...
@@moyndebs6759 Its just you. Its either living ina Third world country or a Prosperous Dystopia.
But that means that they might lose money! You know the big corporations will never support such a move
I have a lot of South Korean friends. I also once worked for a South Korean boss. I have always wondered why so many South Koreans migrate to the USA, given South Korea's economic success. I did not know about the economic crisis it was facing. Thank you, Dom. I prey that one day, South Korea gets back on its feet.
where you get the fake news? it is funny , poor people migrate to the USA these days.
Same in Canada. Koreans are probably the only significant immigrant group coming now from a first world country.
Economic success is fleeting. It's like a hamster wheel which you have to keep running faster and faster. As soon as you stop running, food and all other critical necessities stop flowing in. That's the trap Korea is in.
@@coldspring22that’s why any country should be in the flow to nearly fully developed not completely developed. That way is more balanced.
Most Koreans went to Us during or after the Korean War. What people forget is the help from US for South Korea for rapid growth. Compulsory military training also helps.
Reminds me of my time working in Japan - everyone spent long hours in the office because face time was paramount. They weren't necessarily being productive but no one dared leave before the manager left. But then it was time to have dinner and drinks with your boss after work. Get home by midnight. Be back at the office at 7am and do it over again. It was insane.
sounds miserable
😪
But when you became a boss , you can change the habits , right?
On those companies a boss would be considered a general manager who will also have a boss. Then they also have a lot of stress to produce effective results. This types of jobs are toxic which you can also find in Mexico and other countries.
@@bmw335hdk2 But by then you would probably develop the same mindset as the previous Boss and the power might get to your head, it's a miserable continuous cycle.
My South Korean born and raised parents moved to the USA in the 1980s, where my siblings and I were born & raised, and now subsequently all have full time jobs that allow us to be financially independent. My mother’s family, who was very wealthy, didn’t understand why she would leave her comfortable situation to begin all over in a foreign country. Watching this video makes me very thankful for her sacrifices and it’s very sobering to imagine what life would be like if I was born and raised in South Korea. My cousin’s family just paid a company thousands of dollars for him to find an internship in the USA, and he doesn’t want to return.
THE USA is in the same boat; because this is ITS EUROPEAN culture superimpose over the korean one.
- pecking order
-looting / quick gang $gains
-slavery
ALL THE SAME ELEMENTS ARE IN THE 1st world country. And technically S. Korea is a 3rd world country. It was not part of the cold war. Economic success does not change your political status 1st, 2nd and 3rd world countries: are still as is.
In the USA: you are shielding more due to its size. 🌊 water will sink the canoe faster than a Mega Cruiseliner: but both boats are sinking.
the USA is just bigger, it has more immigrant labor; and $USD is trading currency of the world. 8 to 10 families own most of the USA. College educated are in all types of jobs in the USA. Drug, suici]e rate, violence is also high. = because again the BLUE PRINT was set up in South Korea.
SOUTH KOREA adopted a FAILED CULTURE and now it too is heading for extinction . You dissed your ancestors.
how many S.Koreans under 30 can read this comment. and they are not Englishmen.
POINT #! 2 : 😓 this guy is praising capitalism and dark side of it he blames it on Korea.
That devil lied to you. Korea did not have success. Success is renewal, success is sustainability and rebirth.
S. Korea is old, still and infertile.
by 2050 it will hit extinction level = WIN WHERE?
South Korea and us is a lot similar my friend both America and south Korea is controlled by few top companies who Monopolies the key industries and kill small bussines .us is rosy for you Maybe bcz the type of lifestyle Koreans have is much more strict and ig your family member who took a internship is a stem or science or some new hot industry graduate i e why for your and him it seems us is better but for the people living their it's no different
@@bloodwargaming3662 America has fewer working hours than South korea. American students also study fewer hours than Asia.
Asian countries turn you into robots. If you want to enjoy life, you move to the west
@@millevenon5853 i.e a myth in America yes a lot of the schooling and college life is much better but work life I'd disagree, America doesn't have any types of holiday guarantees , very low minimum wage if compared all round the developed world , bad worker rights huge inequalities etc etc . Even healthcare is damm expensive
@@bloodwargaming3662 I pay 700 bucks a month fot insurance it's insane
Almost every “economic miracle” loses its luster if you look closely. Media used to focus on the commanding heights, declaring a country prosperous and booming based on a few statistics. Despite the internet’s bad aspects, videos such as this one let us learn about a place in a much deeper and more complete way. Thanks for an enlightening look!
Well media is... journalists who usually are not specialists. If you want to learn more about economic history, I suggest visiting a good library and lookin for some books written by experts. Although the buld is probably dry academic literature, there should be introductory works and the like that present much better facts than 99% of these TH-cam videos. ^^"
@@Takeruooji to start with how inaccurate was this video. Secondly 99% is a bit extra or blown out of proportion. Your can get economist history on TH-cam by professors of major universities.
@@Takeruooji Would you believe, I'm in a library right now. Surrounded by books written by experts. And I agree with you. I practically grew up in libraries, doing just what you advised.
This is true, I still remember how the medias proudly report that our GDP is growing and our economy is getting better and better during Pnoy's administration but the people never felt it, it was just a scam.
What miracle? The US backed it up. A giant held up on his hand.
Thank you so much for pointing an important issue in Korea. I'm born and rasied in South Korea . As you mentioned, education fever is very severe in Korea and it drove me crazy. I always had to get high grade and teachers always like students who got HD. I was so exhausted with Korean Education and ends up escaping. I am studying abroad now but I'm still thinking like 'oh I have to get high mark', 'I am not enough' somthing like that. Unforgettable competitive mind is keep bothering me :((( Now I know the reason. This is the side-effect of rapid economy development! This is very well-made video. I hope all the students in Korea will watch this video..
Glad you chose something that works for you. you don't need to prove yourself. but getting a job is another story. Harvard degree won't land you a job over there.
yea
Woah I always wondered why in recent years South Korean have moved to the Philippines. Note I was born in the USA but my entire family was born in the Philippines but when I was told that the United States at one point had military bases in the Philippines. However when I went to my family's home province in the Philippines we noticed a dramatic change. My family's neighborhood that had Americans in that area became gentrified into a Korean district today. This video had pieced part of the gap why Koreans leave their country for investment reasons.
@@cabalenproductions6480 In the U.S., the Jews, Italians, Koreans, Vietnamese, Philippines, Hmong, Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Germans, Scandinavians, Polish, etc... they all end up making their own towns ("gentrified" towns). Economy isn't sustainable if it's gentrified. But it happens b/c the immigrant groups don't have other options/locations for settlement early on.
Username doesn't check out.
Well done video.
I moved to Korea in 1988 to study at a Korean University (Yonsei) and see the Olympics. Korea was the happiest place on earth at this time. Koreans felt so proud to be able to host the Olympics & the world to come and see Korea.
Well, I ended up staying longer than I planned. I was in and out of Korea for 20 years. I lived the Han Miracle. Somehow I quickly picked up Korean and could hold a basic conversation after 6 months and after 3 years Koreans wouldn't know I was a foreigner if I spoke over the phone. So I was able to gain a very deep insight into Korean culture and what was happening in Korea and the rapid changes. At one point Koreans started coming to me for advice - on things Korean. Many of my friends considered me Korean.
And I had a wide variety of friends from Chaebol billionaire to high school drop out. I ended up moving quickly up the corporate ladder and was making a lot of money. The tax office said I was in the top 5% of income earners. But I didn't feel rich. Why?
Housing. In Korea, it is hard to get married if you do not have an apartment. And they are expensive. I lived in Seoul and in the mid 2000s a proper apartment would be USD 3 million +. AND you had to have 50% down to get a mortgage. So I was in the top 5% and I saved more than 1/2 my salary and there was no way for me to buy an apartment. The prices were going up faster than the 1/2 of salary I saved - so no way to catch up. And this is one of the biggest issues in Korea. And this has caused the marriage rate to fall dramatically as well as the birth rate. Koreans save too much and that money has to go somewhere - so real estate in unattainable unless your parents buy an apartment for you. You can be the best student in your high school, get into the best university, graduate top of your class and get a job at the best company - and no way in hell you are going to buy a proper apartment without money from your parents. Which leads to the real reason Korea is struggling...
Demographics. Korea is one of the fasted aging societies on earth. That leads to a feeling of being richer as few kids are born and few resources going to making kids. So more for everyone else. But that also leads to a booming economy yet mass unemployment - and soon no workers and higher taxes.
I watched Korea go from a traditional society where people had 4 to 8 children where many people were in rural areas to mass migration to the cities and family sizes started to go to 3 or 4 and then 1 or 2 kids per family.
The other observation was that society changed too fast. The city migration happened in less than one generation. And income rose rapidly in just 30 years. Korean customs could not adapt fast enough. Some of my older friends were married by 중매결혼 (Chungmei Marriage) where your parents met with your future spouses parents and they decided you would marry their child. You didn't meet your future spouse UNTIL the wedding day. And friends my age were always getting "set up" with prospective spouses (소개팅) - and were not allowed to marry someone their parents did not approve of. The prospect had to have the right background, education (and sometimes religion), financial status, etc. This custom had been in place for survival of the family when Korea was poor - but was not needed in modern society with high incomes. But Korean society would not let go of the custom. I had one friend whose parents did not want him to marry his girlfriend she was Christian and they were Buddhist. They both had great careers and money wasn't an issue. So they finally eloped (as adults) abroad and got married.
When I got married I realized I couldn't stay in Korea. It was just too hard. I owned an apartment in the heart of Seoul but it wasn't big enough for a family. And Korean society was just too hard. And I worked way too many hours. And the drinking culture was taking its toll.
So within a year of getting married, we left Korea and had the first child a year after that.
I learned a lot from Korea. The elders taught me to "be small." I became very competitive. I learned to have no fear and try to do things that seemed impossible. I also learned that many other Koreans learned - leaving Korea is better.
I still have a place in Korea and I visit Korea every 3 or 4 years (my stuff has been stuck in a time warp for 16 years). I still do projects for some Korean companies on occasion but do not enjoy it as much as I used to. And I am confident I made the right decision to leave my life in Korea. My colleagues were stunned when I said I was leaving because I was the one who had "made it." I was on first name basis with several Chaebol CEOs, was on TV, etc. But to me, I was just another guy struggling like hell everyday.
Thanks for sharing.
Damn bro.
In what field were you working ? Which country did you leave Korea for ?
