South Korean Research Articles

Social comparison on Instagram among millennial mothers: The relationships between envy and parental stress

Mothers are heavily engaged in social media, and mommy influencers have become key sources of information and targets for social comparison. This study investigates the psychological mechanisms by which mothers’ parental stress is affected by social comparison with mommy influencers. An online survey was conducted among South Korean millennial mothers ( N = 237). The results revealed that mothers who frequently compare themselves to mommy influencers may experience both positive and negative effects depending on the envy type. While social comparison was positively associated with both benign and malicious envy, the relationships between these two forms of envy and parenting efficacy differed. Benign envy was positively and malicious envy was negatively associated with enhanced parenting efficacy, respectively. Both envy and parenting efficacy serially mediated the relationship between mothers’ social comparison experiences with mommy influencers and parental stress. The implications of these findings are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Power or opportunity? Perceived inequality on life satisfaction explained by reduced trust in South Korea

AbstractThis paper presents new evidence linking different aspects of perceived inequality (education, employment, law enforcement, income and wealth, power, and gender) to life satisfaction. Using large‐scale national survey data, we examined the relationships between the six aspects of perceived inequality, life satisfaction, and generalized trust among South Koreans (N = 17,357). Exploratory structural equation modelling identified a two‐factor structure of perceived inequality: Opportunity Inequality (inequalities in education and employment) and Power Inequality (inequalities in income and wealth, law enforcement, power, and gender). Results from mediation analysis suggested that both aspects of inequality negatively predicted life satisfaction via reduced generalized trust. Those processes were consistent regardless of household income. The study underscores the critical impact that public perceptions of (in)equality in various opportunity and power aspects have on well‐being and trust and emphasizes the urgency of government and policy action to address the growing problem of inequality in South Korean society. The findings highlight the urgent need to address disparities and promote social harmony and well‐being in countries facing similar challenges.

Legitimate Transaction? Regulating Commercial International Marriage Brokers in South Korea

Marriages between South Korean men and women from less affluent Asian countries have been popular since the 1990s, and commercial international marriage brokers have played an important role in the trend. This article argues that the laws and regulations governing marriage brokers, such as Marriage Brokers Business Management Act (MBBMA) and consumer protection mechanisms, have reinforced the rights of citizen-husbands and legitimized claims from the men’s movement. As a result, the state’s regulation of commercial matchmaking endorses a form of commodified intimacy and protects the rights of male client-cum-“head of the family,” despite the consequences of commodifying the personhood of migrant women and legitimizing the violence of denying their personal autonomy. Data include public documents and policies from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Korea Institute for Healthy Family, Korea Consumer Agency, Fair Trade Commission, and MBBMA. Analysis of these public texts reveals the legal and policy language that sanitizes and disguises unequal gender roles and discrimination against foreigners.

A cultural models approach to understanding body fatness perceptions and disordered eating in young South Korean men.

The eating disorders field has been limited by a predominant focus on White, Western women, and there is growing recognition of the need to understand cross-cultural variation in key constructs (i.e., ideal body types). A transdisciplinary, cultural models approach systematizes the incorporation of an "emic" perspective (a culture's own understandings of phenomena) into assessments of relationships between body shapes and eating disorders. Eighty-one young South Korean men aged 19-34 years living in Seoul participated in this research. A cultural model of body fatness was identified using cultural consensus analysis during 18 months of ethnographic, mixed-methods fieldwork. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing age, height, weight, sexual identity, university prestige, body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and cultural consonance with the Korean cultural model of the ideal male body. Variation in these factors was analyzed using a series of chi-squares and analyses of variance with the culturally defined categories of body fatness as the independent variables. Cultural consensus analysis found that young South Korean men are consistent in identifying categories of "too thin," "balanced," and "too fat." The "balanced" category contained the lowest proportion of high-prestige university attendees and the highest average cultural consonance. The "too fat" category was characterized by the highest levels of body dissatisfaction and dieting, as well as proportion of probable eating disorders. A cultural models approach identified culturally important factors and patterns in disordered eating among young South Korean men and may be effective for understanding eating disorders in other populations not typically studied. This study applies a systematic, "emic" perspective to young South Korean men's body ideals. Young Korean men share a cultural model of body fatness, and this model frames how they experience risk for eating disorders. This study demonstrates a method for incorporating culture into research on eating disorder risk.

Health consciousness, self-esteem, and successful aging among South Korean baby boomers engaging in leisure sports

Health consciousness, self-esteem, and successful aging among South Korean baby boomers engaging in leisure sports

Understanding South Korean women workers' career transition experiences: using the career decision tree model.

