"Modern Korean Society" - A Comprehensive Picture of Korea

South Korea, with its successful compressed industrialization process, can be seen as a development model for developing countries like Vietnam. The lessons from South Korea, both its successes and failures, will be helpful to Vietnam, a country just beginning its industrialization process.

In recent years, South Korean investment in Vietnam has been steadily increasing. In 2007, South Korea ranked first among countries and territories in terms of FDI capital invested in Vietnam.

Alongside the successes of Korean businesses in Vietnam, conflicts have also emerged between Korean business owners and Vietnamese workers. Furthermore, the growing trend of "marrying a Korean man" in recent years has raised many pressing social issues for both Vietnam and Korea.

Among the many reasons for the conflicts and tensions mentioned, one important reason is the lack of a full understanding of each other's socio-cultural characteristics on both sides. In this context, the publication of materials introducing Korean culture to Vietnamese people, as well as materials introducing Vietnamese socio-cultural characteristics to Koreans, is extremely necessary. The book "Modern Korean Society" is a work that addresses this urgent need.

Compiled by leading sociology professors from Seoul National University, the book comprises 10 chapters presented logically, moving from "tradition" to "present" and towards "the future"; from "social statics" to "social dynamics". The book provides readers with knowledge on important sociological issues such as tradition, miraculous economic development, population and family issues, education, occupation, social structure, civil society, social relations, cultural changes, and the future of Korea.

Overall, the book has selected and presented the essential sociological issues concerning Korea. Readers can easily see how modern Korean society has been shaped by history and developed in the present day. Without overemphasizing abstract theoretical knowledge, the book provides readers with relevant theoretical concepts, combined with the application of those theories to explain the practical realities and development trends of Korea. Those interested in middle-range sociological theories can find useful applications in Vietnam from the book's pages.

This book was translated into Vietnamese by faculty members of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. It is not only an important textbook for students majoring in Korean Studies, but also a valuable reference material for students of sociology, anthropology, and anyone interested in researching Korea in Vietnam.

The knowledge provided in this book will truly contribute to enhancing understanding between the two countries, while also contributing to promoting economic cooperation and cultural exchange between them.