Let's Talk About the Stream, Not the Dragon from the Stream
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- South Korean society faces a crisis where social mobility is severely hampered, with parental background and residential location being far more significant factors in success than individual effort.
- A proposal to increase university admissions from non-Seoul regions aims to address this inequality, but critics argue it won't solve the fundamental issues of job market disparity and social stratification.
- The article advocates for a shift from a society that waits for 'dragons to emerge from the stream' to one that eliminates the 'stream' itself, emphasizing integrated growth and welfare strategies to create better jobs for all.
The article, 'Let's Talk About the Stream, Not the Dragon from the Stream,' published in the Hankyoreh, critically examines the myth of meritocracy in South Korea. It argues that the current system, where success is overwhelmingly determined by factors beyond individual control like parental wealth and location, has rendered the traditional narrative of upward mobility through sheer effort obsolete.
If you could change just one thing in your life with a 'magic card,' what would you change? Your alma mater, your workplace, your apartment… Various imaginations are possible, but the most brutally realistic answer in Korea today is one: changing your parents.
The author highlights a stark reality: even with exceptional effort and admission into prestigious universities, individuals from less privileged backgrounds struggle to achieve financial stability, such as owning a home in Seoul. This is underscored by a Bank of Korea report indicating that only 8% of the Seoul-Incheon area's advantage in Seoul National University admissions can be attributed to student potential, with the remaining 92% stemming from residential differences.
In a society where the myth of effort has gone bankrupt, this tragic imagination is a self-portrait of our time.
While acknowledging the appeal of proposals like regional quotas for university admissions as attempts to level the playing field, the article contends they are superficial solutions. It posits that without fundamental changes to the political and economic structure, and a robust welfare system, simply allowing more 'dragons' to emerge from the 'stream' will not create more good jobs or reduce wage gaps. Instead, it could intensify competition and unfairly blame individuals for their lack of success.
The Bank of Korea announced in 2024 that the difference in Seoul National University admission rates between Seoul and non-Seoul regions is only 8% attributable to differences in student potential, with 92% originating from residential differences.
The Hankyoreh, known for its progressive stance, emphasizes that a truly good society is not one that merely offers a slim chance for a few to escape their circumstances, but one where no one needs to mortgage their life to endless competition, and where the 'stream' itself is eliminated. This requires a bold vision integrating growth and welfare to create ample opportunities for everyone, moving beyond the outdated 'dragon' narrative to build a society without such streams.
A good society is not one that waits for dragons to emerge from the stream. It is a society where no one has to mortgage their life to endless competition to become a dragon, a society where dragons are not needed, a society without streams.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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