Welcome to the "Growing Up in Korea" Series

This is the index page for the series. You can find and explore all related posts in one place here.

Welcome to the "Growing Up in Korea" Series

This Substack is where I explore stories from Korean society—and right now, I'm diving into education and parenting in Korea. More specifically, I’m asking: What is it like to grow up in South Korea?

This series unpacks that question through the lens of history, education, culture, and everyday expectations—offering rich context to help readers understand Korean childhood far beyond the headlines.

I draw heavily from Korean-language sources so that even readers already familiar with Korea can discover new perspectives and lesser-known insights. As a social scientist and former tenured professor, I approach each post with both personal curiosity and academic rigor.

Each post offers one piece of that larger picture.

Below is the full list of essays in this series, in order. You can start from the top or jump into whichever topic interests you.

1. Growing Up in Korea: But First, Why Korea?
   This post sets the stage for the series. Korea is a country of contrasts—where economic success meets deep societal pressure.

   Before diving into how Korean children grow up, it explores why Korea matters in global conversations about education, ambition, and modern identity.

2. Past as Prologue: Understanding a Nation Through Its Historical and Cultural DNA
   This post traces the deep historical roots of Korea’s obsession with education—from Confucian ideals to colonial trauma and rapid modernization. Korea’s obsession with education didn’t appear out of thin air. It’s tied to a long history of Confucian values, wars, colonial trauma, and rapid modernization.

3. Of the King, by the Scholar-Officials, for the People: How Joseon's Radical Vision Shaped Korea’s Academic Drive
   This post explores the bold educational ideals of Joseon's philosopher-kings, and how their civil service system laid the groundwork for Korea’s modern academic values. A bold vision from Joseon’s philosopher-kings gave birth to a civil service system that rewarded intellect and hard work—and that legacy still echoes in today’s classrooms.

4. Why Koreans Study So Hard: A Journey Back to the Joseon Dynasty's Gwageo
   This post examines the fiercely competitive Gwageo exam system and how it helped normalize academic intensity in Korean society. The ancient Gwageo exam wasn’t just a test—it was a national obsession, a life-or-death pursuit that normalized academic competition in Korea.

5. The Royal Grind: How Joseon Dynasty Princes Studied (or Suffered?)
   This post looks into the rigorous and often isolating education of Joseon-era royal princes, offering an early glimpse into Korea’s elite academic traditions. Royal princes weren’t exempt from pressure. Their grueling schedules, harsh tutors, and emotional isolation give us an early blueprint of elite education in Korea.

6. Your Toddler Might Be Late—for College Prep in South Korea
   For some Korean families, preschool is where college preparation begins. From specialized kindergartens to private tutors, this post examines how children are evaluated and tracked—sometimes before they can even tie their shoes.

7. Shut Up and Do Math: Inside Korea’s Childhood Race to the Top
   This post zooms in on Daechi-dong, Seoul’s most competitive education district, to reveal what everyday life looks like for children at the heart of Korea’s academic pressure cooker.

8. The IMF Crisis and South Korea’s Hyper-Competitive Childhood
   This post explores how the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis—commonly called the IMF crisis—reshaped Korean society, parenting, and definitions of success. It traces how economic trauma intensified academic pressure and planted the seeds of Korea’s education obsession.

9. Korea's 'Iron Rice Bowl': The Rise (and Fall) of Civil Service and Teaching Careers

   This post explores how South Korea’s civil service and teaching careers rose to national prominence in the aftermath of the 1997 IMF crisis—and why their once-unshakable appeal is now fading. Through historical context, real-life stories, and cultural insight, it traces how the dream of the "iron rice bowl" reshaped—and continues to reshape—Korean society.

10. The Medical School Fever That's Reshaping an Entire Nation

    Why are Korea’s top students—and their families—fixated on getting into medical school? This post unpacks the deep-rooted anxieties, policy consequences, and societal shifts behind Korea’s “medical school craze” (의대 광풍). From collapsing STEM fields to overloaded children, this isn’t just an education story—it’s a national obsession with surprising ripple effects.

