[Insight & Opinion] The Inverse Relationship Between Urbanization and Community

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, experts predicted the rapid collapse of Ukraine. One year later, as Ukraine still defends its country, numerous analyses have emerged about the secret behind this resilience. Among them, BBC's analysis, which highlights the strong will to protect their land and community until the end as the driving force, draws attention.

The main destinations for European travel are usually old cities. However, Europe is not only about cities. In Eastern European countries, rural populations account for more than 30%, with Ukraine reaching 31%. Most Western European countries have around 20%, and the United States and Canada show similar figures.

BBC's analysis prompts reflection on the correlation between rural areas and communities. Rural areas have low population density but a very strong bond between people and land. Communities formed by living in one place for a long time without moving and working together with neighbors are very tight-knit. Although rural populations do not make up the majority of the total population, the 'critical mass' they form can significantly influence social values.

On the other hand, cities have high population density but mainly depend on workplaces and businesses, so they hardly feel the need for relationships with neighbors, that is, community. While communities do exist, they are not bound by geographical conditions and participation is based on necessity; when the need disappears, so do the relationships.

The rural population ratio in Korea is 18.6%. Viewing Korea through the keywords of city and community reveals interesting points. One of the popular keywords in nationwide urban regeneration in 2010 was community. Many projects aimed to maintain and restore communities, mainly in old urban areas. However, most urban communities were already weakened, and relationships with neighbors were very loose. As a result, urban regeneration projects aiming for community did not achieve the expected outcomes.

This is understandable because Korea's urbanization progressed very rapidly. It is no exaggeration to say that urbanization took just over 20 years. The urbanization rate, which was 41% in the 1970s, surged to 74% by the 1990s. There was a time when people rooted in rural areas moved to cities and tried to realize community consciousness, but as their living bases changed, this gradually disappeared, and children naturally grew up as city dwellers. Today, among those under 50, very few have experienced strong rural communities. For these people, rural areas may seem romantically appealing at first glance, but it is difficult to fully understand the emotions of those living within strong communities. Perhaps some also fail to fully grasp the driving force behind Ukraine's strong resistance against Russia.

For urbanized Koreans, networks are much more important than communities. For younger generations, even loose relationships with neighbors are burdensome, and communities can even be frightening. They try to create and maintain networks both face-to-face and online, but since the relationships needed change with life circumstances, most relationships remain loose, and even if they desire deep connections, it is not easy. These people sometimes harbor romantic desires for ideal communities, but is such a community truly a possible dream in urbanized South Korea in 2023? If not, where can those living in cities now find the meaning of 'together'?

Robert Fauzer, Former Professor at Seoul National University