Korea a Multiracial, Multcultural Country

In the Catholic Peace Weekly Eyes of the Clergy column, a priest gives us a look at the change in Korea from a monoethnic to a multiethnic country.

In 2024, the proportion of foreigners in the country will exceed 5% of the population for the first time. Korea is considered a ‘multi-racial and multicultural’ country according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This is much faster than Japan, which accepted foreign workers first. Entering a ‘multiracial and multicultural country’ means that the country is changing into a country where at least 1 in 20 residents is a foreigner, second-generation immigrant, or naturalized person. Representative multiracial and multicultural countries include Australia and Canada.

We can already easily encounter ‘Korean foreigners’. You can meet Jonathan and his younger sister Patricia, who are called the Princes of the Congo and speak the rich Jeolla dialect, as well as Daniel from Germany, Alberto from Italy, and Julian from Belgium on various broadcasts. American Tyler's Korean skills are amazing. Last year, Chairman Ihn Yo-han served as the chairman of the People Power Party’s innovation committee. Chairman Ihn is a Korean who was born and raised in Korea and became a naturalized Korean. Foreigners who appeared on holiday special programs and entertained people with their proficient Korean language skills are no longer a ‘special feature’.

International marriage is no longer an unfamiliar sight. The story of a foreign wife marrying a rural bachelor is a thing of the past. One out of 10 married couples is a multicultural couple. Foreigners of various nationalities are having international marriages in Korea, moving away from international marriages centered on Southeast Asian nationalities. Videos showing the daily lives of such international couples abound on YouTube. As we enter a multiracial and multicultural country, the government is preparing to establish an ‘Immigration Office’ under the Ministry of Justice.

With the entry into a ‘multiracial and multicultural nation’, the myth of our society as a ‘single race’ (homogeneous) was broken. Only those who deny this reality have the same bloodline and speak the same language band together to exclude immigrants. The story of discrimination experienced by mixed-race singer Insooni (Cecilia) is a story of violence committed by our community based on the myth of a ‘single race’. In 2007, the term ‘single race’ was completely removed from textbooks. Teenagers, the future of our community, are already more familiar with ‘Korean foreigners’ than with ‘single ethnic groups.’

It must change now. We need to expand our community's neighbors further. Until now, the main framework of our country’s multicultural policy has been ‘assimilationism.’ Immigrants adapt to and change in our country’s culture. If life in ‘our country’ is uncomfortable, then ‘you’ should change and adapt. However, in the future, there must be a change to ‘coexistence’ where immigrants and Koreans exchange help with each other. Korea's unique culture and foreigners' unique culture must be respected.

Symbiosis, accepting foreigners as our neighbors, can prevent ‘xenophobia’. The abuse and hatred directed at McDonald’s model Jenny Park, using ‘women’ and ‘black people’ as links, is a litmus test for fascism in our community. Hatred is based on prejudice and fear, regardless of faction. Internet comments are filled with endless hatred and prejudice against weak countries.

More than anything, I am worried about religious hatred. The hatred of Muslims shown through the construction of the Daegu Islamic Mosque showed the scale of our society's heart. The appearance of some sects trying to use hatred of Muslims as well as hatred of homophobia as a driving force has made us know what kind of attitude we Catholics should have. As a global religion, Catholicism can do well in embracing foreigners. There is a need for pastoral care that takes careful consideration of foreigners, centered around the Migrant Pastoral Committee.

 In hindsight, the Korean Catholic Church may already be living in a ‘multi-racial and multi-cultural’ world. In the word ‘Catholic’, we can read the church’s will to work together with others through tolerance and solidarity, not hatred and discrimination. The new year has arrived. In the new year, he prays that Catholicism will become the center of ‘multiracial and multiculturalism'.

 

Gender Roles in the Church

 

The Catholic Times in its column View from the Ark gives the readers some thoughts on equality in the Church from a professor in research on women's issues.

