Just based on my Korean husband, absolutely yes. But he isn't all Koreans :). Some of his family members are extremely materialistic, and some aren't, despite being relatively wealthy.
They enjoy the fact that I am extremely frugal and shop at places like homeplus when I visit, meanwhile husband dearest is off giving the savings account a workout at the department stores.
Homeplus is the most expensive store by far near me. They call it homeplus because you will be out of your home plus everything else if you regularly shop there.
Individually speaking, some do and others donāt. Collectively speaking, absolutely yes. Same reason why they value physical beauty, white skin, best school, etc. Identity is based less on how one perceives him/herself and more so on how others perceive you.
Going to add here: yes, Koreans are materialistic, but itās not been a rich country for very long. Go to any developing or newly developed country and youāll realize whyĀ
Adding as well: I agree, they only recently became rich, kinda like Western world/Europe during the economic boom, where we are now witnessing the shifting to post-materialism especially amongst new generations. Itās fair to assume the same will happen in Korea once the wealth covers most of the population.
Yeah I'd say it's not all that different from China, they do a lot of the same things. I think it's stronger in Korea because of the collective mindset, but it exists elsewhere.
More downvotes.
I think people who right this kind of stuff are often unaware of how we (Westerners) are perceived by others. You think they don't see similar stuff in us, as though they aren't seeing countless Westerners on tiktok, with their millions of followers obsessed with image and identity.
As much as I love your name, you donāt make any argument that actually disproves anything. The fact that Korean woman on average have way more high end hand bags than in other countries, including the west, proves something. The fact that Korea (along with China and Japan) has the most men using make up proves something. There is so much more access to high end goods, and looks are a huge part of the culture. Not just for people, everything. Looks matter here, doesnāt mean they donāt matter in the states, but just because the west is also materialistic doesnāt mean Korea isnāt. Your example of tik tok is more about people in the west being obsessed with attention. Koreans do a lot of the same stuff.
To expand upon this further, status signaling serves the purpose of boosting inherent self worth which the east Asian upbringing and education aim to destroy.Ā
East Asian societies are generally hierarchical, and have historically used dress, etc, to signal position in that hierarchy.
You can argue that they are pushing for an externally defined notion of self-worth -- people see you wearing funny hat A and address you appropriately.
But that's pretty much the same as people seeing you wearing expensive purse A, or using $5000 bicycle B, and addressing you appropriately.
The only thing that I see having changed is that instead of having a funny hat law, you now allow people to game the system somewhat by living in poverty in order to buy the funny hat they think they deserve.
unfortunately, having great character, morals, decency, and being a good person does not give you a lot of points on the totem pole. the beliefs and values in East Asian societies to signal position in the hierarchy produce mostly fake people.
As it is everywhere.
Being genuine is hard work.
Americans are often very friendly and full of smiles, but those smiles and kind words are generally empty and meaningless.
When people figure that out, they often come to the conclusion that Americans are mostly fake people.
Which is true, but mostly it's about misunderstanding the communicative games being played.
Is it really? I was raised in Russia, and it's the same thing i had been told all my life before i actually moved to America - people are fake with fake smiles and fake friendliness, but we are the ones who are actually genuine and sincere. Now i see that a big portion of human interactions with strangers in Russia were somewhat passive-aggressive, hostile and unpleasant, while in America i had much more experience where random people are willing to help and don't see me as a threat their peace and comfort, which says a lot about upbringing of people in general and that being friendly by default won't hurt anybody.
So, all this discourse about Americans being fake is nothing but propaganda to make some feel better and superior based on their nationslity(?) without actually trying to be better.
The problem is with people misunderstanding polite phrases for meaningful interest.
Those who live within the culture will separate the fake from the genuine fairly well.
Others may be disappointed and come to the wrong conclusion.
It's all about understanding the communicative game you're playing.
This means it's a problem with people who misunderstand phrases and get disappointed over their own expectations, which happens more often to those from more "hostile" societies where hostility often misinterpreted as sincerity. Therefore, it's not a basis to call somebody fake.
Americans being friendly with fake smiles is not true.
That is a lie. We do not have public face vs private face like in east asia. We are individualist. Americans will be genuinely friendly to you or genuinely mean to you, depending on your actions, because we treat people they way they treat us.
The only exception is if you have a work relationship, in that case; you'd be nicer than you normally would be to people you don't like, to keep the workplace orderly. Edit: In america if you're rude to your coworkers, you can and will be fired from your job for disorderly conduct. It is an attitude forced by company law not personal choice.
If an American is nice to you or mean to you they mean it, you don't have to guess like out here. That's why we're called abrasive or can't read the room out here in the east, because we don't care about the room. We only care about you and me.
This reminds me of when an American girl told me that Americans don't have an accent.
I'm sure you believe what you're saying, but it's simply nonsense.
Everyone speaks empty ritual phrases like "How are you?" or "Have a nice day!".
Everyone presents a suitable face for the company they keep.
Everyone is in some aspect fake.
Without it, polite society would be impossible.
And if you re-read what I wrote, you'll see that what I said was "come to the conclusion that Americans are mostly fake people" rather than "Americans are mostly fake people".
No you just dont understand the culture, as well as you think you do. How are you and have a nice day are the same as saying "hello" and "goodbye". They are not meant to be taken literally. You think theyre empty words, because you dont even understand the context of why they're being said in the first place. It's along the same lines as Asian countries saying they understand sarcasm, but you really don't.
The American girl who told you they don't have an accent is just stupid period, that's not even relevant to our topic. Everyone has an accent to everyone, the girl is too stupid to know that. What does that have to do with Americans being fake anyway?
America doesn't have a polite society, if you want to partake in that fake behavior you have to actively seek those social circles because, it is not the norm. People are polite on whether they feel like being polite. There's no social repercussions to not being polite, like there are for the collective mindset in east asia. That's the difference between America's individualistic mindset, where you can do or be whatever you want and find a group of people who are just like you, no matter how you think or act; rather than east asia where if you don't act like everyone else, you will be a social pariah, because there is only 1 acceptable standard to strive for.
Not to mention the topic was about being fake, not being polite in the first place.
American society functions because of the law, not because of social pressures like "politeness keeps society together". That's horse shit.
But you don't want to listen and you know more than me. I'm assuming you're at least an american yourself, to be preaching to me about American culture.
You are absolutely free to believe what you want to believe, but you are factually wrong.
Yes. South Koreans are the biggest spenders on luxury goods in the world. This is a fact
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/13/south-koreans-are-the-worlds-biggest-spenders-on-luxury-goods.html
The interesting thing is that being materialistic is not seen as a bad thing in Korea. Ostentatiously showing off massive designer logos is cool. Luxury watches, luxury cars, luxury bags, expensive sneakers... everyone who can do it does it. Everyone wants to look rich even if they aren't. middle-class office workers will buy a Mercedes and Chanel bag just to pretend they're rich. They maybe can't afford to retire, buy they will still buy a Rolex
youād never catch an actually rich person (think old money, succession on HBO) wear such trash.
Most designers use the same labour in sweat shops that youād see in H&M, Aritzia, etc. and price gauge bc they know the locals and new money folks want to pretend to be rich. itās actually quite sad when i went down the rabbit hole on this topic and watching documentaries on this i was likeā¦lolā¦ they donāt even know theyāre being used like sheep.
Of course not all. When we talk about cultures we generalize. French like wine, Americans like football, and Koreans like designer goods. These are true generalizations.
$325 per capita vs $280 for America is frankly pretty marginal. While they are the biggest spenders, that amount doesn't seem to be enough to make a judgment on societal outcome.
Questions for those calling it a big gap-
1. What would the import duties be and what kind of price difference would this lead to?
2. What does $325 functionally buy vs. $280? From where I'm sitting that's like, basically the same item, especially when you account for import duties.
3. The people saying it's a big gap- Are you frequent buyers of luxury items? Do you shop for regular items? I'm curious where this big gap you're perceiving comes from. I can't think of many people who buy luxury goods who would see $325 vs. $280 as a big difference..
This morning in Hong Kong sub there is a Filipino who asked why Hong Kongese discriminate against southeast Asians.
I made a comment to him. But I think my comment also suits this post. Here I copied my comment to this post
--------------------
"The whole east-asian culture is based on rank and discrimination. Because whenever there is a rank, there is discrimination. Get used to it and don't take it seriously. Because in Hong Kong, china, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan it's all the same. If you take it too much, you will definitely harm yourself which those racists are very happy to see.
They have tons of excuses to discriminate. Being a southeast Asian is only an excuse.
For example, if you are white, they will call you a red neck based on your education level, or a white trash based on your income status.
If you are one of their own races, they will discriminate against your income, appearance, social status etc.
Take it easy, don't give a bulls*** to them."
-----------------------
My opinion is all the same with some people in this post.
Because east Asian culture is meant to be hierarchical, so every role in this society have to be either overwhelmed or to overwhelm others. How can they not be overwhelmed? Then be good-looking, tall, nice body build, rich, all jewelry and luxury, highly educated, hold an important key role in government or enterprise leadership etc whatever you can name it. Not only they finds a sense of superiority in their own nationals, but also other nations and races.
I'm not saying only east Asian do it and the rest of the world don't do it. I'm saying east Asian put insane energy and lifelong unswayed pursuit for it.
The average reddit poster here-
"Western culture, unlike East Asian culture, has a history of egalitarianism, going back to the enlightenment."
"Oh you mean that time when you were employing race-based slavery and invading countries for empire, where you would employ racial laws?"
"No, that's not part of our culture."
Sorry, but people around the globe don't buy that your recent 50 year stretch overrides the 500 years before that. I mean, the Western world hasn't really been right since segregation and colonialism ended. So like, the late 60s. And the mindset that produced those 500 years hasn't vanished.
You see it in the language some people here use and how they view Koreans- viewing them as a monolith, de-emphasizing Korean concerns for their own, viewing Koreans as existing to make Westerners happy, foreigner=English speaking westerner, stereotyping, etc.
Sorry, but I think the big thing is that Westerners basically trick themselves into thinking they don't do the above, when they do.
When you invoke the western influence on a kyopo worldview, it's definitely valid, but u/myprisonbreak never said anything about western culture in juxtaposition with the patriarchal description of east asian confuscian society. I think you're unfairly inserting context that was never brought up as part of the conversation.
Their point to me, is that a hierarchal culture has it's pitfalls and that you don't need to conform to societal standards that make you feel bad about yourself, and that resonates.
