Korean Urbanization and Cultural Identity

Even though mass relocation from the Korean countryside took place during the Japanese colonization period, 85 per cent of Koreans were - by the end of the colonial period in 1945 – still classified as rural dwellers.

But the process of urbanization gained momentum after President Park Chung Hee put in place industrialization policies that had ignited the explosive growth of major cities such as Seoul, Busan and Daegu, and new manufacturing centers such as Ulsan, Pohang and Anyang.

That was the observation of California State University East Bay academic Laura Nelson in an article titled The Many Challenges of Urbanization in Korea, (Insight into Korea, Herald Media 2007).

"In a single generation, South Korea "tipped" from an agricultural, rural nation to one that was industrial and urban," Nelson noted.

She added that urbanization sounded like a technical process, whereas in fact it involved wrenching personal and societal changes which can be "voluntary or imposed, enriching or impoverishing" – all of which I am certain applied to Korea.

Massive urbanization also meant that the majority of residents in most Korean cities are now "native-born".

"While just a generation ago, most city dwellers were at the same time learning to live a city life and coping without the support of their extended families, now most South Koreans have no idea how to transplant a rice seedling. Of course, this can (and does) lead to grumbling from the older generation about the loss of "Korean" culture and values."

After four decades of growth, Korean cities are no longer growing at a breathtaking pace. In fact, the two largest cities, Seoul and Busan, lost population between 2000 and 2005, due mainly to intraregional settlement to new developments in the surrounding metropolitan areas.

But clearly, urbanization has also generated what Nelson called "a cultural identity conundrum" for the country. After all, South Koreans often present "Koreanness" to themselves and to the outside world as a cultural heritage rooted in the countryside (pictured).

"Whether the focus is on the Confucian honor of the yangban class or the honesty of the modest farmers, South Koreans produce idealized symbolic images of Korean cultural authenticity that emphasize the rural past rather than the urban present."

Nelson added that the elders' complaints that something significant had been lost "are not entirely groundless", since cultural traditions that were apparent in the countryside were no longer meaningful for urban residents.

For instance, taking care of a family's ancestral burial site is now likely to be seen as a burdensome and time-consuming chore, whereas in the past, doing so brought together an extended family and reaffirmed generational interdependence through cooperation and sharing a common meal.