Man, i love to hang out with people like u. Heard your story & wisdom really inspiring for a young adult like me. Hope we can meet one day.
This is the one difference between Korea and Japan, where I lived for almost 30 years and I am a Korean-American. Many Koreans have the courage and contacts to leave the country. That isn't the case for Japanese.
I work in a company in Sweden with a lot of colleagues from all over the world.
But one of the biggest minorities is the Korean.
Almost every single one of my Korean colleagues when asked why they came to work in Sweden, replied that they did it for their kids.
Because "... I don't want my children to not have a childhood."
Great video, and God bless the Koreans. Truly a great people, kind and smart.
Man hearing this makes me want to cry.
Oh please.. don’t act like sweden is all perfect. South korea ranks better than sweden for childcare, healthcare and educational facilities.
@@sangwoo9686 I didn't. I mentioned one thing. Even with all things that are far superior with Korea, giving up your childhood and mental health, is - according to my Korean colleagues - simply not worth it. That was all.
@@Syeal7 Thats your colleagues opinion. Not every family in korea is like that. And Sweden is basically equivalent to just one province in south korea.
Nominal GDP $US -
South korea: 1.9 trillion
Sweden: 0.6 trillion
PPP GDP $US -
South korea: 2.7 trillion
Sweden: 0.7 trillion
Source: IMF 2022
@@sangwoo9686 not true. Sweden is about half the size of Korea and has 1/5th of the population. You know what Sweden doesn't have? A high population density.
We can all agree that the obsession over competition is very common in Asian Countries. The overly competitive process of acquiring a "seat" in a particular college or university is something even Indians have to go through. I can say with no doubt that if a reform has to happen in South Korean governmental policies, their skilled labour can also be put to good use. Which is what is happening in India, albeit slowly and gradually.
it will be interesting to see IITians unemployed and Polytechnic guys getting better jobs than them.
@@asutoshghanto3419 iitians largely go abroad. So it wont happen...
@@wecare838 IITians start startups and make them unicorns
@@riderchallenge4250 thats in a insignificant percentage....
Whats occuring in India and SEA is a slow and gradual process in which is better than east asian that occur overnight. Slow and gradual development overall have less stress to the population, have better equilibrium between bussineses and the government and overall the people have more purpose in life rather than just work and money. Thats why our population is pretty much stable and if we can continue like this, we might not be as rich as korea in the next few decades but we can build a more sustainable propherous society.
Im a typical Korean man. What I learned from childhood till today is 'Do everything to death', 'Laziness is crime '. It has been so stressful and pressing. But I didn't realize it because everyone around me was doing something. When I was in US, I finally realized how much stress and pressure I have got for my whole life. I don't think most Koreans are happy in the overly competitive society. However, I understand Koreans, because there is literally no natural resources in korea and being lazy means death. I just hope we Koreans could enjoy our lives more peacefully. Development without happiness has no meaning, I think.
Please come to Malaysia. In Malaysia you can live your life.
@@mohdyaseenshaikdawood3801 that sounds soo attractive to me as a korean..
@@mohdyaseenshaikdawood3801 기회가
된다면 쿠알라룸푸르 말고 제2의 도시 이름은
기억안나지만 거기서 살고싶다
@@RMadrid36 Penang or Johor. This 2 are major cities in Malaysia
@@mohdyaseenshaikdawood3801
코타키나발루 thank you 😊
As a Korean national, I cannot help but agree to 100%. People are trying to change things, but so far without any success. I'm proud of what my country has so far achieved, but i'm worried about what is to become of it.
dont give up you guys have the numbers they need employees! I cant wait to see a strike out of SK, without you they collapse!
Looks like the modernization came at a price. Good thought provoking video. I didn't know this about Korea. I thought it was all good, K-Pop, Squid Game, and girls wearing alot of makeup
Well at least your government wants this to change. In my country (Mexico) it's worse, because not only the people are stupid, downright monkeys (and that's an insult to monkeys) who defend employee exploitation, but the government also doesn't care at all about it
Squid game은 이 영상과 같은 주제의 현실을 게임으로 표현했습니다
1등만이 전부인 한국 사회
비슷한 빈부격차를 주제로 한 parasite 라는 영화도 추천합니다
@@mcentepedeYou watched Squid Game and thought everything is good in South Korea? You really ignored the message the show tried to deliver about the very real problems people have to deal with?
Also the Kpop industry also has a lot of issues that are widely known. I recommend looking up more info about it. It's interesting, even though really sad.
And I don't even want to get started with talking about the beauty industry and the pressure it puts on people to fit in (by getting plastic surgery etc.)
There's some things that are good about South Korea but the issues it has shouldn't be ignored.
Korea is a very competitive society ; they are under pressure , not having any space for happiness.
No wonder they’re such soyboys
As a citizen somewhere here In South East Asia ( I would not mention my country to avoid criticism for my opinion) I would rather be a South Korean who is smart and can be very attractive with surgery or something else, that’s happiness for me rather than poor and not really so smart. As a work hard type of student I can really say that East Asians especially Japanese, Koreans and Chinese are very gifted to be brilliant, believe me we have some mix Japanese and Chinese students here In my school and they do not need to study hard like most of East Asians but just by listening they can get a high mark, they are just very gifted and I would rather to be like them. Looks, Money and Intelligence are true happiness and contentment for me, how can most of us here be happy if there’s no intelligence, money and looks. Call me materialistic but poverty can’t really buy anything. If you’re only hard working but really born to be a slow learner then goodluck as this won’t give any happiness also but only illness. I regret to be born with this kind of race, I wanted a race that’s not only hard working but also gifted in intelligence and looks that is like Koreans, Chinese and Japanese.
@@diamondluck3851 in America you don’t need looks, intelligence, or money to succeed. I would hate to live in SK or Japan, and especially China. Those countries suck and their people are miserable
@@diamondluck3851 it's about happy society and community.. no matter the intelligence level, if people have just enough income to run their livelihood and a good socio-cultural surroundings along with access to Internet, the community will be living happily in today's world... Huge drastic advances leading to quick change in society and culture is very harmful... I'm from a town in the Himalayas and the people here have no issues except some complain about lack of proper modern infrastructures which are being developed at a slow and steady pace so that our historical, cultural values and heritages are not destroyed in the process of rapid development
@@diamondluck3851
Interesting.
This is really unacceptable that The chaebol companies are make up almost 85℅ of countries gdp but only contribute about 10% of jobs ... This is ridiculous ..
Just like in Hit...Germany. It worked, too. It is called fascism.
Its the pareto principle at play again.
That's why called "dark side"
It's same in our country 60-80% jobs are created in agricultural sector but they make only about 20% or something of total GDP. 😔
@@mr_ak123 49-51% in India are into agriculture but they contribute nearly 20% in gdp, rest is due to service sector and slowly manufacturing is contributing but it will take a decade till it take service sector's place.
That's the same problem in India. Economy is growing but so is the lack of good job opportunities. We have very high number of unemployed college graduates. The growth in riches are just getting concentrated at the top with very little opportunities for general common people. There is so much anxiety and uncertainty about the future and financial security in a lot of people.
Are you an Indian ?
Git gud bruh
We have educated people with no to less skill thts required for real work.if we change education system thn things will change
Thats why a lot of young Korean loved indian movie ‘3 idiots’
Almost every students watched that movie include me
th-cam.com/video/ZqN5txluoBY/w-d-xo.html
This isn't isolated to Korea, Japan has been in this trap forever. And now China is also stepping in albeit a totally different ideology and political-economical system. Part of that is due the pathway they had gone thru to either break away from extreme poverty, or in Japan's situation, a literal fallout after the war: they all centered "hard work" to the point it gets extremely toxic, the culture is heavy on peer pressure and looking down blue collar jobs, combining with gender disparities. Too add salt to the wound, capitals managed to find their ways infiltrate/brainwash people to turn them essentially into hardworking machines. Thru the decades, a very complex but distorted system of social classes were formed and is very hard to trickle down, very few people find happiness in it yet couldn't get out.
Wrong, China doesn’t have near the same issues and Japan has done an almost herculean effort to curb down suicides, the latest OECD report has the USA with a higher per capita suicide rate than Japan. But go off.
It’s most likely because all East Asian culture are heavily influenced by Confucianism that believe in working hard to get a better life. Your social class is not dependent on your family but how hard you have worked. That’s why people are motivated in east asia to study and work so hard.
And for gender equality, I honestly feel that gender equality in Europe is all about talking, while Asia (maybe with the exception of Japan) is where you actually see more equality at work place. My company has far more females in managerial positions in Asian then in Europe.
@@class6aa
Leaders will always convince their population to work hard etc etc to maintain pyramidal structure and growth of human knowledge but in reality, world doesn't need too many people.
More people, less jobs, more competition, more toxicity, more conflict and show will go on.
@@class6aa you are spot on that. Women equality is more prevalent in east asia.
actually it's all capitalism. no ends to exploitation without expropriation
I'm a Korean American who emigrated in 1970, when SK was poorer than dirt, to find a better life in the US. We came with little more than the clothes on our backs. Nobody expected to see the SK economic miracle, and it has been quite impressive. Suffice it to say, today, living in America and in my early 50s, I work remotely in a semi-retired fashion, have multiple homes, earn a 1% income and I do not have a competitive bone in my body. I kind of half-assed it through college and my working life, yet, I am better off than the vast majority of Koreans (and Americans too, for that matter). My parents, both in their 80s, retired from their dry cleaning business 25 years ago and are also millionaires in their own right. They could easily go back to SK anytime and enjoy the riches of modern day Korea, and before the pandemic, they used to go back once per year. But they know intimately about the many disadvantages of living in South Korea today and choose to stay in America. Yes, America has its flaws too, but, in general, it's a beautiful, relatively stress-free life. I thank my lucky stars every day that I am here in the States and not over there.
It's sad that you are so Americanized. The entire theme of your paragraph is money money money. Yikes. No stress but did you have a life? I don't think so. The money is important but that's all you got.
@@SK-ql3yf Geez, you can't be very smart if you draw conclusions about peoples' entire lives based on a single comment. My life is great. And I'm not super rich, but I have everything I want and I didn't have to work very hard for it. That's the beauty of being American - the fact that you don't have to kill yourself trying to succeed; it doesn't take much to excel here. I'm average in every way and I suspect that I would have struggled if, for whatever reason, I had never emigrated to America. True, money isn't everything. But it sure is great when you don't have to worry about it. It has enabled me to travel extensively around the world, and those experiences and lessons have been priceless for me. And, oh, about being "Americanized," every time I travel to Asia and local people find out I am American, they express their love of America and their desire to move there. Being "Americanized" is not such a bad thing, I think.