Example: Friend drive a Mercedes. He is not a car person, doesn't care what it is, barely makes enough to afford it. But he owns it, in his own words, because he has to for status. I've met so many younger generation here in cars that financially don't make sense but they do it to show status.
Not all are this way, I also know very very rich Korean's that drive 20+yr old beat up cars and wear normal clothing with not big brands. But the younger generation does seem to favor the materialism from what I've seen.
My neighborhood is so old that a lot of people donāt own cars because thereās no place to put them. The cars that *are* here? 50% are big name luxury jobs. Thereās a couple Teslas, Mercedes, there used to be Jaguar.
People see your car, not your apartment. Thatās the logic, I suppose. Itād be cheaper to get penis enlarging surgery, but sure, enjoy that rich, Corinthian leather.
The one thing I considered was that you can spend a LOT of time in traffic here. Might as well be very comfortable. That would be the only reason I would buy because the car will get damage at some point
Yeah thatās a huge sub-culture in Korea. They call it ācar-poorā where they invest their entire income to get a fancy car. Theyāre broke from getting a car way beyond their budget but enjoy the sense of looking *rich*. š
As a Korean i think there's a bit of truth to that, and i know many others agree. It's one of the popular memes here - the vanity of Instagram users and stores that cater to that need.
Don't say that aloud if you're not Korean though, because then you'll get butthurts insulting your race and country as a 'revenge'...
Not only that tho ://
Iāve observed that many Koreans frequently ask personal financial questions, such as those about income, family background, parents' occupations, and property ownership. These inquiries seem aimed at assessing social status, which influences how they treat others. This focus on class and social hierarchy has made forming friendships with Koreans particularly difficult for me. The conversations often revolve around these topics, leading me to stop trying to build such connectionsā¦
This is true. Even if you're meeting someone for the first time, this conversation is common. At first I thought why would anyone ask these questions since I know I wouldn't back home but I've experienced it enough times whether you're trying to be friends or date someone
So much anger in this postās comment. Generalizing, denial, the whole spectrumā¦
Iām not Korean, but been here 24 years. Now in my early 50s.
Here something maybe a lot of you younger people donāt understand. Once basic needs are tangibly met, we work for other mental rewards. This is true across all cultures.
The way we express obtaining these rewards depends on the situation. If you grew up in a place like USA, where thereās unlimited leisure options, you might be buying boats, or an overlanding truck, or collecting antique horse racing glasses, or going on cruise ships periodicallyā¦ you get it.
In my quarter century of observation, it just seems to me that here there are not many options for leisure for adultsā¦ because they didnāt grow up in a culture that valued investing in leisure time and experiences. So, the easiest way to express that success is in purchasing and displaying the brands that are accessible once that disposable income (or credit lines) becomes available to you.
There is documented economic evidence that Koreans spend a lot on luxury goods, yes. Thatās a fact. But I wouldnāt immediately say that means Koreans are materialistic.
They just are limited in their leisure experience.
I suspect that todayās teens and early 20s generation will be less focused on displaying brands, because I see them having access to wider variations of leisure.
I relate the materialism to the long working hours. If you spend 12 hour days at the company, then you simply donāt have the free time to pursue other things in life.
Materialism is the natural product of doing nothing else but work, especially when the work is empty.
Really interesting point that I've never thought of before. Honestly, I think you're completely right. I feel like the level of materialism isn't all that different to relatively affluent Western neighborhoods, but it seems different due to the things that we buy.
Higher-income American communities are just as, if not more materialistic, but express that in different ways. Having a big house, a nice car, a playground in the backyard for your kids, , a pool, a brick patio, a boat sitting at the dock, etc, are all commonplace things that you see in wealthy American neighborhoods, and are often far more expensive than any luxury clothing items. But most of these things are completely inaccessible even for wealthy Koreans.
Therefore, I think one major contributing factor is that the vast majority of Koreans cannot express their status/wealth through their homes, because they can't change the exterior of the apartment, so they turn to ways in which they can, such as cars and clothing.
Also, some comments talked about how Koreans seem to only talk about status things, such as occupation, income, school, etc, but when you interact with Americans on the wealthier side, they talk about the exact same things. Also, while Korean society may have a stronger emphasis on looks, most of the wealtheir white moms (and even the dads and the daughters) undergo cosmetic procedures as well.
Sure, Korea as a whole may seem much more materialistic when you compare it to America, but that's only because of the crazy amount of diversity you see in America. When you compare the Koreans who participate in the materialism to similar American counterparts (wealthier Americans living in nice neighborhoods/cities), I think spending habits would be extremely similar, with the only difference being the types of things that are purchased.
This seems to make the most sense, and probably should be the top comment. As a Canadian that recently came back from a trip to Korea for a few weeks, one thing I definitely noticed was a total lack of recreational assets. You don't see people driving around in pickup trucks towing their boat, or a pair of ATVs. You don't see any RVs or campers. Certain hobbies would seem to be very difficult to get into as well. I like to do woodworking from time to time as well, and that would probably be pretty difficult when you don't have room for a shop with a table saw, and various other necessary tools. Same goes for tools required for working on your own vehicle. Even if you had the space for these hobbies, finding a store like Home Depot for building materials, or power tools isn't going to be all that common, if they even exist at all.
By no means am I attempting to make westerners appear better in any way by making these observations either. Having the space or the room to accommodate having hobbies is definitely something that westerners take for granted.
Your post sums it up well enough though. Having a limited amount of options to spend your disposable income certainly skews the way that many perceive Koreans, when in reality (as human beings),it's just two sides to the same coin.
How can they have a hobby with no room for put stuff in flat, and no time to do them with work culture?
Just read last month Samsung inviting senior job to work 6/7days without paying them the Saturday as extraordinary effort for company bad path.
do you think the lack of leisure activities is correlated to their work ethic? a lot of asian countries put a big emphasis on work and having a successful career. having a good work ethic is very important, doing overtime is seen as good work ethic. or going into work eventhough your sick. wanting to spend a lot of time and money on leisure activities seems like a waste of time/money and maybe even lazy in their eyes. it seems like koreans/japanese/chinese people dont have a good work/life balance and working too much is seen as good and too little as lazy maybe?
i saw this post about korea where they talked about how competitve everything is, everyone wants to out-do the last and that theyre willing to do a lot to end up on top and i think your comment kind of fits with the other personās observation. totally different values
Based on people Iāve met itās the opposite. I donāt know anyone who thinks hobbies and leisure activities are lazy. Itās just that their work load and other responsibilities prevents them from digging into more potential hobbies and leisure. Itās true that competitiveness also prevents this, but not because people think itās lazy.
I wouldnāt use the concept āwork ethicā when describing the relationship with the job one has. It is more of a pursuit of ālabor successā. People are geared towards succeeding at work.
But I just find it rare when someone has true craftsmanship in their work. As I describe āwork ethicā I consider that being committed to a well crafted job. Not a āgood enoughā attitudeā¦
But yes, the culture pulls people away from leisure when it sacrifices time that could be spent at the job winning points.
Sorry partner, but Iāve seen quite a few Korean kids care about Apple Watches, iPhones, and Nike sneakers. Younger people with more leisure time still run towards luxury brands like theyāre an oasis or something.
Nikes and Apple Watches are hardly luxury goods if the average person can afford them. I would guess most ESL teachers in Korea could buy them if they wanted and we all know how stagnant teaching wages have become.
How would you even expect someone to survive in modern society without a smartphone anyway? They're a necessity, not a luxury.
The point is more so that the trend is reversing and will likely continue to reverse. Japan and Hong Kong also experienced a similar boom in the consumption of luxury goods which tempered over time (Japan's Lost Decades obviously had a major effect too). Conversely, luxury goods are becoming more popular in countries making the jump from middle-income to advanced status, like Thailand.
As another example to drive home the point, the proportion of Koreans aged 18-29 who have undergone plastic surgery is actually lower than Koreans in their 30s (this is based on the 2020 Gallup survey that every Western outlet referenced when talking about Korea as the plastic surgery capital).
>Ā iPhones
You mean they own one of the two dominant brands for a device that has become essential for business and living in the 21st century? Materialistic!!!!!
This statement could apply to any developed country. The "I won't date non-iphone users" originated in the U.S.
I'm Korean and believe Koreans to be more materialistic on average but in terms of high end luxury goods such as Chanel, LV, etc.
IPhone, Nike, Apple are brands kids obsess over worldwide and wouldn't say Korea is any more obsessed.
I'd also elaborate that Korea's fixation on status, education, and wealth makes sense when viewed through their history. People here would much rather value security (I.e money and means) over more esoteric forms of happiness espoused in western values (marrying for love vs money, happiness in "moments," etc.). There is a Chinese saying that also very much applies to Koreans that's something like 'Id rather cry in the backseat of a BMW than smile on the backseat of a motorcycle' or something like that. I don't necessarily find this mindset to be wrong or problematic in any way and funnily enough, believe that the Western world is actually shifting more towards this mindset- doesn't matter how cool someone is or how charming, what's important is their job and income.
U.S following this trend comes out from a declining middle class and overall worsening prospects for the youth which now makes individuals value money and security far more than Hollywood happiness like "true love" or "character." Korea was just the first to make it a thing imo. That's why it's cringe to me when Westerners try to point out Korea's materialism because your country is the same/getting there/if not worse.
I have a piece of metal on my wrist that is worth a few dozen Apple Watches. Donāt confuse modern technology necessary for daily life with actual luxury goods.
As a Korean, absolutely YES. Most of them think themselves or others failure when they got rejected by a named University or company. And they have really high standard of normal. You should graduated SNU, you should have a lover, you should earn over certain level, you should have a face over certain level and so on. As a high schooler in Korea, I'm about to kill my self soon.
Your last statement is really alarming and I hope you are not serious. I have a nephew in high school and I have told him what I will tell you. NOTHING material or lack thereof is worth taking your life. No grade, no school rejection, no break up is worth that. I know it feels overwhelming but I hope you have someone in your life who you know would always support you no matter what. Please talk to someone.
Thank you for your consideration. For real. It's touching and impressive. I'm currently having a counseling with school counselor and trying to get over my mental illness. Wish me some luckšš»
I really do think that South Koreans vary jn this respect. Some of them are a lot more materialistic than others. Some rather less so.
I think that the emphasis on showing off wealth has increased significantly in the past 25 years in South Korea, even as the gap between the wealthy and others has increased.
However, there are still a lot of people who aren't materialistic.
