4 ms·

What makes you think Korea is more weird and twisted than Japan?

kurthr 9y ago
I only know of it through friends. I don't consider myself fluent in either the language or the culture, but especially in highschool social media seems extremely dark and darwinian. Abusive behavior from their description seems fairly common place and suicides are not uncommon. Highschool is very socially important throughout your working career in Korea (like undergraduate college is in the US). As a result of these pressures secret groups and cliques form in highschool which hack/troll/threaten other groups and apparently continue on for years afterward. I don't claim to understand and maybe it's just some of the high-pressure "elite" schools, but the commentary didn't make it seem rare. Personally, I think the psychological pressure of a very military mindset (spying is a normal part of both social and business experience) and having the threat of the North just beyond the DMZ outside of Seoul is part of it... along with the pressure parents put on their kids to succeed. Watch some Korean films and you will see in it a self image that to this American feels darker and more disturbing than similarly bizarre things that happen in Japan (think more on the GangLife/Neo-Nazi side of the US, but better educated).
- emodendroket 9y ago
  At the risk of denying the particulars, I don't think there is any country where you can't find lurid stories of high school social media bullying leading to suicide.
  - kurthr 9y ago
    Although I agree with you in general, please watch Korean cinema (not the extremely popular Dramas) and try working with/for a Korean company for a few years. I think you will find that what I am describing is not typical of any other country with as large a GDP... perhaps Russia, but I don't have any personal knowledge of that.
    - emodendroket 9y ago
      I am married to a Korean (not Korean-American but born and raised in Korea) woman and consequently have married into a large Korean family, so I feel like I have at least as much insight as I would have watching more Korean TV shows than I have.

I only know of it through friends. I don't consider myself fluent in either the language or the culture, but especially in highschool social media seems extremely dark and darwinian. Abusive behavior from their description seems fairly common place and suicides are not uncommon. Highschool is very socially important throughout your working career in Korea (like undergraduate college is in the US). As a result of these pressures secret groups and cliques form in highschool which hack/troll/threaten other groups and apparently continue on for years afterward. I don't claim to understand and maybe it's just some of the high-pressure "elite" schools, but the commentary didn't make it seem rare. Personally, I think the psychological pressure of a very military mindset (spying is a normal part of both social and business experience) and having the threat of the North just beyond the DMZ outside of Seoul is part of it... along with the pressure parents put on their kids to succeed. Watch some Korean films and you will see in it a self image that to this American feels darker and more disturbing than similarly bizarre things that happen in Japan (think more on the GangLife/Neo-Nazi side of the US, but better educated).

emodendroket 9y ago
At the risk of denying the particulars, I don't think there is any country where you can't find lurid stories of high school social media bullying leading to suicide.
- kurthr 9y ago
  Although I agree with you in general, please watch Korean cinema (not the extremely popular Dramas) and try working with/for a Korean company for a few years. I think you will find that what I am describing is not typical of any other country with as large a GDP... perhaps Russia, but I don't have any personal knowledge of that.
  - emodendroket 9y ago
    I am married to a Korean (not Korean-American but born and raised in Korea) woman and consequently have married into a large Korean family, so I feel like I have at least as much insight as I would have watching more Korean TV shows than I have.