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🗳️The People’s Mandate: Korea’s Democratic Edge

A special series within "Growing Up in Korea"

What makes Korea one of the few countries where citizens routinely hold their leaders accountable—even mid-term?
This mini-series explores the deep historical, cultural, and generational roots of Korea’s fierce civic spirit. From centuries-old ideals of public duty to grassroots resistance movements and modern-day mass protests, each post uncovers how Korea became a country where presidents fall—and the people rise.

1. (11)🌱 The Root of the Matter: Why Koreans Expect Their Leaders to Serve

   In most countries, protests don’t topple presidents. In Korea, they do. Discover how centuries of history shaped a people unwilling to wait for the next election.

2. (12) Like a Phoenix: The Rebirth of Korean Democracy in 2025

   When democracy was threatened, Koreans didn’t stay home. They stood in the snow, night after night, to protect it. This is how a nation rose from crisis and reclaimed its future.

3. (13)🧨 Stolen Nation, Unbroken Spirit: How Korea’s Lost Sovereignty Sparked a Century of Resistance
   Before Koreans defended democracy with candlelight protests, they first survived the trauma of losing their nation. This post explores the deep psychological and cultural impact of Japan’s annexation of Korea, and how that historic wound continues to shape Korea’s fierce civic spirit today.

4. (14) The Korean Instinct to Save the Nation: From Cigarettes to Gold Rings

   When crisis hits, Koreans don’t wait for orders—they act together. From quitting smoking in 1907 to donating Olympic medals in 1997, this post traces Korea’s unique civic reflex to save the nation, one gold ring (or cigarette) at a time.

5. (15) The Roar of a Nation — How the March 1st Movement Forged Modern Korean Identity

   In 1919, millions of Koreans took to the streets to shout for independence—and discovered their collective power. This post traces how that one day became the spiritual foundation of Korea’s democratic will today.

6. (16) The People Own This Land: A Revolution That Never Ended

   Long before Korea became a democracy, farmers with bamboo spears rose to protect their land. This post uncovers how ancient ideas of shared ownership still shape Korea’s fierce resistance spirit today.

7. (17) Turning Pain into Power 1: The Unstoppable Emotional Force of Korean Storytelling
   Why does Korean media feel so intense—especially when it dives into history? This post explores how Korea’s national traumas became a storytelling superpower, turning sorrow into collective strength and cinematic brilliance.

8. (18) Turning Pain into Power 2: The Power of K-Storytelling from the Japanese Occupation

   From school textbooks to streaming hits, these stories of loss, resistance, and resilience shape how Koreans remember—and how they create. This post curates the most powerful reads and watches from the colonial era, complete with English-accessible links.

9. (19) A Royal Screen Behind KPop Demon Hunters—and the Cosmic Order It Represents

   This post unpacks the hidden meaning of Ilwol Obongdo (일월오봉도), the royal screen painted with the sun, moon, and five peaks. Once a symbol of heavenly authority behind Joseon kings, it's now reborn behind K-pop idols—like Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters—bridging ancient cosmology and modern fame.

10. (20) Why Korean Ghosts Demand Democratic Justice
    In Korea, even ghosts file complaints—because justice isn’t just for the living. From folktales to digital petitions, this post traces how Korean ghosts reflect deep democratic expectations, civic rituals, and a 2,000-year-old belief that power must serve the people. Ghosts don’t haunt—they appeal. And that says everything.

11. (21) Supernatural Checks and Balances: What Korean Spirits Can Teach Us About Democracy

    What if ghosts filed paperwork instead of scaring people? From earthbound protestors to reaper-like civil servants, Korea’s supernatural world isn’t just spooky—it’s political. This post explores how Korean spirits reveal the country’s faith in justice, bureaucracy, and moral accountability—even beyond death.

12. (22) So, Is South Korea Going Extinct or What?

    The internet says South Korea is dying, and the data seem to agree. But while many inside the country lament “Hell Joseon,” a history of overcoming impossible odds suggests a different story: a look at the First Penguin theory and why resilience might be Korea’s ultimate survival skill.

13. (23) Hongik Ingan (홍익인간), Korean Democracy’s Oldest New Idea

    A tour from cave and garlic to curriculum and KOICA: how Hongik Ingan turned an origin myth into a civic blueprint—fueling candlelight protests, the IMF gold drive, and a community-first ethos that still guides Korea.

