For ‘losers’, Korean society is unforgiving

Posted on : 2012-08-31 14:54 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Social safety net need for isolated individuals who could act out violently

By Yun Hyung-jung, staff reporter

After Lee graduated from high school, he failed to enter university. Now 19, he is studying again to take the university entrance exam while working three part-time service jobs and living in a small rented room. Unable to get into university, Lee has stopped contacting his friends. “If I fail again this time, I feel like there will be no place for me anymore,” he said. He is at a crossroads: in Korean society, a failure at this juncture lasts the rest of one’s life.

But even for those who make it to university, stress continues after graduation. After graduating from a university in Seoul, Seo worked for a total of eight months at a small construction company, a job he quit after not receiving his salary for 5 months. Unfortunately, after that experience, no one wanted to hire a person who had quit a small-time company. Seo, now 37 years old, feels that that one mistake caused the whole world to turn its back on him.

Since then, Seo worked as a day laborer on construction sites and for moving companies. He even volunteered for pharmaceutical testing to make money. “Horror movies were never my cup of tea, but I started watching them to relieve my anxiety. Whenever there was a murdering scene, I would get vicarious satisfaction.” He was fortunate enough to pass the Level 9 civil service exam in 2009 and resumed a normal life, but he still can’t forget how close he was to committing violence.

But not everyone is as fortunate as Seo. Most of the ‘losers’ don’t get the chance to recover. Park, who used to be a cosmetics wholesaler, lost all his fortune in 2010. Park was betrayed by his business partner who left him with a debt of 1.3 billion Korean won (around US$1.4 million). Park lost everything he owned, including his house.

Park moved into a flophouse near Seoul Station. He couldn’t find a proper job because even if he got his salary, it would go to repaying his debts. He worked on construction sites and spent all his earnings on alcohol. After a year, when he was diagnosed with renal diseases, Park left the flophouse and moved into shelter for the homeless.

It was around this time when Park stopped talking. He now goes to internet cafes and plays computer games whenever he has money. Through the games, Park lets out his bad thoughts by stabbing and killing characters in the game.

Experts point out that those who are secluded are usually people unable to join the mainstream of the society at a pivotal stage of life. Kim Soo-han, a professor of Sociology at Korea University, said, “The increase in isolated victims comes from the unforgiving nature of Korean society - there is no other chance for the ‘losers.’ In Korean society, failure by a certain age may cost one their social life.”

He added, “The recent trend of ‘social mentors’ like Professor Ahn Cheol-soo or Monk Pomnyun has gained momentum because of the greater number of individuals suffering from despair and loneliness.”

Concerning crimes caused by despair, Professor Kim stated “Those crimes happen when accumulated despair explodes and is expressed outwardly. However, we must not forget that more chose to commit suicide.”

Experts suggest that the only way to prevent crimes of that nature is to help those in despair. Choi Won-gyu, professor of social welfare studies at Chonbuk National University, said that “The Swedish social safety net is based on the premise that all individuals may fall into despair 3-4 times in their lives.”

He also said “To prevent crimes, we create a social safety net that can help the unemployed and despaired, instead of building high walls and importing security systems.”

  

Translated by Yoo Hey-rim, Hankyoreh English intern

  

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