Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blurgalurgalurga]

It seems that amongst foreign workers here in Korea, there is a widespread belief that the Korean workplace, be it private or public, stinks with nepotism, graft, dishonesty, and in general, corruption.

I agree.

But I think corruption rules here because people can get away with it. My suspicion is that Koreans are no more intrinsically corrupt than anyone else, and are usually LESS corrupt than people in my own culture; but, here, they simply have more opportunity.

In my country, and in those of your countries that I've visited or studied, I found no shortage of thieves, liars, and villains. They usually don't get institutionalized to quite the extent they do here--but that's a relatively recent development, and not one we should take for granted. I think when our own governments and businesses lose their transparency, they're no better, and are maybe even worse, than the kind of villains we so often work for.

But despite being occasionally robbed and taken advantage of in my time here, I've more often been well-treated, and have been helped out many times by total strangers who stood to profit in no way at all. I've never had my wallet stolen, or had people steal my junk out of the coat-check, or break into my house or car. If you have, that obviously sucks, but you are, I think, a minority. In any western city of a half million people, that kind of treatment, if you let your guard down, is an assumption, not an exception.

The sting of it is that when we are scammed here, it seems, it's so often by a person in a position of authority.

Anyway, on this sunny Christmas Eve, I hope those of you currently being ripped off figure out a way to not be: and that you who are still reeling from scams of yore, can at least agree with me on this--it's still better than Russia.

God bless us, every one.

[RACETRAITOR]

Korea is certainly a meritocracy, far moreso than most western countries, but there is one holdover from the caste system of the old days, and that is the chaebols. Chaebols are run by the rich and power is handed down over generations. Some people become rich enough to enter this upper caste, but they end up just like the rest of these super-rich, living far above us.

[blurgalurgalurga]

Racetraitor--I agree. I support an 80% estate tax for all inheritances worth more than a million bucks. In the west, too, the last big obstacle to true meritocracy is inherited wealth.

I take consolation in my belief that despite all their money, though, they are still miserable pukes like everyone else. I bet dirt poor camel herders are happier, at least when their kids aren't dying of rickets or scurvy or something.

[newteacher]

[pkang0202]

I don't know about you, but back home in the US, I'd love to just give a cop $50 to pretend like he didn't see me speeding.

Too bad offering to give him $50 will land you in deeper trouble.

[newteacher]

[Ilsanman]

Sounds like Thailand.

I think Koreans are more corrupt than westerners. Corruption has been a bigger faux pas and fought harder for more years. Koreans just recently tried to stop it. It will take them years just to be as corrupt as USA. Whoohoo, a bright future!!!

[Real Reality]

Bribery for Promotions Is Alive and Well
Chosun Ilbo (November 29, 2007)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200711/200711290025.html

[Unposter]

Burgaburga...

I generally agree with you. Corruption is bad here but it rarely effects English teachers. I have been ripped off by hakwons but I have also been bestowed upon by unbelievable kindness. On my ledger, I'd say it has definately been more plusses than minuses. In a sense that is business, sometimes you win and sometimes you loose, and if you are lucky, smart or both, there are more plusses than minuses.

But, I would say couruption is very rampant in Korea, much higher than the West, which is extremelely corrupt too, but in Korea, almost all positions are hereditary, at least the good ones are. Bribes are part of all levels of business too, including hiring practices. But, unlike Russia, corruption is very unlikely to get you killed. Yea Korea!

Korea is very much about power. If you have some, Korea is a grand place. If you don't, it can be a living nightmare. Of course, this can be true anywhere.

Regardless, an understanding of power relations and how to use it goes a very, very long way here.

[blurgalurgalurga]

Yeah...I fully agree, the Korean power structure is entirely corrupt. My point is that it's corrupt not because Koreans are innately wicked, but rather, because their system allows it, expects it, and rewards it. I figure that given the opportunity--or necessity, as no doubt many here see it--any other group of people would be the same.

So, what is to be done?*

Transparency, I think, would help. There will always be people looking, and finding, a way around whatever legislation comes in--but if they had right-to-information laws here, and a less opaque accounting system, it would make it a lot more difficult to be quite so blatant about the nepotism and bribery.






* Obviously, as an outsider and a lazy person, I have no intention of doing anything.

[exit86]

I agree as well, particularly in terms of law in and of itself in Korea
and the lack of consistent, proper, and effective enforcement
thereof. Korea often prides itself upon its low crime rate,
but this is more indicative of the problem--namely that a "crime"
does not go on the books if it never catches the attention of the police.
Since the police do not enforce the laws, they do not need to write up any official reports; therefore, nothing is ever recorded and we can boast
of a miraculously-low crime-rate.
Yes, it is nice that you don't get your butt thrown in the slammer
for not paying parking tickets here, but a civilized society--particularly one comprising over 49 million citizens--must have unmoving laws, rules, and regulations put in place and enforced for
the benefit and protection of its people.

[lastat06513]

This is not just happening in Korean companies.....

The I know of certain human resources people who hire Koreans to work onbase who take bribes to find Koreans jobs onbase.
A friend of mine's wife tried to get a job onbase and was taken aside by one of Koreans from HR and said that he could help her find a job for a "commission" of 5 million won.

[Unposter]

It would probably take a catastophe to make social changes on that magnitude.

The Economic Crisis of 97 made things somewhat more transparent. Roh tried to make reforms to root out corruption but he was met with too much opposition.

It would take greater motivation/power than the economic crisis of 97 and a sitting (though in any real terms) opposition President.

[Real Reality]

Korea's Transparency Ranking Rises to 40th
By Kim Rahn, Korea Times (September 23, 2008)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/09/117_31502.html

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I think there's also a fundamental difference in terms of what corruption means. For instance, my principal's family owns a kindergarten, right across the road from our high school. Although our HS still has a private board, it's now publically funded. Her kindergarten's students regularly come over to use our HS facilities, most notably our new gymnasium which was funded with a special government grant. It's no secret - it's all done out in the open and everyone knows about it. Yet no one thinks anything of using taxpayer funded facilities that were build specifically for our HS students' use for her private enterprise.