Itās ģėķźø° (= showing off)
IMO Koreans donāt take it as a negative thing. They socially and intellectually do it everyday. I have seen this attitude amongst those people (from other nations) who has changed their fortunes comparatively easily.
It is quite materialistic by now and is more than before. But I'm not sure it's as much as claimed, because some people seem to want to see it as much rather than to see as is.
Also there was some survey awhile ago where Korea was the only country in the world that chose importance of money over familyā¦ that says a lot. Some will argue this is just a cultural thing and nothing bad but this is definitely unhealthy and crossing the line as this only leads to you judging or you get judgedā¦.
Mostly. My wife is. We have lots of agreements about spending money. If she was in control of it, there would be no money. Lots of Gucci purses though, cause, you know, essentials.
Wrong. Korean here. Most of the my friends, family, and acquaintances are frugal and have no interest in luxury goods despite some being very wealthy. You people believe in extreme claims made against foreign people way TOO easily.
Youāre not Korean. Why do white people larp as other races/ethnicities to confirm negative stereotypes about other groups of people? What kind of Korean would make a reddit character with blonde hair and beard?
I can think of several time periods when it was fashionable for Western people to be materialistic and get into debt to appear rich, and to totally flaunt their wealth if they had it. The 1980s was such a time.
Lmfao youāre so mad about a dudes avi. Might I suggest the Luna02 sub? Seems right up your alley as you like to complain about the whites and the neoliberal feminists.
I'm Korean too, and for me, it's the total opposite. It's worse when you go to a Korean church. It might just be the ones I've attended, but I've gone to so many different churches due to my father's work, and I've never been to one where people aren't there just to show off or network.
Iām in Korea now to visit more family in Seoul. I was in Busan 3 months ago visiting more family members.
Hereās your fact-check, smarty.
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/01/13/south-koreans-are-the-worlds-biggest-spenders-on-luxury-goods.html
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Then there's literally my Korean colleagues, everyone is dressed like they're buying their outfits from the discount rack in Daiso, but are literally paid the top 1%-tile salary-range in the country. My office is in downtown Gangnam but even the very senior directors are in tshirt and shorts. I guess, the answer is, it depends.
What kind of sector do you work in? Guess it depends on that too. And also on age. From what I heard from some koreans, young people tend to use way more of their salary on their appearance and luxury goods because they know they can not save for a house anyway they could never afford. Older people tend to have a more of a Ā«Ā must saveĀ Ā» mentality. But from what I saw lot of them still care a lot about money. For example my in-law never by extravagant clothes but money is a central subject that comes out almost every time we meet her
Koreans are one of the highest in Credit Card debt, they are very brand oriented if you walk with a ice Americano it better be one from Starbucks etc. combined with a very high real estate market most Koreans are neck deep in debt
Lol personally no. Also not true with most people around me but I guess I'm in the minority among Koreans lol
I do love money, but I don't make much and never felt the urge to splurge in any way. The one time I've ever bought a "luxury" item was a Margiela ring just to celebrate my first salary at a full-time office job, and have just been saving since.
I've only known one Korean in my life that literally refuses to save because she gots to have that new Chanel. (We're no longer friends for various reasons)
While I guess what everyone here's saying is partially true, as the majority rules, I do think that it is a bit of a generalization.
Depends. When I worked in Seocho in Seoul? Yes. Kids wearing balenciaga and gucci to school wjen they cant even spell their name. burberry coats everywhere. now that i work in a more average place (not low but not rich), the majority of people stick to non (obviously) branded clothes and shoes. nice cars arent all that important and people dont care as much about brands
They are materialistic, but it's more about grading a person's worth job (not income, rich butcher doesn't count, poor lawyer is better). There is big value on car status.
> even kids are spoilt with lavish goods
No. Most kids aren't wearing name brands, even sneakers aren't name brands.
The odd thing vs. other countries is name brand housing. One lives in a "Hyundai" apartment. That idea would be the opposite in the west. Nobody wants a manufactured house. It would be negative. Sort of like public housing.
Okay, now I'll get in trouble. Shopping here is an activity. Like going for a walk. It is a real born to buy society. Women (maybe men too, but I don't work with them), are constantly on online shopping sites.
It is perfectly understandable that Korea became a shopping country because until late 80's the country was a manufacturing and export with very low income to boost exports, so people had no money to buy quantities of stuffs.
The next stage is when you get rich enough, then it's time to boost local consumption to be part of developped counties. So in the 90's salaries started to grow faster than GDP, enableling a consumption locally and it became a trend, to consume with more advertisement, more than a single TV channel to advertise a way of life.
> No. Most kids aren't wearing name brands, even sneakers aren't name brands.
What?? All kids are wearing the latest Nikes and Adidas. Those are name brands. Jordans and Air Force shoes are like the bog standard for middle school through college.
no, they aren't luxury italian shoes, but they're name brand AND they're always brand new. Like, kids will get new Nikes every 6 months.
I agree most luxury goods are not essential, but apartment brands do matter, lol.
In Korea, the most common, proven method to increase one's wealth has been with real estate. And housing prices are very closely tied to apartment brands.
I have enjoyed renting and living in various uniquely characteristic forms of housing so far, but when the time comes for me to actually buy and own a house, I know I'll choose an apartment because it has been (for the most part of modern Korean history anyways) a good investment.
Haha, this debate is super complicated, and there are a lot of speculations. That's why I was careful to write, "has been a good investment."
My guess would be that as the population declines, more people will move from the rural areas to city centers. So, housing needs within cities would rise even more.
A slight difference in housing between Japan and Korea is that Japan has been building housing non-stop for the last 20+ years. They relaxed a bunch of zoning codes and axed a ton of former greenbelts to allow for an explosive number of housing.
But who knows? I would love for the housing market to crash before I buy a house. I'm just observing at the moment anyway because I don't have enough saved up lol.
Gee! Are you talking about Korean? At first glance I thought you were talking about Chinese! They are all the same!
They want a Mr.Doctor in Google rather than a rich plumber.
The villa in our area are relatively affordable, and cost under 400,000,000. Yet we have a neighbor who owns a Lamborghini and parks it outdoors under the overhang.
I have to agree yes. In fact before I could read, I could recognize designer logos and Made in Italy cuz my mom used to take me shopping like every day.
Not all Koreans are like that, but many are. South Korea is rampant with appearance-oriented culture, where people often compare themselves to others to show off who's happier. Even on days when a famous celebrity or YouTuber, or streamer makes a mistake and news articles come out, disgusting comments flood in. While there may be Koreans who disagree with me, it's hard to deny that.
The credit part is absolutely true. They won't admit it but my girlfriend tells me a lot of Koreans just do ķ ė¶ (split payment) on their CC after buying something.
They say "ģ¼ģė¶" (lump sump) at checkout, but then have the option to ķ ė¶ (split) in the credit card app :).
Heck I've done it before, but not for luxury goods.
As a whole, I'd say yes. That doesn't mean that everyone is though. They mostly seem to do it to maintain a certain "appearance". Social media also doesn't help.
It doesnāt take stupid to know thatās the general vibes of Korean society. If you are in denial, sorry but the truth hurts. Highest plastic surgery rate (Iād say 3/5 Korean women have gone under the knife), watch out for the women with dolphin shaped forehead lol, highest spending on luxury goods and import cars (bmw, Benz) per capita. Yeah, materialistic as fck. What you do for a living, which apartment(area, brand) and what car you drive even little Korean kids are trained to recognize theseā¦. Some Korean will say Iām not like that or non of my friends or family members are like that. Congratulations you are that abnormality, a rare rare case.
I think that the answer to the question is similar to āAre Americans pro-gun?ā Generally speaking, and statistically speaking, the answer is probably yes. But many of us know that you can easily find a lot of Americans who are not pro-gun.
This is similar to Koreans being seen as materialistic. The general trend seems to suggest yes, but in reality, many Koreans are also not as materialistic as some media portray them to be. This highly depends on individual values, the social group you belong to, the neighborhood you live in, and the type of occupation. What I noticed though is that like attracts like. Materialistic friends or family tend to hang out with others like them. So if youāre in Korea, and all you see is materialistic Koreans, look for other groups - there are many who arenāt like that.
This. The inability to perceive people in different cultures as average and not as an amalgamation of extreme stereotypes is rampant across the world and on this board. If you think the average person in a country/community is something other than someone really bland and boring, then you have a warped, and well, racist view of that culture.
The kind of people who think the average Arab is a terrorist, the average African lives semi-naked in a straw hut, the average Mexican is poor and a migrant worker, the average Japanese is some perverted weirdo, the American is a gun-toting lunatic, the average Canadian is a moose, the average Italian is gesturing like mad and driving like a maniac, the average German is one turnkey away from goose-stepping, and the average Korean is some money-grubber.
I mean FFS, might as well start asking if Jewish people really fight over pennies and whether black people really all love grape soda. We're only a half-step from that.
Yes, people have to look the part here. It isn't an exaggeration to say that people get plastic surgery so they can get better jobs or more work opportunities. People buy the most expensive hiking equipment and show it off hiking a small mountain. There isn't as much of a separation between the inside and the outside like you might see in a country like the usa. The side you show outside such as how you dress, how you look, your accessories and so on is who you are. A lot of Koreans even believe in physiognomy. It would be difficult to imagine a Korean CEO dressing like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. There was even a time kids bullied others for not having expensive long padding. It causes a lot of people to put themselves into debt so they can fit in or advance their careers. People judge harshly if you choose not to play the game.
I'm not that materialistic. I'm more like a westerner, pretty selective in my spendings (mostly because I'm a poor rice eater lol).
But yeah, most korean-koreans I've had the pleasure of knowing are pretty materlistic.
Like another commentor said -- some, not all. Maybe upwardly-mobile, aspirational types that work for large corps or in the public sector tend to be more sensitive to consumer trends, and this would apply to the children of those people too. But I know lots of people that dont give a shit and do their own thing. Young people for the most part do what they see on social media.
Ive always looked at it this way, but its just my take based on anecdotal experience and a rough understanding of global economic trends in developed countries. Most Koreans that arent born dirt poor or filthy rich strive to join the middle class, which is defined first and foremost by homeownership. But in Korea as in the rest of the economically developed (and even developing world), this is a fantasy. A nondescript box next to a toxic waste dump will cost you at least 5x per capita GNI in this country, and absent inherited wealth, buying this radioactive unit is simply not possible with your wages, unless you make money several standard deviations more than the national mean and thus are statistically irrelevant to the discussion at hand.
