scholarly journals Exploring the Diverse Family Structures in South Korea: Experiences and Perspectives of Nonmartial Cohabitants

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Soo-Jung Byoun ◽  
Shinwoo Choi ◽  
Hye-Young Kim

Historically, South Korean society has been deeply influenced by Confucianism, which has an emphasis on the traditional family structure. If a given family does not belong in the “traditional” norm, which is composed of husband, wife, and children, they are often discriminated against and ostracized. Despite the increasing number of nonmarital cohabiters in South Korea, research is still insufficient to understand the phenomenon. This study explores the prevalence of nonmarital cohabitation in South Korea, which is still met with discrimination. Online surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with cohabiters to gain an understanding of the phenomenon and to explore their marriage and family values. The findings of this study indicate that cohabiters who chose cohabitation as an alternative to marriage had more progressive values. Findings from the study provide implications for practice and policy.

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Seungeun Lee (李承恩)

This article explores three Chinese immigrant groups in South Korea. South Korean society characterizes itself with a long-held traditional myth of being a homogenous society. Two waves of migrants from China, however, challenged this myth. The earlier wave took place in the late 19thcentury. The recent, new, wave of Chinese migration took place in the last three decades and coincidently right before and after the normalization of relations between the People’s Republic of China (prc) and South Korea in 1992. Due to the rise of China and the changing dynamics of inter-Asian migration, new migrants from theprcsince the 1990s have changed the demographic composition of foreign citizens in Korea.These new migrants from theprcare mostly ethnic Han (prcChinese), but some are ethnic Korean (Korean Chinese) who holdprccitizenship. Most previous studies have focused on either old (earlier) Chinese immigrants or new (later) Chinese immigrants separately. This paper, in contrast, comparatively investigates these groups utilizing statistics and secondhand source data. This study contends that the mechanisms of institutional exclusion and inclusion in Korean immigration policies, put forward by the policies’ citizenship, legal and economic aspects, produce both new multiculturalism and ethnonationalism. This paper also contends that mechanisms of institutional exclusion and inclusion are a result of the interplay between citizenship and ethnicity.本文對韓國華僑(“舊華僑”)、持中國國籍的中國大陸漢族和朝鮮族(“新華僑”)進行比較。長久以來,在韓國社會裡“單一民族”一直是一個很普遍的傳統現象。但兩波從中國到韓國的華人華僑移民潮卻反駁此現象。早期的移民潮發生在十九世紀末,在此期間移居到韓國的華人一般稱之為韓國華僑(簡稱為“韓華”)。最近這一波新移民潮則是發生在最近30多年,恰好是在發生在中華人民共和國和韓國建交的一九九二年前後。從一九九零年代開始,因中國崛起和亞洲移民的動態變化帶動的中國“新”移民到了韓國,也改變了在韓國社會裡外國剬民的國籍與種族結構。這些來自中國的新移民大部分都是漢族(簡稱為“漢族”),有些則是朝鮮族,這兩個不同的民族都持有中華人民共和國的國籍。已經有許多研究關注移居韓國的華人,但比較不同時代移居至韓國的華人的討論卻非常少見。這個研究便以統計和二手資料為主,特別針對這些在不同時期來到韓國的華人進行比較。本論文分析了在韓國移民政策裡頭制度排斥和包容的機制,筆者分析了這些政策裡的剬民權、法律和經濟等不同層面,發現韓國的一系列移民政策造成了新的多文化主義和民族國家主義。此外,本研究也發現產生制度排斥和包容機制是剬民權和種族性之間的相互作用的結果。 (This article is in English).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hough ◽  
Markus Bell

This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin) and analyzes the role that these narratives play in South Korean society as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. North and South Korea technically remain at war, with South Korea claiming sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. While t’albungmin are eligible for South Korean citizenship, they describe feeling excluded from full social membership. Although some t’albungmin seek anonymity, this paper considers those who gain social status by speaking publicly about their lives and denouncing the North Korean regime. In so doing, they distance themselves from North Korea and align themselves with the “good” discourse of human rights. However, their actions reinforce a logic of exclusion, implying that t’albungmin who prefer anonymity are “sympathizers,” and consequently restricting their access to social benefits and resources. This case of conditional inclusion illuminates tensions that arise when a sovereignty claim entails the incorporation of people from an enemy state. It also highlights the carefully delineated boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior within which “suspect” citizens must remain as a condition for positive recognition.


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Lankov

This article deals with the problems of North Korean defectors currently living in South Korea. In the past, most such defectors came from privileged groups in the North Korean population, and their adjustment to the new environment did not pose a significant problem. However, from the mid-1990s, defectors began to come from the far less privileged groups. They experience serious problems related to jobs, education, crime, and social adjustment. Recent years have seen a dramatic but not always openly stated change in the official South Korean attitude toward defectors: from a policy explicitly aimed at encouraging defection, Seoul has moved to the policy of quietly discouraging it. There are fears that encouraging defection will undermine the policy of peaceful engagement with the North. There is also the perception that refugees are outsiders, not quite adjustable to the conditions of South Korean society and thus a social and budgetary burden.


