[Korean Culture & Language] Seniority in Korea

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How do you usually deal with hypocrites(위선자) who claim to have certain beliefs or attitudes when they really do not. Do you remember ‘꼰대(kkondae)’ from the other article? One of the main characteristics of a 꼰대 is that they don’t realize that they are one.

The below meme reads:

A: Hey 후배(junior), do you know what’s the difference between a ‘선배(senior)’ and a ‘꼰대(kkondae)’?
B: I don’t know.
A: A ‘선배(senior)’ only answers to questions that are asked, and a ‘꼰대(kkondae)’ explains things that aren’t asked.
B: I didn’t ask.

Many Koreans would consider this a brilliant come back, even though only a few can actually say such to a 선배 due to a strong 선배-후배 culture.


The following meme describes another 꼰대 who doesn’t realize that he is one. 

나는 오늘 젊은 꼰대를 만났다 | Youth for change Magazine

http://blog.besunny.com/?p=60465

업무 means work/job
상관 없는 means unrelated
쓸데 없는 means inefficient
지시 means to give orders

The one on the left says, “I’ve heard that some supervisors who make their subordinates perform jobs that aren’t related to work – please find out who they are and report them to me.” 

The one on the right says, “Oh Yeah? – I’ve already found one here”.


With the 선배-후배 system, people’s ranks are determined by whether they joined a certain organization before or after another. According to a poll, the authoritarian ‘선배’ culture may stifle communication and prevent a company from growing. According to a survey done by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2013, 61.8% of the 100 respondents claimed that the strict communication structure based on seniority was the main reason why their business fell behind that of global leaders such as Google or Facebook. 


The 선-후배 problems are progressively becoming better with time. However, it appears that more time and effort will be necessary to attain a level of satisfaction that is acceptable to everyone.


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