76.3% of Gyeonggi Residents Say "Our Society Is Not Fair"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] It was found that 76.3% of Gyeonggi Province residents believe that our society is unfair.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute announced on the 12th that in a mobile survey conducted last month targeting 1,200 Gyeonggi residents aged 19 to 69, 76.3% responded negatively to the question "Is Korean society fair?" by answering "No." On the other hand, only 23.7% gave a positive response of "Yes."

Additionally, more than four times as many respondents answered that parental wealth or family background (81.3%) is more important than personal effort and ability (18.7%) to become wealthy.

Regarding the questions "Are opportunities given fairly?" and "Do you receive proper compensation?" negative responses increased as education level, income, assets, and employment status decreased.

Regarding the method of distributing compensation, respondents preferred distribution based on ability (51.0%) over equal distribution (26.9%) or selective distribution (22.2%).

When asked about perceptions of fairness by sector, it was analyzed that all sectors were perceived as unfair.

By sector, law enforcement fairness scored the lowest at 3.4 points. This was followed by ▲relations between large and small businesses (3.6 points) ▲distribution structure (3.8 points) ▲taxation based on income (4.0 points) ▲gender equality (4.4 points) ▲employment opportunities (4.4 points) ▲educational opportunities (5.3 points).

There was a clear difference in perceptions regarding wealth accumulation, employment opportunities, taxation based on income, and appropriate wage opportunities between those who responded that society is fair and those who responded that it is unfair. The lower respondents perceived themselves in social strata, the stronger their tendency to perceive unfairness.

Furthermore, the level of indignation toward unfair practices (on a 4-point scale) was measured at a very high 3.39 points.

Among 13 issues surveyed for levels of indignation, political corruption scored the highest at 3.61 points. This was followed by unequal judicial practices (3.60 points), biased reporting (3.55 points), biased investigations (3.52 points), safety accidents (3.46 points), and abuse of power by individuals and corporations (3.45 points).

The more society was perceived as unfair, the lower the levels of trust and life satisfaction, and the higher the degree of indignation.

Regarding the fairness of the university entrance examination system, 62.8% responded that the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)-centered selection is fairer than the student record-centered selection (18.9%), and 69.4% answered that the student record-centered selection is more advantageous for children from wealthy families than the CSAT-centered selection (19.2%).

Kim Do-gyun, head of the Strategy and Policy Department at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, advised, "The perception that society is unfair breeds indignation, and indignation carries a high risk of serious side effects such as extreme choices or hateful emotions, so preventive and policy responses must follow. It is necessary to discover and promote policies that not only focus on procedural fairness but also realize socioeconomic inequality resolution and distributive justice."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.