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South Korean youth face many social pressures in their country. Ultra-selective education, constant professional competition, the cult of wealth and appearance are all realities that harden the population’s social control. Although these trends are often perceived as the price of the Korean miracle, today’s young people see them as dictatorial and inhuman. South Korea has achieved its goal of becoming rich and powerful, but young people don’t share the same reference points as their parents. They no longer wish to put up with the strict rules imposed by Korean society, and aspire to greater freedom and personal fulfillment. This is why, according to a recent study, around 9 out of 10 young Koreans want to leave their country. A new wave of Korean emigration is underway, and we tell you all about it in this article.
Young Koreans’ reasons for emigrating
One of the main motivations for young Koreans to emigrate is the ultra-selective education system. In South Korea, academic success is considered paramount, and the pressure to perform well at school is intense. This overwhelming pressure drives many young people to seek other horizons where they can be evaluated on criteria other than their academic performance.
Ongoing job competition is also a key factor in young Koreans’ decision to leave their country. In South Korea, competition for jobs is extremely fierce. Young graduates often find themselves facing stiff competition on the job market, leading to great anxiety and insecurity about their professional future. Many of them see emigration as an opportunity to find better job prospects and professional and personal fulfillment abroad.
Finally, the search for freedom and personal fulfillment is an important motivation for young Koreans to emigrate. In South Korea, society places a strong emphasis on conformity and obedience to social norms. Young people feel the need to break away from these constraints and live according to their own values and aspirations. Emigration offers them the opportunity to create a new identity, far removed from the expectations and pressures of Korean society.
Consequences of massive Korean youth emigration
The massive emigration of young Koreans has important consequences, both for South Korea and for the host countries. Demographically speaking, emigration is contributing to an imbalance in the Korean population. With nine out of ten young people wishing to leave the country, there is likely to be a significant shortage of young skilled workers, which could have an impact on the country’s economic development.
However, the emigration of young Koreans also brings economic and social benefits to the host countries. Young Koreans, often well-educated and highly skilled, become a valuable workforce in many sectors. Their emigration contributes to the cultural enrichment and diversity of the host countries, while providing them with valuable skills and knowledge.
For South Korea, the loss of skilled labor can pose economic challenges. The country needs to find ways of attracting and retaining its young talent in order to maintain its economic competitiveness. This may require revising education and employment policies, as well as improving working conditions and future prospects for young people.
Migration policy issues in South Korea
Faced with the threat of demographic decline, it is imperative for South Korea to adopt a new migration policy. With a fertility rate of just 0.7 children per woman, the Korean population is facing a serious problem of aging and a shrinking working population. Controlled immigration appears to be an effective solution to this demographic crisis.
However, the adoption of a new migration policy also raises important issues. It is essential to put in place effective integration policies for new arrivals, to foster their social and professional integration. It is also necessary to rethink relations between South Korea and its diaspora abroad, encouraging their involvement and contribution to the country’s development.
A reappraisal of manual trades
South Korea is one of the most highly educated countries in the world, with one of the highest levels of university education. Yet more and more young Koreans are finding it difficult to enter the job market, and no longer agree with the lifestyle models proposed by society.
One of the ways in which young Koreans are breaking free from the shackles and pre-established models of society is by revaluing and reconsidering so-called manual trades. These trades, which until now have been devalued and associated with a social class in difficulty. However, in the West, particularly in the United States, skilled, well-paid labor is in high demand, because we too have chosen to devalue these professions.
In conclusion, South Korean youth choose to emigrate because of the social pressures and constraints they face at home. Ultra-selective education, constant professional competition and the search for freedom are all factors that drive young people to seek a better life abroad. However, it is important to understand the consequences of this massive emigration and to develop a new migration policy that can respond to the demographic and economic challenges facing South Korea.
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