@@hejiranyc first of all, welcome home although it’s a couple decades late. Second, you’ve mentioned that you didn’t have to work very hard for what you want. What would your opinion be on why American youth (mainly my generation millennials) think they have to kill themselves or like they’re hitting a dead end job for the American dream?
@@alexiakelley4245 Firstly, thank you. Secondly, I am just sharing an anecdote about my own personal situation, that someone as exquisitely lazy and unexceptional as myself can achieve a great standard of living in America. And, indeed, everybody's mileage will vary. Perhaps I am very lucky. I never set long-term career goals for myself and I never aggressively sought out opportunities. Being an immigrant, I did not have a pre-existing network of connections or extended family who could hook me up; I truly had to figure everything out on my own. I always went with my gut and whenever opportunities did avail themselves, I instinctively knew when to jump on them. And I stress the word "opportunities" because we in America are so blessed with opportunities that nobody else in the world could possibly imagine. Sure, everyone starts off doing dead end things or living paycheck-to-paycheck at some point. But that's only temporary. I do believe good things come eventually to everyone as long as you live your life with integrity and, most importantly, keep an open mind about everything.
@@hejiranyc Geez. Triggered? I thought you said you were in the 1% income bracket. It seems you are obsessed with money. Calling out what was obviously stated is not being smart? Lol. Who said being Americanized is bad? Do you internalize much? Go see a therapist.
This isn’t just Korea. Most Asian countries value work over happiness. Which is the least productive thing to do. I’m French and even tho we’re sometimes referred as lazy people, the reality is that France is the sixth most productive country at work in 2022. To me there’s no secret behind that, we’ve tons of paid vacations and national holidays. Workers have lots of rights and we work only 35 hours a week. So when we come back to work on Monday after a relaxed weekend with our friends and family we’re fresh and ready to be efficient at work. I think our Latin neighbours have kind of the same systems
Romanians top the list with highest bang per buck. One can't be another way since we're paid like 400 euros a month :) That's why we've flooded Europe,we're like 8 million people outside Romania right now.
I'm in Asia and I can hear viens pop every time my colleagues have to deal with their French counterparts. Same thing with Scandinavia but not as bad.
@@samueladams2340 @Samuel Adams They are spoiled and their welfare system is not sustainable. Once the demographics change to something like Japan their generous s0cialist system will collapse because there will be a shortage of young workers.
I feel like the French might have the best work-life balance of any developed nation 👍
I'm korean programmer.....
I'm going to immigrate to finland next year.....
I want better warefare and lonely life compared to korea.......
I'm Korean and have lived in the US for 10 years. The most striking difference I felt was Korea's obsession with looks over substance.
That’s what happens to a culture that goes from poor to rich in a generation. They still hold looks of success as being successful.
I mean... US has neither, to be fair.
@@nikolarajkovic4595 the US can erase your country in a day , and still have money to keep feeding and entertaining everyone . i don't know what you are smoking , son...
@@Dan_Kanerva Bravo, Sherlock. What does that have to do with anything here tho?
@@nikolarajkovic4595 just vibechecking your arrogance... that's all Sherlock
True. I was a student in Korea till 2019. When I was in elementary school, a grade 6 kid killed himself due to stress. Never wanna study there again.
you have to take into account the fact that korea has changed a lot in such a short space of time...almost in an unnatural way...of course there's bound to be problems and issues..but i think covid has brought a turning point for korea as well...times are changing and young people are expressing their views, and although it will always take some time, if you ask any koreans 'would you go back to 80s or 90s' most of them will say no...long working hours, stress, and other stuff has always been there unfortunately...the young people of korea will hopefully bring another hopeful future...
75% of younger S. Koreans aged 19 to 34 feel more anxious about life and want to leave country. The level of anxiety is higher among women; 79% of women want to leave Korea. According to the presentation at the Korea Women’s Development Institute’s 119th Gender Equality Policy Forum, 8 out of 10 South Koreans aged 19 to 34 viewed South Korea as “a hell,” while 7.5 out of 10 said they hoped to leave. A particularly large disparity between females and males was observed for fear of being victimized by crime: young women had a crime anxiety index rating of 2.66 out of four points. Young females were also the angriest with their average rating of 2.79.
I would l like to think that the pandemic provided a turning point but at the same time things have gotten worse as well. I live here now and as opposed to pre-pandemic, Koreans have lower opinions of foreigners, and social acceptance of other foreign "values" have decreased as well (such as acceptance for LGBT+). I think it will take many years to return to the globalized society as it was pre-pandemic and many more years for other societal change.
@@andrewhampton2644 FYI, the young adult who wanted to leave country, the rate was higher pre-pandemic... Something like 88%. You can check on YT
@@forzon4055 That makes sense, studies have shown that nationalism has increased in South Korea during the pandemic. So therefore it’s understandable people who are more proud of their country are less likely to want to leave.
I was just commenting on different factors that have changed during Covid-19
@@andrewhampton2644 We will never return to globalism. It opened the door to this pandemic as well as rendered our nations as dominoes where if one key nation couldn't ship out, everyone suffered and it gave undue power to nations like china that our leaders allowed to have this much leverage.
This was a similar situation I witnessed in Singapore, the senior citizens stressed coz of high cost of living, the working professional always in a hurry, the students stressed about academic performance. For all the progress they have made, if your citizens are not happy with their lives, it's really not worth it 😢 Your basic needs should be affordable for all citizens, food, clothing, housing and medical care. People just need to share more to show they care🤗
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Singapore and South Korea are pretty similar if you consider the breakdown of the family structure, materialism, narcissism, and no moral compass. Along with similar trends in 3 of the lowest fertility rate in the world, highest suicide rate among males, highest elderly poverty rate, highest singlehood rate while being highly developed countries with mandatory conscription and no natural resources but their human capital.
@@Seowie Being lazy means death in S.Korea. The land has always been cursed.
I am from Thailand & want to say S. Korea has done fantastic in area of Creative Cultural Exports such as movies, tv series, & music … BTS & Blackpink … drawing world attention to S. Korea. Yes they have a tough disciplined system, but produces world-class results 🇹🇭🤝🇰🇷
I wonder if the chaebols of South Korea were inspired at all by the zaibatsu of Imperial Japan?
Especially given that Korea had been occupied by Japan for 35 years (and a lot of the early South Korean leadership had collaborated with this occupation)...
It's funny you should mention that, the majority of "Chaebol Families" are of Japanese heritage (they just changed stamps)
@@elguapodelmonte215 What do you mean by Japanese heritage? Except for the Chairman of Lotte whose mother is Japanese, there is no Chaebol family of Japanese descent.
@@elguapodelmonte215 YOU ARE SOOOO WRONG!!!!
Chaebol and Zaibatsu means the same in their respective language. Both refer to family or group of people owning wealthy, influene rich mega corporations.
Itis written as 财阀or財閥 using Chinese character.
It is not a 'wonder' , it 's s fact. They have a lot similarities. A very big difference is that Korea and Chaebols function very much via family (clan) bloodlines. Control and ownership are very much concentrated in the original families. In Japan , the traditional village/working relations have a lot of importance in society , more so than maybe bloodlines. in the past members of a village worked together in working the land harvesting rice etc .This is ab important structure of Japanese society. That is why it is importantto work longtime 'within' a company to move up ranks and why life long employeeship is common there. It is also not uncommon for a business owner to adopt a high potential employee as 'his son' , to succeed him , rather than one of his family members. Zaibetsu have more decentralization of control and ownership ( via groups of managers ) than the chaebols .
A message to all the South Koreans, purely from a business point of view: I believe Koreans are very well placed internationally & wields an immense soft power. So Koreans, right now, should focus on small businesses to sell products and services. People will spend money on Korean products, not necessarily from giant brands...but on homegrown brands with a nice story. So when the Korean government sees that these homegrown brands are succeeding and bringing in the forex currency, they will be supported. It's a great way to boom further.
YES! As a non korean who had never ever “consumed” korean culture until 2 years ago I have to say, korean culture is at an all time high all around the world, from cuisine to cinema to music etc. That’s a lot of soft power that can be explored
What products or services. Chaebols produce everything
This is hell.
Working smartly is more important than working hard
The concept of efficiency in S.Korea is work without disobey for long hour.
I use to live in Korea (I'm American) and I've never seen a more unhappy group of people in my life. And I'm not exaggerating.
I am half Korean and currently living in Korea, and this video pretty much explains the biggest issue Korean society has to face this day. Economically successful, societally disastrous.
That's the Korean mindset in a nutshell. Sacrifice yourself for the good of your group.
@@krnpowr but they are better than you and your country lol
@super batarang apples and oranges. The Philippines is a dirt poor third world country. South Korea is now an advanced country
@@SignificantPressure100 "innovation is superior than hardwork" Those two aren't mutually exclusive of each other. You see both in East Asian countries these days.
@super batarang come on stop beating yourself as the minority degenerate media (public radios who aren't staffed with demographically representing the white majority but are full of the "chosen" people that cannot be named and others) wants you to for being white. THEY (the media monopoly) are the cause of poor morals in society and their friends running the banks are parasites who have caused all the harm to society since the 1990's. You've been scapegoated and made to believe white middle class are responsible, not at all, you are a victim of them. Don't let them turn the table on you for their crimes. Pay back time should come in due time.
As a Korean this is Very well-explained. Impressive. Did u live in Korea for long time?
But there's one thing wrong. Samsung doesn't account for 20% GDP of SK. GDP and annual sales is a different term. Overall very impressive. Well spoken. 👍
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that! Actually no, I've only been here for a few weeks, but I've spent a lot of time talking to Koreans and long-term expats about this topic and then researching it quite extensively.
I can't say "Fighting " to Koreans anymore .. Just relax and enjoy every small things in your lives .. no work and nothing is big or small .
The easiest jobs in South Korea are civil servants and teachers, but it's a pity that the fierce competition is unimaginable.Many Koreans have settled in China's Liaoning, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other developed provinces because of lower competitive pressure and mild climate ~
maybe he took into account the Samsung facilities outside of South Korea
@@知-k3q Yup we got places with high work pressure and ones with low work pressure too. 😁
I think this sort of phenomenon is not just limited to South Korea. A lot of other countries are also having a hard time creating a healthy balance between the demand for jobs and the supply of the labour force. Needless to mention, the demand for manual labour has been decreasing quite significantly over the years with the massive improvements in technological innovations; however, the global population is on the rise and the number of educated people have skyrocketed. It was inevitable, and it's such a bummer especially for the youngsters.
