Under a sudden economic transformation and in a globe united by capitalism, a modern world has been created in South Korea. The new world, created within an extremely compressed time span can be characterized by instrumental rationality and patriarchal monopoly. The communicative world has been severely colonized by instrumental rationality. The conflict between women and men has intensified, as has the generation conflict.
Teenagers in the 1970s were under the tight control of the state institution, namely the public education system designed for passing the university entrance examination.
Hard working and enduring students were `mass produced´ for the rapidly "developing" nation. However, conditions for teenagers has changed drastically in the 1990s. The children of middle class parents have emerged as the major group with buying power.
The cultural industry has rapidly expanded and encouraged teenagers to have their own identity and style. Reality for the different generations diverge immensely.
Nonetheless, the education system has not changed very much. Teenagers in the 1990s have begun to rebel by refusing schools, trying to be economically independent, or merely resisting in daily their lives. There are fewer experiences that the older and new generations can share within such a rapidly changing society.
It is time for teenagers to have their own space. The school system, entirely geared towards university entrance,needs to be reformed so that teenagers can have their own space for various life experiences and experiments. A perspective of cultural relativism is crucial for adults and teenagers to communicate.. The autonomy of the youth culture needs to be recognized.
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