Table of contentsIntroduction:Modernity versus traditions in architecture:Traditions compromised to encourage industrialization:Introduction:Geography: Seoul, the capital of South Korea , is a city located in the northwestern part of the country. It is 50 km from the DMZ (demilitarized zone) with North Korea. The capital Seoul itself covers around 600 square km, while Greater Seoul, which also includes Incheon and many other satellite cities, covers around 12,000 square km. (Jabgo) Population: Seoul is also one of the most populated cities in the world. Greater Seoul has a population of almost 23 million, while almost 10 million residents are in the capital Seoul itself. This also means that Seoul is one of the densest cities due to its relatively small area. (Jabgo) Currency: The currency here in South Korea, or more specifically in Seoul, is the won. 1 US dollar would be equivalent to 1,114.90 won, while 1 euro would be equivalent to 1312.18 won. Time zone: The time zone of Seoul, South Korea would be GMT +9 hours, after the Greenwich Mean Time meridian. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Modernity versus traditions in architecture: In this unified capital, there are two types of architectural buildings designated for opposite purposes. There are countless industrialized buildings, modernized structures as well as skyscrapers under construction throughout Seoul. For example, the Lotte World Tower with 123 levels as well as the famous Namsan Tower in Seoul are considered among the best-known and most visited buildings in the city. These towers can also be seen as the symbol of the modernization of this city, where they are the result of the impacts of industrialization. Among the renovated buildings, we can also observe multiple ancient traditional and cultural architectures, which stand out within this apparently modern city. The 5 Grand Palaces, Bukchon Hanok Villages and other religious temples are some of the oldest and traditional buildings in Seoul. (Choi, 2012; Anikadaske, 2017) Constructions such as the 5 ancient royal palaces or the old villages have not only lasted for centuries, but they have also undergone several restorations with the aim of educating Korean children in terms of historical knowledge and information. (Anikadaske, 2017) Thus, given that religion has played an important role in Korean societies, it is understandable that there are still countless temples and pagodas preserved and restored for worship purposes. Therefore, it is entirely possible for a photographer to take a photo of both modernized and traditional architecture in a single frame. This fact demonstrates the idea that even though Seoul is one of the most industrialized cities in Asia, there are still some traditional cultural aspects within this contemporary city as it is crucial to preserve cultural customs as they are the roots of a race. are what define a unique group of people. Culture is like a guide that helps us define who we are. A rush to lose one's cultural identity and practices is as alarming as if they had lost their way in life. The situation is like when a little duckling feels lost because it has lost its mother. Modernity versus traditions in clothing and fashion: In the modernized city of Seoul, the city's residents are very knowledgeable about fashion and clothing. styles. When visiting this city, you would be amazed at the amount of clothingwesternized and fashionable worn regularly by the citizens of this city. The best example of this very trendy dressing style would be Korean idols, who are given a series of very current and fashionable westernized dresses every time they make a public appearance. Likewise, Korean citizens who follow these widely spread styles and trends also try to find the most trendy clothing sets that are hugely influenced by Western cultures. This amplifies the fact that Koreans are modernizing their sense of fashion and clothing, where most of the time, what they wear regularly are trendy, westernized clothes such as crop tops and shorts. It is quite normal that you never see native people in an industrialized city or especially in the cities of Asian countries walking on the street in their traditional cultural clothing. However, this is not the case in Korea and especially in their capital, Seoul. This is because while visiting this city, you will observe many shops where you can rent “hanbok”, also known as traditional Korean dresses, for several hours. Hanbok has been used for centuries in the lives of all Koreans and the last time these dresses were worn on a large scale was a century ago, during the 20th century. As a result, for Koreans, hanbok is an extremely important factor that shapes their cultural identity. While Koreans continue to preserve these traditions through the establishment of special festivals, for example, traditional events like the "Hi Seoul Festivals", which take place several months a year, where they often dress in their traditional clothing , with the aim of celebrating their customs and cultural practices so that future generations do not neglect these important and historical rituals over time, teenagers and especially foreigners who visited this city often rent these dresses to take photos and to other tourist purposes. (Choi, 2012) This has gradually become a trend among foreign and adolescent groups. So, walking around the streets of Seoul, you might see people wearing hanboks on a regular scale. This demonstration amplifies the fact that even though this city has undergone tremendous modernization, manifested through the evolution of their clothing style, Koreans still wear and preserve their traditional clothing and dresses through the establishment of rental stores or further monthly festivals which reinforce the need to retain their cultural identity.Modernity versus traditions in matters of ethics and morality: Digging deeper into the points outlined above, the ideas regarding ethics and morality within this city shared also industrialized and traditional aspects. For example, expectations and restrictions regarding women and their rights have also evolved. Nowadays, Korean women can dress in Western and fashionable clothes as well as participate in late night parties, where they have the opportunity to have romantic relationships and drinks. with other men. (Ranjit, 2017) Despite this modernized and open-minded expectation, this tolerance still has rigorous and harsh aspects, where Korean society still does not accept single women or single mothers, in which their children will be considered illegitimate . contempt for the surrounded community. (Ranjit, 2017) This non-acceptance of the idea of ​​single motherhood is a traditional Korean teaching and ethic that has been passed down from generation to generation. That being said, in this city, Seoul, wenotes the existence of both modernity and traditions within the same thematic area. Further examples showing that although Korean ideas and thoughts became more sophisticated, there were still limitations and restrictions due to their traditional ethics, are provided by the analysis of their modern educational systems. Specifically, Koreans today are more focused on modernizing an education system primarily involving rational understandings as well as critical thinking skills, in which it has been influenced by the way university curricula developed in the western regions of Europe. This can be demonstrated through the very acceptance of international school systems in Seoul. Parents who allow their children to attend this type of school believe that by giving them this opportunity to interact with Western educational systems, their children can have a great chance of social mobility as well as success in life. However, on the other hand, Korean university programs also failed to develop an efficient and modern system, while their current education system was still heavily influenced by Confucian ethics, such as the need for conformity to standards and to society as a whole. (Ranjit, 2017) Since Korea was a country where Confucianism had been revered and followed for years, it is understandable that this belief system was rooted in the roots of the nation's customs. In other words, in Seoul, with the exception of international school systems, where students had the opportunity to interact with American curricula, normal public schools still used a heavily influenced Confucian education system. This amplifies the fact that, despite the fact that Korean schools are beginning to recognize and incorporate modernized ideas regarding critical thinking skills into their education system, most of their schools are still influenced by their traditional Confucian beliefs and ideas. Therefore, it is observable that both aspects of industrialization and traditional culture still exist in this city. Traditions compromised to encourage industrialization: Some Korean traditions are compromised so that the city can experience the modernization process. One of the most significant changes in Korean traditions would be the analysis of Confucian ideas of filial piety, where they were taught to respect elders and care for them both financially and emotionally. For example, there was a traditional belief that Korean adult children should take care of their parents as they grew older. However, these traditions are changing rapidly as the city industrializes and modernizes. Specifically, the number of Korean children actually caring for their parents is dropping significantly, from 70% to just 31%, as they rely more on the government to do the job. (Herald, 2016) For example, nowadays adult children believe that it is the role of the government to care for and provide welfare to the elderly. As a result, more and more Korean elders, despite their old age and poor health, are forced to do hard labor just to survive poverty and illness. (Shushan, 2017) In other words, Koreans today no longer follow the Confucian ideology of filial piety, they abandon their parents and elders in the hands of governments and other social programs. As a result, the idea of ​​filial piety as well as the fact that they have the responsibility to take care of their parents diminishes.