It definitely is tough for us
youngsters
Everything is just moving so fast and changing to quickly its difficult to actually make wise informed decisions about the future
South Korea has a high suicide rate, but not the highest in the world - it ranks as nr. 12 (but such statistics are notoriously unreliable, of course). Interestingly, Scandinavian welfare states like Finland and Sweden are also have rather high suicide rates - about the same as Japan. This is a complex issue.
:(
They’re so far north that the lack of sunlight in the winter seriously affects people’s mood.
And it's from older generation, above 60 years old. Suicide rate of young generation in Korea is just same as OECD average.
It's even higher than Japan now.
For my Korean friends, if your generation suffer from massive education inflation with less and less employment, I think it is time for you guys to migrate and become a diaspora to find jobs overseas. Just pull yourselves away from those toxic working environments and go find your safe haven somewhere else. I believe there are many industries outside that still need your talents. This advice is universal in any country.
This seems like the only answer to me, but stepping out of my comfort zone seems like a hard thing to do for now. I think I just need the right amount of bravery dosage to make things happen...
Absolutely! Why stay in an unfriendly, ineffective corporate dictatorship that is endorsed by the government and that makes average citizens unhappy, depressed, feeling trapped and suicidal! It's just like in the North Korea, where the success and prosperity is only for the few chosen ones and the fortunate ones who manage to jump on the train that is very selective, elitist and with limited seats. Go somewhere else where your education, expertise and skills are needed. Tech jobs in IT, engineering and technology are very sought after in Europe and other countries.
English is the key and generally it's poor.
America needs educated workers if its too compete against China. Koreans are very welcome.
It is a smart answer, I can't disagree with that. But you do know that it's easier to work in your comfort zone rather then trying to find new nest. Learn new tax laws, language culture barriers.... Right? Are you working overseas?
I am Korean and an important thing to consider is, the why. I think it's more correct to say, Koreans are not satisfied still, even though we've accomplished a lot and are in competition with our neighbors, specifically Japan and China. We are taught, and I do agree with this, to be highly competitive or else the whole country will suffer
That's toxic and clearly unhealthy! You have to find a balance, but that will be very hard to change things in such a strong corporate dictatorship that is endorsed and covered by the government itself. Koreans basically live under the rule of an immensely powerful Oligarchy created by the government elites and which is ruling them with an iron fist. And there seems to be no way out of it for an average Korean citizen who is indoctrinated and brainwashed into toxic and unhealthy work and education competition as the only way to go forward to keep the inequality status quo!
@@MichelleVisageOnlyFans well, I’m sure it will all be ok, I’m an optimist for Korea’s future
@@bhlasvegas990 I don't think so. Most Koreans Don't even want to marry, even if they do, don't want children because of the expense. I'm sorry but Your country's future doesn't seem bright to me as in a few years, Korean population is going to get negative growth which is harming for your society.
All this progress for what? Now most of you can't even afford decent homes, difficult to find jobs, are in huge debt and are not even happy with your lives. Maybe it's an only-money mindset which is causing this, maybe consider what's your life purpose first, that might help things get a little easy.
It's kind of like a really poor person winning a lottery ticket. That's why there are so many problems like with colorism and racism against foreigners.They WANT so badly to be sophisticated but.......
Are you sure you will suffer or were you just convinced repeatedly you will suffer without question? The stress so far has degraded your culture and well being
After high school I went to Korean to learn Korean and eventually get a degree at a Korean University. However the longer I stayed the more I realised the really intense work ethic that's present everywhere. I decided against getting my degree in Korea and went back home after finishing the language course. That being said I think Korea has a really rich culture and I enjoyed learning about it and experiencing it a lot!
Were you interested to become a K pop star ?
@@tbraghavendran 😂
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South Korea truly deserves the status of economic powerhouse considering the fact that the Korean war destroyed almost every thing on their land. By starting from scratch and hardworking with lots of smart people, South Korea now became one of the richest country with the giant company like Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and Lotte. They also have amazing pop culture like Kpop, huge entertainment and film industry. Parasite and Squid game are good example to show the softpower of their country. South Korea’s massive development in just a 50 years is absolutely phenomenal.
South Korea is definitely one of a few countries with powerful military(ranked #6), democracy and rich culture combined.
Ironically, Parasite and Squid Game are the anti-thesis of the values that South Korea promoted.
Although South Korea has some social problems like other countries, we can’t deny how technologically advanced the country is. Specifically, their semiconductor, electronic vehicle battery and shipbuilding is the best in the world. South Korea absolutely has so many things to offer.
We helped the fuck out of South Korea.
@@lif3andthings763
Who is we?
Please describe how “We” helped South Korea?
Sounds like you are unemployed someplace in the world and very jealous of South Korea’s success.
I have been in Korea for the past five years, the country is doing well a lot of excitement, and isn't like a 500 years of economic dominance history like western countries do, but enthusiastically learning and growing.
There is a lot of new policies that government implemented maximum of 52 hours per week work.
School grading system has got changed and minimum salary is significant increasing.
What '500 year" has to do with? Like all developed economies SK have a problem with people education structure, all want to have high paid jobs based on a university diploma no one want to do the physical low paying work so it's a inflation of high school educated people, you see this in the West too but not so extreme as in SK and Japan.
In golf countries my guess is the the physical low paying jobs are done almost 100% by imigrants from poor countries, i do not know about education structure.
True. That guy hates South Korea. Report the video !
Have you been paying attention to the suicide rates in South Korea, 4th highest in the world, and still rising? What do you make of them?
@@asdfasdf464 No, Korea does not have the highest suicide rate in the world.
@@neibi3900 Don't just say. Show link . Prove it. No empty talk.
Read the book, “South Korea: The Price of Efficiency and Success”. Basically, the book shares the similar view and analyses.
I tried my best to escape my home country, Korea, after my college education and finally established in US. Currently, I make my living as a scientist with (english) disability but I am satisfied with my decision. Current situation in Korea seems to be worse than I was young. I’m still thinking if anyone sees no hope in Korea, escape the country and find a new opportunity. Koreans can do what ever they want outside home country because of their hard working culture. You don’t need to waste your life in despair.
절대다수는 못 도망간다.
"The company comes first, before family, personal life, your free time or anything else"
And you wonder why it is one of the unhappiest nations on earth...
My friend Hyungji's the kind of person who might actually see this video, and might even read all 2,000 comments, for that matter. When we were doing our PhD's in the nineties at Princeton, her dad was the education minister in South Korea. Instead of teaching university in the U.S., she went back to Korea and got involved in that whole hard work racket. Me, I went the other way with my six degrees. I stopped teaching university, dropped out, became a street fighter for a while, then learned to garden. What a different culture. If you read this, Hyungji, hi!
_six degrees_ ,how?😭 Also hope Hyungji is alright!
@@isthatachicken I know, right? Maybe one day Hyungji will notice my comment. My six degrees of separation, as I call them (haven't done anything with them in decades) are a checkered lot. I'm a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wycliffe University (but back when it was more Bibley) (B.R.E), McGill English B.A., McGill Medieval Studies M.A., Princeton M.A. Native American Studies, McGill PhD English. And since then I've tried to get my kids to drop out of school at eighth grade because so many famous people only have an eighth-grade education and it's something you can boast about, but it's hard to work "I have six degrees" into a conversation.
@@davidthomson802 😂😂it can be a conversation starter but please let the kids finish for the sake of emotional development and whatnot. McGill? Canada?
@@davidthomson802 I was impressed at first but those are not actual "real" degrees lmao
I swear arts student are so weird
@@zboobafett5984 Long time ago. My social life at Princeton was the scientists. Grew up with that as my dad was a geophysicist. Education is mostly just a form of debt slavery for undergrads these days. Engineering is teaching ever new ways to destroy the planet. Even starting grad school I was already falling out of the whole thing--turned down Yale to go to Princeton, just a general falling away. I did a lot of philosophy of science and the p of s guys were light years smarter than the scientists and the philosophers, but they weren't getting jobs--why would they, basically critiquing the pay checks of both camps. Education is how our species maintains its illusions. Excuse my long answer but I type fast and don't go on line much and it's been many a decade since anyone called me an arts student. I also did engineering at LeTourneau College in Longview, Texas and a bit at Lowell University in Massachusetts and even a quarter at Alabama Aviation and Technological College in Ozark Alabama, but engineering types were just a little too socially dull for my taste. All of that engineering stuff just a semester or two at each place. Studied for stuff I never followed up on, like microscopy and A&P stuff related to flying. I didn't really set out to get a lot of education but at a certain point they just keep giving you money for the next degree. All pretty ironic, given that I would never encourage anyone to go to university. It's mostly credentialist yearning: a good way to avoid learning about the self. I barely even read anymore. If I need a good book these days, I usually just write one. Well that was fun for me. It's been a few years since I thought about my education. Anyway, long answer to ask you one question: what would count as real?
Working hard but not working smart is the main problem.
Sorrow from Bangladesh 😕
"its a culture that values working hard versus working smart." is pretty much the accurate summary of what korea is in a nutshell. people are hitting their limits.
Super interesting video! I have been living in Seoul for almost 3 years, and I agree with everything here. I currently teach 5 year-olds who can all read and write English. They are already feeling pressure from parents to get into the "good schools." If they don't, it's seen as shameful to their wealthy families. Also, we get to leave at 4 30 PM but Korean staff MUST stay until 6 PM. It's a crazy competitive society with a lot of great things, but also a dark side.
I want to see a soul-less ginger playing soul music in Seoul solely for the lulz. Yes, it's dated. Get over it.
The constant quest for perfection can make one's life utterly meaningless. People living in Confucian economic heavens like China, Japan, Singapore and this one must learn this the hard way. Here in the Philippines we might be dirt poor but at least we are not breathless, are more freer than the others, and one of the most happiest folk in the world. Most of us content on the simplicity of lifestyle in contrast to the constant quest for affluence and wealth which, for others, could not be brought with once death comes. Material wealth does not always buy happiness, at times they even bring sorrow and mischief.
A very Buddhist take, but a welcome one for sure. Your life should come before your job, especially when you have an SO and kids...
