South Korea, a country that has attracted widespread attention, especially from its own netizens who largely agree with the assertion that it's the "most depressed country in the world."
This nation is renowned for its remarkable economic development, cultural influence, and outstanding achievements in various fields.
As an emerging developed country in Asia, South Korea has indeed achieved significant economic success.
However, South Korea also faces serious issues of depression and loneliness, stemming from a "cultivation culture" that encourages competition, in other words, severe internal competition.
South Korea has a large number of perfectionists who believe that anything less than 100 points is a failure.
This culture of competition has permeated many areas, exacerbating social competition.
South Korea's economic miracle was also formed under this condition, as the population sharply decreased due to the Korean War, leading to the introduction of a brutal education system for development.
Meanwhile, Korean society still retains the worst shame and judgment from Confucianism but has abandoned intimacy with family and society.
Cruel education is widespread in Korean families, influenced by capitalist materialism and money worship, leading to the phenomenon of high suicide rates in South Korea.
South Korea has only learned the dregs of Confucianism and capitalism.
Additionally, he mentioned the pressure issue in South Korea.
South Korea's internal competition is evident in various aspects, including e-sports and K-pop trainees.
Dozens of professional players train together and prepare for competitions, a pattern that continues to this day.
K-pop trainees undergo various selections from a young age, start living in dormitories, and companies arrange them comprehensively, all to extract more from them.
South Korean society excessively pursues achievements and self-esteem, resulting in a pathological internal competition phenomenon, even leading to various cheating incidents in the sports industry.
In South Korea, winning is more important than morality and rules, a situation that has permeated every corner of society.
In addition to the pathological internal competition, South Korean society's depression problem also stems from fragile self-esteem.
Due to the special nature of Korean history and the vulnerability brought about by cultural reforms, Koreans' self-esteem is often challenged.
This fragile self-esteem manifests in various ways, including online violence, overconfidence, and bullying in senior culture.
As the times change, the polarization of South Korean society is increasingly serious, leading many young people to feel confused and helpless.
Although some argue that South Korea is a developed country, its economic development does not rely entirely on internal competition.
American support plays an important role in this, but such support is unlikely to be sustainable in the long run.
Faced with issues of repression, internal competition, and pathology, South Korean society is facing significant challenges.
Despite opposing views, the phenomenon of high suicide and depression rates still indicates the severity of the problem.
The future development direction of South Korea will depend on how they address these challenges.
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