14. (24) Inside the Korean “We (Uri),” Part 1

    Explores the invisible grammar of uri (우리, “we”)—how it powers candlelight impeachments, World Cup sing-alongs, K-pop fan-chants, and stadium choruses. More than collectivism, uri is a shared destiny that fuses “I” and “we,” making sense of Korea’s democratic reflexes and its hypersensitivity to fairness.

15. (25) Inside the Korean “We (Uri),” Part 2
    Traces how Korea’s uri spirit rests on radical humanism and moral rigor. From Hongik Ingan’s “broadly benefiting humanity” to cries of saram sallyeo (“save the person”), the Korean “we” puts people above rules. It thrives on conscience, loyalty (uiri), and moral justification (myeongbun), holding leaders and celebrities to exacting standards. A portrait of a democracy where dignity, fairness, and shared destiny outweigh mere law.

16. (26) Inside the Korean “We (Uri),” Part 3

    Korea’s resilience runs on two kinds of humor—pungja (풍자, satire that punches up) and haehak (해학, warm self-mockery)—from talchum (탈춤, mask dance) to Parasite and Squid Game.

    It also draws strength from uri (우리, a fused “we”/shared destiny) and Daedong (대동, an old ideal of a fair, harmonious society), showing why optimism here isn’t naïve but practical and collective—even in a hyper-competitive age.

17. (27) How a Pencil Line Split Korea

    A late-night decision in 1945 put a pencil across a National Geographic map and sliced Korea at the 38th parallel. What was meant to be temporary became the DMZ, the Korean War, and two rival states. This post explains how that division shaped South Korea’s politics and why a democracy grew under permanent pressure from the North.

18. (28) The Three-Year Inferno: Confronting the Brutality of the Korean War

    The Korean War (1950–1953) was a devastating conflict that transformed everyday life for millions of civilians. Beyond military battles, it brought relentless hardship—fierce bombing campaigns, brutal cold, hunger, and constant displacement. Families faced impossible choices as survival became a daily struggle amid chaos and loss. The war ended with an armistice, not peace, leaving unresolved grief and a society shaped by trauma, silence, and urgency. This episode explores the brutal human realities of the war’s three-year inferno and sets the stage for examining how its legacy continues to define modern Korea.

19. (29) The Korean War Never Ended: Family Trauma Across Generations

    A three-year war ended with an armistice in 1953, but its grief never ended. This piece traces Korea’s ambiguous loss—families split without proof of life or death—through the 1983 KBS live marathon “Finding Dispersed Families” (138 days, ~10,000 reunions) and into today’s homes, where silence became a survival strategy. We explore how that silence, plus repeated reunions (last held in 2018), shaped a family-as-fortress culture and intergenerational trauma that still defines modern Korea.

20. (30) How Trauma Built Modern Korea: From “Ppalli-Ppalli” to the Miracle on the Han River

    The Korean War left a ghost at the table—then rewired a nation. We follow how internalized trauma became a survival algorithm: ppalli-ppalli speed, education as shield, property as anchor, and han as fuel, balanced by village-style solidarity. We also tally the bill: overwork and mental-health strain.

21. (31) The Security Prison: The Mirror Called “North Korea,” and the Politics of Controlled Memory

    A cold night in January 1968 becomes the hinge for a new kind of control. This piece shows how South Korea’s leaders turned war memory and the North Korean threat into a permanent security mindset that rewrote laws, classrooms, and daily life, culminating in the Yushin system. It also spotlights writers who refused silence—Jeong Ji-a, Hwang Sok-yong, Choi In-hun, and others—whose work preserved inconvenient truths and kept the door to democracy open.

22. (32) Making of South Korea’s Democracy: The Untranslated Book That Shows History Through Different Eyes

    Kim Won’s The June 1987 Uprising (《87년 6월 항쟁》), an untranslated, ground-level history told through workers, students, and everyday citizens. We move through Seoul, Incheon, and Busan to show how one movement held many truths—and how Korean democracy was won, not given. Includes a classroom-ready worksheet on “historical imagination.”

