1. Formerly taboo things are now entering into our everyday life some of them are even shown on TV. What are your thoughts about this?

This problem is all due to newly created openness in our society. I think that Korean society is divided in half, one half public and the other half private.

This divided society makes people use two different forms of language in different places, public versus private. This feature of society, the division between a hypocritical public life and our real life, has both a good and a bad side. The good side is that individuals can speak to the public through media such as the Internet.

It can put pressure on the public. These developments result in a mixing of private and public life, with the latter embracing opinions of minor groups in society. This embracement can be a form of resistance against the vested interests in society, as we’ve seen punk and alternative culture.

However, this positive aspect also has a bad view at the same time, just like two sides of a coin. One concern is that this speak-up culture can create a loss of cultural quality. Puerile mimicries of culture and babyish talk can be an example. Right now, this society has no actual measure that can prevent such a negative point eventually leading to vulgarism.

The second negative point of this openness is irresponsibility. The main stream in today’s culture lies on the Internet. Through the Internet, youngsters in their 20’s and 30’s can take the role that used to play by men in their 70’s and 80’s.

The people with actual power in society are changing from the old to the young. It’s the main tendency of change in society worldwide. However, our society doesn’t have many young people with responsibility. Without this necessary requirement, our community can fall into a state of anomie. Even though revolution and change in society is needed and should be promoted, these negative aspects should be considered seriously.

2. Is the change in our society due to the change of people minds, or is it the society that creates these changes in the first place?
The sum of each individual is not equal to the society. The issues that we face are not created by people thinking this or that way. Mass tendencies are caused by some other mechanism. So we need to understand the mechanism rather than criticizing every person in the society.

In the case of our society, many social issues are the result of the rapid economic growth that has improved our standard of living. Yet intellectual growth hasn’t kept pace with material growth. We have overcome the so called Red-Complex (hating red due to its relation to communism) but we still need to get over the Pink-Complex (sexual hang-ups that exist in this society). Overcoming these complexes can also be a meaning of the intellectual growth.

Although such changes can be seen by some as all bad, it is necessary. The more problems we encounter, the better chance our society and we have to be better off. Therefore, there’s no need to be shocked at new matters, problems, and circumstances. All we have to do is to face these things and thereby move on to something better.

3. What can be the reason for people getting used to love between student and teacher? There are even people who feel positive about it. What’s your opinion to this matter?

The recent TV dramas and movies that fly in the face of traditional ethics can be seen as an aspect of capitalism. However, it is notable that the audience or viewers of such dramas and movies actually accept things that are very new and ground breaking.

It looks to me that the meaning of love is changing as society develops. The traditional idea of love; the love that we all have seen as being kept by only one partner, is now cracking. This trend is due to the break-up of the traditional meaning of family. This break of traditional family ties means a transformation of social spirit.

In another words, it means the transformation of society to something that is the same or similar to the West. In my personal opinion, we will face similar problems and turmoil to western civilization. The love we used to know will also change, as though following the rules of biology.

4. How does this yupgi culture reflect people’s mind? and how does it influence society? And why are these kinds of things gaining more and more popularity?

The definition written in a dictionary and the actual usage of ‘yupgi’ are quite different. It looks to me that in Korea, the dictionary definition is not accepted widely.

If we look at the sales figures for books containing ‘yupgi’ (according to the dictionary meaning) the figure is very low compared to the figure for other nations. Mostly Koreans don’t seem to enjoy this kind of thing.

Instead, we like things that are more compassionate, things that enrich or move our heart. There’s no other society where news shows focus mainly on people’s sorrow rather than the causes and effects that make people sad. But, as human beings, compassion cannot be all that we have.

We now seem to enjoy jeering. When Koreans feel themselves too sentimental, they jeer to counterbalance this tendency and it is between these two tendencies that the real use of ‘yupgi’ is created.

5. What do you think about violence today?

I think the main reason for today’s increase in violent criminals and violent behavior is the increase in people’s solitary life. Movies like ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and ‘The Bone Collector’ show examples of this.

However, comparing the social pressures that people of this society encounter, the situation is not so critical. Since our society is built on so many relations with other people, it is difficult to live alone. Although it is true that many people are having a hard time being with others, it is these ties that save us from extreme cruelty.

But also, I agree with the point that the situation is not all bad. Although there are many people who keep thinking of the ‘the good old days’, the good days are here right now. We have the best medical benefits ever, extended life expectancy and so on. We will continuously have problems until the end of our heartbeats. We shouldn’t be too pessimistic about it.

6. Any solution to these issues?
I remember a saying ‘Despair little and be a little more optimistic’. This civilization is not just a tragedy. All we have to do is to stick with the present and make the most of it.
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