Relatively little research has explored non-Western women workers and their career transitions within their unique cultural contexts. Thus, more context-sensitive approaches to women's career trajectories are needed. Based on Bian and Wang's Career Decision Tree Model (2019) as a conceptual framework, the reasons for South Korean women workers' career transitions and influencing factors were explored using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with 35 South Korean women workers at various career stages. Their main motive of career transitions was difficulty maintaining their physical and mental health, which stemmed from their demanding work life. A typical issue, the burden of child rearing and family responsibilities, was also reported, but it was not the primary reason for their career transitions. Instead, the women workers often mentioned these responsibilities along with other reasons. Other reasons were unresolved career interests and expectations associated with their lack of career goals and preparation prior to joining the labor market. These factors led to significant changes in women's values and priorities along their career path, which finally triggered a decision to make a career transition. South Korean socio-cultural characteristics embedded in the South Korean women's personal and organizational lives provide insights on how to interpret the findings. Although on the surface some of our findings appeared to confirm previous studies on women's career transitions in Western-based literature, noteworthy differences were discovered when delving deeper into women's career transitions in the South Korean context.

Stress and Cognitive Performance: Evidence from a South Korean Earthquake

Abstract Studies have identified negative effects of cortisol, a stress hormone, on academic performance. Because natural disasters induce community-wide stress, students who experience natural disasters may subsequently perform worse academically. Our study is the first to examine the immediate effects of close exposure to a natural disaster on academic performance. We examine the impact of the 2017 Pohang earthquake in South Korea on college entrance exam scores. The 5.4 magnitude quake occurred one day before the scheduled nationwide college entrance exam date, necessitating its postponement for one week. Several aftershocks occurred during that postponement period. We find that the earthquake decreased the reading test scores of students in the Pohang area by 0.05 standard deviation but had no effect on math test scores. The reading test was administered earlier in the day than the math test, so these findings suggest that students taking exams in post-traumatic situations might be able to perform better after a warm-up testing period. Finally, male students suffered the largest adverse impacts on their reading test scores, with serious implications given the high-stakes nature of the exams.

Keeping the Cold War Cold: Korea, 1966–1976

Abstract During the Cold War, U.S. strategic leaders had to deal with policies and issues in every part of the globe. The main theater was in Europe, but there were other regions that demanded attention. Korea was an important one. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, the peninsula was on the brink of conflict as North Korea initiated a series of operations that were legitimate acts of war. There was a strong desire among South Korean government officials for a military response, but U.S. government leaders said no. Officials in Washington recognized the limits of U.S. power at the time, and designed their responses to maintain the status quo. The story of how the United States handled its undertakings in areas of marginal importance was a chapter in the larger history of the Cold War. A number of historians have suggested that the Third World played a key role in shaping developments in the Cold War, but U.S. actions in Korea indicate something a bit more complicated. Knowing when to become involved and when to limit losses was crucial in how the United States managed events along the periphery of the Cold War.

Determinants of Corporate Performance in One of Indonesia's Foreign Banks

This research aims to assess the impact of organizational learning and leadership style on corporate performance (CP), with organizational culture acting as a moderator. The study was carried out at an Indonesian bank that is owned by the South Korean government. Therefore, this research will examine the impact of South Korean business culture, which is unfamiliar territory. This study employs a quantitative methodology. The findings of this study demonstrate that organizational learning significantly impacts business performance. Moreover, the leadership style also has an impact on the overall functioning of the company. Similar outcomes are also demonstrated in the case of organizational culture, which has an impact on corporate performance. Organizational culture plays a role in influencing organizational learning and corporate performance. Organizational culture does not have a moderating effect on the relationship between leadership style and business performance, as evidenced by many findings.

Korean popular music in-between: Identity strategies between Japanese style and American standards in the 1960s

This article explores collective experiences of Japanese popular music within the post-Second World War South Korean society along with related identity strategies – elimination, stratification and standardization – from postcolonial perspectives and discuss what characterizes ‘Japanese-ness’ as a musical, industrial and social product. In the context of strategies to eradicate it from the urban spaces, cultural industry and memories and bodies of Korean people, Japanese-ness – labelled under the moniker waesaek – was proscribed as a cultural remnant of imperialism, militarism and colonial dominion and thus, a harmful influence on its public. South Korean popular songs categorized as waesaek music within this model were subject to social criticism and gentrified in the music marketplace as trot. On the other hand, Americanization was an important strategy used to construct a new ‘Korean-ness’ separate from the Japanese-ness lingering within the country from its colonial past. Japanese-ness in popular music in post-war South Korea continually changed as it was re-imagined and re-constructed in parallel with musical, social and industrial changes in South Korea. Each of these strategies carries its own corresponding paradoxes, and Korean-ness and Japanese-ness are cast in sharp relief as distinct cultural products while still containing those paradoxes. This article argues that these strategies, both global and local in scope, highlight the fact that post-colonialism cannot be explained merely by the relationship between one colony and one empire but rather evolves in a global and local milieu, in which multiple empires and colonies are intertwined.

