Latest news with #2024CulturalDiversitySurvey
Korea Herald
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
83% of South Koreans have never had chance to really get to know a foreign national: survey
Despite growing foreign population, 70% of Koreans lack cultural diversity awareness Only one in six South Koreans have had any kind of meaningful interaction with a person from outside the country, while seven out of 10 say they have little to no understanding of what cultural diversity means, a new study shows. According to the first-ever 2024 Cultural Diversity Survey, released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday, only 16.8 percent of respondents have ever engaged with foreign nationals in their lifetime, despite South Korea's growing population of international residents. About 4.8 percent of the country's population consists of foreign residents, with their number now surpassing 2.46 million, as of the 2024 census. The 16.8 percent of respondents who did engage with non-Koreans said their contact was mainly with foreign workers (44.8 percent), marriage migrants (25.5 percent), and foreign students (24.9 percent), among others. The survey, which was conducted on 5,000 South Koreans, also shows that just 27.3 percent are familiar with the concept of cultural diversity, while 38.1 percent admit they have no idea what it means. The remaining 34.6 percent said they have heard of the term but know little about it. The survey aimed to approximate South Korea's aging demographics, though not perfectly, with the largest share of respondents in their 20s (24.2 percent) and strong representation from those in their 50s (19.1 percent), 40s (17.1 percent), 60s (15.8 percent) and 70s or older (15.3 percent). Teens aged 15 to 19 accounted for only 4.1 percent. The study defines cultural diversity as respecting differences in race, religion, values, lifestyles, gender and age while ensuring equal access to diverse cultural expressions and content. Diverse cultures struggle for visibility in Korea Another key indicator of cultural engagement is media consumption, which strongly influences perceptions of diversity. The survey found that local audiences overwhelmingly enjoy domestic entertainment ― a contrast to how K-pop and K-dramas are becoming more popular with overseas audiences. Over 85 percent of respondents said they regularly watch Korean popular media, compared to 60 percent who said they regularly consume content from other countries. In music, while 72.1 percent of respondents said they listen to Korean pop music, only 56 percent reported listening to non-Korean artists. This gap is most pronounced in the fine arts, with only 23.4 percent of respondents having ever attended a performance or exhibition featuring work from another country. The survey also revealed that media representation plays a significant role in shaping Koreans' perceptions of cultural diversity, often reinforcing stereotypes. More than 54 percent of respondents said they had encountered biased portrayals in television, news or online content, with the most commonly cited prejudices directed at different generations (56.6 percent), religious groups (45.5 percent) and racial minorities (44.2 percent).
Korea Herald
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
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.