She begins by mentioning a man who was proud that his wife was such a good cook. He is a hard-working middle-aged man who supports his family. He loves his children and tries to spend time with his family. However, he felt burdened by the situation because he did not know how to cook anything besides noodles when his wife was visiting her parents' home and he had to take responsibility for the children's meals. So he ate out or ordered food. She advised him to learn how to cook, and she emphasized that she was not saying that he should be a great cook, but needed survival skills through simple dishes such as rice and soup. He didn't mind cleaning the house but he didn't want to cook. Since he supported his family, he seemed to think that he did not need to learn how to cook.

She hasn't seen him in years. When she saw him again recently he told her that his family had been going out to eat on the weekends lately because his wife didn't want to cook. He thought his wife's food was the best, but he felt uncomfortable when his wife didn't want to cook. But he never thought about learning how to cook. Since food delivery has increased and become more common since the pandemic, he may not necessarily need to learn how to cook.

Although women's higher education and economic participation rates are increasing, women are still the cooks in the home.  If the reason men want to get married is because they have a fantasy of eating the food prepared by their wives, this may not be so easily achieved in the future. And some men think that because their wives are good at cooking, they don't need to cook.

For a while, male chefs appeared on entertainment programs and gained popularity. Although men are respected as experts, women cook at home as part of their gender role. Women cook for their families even when they don't feel like eating or cooking. Women do this out of love for their families. However, when sick and not able to give the family the help they were accustomed to they are fortunate that they can buy packaged food and porridge for the family.  

Chizuko Ueno, a Japanese sociologist and feminist scholar, discusses the old age of single men in "A Single Afternoon" (2014, Real Culture). The reasons why men become single in old age are diverse, including non-marriage, divorce, and widowhood. She says that unmarried men know how to take care of themselves and run a household, so it's not that much of a problem. However, she says that men who are divorced or widowed find it difficult to live independently, so they express discomfort and difficulties after divorce or widowhood and want to remarry. Local governments in Korea are holding cooking classes for retired men. Men learn cooking as a hobby and survival skills.

She can give gifts if she wants and not give them if she doesn’t. Also, the reason for giving gifts is to make the person receiving the gift happy. But the role of the wife as a cook is not like that. It is a duty that she has to perform regardless of her will, and if she does it well, she gets what she deserves, and if not done well may be criticized. 

The gender division of labor imposed gender roles on men to earn money for their families and on women to take care of their families. However, due to gender roles, women had to reduce or give up work to take care of their families and had difficulty achieving economic independence. These roles are not a fair division of labor. A clear example of this is women who are dual-income couples devote more time and energy to housework and care.

Similar to society's gender role expectations, female believers perform gender roles during church events.  We all participate actively in the communion service which helps with communication and bonding. But, "Come for a meal after mass." She cannot respond with joy to the district leader’s invitation. In most cases, it is only the women who work in the preparation of the meal.

She hopes that the parish will become a space where gender roles are more flexible, with male believers also participating in meal preparation for the community.

The Awkwardness of saying: Merry Christmas!

In the Catholic Peace Weekly, Peace Column, a Korean Student living in the States doing research work gives us some of his thoughts on experiencing Christmas this year in the States. His observations have been the reality for many years and a dilemma that is faced by many Christians in modern society. Today, liturgically, we end the Christmas season for another year. 

The Christmas holidays in the United States feel like Chuseok or Lunar New Year holidays in Korea. In the United States, where it is common for everyone to live far apart, they find time from Christmas to New Year's Day, to meet, share food, and spend time with family they have not seen for some time.

This year's Christmas was no different from previous years. Beautiful Christmas decorations everywhere, cafes and stores with carols blaring, excited people, and supermarkets and stores that were busier than usual were all things that made his heart flutter.

However, there was something he felt particularly different while spending this Christmas season in the States. People’s greetings have changed. Obviously, the representative Christmas greeting is ‘Merry Christmas,’ but many people who use it have disappeared. Instead, more people say ‘Happy Holidays!’