@@hickknight true, after all what is the meaning of life if one is not able to live it to the fullest and just reduce the self into a mindless robot pleasing the collective and serving the state, enriching and beautifying the nation yet could not make the self happy and fulfilled and living a depressed life?
Koreans are one of the smartest and highly educated people . They are competitive and unhappy because majority of them truly understand what capitalism is.
As a Korean, I'll tell you why you shouldn't give up on competition, education, and having a lot of working hours.
(I'm writing using a translator, so I don't know if it will be delivered well.)
On the subject of 'why the West rules the world', Harvard professor and scholar Niall Ferguson gave several answers in his book 'Civilization'. He says that working hours, competition, and zealous education were the factors that allowed the West to outperform the East after the Industrial Revolution. And he points out that the West today ignores these values.
Among them, I like the part he called 'competition'. Korea is now enjoying its heyday and occupies a high position in almost every field. Recently, it has even achieved close to 35 billion dollars in arms sales to Poland. This was accomplished by winning the competition with countries that were military powers in the past, such as France and Germany.
Niall Ferguson recently warned of the rise of Asia and the decline of the West. And the most important thing he emphasized was that the West should follow the zealous educational method of Asians. There is no doubt that this has now put Korea on the ranks of success. I don't think this trend should be changed. Korea's education method has proven that it has strengths in creative fields such as culture and technology. It is a prejudice that Korean education only memorizes.
Korea is surrounded by powerful powers such as China, Japan and Russia, and they threaten us. To prepare for this, you should always try your best to build up your strength. Ironically, the reason Koreans value material things is their love for their family. It is because we have learned from close history that we cannot protect our family and our country without strength.
Unlike other countries, Korea is a country with a prosperous manufacturing industry, so it is important to maintain sufficient working hours. Niall Ferguson also expressed concern in the book about the reduction in working hours in the West. He warned that if such a trend continues, it will be overtaken by Asia. I think he is right.
Now is truly an era of survival of the fittest, and the world is in a mess. In times of crisis, Korea is well-prepared and I think it should continue to be so. Without this competition, strict education, and many hours of work in Korean society, we would not be in the position we are in today. Korea is the only country that has grown to stand shoulder to shoulder with them today, even though it did not enjoy the benefits of colonial rule like the imperialist countries of the past, such as Britain, France, Germany, and Japan.
There was a time when many Koreans wanted to leave Korea. However, the tendency to return to Korea has changed. Because they felt that life in Korea was better after living abroad and comparing it to Korea. For Koreans, overseas is very boring. Competition can be a blessing in some ways. Taking football as an example, a good coach like Conte emphasizes discipline and a lot of training.
Nevertheless, players always want to learn under the coach because they always leave good results. The same is true of Korean society. Living abroad is so loose that there is no self-development. For those who want to be the best, Korea is great. It has recently been revealed that Korea is not inferior to other countries, but rather better in many aspects, such as welfare and safety, as well as this social atmosphere.
Koreans are known to be extravagant than necessary, but such consumption is a good thing because it revitalizes the economy. Japan has recently been worried about young people eating cheap food without even buying tea.
I do not agree with the opinion that Koreans are materially affluent but spiritually poor. They tend to habitually apply theories. If you are familiar with Korean history, you can understand that Korea has long emphasized etiquette education and reinforced its spiritual values with Confucianism. Respect for parents and elders extends to love for others. Such a Korean tradition still remains. The reason why Korean culture is so popular in the world is because it finds a spiritual legacy in Korean culture that soothes the weary mind of material civilization.
@@raboleon I live in Canada now, but Korea was more convenient. I want to go back.
It's fascinating to see the difference in attitudes towards university and jobs between Westerners and East Asians.
Westerners nowadays see university as an annoyance and treat education as something that starts once you leave university (blame the prevalence of idealogues on campus for that; even Ivy League hasn't escaped it). It's also common to hear Westerners say that their work colleagues are not their friends, and there's no way they're mixing their work and private life together.
This is why innovation is superior than hardwork... Not just in technology but also in mentality.
Westerners got it right since ancient Greece to modern America.
Holy shit man, koreans and all are learning till 10 pm and I just read the book of the subject an hour before the test.
They got such motivation and determination.
I wouldn't say motivation and determination. More like pressure and no choice.
I think the average Korean spends more time studying in a year than I did in my whole academic life. I was quite shocked when I was there. Yet they on average have very little to show for the amount of time they put in. I was taught to work smart not hard in life and as a result I have been very successful, even went to a top English university. Also glad to say I had a lot for fun along the way and compared to the average Korean I had and have a lot of free time. I also come from a poor family so no easy start in life. My Korean girlfriend once asked me what I like most about being in Korea. I said the best thing was not being Korean their lives are just to hard. She agreed that was the thing she liked the most about me. Because there are no crazy expectations when she is with me. Life is actually fun and easy :)
@@jw841 Where are you from? I like your thinking.
Well if you still get good marks you're definately far above average intelligence.
@@LifetimeTravelmates And the schools and universities value students who took the pressure to another level and changed it into obsession. I got some friends who are re-taking the entrance exam for universities, and frankly, the amount of work they put into just freaks me out. I'd rather call that obsession and addiction rather than dedication. Still, I think that no matter the pressure and the choices they were given, that kind of hard work needs a reward. But I don't think our society can provide them with one, since we're heavily running out of rewards to provide in the first place. I just hope my friends would acknowledge this.
Three secrets mentioned in video: chaebol (support of oligopoly), college education, extreme work culture
as a korean myself this is true long hours of study and then working life is not efficient. we barely had time for family and friends. 😢
going to meet a Korean student of mine today. I have taught her when she was 8-10 years old, but we kept in contact over the years. She is now going to America to study at an Ive League school. I will for sure be talking about this with her.
Congrat. It just incredible.
It would have been nice to explain the government roadblocks for small businesses, which must exist. In the US, large companies also become super efficient instead of hiring more workers, but small businesses have traditionally taken up the slack. Though government & non profit jobs have temporarily come to the fore, that can't last.
Also in the US, it’s amazing to be a small business owner. The government supports you in so many ways and gives you so many tax breaks. That combined with a very highly skilled workforce, highly educated population, largest entrepreneurship seed money, and the world’s best connected country from an operations/supply-chain perspective, it makes the US one of the best countries in the world for entrepreneurs. The reason small business thrives in the US isn’t by accident, the government puts a lot of effort and a lot of money to make sure small businesses thrive
As a South African, I was intrigued by South Korea and learning about it's culture and ways of life. In my country, the crime is high, corruption is escalating and the education system is failing both teachers and learners so I thought moving to South Korea would do me good.
I’d advise you to learn Korean language and culture before you make a move. It’ll make your life much easier to adapt
Korean men don't like black women be careful
@@burrrrr8525Korea is a very hard Country…. Those people look soft but work very very hard impossible to compete with them… I know a friend who went to Korea and had been working there for 5years then he said enough he decided to return to his country (Morocco) he told me that those people work all day from morning to night and work in the weekends too even if he earns good money but he was very unhappy with his life and tired… Koreans have a very bad routines !!! That’s why have a high rate of suicide and Tokyo too
@@WikiReever it is, it’s not as bad if you know English and can tutor
@@burrrrr8525 I'm not good in English but you understand what I've wrote
The GDP vs jobs thing and the mismatch in the labor market really helped explain what I had been wondering. Like, South Korea seems to dominate economically in so many sectors - semiconducters, cars, shipbuilding, steel, shipping, construction, machinery, electronics, appliances, entertainment but at the same time I would run into Koreans in the US looking for opportunity (rather than lets say "adventure" that typical expats often say) or hear about how hard it is for graduates to find a job and it just didn't make sense to me. I think I have also heard that they have less "high respect" jobs in the internal (non-tradable) sector compared to the US at least which also helps explain the imbalance (even though I have also heard about private education and plastic surgery so who knows).
If anyone from South Korea is reading this - is there a push in society now like in the US to get a "skilled trade" job vs. a white collar job? I'm not sure how "tracked" the education system is so that would probably have a big influence, but in the US where there really isn't any tracking, there is a big push for high school students to get an apprenticeship or go to community college to learn a trade instead of going to college to get a degree in like communications. (Politicians and the media always use gender studies or art history when making this push, but A) - I only know a very small amount of people with these or similar majors, B) - most people I know that have them actually are doing well or went to graduate school, C) - I would imagine based on my limited knowledge that these types of majors are even less common than in the US).
Korean education problem is this, Too many people are getting college and post graduate degrees, whether they have brains for it or not.
right now 80% of Koreans are getting college degrees or higher. That is crazy high number.
Evne USA has only around 60%. That means there are plenty of idiots with college degrees.
obviously companies won't higher these idiots with degrees, because they don't have brains for the required work.
@@tofu1mo794 but if you live abroad, you’ll gonna realize that your country is much better when it comes to the highest medical care and the best insurance. Also the social infrastructure like public transportation and delivery system is awesome.
@@tofu1mo794 Remember South Korea is one of the safest country while America is full of people with guns.
@@mashitta5969 Dont think they care. I know Koreans who have guns in the US lol. Korean students represents the third largest source of foreign students matriculating at U.S. universities.
@@darreldennis7115 You’re right. Actually, Koreans are the top 3 foreign students in America with Indians and Chinese. Considering that male Koreans should serve the military service which is mandatory, they are familiar with using guns. Btw don’t forget the rooftop Koreans :)
I'm a foreigner (brown skin) who lived in South Korea more than 5 years for education purpose. Whatever you described in your video is 100% accurate.
I wouldn't even recommend my worst enemy to stay in this country.
Why? Can u please explain?
@@nandinimishra6901 I can't speak for pc, but my guess is discrimination. Darker skinned people are thought of by Koreans as dirty. That being said, there are a lot of Indians, Bangladeshi, Nepalis and Africans. One of my best friends that lives here is from Bangladesh. I had a conversation with a Korean friend who asked a group of Koreans about discrimination of foreigners and they admitted about 50% of Koreans are.
@@dr.davidenglish778 even Europeans and Arabs middle Easterns
@@pepsi2022 really? How much would you like to bet keyboard warrior? I have $500 that says I did live in Korea. I'll gladly take your money. In fact I'll one up you. I still hold an F-5 visa in Korea. Every country in the world (including my own) has their own problems with discrimination. Coming in on your high horse and claiming it doesn't exist just makes you look foolish. Claiming you think I'm lying about being in Korea makes you look 굉장히 좋은.
im glad im here with the us military, it takes alot of this bullshit and throws it away.
