Offering gifts or offering bribes? Code of ethics in South Korea

Journal of Third World Studies, Spring 2001 by Chang, Chan Sup, Chang, Nahn Joo, Freese, Barbara T

DEFINITION OF ETHICS

"Ethics" have been defined by Certo12 as "our concern for good behavior; our obligation to consider not only your own personal well-being but also that of other human beings." Potter and Perry13 state that "Ethics is concerned with how people ought to act and how they ought to be in relationship with others. Ethics does not just, describe how things are, but rather is concerned with establishing norms or standards for how human life and conduct should be." The World Book Encyclopedia14 defined ethics as "the study of human actions in respect to their being right or wrong. The actions of individuals and social group supply the subject matter of ethics." In this paper, the authors define "ethics" as the code or principles that enable one to tell what is right from what is wrong.

GIFTS AND BRIBES IN THE KOREAN CULTURE

It is easy to apply a code of ethics when one can distinguish clearly what is right from what is wrong. However, applying a code of ethics becomes a complicated issue when these two areas (what is right and what is wrong) overlap so that a gray area develops. Gifts and bribes provide a good example of this case. Gifts and bribes are distinctly separate. Gifts are ethical while bribes are unethical and often are illegal.

However, in some cultures such as the Oriental culture in general and the Korean culture in particular, the concepts of gifts and bribes are not distinctly separate. There are overlapping areas between offering gifts and offering bribes. Gift-giving behavior can be extended into the area of giving bribes, so that the concepts overlap. When this occurs, the behavior is ethical and unethical at the same time.

Applying a code of ethics to behavior becomes very complicated because a gray area exists between ethical actions and unethical actions. As discussed before, offering a gift is an ethical (right) behavior and offering a bribe is an unethical (wrong) behavior. But in the gray area where offering a gift extends into the area of offering a bribe, it is very hard to interpret whether the behavior is right or wrong. This ambiguity is illustrated in the following diagram:

THE CASE OF GIFTS IN SOUTH KOREA

The concept of "gifts" can be defined as behavior based on social norms for congratulation, gratitude, condolence, attention, and reciprocity. But in some cultures, the concept of gifts may extend to include behavior that is unethical and/or illegal (the same behavior that directly links to the concept of bribery). Most gifts in South Korea are given to congratulate. There are numerous occasions to congratulate others, including family members for graduations, weddings, birthdays, and some remarkable accomplishments. The types of gifts commonly used vary from flowers, cards, cash, checks, to other items. Sending congratulations for weddings is one of the most important practices in South Korea. Koreans give wedding gifts to congratulate family members and relatives, family members of colleagues, superiors, and subordinates in ones organization. They send congratulations for the weddings of family members of classmates, of some of the stakeholders who have a great impact upon their business, and of the family members of government bureaucrats. If a South Korean misses these weddings, his (or her) business may be in jeopardy later. Koreans also congratulate many people, who are related directly or indirectly to them, for graduations, birthdays, and other occasions.