I am from South Korea and I also grew up in Japan, so I can speak for both countries because they have a lot in common. Um, so in both countries, um, objects, superficial things, um, represents a lot in their social status or status. Um, so in Europe, I don’t see so, so many people wearing luxury brand designer bags. But in, in South Korea, especially, um, even at a young age, like 20 or 21 years old, a lot of people carry those very high priced designer bags because. And also they carry, um, they carry them with logos, um, so it’s not discreet. Uh, so they don’t want to show off that this is a brand they can carry. U um, and it doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter if they really have the money or maybe if they have $1010 in their bank account and then have gucci bag, um, but it is about how other people perceives them when they’re carrying, uh, designer bags, um, u also with the cars. So there is a phras in Korea that people buy high priced cars not because of the quality of the car or the feeling of the car when they’re inside, but it’s about the feeling when they just get out of the car because instantly, people treat them better than when you’re driving gear car, for example. Um, so that’s the very obvious part that I can see from the country.
Band 7+: What kind of things give status to people in your country?
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I'm from South Korea, and I also grew up in Japan, so I can speak for both countries because they have a lot in common. In both countries, superficial things like objects play a significant role in determining social status. For example, in Europe, I don't see as many people carrying luxury brand designer bags. But in South Korea, especially, even young people in their early twenties often carry very expensive designer bags. They don't try to hide the logos, so it's clear they want to show off the brand. It doesn't necessarily matter if they can actually afford the bag or if they have a lot of money in the bank. It's more about how others perceive them when they're carrying a designer bag. The same goes for cars. There's a saying in Korea that people buy expensive cars not because of the quality or the driving experience, but because of the way people treat them when they get out of the car. They feel like they're treated better when they're driving a luxury car compared to a more affordable one. This is a very obvious example of how status is perceived in Korea.
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Speaking Time: 78 seconds