From colonial repression to the rise of K-Pop, Ramon Pacheco Pardo documents the extraordinary transformation of South Korea
Review by Jules Stewart
Across seven decades, South Korea has faced colonial repression, three years of devastating war, the desolation of mass poverty and a painful evolution from dictatorship to liberal democracy, before finally emerging as an economic and cultural powerhouse. Ramon Pacheco Pardo, head of the Department of European and International Studies at King’s College, documents this extraordinary transformation, ‘from shrimp to whale’, achieved as much by the working class that forced politicians to create more equitable economic conditions as by the nation’s leaders.
Only a people imbued with an indomitable will to preserve their culture could have withstood 35 years of Japanese rule, when Koreans became second-class citizens in their own country and witnessed a ruthless attempt to eradicate their cultural history. Then, no sooner had Korea been liberated in 1945, the peninsula was split into two, creating the 38th parallel demilitarised zone, which separated the Russian-dominated north from the US-backed south. Thus came into being North and South Korea.
Having thrown off the yoke of imperialism, South Korea has ploughed on through the turbulence of revolution, coup d’état, four constitutions and six republics to become one of the world’s largest economies, powered by hi-tech industry and what the author regards as its ‘cool and fashionable’ trendsetting culture. A major change has been that people are no longer happy with a 70–80-hour work week, Pacheco Pardo explains. They want to enjoy a more European lifestyle and obtain greater corporate benefits. ‘This is especially true of the youth,’ he writes. ‘The number of women in the workforce has increased dramatically and we are seeing more women in managerial roles. In fact, there are more women involved in start-ups than in Silicon Valley.’
Demographics are also undergoing a dramatic change. Population numbers are on the decline and Pacheco Pardo sees little chance of a reversal in this trend. As a result, South Korea’s next challenge will be to adapt to an ageing population. According to the author, more women need to join the workforce and, given the shortage of workers, companies will have to increase their reliance on technology and robots.
There is, of course, also the continual menace of confrontation with North Korea. Pacheco Pardo believes reconciliation with the dictatorship depends on Pyongyang, albeit the North has so far failed to take any meaningful steps in this direction.