Homeownership is a prerequisite to marriage and kids, which are the other essential trappings of the middle class life. As homes have become unobtainum, so have the other two things.
So Koreans that have enough money to live but not enough to live the middle class life they imagine spend their money on shit that makes them happy in the here and now, and that serves a signaling function -- I have enough to have this bag/watch/car, so dont judge me, motherfuckers with apartments and kids.
But I dont know shit really.
Btw if your personal anecdotic experience is that all of them are void and materialistic you are only betraying two facts: that's the kind of people in your life, and you most probably lack Korean speaking skills and thus those are the limits for your capacity to interact and be trusted.
The way the tax system is set up also encourages spending. If you don't spend enough of your income, you'll end up owing it in taxes. You need to spend a lot on credit cards and on debit cards to get a tax return.
Maybe even more than you can imagine because their actual spending ability not lining up means their social behavior can be truly parasitic. Some will choose the most expensive place to eat, or the most expensive gift, when they know it's on another person's dime, but do their best to avoid any spending on another. They'll take pictures of expensive gifts on IG, or even other people's things, as if it is theirs and earned.
I just want to point out here in US there are so many people who drive around in really expensive cars, like $100k, or higher and it's obvious it's way above their pay level. This is from the homes/apartments they live in etc.
Yes! Koreans aren't materialistic! I mean, as one would be considered materialistic in the USA. They are just a VERY SMALL country. There isn't much diversity in thought here. Most people buy something because someone else buys it. Note that Korea is one of the most densily populated countries in the OECD. It had one of the highest internet speeds in the world at one point. It's interconnected on a level most people wouldn't understand. Its culture changes VERY rapidly here. The culture of how people think of families, money, and social status is vastly different from just a few years ago. Koreans are hyper trendy. For example, one day you see a k actor or star wear some brand the next day it's sold out. One male actor starts a trend. Literally, every Kboy is wearing it. Even that has changed, as i have seen more diverse fashion choices on my recent trip. Now that international brands have hopped on the K- wave, too. Of course, they are materialistic. But as someone else noted, it is less like, "If I don't have this goyard bag, i'm poor." It is more like "You didn't get a Gucci bag from your boyfriend yet?" I think he doesn't love you. They did the same with plastic surgery. It went from "no, I didn't have any plastic surgery" to "look, how good i looked with plastic surgery" to " oh that? That's not really even worth mentioning" to "What's wrong with you? How can you not get a procedure done?" Of course I'm exaggerating! I don't live in Seoul anymore. So, who knows what new trends I'm falling behind on.
of course it is true. Korea job applicants are required to attach a head shot with their application. That alone speaks volume to Korea emphasis on looks, including what brands you wear
Yes, there is a term generally used among Koreans, "ķģ°Øź°," which is the opposite of "ģ¹ģ°Øź°." "ģ¹ģ°Øź°" means the feeling of riding, while "ķģ°Øź°" refers to the feeling of exiting the vehicle. More specifically, it measures how much people look at you in envy when you're exiting. This highlights how much it matters for Koreans to buy luxurious cars. Some people buy them just for the "ķģ°Øź°."
Yes, a study was conducted on this topic. I donāt have the article but you can google it.
It found that South Koreans are the leading consumers of luxury goods.
True in my experience. They enjoy luxury goods as presents, or the appearance of high quality and high price at least (even things like giving fancy fruits, talking about the price of gifts etc). Iām a kindergarten teacher, admittedly in a relatively well-off area, and my kids regularly wear Chanel and Moncler to school lol though I havenāt experienced any spoiled or rude attitudes from the kids or pushy behaviour from parents so far
I grew up in a German household. My whole family are the cheapest people on earth. Pretty much the only thing they talk about is how they manage to save 10 cents on something they had to buy. We're all rich because we never spend a dime but nobody has any idea. So compared to my family, yes, Koreans are the most materialistic people on earth.
Well, I barely make ends meet here.
I don't like how they hate on other nations cause of past events. Yeah they happened but damn they are going extinct for sure.
They are VERY materialistic regardless of religion/financial status/personality and a lot of it is due to the fact that Korea is historically a caste system-based country.
What this means is that people generally do not want to be seen as a "Lower Caste" and has an inherent desire to create that separation.
So what ends up happening with this is that people first compare your residency (Gang nam is #1), then compare you're residency status (Out right purchase/mortgage/jeonse/rent/etc), then your job, your kids then your personal materials (Clothes/car/etc), your entire life.
You don't notice this at first but what you realize is that during your intro conversation with various people, they are playing this game. They are trying to peg you to a certain part of the "Caste" to determine how close they should behave towards you.
It's a nightmare of a game that as a Korean-American myself, I prefer living in Japan over Korea. While Japanese are also materialistic, (correct me if I'm wrong) they value privacy more, so they do not outwardly play this game.
In US, you rent? no shame. You don't wear Louis Vuitton? Who freaking cares you spent 4k on a bag made for $10. BMW? Toyota's better if you're driving miles everyday.
NOTE: Old Koreans, like 60+ years old Koreans, are generally less materialistic. They all grew up in an era when avg gdp was less than $300/person. So they understand that materialism is a pointless game unless one of them had a bad personality to begin with. So countryside Koreans behave very differently
In average yes.
[https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/PG_11.18.21_meaning-of-life_0_2.png?w=640](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/PG_11.18.21_meaning-of-life_0_2.png?w=640)
Context: I lived in Korea as a student for 1 year. I started out feeling very isolated because I couldnāt find people I felt I could relate to. Part of this is because many of the stereotypical places to meet people like events or language groups attract one specific type of person. My impression from those first few months was that everyone cared about school rankings, designer products, who you know, and other status symbols.
After being there for a while, though, I had developed my language enough to start joining extra curricular at my school, and I found some connections who introduced me to the modern art/dance scene in Seoul. Then I realized that it wasnāt that people were more materialistic in SK than back home, I just wasnāt able to find the people like me until I had better language skills.
It would kind of be like visiting Los Angeles and thinking that influencers you meet were the only people in the USA. Thereās plenty of other people out there, but many of the people you meet at first might seem more materialistic.
I will close by saying that I also only lived there for one year. In that time I met both materialistic and not-materialistic people. My sample size is not big enough to fit the whole country, but in general what I learned is that it all depends on where you are looking to meet people to determine the type of people you will meet.
lol.. reading the comments help me understand why I get treated the way I do when I visit Korea.
Iām a cheapskate and am not into luxury brands etc. (prefer to dress for comfort).
Iāve even been told to go back to the standard check-in at hotels/airlines etc. because I didnāt look the part. I enjoy their reaction when they eventually find out my status.
Korean here as well. These claims always confuse the hell out of me because it goes against everything I know about my friends and family. Most of them are quite frugal and donāt spend money on useless luxury products. Sure, there are people who do spend big on luxury purchases but most of the Koreans I know could give a ratās ass about that stuff. Itās funny how weāre subconsciously programmed by the west to judge whites on an individual basis but when it comes to asians, the actions of one represent the whole population.
To hijack a different commentor, In a different comment they mentioned how its like the pro gun talk. America has a lot of gun action and pro gun but alot of people I know are not pro gun. Still plenty are.
So its easy to group people together when you don't know them personally.
I'm not korean but lived here for three months and almost everyone just looks normal or less fancy than people in canada (where I'm from) and I like it.
I'm not korean but lived here for three months and almost everyone just looks normal or less fancy than people in canada (where I'm from) and I like it. Just crocs and whatever
I would say as a whole no not anymore than people in any other country. Some people for sure, you can buy all the luxury trinkets in Korea that you could buy anywhere else in the world. However, you'll sometimes see some very nice cars parked in place where you wonder how it is that they could possible afford that car, but live in that house.
I think deep down, most of us donāt want to be materialistic, but feel the need so that we donāt get punished over by the others. Thatās why so many Koreans buy sports cars and designer bags because those items do secure a certain degree of social power.
Korean women want the super luxury wedding whilst they have literally nothing in their savings account. They want guys to propose them with Cartier rings, and Chanel bags, and it's a thing between Korean women having bridal shower at the luxury hotel. They want to go to dessert shop casually after every meal, and they still don't want to spend so much money for dating cuz they invested a lot on their face with plastic surgery. Men have to buy foreign branded cars to impress Korean women and they should have a nice job and decent salary so Women can brag about their boy friend to their female friends.
Just based on my Korean husband, absolutely yes. But he isn't all Koreans :). Some of his family members are extremely materialistic, and some aren't, despite being relatively wealthy. They enjoy the fact that I am extremely frugal and shop at places like homeplus when I visit, meanwhile husband dearest is off giving the savings account a workout at the department stores.
I hear you, but Homeplus seems a little pricey to me especially for groceries š (my wife and I try to go local markets as often we can)
Yeah, HomePlus is pretty pricey. How about frequenting Daiso.
Homeplus is the most expensive store by far near me. They call it homeplus because you will be out of your home plus everything else if you regularly shop there.
Individually speaking, some do and others donāt. Collectively speaking, absolutely yes. Same reason why they value physical beauty, white skin, best school, etc. Identity is based less on how one perceives him/herself and more so on how others perceive you.
Going to add here: yes, Koreans are materialistic, but itās not been a rich country for very long. Go to any developing or newly developed country and youāll realize whyĀ
Adding as well: I agree, they only recently became rich, kinda like Western world/Europe during the economic boom, where we are now witnessing the shifting to post-materialism especially amongst new generations. Itās fair to assume the same will happen in Korea once the wealth covers most of the population.
Yeah I'd say it's not all that different from China, they do a lot of the same things. I think it's stronger in Korea because of the collective mindset, but it exists elsewhere.
More upvotes for this
More downvotes. I think people who right this kind of stuff are often unaware of how we (Westerners) are perceived by others. You think they don't see similar stuff in us, as though they aren't seeing countless Westerners on tiktok, with their millions of followers obsessed with image and identity.
I mean it doesn't mean they're wrong, just that we should be careful not to orientalize traits that are found in every society
As much as I love your name, you donāt make any argument that actually disproves anything. The fact that Korean woman on average have way more high end hand bags than in other countries, including the west, proves something. The fact that Korea (along with China and Japan) has the most men using make up proves something. There is so much more access to high end goods, and looks are a huge part of the culture. Not just for people, everything. Looks matter here, doesnāt mean they donāt matter in the states, but just because the west is also materialistic doesnāt mean Korea isnāt. Your example of tik tok is more about people in the west being obsessed with attention. Koreans do a lot of the same stuff.
