smokehard

Two articles caught my eye this morning while I scanned the Korean news sites. The first reported on how many minutes Koreans between 20 and 50 laugh and worry each day. The second reported that a good number of middle and high school students believed that corruption was ok.

Koreans laugh 10 times a day, and for 8.6 seconds each time, a straw poll by the brand management team of the SK Group has found. Polling 500 people aged between 20 and 50, the survey finds that Koreans laugh for an average of 90 seconds per day. Assuming that a person lives for 80 years, the figure roughly translates into 30 days of laughing for 80 years of life. Among 500 respondents, nine, or 1.8 percent, said they never laughed.

But average Koreans spend three hours and six minutes per day worrying about something, or more than 10 years out of the 80-year lifespan. Women tend to be more worried than men as they spend three-and-a-half hours compared to men’s two-and-a-half. (Link)

I can believe the worring statistic, but laughing only 10 times a day for 8.6 seconds each time seems rather short. Maybe those 500 people they polled were just gloomy gusses in the financial industry.

According to the survey of 1,100 middle and high school students, the majority of Korean youths believe in honesty, integrity and observing the law, but there is also a considerable percentage who would willingly buy wealth and success, said the Korean branch of Transparency International, a nongovernmental anti-corruption organization.

Asked whether it is okay for leaders to commit irregularities if they contribute to the people’s economic well-being, 56 percent said “no,” while 24 percent said it was O.K.; the remaining 20 percent remained neutral.

One out of five students said they would use bribery if it helped solve a problem, while three-fifths disapproved and one-fifth were noncommittal.

Some teenagers were willing to spend time in jail for money. Asked whether they would spend 10 years in jail in return for 1 billion won ($732,600), 18 percent said “yes” while 65 percent said they would not. (Link)

It is sad that so many young people in Korea are so jaded and pessimistic so early in life. It’s no wonder that this young democracy is having such a hard time shedding its reputation for being corrupt; because it is still so very corrupt. Until the vast majority reject the temptation to be corrupt, society will not grow healthier. There is a good reason this nation has the highest suicide rate in the world, angry evil netizens, and a serious lack of trust for ones neighbors. Koreans have yet to embrace ‘love’ like westerners did in the 1960s and 70s, and from what I can tell, while friends encourage friends, gnawing jealousy and envy is readily and abundantly present backstage.