[Insight & Opinion] From a Society of Concentrated Opportunities to a Society of Individuality

Is our society a good one? This question arises frequently as we encounter depressing news such as suicide, school violence, drug abuse, and jeonse fraud. Compared to when I was young, it is certain that our society has become economically prosperous. However, I have doubts about whether it is truly a good society.

What is a good society? It is a society where its members feel happy. Economic affluence is certainly a condition for happiness, but it is not everything. According to Professor Lane Kenworthy of the University of California, who has long studied good societies, a good society is one where members feel happy, and to feel happy, there must be abundant opportunities in that society above all else.

How about our society? According to Professor Kenworthy, unlike the Nordic European countries, people in Korea feel that there are not many opportunities available to them, which negatively affects happiness and social integration. Why do people feel that there are not many opportunities? I believe the biggest reason is the concentration phenomenon. In short, today’s Republic of Korea is a society of concentrated opportunities. Most people want the same limited opportunities, such as admission to prestigious universities and good jobs. If the number of certain opportunities is limited and everyone wants only those opportunities, the society cannot be sustainable.

How did we become such an extreme concentration society? It is because we have long pursued a too uniform and standardized success criterion and lacked diversity. For students, they must excel academically, and there are almost no opportunities to develop their own talents and abilities beyond academic performance. The pursuit of growth alone, without the capacity to nurture each individual’s dreams, talents, and diversity, is another reason for the concentration society. Concentration ultimately brings imbalance and inequality. Dissatisfaction and conflict inevitably intensify.

Then the path to creating a good society is clear. A society of dispersion and balance, where each member finds their own individuality and pursues a life suited to themselves beyond a concentration society, and a society that pursues each person’s diversity and individuality, guarantees a happy life and sustainable growth for all.

Where and how should we start? It must begin at school. Especially, bold attempts are needed to nurture the individuality, dreams, talents, and potential of elementary, middle, and high school students. There must not be a single dropout in education. Education that discovers and nurtures each student’s diversity and individuality, not just academic performance, is necessary. The government plans to implement AI-based personalized education. AI-based classes targeting subjects like math and English are needed, but more important is personalized education that uses AI to discover and nurture each individual’s diversity and individuality. To create a good society, more opportunities must also be provided for the socially disadvantaged. Selective welfare and opportunity provision focused on the socially disadvantaged must be greatly expanded to create a good society where everyone is happy.

Let us break away from a concentration society and pursue a society of individuality. By doing so, we can create more opportunities and diversity and provide more opportunities to the socially disadvantaged. This is the path we must take to build a better society.

Kim Hyungon, Director of the National Assembly Future Institute