Guardian "Sudden Real-Life Dystopia"
Despite Dazzling Growth, Military Dictatorship Remnants Remain
Foreign media have diagnosed that Korea's authoritarian culture and history of military dictatorship, which had been overshadowed by cultural influences such as K-pop, have come into the spotlight due to the recent martial law declaration incident.
On the 6th (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported this in an article titled "K-pop and Dictators: The Shock to Democracy Reveals Korea's Dual Nature."
The Guardian stated that Korea, "represented by the Hallyu wave led by BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan), has been an international winner in terms of cultural influence in recent years."
The outlet explained, "This transformed Korea, which was little known just a few decades ago, into a 'cultural giant,' but the sudden martial law incident introduced a 'real-life dystopia' into the picture," describing the shock the martial law declaration sent to the international community.
On the 4th, citizens opposing the declaration of martial law gathered in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
It added, "The most striking contrast between the Hallyu fever and the recent turmoil was clearly seen on Tuesday night outside the National Assembly building in Seoul, where lawmakers climbed over walls and military helicopters flew overhead, as people confronted armed soldiers to reclaim democracy."
The Guardian noted that Korea only escaped its military dictatorship regime starting with the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Despite the dazzling economic and cultural growth after democratization, remnants of authoritarian culture remain throughout society, which was clearly revealed in this martial law declaration incident.
However, The Guardian also reported that within Korea, criticism exists that this incident damaged the country's accumulated national status and image, while at the same time, there is an evaluation that the process of overcoming it demonstrated the strength of Korean democracy.
The Guardian quoted a Seoul citizen saying, "I think this incident can be an opportunity to end the undemocratic elements that still remain, rather than damaging Korea's image."
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