How culturally diverse do South Koreans believe their society is?
Survey shows South Koreans think Korea is halfway there
A recent survey revealed that South Koreans perceive their society's cultural diversity as just above the halfway mark on a 100-point scale, suggesting that awareness and acceptance of diverse cultural elements are still developing.
According to the 2024 Cultural Diversity Survey, jointly conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute and Statistics Korea, South Koreans rated the country's cultural diversity at 50.8 out of 100. The biennial survey aims to gauge public awareness of cultural diversity and assess engagement in cultural experiences and creative activities.
The survey findings reflect the prevailing belief that South Korean society is still far from reaching an optimal level of cultural diversity. However, respondents were optimistic about future progress, predicting that the cultural diversity score will rise to 65.9 points within the next five years.
When asked about the potential benefits of increased cultural diversity, respondents highlighted: social conflict resolution (26.9 percent), enhanced cultural and artistic competitiveness (21.8 percent), and improved quality of life for community members (20.3 percent) as key positive outcomes.
Despite ongoing discussions about diversity, a significant proportion of respondents admitted to a lack of understanding of what it means. Only 27.3 percent stated they were well aware of the concept, while 34.6 percent said they had an average understanding. Alarmingly, 38.1 percent of respondents said they did not know what cultural diversity meant.
The survey also examined the representation of cultural diversity in media and the arts. More than half ― 54 percent ― of South Koreans reported encountering biases or stereotypes against certain cultures or groups in media content. The most frequently experienced biases involved around generational values and lifestyles (56.6 percent), followed by religious differences (45.5 percent), racial biases (44.2 percent) and regional stereotypes (43.6 percent).
South Koreans' cultural consumption remains largely focused on domestic content. In the fine arts sector, 41.0 percent of respondents engaged with domestic content, while only 23.4 percent consumed international works. In the pop culture sector, domestic content consumption stood at 85.2 percent, significantly higher than the 60.0 percent engagement with foreign cultural content.
The survey identified several factors limiting the diversity of cultural and media content. One challenge cited was the dominance of mainstream culture in media content, with 22.2 percent of respondents citing it as a key issue. Additionally, 18 percent pointed to market control exerted by large media corporations, which restricts opportunities for diverse voices. Stereotypes and biases reflected in content creation further hinder representation, as noted by 13 percent of respondents. Another growing concern, cited by 11.2 percent of respondents, is algorithm-driven content consumption, which selectively exposes audiences to familiar perspectives and limits their engagement with diverse cultural narratives.
The 2024 Cultural Diversity Survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 4,974 South Korean nationals aged 15 and above, from 2,994 households nationwide. The study took place between Aug. 27 and Sept. 6, 2023.
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