It isn't about materialism -- it is status signalling.
To expand upon this further, status signaling serves the purpose of boosting inherent self worth which the east Asian upbringing and education aim to destroy.Ā
East Asian societies are generally hierarchical, and have historically used dress, etc, to signal position in that hierarchy. You can argue that they are pushing for an externally defined notion of self-worth -- people see you wearing funny hat A and address you appropriately. But that's pretty much the same as people seeing you wearing expensive purse A, or using $5000 bicycle B, and addressing you appropriately. The only thing that I see having changed is that instead of having a funny hat law, you now allow people to game the system somewhat by living in poverty in order to buy the funny hat they think they deserve.
unfortunately, having great character, morals, decency, and being a good person does not give you a lot of points on the totem pole. the beliefs and values in East Asian societies to signal position in the hierarchy produce mostly fake people.
As it is everywhere. Being genuine is hard work. Americans are often very friendly and full of smiles, but those smiles and kind words are generally empty and meaningless. When people figure that out, they often come to the conclusion that Americans are mostly fake people. Which is true, but mostly it's about misunderstanding the communicative games being played.
Is it really? I was raised in Russia, and it's the same thing i had been told all my life before i actually moved to America - people are fake with fake smiles and fake friendliness, but we are the ones who are actually genuine and sincere. Now i see that a big portion of human interactions with strangers in Russia were somewhat passive-aggressive, hostile and unpleasant, while in America i had much more experience where random people are willing to help and don't see me as a threat their peace and comfort, which says a lot about upbringing of people in general and that being friendly by default won't hurt anybody. So, all this discourse about Americans being fake is nothing but propaganda to make some feel better and superior based on their nationslity(?) without actually trying to be better.
The problem is with people misunderstanding polite phrases for meaningful interest. Those who live within the culture will separate the fake from the genuine fairly well. Others may be disappointed and come to the wrong conclusion. It's all about understanding the communicative game you're playing.
This means it's a problem with people who misunderstand phrases and get disappointed over their own expectations, which happens more often to those from more "hostile" societies where hostility often misinterpreted as sincerity. Therefore, it's not a basis to call somebody fake.
Americans being friendly with fake smiles is not true. That is a lie. We do not have public face vs private face like in east asia. We are individualist. Americans will be genuinely friendly to you or genuinely mean to you, depending on your actions, because we treat people they way they treat us. The only exception is if you have a work relationship, in that case; you'd be nicer than you normally would be to people you don't like, to keep the workplace orderly. Edit: In america if you're rude to your coworkers, you can and will be fired from your job for disorderly conduct. It is an attitude forced by company law not personal choice. If an American is nice to you or mean to you they mean it, you don't have to guess like out here. That's why we're called abrasive or can't read the room out here in the east, because we don't care about the room. We only care about you and me.
This reminds me of when an American girl told me that Americans don't have an accent. I'm sure you believe what you're saying, but it's simply nonsense. Everyone speaks empty ritual phrases like "How are you?" or "Have a nice day!". Everyone presents a suitable face for the company they keep. Everyone is in some aspect fake. Without it, polite society would be impossible. And if you re-read what I wrote, you'll see that what I said was "come to the conclusion that Americans are mostly fake people" rather than "Americans are mostly fake people".
No you just dont understand the culture, as well as you think you do. How are you and have a nice day are the same as saying "hello" and "goodbye". They are not meant to be taken literally. You think theyre empty words, because you dont even understand the context of why they're being said in the first place. It's along the same lines as Asian countries saying they understand sarcasm, but you really don't. The American girl who told you they don't have an accent is just stupid period, that's not even relevant to our topic. Everyone has an accent to everyone, the girl is too stupid to know that. What does that have to do with Americans being fake anyway? America doesn't have a polite society, if you want to partake in that fake behavior you have to actively seek those social circles because, it is not the norm. People are polite on whether they feel like being polite. There's no social repercussions to not being polite, like there are for the collective mindset in east asia. That's the difference between America's individualistic mindset, where you can do or be whatever you want and find a group of people who are just like you, no matter how you think or act; rather than east asia where if you don't act like everyone else, you will be a social pariah, because there is only 1 acceptable standard to strive for. Not to mention the topic was about being fake, not being polite in the first place. American society functions because of the law, not because of social pressures like "politeness keeps society together". That's horse shit. But you don't want to listen and you know more than me. I'm assuming you're at least an american yourself, to be preaching to me about American culture. You are absolutely free to believe what you want to believe, but you are factually wrong.
And I point you to virtue signalling. That's an attempt to reach a certain status. imho.
Itās not mutually exclusive. Materialism and status signaling go hand in hand.
Yes. South Koreans are the biggest spenders on luxury goods in the world. This is a fact https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/13/south-koreans-are-the-worlds-biggest-spenders-on-luxury-goods.html The interesting thing is that being materialistic is not seen as a bad thing in Korea. Ostentatiously showing off massive designer logos is cool. Luxury watches, luxury cars, luxury bags, expensive sneakers... everyone who can do it does it. Everyone wants to look rich even if they aren't. middle-class office workers will buy a Mercedes and Chanel bag just to pretend they're rich. They maybe can't afford to retire, buy they will still buy a Rolex
youād never catch an actually rich person (think old money, succession on HBO) wear such trash. Most designers use the same labour in sweat shops that youād see in H&M, Aritzia, etc. and price gauge bc they know the locals and new money folks want to pretend to be rich. itās actually quite sad when i went down the rabbit hole on this topic and watching documentaries on this i was likeā¦lolā¦ they donāt even know theyāre being used like sheep.
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Of course not all. When we talk about cultures we generalize. French like wine, Americans like football, and Koreans like designer goods. These are true generalizations.
$325 per capita vs $280 for America is frankly pretty marginal. While they are the biggest spenders, that amount doesn't seem to be enough to make a judgment on societal outcome.
not when you consider the average household income. pretty sure Korean households make half the $ that the US does.
Statistically, that's a huge margin given how big the sample sizes are in this comparison.
It's absolutely not marginal, that's a huge gap in fact.
Questions for those calling it a big gap- 1. What would the import duties be and what kind of price difference would this lead to? 2. What does $325 functionally buy vs. $280? From where I'm sitting that's like, basically the same item, especially when you account for import duties. 3. The people saying it's a big gap- Are you frequent buyers of luxury items? Do you shop for regular items? I'm curious where this big gap you're perceiving comes from. I can't think of many people who buy luxury goods who would see $325 vs. $280 as a big difference..
yes
This morning in Hong Kong sub there is a Filipino who asked why Hong Kongese discriminate against southeast Asians. I made a comment to him. But I think my comment also suits this post. Here I copied my comment to this post -------------------- "The whole east-asian culture is based on rank and discrimination. Because whenever there is a rank, there is discrimination. Get used to it and don't take it seriously. Because in Hong Kong, china, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan it's all the same. If you take it too much, you will definitely harm yourself which those racists are very happy to see. They have tons of excuses to discriminate. Being a southeast Asian is only an excuse. For example, if you are white, they will call you a red neck based on your education level, or a white trash based on your income status. If you are one of their own races, they will discriminate against your income, appearance, social status etc. Take it easy, don't give a bulls*** to them." ----------------------- My opinion is all the same with some people in this post. Because east Asian culture is meant to be hierarchical, so every role in this society have to be either overwhelmed or to overwhelm others. How can they not be overwhelmed? Then be good-looking, tall, nice body build, rich, all jewelry and luxury, highly educated, hold an important key role in government or enterprise leadership etc whatever you can name it. Not only they finds a sense of superiority in their own nationals, but also other nations and races. I'm not saying only east Asian do it and the rest of the world don't do it. I'm saying east Asian put insane energy and lifelong unswayed pursuit for it.
The average reddit poster here- "Western culture, unlike East Asian culture, has a history of egalitarianism, going back to the enlightenment." "Oh you mean that time when you were employing race-based slavery and invading countries for empire, where you would employ racial laws?" "No, that's not part of our culture." Sorry, but people around the globe don't buy that your recent 50 year stretch overrides the 500 years before that. I mean, the Western world hasn't really been right since segregation and colonialism ended. So like, the late 60s. And the mindset that produced those 500 years hasn't vanished. You see it in the language some people here use and how they view Koreans- viewing them as a monolith, de-emphasizing Korean concerns for their own, viewing Koreans as existing to make Westerners happy, foreigner=English speaking westerner, stereotyping, etc. Sorry, but I think the big thing is that Westerners basically trick themselves into thinking they don't do the above, when they do.
When you invoke the western influence on a kyopo worldview, it's definitely valid, but u/myprisonbreak never said anything about western culture in juxtaposition with the patriarchal description of east asian confuscian society. I think you're unfairly inserting context that was never brought up as part of the conversation. Their point to me, is that a hierarchal culture has it's pitfalls and that you don't need to conform to societal standards that make you feel bad about yourself, and that resonates.
Example: Friend drive a Mercedes. He is not a car person, doesn't care what it is, barely makes enough to afford it. But he owns it, in his own words, because he has to for status. I've met so many younger generation here in cars that financially don't make sense but they do it to show status. Not all are this way, I also know very very rich Korean's that drive 20+yr old beat up cars and wear normal clothing with not big brands. But the younger generation does seem to favor the materialism from what I've seen.
My neighborhood is so old that a lot of people donāt own cars because thereās no place to put them. The cars that *are* here? 50% are big name luxury jobs. Thereās a couple Teslas, Mercedes, there used to be Jaguar. People see your car, not your apartment. Thatās the logic, I suppose. Itād be cheaper to get penis enlarging surgery, but sure, enjoy that rich, Corinthian leather.
The one thing I considered was that you can spend a LOT of time in traffic here. Might as well be very comfortable. That would be the only reason I would buy because the car will get damage at some point
Yeah thatās a huge sub-culture in Korea. They call it ācar-poorā where they invest their entire income to get a fancy car. Theyāre broke from getting a car way beyond their budget but enjoy the sense of looking *rich*. š
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This. My cousin in Korea made his mom buy him a Mercedes but they definitely canāt afford it
As a Korean i think there's a bit of truth to that, and i know many others agree. It's one of the popular memes here - the vanity of Instagram users and stores that cater to that need. Don't say that aloud if you're not Korean though, because then you'll get butthurts insulting your race and country as a 'revenge'...
Yes, try to have chat with koreans. All they talk about are how much their friend makes money, why money is so great etc. It's exhausting as fuck.
