Swesty Suci Lailia

15/384033/SA/18140

Universitas Gadjah Mada

Critical Response on The Korean Family in Transition Article by John Finch and Seung-
kyung Kim

Just like Indonesia, Korea had high birth rate in 1960s – 1980s. This high birth rate
later caused population density. The population density also made another broader social
issues that could affect social welfare in the country including proverty, health issue,
evironment pollution, etc. Thus, the government threw a campaign relating to birth control
that was expected to overcome those problems. It needed a long time to gain the people’s
awareness on this issue. However, as the era has changed, followed by the technology
development and globalization era appeared. It affected industrial sector that the factories
started using technologies and no longer needed human labor. This phenomena later causes a
huge number of unemployment. Besides, the financial crisis in Asia happened 1997 also gave
the same impact toward Korean society. This condition led the Korean to work harder,
competing to improve their living. They tried to increase self-improvement by improving and
finding the skill, also they were getting highest education. To get good education, they also
needed to spend more money on it. In proportion to well industrial sector, it produced many
good various products that could draw people’s attraction to buy them. Later, the Korean
have become consumptive because they spent a lot of money on everything including
education, entertainment, fashion, etc. Therefore, their needs became increased and made
living expenses. In fulfilling their needs, they need to get more money so that it also led them
to become ‘workaholic’. Their idea of marriage became blurry and concentrated more to
make their living. Besides, their increasing needs also led to lower intention to get married or
to have children because they might thought that marriage and raising kids require more
effort to get money as the household necessity increased.

In conclusion, the technology development has given huge impact toward society. It
could change the people’s perception, life-style, way of thinking and way to face the
problem. To be narrow, it also could cause Korean family system change and its number.