There are a lot of barriers and clear cultural differences between South Korea and Poland, which are noticed especially by people who have decided to live there or explore this topic on a daily basis, catching the most important information. One of them is Małgorzata Sidz, a Japanese teacher, author of the book “Wise mothers, good wives. Women in South Korea”. In an interview with the WP portal, the woman talks about specific examples, at the same time showing how great the cultural differences are.
What does it mean to be a “good wife” in South Korea?
In an interview with the WP portal, Małgorzata Sidz explains at the beginning what she refers to in the title of her book – it is about a certain Confucian ideal that South Korea willingly accepted and was under its influence for a relatively long time. According to this philosophya good wife takes care of her husband, always greets him with a meal, tries to keep the house clean, comfortable and warm. He takes care of the “interior”, that is, everything that is in the house – including finances, says Sidz in an interview.
However, this is not the end of the criteria that must be met to be called a “good wife”. First of all, eliminate jealousy. – If the husband finds happiness in going to a courtesan or a mistress, it must be accepted. According to Confucianism, a woman’s jealousy is one of the worst vices, emphasizes Małgorzata Sidz. The more that betrayals are common in South Korea – but this “privilege” can only be used by men.
Koreans live under constant pressure. The most important thing is to find a husband
Anna Sawińska from the WP portal once talked about similar situations. The respected author of books about South Korea also pointed out that Korean women are under enormous pressure to find a husband and find themselves in the role of a mother. However, when a woman has a chosen one, she must take care of his comfort with all her might – according to Confucian ideals – and turn a blind eye to all his misdeeds, including numerous betrayals. – My Korean husband and I have had many discussions on this and similar topics. It took me some time and patience to make Woo Young realize that there are things I find absolutely unacceptable in Korean culture – said Anna Sawińska in an interview.
It seems that significant cultural differences can be clearly seen in the reactions of Polish women to the news about how Korean women deal with their husband’s betrayals. “Life is hard for women in Korea”, “I’m shocked”, “Which gentleman would want such a life for his daughter?” – netizens write.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
