단상斷想

In Korean society, the privileged class refers to the class that has monopolized or continuously enjoyed social, economic, and political power and resources for a long time. They are more than just wealthy or in high positions; they are in a position to be institutionally guaranteed privileges within the social structure or to maintain and reproduce an order that is favorable to them. The most noticeable aspect of the privileged class is that the barriers to entry are very high and there is a strong tendency for inheritance. In addition, they tend to prioritize the protection of class interests over social responsibility, and their own interests over the public good. They use the existing social order and system to their advantage, while at the same time playing a role in consolidating that structure.

Chaebols and Owner Families

The core of the Korean privileged class is the chaebols and their owner families. They wield overwhelming influence throughout society through collusion with the media and political circles, based on their enormous capital. Illegal succession and the inheritance of wealth by the second and third generations of chaebols have become chronic problems in Korean society, and their influence is absolute in various fields such as the labor market, financial market, policy-making process, and media advertising. They secure political influence through economic dominance and actively intervene in maintaining legal systems that are favorable to them.

People from high-ranking public officials and bureaucrats

The second core axis is people from high-ranking public officials and bureaucrats. Those who served as ministers and vice ministers, Cheong Wa Dae secretaries, senior prosecutors and police officers, and executives of the National Tax Service and the Financial Supervisory Service are recruited as advisors to large corporations or large law firms after retirement, playing a key role in connecting power and capital through so-called 'former official preferential treatment'. They use the connections and information they have built up during their public service to gain huge profits in the private sector, causing the privatization of public power.

Long-term power holders in politics

Long-term power holders in politics are also an important component of the vested interests. They maintain power for a long time through political bases based on specific regions and the power to nominate candidates for political parties. While enjoying privileges such as lawmakers' immunity from arrest, salaries, and pensions, they maintain and develop legal systems favorable to themselves through legislative power. They often form close relationships with conglomerates, creating a structure that promotes mutual benefit.

High-Income Professionals and Academic Elites

High-income professionals and academic elites, such as lawyers at large law firms, judges and prosecutors, doctors, and university professors (from SKY universities), also constitute the privileged class. They secure high salaries and high social status based on their advantage in the academic-centered social structure. Their authority, based on professional knowledge and social trust, sometimes plays a role in rationalizing and justifying the vested interest structure. In addition, they form their own closed networks to perpetuate the monopoly of opportunity.

Press Power Elite

The press power elite, composed of executives and senior reporters from conservative major media companies, has a decisive influence on public opinion formation. They accumulate wealth through advertising revenue based on close relationships with politicians and conglomerates. They often focus on representing and advocating for the interests of the vested interests rather than monitoring power, which is the original role of the press. This undermines the public function of the press and acts as a factor that hinders the healthy development of democracy.

The entrenched are not a single group, but move within a complex network structure intertwined with each other. Chaebols provide political funds to the political world, and the political world reciprocates with pro-business policies. The media defends or remains silent on these collusive relationships. Bureaucrats maintain and develop existing systems, and professionals academically rationalize such order. The wealthy steadily increase their wealth within this entire framework. This network is further strengthened through 'revolving door appointments'. Politicians become advisors to companies after retirement, bureaucrats move to private companies, and business people advance into the political world. In this process, the boundary between the public and private spheres becomes blurred, and a structure in which private interests are prioritized over public interests is strengthened.

Collusion between the vested interests and the political circles is one of the most serious problems in Korean society. Politicians receive huge political funds in return for representing the interests of the vested interests, or are promised positions that guarantee vested interests after retirement. Conversely, the vested interests protect and expand their wealth and power by crossing the boundaries of laws and institutions. In the process, unfair legislation and policies are perpetrated, and the general public bears the brunt of the damage. The problem of the vested interests goes beyond simple illegal acts. Moral hazard, extreme egoism, and lack of conscience have become their basic modes of behavior. They are insensitive to the suffering of others, and are only focused on their own interests while thoroughly avoiding social responsibility. Tax evasion by companies, real estate speculation, illegal inheritance, and disguised residence registration of high-ranking public officials have become commonplace for them, and they even regard cleverly escaping the law as a 'skill'.

The behavior of the privileged class can be summarized as 'arrogant and unruly.' They see themselves as special beings who exist above the law, and they confront criticism with a brazen attitude. When held accountable, they try to politically overcome the crisis or manipulate public opinion by mobilizing the media. When those who hold power and capital ignore and destroy public norms, society loses its foundation as a community and heads towards extreme inequality and division. The most serious problem with the privileged class is that they continuously reproduce and perpetuate structural inequality. They exploit loopholes in the system to maximize their own interests, and they pass on those benefits, limiting social mobility. Fair competition opportunities are deprived in all areas, including education, employment, and wealth creation, and class stratification based on birth, symbolized by the expressions 'gold spoon' and 'dirt spoon,' intensifies.

These behaviors of the privileged class have serious ripple effects throughout society. First of all, the social value of 'fairness' is completely neutralized. In a society where connections and background are more important than effort and ability, the younger generation feels despair and deprivation. This leads to political distrust and disillusionment with the system, shaking the very foundation of democracy. In addition, the morality and community spirit of the entire society are severely damaged. The extreme selfishness and social irresponsibility shown by the privileged class spread moral hazard to ordinary citizens, leading them to think, 'It's okay as long as you don't get caught by the law.' This lowers the overall level of trust in society and leads to competition and conflict rather than cooperation. Economically, as income inequality deepens and social mobility is limited, the engine of economic growth itself weakens. As finding connections with the existing privileged class becomes a more efficient success strategy than innovation and entrepreneurship, the dynamism and creativity of the entire society decline.

In order for Korean society to realize true democracy and justice, a strong institutional mechanism must be established to check and dismantle the vested interest structure. First of all, collusion between politicians and the privileged class must be blocked by strengthening the Political Fund Act and enhancing transparency. Through the revision of the Public Service Ethics Act, the entry of retired public officials into the private sector should be restricted, and the conflict of interest prevention system should be strengthened. Reforming chaebols is also an urgent task. The concentration of economic power of chaebols should be checked and transparency should be increased through the prohibition of cross-shareholding, strengthening regulations on unfair internal transactions, and substantializing the outside director system. In addition, inheritance and gift taxes should be strengthened to limit the inheritance of wealth and induce social return.

Above all, a shift in social perception based on the values of fairness and responsibility is needed. Responsibility, not privilege, distribution, not accumulation, and service, not domination, should be the essence of the social leadership. To this end, the education system should be reformed to instill values that emphasize cooperation rather than competition, and responsibility rather than success. In addition, the spirit of 'noblesse oblige' should be spread throughout society. A social atmosphere must be created in which it is natural to fulfill the responsibilities and obligations commensurate with social status and wealth. The problem of the privileged class in Korean society is a structural and comprehensive problem that goes beyond simple wealth inequality. They wield enormous influence across politics, economy, society, and culture, solidifying an order that is favorable to them. This structure seriously undermines the fairness and democracy of society and takes away the hope of the younger generation.

However, this problem is not impossible to solve. If institutional reforms, active participation of civil society, and a shift in values ​​of the entire society are achieved together, we can create a more fair and just society. It is our task to create a society where the public interest is prioritized over the interests of the privileged, a society where individual effort and ability are fairly evaluated, and a society where all members are equally guaranteed the opportunity to live a decent life. It is not easy to stand up against the privileges of the vested interests, but we must continue to work hard without giving up.