Political and Social Reality of the City of Seoul Research Paper

Political and Social Reality of the City of Seoul - Research Paper Example Polarization refers to the process of grouping of two opinions into two extreme ends. Social polarization arises from the normal societal stratifications and depicts itself in nearly every aspect of life in the people habiting a particular geographical location. Polarization arises from conventions of life some of which people abide by naturally yet others follow economic capabilities and stratification mechanisms. Every community, including the modern day urban settlements, have different opinions among its inhabitants often resulting in either polarization or quasi polarization.   The city of Seoul in southern Korea is therefore no exception and experiences one of the most radical extents of polarization evident in its pattern of habitation and the people’s way of life in the city. The special city of Seoul is the capital city of South Korea and arguably the largest modern day metropolis in the entire Korea. It is home to approximately fifty million people most of whom are South Korean nationals but also provides residence to more than ten million international business people (O'Loughlin 33). The city has an elaborate design, one that considers and showcases the economic growth of the country and its interesting history. The architecture of most skyscrapers in the city embodies the modernism in design and comfort but also imbed the rich cultural history of the South Korean people. The wide clean highways, the artistically tall building structures, and the every glaring subway stations among other interesting features such as Seoul’s nightlife all act as a unifying feature to the diverse people of the city. However, behind the glamor and the beauty, the truth of the city lies in a more analytical scrutiny of the residences’ way of life. ...where is accessible and every product available in the market, the price tag on the commodities and services in the market always ensure that the rich rarely interacted with the poor. Additionally, it provides for an effective mechanism of keeping the rich to their own society and possibly denying the poor access to such societies. Seoul is one such city. Being an industrial country, the South Korean economy grows very fast with international businesses giving rise to extremely wealthy businesspersons and business empires. The wealth disparity and economic imbalance influence the design since the city has to include all its residences despite their financial positioning. This has resulted in the birth of two residential regions namely the Gangnam and the Gangbuk.