Tudor does a fantastic job at being factual rather than trying to weave together a grand narrative. He is a stickler for the details for example giving an in-depth run down of changing music tastes in the years since 1961.
As a believer in the general good of economic growth (see Stubborn Attachments, by Tyler Cowen) I’ve been shocked to read how such a successful society can be comprised of such an unhappy, stressed people. I am very keen to see if the psychological roots of this, which Tudor mainly groups under competitiveness, are resolved in the coming decades.
Some questions I have remaining:
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How did Korea manage to switch so successfully from being authoritarian and corrupt under Syngman Rhee to having a stable democracy? Korea’s history seems to predict anything but a liberal political system.
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What policies is the government pursuing to update the innate competitiveness of Koreans? If homosexuality can be accepted and women can participate more widely in the workforce, perhaps the government can strive towards a happier nation.
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Why does Korea have such a low rate of veganism given its GDP per capita? It seems to be a strong outlier.
Overall, a great starting point for diving into specifics of Korean culture and media.