Changing the world starts with something simpler than we think

"The world has changed a lot, but the little rules, promises, and habits within it haven't changed much. Consequently, the world hasn't changed." – Cho Nam-ju, ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982.”

When you realize that the world has changed but your reality hasn't, the disappointment and anger you feel are overwhelming. In the novel ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’, the main character, Kim Ji-young, becomes so disappointed and angry that she develops a mental illness.

What do parents in Korea need most these days? Time. It's not just a desire, it's a pressing need. Many parents, struggling with some of the longest commutes in the world, frequent late-night work, and after-work company dinners, face an absolute lack of time with their children.

The world is changing to support this need for time. Parental leave, flexible work arrangements, reduced working hours during childcare periods, remote work, and more have been introduced. We're not just dreaming, we're envisioning even bigger changes by increasing parental leave pay, extending the duration, and adding short-term parental leave, so that more people can take advantage of these options.

However, small habits still haven't changed much, so those programs can't be utilized freely in corporate Korea. Before using them, people need to gauge the atmosphere of the team situation, and after using them, worries arise. There is also a funny but sad saying: 'The team atmosphere is scarier than the law.'

"In 2024, the trending keyword was 'Husbands of today, dads that didn’t exist before,' but even with the changing perceptions of parenthood and family life, the real changes up to now aren’t enough.

Maybe changing the world starts with something simpler than we think. It's not until we change implicit practices, precedents, habits, and small rules or promises—such as the notion that childcare is a woman's job—that real change can happen. That's why changing culture is as important as changing systems, and why it takes effort from both business and society.


Do-Young Kwak now@donga.com