东北固收专题报告：韩国系列专题1：韩国社会为何如此压抑？

1. Report Industry Investment Rating There is no information about the report industry investment rating in the provided content. 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - Korea has achieved rapid economic development and industrial transformation, but it is facing severe structural problems, including low fertility rate, aging population, monopoly of chaebol groups, and complex international relations. However, the Korean stock market has become active since 2025 [11]. - The "Abandoned Generation" in Korea is a result of social pressure, and its ultimate consequence is a population crisis [12][16]. - Korea's "compressed modernity" is a survival strategy formed under specific historical conditions. It has created the "Han River Miracle" but also brought long - term negative impacts such as welfare shortage, chaebol monopoly, and labor system defects [54][58][63]. 3. Summary According to Relevant Catalogs 3.1 When Depression Becomes the Main Melody of Society, Young People Choose to "Abandon Everything" 3.1.1 Korea's "Abandoned Generation" is Essentially a Stop - Loss Strategy - The "Abandoned Generation" in Korea refers to young people who lack desires and pursuits and abandon everything. It includes different levels such as "Three - Abandonment", "Five - Abandonment", "Seven - Abandonment", and "N - Abandonment". This is a defensive and stop - loss strategy in response to social pressure [12]. 3.1.2 The Ultimate Consequence of "Abandoning Everything": Population Crisis - After young people become the "Abandoned Generation", Korea faces problems such as low marriage rate, low fertility rate, collapse of social relations, high suicide rate, and population crisis. The total population reached its peak in 2020 at 51.84 million and then started to decline. By the end of the century, it is estimated to be only 21.85 million. The marriage rate is at a low international level, and the proportion of the population aged 65 and above has reached 21.21%, indicating an ultra - aging society [16]. 3.2 Differences in the Modernization Process between Korea and Western Countries - Western countries' modernization process is relatively slow. Industrialization starts first, followed by urbanization, and then the fertility rate gradually declines after the improvement of social welfare. The whole process takes about 200 years [31]. - Korea's modernization process is "compressed". Industrialization and urbanization start and accelerate almost simultaneously. It also prematurely integrates into globalization, and the welfare system construction is absent. This process sacrifices the family sector for national development, but it also buries the seeds of structural crises [32][33][36]. 3.3 What is "Compressed Modernity"? 3.3.1 Time Compression: Modernization Process - Compressed modernity in terms of time is reflected in the speed difference of the modernization process. Western developed countries generally take nearly 200 years to complete the transformation from an agricultural society to an information technology society, while Korea only takes 64 years [38]. 3.3.2 Space Compression: Urbanization Process - Measured by the urbanization rate, Korea takes less than 25 years to complete the urbanization process, which is much faster than Western developed countries [43]. 3.3.3 Urban Development Differences under "Compressed Modernity" - Korea's rapid urbanization leads to a huge gap between Seoul and other regions, as well as within Seoul itself. The extreme concentration of resources in Seoul has led to high housing prices, intense competition, and the solidification of social classes [46][47]. 3.4 "Compressed Modernity" is Not Accidental, but it Does Bring Some Problems 3.4.1 "Compressed Modernity" is a Survival Strategy Formed under Specific Historical Conditions - Korea's "compressed modernity" is a defensive survival strategy formed under specific historical conditions, including 35 years of Japanese colonial history, being caught between the US and the Soviet Union, and the Korean War, which strengthened the logic of "economic development first" [54]. 3.4.2 The Concentration of National Efforts on Key Issues Creates the Han River Economic Miracle - Korea's strategy of concentrating national efforts on development has created the "Han River Miracle" and enabled it to enter the ranks of high - income countries. The key to the miracle is the successful transformation of the industrial structure. The Korean government has played an important role in resource allocation at different stages [58][60][61]. 3.4.3 But it Also Leaves Long - Term Negative Impacts: Welfare Shortage, Chaebol Monopoly, and Labor System Defects - After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the negative impacts of Korea's development model gradually emerged, including welfare system shortage, chaebol monopoly, and labor system defects. Compressed modernity is a cross - period exchange led by the state, but it has not achieved the expected results [63].