Korea trapped in mobility crisis
‘Spoon theory,’ intended as a joke, has become reality
It has become painfully clear that ambition and talent are no longer guarantee of anything but more competition. Those who are well-off always find ways to win, both legally and underhandedly.
The “spoon theory,” which says a person’s future is largely determined by his or her parents’ assets, first appeared online a couple of years ago. Initially intended as a joke, it soon became a subject of hard news stories.
Over the years, an increasing number of young people, who were taught that they can climb the ladder of success with their own efforts, have been convinced that such days are over.
Ju Biung-ghi, an economics professor at Seoul National University, published the results of a recent study showing that the spoon theory is a grim but accurate reflection of the life in Korea.
According to the study, a child born to poor, less educated parents today has far fewer chances of attaining material success than the one born 15 years ago.
“The problem is only expected to get worse,” Ju said. “Inequality of opportunity will make it increasingly difficult for poor children to move up, which is expected to lead to more conflict between different social classes.”
More than half of all students at the nation’s top eight medical and pharmacy schools come from families at the top 20 percent in terms of income. At the three best schools — Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities, 62 percent of students do.
Challenges for less privileged children start well before school and become more serious as they get older. According to Statistics Korea, parents in the top 20 percent of households in terms of income spend 665,461 won ($590) for their children’s education per month on average, eight times more than what parents in the bottom 20 percent of households.
The education gap between the two groups is especially large when it comes to learning English, one of the three most important subjects for the students’ college entrance examination and subsequent careers.
The inequality of opportunity in Korea is higher than those in member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, such as the United Kingdom, Belgium and France.
Against all the odds, Kim, who declined to reveal his full name, made it to Korea University. According to his teachers and parents, it was supposed to be the beginning of the end of his struggles for social mobility.
However, he soon realized that their assumptions are no longer true.
To begin with, Kim was surprised to learn that most of the students at the school came from affluent families. Unlike him, they didn’t have to work almost every day — sometimes for six hours — to pay for living expenses while studying. Instead, they concentrated their efforts on learning foreign languages and doing internships in companies here and abroad, where they hoped to eventually work.
But he was smart and lucky enough to study on scholarships for most of the four years there. When he graduated, his debt was about 10 million won ($9,000), only a fraction of the debt students from similar circumstances usually have.
Kim then went on to study law at the same school, which gave him a full scholarship. There, he saw even fewer students from working-class families. Some were children of high-profile politicians, government officials and business people.
In his final year, he noticed something strange again. Some of his classmates got internships at the most prestigious law firms despite their poor grades. Rumors swirled that they did so thanks to their parents’ connections. It was around time when many lawmakers, including Shin Ki-nam, Yoon Hu-duk and Kim Tae-won, were accused of using their clout to help their children land decent jobs.
Koreans, unfortunately, are very familiar with peers with the unfair advantage of important connections, which jobseekers like Kim have to deal with in every field. Most recently, it was revealed that almost everyone who got their jobs at casino operator Kangwon Land between 2012 and 2013 did so thanks to their parents, who had close relationships with politicians and its CEO.
Similar allegations have also been brought up against the Financial Supervisory Service and Woori Bank, one of t he largest commercial banks in the country.
The slowing down of the economy means fewer well-paying, stable jobs for young people, who are, in many ways, more qualified than previous generations. Over the past few years, it has become painfully clear t hat ambition and talent are no longer guarantee of anything but more competition.
Those who are well-off always find ways to win, both legally and underhandedly.
While it is not entirely impossible to move up the ladder of social mobility, as Kim has shown, the struggles of a child from a working-class family does not end when he or she gets into a reputable school and becomes a lawyer.
After graduating from law school early this year, Kim has worked at a government agency as a substitute for the nation’s mandatory military service. He will be discharged from the duty to find a real job in 2020 when he turns 29.
But gone are the days when lawyers made tons of money. Today, surveys show that 18 percent of lawyers make less than 2 million won a month. The income gap has widened among lawyers as well.
After all these successful years, Kim and his fiance have started thinking about immigrating to another country for better opportunities. “We aren’t very serious about the option at this point but I think it will be better for my child,” he said.