What motivates South Korean Official Development Assistance?

AbstractOfficial Development Assistance (ODA) is defined by a motive: the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries. This review article considers the motives of one donor, South Korea, with a close reading and comparison of three authoritative texts. It argues that Korean ODA is primarily motivated by increasing status and influence, and supporting the overseas expansion of Korean companies. There is also a contribution from secondary motivations more clearly related to the definition of ODA: humanitarianism and being a good global citizen.

The Mediating Effect of Acculturation Ability in the Relationship between Discriminatory Stress and Mental Well-Being among Chinese Students in South Korean Universities

As the number of international students in Korea increases, it is particularly important to pay attention to their mental well-being and adaptability. This study aimed to explore the mediating effect of acculturation ability on the relationship between discrimination stress and mental well-being among Chinese students studying in Korea. The mental well-being of international students has always been a concern. However, for the Chinese students in Korea, who occupy the largest proportion of international students and have special discrimination stress, their psychological adaptation to the cross-cultural environment has not been fully studied. Discrimination stress may negatively affect their mental well-being, and the acculturation ability may play a key role in this process. This study examined the relationship between discrimination stress, acculturation ability, and mental well-being by reviewing data from the literature on Chinese international students studying in South Korea. This study discovered that the association between discriminatory stress and mental well-being is significantly mediated by acculturation skills. That is, international students with higher acculturation ability are more likely to mitigate the adverse effects of discrimination experiences on their mental well-being. The results of this study highlight the importance of acculturation ability in the mental well-being research of international students. In the future, support and intervention measures should be developed for Chinese students studying in South Korea to improve their acculturation ability so as to reduce the negative impact of the stress brought by discrimination on mental well-being and promote the sound development of cross-cultural education.

New Graduate Nurses' Experiences by Generation in South Korea: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

As the nursing organization environment evolves into one in which several generations work together, there are concerns about generational differences leading to conflicts. A synthesis of qualitative studies was used to gain insight into the experiences and perceptions of new nurses working in South Korean hospitals and identify generational differences between nurses of Generations X and Y. Eight databases were searched systematically for qualitative studies published up to June 2020. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist for Qualitative Research was used to evaluate the quality of the retrieved studies, and the data were synthesized thematically using the Thomas and Harden method. Of the 2,482 studies retrieved, 19 were included in this meta-synthesis. The experience of new nurses were presented in the three analytical themes of work experience, interpersonal relationships, and adaptation, from which eight descriptive themes were derived: (a) dissatisfied with own work performance, (b) negative feedback on work outcomes, (c) irregular daily life, (d) colleagues who help adapt to work life or make work life harder, (e) feelings of sympathy toward peers, (f) disrespectful patients or caregivers, (g) effective reactions, and (h) ineffective reactions. Although the new nurses from Generations X and Y reported similar experiences during their first year of nursing, differences were found in their values and tendencies regarding work and interpersonal relationships. Compared with new Generation X nurses, new Generation Y nurses placed more value on the meaning of individual work contributions, intimacy with colleagues, and appropriate feedback. The findings of this study support nursing administrators implementing strategies that both acknowledge and reduce the impact of generational category on nursing teams. Furthermore, emphasizing communication and acknowledging ongoing change as generations progress may strengthen bonds that lead nurses to value each other and their work.

Impact of Social Media Use on the Life Satisfaction of Adolescents in South Korea Through Social Support and Social Capital

This study investigated how social media use among South Korean adolescents influences life satisfaction, using two-wave panel survey data. Specifically, this study examined the mediating mechanism by which adolescents’ social media use is associated with their life satisfaction through social support and social capital. The results demonstrated that social support and social capital mediate the relationship between social media use and life satisfaction. Social media use is positively related to social support, and social support has a positive relationship with a higher level of social capital which, in turn, is related to a higher level of life satisfaction. This study improves our understanding of the relationship between social media use and adolescents’ life satisfaction and presents significant implications for those attempting to help such individuals promote their life satisfaction and mental health.

Socializing Influences in the Careers of South Korean Female Physical Educators

Purpose: Grounded in the occupational socialization theory, this study explored how gender interacted with and influenced socialization experiences in the careers of South Korean female physical educators. Specific attention was directed toward the gendered experiences that female teachers experienced and the coping strategies to navigate them. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative case study design, and the participants were 15 female secondary school physical educators. Data were collected through life story timelines, critical incident writings, and individual interviews. Results: Four themes emerged: (a) unwelcomed and invisible; (b) experiencing a physicality-driven hierarchy; (c) dual marginalization as female physical educators; and (d) retreating, masking, redefining, or leaving to cope with challenges. Discussion/Conclusions: The findings indicated that female physical educators experienced being dual-marginalized due to the interplay between gender and subject matter. In response to the challenges, some conformed to their gender role to be safe; however, other teachers employed various strategies to overcome the status quo.

