The report emphasized that perceptions of unfairness can instill a sense of defeat in those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. (Image: Pixabay/CCL)
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that two out of three South Koreans perceive their society as unfair, with particular distrust in the justice system and administrative processes. Corruption was cited as the primary cause of this perceived unfairness.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) released these findings in its report “Diagnosis of Social Integration and Response Measures – Perceptions of Fairness and Conflict” on July 4.
The data comes from the 2023 Survey on Social Conflict and Social Integration, conducted between June and August of last year, involving 3,950 respondents aged 19 to 75.
Only 34.9% of respondents agreed that South Korean society is generally fair, while 65.1% disagreed. The justice system and administrative processes received the highest negative ratings, with 56.7% of respondents viewing them as unfair.
Corporate performance evaluations and promotion reviews were similarly distrusted (57.4%), while 43.4% viewed new employee recruitment as unfair. In contrast, university admissions were seen more positively, with only 27.4% viewing them as unfair.
The survey identified “corruption among the privileged” as the leading cause of unfairness (37.8%), followed by “excessive competition” (26.6%), “lack of fair evaluation systems” (15%), “low awareness of fairness among people” (13%), and “limited social mobility and increasing inequality” (7.6%).
Two out of three South Koreans perceive their society as unfair. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
Regarding workplace treatment, 65.3% and 62.6% of respondents viewed the treatment of women and young people as fair, respectively.
However, only 45.1% felt the same about the treatment of people with disabilities. A notable gender gap emerged, with 71.3% of men considering treatment of women fair, compared to only 59.2% of women.
Generational differences were notable, with middle-aged respondents more likely to perceive society as unfair (67.9%) compared to young adults (62.1%) and seniors (59.4%).
Nearly half of young adult respondents (46.5%) reported feeling discriminated against in Korean society, compared to 38.7% of all respondents.
Young adults strongly supported policies benefiting their demographic, with 86.6% agreeing on the need for such measures, compared to 76% of all respondents.
Within their generation, young adults perceived significant conflicts related to gender (52.6%), social class (55.4%), and political ideology (50.8%).
Moreover, 65.6% believed these conflicts were exacerbated by specific groups such as the media, political parties, and older generations.
The report emphasized that perceptions of unfairness can instill a sense of defeat in those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.
It suggested that enhancing fairness could reduce social conflicts and negative socio-economic costs by improving societal transparency and trustworthiness.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