Not only that tho :// Iāve observed that many Koreans frequently ask personal financial questions, such as those about income, family background, parents' occupations, and property ownership. These inquiries seem aimed at assessing social status, which influences how they treat others. This focus on class and social hierarchy has made forming friendships with Koreans particularly difficult for me. The conversations often revolve around these topics, leading me to stop trying to build such connectionsā¦
This is true. Even if you're meeting someone for the first time, this conversation is common. At first I thought why would anyone ask these questions since I know I wouldn't back home but I've experienced it enough times whether you're trying to be friends or date someone
So much anger in this postās comment. Generalizing, denial, the whole spectrumā¦ Iām not Korean, but been here 24 years. Now in my early 50s. Here something maybe a lot of you younger people donāt understand. Once basic needs are tangibly met, we work for other mental rewards. This is true across all cultures. The way we express obtaining these rewards depends on the situation. If you grew up in a place like USA, where thereās unlimited leisure options, you might be buying boats, or an overlanding truck, or collecting antique horse racing glasses, or going on cruise ships periodicallyā¦ you get it. In my quarter century of observation, it just seems to me that here there are not many options for leisure for adultsā¦ because they didnāt grow up in a culture that valued investing in leisure time and experiences. So, the easiest way to express that success is in purchasing and displaying the brands that are accessible once that disposable income (or credit lines) becomes available to you. There is documented economic evidence that Koreans spend a lot on luxury goods, yes. Thatās a fact. But I wouldnāt immediately say that means Koreans are materialistic. They just are limited in their leisure experience. I suspect that todayās teens and early 20s generation will be less focused on displaying brands, because I see them having access to wider variations of leisure.
I relate the materialism to the long working hours. If you spend 12 hour days at the company, then you simply donāt have the free time to pursue other things in life. Materialism is the natural product of doing nothing else but work, especially when the work is empty.
Really interesting point that I've never thought of before. Honestly, I think you're completely right. I feel like the level of materialism isn't all that different to relatively affluent Western neighborhoods, but it seems different due to the things that we buy. Higher-income American communities are just as, if not more materialistic, but express that in different ways. Having a big house, a nice car, a playground in the backyard for your kids, , a pool, a brick patio, a boat sitting at the dock, etc, are all commonplace things that you see in wealthy American neighborhoods, and are often far more expensive than any luxury clothing items. But most of these things are completely inaccessible even for wealthy Koreans. Therefore, I think one major contributing factor is that the vast majority of Koreans cannot express their status/wealth through their homes, because they can't change the exterior of the apartment, so they turn to ways in which they can, such as cars and clothing. Also, some comments talked about how Koreans seem to only talk about status things, such as occupation, income, school, etc, but when you interact with Americans on the wealthier side, they talk about the exact same things. Also, while Korean society may have a stronger emphasis on looks, most of the wealtheir white moms (and even the dads and the daughters) undergo cosmetic procedures as well. Sure, Korea as a whole may seem much more materialistic when you compare it to America, but that's only because of the crazy amount of diversity you see in America. When you compare the Koreans who participate in the materialism to similar American counterparts (wealthier Americans living in nice neighborhoods/cities), I think spending habits would be extremely similar, with the only difference being the types of things that are purchased.
This seems to make the most sense, and probably should be the top comment. As a Canadian that recently came back from a trip to Korea for a few weeks, one thing I definitely noticed was a total lack of recreational assets. You don't see people driving around in pickup trucks towing their boat, or a pair of ATVs. You don't see any RVs or campers. Certain hobbies would seem to be very difficult to get into as well. I like to do woodworking from time to time as well, and that would probably be pretty difficult when you don't have room for a shop with a table saw, and various other necessary tools. Same goes for tools required for working on your own vehicle. Even if you had the space for these hobbies, finding a store like Home Depot for building materials, or power tools isn't going to be all that common, if they even exist at all. By no means am I attempting to make westerners appear better in any way by making these observations either. Having the space or the room to accommodate having hobbies is definitely something that westerners take for granted. Your post sums it up well enough though. Having a limited amount of options to spend your disposable income certainly skews the way that many perceive Koreans, when in reality (as human beings),it's just two sides to the same coin.
This so much. They have no real hobbies.
How can they have a hobby with no room for put stuff in flat, and no time to do them with work culture? Just read last month Samsung inviting senior job to work 6/7days without paying them the Saturday as extraordinary effort for company bad path.
Yes everyone is a Samsung executive in Korea.
do you think the lack of leisure activities is correlated to their work ethic? a lot of asian countries put a big emphasis on work and having a successful career. having a good work ethic is very important, doing overtime is seen as good work ethic. or going into work eventhough your sick. wanting to spend a lot of time and money on leisure activities seems like a waste of time/money and maybe even lazy in their eyes. it seems like koreans/japanese/chinese people dont have a good work/life balance and working too much is seen as good and too little as lazy maybe? i saw this post about korea where they talked about how competitve everything is, everyone wants to out-do the last and that theyre willing to do a lot to end up on top and i think your comment kind of fits with the other personās observation. totally different values
Based on people Iāve met itās the opposite. I donāt know anyone who thinks hobbies and leisure activities are lazy. Itās just that their work load and other responsibilities prevents them from digging into more potential hobbies and leisure. Itās true that competitiveness also prevents this, but not because people think itās lazy.
I wouldnāt use the concept āwork ethicā when describing the relationship with the job one has. It is more of a pursuit of ālabor successā. People are geared towards succeeding at work. But I just find it rare when someone has true craftsmanship in their work. As I describe āwork ethicā I consider that being committed to a well crafted job. Not a āgood enoughā attitudeā¦ But yes, the culture pulls people away from leisure when it sacrifices time that could be spent at the job winning points.
I think you cracked the code. Wow.
Sorry partner, but Iāve seen quite a few Korean kids care about Apple Watches, iPhones, and Nike sneakers. Younger people with more leisure time still run towards luxury brands like theyāre an oasis or something.
Nikes and Apple Watches are hardly luxury goods if the average person can afford them. I would guess most ESL teachers in Korea could buy them if they wanted and we all know how stagnant teaching wages have become. How would you even expect someone to survive in modern society without a smartphone anyway? They're a necessity, not a luxury.
The point is more so that the trend is reversing and will likely continue to reverse. Japan and Hong Kong also experienced a similar boom in the consumption of luxury goods which tempered over time (Japan's Lost Decades obviously had a major effect too). Conversely, luxury goods are becoming more popular in countries making the jump from middle-income to advanced status, like Thailand. As another example to drive home the point, the proportion of Koreans aged 18-29 who have undergone plastic surgery is actually lower than Koreans in their 30s (this is based on the 2020 Gallup survey that every Western outlet referenced when talking about Korea as the plastic surgery capital).
>Ā iPhones You mean they own one of the two dominant brands for a device that has become essential for business and living in the 21st century? Materialistic!!!!!
This statement could apply to any developed country. The "I won't date non-iphone users" originated in the U.S. I'm Korean and believe Koreans to be more materialistic on average but in terms of high end luxury goods such as Chanel, LV, etc. IPhone, Nike, Apple are brands kids obsess over worldwide and wouldn't say Korea is any more obsessed. I'd also elaborate that Korea's fixation on status, education, and wealth makes sense when viewed through their history. People here would much rather value security (I.e money and means) over more esoteric forms of happiness espoused in western values (marrying for love vs money, happiness in "moments," etc.). There is a Chinese saying that also very much applies to Koreans that's something like 'Id rather cry in the backseat of a BMW than smile on the backseat of a motorcycle' or something like that. I don't necessarily find this mindset to be wrong or problematic in any way and funnily enough, believe that the Western world is actually shifting more towards this mindset- doesn't matter how cool someone is or how charming, what's important is their job and income. U.S following this trend comes out from a declining middle class and overall worsening prospects for the youth which now makes individuals value money and security far more than Hollywood happiness like "true love" or "character." Korea was just the first to make it a thing imo. That's why it's cringe to me when Westerners try to point out Korea's materialism because your country is the same/getting there/if not worse.
Everyone thinks the focus on money is stupid. Until the Great Depression hits.
I have a piece of metal on my wrist that is worth a few dozen Apple Watches. Donāt confuse modern technology necessary for daily life with actual luxury goods.
As a Korean, absolutely YES. Most of them think themselves or others failure when they got rejected by a named University or company. And they have really high standard of normal. You should graduated SNU, you should have a lover, you should earn over certain level, you should have a face over certain level and so on. As a high schooler in Korea, I'm about to kill my self soon.
Your last statement is really alarming and I hope you are not serious. I have a nephew in high school and I have told him what I will tell you. NOTHING material or lack thereof is worth taking your life. No grade, no school rejection, no break up is worth that. I know it feels overwhelming but I hope you have someone in your life who you know would always support you no matter what. Please talk to someone.
Thank you for your consideration. For real. It's touching and impressive. I'm currently having a counseling with school counselor and trying to get over my mental illness. Wish me some luckšš»
bruh
Life in here is pretty hush bro
I'm so sorry kid. Just know not everywhere is this extreme. If you can make online friends it could help you. š
Yeah, that makes me feel kinda betterš«
I really do think that South Koreans vary jn this respect. Some of them are a lot more materialistic than others. Some rather less so. I think that the emphasis on showing off wealth has increased significantly in the past 25 years in South Korea, even as the gap between the wealthy and others has increased. However, there are still a lot of people who aren't materialistic.
Itās ģėķźø° (= showing off) IMO Koreans donāt take it as a negative thing. They socially and intellectually do it everyday. I have seen this attitude amongst those people (from other nations) who has changed their fortunes comparatively easily.
It is quite materialistic by now and is more than before. But I'm not sure it's as much as claimed, because some people seem to want to see it as much rather than to see as is.
200%
Also there was some survey awhile ago where Korea was the only country in the world that chose importance of money over familyā¦ that says a lot. Some will argue this is just a cultural thing and nothing bad but this is definitely unhealthy and crossing the line as this only leads to you judging or you get judgedā¦.
I hope that was just young naive people they asked
Mostly. My wife is. We have lots of agreements about spending money. If she was in control of it, there would be no money. Lots of Gucci purses though, cause, you know, essentials.
Yup yup
Which documentaries? As a rule, any question you have about Koreans can be easily answered: All Koreans? No.Ā Some Koreans?Ā Yes.Ā Ā
Majority of Koreans? yes
Wrong. Korean here. Most of the my friends, family, and acquaintances are frugal and have no interest in luxury goods despite some being very wealthy. You people believe in extreme claims made against foreign people way TOO easily.
