The internet has somehow made it acceptable to adopt a certain mindset towards Korean society and culture in a white colonizer-savior adjacent way, that has the need to “cleanse” them because it doesn’t align with defined set of progressive values that mainly stems from the West.
I find it incredibly jarring to see people comment, judge, and criticise Korean society/culture despite living oceans away and never have step foot in the country, nor have experienced growing up or living there for long periods of time. A lot of people form their judgements from informations that they either get from a. the echo chamber that is social media, and b. dramas that are meant to be fiction and for entertainment purposes about Korean society. East Asian values are vastly different than Western values, there’s plenty of nuances that exists and better recognised through lived experiences. I’m not saying that Korean society as a whole is immune to criticism, or they don’t have their own issues that needs to be addressed, or issues that involves international communities because there’s a bunch, but that’s also the same with every other society out there. To which I believe, should be discussed within their own people and people who have lived personal experiences and knows the in and outs of it. It’s not wise and quite problematic to be judging a whole race and their culture based off of point of views that have absolutely zero personal experience or even little experience with the race/culture itself (e.g becoming a tourist for a week in the country, or doing a semester exchange and barely communicate with Korean people). You don’t know the language, you don’t know the cultural intricacies and nuances that exist, and yet you have a lot to say and judge them for. Instead, sit down, listen, and learn. View the issues from POV’s of the culture itself, free of bias or judgement, with an understanding attitude.
submitted by /u/KUNT3SS4
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