'Chonji,' bribe or virtue?

Members of Haksamo, a group of parents of schoolchildren, burn "chonji" envelopes to advocate a chonji-free Teacher's Day, which falls on May 15, in Seoul in this 2004 file photo. Giving chonji, or small gifts, gift certificates or cash, to those in authority has been criticized as a practice that has gone from a gesture of gratitude to one that is nothing less than bribery.
/ Korea Times file

Authorities crack down on collection of money around Teacher's Day

By Baek Byung-yeul, Kwon Ji-youn

Our ancestors gave "chonji," or small gifts ― usually from the harvest they had gathered ― to teachers in exchange for the knowledge and wisdom their children accumulated.

The practice of giving chonji has developed over the years amid claims that the practice has gone from a gesture of gratitude to one that is nothing less than bribery.

With the intention of clinching favors, Koreans have presented chonji in different forms, including cash, gift certificates or actual gifts, to those of authority, especially people in charge of personnel matters or human resources.

At the turn of the 20th century, however, giving chonji lost its original meaning as many people began using it, and understanding it, as bribery.

Among the many examples of the social backlash caused by chonji, the most controversial one comes from the relationship between parents and their children's teachers.

In Korea, where many students are forced into fierce competition for university admissions, parents used to offer chonji to teachers, requesting that they pay more attention to their children.

Though educational authorities say they have been doing all they can to root out the culture, the practice seems difficult to eradicate.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), 19 teachers were punished last year for receiving chonji or collecting illegal donations. Interestingly, the accusations reported to the SMOE decreased from 21 cases in 2011 to 10 last year, but the number of punished teachers increased from 17 to 19 during the same period.

A parent named Lee began sending her daughter to elementary school this year. The 40-year-old Seoulite said she found herself in a sticky situation after receiving a text message from a fellow parent a few weeks ago.

The message asked how much she would be dishing out on Teacher's Day, which falls on May 15 every year. It specified that the parent was thinking about giving one million won ($975), and expressed worries that the amount may be too little.

Lee said she blanked upon reading the message. "I knew that my mother also offered chonji to my teachers when I was attending school. But that was in the 1980s. I thought this had stopped over the years," she said.

Lee called the parent and asked whether she was joking. She laughed and answered: "I have two kids attending this elementary school, and I have always offered money or gift certificates to teachers around Teacher's Day."

After discussing this with her husband, Lee decided to bite the bullet and deliver 500,000 won.

"I couldn't help it. I am a mother, and I don't want my child to be subject to disadvantages because I had not offered chonji," Lee said.

And she realized that her decision was very effective.

"According to my daughter, the teacher's attitude toward her completely changed. My daughter said the teacher was definitely paying more attention to how she was performing and trying to converse with her more," Lee said.

"I don't think that I am doing the right thing, but I don't want to stir up any trouble."

Another school parent named Kwak met with her 10-year-old child's teacher earlier this year, and because she hadn't wanted to go empty-handed, she purchased a small bag of cookies at a local department store. She had thought the gesture would be enough, since the cookies had cost almost 50,000 won.

The teacher seemed overjoyed at the cookies. The reaction was unexpected ― it was just a box of cookies, after all.

The next day, Kwak received a phone call from the school, requesting that she drop by after class hours. The teacher told her that her child had been fooling around during class with his friends, and that he had caused disruption. Her tone had gone from jubilant to stern within 24 hours.

"According to my son, about five or six boys caused the disruption, but only my son was chastised," she said. "I talked to my friends and fellow parents, and rumor had it that teachers of elementary schools in Songpa-gu are especially expectant of chonji. The teacher had obviously hoped she would find money inside the bag of cookies."

Kwak learned that chonji needs to be given in the subtlest way possible. "You should never give chonji in envelopes alone," she said.

"Usually you send a small flowerpot with it. And the envelope should be one of those for birthday cards, not the ones that are in the shape of bills."

These days, fewer teachers accept chonji in large amounts, but when it comes in the form of a small gift or a gift certificate, teachers feel less hesitant to accept it.

"I never accept money," said an elementary school teacher who requested anonymity. "But when they give us small gifts, like fountain pens, or gift certificates in relatively small amounts, I accept because I assume that they in truth are thanking me for taking good care of their children."

He said that while he does not treat students differently for giving gifts, he instinctively pays more attention to that particular student.

According to the SMOE, it is difficult to track the exchange of such chonji, especially when it is given in small amounts or in forms other than cash.

"We have acknowledged that some parents whose children attend school athletics clubs have collected goods and money and offered it to their school coaches in order to gain favor," said an official of the SMOE.

"But, as they (parents) tend to hide it to avoid any possible negative consequences, the number of cases would be much more than our count."

The SMOE said it will beef up crackdowns on illegal collection of money as Teacher's Day approaches.

"We have a call center that parents can contact should they come across any illegal bribing on both the parents' and teachers' parts," the official said. "This is the most effective way to make sure such practices are regulated. We encourage the use of this call center (1588-0260)."