25% of businessmen surveyed admit bribery

A survey of businessmen and self-employed business owners in Korea revealed that 25% have given cash or other gifts or entertained civil servants within the past year.

The fact came to light at a gathering sponsored by the Second Nation-Building Committee titled "Discussion for the Banishment of Corruption and Dishonesty" held at the Korea Federation of Banks building in Myeongdong on Monday. The survey results were discussed in the opening speech by Park Jung-Hwoon of the Korea Institute of Public Administration¡¯s head of the Policy Research department.

According to the survey requested by the committee and conducted by the KIPA from Sept. 4 through 14 targeting the 500 businessmen and self-employed persons known to be in areas with frequent contact with civil servants, 24.8% answered that they had provided a form of entertainment or presented a cash or other gifts to the civil servants within the past year.

Of the cash gifts to the civil servants, gifts of 300,000 won or less were the most common, accounting for 21.0% of respondents who said they had given gifts.

Choi Sung-Jin choi@donga.com