The United States is a multi-ethnic country and people of various religions live there, including Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. At some point, the concept that greeting people without emphasizing 'Christmas' was being open to other peoples' feelings, and being more inclusive. Consequently, Happy Holidays for people of different religions began to spread in society, and as a result, with the best of intentions the use of Merry Christmas as a greeting continues to decrease.

But in fact, the meanings of these two greetings are very different. ‘Happy Holidays’ literally means saying ‘Have a nice holiday!’ The holidays are coming soon, so have a good time. ‘Merry Christmas’ has a much bigger and more important meaning.

‘Merry’ means ‘rejoicing’ rather than ‘happy’, and ‘Christmas’ means ‘Christ’s Mass’. Therefore, when put together, it means ‘Rejoice in the Mass of Christ!’

‘Merry Christmas’ means for believers to remember and be thankful for the birth of Jesus, the Creator of the world, who came among us as a child.  ‘Happy Holidays’ to people of different religions may be hiding Jesus and not sharing the gospel with those who are Christians.

Jesus said this: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) Therefore, the mission of proclaiming the gospel has been given to all of us. Although becoming a missionary and receiving a mission to proclaim the gospel is something else. He thinks that the greeting of proclaiming the gospel, “Merry Christmas,” is something that all of us can do.

In a world where it is difficult to find Jesus among all the fancy things we see during the season, one thing that is indispensable to Christmas is Jesus Christ. If 'Christ' is missing from Christmas, if Jesus Christ, who came to the world as an infant to save us, was not lying in a manger, there would be no brilliant Christmas tree, no sound of carols, no Santa Claus waiting for children to say 'Merry Christmas' but a ‘fun holiday’. Even though it might be a little embarrassing, how about remembering this next Christmas? 'Merry Christmas!'

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Bridge Builders

The Catholic Times gives the readers a meditation on bridge building by a Brother of the Korean Taize Community.

We live in an era of numerous disconnections. Different interests and beliefs conflict, and generations, cultures, and identities divide people. The division and factions show no signs of abating. Politics and religion, which are supposed to fulfill the function and role of social integration, not only fail to do so but also increase division and conflict. Even within political parties gathered for the same purpose, people who speak differently cannot be tolerated. Churches and believers who preach love, discriminate, and promote hatred.

Many people say that they feel lonely when they are alone and that it is painful when they are together. Now, beyond the nuclear family, the terms ‘nuclear household’ and ‘nuclear individual’ have emerged. For them, community is a pie in the sky. His friend, who had moved to an apartment, took rice cakes to his next-door neighbor and heard: “Why are you giving them to me?” As housing patterns and lifestyles have changed, many people are learning how to cook and raise children through the Internet rather than from their parents or neighbors.

The young generation saw numerous social disasters and realized that the state could not protect them. They know that even family cannot provide a strong fence if parents do not have financial power. In this way, Korea became a society of people living their own lives. The total fertility rate of 0.7 was not created overnight.

Many young people say that religion gives little meaning to their lives. In addition to human isolation, living without a relationship with God or a transcendent being is another form of poverty.

The world of politics has little to say on how everyone can live together in peace or in what direction society should move. Mainstream religions also cannot easily break away from long-standing practices with systems, and languages that only they understand. 

For people struggling to survive in their daily lives, politics is a power struggle, and even religion is seen as an interest group. Religion's message to society does not resonate with them and seems distant from their lives. When politics and religion are confined to their own strongholds and fail to provide vision and inspiration to the public, voices for the common good disappear. Consumption, advertising, entertainment, and dramas fill the void.

However, there are people around us who do not ignore the conflicts and wounds between individuals and society, but listen to the weak and stand by their side. People who do not see differences as mistakes or obstacles are ready for friendships that transcend boundaries and barriers. They see and celebrate diversity as natural and beautiful. He wants to share that story. 

