Second Cultural Post

[James Kim]

-For my first cultural post, I decided to explore the recent presidential scandal in Korea involving former president Park Geun-Hye and conspirer Choi Sun-shil. South Korea has always been a victim of political and corporate scandals involving almost all former presidents and huge corporations like Samsung and Hyundai that dominate the Korean economy in so many ways. To summarize briefly, insiders found out that a mysterious woman, Choi, was basically controlling Park by advising her with presidential decisions without having any authority to do so. This was possible through Choi’s lengthy, dominating relationship with Park that was eventually revealed through connecting many dots and finding shocking evidence. Americans probably believe that their government is the most corrupt organization in the world. However, after learning about this case as well as other scandals in the past, I am convinced that no government surpasses that of Korea when it comes to corruption and bribery. Because I’m a Korean who has a general knowledge of morals and ethics of South Koreans, I know far well that Koreans are driven by jealousy, money, and power, especially in politics. Koreans tend to live selfishly and seek connections for benefits. I really hope Koreans would gradually transition into a nation of people who help one another rather than feeding off another for selfish gains. Luckily, president Park was impeached and Choi is still on trial. This resulted in the election of a new, progressive president who many are hopeful that he will reduce South Korea’s political corruption and boost morals of the general public. I can confidently say that Korea is definitely heading in the right direction.