2017 Youth Discussion Regarding Integrity and Future Society
This Tuesday, February 28th morning, Transparency International’s Korean Chapter had the pleasure to administer and host a Youth Discussion regarding Integrity and Future society, in the presence of Frank Schaefers, president of Robert Bosch Korea Ltd, and Member of Parliament Jung Choun Sook.
This discussion took place in the South Korean Parliament Hall Library Building, with the enthusiastic participation of over 40 high school students from Seoul.
After an introduction by Han-Beom You, Board Member and Executive Director of Transparency International Korea, Franz Schaefers, presented briefly the history of his company and the values it upholds in its business practices internationally. He notably explained that as a value-driven company, Bosch wants to be dealing with business partners, investors, employees and society as a whole in a manner that upholds its values fairness and standards of ethics.
His intervention was then followed by a presentation by MP Jung Choun Sook’s.
After listening to the speakers, students were asked to actively reflect on the topic of South Korea’s recent and strict anti-corruption law, the Kim Young-ran Act, named after the former Supreme Court justice and head of the Anticorruption and Civil Rights Commission in Korea. Under said law, civil servants accepting more than a 1,000,000 won are subject to punishment; it also prohibits offering meals worth more than 30,000 Korean won. It also limits gifts and caps the amount for donations.
After discussing the topic in small groups, students shared their opinions and arguments, debating whether Kim Young-ran’s law should be made more flexible. Most students were of the opinion that the law was a step in the right direction to improve trust in public sectors and government officials, a measure welcome at a time where corruption scandals are making headlines in South Korea.
However, part of the students argued that due to its strictness, the law could be damaging to small businesses in South Korea and could have an adverse impact on the country’s economy. They also disagreed with the law to the extent that it goes against the Korean culture of “jeong”.
After this discussion, students were presented with certificates for their participation, and the event was finally concluded with a convivial lunch in a nearby restaurant.
Article by: Lina Hadboun