There's a land that sit comfortably below China, roughly along the 38th parallel. A heavily-militarized half of a peninsula that is home to a mighty race of people. A very proud people, who will emotionally stand up for those who are persecuting them and who will rarely speak their minds. A people who conform, not out of a desire for sameness, but out of fear of being different. A place where hierarchy is strong, and those above are never to be questioned. A place where questioning superiors is not only frowned upon, but is simply incomprehensible, and could very well lead to reprimand and punishment for you and those around you. A place where cultural morals and values are never publicly criticized. A place where social dissidents face public humiliation and persecution. A place where everyone is constantly being watched. A place where the big man at the top calls the shots, and the little men down below regretfully (but silently) comply.
Give up?
I't's sure not North Korea that I'm talking about.
There's no secret that Seoul is a tiring place to live. To be fair, it's downright exhausting. It's one of the most congested places on Earth, and has a metropolitan area that is home to over 23 million people. It's crowded, busy, and polluted. On the other hand, Korea is also one of the world's modern miracles, a country that has grown up from one of the world's poorest to one of it's wealthiest in less than 50 years. But as quickly as buildings, incomes, fashion, and trends change, traditions can't keep up.
When I look around, I really don't think the average person is happy. Sure people laugh and smile just like anyone else, but what I mean is real, true happiness. Living in Korean society is a lot of pressure. Most of it is culture, such as marriage age and familial obligations, which I have a hard time calling 'good' or 'bad.' It's just 'different.' But what really bothers me the most is the unnecessary pressure that is placed on individuals at work. People are constantly being overworked, sacrificing themselves for what was once called the 'greater good,' but is now little more than a money-making machine that cares little for those that make it work.
But no worries, right? This is a free country, and you no one will arrest you for speaking your mind or standing up for your rights. So who's with me?
(crickets)
(crickets, crickets)
And THAT'S exactly the problem. Korea is capitalism at it's finest and it's worst. Big businesses run the show, and no 'little man' is ever going to be heard (though keep in mind that the issues brought up permeate society and are not limited to big business). Here, the boss always knows best, and if anyone down below has other ideas (including about their own rights), it's best to just keep them to yourself. No one wants to be disrespectful.
Last minute assignments? Who still eats lunch these days? Endless extra unpaid hours? No problem. Unannounced extra work days? I didn't really want to go on that vacation, anyway. 'Optional' drinking gatherings? Certainly my family understands.
Everyone dreams about getting a job in a 'respected' company, but the hush-hush is that those asking you to sacrifice your life for work here (and making a killing doing it) don't give a damn about their employees. To the average worker, status of a job is far more important than anything else, so the mindset is that if others can see that I'm working working hard for a good company, I'm happy.
This is where I'll draw the line and say that all of this is 'bad.' It's not bad because it's not my way. It's bad because I have seen what happens when people put themselves before work. Americans may not be the happiest people on Earth, but I think it's an improvement. A large percentage of people here are only 'happy' with their jobs (and because of the huge chunk of time work requires, their lives) because they have no idea what they're missing. And if this is the way it's always been, how could they?
Workers, by law, have rights. Trade unions are legal, though I've read far more reports of them being broken up by their employers and instigators being fired than of the unions accomplishing anything. There are far more company benefits than we have in the States, and salaries are largely dependent on massive non-guaranteed year-end bonuses (as in 50% of your income). Sounds good, but what happens is that the system is often abused, and these 'extra' benefits are often dangled in front of uneasy employees. The Confucianist culture makes questioning your superiors impossible. Your input is unwelcome, and might be greeted with your exit papers. So what do you do?
You shut up and work hard. Period.
So what is the solution? The easy one is for someone to stand up, get the people together, and start a movement. Not gonna happen. I'm sorry, but this isn't 1960's America. More likely, someone will pretend to be with you, egg you on, and laugh their way into your position after you've been humiliated and fired. The only solution that I can come up with is another dirty word: 'government-intervention.' Only when the government starts enforcing the rules that are in place and standing up for workers, will anything ever change.
But when the country is secretly being run by a very few dictator-esqe megacorporations, who all have their hand in the government, who's going to let that happen?
It's a pretty messed up situation, and unfortunately, all I propose is a problem with no feasible solution. Only time will tell what happens, but I hope to see something soon.
Who's gonna stand up?
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