23. (33) GOVERNANCE BY FEAR — When “National Security” Became the Perfect Excuse

    A real border threat hardened into everyday control. This post explains how Park’s Korea criminalized ideas, expanded intelligence power, and taught obedience as patriotism.\

24. (34) A Nation in Uniform: How Emergency Became Everyday in South Korea

    After North Korean infiltrations in 1968, the South Korean state built a garrison society in peacetime. This post traces how authoritarian regimes used mandatory reserve service (Yebigun), high school military drills (Gyoryeon), and the national ID system to turn bodies into instruments of control. It wasn’t just law. It was daily life.

25. (35). Dancing in Shackles: How South Korea Entertained Its Way Through Authoritarianism

    South Korea’s dictators didn’t just ban protests—they banned songs, censored scripts, and rewrote the news. This post explores how the regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan used brutal censorship and the seductive distractions of the “3S Policy” (Sex, Screen, Sports) to manipulate culture, suppress dissent, and ultimately inspire resistance.

26. (36). Two Desires, One Nation (Part 1): The Twins Born in the Ruins

    Explores Part 1 of Yu Si-min’s My History of Contemporary Korea, introducing the two “twins” that shaped modern Korea: the industrialization camp and the democratization camp. From postwar ruins through the April 19 Revolution and the May 16 coup, this chapter traces how the desire for survival and the desire for dignity began their long argument over Korea’s future.

27. (37). Two Desires, One Nation (Part 2): How Korea Traded Freedom for “Rice and Order”

    This post follows Yu Si-min into the 1960s and 1970s “Nation in Uniform,” showing how South Korea traded political freedom for rapid growth under Park Chung-hee. It traces the barracks-style development state, the “Let’s Live Well” miracle, and the shock of Jeon Tae-il’s cry “We are not machines,” as the desire for survival collides with the demand for dignity.

28. (38). Two Desires, One Nation (Part 3): The City That Would Not Stay Silent

    This post follows Yu Si-min into the 1980s, from the suppressed massacre of Gwangju to the June 1987 Uprising. It traces how grief, anger, and 부채감 (buchae-gam, a felt “debt to the dead”) turned students, workers, clergy, and finally office-worker “necktie troops” into a mass movement that decided survival and growth were no longer enough – democracy had to be demanded, at any cost.

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📖Korea’s Hidden Shelf

Essential titles you can’t find in English, distilled into clear takeaways and context.

1. Inside the Korean “We (Uri),” Part 1

   Explores the invisible grammar of uri (우리, “we”)—how it powers candlelight impeachments, World Cup sing-alongs, K-pop fan-chants, and stadium choruses. More than collectivism, uri is a shared destiny that fuses “I” and “we,” making sense of Korea’s democratic reflexes and its hypersensitivity to fairness.

2. Inside the Korean “We (Uri),” Part 2
   Traces how Korea’s uri spirit rests on radical humanism and moral rigor. From Hongik Ingan’s “broadly benefiting humanity” to cries of saram sallyeo (“save the person”), the Korean “we” puts people above rules. It thrives on conscience, loyalty (uiri), and moral justification (myeongbun), holding leaders and celebrities to exacting standards. A portrait of a democracy where dignity, fairness, and shared destiny outweigh mere law.

3. Inside the Korean “We (Uri),” Part 3

   Korea’s resilience runs on two kinds of humor—pungja (풍자, satire that punches up) and haehak (해학, warm self-mockery)—from talchum (탈춤, mask dance) to Parasite and Squid Game.

   It also draws strength from uri (우리, a fused “we”/shared destiny) and Daedong (대동, an old ideal of a fair, harmonious society), showing why optimism here isn’t naïve but practical and collective—even in a hyper-competitive age.

4. Making of South Korea’s Democracy: The Untranslated Book That Shows History Through Different Eyes

   Kim Won’s The June 1987 Uprising (《87년 6월 항쟁》), an untranslated, ground-level history told through workers, students, and everyday citizens. We move through Seoul, Incheon, and Busan to show how one movement held many truths—and how Korean democracy was won, not given. Includes a classroom-ready worksheet on “historical imagination.”