You can make such video on USA and it wouldn't look more rosy. South Korea at the same time has a very good standard of living. good salaries, a lot of opportunities, low crime rate, good healthcare, low drug use, they care about their citizens, good infrastructure, great food, not that expensive, fruits though are expensive. Also it has good relationships with many countries and it's passport is pretty powerful. The problem is not that there are no jobs, but that it's societal. People expect from you to get an office white collar job. Blue color job looks down upon. So if they could change that idea, and make that a blue collar job is a respectful job, people wouldn't feel that pressure and shame of working in a factory, in construction or on a farm.
They should educate kids that getting any job is great. If you make good money to support yourself then its awesome, you are doing great.
There was a show called Dirty Jobs. I listened to a podcast with the host of this show, he wanted to show to the people that you can have a very dirty job and make tons of money, and sometimes it's not about money. So we should, I guess, stop prioritizing jobs requiring high education since it's hurting young people.
As a South Korean, i really appreciate your advice.
The "Dirty Jobs" show was somewhat untrustworthy; as a lot of the jobs it featured were low-paying in the real world, and still are. Valorizing hard, dirty jobs (I have one) is a trick capitalism uses to lower the overall wages in those sectors before either "de-skilling" them and shipping them offshore or automating them out of existence.
This is true. I know a ton of non college grads making more than people like me who went to medical school. Also they have much better lifestyle and have no debt. Education is overrated. Even in the US there are a ton of people I know with PhD not making six figures
This is excellent stuff, you get straight to the point without too much unnecessary blabla. I learnt a lot from your video. Well done.
It has been scientifically proven that shorter working hours actually increase productivity. Korea should follow the example of France and limit the working hours.
And Russia is thinking about a four-day working week. Come to Russia! 10 days of Christmas holidays, a few days off in May and a month of vacation on top of it (usually split into two two-week vacations). Did I also mention free medical care? And if anything happens an ambulance will come for free.
@@galaxyrider9599 "On 27 June, holders of Russia's sovereign debt had not received coupon payments on two eurobonds worth $100 million by the time the 30-calendar-day grace period expired, which we consider an event of default under our definition," quoting Moody's. Soon there will be 0 days working week, because there will be no way to pay any workers.
@@galaxyrider9599 Even Russians don’t want to live there 😂
Did you like the video? Make sure to subscribe, cause I got a lot more videos explaining different super interesting issues around the world coming up!
Dude, English is not my first language but u said couple of decades ago.
It's mean 20 years ago, 20 years ago Korea already developed, atleast already "Newly industrial country" like today's China.
Without hard work, there would have been no economic wealth with a country that had no natural resources.
I'm an American I lived in S. Korea several different times over the last 4 decades. Back in 1989 S. Korea was coming up in the world, they produced cheaper products like Goldstar(now LG) and Hyundai Excels and just had hosted the Olympics, a very big deal for a country that had suffered greatly for most of last Century. In the 90's it became apparent the goal was non stop growth, compete with Japan, the love of money was a country wide infatuation. I moved back in 2006 nobody really seemed happy anymore. The country was more crowded, expensive, and polluted. I left in 2010 I doubt things are getting any better, I really miss the 80's S. Korea.
When a society that has been agrarian, feudal, and generally at the whim of the greater powers around it at different points in history, suddenly is ushered into a highly-educated, cash-rich, modern mode of living; you best believe the forthcoming generations are going to want to raise the bar even higher to further distance themselves from their humble points of origin.
At all costs, be it not having children in order to carry these generational burdens on your own. I used to have a good friend whose mother was Korean, and migrated to the states in the late 1960s; she had moved to rural Texas and kind of remained, though somewhat Americanized, rather true to the Korean she was when she left; young Koreans simply do not share the same values at all with their grandparents. I have worked and traveled to S. Korea numerous times and am from a country that experienced something similar-ish (Italy), but never have I witnessed such a stark contrast between generations as I have with Koreans , especially in terms of the frugality, parsimony, practicality, historicity, and discretion that the previous generations tended to practice.
Like Italy in the 1970s; young Koreans both excelled in, and became stupefied by, the ways of modern capitalist society, to the point they’d forego having children and commodify everything, where it is for sale and has a price tag, but nothing ever truly belongs to anyone.
You don’t seem to know any Korean history. Try learning. It might do you some good.
Greetings from Korea 🇰🇷
I'm a foreigner who has lived and worked here for the last 3 years and honestly there hours are not as bad or different from American hours
Japan is the one with the toxic work hours
I’m sure that’s real🤣🤣
Poor Korea. Their economy is ruined.
@@ToyotomiHideyoshiGre don't you mean Japans is the yen is the lowest its ever been
@@ToyotomiHideyoshiGre 가난하고 불쌍한건
Nihonjin 이고 니들 여권20%잖어 해외여행을
돈이없어 못가는거지 😂 아 그리고 니들 국채가
살벌해 😱 😱
@@RMadrid36 일본은 원래 개개인이 돈이 없고 나라가 돈이 많은 곳 아니었던가? 그리고 걔네 망하던 말던 너하고 뭔 상관?
The Dark Side is really called "Monopoly" due to corruptions. Most startups don't make money during its first x number of years because these companies are focused on market share rather than price of their shares. As companies are matured, companies can find ways to more effectively control their cost which isn't always a bad thing but it is when there is a huge monopoly in the country. For example, an specific industry only needs 100 employees in total could have total of more than 150 employees in the sector due to competition because the financial firms backing different startups are putting down money thinking they can be the next big thing. However if there is only 1 player in the game then it's likely it's going to be less than 100 employees in the only startup around. Market needs competition in order for money to do its part in chasing more money such a way that more people are employed and more resources are used in chasing the same end result. While this is not the most cost effective way as a country but it's most effective way keeping most people happy.
+1
Fr
modern startup culture is whack
This is why innovation is superior than hardwork... Not just in technology but also in mentality.
Westerners got it right since ancient Greece to modern America.
@@SignificantPressure100 "got it right".... umm...
Western exceptionalism is ironically one of the main obstacles to improvement in the Europe and North America. I'm from Canada and I've been to the US lots of times and I can say neither country has really "got it right"...
- In the major cities, there's lots of druggies, gun violence, homelessness, etc.
- In the rural areas, obesity rates are high, racism and far-right militias rule the land, and the opioid crisis is even making its way into the smallest American and Canadian towns with over 200 dying of fentanyl overdose alone, per day.
However, South Korea and America/Canada are comparable in some aspects:
- Although rates of crime are 8 times lower in South Korea than they are in America, like South Korea, America and Canada also have epidemic sexual violence in our schools, sport and churches.
- And in terms of cost of living, it's not any better than South Korea because rent is nearly un-affordable in every major city in America and Canada.
- When it comes to mental health, every 1 in 6 American are mentally ill, compared to 1 in 3 in South Korea. It's also 1 in 3 in Canada.
Economically speaking, the US and Canada look good on paper because our economies look large respective to our populations, so our GDP per capita appears high (higher than South Korea's), but in reality, the top 1% account for almost half of the wealth in both, the US and Canada. Inequality is getting worse. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer as the middle class disappears. It's the same pattern everywhere else of course so we still have a lot to get right!
Not to mention, in the US there's an over-privatization of prisons, the education system and healthcare, which aren't seen as social welfare tools but money-making machines for profit, thus millions of Americans end up being forced to drown in their debt. Public trust in banks have never been high too.
The US arms industry, pharmaceuticals industry and telecomms industry are also generally known for being the most corrupt on a global scale given the numerous scandals of bribery and lobbying.
America is not a democracy like Ancient Greece. Given the high rates of lobbying to deregulate, the constant gerrymandering, and not to mention the controversial and outdated electoral vote system, America is a kleptocracy at worse, corporatocracy at best.
South Korea:
+100% Wealth
-100% Happiness
Without money, life turns into sheer hell.
I had six degrees when I was young and I taught in the Ivy League, but I grew up and dropped out and grew a garden and chilled. Less stress on the world and on me. My friend Hyungji, whose dad was the education minister in Korea in the nineties, went the other way.
I was born and raised in after WW2 Germany. Similar ideas as SK but perhaps not as intense. Immigrated to the USA in 1963. Found a totally different attitude. I managed a start up with German ownership. Tried to use some of the German/SK ideas and was not able to do it for very long. But long enough to get the company going. No small task. SK will have to modify their methods or there will be social unrest. We have that here also. Search for happiness and live well. Not so easy.
83% of 5 year old in after school tution. That's so much pressure from an early age. I joined tution at the age of 8. It's really exhausting. You don't get a free time in the entire day to do something you like. As being a Muslim I had more to study even after tution ended. I would come back home at 8 PM. Then go for Quran and Arabic classes from 8:30 to 9:30 This was my routine 5 days a week till 9th standard. The two days i get holiday always felt like a huge relief. In 11th I joined a coaching institute after getting scholarship. And that was even more intense than the normal tution i had before. It was literally a second school. 4 hours classes. 15 min break in between. Brain cells would be fried crisp by the time i reached home.
not only in Korea this is happening. I remember when I was a fresh grad how difficult it was to find a well-paying job. Even after graduating and passing the board exam, so I ended up taking a job, entirely not related to my degree because good jobs are really hard to come by.
Yes, it's all related to the financial class thugs in central banks printing currency at will and thus setting wrong goals of how society should function. Very few people understand this.
Is common in all developed countries. There is so much competition because every second person has a degree...
South Korea have other problems as well. a] many of their old people are living in abject poverty b] the level of single parents is very high amongst Asian countries c] there is a decline in population i.e. fewer babies are born each year d] their young people have huge debts etc.
Even worse than the Japanese??
More than a century and a half ago a Jewish philosopher and economist predicted these recurring, almost insoluble problems of capitalism - increasing concentration of income and markets in the hands of a few companies and unemployment due to this concentration and the advance of technology taking the place of labor. That economist was called Marx.
@@umfilhodedeustotalmenteama5522 that dirty SOB
My country barely dodged his bullet back in the 60s
@@user-fb2me3th6z Okay
Good to know.
@@lukejohnston4666 no japan is worse
Technical development does not necessarily bring happiness. What's the use of your country being so succesful if you're not happy, if you're so overworked that you have no or too little time left for the "real" life, if you're overworked to death? That's nonsense. Here in Europe our societies allow us to work to live instead of living to work. And statistics show that we individually are highly productive people, because most of us arrive at work in the morning rested, physically and mentally. And our countries are still reasonably rich and developed, but not the point of madness.
