5/25(fri)-'Yeonjul' network, a barrier to promoting open society
Back in the 1980s, news media called a then powerful group of politicians from Taegu and Kyongsang Province "TK mafia" (later changed into Daegu and Gyeongsang).
Now, many people also speak about "SNU Republic," which satirizes the dominance of key posts in public and private sectors by graduates from the prestigious Seoul National University.
These stories may explain well public perception that "yeonjul," which means personal network based on regional, school and family backgrounds, has been playing a crucial role in Korean society.
As the nation is fast growing into an advanced and wired country, new forms of social networks, like online communities, have been emerging.
But the use of yeonjul as a means of doing business, getting information and making import!ant decisions is still widespread. According to a recent report released by the state-run Korea Development Institute, Koreans are becoming less reliant on yeonjul than in the past, but still have a high level of interest in forming such networks.
One of the negative effects of yeonjul shared by sociologists is that it solidifies on the informal level the social borders and barriers of a class society.
Prof. Yi Jae-hyuck of Hallim University says the informal yeonjul networks practically play the role that civil society should play in an advanced capitalist society.
In his article on the social network of Korea published in the Korea Journal, Prof. Yee Jae-yeol at Seoul National University says the strength of yeonjul ties characterizes Korean society.
"As the strong bond is built upon a close and personal trust relationship, it usually transcends institutionalized rules and formal prescriptions. It can be an efficient alternative to either market or hierarchy in economic transaction. But the strong bond working within the yeonjul tie tends to become a barrier to those who do not share the link," he says.
Despite its negative effect, yeonjul is still regarded by many as one of the surest ways to find a job and be successful due to the lack of checks and balances by media and civil society.
Prof. Yee claims that without the recovery of a new moral basis compatible with an increasingly complex society, Korean society will suffer from the social fragmentation divided and occupied by yeonjul networks.
Another characteristic of Korea's social network is the very homogeneous association within the parameters of sex, age, and region. Such "us-them mindsets" reflect a strong in-group orientation.
"Put aside kin ties, people tend to associate with those whom they share background variables. It implies that a strong and abundant social network may work against social integration, unless the strong in-group orientation is released by widening the boundary of the membership," according to Prof. Yee.
1. 당신의 회사에서도 연줄이 작용하고 있다고 생각하십니까?
그 이유는 무엇입니까?
2. 구미에서 최고 영향력 있는 연줄은 무엇입니까?
3. 당신도 친족이나, 동창, 동향 사람이라는 이유 만으로 누군가를 지지 해주거나 더 유리하게 돌봐준 적이 있습니까? 누군가로 부터 그런 대우를 받아 본 적이 있습니까?
4. 반대로, 당신은 라이벌의 연줄 때문에 불이익을 당한적이 있습니까?
5. 직장내에서나 사회생활에서 성공을 위해 연줄을 이용해 보거나 이용할 생각이 있습니까?
6. 연줄은 미래 한국의 발전을 위해 없어져야할 악습일까요? 아니면 지켜야 할 미풍양속 일까요?
왜 그렇게 생각하는지 이유를 설명해 주세요.