Synopsis: Geu-rae and his team proceeds with their profitable but controversial project facing many obstacles.

When I first went to U.S. to learn English as a fifteen years old Korean exchange student, the American language or English culture shocked me. It has very limited formality. For example, not only there is no word for me to replace the Korean honorifics but also what English have for formality is very limited. For example, there are Mr., Ms. and Mrs. to address teachers in school. Considering where I went was Southern U.S. conservative Christian community, I was lucky and less confused to have sir and ma’am to address my betters. I felt very uncomfortable since my host father wanted me to address him as “Tim” not Mr. Thames. I had been raised to be respectful using proper honorifics and formal language by my parents. However, at the time, I could not help but feel that the language was limiting me to be the respectful person I had been raised to become.

Throughout episodes 12 and 13, I witnessed many cases of people being “chewed out” by their superiors. I agree that some “chewing out” could be considered acceptable since what is at stake for some people is their livelihood. For example, these people could lose their job should the project they are working on fails. However, I could not help but feel uncomfortable during some exchange of personal insults including calling whoever is younger and lower in position “saeki”. At this point, I must argue that even though such honorifics and formality I have been taught throughout my entire life make Korean conversations sound polite and respectful, they are also used to limit, put down and claim authority over younger generation especially when it comes to Korean office culture demonstrated in Misaeng.

According to Lee and Ramsey, “the most important determining factor in honorific usage is the age of the interactant, with other factors being social rank, solidarity and the context of the exchange” (as cited in Yoon 2005, 196). Furthermore, “people maintain and respect the notion that those of advanced age have a certain authority” mentions Yoon (2005, 196). Yoon finally claims that Koreans consider older people or noin as “not like me and as people above me” (2005, 199). In all cases, people scolding others at work are usually older and hold superior position in Misaeng. The older age combined with superior positions, the Drama depicts personal insults during scolding as common phenomenon in Korean office culture while people being scolded would normally and simply stand there and listen. Such verbal abuse is one-direction phenomenon as it only goes from the people with higher position to the lower position within the company. If the “scoldee” talk back, he/she would be ostracized because there is a continuing pressure for the younger generation to conform to social norms of respecting older people according to Brown (2011, 119). Especially since “Korean conceptualization of social relationships is hierarchical and vertical” according to Yoon (2005, 194), personal insults in the forms of verbal abuse only intensify in office culture where there is an additional hierarchical dynamics of positions.  Although I agree that age and social positions should be respected to establish order as a Korean, I must argue that age and position do not enable anyone to verbally abuse others regardless of circumstances.

As I mentioned previously, younger generation in Korean office culture are often targeted for verbal abuse. I personally and strongly believe age and higher position in office culture does not prove anything for individuals. Such Korean culture of using honorifics and formality should never be assumed as an instrument to treat younger people without any respect. Regardless of age, all Korean generations should treat each other with respect being proud of politeness encrypted in their language.

Works Cited:

6. Brown, Lucien. “Korean Honorifics and ‘Revelaed’, ‘Ignored’ and ‘Suppressed’ Aspects of Korean Culture and Politeness,” in Korean Honorifics and Korean Culture. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011

Yoon, Kyung-Joo. “Not Just Words: Korean Social Models and the Use of Honorifics.” Intercultural Pragmatics 1, no. 2 (July 2005): 189-210. Accessed July 15, 2018.

Synopsis: Although it has gotten better for Geu-rae, he still struggles to adjust to Korean office culture and coworkers. However, with much effort, he is getting approvals from his superior officer somewhat.  Also, he chooses his partner for upcoming project.

Education have been enlightening countless societies around the globe for centuries. For example, advanced knowledges from engineering fields trained so many to help revolutionize communications in general inventing various technologies including cellular phones and the Internet. What education provides inevitably improve human lives in numerous ways over the centuries. Consequently, seeing the wonders of education, human societies did not hesitate from increasing and expanding places where they can train their new generation. However, the expansion of education also has negative side effects. At this point, it is critical to note education creates inequality as Kim and Choi stress (2015).

In the drama, Misaeng, the main character, Jang Geu-rae, continues to suffer from his lack of education. His colleagues, although it has been somewhat better than the episodes 1 and 2, continue to look down on him and his ability and capabilities to work. Geu-rae is not someone his colleagues want to be partnered with. Moreover, the partner he did find constantly ignore Geu-rae’s attempt to communicate. As Kim and Choi suggest after democratization Korean government deregulated education (2015). Especially when education is commonly considered as an instrument which can provide crucial social mobility, Korean people “wanted elite schools and were ready to spend accumulated private assets for their children’s education according to Park, Byun and Kim (as cited in Kim and Choi 2015, 446). Some might argue that Geu-rae should have gotten his education like everyone else. However, getting education is not always easy for everyone. With the ever-growing desire for private tutoring to supplement education, people with higher income invest significantly more into private tutoring than people with lower income according to Kim and Lee (2010). In turn, the children who have parents with higher income are more likely to gain entrance to higher education since they would likely to have more money invested into their private tutoring. Consequently, with prestigious education, it would definitely be easier for the children of parents with higher income to get jobs and compete in Korean society. Especially in Gue-rae’s case, whose family could only afford a “cheap” suit, it is less likely that Gue-rae had gotten much investments from his parents for academic private tutoring. Even though it is known that Geu-rae demonstrated outstanding academic performance according to his mom, his lack of education alone is still more than enough to put him in a position in which he is continuously discriminated and looked down upon by his colleagues.

It is clear that the deregulation and expansion of education led Koreans to better living standard and much enlightenment. However, such advancement of education also created inequality among Koreans. It is more difficult for people who cannot afford private tutoring to get jobs in first place. In some miraculous cases in which these people do get jobs, they are further discriminated at their work. Consequently, such discrimination might interfere with their experience at work reducing their work efficiency and dissatisfaction possibly resulting in some serious career related consequences including not being able to succeed in promotion opportunities. Furthermore, with less income than those who were promoted due to failed promotion, people who are discriminated would invest less money for their children’s education and private tutor. It is clear at this point that the inequality would become generational. In this regard, education is instrumental in reproducing inequality in Korean society.

Question)

1. What would be something that Korean society could do to prevent education from creating inequality?
2. What can companies do to reduce such discrimination experienced by people like Geu-rae that we see in Misaeng?

Photos are screenshots from the drama, no copyright infringement is intended.

Works Cited

Kim, Doo Hwan, and Yool Choi. “The Irony of the Unchecked Growth of Higher Education in South Korea: Crystallization of Class Cleavages and Intensifying Status Competition.” Development and Society 44, no. 3 (December 2015): 435-463. Accessed May 31, 2018.

Kim, Sunwoong, and Ju-Ho Lee. “Private Tutoring and Demand for Education in South Korea.” Economic Development and Cultural Change 58, no. 2 (January 2010): 259-296. Accessed May 31, 2018. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/648186.