Thousands of young people who tested a written exam for public servants at a middle school in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Fairness and justice have been pressing concerns in South Korean society for years.
More than a decade ago, Michael J. Sandel, a professor of government at Harvard University, rocked the country with his explosive best-seller “Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?”– a thought-provoking piece that struck a chord with Korean readers yearning for a just world.
Despite the country’s high regard for fairness, a neologism that has become ubiquitous in South Korea for now, “Parental Chance,” also highlights how the value of fairness has been broken down in society.
Parental nepotism is the practice of children taking advantage of their parents’ social background, such as wealth, power, and prestige, to succeed in life.
In South Korea, cases of “daddy chance” are rampant due to the country’s gender inequality and the prevalence of men in high-ranking positions.
The case of Chung Soon-shin, a prosecutor-turned-lawyer whose son’s history of bullying was revealed, drew attention to the issue of “daddy chance.”
Chung’s father’s influence as a prosecutor at the time played a crucial role in his son’s success in entering Seoul National University.
This case has caused a significant sense of concern in South Korean society, where bullying is a serious issue.
Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon speaks during a town hall meeting on livelihoods of residents near the inter-Korean border in the town of Yeoncheon, north of Seoul, on Oct. 25, 2022. (Yonhap)
The anger and frustration of ordinary citizens have led to a trend among young people calling for the restoration of fairness in society.
Political leaders have also been calling for change, with Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon, a “fairness icon” himself, urging for the restoration of true fairness in Korean society.
“Fairness for the strong is not what we need, but rather opportunity for the weak,” declared Kim, emphasizing the dire need to address the root of inequality in Korean society.
The current social structure is plagued by an “unfairness of opportunity” and a system that only favors the affluent.
This systemic injustice is perpetuated by unfair privilege and vested interests, epitomized by the insidious notion of “daddy chance”, he added.
Supercars are shown during an event in Seoul on Jun. 7, 2019. (Yonhap)
The issue of “daddy chance” extends beyond education, with the recent case of a father using “Daddy Company Chance” to buy his child a million-dollar supercar or an expensive apartment, causing public outrage.
The head of a company referred to only as Company A evaded corporate taxes by accounting for fictitious expenses and his children privately used 10 luxury supercars in the name of the company.
The drama Penthouse reflects the reality of unfair behavior in high society, with a student with upper-class parents telling her classmate that only the children of high-ranking families or those with real genius talent will be selected for a program.
The situation in South Korea has left many feeling disillusioned, as the lines in the drama are too close to reality. The country’s leaders and citizens must work together to restore fairness and justice in society.
Jerry M. Kim (jerry_kim@koreabizwire.com)
