<$BlogRSDURL$>
Reading

Hannu Salama: Kosti Herhiläisen perunkirjoitus
Flickr photographs
www.flickr.com
More of my Flickr photos
∙ Current position: Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher, Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Helsinki
∙ Ph.D. dissertation Neighborhood Shopkeepers in Contemporary South Korea: Household, Work, and Locality available online (E-Thesis publications a the University of Helsinki). For printed copies, please contact me by e-mail.
Contact ∙ Personal
cellularmailmy del.icio.us bookmarks
my photographs at Flickr
Anthropology at U. of Helsinki
Finnish Anthropological Society
Powered by Blogger

Anthropology, Korean studies and that

Savage Minds
Keywords
Golublog
photoethnography
antropologi.info
Solongseeyoutomorrow
Constructing Amusement
Otherwise
Frog in a Well

Often visited

The Marmot's Hole Gusts Of Popular FeelingSanchon Hunjang Mark RussellLanguage hatMuninngyuhang.netSedisKemppinenJokisipiläPanun palsta
Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com


Google this blog
Download Hangul Viewer 2002
Download Hangul Office Viewer 2007

Monday, November 22, 2004

polarization of economy: consumption

Feel like living the "IMF era" once again with news and headlines like this: "서민들 허리띠 죄고, 유한층은 해외서 펑펑" '소비양극화' 심화, 해외에서 쓴 돈이 가계지출 3% 넘어 (The ordinary people tightening their belts, the leisured stratum going wild abroa: polarization of economy becoming all the more severe, consumption abroad over 3% of household expenses). The picture accompanying the article illustrates the state of ordinary people's economy in its most typical site, marketplace: empty alleys between the shops. (It's not the first time that Pressian has this very same pic in the same use.)

the state of ordinary people's economy in its most typical site, marketplacePressian tells that Koreans' use of money abroad ("shopping, study and training abroad") has increased by 10% during the first nine months of the year, while the whole domestic consumption by households (최종 소비 지출 총액) has decreased by 0.9%, according to the Bank of Korea. Foreign consumption (consumption abroad) takes now 3.2 percent of the total household consumption instead of the 2.9 percent last year at the same time.

Consumption of non-alcoholic beverages decreased by 1.8%, clothing by 1.4%, entertainment 4.6%, traffic 5.3%, education 0.7%.
What have increased are consumption of alcohol and tobacco as by half a percent and communication tech by 7.4%.

Kyunghyang Sinmun has a leader (or editorial...) commenting these developments; it tells that the consumption of the rich needs to be directed at home markets instead of letting them scratch (긁다) their credit cards and spread their dollar wads abroad. Kyunghyang doesn't suggest restricting legislation but change in attitudes towards the use of money by the rich and expects the government to do something about it.
What could that be, cultural revolution which overturns the Koreans' attitudes towards the innûn nom (the haves)?

Categories at del.icio.us/hunjang:

Comments to note "polarization of economy: consumption" (Comments to posts older than 14 days are moderated)


Write a Comment