Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Today's Korea Herald has " the first in a series looking into the so-called "credential society," a system that prioritizes a person's education background instead of his or her actual ability and career performance. The series will explore solutions to deep-rooted problems, and seeks to cultivate a "meritocratic" society. "

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/09/19/200709190066.asp

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Interesting. I think the original intent of this "so-called 'credential society'" was creating a meritocratic society.

Hopefully the conclusion won't be "You should pay even more for education and study more."

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I agree. I think the origin of the Confucian test system was to uncover educated, skilled civil servants. It has gone sour here in Korea. Too much of a good thing.

Kim Dae-Jung talked some about rooting out Confucianism when he was president. If I remember rightly, part of what he was talking about was this ranking of everything and over-focusing on position rather than ability.

In the end, governments can only do so much tochange society. It will take a change from below.

One of the things I have come to admire about Korea in my time here is the openness they deal with social ills.

The Korea I see today isn't the Korea I first saw in '94. Things change fast here. I take heart when I see the reaction to the UN report on discrimination (a few weeks ago) and when I read this kind of article.