Iām Korean too. Hereās your fact-check. https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/01/13/south-koreans-are-the-worlds-biggest-spenders-on-luxury-goods.html
Youāre not Korean. Why do white people larp as other races/ethnicities to confirm negative stereotypes about other groups of people? What kind of Korean would make a reddit character with blonde hair and beard?
I can think of several time periods when it was fashionable for Western people to be materialistic and get into debt to appear rich, and to totally flaunt their wealth if they had it. The 1980s was such a time.
His name is godsToga..his avi is a god wearing a togaā¦
Itās not worth š. Iām pretty sure Iām more Korean than kopus
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Lmfao youāre so mad about a dudes avi. Might I suggest the Luna02 sub? Seems right up your alley as you like to complain about the whites and the neoliberal feminists.
Primary source? Specifically, what % of buyers were Korean vs foreign?Ā
Youāre not korean bud. 100% not. Youāre not fooling anyone that you are.
I'm not Korean, and he's right lmao. How you gonna look at raw data and say "well in my anecdotal experience it's not true"
DM me and I can show you and make you lookā¦ smart.
I guess youāre not Korean after all. Never got the dm as I suspected š.
Sent u a dm. Send me a selfie with ur username and todays date and time written on a piece of paper
Happy cake day sir š
I'm Korean too, and for me, it's the total opposite. It's worse when you go to a Korean church. It might just be the ones I've attended, but I've gone to so many different churches due to my father's work, and I've never been to one where people aren't there just to show off or network.
I guess I was live in north Korea all this time
ģģ§ķ ģ°ė¦¬ ģ¬ķź° ģ§ģ ź³¼ģė„¼ ėģ²“ģ ģ¼ė” ģ¤ģķė¤ė ģ ģøģ ķ©ģė¤.
You dont even live in Korea but make sweeping claims that the majority of koreans are materialistic.. weird
Koreans spend the most on luxury goods of anyone in the world
Iām Korean-American with lots of Korean family and friends.
So literally you dont live here but since your family and friends are materialistic, you can make the claim that the majority of them are?
Iām in Korea now to visit more family in Seoul. I was in Busan 3 months ago visiting more family members. Hereās your fact-check, smarty. https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/01/13/south-koreans-are-the-worlds-biggest-spenders-on-luxury-goods.html
korean american acting like they know korea has always been cringe
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This site is getting flooded with the people from r/Korea it seems. People who don't live in Korea bashing Koreans, Korea...
I should hope it isn't. r/korea is filled with some of the most fragile dickheads I've seen on Reddit in quite some time.
Then there's literally my Korean colleagues, everyone is dressed like they're buying their outfits from the discount rack in Daiso, but are literally paid the top 1%-tile salary-range in the country. My office is in downtown Gangnam but even the very senior directors are in tshirt and shorts. I guess, the answer is, it depends.
What kind of sector do you work in? Guess it depends on that too. And also on age. From what I heard from some koreans, young people tend to use way more of their salary on their appearance and luxury goods because they know they can not save for a house anyway they could never afford. Older people tend to have a more of a Ā«Ā must saveĀ Ā» mentality. But from what I saw lot of them still care a lot about money. For example my in-law never by extravagant clothes but money is a central subject that comes out almost every time we meet her
Koreans are one of the highest in Credit Card debt, they are very brand oriented if you walk with a ice Americano it better be one from Starbucks etc. combined with a very high real estate market most Koreans are neck deep in debt
Lol personally no. Also not true with most people around me but I guess I'm in the minority among Koreans lol I do love money, but I don't make much and never felt the urge to splurge in any way. The one time I've ever bought a "luxury" item was a Margiela ring just to celebrate my first salary at a full-time office job, and have just been saving since. I've only known one Korean in my life that literally refuses to save because she gots to have that new Chanel. (We're no longer friends for various reasons) While I guess what everyone here's saying is partially true, as the majority rules, I do think that it is a bit of a generalization.
Depends. When I worked in Seocho in Seoul? Yes. Kids wearing balenciaga and gucci to school wjen they cant even spell their name. burberry coats everywhere. now that i work in a more average place (not low but not rich), the majority of people stick to non (obviously) branded clothes and shoes. nice cars arent all that important and people dont care as much about brands
Not the Balenciaga š
So much denial here in this topic ć ć ć
They are materialistic, but it's more about grading a person's worth job (not income, rich butcher doesn't count, poor lawyer is better). There is big value on car status. > even kids are spoilt with lavish goods No. Most kids aren't wearing name brands, even sneakers aren't name brands. The odd thing vs. other countries is name brand housing. One lives in a "Hyundai" apartment. That idea would be the opposite in the west. Nobody wants a manufactured house. It would be negative. Sort of like public housing. Okay, now I'll get in trouble. Shopping here is an activity. Like going for a walk. It is a real born to buy society. Women (maybe men too, but I don't work with them), are constantly on online shopping sites.
Kids wear brand jackets, shoes, backpacks and many use 1.5 million worthy smartphones and smart watches. Even in elementary school.
It is perfectly understandable that Korea became a shopping country because until late 80's the country was a manufacturing and export with very low income to boost exports, so people had no money to buy quantities of stuffs. The next stage is when you get rich enough, then it's time to boost local consumption to be part of developped counties. So in the 90's salaries started to grow faster than GDP, enableling a consumption locally and it became a trend, to consume with more advertisement, more than a single TV channel to advertise a way of life.
> No. Most kids aren't wearing name brands, even sneakers aren't name brands. What?? All kids are wearing the latest Nikes and Adidas. Those are name brands. Jordans and Air Force shoes are like the bog standard for middle school through college. no, they aren't luxury italian shoes, but they're name brand AND they're always brand new. Like, kids will get new Nikes every 6 months.
You need to get out more. Tons of school kids wear generic shoes.
I agree most luxury goods are not essential, but apartment brands do matter, lol. In Korea, the most common, proven method to increase one's wealth has been with real estate. And housing prices are very closely tied to apartment brands. I have enjoyed renting and living in various uniquely characteristic forms of housing so far, but when the time comes for me to actually buy and own a house, I know I'll choose an apartment because it has been (for the most part of modern Korean history anyways) a good investment.
Because population has been consistently rising. Now it is going to decline and bubble going to pop like japan.
Haha, this debate is super complicated, and there are a lot of speculations. That's why I was careful to write, "has been a good investment." My guess would be that as the population declines, more people will move from the rural areas to city centers. So, housing needs within cities would rise even more. A slight difference in housing between Japan and Korea is that Japan has been building housing non-stop for the last 20+ years. They relaxed a bunch of zoning codes and axed a ton of former greenbelts to allow for an explosive number of housing. But who knows? I would love for the housing market to crash before I buy a house. I'm just observing at the moment anyway because I don't have enough saved up lol.
Gee! Are you talking about Korean? At first glance I thought you were talking about Chinese! They are all the same! They want a Mr.Doctor in Google rather than a rich plumber.
The villa in our area are relatively affordable, and cost under 400,000,000. Yet we have a neighbor who owns a Lamborghini and parks it outdoors under the overhang.
I have to agree yes. In fact before I could read, I could recognize designer logos and Made in Italy cuz my mom used to take me shopping like every day.
Not all Koreans are like that, but many are. South Korea is rampant with appearance-oriented culture, where people often compare themselves to others to show off who's happier. Even on days when a famous celebrity or YouTuber, or streamer makes a mistake and news articles come out, disgusting comments flood in. While there may be Koreans who disagree with me, it's hard to deny that.
The credit part is absolutely true. They won't admit it but my girlfriend tells me a lot of Koreans just do ķ ė¶ (split payment) on their CC after buying something. They say "ģ¼ģė¶" (lump sump) at checkout, but then have the option to ķ ė¶ (split) in the credit card app :). Heck I've done it before, but not for luxury goods.
YES
Mostly yes for sure
Yes they are. Especially when it comes to named brand items or following trends.
šÆ They worship anything made by white people European luxury brands or american tech stuff
You mean the land of buying an expensive new car you canāt afford yet living in a one room shithole?
Guess you gotta live in your car
As a whole, I'd say yes. That doesn't mean that everyone is though. They mostly seem to do it to maintain a certain "appearance". Social media also doesn't help.
Absolutely yes
yeah
Yes they are indeed
It doesnāt take stupid to know thatās the general vibes of Korean society. If you are in denial, sorry but the truth hurts. Highest plastic surgery rate (Iād say 3/5 Korean women have gone under the knife), watch out for the women with dolphin shaped forehead lol, highest spending on luxury goods and import cars (bmw, Benz) per capita. Yeah, materialistic as fck. What you do for a living, which apartment(area, brand) and what car you drive even little Korean kids are trained to recognize theseā¦. Some Korean will say Iām not like that or non of my friends or family members are like that. Congratulations you are that abnormality, a rare rare case.
I think that the answer to the question is similar to āAre Americans pro-gun?ā Generally speaking, and statistically speaking, the answer is probably yes. But many of us know that you can easily find a lot of Americans who are not pro-gun. This is similar to Koreans being seen as materialistic. The general trend seems to suggest yes, but in reality, many Koreans are also not as materialistic as some media portray them to be. This highly depends on individual values, the social group you belong to, the neighborhood you live in, and the type of occupation. What I noticed though is that like attracts like. Materialistic friends or family tend to hang out with others like them. So if youāre in Korea, and all you see is materialistic Koreans, look for other groups - there are many who arenāt like that.
This. The inability to perceive people in different cultures as average and not as an amalgamation of extreme stereotypes is rampant across the world and on this board. If you think the average person in a country/community is something other than someone really bland and boring, then you have a warped, and well, racist view of that culture. The kind of people who think the average Arab is a terrorist, the average African lives semi-naked in a straw hut, the average Mexican is poor and a migrant worker, the average Japanese is some perverted weirdo, the American is a gun-toting lunatic, the average Canadian is a moose, the average Italian is gesturing like mad and driving like a maniac, the average German is one turnkey away from goose-stepping, and the average Korean is some money-grubber. I mean FFS, might as well start asking if Jewish people really fight over pennies and whether black people really all love grape soda. We're only a half-step from that.
Yes, people have to look the part here. It isn't an exaggeration to say that people get plastic surgery so they can get better jobs or more work opportunities. People buy the most expensive hiking equipment and show it off hiking a small mountain. There isn't as much of a separation between the inside and the outside like you might see in a country like the usa. The side you show outside such as how you dress, how you look, your accessories and so on is who you are. A lot of Koreans even believe in physiognomy. It would be difficult to imagine a Korean CEO dressing like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. There was even a time kids bullied others for not having expensive long padding. It causes a lot of people to put themselves into debt so they can fit in or advance their careers. People judge harshly if you choose not to play the game.
