Lecture 11 The Characteristics of the Korean Bureaucracy Introduction to Public Bureaucracy 1

The Overview of the Korean Government The Korean government is composed of two-levels of government: central and local government The central government: independent agencies, agencies under the President and 17 ministries The civil service system: a closed rank-in-person system with 9 ranks; two ranks of senior executive services (SES) 2

The Characteristics of Korean Bureaucracy Meritocracy Authority of government and Confucian culture Hierarchical human relations Generalists vs. specialists Emphasis on Informal Relationship and Personal favoritism 3

Meritocracy Bureaucracy in Korea traditionally constituted the high prestige strata of the society. The overall the nature of Korean bureaucracy is similar to that of meritocracy that focuses on the intellectual orientation of individuals and emphasizes their professional ability and achievement. 4

Authority of Government and Confucian Culture The influence from the Confucian culture tend to reinforce the authority of Korean bureaucracy as the ruling body. The modern government had played a vital role in economic development since the 1960s and expanded its administrative power over the public. The influx of military trained personnel in Korean bureaucracy also reinforced authority of governmental bureaucracy. 5

Hierarchical Human Relations The human relations within Korean bureaucracy are characterized by a strong hierarchical order. A superior is likely to manage the behavior of the subordinates related to legal conformity and task performance and, in addition, is likely to influence decision making and even private matters of the subordinates. Most of the executive-branch agencies are structurally less independent from the Chief executive (in comparison to independent agencies under the US federal government). 6

Hierarchical Human Relations Subordinates in Korean bureaucracy are likely to experience much frustration when faced with the authoritarian style of supervision by superiors. The relationship between bureaucracy and the public is also hierarchical. Frequently, supervisors are likely to exercise coercion to accomplish goals, taking it for granted to sacrifice subordinates' interests. 7

Generalists vs. Specialists The civil service system of the Korean government is a closed system and hires generalists. In recent years, Korean government attempt to open the system to external specialists, but the basic structure is dominated by generalists who have actually been valued more than specialists. The influence from traditional Confucianism that values generalists more than specialists?? 8

Emphasis on Informal Relationship and Inequity Rationality or fairness may rely on objective standards of rule and regulation: selection and advancement based on job- related qualification of individuals. However, within Korean bureaucracy irrational personal favoritism still plays a role. Promotions may also be affected by personal favoritism. 9

Emphasis on Informal Relationship and Inequity Informal groups or informal networking has played important roles within Korean bureaucracy. They may protect and advance the members' interests within the bureaucracy, but also create inequity against ones who are not a member of the informal group or outside the network. ex) Good-old boys network 10