Your countries are rich and developed because you stole other people's wealth, not because of any hardship you faced.
@@YashTrivedi21
It is economically false, Europe was already the most developed continent before colonization.
Secondly, all economists will tell you that for a country to be rich it must create this wealth; Spain was once the richest and most powerful country thanks to its empire in America. Today it is a country considered to be the bottom of the rich countries.
Your past wealth does not make future wealth. Countries must continually create added value to stay developed. it is growth.
Your hatred prevents you from thinking. poor sick brain that you are.
@@YashTrivedi21 sure, because Poland, Norway or Czech Republik had so many colonies. Also no two big World Wars happened that destroyed a lot, relocated many people as refugess and made people suffer and poor, I mean you can hardly call that hardships right?
The world is not black and white.
@@YashTrivedi21 You completely dismissed his point though, yes, Europe has a lot of dark spots in it's history like any other part of the world BUT the topic at hand is the kind of unhealthy behavior pushed in many Asian countries but also promoted in more and more parts of the world nowadays ( essentially middle class people expected to work to the death for the billionaires and their mega corporations)
@@j4genius961 yeah, youre right, but his point is not totally wrong. SK has built phenomenal brands and companies in a more balanced and competitive world vs someone like Britain which has inherited some of the largest colonial companies. The inertia and monopoly of many European companies helps them afford the leisure that they do. Nothing to brag about, European companies are being replaced by the Asian ones at a break neck speed worldwide
This video helps explain why there is a low birth rate. Potential parents have to think deeply about forcing a child into such a stressful society. No child asks to be born.
There are other reasons as well TABOO ONES
@@kingmaafa120 I bet it's a major one. And not just Korea. Around the world birth rates have dropped precipitously.
Korea, along with Taiwan, has the worst birth rate in the world.
This same problem is happening to some degree in the USA. Companies immigrate highly degreed workers from abroad who will accept lower wages (at first) to get situated in the USA. They then fall into problems when their productivity is not meeting the needs of the company. They end up in unrelated lower paying jobs barely making it.
6:59 I’d beg to differ
This is highly common to Saudi Arabia
Especially to female graduated because of the huge number of graduates compared to male, and even then both suffer from finding jobs and end up been jobless after graduates
This is issue have risen since 2017 or 2018
And to this day this problem still persist
So this problem isn’t exclusive to South Korea or unheard of anywhere else
Well that is because of Islamic culture ig?
@@shh3910 don’t blame on “Islamic culture” when it’s far from that
The problem here is economic and job related not religion
I hope you’re aware how dumb and uninformed your response was
@@shh3910 well not really, its because Saudi arabia has only 2 main industries (oil, tourism) while south korea has more
@Bub Ibju because people of oil rich countries won't do hard labor. It is beneath them.
For example, When Gadaffi was still in power in Libia, he brought several Korean companies in for construction work.
And he mandated to Korean companies, that they must hire local Libian labors. So they hired Libians to work on construction sites, and thousands came to work, because pay was good, but after the lunch break, most of them never returned. Koreans were first confused and search for these people, but soon foudn out that these Libians thought the work was too hard, and didn't want to work. This was reported back to Gadaffi, and he had to relent and let Koreans bring in Korean laborers from Korea.
More than a century and a half ago a Jewish philosopher and economist predicted these recurring, almost insoluble problems of capitalism - increasing concentration of income and markets in the hands of a few companies and unemployment due to this concentration and the advance of technology taking the place of labor. That economist was called Marx.
As someone who lives in a 3rd world country with 23.7% of the population living below the poverty line, I'm torn. I want my people to be happy, but trading that happiness for more of them being able to eat 3 square meals a day doesn't sound too bad to me.
I think you're right. It's just that the focus of the people differs accordingly. When they're satisfied with something, there follows a certain more minor problem that tackles them again. While people who haven't really solved the first problem might wonder why its bothersome for those who've solved the problem since the ones who solved the problem never really experienced how the first problem might affect them, the second problem kind of becomes the first priority they need to solve.
An underrated comment.
Sad fact but success sometimes need sacrifices.
Ideally, they work hard and [ assuming governmental and commercial efficiency] make the country prosperous. But once prosperity comes, they have to look after their own interests and struggle to get their fair piece of the pie.
The trouble is largely that by the time they get to the prosperous stage they are so brainwashed in ridiculously high levels of hard work that they don't even think of protesting that now is the time that the cake gets shared out to some extent at least.
All to often, the rich lose touch, get greedy and have the delusion that with their organisational ability, knack for business and granted, early hard work they are the only people that should get the rewards.
this doesn't apply at all since there's factors such as biology that contribute to the outcomes of your country and s. korea's.
That is why expatriate South Koreans outside of their home country are way happier with their lives compared to their local counterparts at home. Their understanding of the outside world could be much better than their compatriots back home.
Many of them are even vlogging their lives on social media platforms too.
I wouldn't generalize like that.. At the end of the day, a lot of Korean expatriates come to the following conclusion: "South Korea is where life is the most convenient, if you have grown in South Korea." They say South Koreans who are depressed about their life at home country should realize this.
@竜巫 | Siwaga Miriko I'm surprised there isn't a negative migration of Koreans moving away from the United States and other Western countries.
@竜巫 | Siwaga Miriko exactly. A lot of Koreans have fantasy about "Western Culture and LIfe style",
and they sold their expensive Apartment, and immigrated to countries like Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia.
And after few years, used up all their funds, and return to South Korea.
Finding out, Life is not any easier in those countries, at least for Koreans.
Well not everyone has the same life experience lol.. this is like in every country... this video only showed the bad side hence the title of dark side.. but every country has a dark side unless they have like 5 million population or less but even then... there's nothing wrong with rewarding the ones that work harder or smarter although most will be jealous or what not. I live in LA... it's no different.
@@minseopleem7458 S Korea does have one of the best educations and healthcare systems in the world. But if I live there there's no way I would let my kids go to hagwon or afterschool lol.. Family time is important and it's the parents job to guide them. Also you can't judge happiness with suicide rate % for millions of people lol.. Many of the suicides are kids being too pressured by their parents or elderly who grew up with nothing. It gets a lot better in college but some don't make it and the government still chooses pressure and must live in Seoul to succeed in life. Finland also has a high % rate so does most "happiest" countries on Earth.. humans adapt and we get used to standards of living.
Here in Morocco we got the same issue, people with university degrees face unemploymebt more then their less educated peers. I guess it's a phenomena that can be seen in many developing countries
Just watched a video about Economic boom of Norway. The way these 2 highly developed countries deal with money and its citizens is completely opposite. While Norway prioritizes happiness of the nation, Korea, unfortunately, prioritizes the income aspect. I have been in South Korea as an exchange student and have deep love towards Korea, watching how many people my age struggled to get a degree and then find a job breaks my heart. The most valuable source for a country is its people, in the end happy and satisfied working class people will bring much more income that overworked and depressed (As mentioned in the video, the efficiency is low as well)
Living in SEA, a country without miracle. Dark Side of Korea seem too bright for my eye😓
Then you are in trap.
Then you should come to my country
And feel what is hell
@@alexhermends2482 A few day ago in my village, A mother kill by her own son by a belt smashed at her face. He smashed several time until she die. He is drug addicted, no job, no future. He argued with neighbor and his mother tell him to go apologize to them. He angered. Later, He kill by police after flee. YOUR COUNTRY is HELL you underestimate WHAT CALL HELL!!!!
Hello, I am a 17-year-old student living in Korea. I am currently attending a foreign language school and I really sympathized with this video. Sadly, I ended up watching this video to prepare for the exam.😭( Because I was learning about soft power and the development of Korean culture at school. )
As I am a student, the above video is almost accurate to tell you only about education. My school is a high school where friends who can study gather, but our official schedule is to study from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is a meal time in the middle, but it is very short. (My school has dorm. So our students have to follow this rule🤣 It is different with normal Korean students.. but almost Korean students are same..)We study every day, and our friends are very sensitive to grades and stressed out. Adults tell students to get into a good university, but students have to think seriously about their future as well as their university entrance.
For students, entering a good university is considered a virtue, and many individuals are trampled on in the process. I am very angry and frustrated with this social system.
Korea has beautiful culture, content, advanced IT industry, clean environment, transportation, welfare facilities, etc. It is also very safe and tidy. There are so many positive aspects of Korea, and I am grateful for this, but I really want to criticize the educational aspects.
I usually stay up late while studying until 3 a.m. after finishing my daily routine. I joke around with my friends and talk about voluntary withdrawal and suicide every day.😂
고생이 많네요ㅠㅠ 화이팅 하세요~
why don't you consider moving abroad for your undergraduate degree? Frequent toxic thoughts are not a joke and they'll only get worse when you enter the corporate world. whatever you do, just remember there is a world outside SK.
@@aishanna Thank you for advice🙇♀️ I always hope that I travel the world after I graduate. But because of my parents or something, It is hard to go to abroad😂
Hi. I don't know who you are. But please take care of yourself and remember there is more to life than education and your life matters,😊....I hope you take a break and relax
@@yejin5969 Please, take care of your mental health! I wish you all the best 💛
Just find this channel recently and watched this video after "The Dark Side of Japan". Frankly I found this to be like travelling back in time where South Korea went through quite similar situation as Japan during / slightly after their economic boom. For South Koreans, the dark side of Japan video can be perceived as a warning about where the country could end up if it doesn't reform some of the fundamental aspects of working culture.
True. Every korean know japan is our future
Most of the things in this video are totally true! I am impressed a person who was not raised in Korea can have such an accurate view about the country. Everything has its pros and cons. Having lived in Canada for about 8 yrs, I would go back to my country in a heartbeat if I can. The culture which puts work before personal life have made consumers' lives so much convenient to be honest. Afterwork hangout with colleagues and bosses can be frustrating but it can really grow the sense of belonging, even friendship with your colleagues(althought it was forces at first 😝). I was born and raised and worked until mid 20s in Korea, and never hated my job because of work culture. I was much much happeir in Korea because it is really easier for me to connect and be friends with people here. Like many koreans have mentioned in the comments everyone really is different 🙂
Why don't you move back then?
