Four in 10 domestic businesspeople believe that Korean society is corrupt, mostly due to the country’s political system.
According to a survey of 700 Korean businesspeople and 250 from foreign-invested companies by the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, almost 40 percent of Koreans also think public servants are corrupt. About 12 percent of foreigners said likewise.
Civic groups were chosen by the majority from both the surveyed groups to be the “cleanest” organizations in the country.
More than 13 percent of Koreans and 5 percent of foreigners confessed that they had directly or indirectly experienced corruption. Just over 1 percent from both groups said that they had been forced to give kickbacks in Korea.
The major reasons attributed for corruption were politics and lack of ethics.
The groups said that the country should audit high-ranking societal leaders and public servants, as well as strengthen rules and penalties to completely root out malpractices.
(
hkp@heraldcorp.com)
