"Korea's 'Ppalli Ppalli' Culture Noted by Foreign Media for Swift Impeachment Approval"

"After Yoon's Martial Law Declaration, Koreans Unite in Protest"
"No Time Was Wasted"

Just 11 days after President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, a foreign media outlet highlighted South Korea's 'ppalli-ppalli' (Hurry Hurry) culture in the process of the National Assembly passing the impeachment motion.

On the 17th (local time), Bloomberg reported on the passage of the impeachment motion under the headline "South Korea's 'ppalli-ppalli' (Hurry Hurry) culture helped," covering the swift actions of South Korean politicians and citizens amid the martial law situation. Bloomberg noted that the impeachment motion against President Yoon was passed in the National Assembly in less than two weeks after the martial law declaration, suggesting it reflects South Korea's culture of maximizing efficiency and conflict resolution, which led to rapid industrialization. The article also introduced how the positive manifestation of the ppalli-ppalli culture enabled South Korea to reach the top of the global supply chain and achieve beyond-expected results in industry, politics, and popular culture.

At the rally urging impeachment held in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 14th, participants are shouting slogans. Photo by Heo Young-han

Bloomberg explained that the spirit of ppalli-ppalli, which embraces bold changes, is also behind the success of large corporations like Samsung and Hyundai, and that South Korea's post-war national reconstruction projects were carried out at a very rapid pace. It analyzed that South Korea's rapid growth was based on the ppalli-ppalli spirit. Bloomberg stated that South Korea "escaped Japanese occupation in less than 100 years, survived the war with North Korea, transformed a poor agricultural economy into one of the world's strongest economies, and grew its gross domestic product (GDP) to 85 times the level of 50 years ago."

Bloomberg diagnosed that the ppalli-ppalli culture, which contributed to South Korea's economic growth, was also evident in the recent martial law situation. The outlet reported, "After President Yoon declared martial law, South Koreans united and wasted no time in protesting," adding, "Thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Seoul, holding light sticks and dancing to K-pop hits." A citizen participating in the protest told Bloomberg, "The ppalli-ppalli culture is a very powerful tool," and "It is a big part of what enables South Korea to do things other countries cannot."

However, Bloomberg also acknowledged that the ppalli-ppalli culture has side effects and negative implications, stating that "'ppalli-ppalli' encompasses emotions of patience and survival." Regarding this, Professor Gu Jeong-woo of the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University told Bloomberg, "Koreans are not ashamed to express themselves," and "We are very passionate and have a strong obsession with achieving goals."