5. Two Desires, One Nation (Part 1): The Twins Born in the Ruins

   Explores Part 1 of Yu Si-min’s My History of Contemporary Korea, introducing the two “twins” that shaped modern Korea: the industrialization camp and the democratization camp. From postwar ruins through the April 19 Revolution and the May 16 coup, this chapter traces how the desire for survival and the desire for dignity began their long argument over Korea’s future.

6. Two Desires, One Nation (Part 2): How Korea Traded Freedom for “Rice and Order”

   This post follows Yu Si-min into the 1960s and 1970s “Nation in Uniform,” showing how South Korea traded political freedom for rapid growth under Park Chung-hee. It traces the barracks-style development state, the “Let’s Live Well” miracle, and the shock of Jeon Tae-il’s cry “We are not machines,” as the desire for survival collides with the demand for dignity.

7. Two Desires, One Nation (Part 3): The City That Would Not Stay Silent

   This post follows Yu Si-min into the 1980s, from the suppressed massacre of Gwangju to the June 1987 Uprising. It traces how grief, anger, and 부채감 (buchae-gam, a felt “debt to the dead”) turned students, workers, clergy, and finally office-worker “necktie troops” into a mass movement that decided survival and growth were no longer enough – democracy had to be demanded, at any cost.

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📎 Bonus/Related Posts (Not part of core series but thematically connected):

• Lunar New Year Presentation & Resources for Parents and Teachers 🎉
  A fun and educational Lunar New Year presentation for young learners, complete with slides, worksheets, and activity ideas!

• Eleven Years of Grief: Remembering the Sewol Ferry Tragedy 🕯️🎗️
  This post reflects on the Sewol Ferry tragedy, which claimed 304 lives—most of them schoolchildren—and forever changed South Korea’s collective relationship with youth, grief, and national accountability. It was written to mark the 11th year since the tragedy.

• Korea’s Bold and Beautiful Democracy in Action
  This post reflects on the 2024 impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol and the peaceful, creative protest movement led especially by young women. From light sticks to shared solidarity, it’s a story of resilience, innovation, and democratic power in action.

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🇰🇷 Korea’s Family Month (가정의 달)

• 🎉 Korea’s Children’s Day: When the Whole Country Hits Pause for Kids

  Every May 5th, Korea stops to celebrate its youngest citizens with a full-blown national holiday just for children. This post traces the surprising revolutionary roots of Children’s Day—from its origins under Japanese colonial rule to today’s festivals, parades, and toy-filled celebrations—revealing how one man’s vision helped reshape an entire country’s view of childhood.

• Parents’ Day in Korea: A Gratitude Remix with Korean Soul (Family Month Special Part 2): Every May 8th, Korea honors both moms and dads—together—with carnations, letters, and tearful tributes grounded in the Confucian value of Hyo (filial piety). This post unpacks the unique cultural blend behind Korea’s Parents’ Day, tracing its evolution from imported Mother’s Day to a modern celebration of elders, tradition, and shifting generational bonds.

• From Shadow to Silence: Teachers’ Day in Modern Korea (Family Month Special Part 3): Once a day of tearful songs and symbolic carnations, Korea’s Teachers’ Day (May 15) now sits at a cultural crossroads. This post traces its evolution—from royal birthdays and Confucian values to anti-corruption laws and fading rituals—offering a poignant look at how gratitude for educators is being redefined in a changing society.

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📬Behind the Newsletter

Why I write, what you’ll get, and how to support.

• A New Welcome—With the Logo You Should’ve Seen First

  Finally, the welcome you deserved from day one: The inside scoop: why I changed direction, what the new header means, and what this space is about now. Subscribe to receive the updated welcome email that’s newer than this post.

• Celebrating a milestone, sharing a new story, and inviting you to our next chapter: Thinking of going paid? This note explains why it matters, how it funds bigger stories, and exactly what you receive as a member.

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Thank you for reading and exploring these stories with me.
I hope this series helps you understand not just how Korean children grow up,
but also what their stories reveal about the values, contradictions, resilience, and anxieties shaping Korean society.

May you find something meaningful—not just in Korea’s victories, but also in its missteps.
Both have so much to teach us.

With heart,
Jiwon