1982 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-97
Author(s):  
K.S. Susan Oorjitham

AbstractThe largest group of Indians in West Malaysia are the Tamil-speaking Hindus who originate from South India, particularly from Tamilnad. According to S. Arasaratnam, not only are 80% of Indians in Malaysia Tamil speakers but a vast majority of them are also Hindus.1 It is further established that the majority of this group are members of the working class, either in the plantation or in the urban sectors. The family structures of these Tamil working-class families originate basically from the traditional Indian family structure of India. This traditional Indian family structure was maintained in the "conducive" environment of ethnic isolation, found in the plantations. Since my purpose is to study changes in the family structure, Tamil working-class families in an urban environment were selected. It is expected that some changes in family values and structures have occurred among this group of Indians in West Malaysia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Prébin

AbstractToday, international adoptees are welcomed to South Korea by the government, adoption agencies and different associations. These institutions organise educational programmes called 'cultural programmes'. Relatively cheap, these programmes generally include a tour of South Korea, visits to welfare facilities, and classes related to Korean culture: music, language, history, cuisine, martial arts. International adoptees are seen as Koreans of the diaspora, and as such need re-education to discover their true identity. When they return to their adoptive countries, they will be able to represent their birth country accurately and therefore contribute to Korea's successful globalisation. However, what is at stake in these programmes is less political and economical than social. I argue that most of the activities can be viewed as rites of passage and that the entire programme is constructed according to that logic. As a problematic category, international adoptees must be redefined by ritualised actions inside South Korean society. Recent studies considered these ceremonies as mock rituals; however, this article aims to show that these rituals have a valid purpose although they lead not to integration but to separation: defining the diaspora continues to rely on defining what is outside the national territory.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 274-294
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Lee

AbstractThis article asks why the disciplines of American Studies and U.S. history are so markedly underdeveloped in South Korea (Republic of Korea) and what this underdevelopment implies about U.S.-South Korean relations. Under Japanese colonial rule, the study of English in Korea was important for studying abroad, but few students studied America itself. Under American occupation and the following military rule in South Korea, American studies were not attractive to nationalist youth even though the English language remained useful. American cultural diplomacy fostered a small group of Americanists, but university enrollments were small. In the 1980s, Americans were blamed for their support of authoritarian rule. Japanese-trained historians saw American history as too short to be significant, and Japanese institutional legacies were an obstacle. Americans have also been too constricted in imagining who Koreans were, where Korean ambitions lay, and how Korean society worked. In a sense, the very differences between the two nations hindered them from realizing what those differences were.


Author(s):  
Jennifer Gracellia

<p>The issue of comfort women that has occured since 1932 continues to impact bilateral relations between Japan dan South Korea. Various efforts have been made by two countries to deal with this issue, one of which is the agreement in 2015 that stating the comfort women issue has been completed and this agreement cannot be canceled. Instead of solving the problem, this agreement marked as the beginning of a worsening relation between the two countries. Poor relations led to several implications which then became a new problem to Japan and South Korea relations. This research finds that the comfort women issue has given three implications for the relations between Japan and South Korea. First is the Japan-South Korea Trade War in 2019, second is the withdrawal of South Korea from General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the last is the boycott of Japanese products conducted by South Korean society. The unresolved issue has affected the economy, national security and the social life of the people of both countries.</p><p><strong>BAHASA INDONESIA ABSTRAK:</strong> Permasalahan <em>comfort women</em> yang terjadi sejak tahun 1932 terus memberikan implikasi yang kuat kepada hubungan bilateral antara Jepang dan Korea Selatan. Berbagai usaha telah dilakukan oleh kedua negara untuk menangani permasalahan ini, dimana salah satunya adalah perjanjian pada tahun 2015 yang menyatakan permasalahan comfort women telah selesai dan perjanjian ini tidak dapat dibatalkan. Bukannya menyelesaikan masalah, perjanjian ini menjadi awal dari hubungan kedua negara yang semakin memburuk. Hubungan yang buruk kemudian menimbulkan beberapa implikasi yang menjadi masalah baru di dalam hubungan Jepang dengan Korea Selatan. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan, ditemukan bahwa permasalahan comfort women memberikan tiga implikasi kepada hubungan Jepang dan Korea Selatan yaitu Perang Dagang Jepang-Korea Selatan 2019, penarikan Korea Selatan dari General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) dan pemboikotan produk Jepang yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat Korea Selatan. Permasalahan comfort women yang tidak kunjung terselesaikan telah mempengaruhi perekonomian, keamanan nasional, hingga kehidupan sosial masyarakat kedua negara.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 197
Author(s):  
Brenda Caroline Geraldo Castro ◽  
Beatriz Vieira ◽  
José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra

Air pollution is currently a major global concern due to increased industrialization and its consequences for the environment. The Asian continent in particular has become one of the main affected by this type of pollution and its impacts, with many countries like China and South Korea seeking to reduce the causes of this problem. South Korea is a country particularly affected by particles, especially during changing seasons. In the article, the origins of these emissions and impacts on South Korean society were discussed, such as social habits and behaviors. The mitigation practices developed by the country to tackle this problem have shown positive results, but they are still insufficient.


Headline SOUTH KOREA: Anti-graft law could transform society


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 899-909
Author(s):  
Kyung-Hye Hwang ◽  
Yang-Sook Yoo ◽  
Ok-Hee Cho

With industrialization, increasing workforce participation of women, and advances in information and communications technology, South Korean society is experiencing conflict and confusion regarding sexual ethics. We investigated the relationships among sexual discrimination, attitudes toward sexual health, and consciousness of biomedical ethics with a sample of 142 Korean adults in Seoul, South Korea. Men exhibited greater sexual discrimination than did women. Consciousness of biomedical ethics was higher in those with religious faith and married individuals, those with a higher level of education, individuals in paid employment, and those with firmly held ethical values, than in people without these characteristics. Finally, consciousness of biomedical ethics was higher in individuals with a more positive attitude toward sexual health. On the basis of these results, we proposed the development of a sex education program in South Korea to encourage gender-equality awareness, strengthen sound attitudes toward sexual health, and increase consciousness of biomedical ethics.


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