The world does not change through criticism and condemnation alone. Everyone of goodwill must join together to find a new path with a new vision. In this era where cynicism and frustration are rampant, the person who creates hope is the person who builds bridges where they find ruptures.

A Culture of Dialogue

In the Catholic Times Theological Lecture Hall column the director of the Catholic Culture and Theology Research Center gives the readers some thoughts to mell over in his last article of the series.

We are witnessing a huge change in an era. It is difficult to predict where the development of artificial intelligence and life science technology will take our lives, or where changes in the Earth's ecology caused by climate change will push us. Meaning, values, and communal ideals no longer work in an economy-centered capitalist social system. It feels like our future is moving in a dehumanizing direction. What will we do in this era of great transition?

There is a need for a general reexamination of the way we have lived so far and the operating system that makes the world work. Bruno Latour diagnoses the greatest threat as a "lack of adequate preparation for the coming civilization." Latour suggests that we create hypotheses about the future and design new modes of existence and operating systems. He calls the act of seeking and exploring specific ways of implementation through negotiation 'diplomacy'. 

A person of faith is a person who lives an awake life now, waiting for the Lord's second coming. A Christian is a person who lives a life of Advent, a life of waiting and preparing for his coming. Christians, by their very nature, are always prospective human beings. It is often misunderstood that religion focuses on the past, that is, tradition and history. However, "religion has been both retrospective and prospective from the very beginning."  

Christianity is rooted in sacred tradition, but at the same time, it has always sought eschatological completion. It is a time when everything is shaking. "We will no longer be able to liberate ourselves in the way we functioned in the past. It is a completely new situation." (Bruno Latour) 

Today’s world urgently requires vision and prospects for the future rather than fidelity to tradition and history. It's a difficult road. "The past and present can theoretically be measured, but the future cannot be measured. "The past is causally intertwined with the present, but the future is not."  However, to prevent catastrophe and explore possibilities, we must re-adjust the way we think, act, and live according to the outlook for the future. And we have to change it. 

Today, everyone talks about the crisis of the church and faith. It is increasingly difficult to find youth and younger generations in the church. However, this does not mean that new methods for the elderly generation are being found and implemented. The way faith is lived, the way pastoral care is realized, and the operating system of the church still follow the existing ones. There are church members who are working hard toward change and renewal, but the overall trend of the church feels like they are just watching helplessly. Although the outlook is grim, there are also glimmers of hope. 

He mentions several examples of life within the Korean  Church. They were minor traces of faith, but to him they seemed like proof that the desire for faith exists in every corner of the world. People still want faith and community (church). It's just that today's church is not fulfilling that wish and nurturing it. A new way of believing and a new church operating system are required. 

There is a need for fundamental reflection and renewal of the existing way of religious life and the existing church operating system. Some people argue that the crisis can be overcome through a return to tradition. It may be a solution, but it is not a fundamental solution. Starting from the present, the past and future are always connected. However, in an era of massive paradigm shifts, what is more needed is an outlook toward the future and reflection on the present rather than nostalgia for the past. 

Forecasting the future does not simply mean making a fuss about predictions and inferences. It may be uncertain, but it means reflecting on the here and now and preparing for the future through future vision and prospects. This does not mean living a life of anxiety and confusion, but believing in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and living a life of wakefulness and preparation here and now. 

We need a new way of living. Not just critical reflection on the present, but unable to come up with concrete alternatives. How can changes in the way we live our faith and renewal of the system that operates the church be realized? A political revolution that seeks changes in structures and systems, a cultural revolution that promotes changes in thinking and behavior, what is more suitable for change and renewal in the church? 

The way we live and our operating system are closely connected. Synodalitas aims for both changes in the way faith is lived and changes in the church's operating system. Proposing an alternative does not mean proposing a specific program. There is no groundbreaking program that solves everything at once. 

