The author deals with the transformation of cultural values in South Korea. He starts with a brief overview of some of the key Confucian concepts that serve as a base for Korean collectivism. He then writes about collectivism and gives some practical examples of collectivistic value manifestations in South Korean society, and then points out the distinct dichotomy of “us” and “others” that is formed as a result. In the second chapter, the author writes about globalisation, the gradual integration of foreign influences into South Korea, and the impact they have had on the individualisation of South Korean society. He emphasises the generational gap as a consequence of value transformation and introduces it as a basis for a discussion of the current conflicts of contemporary social conditions in South Korea. The last chapter is dedicated to South Korean “loners”, who have the most pronounced individualistic values within contemporary South Korean society. The author tries to incorporate the concept into an existing field of research and through that explain the characteristics of the wider South Korean Generation Y. He then goes on to discuss the changes in the “us” and “others” dichotomy in South Korea; the value that the younger generation attribute to solitude and the reasons behind that; he concludes with a discussion about the realisation of the individualistic self in contemporary South Korean society through George H. Mead's concepts of “me” and “I”.
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