South Korean Entanglement in a Taiwan Contingency

South Korean Entanglement in a Taiwan Contingency

The Development of South Korean Idol Culture and Its Global Influence: Take TVXQ as an example

This paper studies the development process of Korean idol culture taking “Tong Vfang Xien Qi” (TVXQ) as an example, aiming to reveal the reasons for the development of idol culture and its impact on the world economy. The paper further analyzes its successful models for the development of related industries in China. This study establishes the general direction of the research based on the literature of previous studies and collects relevant data to discuss about this relevant topic. It finally draws a conclusion, which includes the following research results. First, the economic value of Korean idol groups is high; Second, the support of the Korean government is strong; and last, the industrial chain of Korean idol culture is complete and radiates the world economy. The conclusion further illustrates the significance of the above conclusions for China. At the same time, the study argues that relying solely on the current situation of China’s idol culture industry is not enough to support further development and further calls to learn from the experiences of South Korea.

Impact of COVID-19 Countermeasures on South Korean Citizens’ Behavior and Psychological Changes: An Online Survey Between the First Waves of the Pandemic

This study analyzed behavioral changes in South Korean individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic due to movement restrictions and examined their psychological effects. Attributes considered include age and gender, place of residence, and characteristics of the residential environment and communities they came into contact with, which are considered important factors in individuals’ psychological changes. The results showed that in terms of psychological change, the negative effects were more significant for attributes such as age and gender than for spatial characteristics such as residential area and type of residence. In addition, depression was found in specific gender and age groups. In particular, those in their 20s were found to be more depressed than those in their 30s and 40s, even though they were less prone infection with COVID-19 than older adults. Through the findings of this study, we have discovered materials and factors that should be taken into account when preparing policies to limit the motion of people in circumstances similar to a pandemic.

The effects of flipped learning and gamification on nursing students’ patient safety education: A mixed method study

BackgroundThe importance of enhancing education to promote nursing students’ patient safety competency is increasing. Hence, implementing diverse educational programs and assessing their outcomes is essential. ObjectivesTo examine the effects of flipped learning and gamification on nursing students’ patient safety education. DesignA mixed-method design employing a quasi-experimental design with a pre-post control group design and qualitative thematic analysis. MethodsThe study was conducted at a South Korean university in W City from September to December 2022. It included 55 s-year nursing students. The experimental group (n = 28) participated in a 30-h patient safety education course using flipped learning and gamification, whereas the control group (n = 27) received only written patient safety education materials. Learning motivation, collective efficacy, patient safety competency, and game evaluations were measured. Data were analyzed using the χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, repeated-measures multivariate analysis of covariance, repeated measure analysis of covariance, and generalized estimating equations. Self-reflection journals on game participation experiences were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. ResultsLearning motivation scores did not differ significantly between groups for time, or interactions between groups and time, but collective efficacy and patient safety competency scores showed significant differences in the interactions between groups and time. The experimental group showed a high satisfaction score in game evaluation. Qualitative analyses were used to extract four themes—three positives: “fun and immersion differentiated from existing classes,” “improved the learning outcomes and learning motivation,” and “realized the value of collaboration and communication,” and one negative: “feeling down due to unfamiliarity.” ConclusionsThis program creates positive learning experiences and enhances nursing students’ collective efficacy and patient-safety competencies. It is expected to be utilized in various future nursing courses.

Cultural Adaptation and Innovation in Chinese Variety Shows: A Case Study of “Running Man” and “Keep Running”

With the advancement of globalization and the deepening of cultural exchange, the South Korean entertainment industry has achieved tremendous success globally with its unique charm and creativity, especially excelling in the field of variety shows. Simultaneously, Chinese variety shows have experienced rapid growth, solidifying their position as an essential part of mass entertainment. Against this backdrop, this paper conducts an in-depth comparison and analysis of the Chinese variety show “Keep Running” and South Korea’s “Running Man.” The study primarily focuses on the imitation and localized innovation of “Keep Running,” exploring how to adapt and innovate culturally while maintaining the essence of the original program. Furthermore, the paper delves into the roles of culture and audience psychology in the success of these two shows, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation and high-quality development. Through this comparative analysis, this paper aims to reveal the challenges and opportunities inherent in cross-cultural variety shows in the context of globalization.