Korean Culture II Inequality (PDF)

6.Inequality and Gender issues (Male/ Female/LGBTQ) (among OECD countries) - Worst level of polarisation and economic inequality - Deficient public social spending (12.2% GDP) - Growth of the ageing population (ageing speed fast) - Financial sustainability weakness...

6.Inequality and Gender issues (Male/ Female/LGBTQ) (among OECD countries) - Worst level of polarisation and economic inequality - Deficient public social spending (12.2% GDP) - Growth of the ageing population (ageing speed fast) - Financial sustainability weakness - Revealed through the pension system 退休金 (0.6 trillion won) Income inequality *Gini coefficient (between 0 to 1) - Statistical dispersion - Represented the income/ wealth / consumption inequality - Based on Lorenz curve Korea → around 0.333 - 0.35 Poverty rate - Ration of the number of people (in given aga group) whose income falls below the poverty line - Child poverty (0-17) - Working-age poverty - Elderly poverty (66 or above) - 2 countries with same poverty rates may differ in terms of the relative income-level of the poor - Due to the different living price of different countries Korea → decreasing from 2011 to 2021 but not much (18.6% → 15.1%) Gender - More female pass the Highest Civil Service and Public administration Examination (10.4% in 1995 to 48.2% in 2015) - In 2014, 21.4% of judges, 26.8% of prosecutors are women - Reformation of law - Abolition of the system on the head of family in 2013 - Social Barriers - Modernized male superiority and patriarchy system - Inherited wealth and social polarisation Pandemic |——-| Gender inequality (pandemic change people love and perspective) - loss of human development arise from inequality - reproduction health - gender - increade suicide rate for female - increase of unpaid caring and domestic chores, loss of job and sexual violence - 4.9% domestic violence decreased in 2020 - Participation in the labour market - female share 19% parliamentary seat House Chores (include care giving) - Lockdown - work from home - suspension of kindergartens - daycare centers - school’s operation female male house chores time before 225 mins per day 64 mins per day covid house chores time after covid 20 hours increased per week 2 hours increased per week Global issue: covid 19 have aggravated inequality of health, economy, violence between genders - higher fertility rate than male - longer waiting time for visiting doctor than male - cannot have health insurance and medical treatment for covid 19 if unofficial employment *present of global violence (France,U.K., Singapore, Argentina) Korean Women in labour market - Ranked 115th of global gender gap among 149 countries - Second lowest in east-asia and pacific country - Highest Gender pay gap among OECD - Female employment rate is much lower than male’s (56.1% vs 75.9%) - Female role (as legislators / senior officials/ managers…) lower than general gender gap index rank (i.e. 133) Public impression of female ‘female care more / better than male’ → care works = female better → married women’s average care work time is 4.1 times of married men Inequality → loss of human development 1. Reproductive health 2. Gender empowerment 3. Participation in the labour market - Female share parliamentary seat 19% in 2021 (rank 15/191 in 2022) Intolerance for Homosexuality Majority of gay Koreans - Fear of being disowned by parents - Abandoned by friends - Facing discrimination in workplace Lesbians more difficulties >> Gay - ‘Double minority’ - (Reason) - general lack of power (women society) - belief in women’s role to marry and have children - Little solidarity of gay Korean men Confucianism put great emphasis on the need for individual to marry and produce children to continue their family line (During the Joseon Era) - Namsadang(남사당) - bands of itinerant male performers who travel from town to town and sing, acts and do acrobatics - popular among the general population despite coming from the lowest social class - Korean film “The King and the Clown (2005, 왕의 남자): - one namsadang performer, pretty boy (꽃미남), Gonggil (공길) wins the affections of King Yeonsan (연산군) ↳celebrity Hong Seok-chon홍석천 - Forced koreans to confront the reality (well-known but not preferred to think about) - Lost TV jobs and sponsorship (death threat) - Deserted by friend - Invited to university to speak “we are not that different” ↳ more people came out - ‘Gay Pride’ rallies in Central Seoul wear face masks - Film director Jho Gwang-soo and his partner marriage in 2024 - Faced protested by Christian group - Mayor Park Won-soon stated believe equal right for sexual minorities - backtracked by politically Protestant groups ↳acceptance toward homosexuality increased (2007:18% —> 2013: 39%) - most young people accept , older generation take negative view - tv show featured same-sex relationship