SDF

What makes the changes shaping civil society today unique, and what is driving them? How are individuals today, increasingly interconnected through technological advancements, changing the world? How have the candlelight rallies, as the movement that provided the impetus for the impeachment of a sitting president, affected individuals in Korean society? This session examines the transformation of civil society through the lens of politics, society, and media, focusing on the impact of the #MeToo movement and other efforts to expose deep-rooted power imbalances and the violence they engender, and considers the changes that must be collectively pursued.

This session introduces the stories of individuals whose courage in the face of gross abuses of power and unjust treatment have helped to expose and uproot the deeply entrenched behaviors and attitudes that allowed their perpetuation. From the voices of courage that exposed the sexual misconduct of one of Hollywood's most influential film producers, sparking the #MeToo movement and its subsequent spread to the spheres of law, culture, theater, film, academia, and politics, to the voices, raised from the inside, that have posed a challenge to abuses of power by those in authority, these stories highlight the importance of every individual's right to be respected.

Young people today don't want others to speak on their behalf: they want to tell their own stories. They have begun taking the initiative in seeking to understand pressing social issues from their unique points of view. Belonging to the generation of digital natives, they know how to leverage the tools of media to make their individual voices heard. This session looks at the "new common sense" as understood and perpetuated by our youth -- leaders in the transformation of civil society and the key players in today’s new era.

There is a growing resistance among our youth to the rigid conventions and attitudes of older generations. They want to make their own decisions and pursue their own dreams. Teenage Korean rapper VINXEN creates music that takes a hard, probing look at the issues of inequality, prejudice, discrimination, and poverty afflicting Korean society today. In unapologetically confronting his own feelings of desperation and despair, he prompts us to do the same. His question for us is this: “How do you all feel?”

The courage demonstrated by ordinary individuals is helping to shatter prevailing attitudes and norms, leading to the emergence of a "new common sense." Yet in a data-driven world in which AI is poised to become ever more prevalent, human biases are being replicated in the form of algorithms. In what ways should algorithms be monitored if we are to prevent the reinforcement of inequality or the undermining of democracy? In this session, we ask the world's leading data expert what the Big Data era holds, and how we should prepare.

New IT technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud will transform industries, make us more productive and help solve society’s biggest challenges, leading to important advances in education, healthcare, transportation and many other areas. In this session, we will hear from a company that believes we must look to this future with a critical eye. There will be challenges as well as opportunities. Building on cultural change within, ethical principles to guide behavior and a conviction that responsible innovation for the benefit of society will demand input from a wide range of stakeholders, this company has been unique in using its technology and its voice to help solve societal problems, even taking the unusual steps of challenging government overreach at times and calling for strong ethical principles, evolution of laws, training for new skills and labor market reforms. Empowerment in the civic sphere doesn't end there: it is changing how individuals live, work, and consume. In this time of overarching transformation, what are the changes that should be pursued by businesses? In this session, we hear from one company that is making efforts for innovation in its corporate culture as well as its relationship to its consumers.

What connections can be drawn between the changes shaping civil society today and blockchain -- more specifically, the vision that blockchain carries, for a world in which decentralization enables transparent transactions between individuals without the need for mediation? This session explores the transformation of civil society and where it is headed next through this lens.

"It can never be considered art to shame another." In this session, we listen to rapper KittiB stand up boldly to voices of hatred and antagonism.

Can the individuals driving the formation of a "new common sense" be considered exceptional? Do we need to be qualified in any way to speak up against the wrongs we see being perpetuated in our society? In this session, we hear the perspectives of diverse individuals who helped bring about the enactment of the Japanese law against hate speech.

In the world of K-pop today, the once-norm of mass production of so-called "idols," or K-pop stars, by major management companies has given way to a new culture of fans discovering artists and artists engaging with their fans, and each growing with the other. A similar wind of change has blown through the publishing world, where writers can begin their literary careers on the strength of a solid reader base, without having to go through the Deungdan system of participating in literary competitions or being selected for publication in literary magazines. This session provides an opportunity to engage with two writers who have taken this alternate route, and also happen to have been vocal critics of the problems with the existing system. We will hear from them about how the cultural sector is being changed as individuals discover and help nurture the talent of others.

Sometimes music resounds more powerfully than our words. The Kim Chang-wan Band, a group whose timeless music is loved by Koreans of all ages, share their message of empathy and comfort in a special time of conversation and performances.