The Christian revolution is a revolution in daily life through changes in beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles. A true revolution must be premised on a change in perception, new imagination, and a change in lifestyle and attitude. Of course, ideas, culture, laws, and institutions influence each other. However, the general sequence is that changes in thinking and perception lead to changes in culture, which then lead to changes in laws and institutions. The church has a strong tendency to pursue change and renewal through education and culture rather than political revolution. Culture means a way of living in a broad sense. Faith must also become culture.  

Believers must achieve a “courageous cultural revolution” in this turbid world (Laudato Si, paragraph 114). Fundamental change begins with dialogue, asking new questions, and sharing honest thoughts and reflections. A conversation is not a debate. This is not a fight for logical superiority. It is an act of seeking personal change through sharing honest words. Conversation is not aimed at change in others, but rather at change in oneself. Synodalitas begins with listening and dialogue. Let’s allow a culture of dialogue where honest words are shared and flourish within the church. A revolution in faith begins through honest dialogue, not struggle. 

Let us form a new culture of faith. Let’s create a unique culture of faith, even if it’s only with a few people. Let’s find a new language and a new way of acting rather than the given language and existing way of acting. Let us reframe the questions ourselves. Let's create a culture of life that focuses on the breadth, and depth of faith and spirituality rather than power, status, accomplishments, and achievements. Let’s create a culture of discovering and loving the 'saints next door' who provide religious inspiration rather than those in power and imaginary beings. The revolution in faith is achieved through education (study) and culture (way of life). There is an urgent need for an overall review and reconstruction of the church's religious education and religious culture. 

Generational Differences

The Catholic Peace Weekly Peace columnist looks at the different Korean generations and gives us his understanding of the situation.

Time passed quickly and the year-end and New Year holidays arrived. He dreams of the New Year with new expectations and excitement. There are many expectations for the political world ahead of the general election, an economy struggling to escape low growth, and a struggle to resolve the demographic cliff and polarization. The reality is harsh and the future is unclear. Still, life has to go on. Change and innovation come with pain and suffering. One generation passes and the next generation takes the baton. The older generation hangs their heads in despondency, while the new generation feels gloom.

A strong wind of generational change is blowing throughout society. People born in the 1970s and 1980s rose to executive positions. Next year, will be the 60th birthday of those born in 1964, the youngest of the baby boom generation (born 1950-1964). Officially retired from active duty. Their backs look lonely. You have to wait three years after retirement to receive your pension, but the expenses only pile up. They experienced the harsh storms of modern history, including the Yushin dictatorship and the foreign exchange crisis. Nevertheless, they were able to establish their own home, take care of their parents, and raise their children with little problem.

Afterward, the 386 generations (born between 1960 and 1969) played a leading role in democratization in the 1980s. We threw stones during the day and discussed democratization while drinking makgeolli at night. However, the collectivist culture that organized them clashed with the individualistic culture of their younger siblings in Generation X (born 1970-1979). ‘X’ means ‘unknown ’ To that extent, they appear quite different from the previous generation— the biggest change in the generation gap. They are individualists who grew up in affluence and do not pay attention to what others think. They are the first generation to take the CSAT (national college entrance exam) and are in their 40s.

Generation X was followed by the millennial generation (born between 1980 and 1994), also known as Generation Y. These are young office workers who have just started entering society. It is the first generation to go digital, but at the same time, it pursues the analog sensibility that stimulates childhood nostalgia. 'Work and  Life  Balance' and YOLO (You only live once)  are their values for happiness in the present moment. 

The generation born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s is called Generation Z (born 1995-2004). These people are mainly children of Generation X and are more familiar with smartphones and YouTube than PCs. Inheriting liberal values from their parents, they respect diversity and pursue balance and practicality in life.

Generational change is fate in human life. A baton touch is when the player in front passes the baton to the next player. The baton does not only contain money, power, and fame. It contains experience, skills, and the right direction in life. The reason why the gospel of Christ has become an indicator of life for generations for 2,000 years is because of Jesus' love and training of his disciples. 

