In South Korea, it has been difficult for society to keep up with the pace of technological and economic development, according to the young people interviewed by .
Could this be true? Or is this fake news? Some movie?
That’s what the 24-year-old thought Youn Yejinwhen he saw videos on social media of military helicopters landing on South Korea’s parliament building.
Soon, more news started trickling in and it was believable. The president of the country Yoon Suk-yeol had declared a state of emergency in the country the night before Tuesday.
A student living in Espoo soon learned that the state of emergency law means, among other things, limiting political gatherings and curtailing freedom of speech.
– South Korea changed overnight. It was a shock, Youn describes.
After following the news for a while, Youn started writing to his parents and sister in the family’s message circle. A little sister studying at a university in South Korea was worried about whether she would dare to go to campus the next day.
– My mother said to go just like usual. My parents are of the generation that think it’s always best to continue with everyday life in peace, says Youn.
The president’s approval rating has fallen
In the end, the state of emergency declared by the president lasted only six hours, until it was revoked by the parliament.
By living in Seoul by Kim Youngki has a clear view of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
– He is completely crazy, a completely crazy man, Kim tells by phone.
In Kim’s view, the emergency law was the last proof of the president’s unfitness. Democrats who oppose the president have a clear majority in South Korea’s parliament.
– He didn’t even think this trick through. Of course, that state of emergency law would be repealed. The president even managed to cover up the scandal, says Kim.
Kim’s spouse Lotta Åman says that they are disappointed with President Yoon Suk-yeol even among their own party.
According to the latest polls, the president’s approval rating has fallen below 20 percent.
– I have understood from the news that he has also been disappointed in the ranks of the conservatives, says Åman, who lived in South Korea for nine years.
Feminism speaks
When Yoon Suk-yeol won the presidential election in 2022, he received huge votes, especially from young conservative men.
Both women interviewed by say that gender equality is one of the key political issues in South Korea.
– The country has developed in the field of technology and economy, but then as a society we have big disagreements about culture, the status of men and women, says Youn, who has lived abroad for years.
In South Korea, the position of women has improved in the 21st century, but equality is still a long way off. The gender pay gap is more than 31 percent in favor of men, the top of the OECD countries.
Problems like this have given birth to a vibrant equality movement in the country. However, according to Åman, feminism is not understood in South Korea in quite the same way as in Western countries.
At the same time as women’s opportunities in South Korean society have increased, many young women also cling to the privileges of the older generation: It is the man’s job to buy an apartment and pay for a certain level of lifestyle.
– When young South Korean women can travel abroad and gain different life experiences, men are expected to think about a career. At the same time, for example, apartment prices have skyrocketed too high, Åman reflects.
According to him, it was bringing these kinds of issues to the public that once brought votes to the president, who is now in political difficulties.
The possible impeachment of the conservative president will hardly solve South Korea’s deep equality problems.
– Young men and women of my own generation no longer share the same values. That’s a big problem, Youn thinks.