Social issues in Japan and South Korea

A comparative presentation on some of the most pressing social issues in South Korea and Japan: High Suicide Rates, Toxic Work Culture, and Gender Discrimination.

1. Ciara Herrera & Diana Dela Torre Comparative Political Economy

2. SOCIAL ISSUES Toxic Work Culture Gender Discrimination High Suicide Rates

3. GENDER DISCRIMINATION the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women.

4. GENDER DISCRIMINATION in South Korea Case: Actress Jang Ja-yeon Examples in the workplace: Wage differences Study by Gyeongjoon Yoo (2003) High positions (and power) monopolized by men Study by Monk-Turner and Turner (1994) More than 78% of sexual harassment victims in the workplace did not seek recourse but “put up with it”

5. Roots of Gender Discrimination Confucianism? Study by Eunkwang Koh Example: Hoju System Conclusion Article by Amy Gao Five Relationships and Three Bonds Conclusion

6. How did women in South Korea react?

7. Government Response on Gender Discrimination Creation of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) Lifecycle Career Support Strategy for Working Women Goal Collaboration with World Economic Forum Challenges Culture and Tradition

8. It’s going UP!

9. GENDER DISCRIMINATION in Japan The Japanese business system prioritizes male workers. Men are more reliable. Only 10% are women in the lower house of Japan.

10. ✓ More reliable ✓ Can devote more time to work Why they prefer male workers Women are not prioritized because they might leave their jobs after marriage or childbirth. Why women come second

11. Vertical Sex Segregation Concentration of women at the bottom part of the workplace hierarchy.

12. Shinzo Abe wants to create a society where women shine

13. C O M P A R I S O N SIMILARITIES Influence from Confucianism Low number of women in high positions Both governments are supportive in reducing gender discrimination DIFFERENCES South Korea women protested (#MeToo Movement)

14. Work Culture “A workplace culture is the shared values, belief systems, attitudes and the set of assumptions that people in a workplace share”. -Agarwal, 2019

15. TOXIC WORK CULTURE in South Korea Case: Lee Han-Bit (Producer of a Korean show Drinking Solo ) History and Culture Economic Boost Confucian capitalism Gapjil Abusive Seniority/Hierarchical System Overworking

16. Gapjil

17. GWAROSA death by overwork

18. Government Response on Toxic Work Culture President Moon Jae-In From overworked society to a society spending time with family Reducing number of deaths related to overworking In July 2018, the government legislated to reduce the maximum working hours from a staggering 68 per week to 40, with 12 hours of paid overtime

19. TOXIC WORK CULTURE in Japan The unhealthy work culture started after the World War II, when the Japanese felt the need to exert more effort in order to rebuild their country. Japan has the lowest productivity rate among G7 countries.

20. Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Eurostat and Office for National Statistics calculations

21. KAROSHI death by overwork

22. Workers are entitled to file 20 leaves a year but around 35% don’t take any of it. Office bullying is also common in Japan. Premium Fridays Stress Check Program Cooperation

23. EMPLOYEE’S FACE shoved into BOILING HOT POT “It was just a prank ” -Company president who did the horrific act

24. C O M P A R I S O N Similarities Abusive seniority system Death by overwork/long working hours Confucianism = economic growth Differences In South Korea, overworking was addressed by reducing the maximum number of working hours In Japan, more programs were created.

25. SUICIDE RATE deaths deliberately initiated and performed by a person in the full knowledge or expectation of its fatal outcome.

26. HIGH SUICIDE RATES in South Korea Case: Korean actress Choi Jin-Sil Among member countries of OECD, South Korea had the highest suicide rate at 31.97 per 100,000 people. However, not all suicide cases are reported.

27. Source: World Population Review SUICIDE RATES 2018 South Korea

28. A study by Kanwal, Perveen, and Sumbla on the causes and severity of suicide in developed nations of East Asia

29. According to the OECD, roughly half of Korea’s elderly population lives in poverty. country’s pension system only began in 1988 = no source of income more Koreans are abandoning their elderly parents in the countryside and sending them money less frequently many of South Korea’s older people commit suicide so as to not levy a financial burden family members. For children, most suicides are caused by stress relating to education. school year of 11 months and often spend over 16 hours a day at school and at afterschool programs called hagwons . top three universities in South Korea Family prestige and honor are often tied to where children go to university, and many adolescents take their own lives out of that stress Differences Based on Age

30. Government Response on High Suicide Rate Revision of the Mental Health Act in 2017 Creation of the National Youth Healing Center that offers counseling programs for students Jump barriers on bridges and glass doors in subways platforms 24 hour government-funded suicide hotlines Banning of Gramoxone Expanding state pension system

31. HIGH SUICIDE RATES in Japan Majority of those who commit suicide in Japan are men. Around 100 people take their lives each year at Japan’s “suicide forest”. Workplace stress and divorce are said to be the main causes of suicide amongst adults. Academic pressure is the main reason for kids’ suicide in Japan. Japan’s Aokigahara or “suicide forest”

32. SUICIDE RATES 2018 Japan Source: World Population Review

33. Workplace Stress Divorce

34. Hikikomori a psychological condition which makes people shut themselves off from society, often staying in their houses for months on end. -Business Insider

35. Even children in Japan take their own lives due to school pressure.

36. C O M P A R I S O N Similarities Confucianism Because of high academic and work pressure High suicide rate for elderly people (ages 50 years old and above) and among children Differences Japan has the culture of Harakiri and Hikikomori Korea’s culture of “public image”

37. Thank You