I would humbly suggest that Korea needs to fully embrace, and indeed promote, diversity. When we think of diversity, we tend to think race. And certainly Korea is becoming racially diverse. Yet how many naturalized Koreans have really made it? The lawmaker Jasmine Lee is one: Korea needs 100 more like her. But diversity is broader than ethnicity. It includes lifestyle, and lifestyle choices tend to be narrowly proscribed. Those who choose alternative lifestyles often face discrimination. Gay actor Hong Seok-chon lost his TV career after coming out, but has successfully reinvented himself as an entrepreneur. Korea needs 100 more like him. And there needs to be diversity of talent. Professionals in specific fields don’t have to share identical attributes. Psy smashed the “accepted” mold of the Korean pop star: Korea needs 100 more like him. To upgrade our living environment, there needs to be diversity of hardware. Not everyone needs to drive black, grey or white salons, nor live in identical concrete apartments. Bukchon shows how low-rise, neo-traditional neighborhoods inject charm into cityscapes. Seoul needs 100 Bukchons. The catchphrase “economic democratization” indicates Korea’s lack of economic diversity. The business landscape remains top heavy; SMEs and entrepreneurs lack access to capital and support. There are Korean inventors and entrepreneurs who create success from scratch, such as Romi Haan of Hann Corp., but damned few of them. Korea needs 100 of her. And there is too much emphasis on connections and gender. Success is not the sole prerogative of male graduates of Seoul, Yonsei and Korea universities. There needs to be diversity of opportunity; the embrace of diverse qualifications and genders. Korea needs 100 more Park Geun-hyes.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:26:43 +0000
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