Noblesse oblige
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By Lee Hyon-soo
Candidates for high public offices such as prime minister, cabinet ministers and Supreme Court judges are subjected to parliamentary scrutiny. And it usually turns out that misdeeds of one sort or another taint most candidates.
Most common misdeeds are dodging military service, speculating in real estate, falsifying academic records, accumulating ill-gotten money, and maintaining false residential addresses. Many manage to get away by apologizing in public, while some bow to public pressure and withdraw their candidacies.
When misdeeds are disclosed, the news media have a field day, and the public laments the lack of noblesse oblige on the part of those concerned. Webster’s Dictionary defines noblesse oblige as the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth.
Men and women are nominated for high public offices because they have proven themselves in their respective professions and are considered to have what it takes to perform public duties well. It is therefore disappointing to learn that they did not conduct themselves any better than ordinary people. But why? For what it is worth, my theory is that they all had humble origins and their single objective in life was to get ahead socially and economically. And they pursued their objective single-mindedly ― including committing misdeeds if necessary.
Let me put this in historical perspective. Korean society was turned upside down many times since the turn of the 20th century. When Japan colonized Korea in 1910, the Joseon Kingdom upper class was uprooted. A new pro-Japan upper class emerged during Japanese occupation, but this vanished in 1945 when Korea was liberated. Those Koreans who owned large acreage of arable land were wealthy in their own right. But they lost their land due to the government-enforced land reform. And the devastating Korean War erased what was left of class distinctions in Korea.
As a consequence, the playing field was leveled, and everybody was out for him or herself. Until recently, Korean society used to be one in which the ends justified the means and moral hazard was rampant. It is no wonder then that unblemished candidates are hard to find to fill high public positions.
Today’s Korea is not what it used to be. The paradigm has shifted along with the country’s industrialization and democratization. The bar has been raised in terms of minimal standards of decency, and the idea of noblesse oblige has caught on. Therefore, anybody who aspires to high public office will soon have to present an impeccable track record.
Also, it should be noted that a new upper class has emerged. It is made up of two disparate groups. The first group comprises the families who own Korean business conglomerates. They all inherited massive wealth and economic power from their fathers or grandfathers who had built business giants from humble beginnings.
The second group comprises the elite of society, that is, men and women who have distinguished themselves and reached the top rung of the social ladder by their own efforts regardless of family background. We see them in the highest echelons of such professions as law, journalism, education, business, medicine, judicial and governmental services, among others.
With wealth, power and prestige comes noblesse oblige. Those who now make up Korea’s new upper classes cannot afford to be unmindful of noblesse oblige. They must act in a fashion that conforms to their positions, fulfill their social responsibilities, and provide good examples of behavior. That is the only way they can earn the public respect they think they deserve.
The writer is a retired international banker who lives in Toronto, Canada. His other writings are posted on https://blog.daum.net/tom_hslee.