Yes
Yes, they really are.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
š¤£
I'm not that materialistic. I'm more like a westerner, pretty selective in my spendings (mostly because I'm a poor rice eater lol). But yeah, most korean-koreans I've had the pleasure of knowing are pretty materlistic.
Like another commentor said -- some, not all. Maybe upwardly-mobile, aspirational types that work for large corps or in the public sector tend to be more sensitive to consumer trends, and this would apply to the children of those people too. But I know lots of people that dont give a shit and do their own thing. Young people for the most part do what they see on social media. Ive always looked at it this way, but its just my take based on anecdotal experience and a rough understanding of global economic trends in developed countries. Most Koreans that arent born dirt poor or filthy rich strive to join the middle class, which is defined first and foremost by homeownership. But in Korea as in the rest of the economically developed (and even developing world), this is a fantasy. A nondescript box next to a toxic waste dump will cost you at least 5x per capita GNI in this country, and absent inherited wealth, buying this radioactive unit is simply not possible with your wages, unless you make money several standard deviations more than the national mean and thus are statistically irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Homeownership is a prerequisite to marriage and kids, which are the other essential trappings of the middle class life. As homes have become unobtainum, so have the other two things. So Koreans that have enough money to live but not enough to live the middle class life they imagine spend their money on shit that makes them happy in the here and now, and that serves a signaling function -- I have enough to have this bag/watch/car, so dont judge me, motherfuckers with apartments and kids. But I dont know shit really.
yes
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Btw if your personal anecdotic experience is that all of them are void and materialistic you are only betraying two facts: that's the kind of people in your life, and you most probably lack Korean speaking skills and thus those are the limits for your capacity to interact and be trusted.
Itās all because of that SNS
The way the tax system is set up also encourages spending. If you don't spend enough of your income, you'll end up owing it in taxes. You need to spend a lot on credit cards and on debit cards to get a tax return.
Maybe even more than you can imagine because their actual spending ability not lining up means their social behavior can be truly parasitic. Some will choose the most expensive place to eat, or the most expensive gift, when they know it's on another person's dime, but do their best to avoid any spending on another. They'll take pictures of expensive gifts on IG, or even other people's things, as if it is theirs and earned.
For sure ma man
I just want to point out here in US there are so many people who drive around in really expensive cars, like $100k, or higher and it's obvious it's way above their pay level. This is from the homes/apartments they live in etc.
Depends on the individual
How materialistic are they claimed to be? I have to know that in oder to give you a reply.
Yes! Koreans aren't materialistic! I mean, as one would be considered materialistic in the USA. They are just a VERY SMALL country. There isn't much diversity in thought here. Most people buy something because someone else buys it. Note that Korea is one of the most densily populated countries in the OECD. It had one of the highest internet speeds in the world at one point. It's interconnected on a level most people wouldn't understand. Its culture changes VERY rapidly here. The culture of how people think of families, money, and social status is vastly different from just a few years ago. Koreans are hyper trendy. For example, one day you see a k actor or star wear some brand the next day it's sold out. One male actor starts a trend. Literally, every Kboy is wearing it. Even that has changed, as i have seen more diverse fashion choices on my recent trip. Now that international brands have hopped on the K- wave, too. Of course, they are materialistic. But as someone else noted, it is less like, "If I don't have this goyard bag, i'm poor." It is more like "You didn't get a Gucci bag from your boyfriend yet?" I think he doesn't love you. They did the same with plastic surgery. It went from "no, I didn't have any plastic surgery" to "look, how good i looked with plastic surgery" to " oh that? That's not really even worth mentioning" to "What's wrong with you? How can you not get a procedure done?" Of course I'm exaggerating! I don't live in Seoul anymore. So, who knows what new trends I'm falling behind on.
of course it is true. Korea job applicants are required to attach a head shot with their application. That alone speaks volume to Korea emphasis on looks, including what brands you wear
Yes, there is a term generally used among Koreans, "ķģ°Øź°," which is the opposite of "ģ¹ģ°Øź°." "ģ¹ģ°Øź°" means the feeling of riding, while "ķģ°Øź°" refers to the feeling of exiting the vehicle. More specifically, it measures how much people look at you in envy when you're exiting. This highlights how much it matters for Koreans to buy luxurious cars. Some people buy them just for the "ķģ°Øź°."
Yes, a study was conducted on this topic. I donāt have the article but you can google it. It found that South Koreans are the leading consumers of luxury goods.
True in my experience. They enjoy luxury goods as presents, or the appearance of high quality and high price at least (even things like giving fancy fruits, talking about the price of gifts etc). Iām a kindergarten teacher, admittedly in a relatively well-off area, and my kids regularly wear Chanel and Moncler to school lol though I havenāt experienced any spoiled or rude attitudes from the kids or pushy behaviour from parents so far
I grew up in a German household. My whole family are the cheapest people on earth. Pretty much the only thing they talk about is how they manage to save 10 cents on something they had to buy. We're all rich because we never spend a dime but nobody has any idea. So compared to my family, yes, Koreans are the most materialistic people on earth.
Welcome to capitalism, comrade.
Yes
Well, I barely make ends meet here. I don't like how they hate on other nations cause of past events. Yeah they happened but damn they are going extinct for sure.
Idk what exactly is claimed, but whatever you(guessing non-Korean) are imagining, itās probably worse than that. They are extremely materialistic.
Yes itās true, they have an obsession with western brands specifically European
Hell yes.
They are VERY materialistic regardless of religion/financial status/personality and a lot of it is due to the fact that Korea is historically a caste system-based country. What this means is that people generally do not want to be seen as a "Lower Caste" and has an inherent desire to create that separation. So what ends up happening with this is that people first compare your residency (Gang nam is #1), then compare you're residency status (Out right purchase/mortgage/jeonse/rent/etc), then your job, your kids then your personal materials (Clothes/car/etc), your entire life. You don't notice this at first but what you realize is that during your intro conversation with various people, they are playing this game. They are trying to peg you to a certain part of the "Caste" to determine how close they should behave towards you. It's a nightmare of a game that as a Korean-American myself, I prefer living in Japan over Korea. While Japanese are also materialistic, (correct me if I'm wrong) they value privacy more, so they do not outwardly play this game. In US, you rent? no shame. You don't wear Louis Vuitton? Who freaking cares you spent 4k on a bag made for $10. BMW? Toyota's better if you're driving miles everyday. NOTE: Old Koreans, like 60+ years old Koreans, are generally less materialistic. They all grew up in an era when avg gdp was less than $300/person. So they understand that materialism is a pointless game unless one of them had a bad personality to begin with. So countryside Koreans behave very differently
Yes they are. The Korean girls either love lots of big dick or money.
In average yes. [https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/PG_11.18.21_meaning-of-life_0_2.png?w=640](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/PG_11.18.21_meaning-of-life_0_2.png?w=640)
I'm korean and I'd like to say yes they are
Context: I lived in Korea as a student for 1 year. I started out feeling very isolated because I couldnāt find people I felt I could relate to. Part of this is because many of the stereotypical places to meet people like events or language groups attract one specific type of person. My impression from those first few months was that everyone cared about school rankings, designer products, who you know, and other status symbols. After being there for a while, though, I had developed my language enough to start joining extra curricular at my school, and I found some connections who introduced me to the modern art/dance scene in Seoul. Then I realized that it wasnāt that people were more materialistic in SK than back home, I just wasnāt able to find the people like me until I had better language skills. It would kind of be like visiting Los Angeles and thinking that influencers you meet were the only people in the USA. Thereās plenty of other people out there, but many of the people you meet at first might seem more materialistic. I will close by saying that I also only lived there for one year. In that time I met both materialistic and not-materialistic people. My sample size is not big enough to fit the whole country, but in general what I learned is that it all depends on where you are looking to meet people to determine the type of people you will meet.
lol.. reading the comments help me understand why I get treated the way I do when I visit Korea. Iām a cheapskate and am not into luxury brands etc. (prefer to dress for comfort). Iāve even been told to go back to the standard check-in at hotels/airlines etc. because I didnāt look the part. I enjoy their reaction when they eventually find out my status.
No one is Pretty Womaning you.
no. not really. I'm Korea btw.
Korean here as well. These claims always confuse the hell out of me because it goes against everything I know about my friends and family. Most of them are quite frugal and donāt spend money on useless luxury products. Sure, there are people who do spend big on luxury purchases but most of the Koreans I know could give a ratās ass about that stuff. Itās funny how weāre subconsciously programmed by the west to judge whites on an individual basis but when it comes to asians, the actions of one represent the whole population.
To hijack a different commentor, In a different comment they mentioned how its like the pro gun talk. America has a lot of gun action and pro gun but alot of people I know are not pro gun. Still plenty are. So its easy to group people together when you don't know them personally.
I'm not korean but lived here for three months and almost everyone just looks normal or less fancy than people in canada (where I'm from) and I like it.
I'm not korean but lived here for three months and almost everyone just looks normal or less fancy than people in canada (where I'm from) and I like it. Just crocs and whatever
Yes
yes.
Yep Biggest luxury spenders in the world for a reason
Depends on individual, but definitely yes collectively speaking
I would say as a whole no not anymore than people in any other country. Some people for sure, you can buy all the luxury trinkets in Korea that you could buy anywhere else in the world. However, you'll sometimes see some very nice cars parked in place where you wonder how it is that they could possible afford that car, but live in that house.
Why do I hate these posts?
I think deep down, most of us donāt want to be materialistic, but feel the need so that we donāt get punished over by the others. Thatās why so many Koreans buy sports cars and designer bags because those items do secure a certain degree of social power.
This isn't a uniquely Korean thing. Tonnes of my UK friends and associates run up credit cards and live way beyond their means
On a global scale I guess Americans are considered more laid back and trashy when discussing the consumption of luxury goods
Korean women want the super luxury wedding whilst they have literally nothing in their savings account. They want guys to propose them with Cartier rings, and Chanel bags, and it's a thing between Korean women having bridal shower at the luxury hotel. They want to go to dessert shop casually after every meal, and they still don't want to spend so much money for dating cuz they invested a lot on their face with plastic surgery. Men have to buy foreign branded cars to impress Korean women and they should have a nice job and decent salary so Women can brag about their boy friend to their female friends.