According to various public opinion polls, the conflict between generations is becoming more severe. The big reason is the difficulty in forming relationships—  dialogue and collaboration between generations. In particular, the younger generation responded that it was difficult to communicate with the previous generation and understand their thoughts. 

It is perhaps natural to feel generational differences depending on age, era, and background. However, the problem lies in shifting responsibility to the other in times of crisis and conflict. The path I walk today becomes a milestone for others in the future.

The previous generation must let go of its authoritarian vested interests and make room for the new generation. The next generation must embrace the seniority of the previous generation that is leaving. To do this, we need open-minded dialogue in each other's languages. I hope that we will avoid admonishing conversations like when 'I was your age'— and at least stop scolding the older generation for not knowing new words.

Loving More Deeply

In View from the Ark column of the Catholic Times a newly appointed pastor reflects on what would be the results of loving more and more deeply.

As we usher in the January 1st, the New Year he doesn't set any grand goals for the new year, but his first task in the new year is to offer a Mass on the Feast of the Virgin Mary Mother of God, and pray that he will not be lazy in the things he has to do, and will be able to do the new things he needs to do carefully in the future. 

Last year, he remembers the day when he came to the Dongducheon Parish community to assume his first role as pastor. Half of the burden—Will he be able to do well in a parish with a long history of over 60 years, as he has only been a priest for 7 years? The history of the parish is strong, so if he works hard, he will be able to learn a lot! 

To sum it up, the past year spent in the Dongducheon Parish community was a time of ‘receiving without giving anything, so much so that he feels sorry'. What moved him the most was the unconditional love they had for each other after knowing each other for a long time. He often hears from the members of the community about other members: "I even know how many spoons and chopsticks there are in that house!" Words that you rarely hear these days. This family-like atmosphere was truly a great gift from God.

In fact, our parish lives as ‘two families under one roof.’ This is thanks to the birth of the ‘Dongducheon International Catholic Community (DICC)’ for immigrant and refugee believers based in our parish in 2012. 

However, the relationship between the Dongducheon parish community and DICC is stronger than the relationship between general parishes and ethnic communities. On ordinary Sundays, Mass is offered separately, but on the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord and the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord, the parish is cleaned and a Mass is offered together. DICC is invited to big events in the parish community, and conversely, parishioners are invited to big events in DICC. Although they are two communities of different nationalities and languages, they have been communicating through hand gestures and foot gestures and sharing joys and sorrows together for over 10 years. Watching from the side, it seems as if they have reached the stage of ‘pretending to pretend’.

Nevertheless, there are still many mountains to overcome. This is because conflicts arising from cultural differences still persist. Immigrants in the Dongducheon area, where the majority are located are from the African continent. They choose to stay within the immigrant community, protecting their own language and culture, rather than learning the Korean language and culture and entering the larger society. This was their choice, but it was also forced upon them by Korean society. 

A small number of people who know how to speak Korean are appointed as foremen, give orders, and make them work long hours, so the way for them to take Korean language classes is blocked. In a situation like this, it is impossible to one-sidedly blame those who find peace by eating food from their home country with their compatriots, who are the only people they can communicate with within a country where they do not speak the same language. 

Although the pastor feels frustrated watching from the sidelines, the parish families who have been dealing with American soldiers for over 60 years hug them tightly even as they express their frustration. They leave the parish with a smile, saying: "Today, too, we have committed the sin of not being able to love in our pettiness."

Peace among people is only possible when we embrace each other as we are and love each other. It seems that ‘love as it is’ is something that we take for granted in our heads, but we do not feel it in our hearts, much less live it. If only I could love my family, friends, immigrants, and even people with whom I disagree, who are on the opposite side of me, how much more would this world resemble God's love and the kingdom of God that has already arrived? On this first day of the New Year, when we honor the Mother of God, we would like to ask the Queen of Peace to fill us with love that will bring peace among us. This year, may we all have a year of loving more and more deeply.