총 36페이지

16
CoverStory
TheOtherSideoftheStory
It is encouraging to see that there
Confucianism; loyalty to one family
google.com
are still many Koreans devoting their
comesfirstbeforeotherbonds,itishard
attention to the needy during these
to blame Koreans for caring for their
tumultuous times. The Korean mindset
directly-related younger generations.
hascomealongwaysincethedarkdays
Donating will reduce the amount they
of the economic crisis in 1998 where
can leave behind, and can be seen as a
people were more self-centered. They
failureintheirdutiestotheirfamilies.
have become more compassionate in
However, donating can help break
the process and seek to survive today’s
people out of their chains of misfortune
difficulttimesthroughmutualhelp.
andinspirethemtogivebacktosociety.
With donating figures at an all time
Thus, wouldn’t donating create a more
high amidst an economic crisis, is the
compassionate culture that serves as a
picture of a compassionate Korean
bettergifttofuturegenerations?
society real? Or are statistics hiding a
moreselfishsideofthestory?
TrivializationofWebsiteDonations
Just by making donating convenient
Foundation
andallowingpeopletohaveagreatersay
WhatabouttheOlderDonors?
While statistics of young adults in
in how their donations should be used,
their 20s and 30s are positive, the
Beautiful
fundraising websites should be seen
same cannot be said of those in their
in a favorable light for adding a breath
40s and 50s. With their wealth, these
of fresh air to the spirit of giving and
Koreans have the capabilities to help
its culture. Yet, despite being effective
their ailing country. Yet, most appear
in helping to raise more funds for
to be unable to overcome their inertia
charitable causes, online donation sites
and give generously. Statistics of age
couldactuallybecausingthesincereact
distribution of donors revealed by
ofgivingtobecometrivialized.
Beautiful Foundation showed that
as masters of their own destinies. This
Itispositivetoseetherapidriseinthe
people in their teens and 50s take up 5
could be one of the few reasons why
digital figures translating into enormous
percent each while those in their 40s
they are less willing to give,” said Park
physical donations for charitable
take up 20 percent. While it is quite
Tae-kyu, a professor of the Economics
organizations. At the same time
understandable why those in their teens
Department at Yonsei University and
however, we must question whether the
take up a lesser percentage (they are
Director of the Research Institute of
digitalization of giving is strangling the
not income-earners), it is definitely a
Beautiful Foundation. The solution
warmth of the donating culture today. It
question why those in their 40s and 50s
to poverty in the past was thought to
would be ideal that donors give out of
are not contributing more to charitable
be through self and economic growth
theirloveforhumanityandthedesireto
organizations.
powered by hard labor. Though much
help less privileged. “It is a good thing
Perhaps, this indifference can be
time has passed, this thought seems to
thatpeoplecandonatereallyeasilynow,
assumedtohavestemedfromthesocio-
justifythereluctancetogiveawayaslice
andthisformofdonationculturecanbe
economic situations that these people
oftheirhard-earnedassets.
instilledinusasifit’s‘aneveryday-ism.’
went through in the past. “Hardship has
Many in their 40s and 50s still wish
However, the down side of it is that it
made the older generations, especially
to follow traditions and leave their
couldactuallybringfailureofincreasing
the 40s and 50s who lived through
bequests to their next generation.
awareness and trivialize the act of
both the good and bad times, value the
BearinginmindthattheKoreanpsyche
giving,”saidProfessorPark.
fruits of their labor and see themselves
is heavily influenced by the ideals of
The mundane tasks rarely inspire.
www.theargus.org

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