@@zerohero5753 he scared 😂 dude is cappin 🧢
That's so sweet to hear! You deserve hugs :)
It's great to hear everyone's perspectives. I am also an immigrant in Canada, and although I'm aware of the hardships I would have to face in my home country, I still miss it and want to go back. Not every country fits everyone's personality and life goals, even if it seems like an objectively better country. I hope you find the courage to follow your heart and do what feels right when you can. I wish you the best!
That's absolutely true. It's much more difficult to make friends and bond with people living abroad. But Korea has way too many people (looking at job opportunities, people unemployed/ in low income bracket, and need to import everything from abroad). I would say many more people need to immigrate out of Korea. Plus you can easily visit Korea anytime you want (as long as airline fares remain reasonable). I visited Korea for a month recently with my family and didn't even have to take a vacation from my job thanks to excellent internet in Korea.
I love South Korea, and I wish my country was as hard working sometimes, but PERFECT isn't easy and never existed, we are living, we learn from mistakes and things can't always be good, even the best of things. But if you look closely, the world is slowly opening up and understanding we are all different, and that's what makes us unique.
Really had the impression that you were talking about Japan. South Korea and Japan's economic and social fates after the Korean war are extremely similar.
There is only ONE Korea, what is to the south is NOT a country, it is a US Military Base. In January 8, 2021, Admiral Harry B. Harris, stated that: "Regardless of the changes in the White House, the policy established by former President Trump, will remain in South Korea". Do you know who Admiral Harry Binkley Harris is? Do not? Well, Admiral Harry Binkley Harris (former Commander of the 6th Pacific Fleet), is the current US Ambassador there. Korean Base. Mr. Harris is a military decorated for the Persian Gulf War and is in charge of all ALL!!!, the armed forces of the South Korean area, and above “President” Moon. You get it now, and don't you find it strange? An Ambassador cannot be an active military man. He must be a career Diplomat, and not a four-star High Officer with military command but, in this case, he is, and here who is in charge, is HIM! Even Mr. Harris is above President Biden when it comes to Korean foreign policy. You see now? What the US seeks is to maintain its Military Bases. Those on the south side of Korea cost more than $13 Billion and will NEVER withdraw from there as long as China exists as an independent nation. This is a Fact. Okay. Now look again: Regard it Korea, we were able to invade them in 1993 and thus end regional tensions under the following window of opportunity: In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and China, at that time, was going through a very severe political crisis, a consequence of the Events in Tiananmen Square in1989, when the future of China was being decided among the most conservative Maoists, and Deng Xiaoping's supporters, who advocated an Free Market Open Economy in China. In that year 1993, neither China nor the USSR could help Mr. Kim iL-Sung, who was very ill (Cancer), and would die the following year in1994. Both countries, China and USSR, would take 10 years to overcome their respective crises. (They actually recovered in 12 years). Against this background, the US did not act. We did not invade North Korea in ´93. Mr. George H. W. Bush, who had already visited Seoul in February 1989, stayed away from initiating hostilities against Mr. Kim iL-Sung, as that would have resulted in the unification of the two Koreas. Well…! But Mr. Bush did NOT seek the unification of the two Koreas. The US cannot allow the "Threat" from the North to disappear, cuz if the "Threat" disappears, we would no longer have justification to continue in the South side. Once united, the entire country would request the United Nations to intervene so that the US withdraws its Military Bases since there would no longer be an enemy in the north of its territory and, therefore, its presence would NO longer be justified. That is why we are NOT seeking the union of Korea. You got it? What is sought here is to maintain the Military Bases to subsume China. South Korea is of major strategic importance for monitoring China… and “North” Korea LOL cares as much as the value of a radish.
@@salvadorvizcarra769 You sound like you've gone totally crazy, take your medicines, amigo.
@@salvadorvizcarra769 I reckon China would still be there even if the Koreas unite, so the Americans would still be of use.
Actually Japan is much better in many like birth rate, sui**de rate, unemployment rate and working hour etc.
While many Koreans have escaped from their country, which is why the West has many Korean immigrants(less compared to Chinese immigrants tho of course).
@@v.d.2738 Not much better only slightly better. Although I prefer Japan's beauty standards since plastic surgery is not performed by 99.9% of all girls.
I was an ESL teacher at a hagwon (private english academy) FOR YEARS, and i felt bad for a lot of my students cuz the need to be successful was so huge (because of the parents). I would say about 90% of the students i had were there cuz their parents made em come. A lot of my students went to like 3 or 4 differnt after school things.They had almost no time to be a kid. Was sad most times.
Wait,720 subs?!!!!This is an amazing piece of content and I pray that you’ll find success ✊
O just came across this video this is amazing
Those kids are afraid of germs, farming and other basic jobs,lol.
I am thankful that we from Southeast Asia are not picky on jobs.
The jobs you mention are low paying. South Korea is becoming too expensive for locals to live.
@@weirdo1060 at least, it is a decent and honorable job.
bruh, they live in 1st world and probably in the most technologically advanced country, while almost all SEA (except malaysia, singap. and brunei) are third world countries
@@Ғаламатадам well, thats why we are blessed because these countries are balancing the technological advancement and the traditional job. 🙂👌
Couple random thing that weren't mentioned.
Minimum wage has gone up.
Many of blue collar jobs are getting better wages.
Many companies including conglomerates now have 5 day work week.
Primary up to high school used to be 6 days a week but now they only go 2 Saturdays a month.
In addition to regular grades like ABCDF, entire school is ranked from 1 through very last based on standardized testing. This is why Korea is beyond competitive. It's cut throat. Everyone cannot just get A's and go to good University. You must get A's AND perform better than your entire school mates in standardized tests (like top 10 out of 500-1000 students), then perform better than all other students in Korea taking the university exam. So you it's not about doing well. It's about being better than others. I see it as some US parents complaining about kids sports league that everyone gets trophy....US is similar to that. Everyone can get straight A's then go to good universities. Korea is like the old way where only winners get trophy by outperforming and defeating everyone else with dedication, hard work and sometimes natural skills.
(8:58) I disagree with working hard, not working smart. Anyone who has lived or even spent some time in Korea knows that everything is much quicker and efficient. Compare US or European or even other Asian government facilities vs Korean. Those nation's bank system vs Korea. Hospital. Even school lunch lines.
Unlike US' motto of "If it ain't broken don't fix it," Korea is always finding ways for improvement and efficiency. Korea would not have been able to come this quickly if they just work long hour and not productive. It is Korean's way of always looking for constant improvement and efficiency in addition to working hard and long hours that has brought Korea from being the poorest country after WWII to it's position in the world today. Yes, it turns our that you do need to work longer and harder (in addition to working efficiently and smart) than everyone else to catch everyone up from last place to top 10-12 in 60 years. Ask any pro athletes if they just put long hours without training productively and got to where they are.
Ain't no one reading that long shit
@@soul_in_search_of_enlightm2131 Korea wouldn't have succeeded with that attitude
@@GetUnwoke man destroyed him
this is so much like the system in india
you just can't survive without uni
or atleast its thought so
The thing you mentioned participation trophies doesn't help your point. Parents were complaining about that because it doesn't make sense for the kid to do nothing and get rewarded for it since that promotes laziness and the idea of being entitled. Plus in terms of competitions, it's unfair to the children that worked hard and did better than their peers. If you did better than the others but everyone gets the same reward, what's the point of trying hard? It's the reason why you hear things like "C's get degrees" from students and other forms of it when it comes to education.
Thank you for worrying about korea
I 'm happy and thankful that I am living in Korea as a Korean.
I have traveled to many countries, but I felt that my country is the most comfortable and suitable for me.
(of course, I'm korean🤣)
I have no complaints about my country, and I think competition is a given. There is no development without competition.
I hope you all love your country and be happy❣️👋🏻
Due to the rapid growth during the mid-20th century, the perspective on seeing the world is way more different than other countries based on the generations, at least I guess. While the boomer era, when the average GDP growth was over double-digits, people had faith that as long as I dedicated to the company and my job, I would guarantee sufficient income and a rosy future. But nowadays, those hopes are gone because the economy is slowing down rapidly. As a south korean born in late 90s, a lot of my friends have told me that getting a job is freaking hard compared to the past. But people who experienced boomer times tend to not admit the reality but blame us for not putting "enough" work to achieve something(Well, it's not the one-size-fits-all cases, but my personal tendency is tilting to it). So the conflict between generations keeps skyrocketing, which I worry about seriously. Hope one day this crisis goes well.
South Korea,Japan,China shared the same working culture
Blessings to Korea 🇰🇷 💓 💕 🙏 💛
Such a sad life to live like that. Life is more than just work.
well let me fix you something. most of job offeres are small-mid-sized companies in Korea. but their offering wages are lower than what huge giant comapanies offer.
so some of graduated students avoid working there. as a result, small-mid sized companies need 600k people to work every year which could cover number of annual graduated college/university students. they are extremely underhanded but people arent willing to work there.
and plus their annual sales are not directly linked with GDP.
then how they fill that empty workers? foreign workers from 3rd world?
@@setengahpohonberkata3231 yeah! especially those who are from Asia. China,south east asia,South Asia..!
@@unka2007 Acommon situation in many countries. In India, they have illegal Bangladeshi workers in certain areas because the pay is better than in Bangladesh ...and the locals don't want to work in those jobs ...
Would a person from the EU be welcome to work for one of those companies? I am assuming the language barrier is the biggest struggle?
@@sebsebski2829 East Asian countries in overall are well known for a bit "bigoted" toward to other races. Pretty sure it would be way better if you're white but you would not be really welcomed if otherwise.
Still very very proud to be Korean.
You should be Hwanhee, Korea's pretty great despite its problems.
However, the Korean economy is in a critical situation.
Dude, so true, I worked in Korea and it is soooo bad. Everything is about aesthetic, even the food, just everything. Make ot look good and you're good, functionality is a second priority. That's why you should honestly be careful of Korean products like cars particularly.
However, Korean food looks bad.
Since the independence in the 50s, the South Koreans followed the practices that were deemed most economically beneficial at the time. Fierce competition, almost uncontrolled capitalism. The GDP has developed but we have neglected the human values of happiness, communities, etc. Now it stands as a warning to other countries of what unbridled development can bring. Most of us are acutely aware of our shortcomings, and we are trying to figure out solutions. Anyway I wish you are happy today and now.
Loyalty to the company, working long hours and hanging around co-workers after work, to go home at mid-night and return to work early morning - all these seem to comes from the colonial rule of Japan. I visited Tokyo for few weeks on work in 1998. They are nice people but I did not like that kind of work culture compared to working in the US.