[WHY] Why does gapjil persist in Korea?

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Published: 30 Dec. 2023, 06:00 Updated: 02 Jan. 2024, 19:56

[WHY] Why does gapjil persist in Korea?

University students receive “kindness training” at a department store in Seoul in 2009. [OH JONG-TAEK]

Callers, when dialing customer service hotlines in Korea, are not met with the usual robotic greetings. Instead, they will hear phrases like “Our beloved daughter will assist you shortly,” spoken in the warm tone of a mid-aged man, or “Our dear mother will handle your consultation,” in the voice of a young girl.

But behind such personalized familial messages is hidden a stark reality — verbal abuse and sexual harassment have become common experiences among call center employees.

[YONHAP]

“I can't do anything; my hands tremble,” Park Mi-jin, a consultant from GM Korea's call center, shared in a campaign video condemning the verbal abuse of customer service representatives.

Another consultant, Park Hee-young, echoed the sentiments, questioning the need for such behavior.

“I, too, am a precious daughter at home. Every time [I heard insults through the phone], it made me frustrated that I couldn't do anything,” Park said in the video.

The Oxford English Dictionary officially recognized the term gapjil, or abuse of power, following the “nut rage” scandal in which a Korean Air executive berated a flight attendant on a plane in 2014.

While often associated with the affluent, gapjil can be found in all classes of society. It extends beyond the realms of power and wealth into department stores, residences, and call centers.

The security booth at an apartment complex in Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, on May 12, 2020, where a security guard took his own life after facing persistent harassment and assault from a resident, triggered by a parking issue. [NEWS1]

There have been many such incidents over the years. In 2013, an executive at a major corporation physically assaulted a flight attendant over the preparation of ramyeon he'd been served during a flight. In 2015, a customer shouted at workers in an Incheon department store, and forced them to kneel on the floor, after they refused to make free repairs.

Efforts to curb customer bullying through legislation and increased awareness have seen limited success, and the problem is now extending into other sectors, such as education and civil services, which are now grappling with relentless demands and malicious complaints from the public.

Experts point out that the prevalence of gapjil throughout Korean society is rooted in the country's vertically oriented culture that emphasizes hierarchy and ranking, alongside the commonality of one-sided commands from the top.

"Commoners Bowing to Yangban (Nobles)" by the late Joseon Dynasty artist Kim Deuk-sin (1754-1822). This painting symbolically captures the social hierarchy of the Joseon era, portraying the encounter between a noble and commoners, who, as depicted, were required to bow when meeting the ruling class. [KOREAN ART MUSEUM]

Korea's deep-seated hierarchy

The emergence of the relationship between individuals in positions of power (“gap”) against those in subordinate positions (“eul”) is deeply rooted in the hierarchical nature of Korean culture.

Korea's entrenched social hierarchy traces back to the Joseon Dynasty, when the company was divided between the noble yangban class and the laborer class, known as sangmin. This was rooted in the Confucian concept of “Sa, Nong, Gong, Sang” — referring to scholars, farmers, artists and manufacturers, and merchants and traders, respectively — which imposed a hierarchical structure on those four classes.

Another contributor is the Korean language itself, which observes a hierarchical structure between speakers and listeners and prescribes deference based on factors like age and rank. As a consequence, subordinates are constrained from freely expressing their opinions when engaging with superiors in conversation.

“The hierarchy culture is especially evident in the East Asian cultural sphere — such as with high and low forms of language or the idea of 'elders first,'” said Lee Jung-hoon, CEO of the Seoul Emotional Labor Center. “This cultural perception of hierarchy becomes stronger at work, which it transforms into the idea that the 'customer is king.'”

Experts observe that the service industry's rapid evolution amid a culture that values both hierarchy and intense competition has led to a unique development of customer-centric values in Korea.

“Following the postwar era and rapid modernization and industrialization in Korea, society has been marked by intensified competition and a culture of self-centeredness particularly evident in the education system, where individuals perceive themselves as superior or inferior to others based on rankings or other criteria,” said Lee Byoung-hoon, a professor emeritus of sociology at Chung-Ang University. “This mindset has become apparent in the service industry.”

While hierarchy also can be seen in western cultures, power-abusive harassment is reported in Korea more often than it is in western countries like the United States, Britain and France.

“In the West, there's the concept of 'noblesse oblige', which implies that the upper class or those in leadership positions set examples,” Professor Emeritus. Lee explained. “In Korean society, significant changes have taken place over the past 100 years ... and the belief that 'because I've paid for this service, I can treat the service provider as if they were beneath me, or I can act as if I were a superior or in a higher position' emerges not only in the service sector but also in everyday workplaces from the boss, resulting frequent occurrences of gapjil.”

A female customer, unhappy with employees' responses to her request for free repairs, scolds two kneeling female employees at the Swarovski store in Shinsegae Department Store's Incheon Branch in 2015. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Workers still await adequate shields

Korea responded to widespread frustration and anger by enacting the Occupational Safety and Health Act, known colloquially as the Emotional Labor Protection Act, in October 2018.

The revised legislation is designed to shield workers engaged in customer interactions from potential harm, placing the responsibility for their protection squarely on the employer.

When initiating a call for complaints or consultations, callers now encounter a standardized message: “In accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, protective measures for consultants are being implemented, so please treat the consultant with warmth.” This aligns with the amended law.

The policy goes further, mandating employers to temporarily suspend the duties of workers who have suffered harm and extend break times. It also ensures legal support, including evidence submission, for workers opting to press charges or report perpetrators.

However, five years after the law was enacted, a significant number of workers believe it is falling short.

A recent survey by Gapjil 119, a civic group dedicated to stamping out power abuse by people in higher positions, found that 58.8 of 1,000 polled employees feel their companies do not adequately protect them from workplace bullying, even with the Emotional Labor Protection Act in place. A full 83.9 percent believe workplace bullying to be a serious issue.

Many “emotional” laborers are subcontractors, meaning they are not entitled to the same protective measures a traditional employee might receive. That has made tangible change slow across sectors.

“Call centers and service centers are perceived as places that support revenue rather than generating it directly, and thus they are outsourced, making aspects of company investments such as wages, cost support, education and training become very inadequate,” said Lee from the Seoul Emotional Labor Center.

“For the company to accurately determine a perpetrator and take legal action, whether through fines or imprisonment, creates a sense of urgency,” he added. “Otherwise, individual workers end up having to sue the perpetrators individually, but who would want to go through that process?”

Employees of a Seoul restaurant wear t-shirts with the message "Someone's precious child". [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Companies under scrutiny for employee neglect

Employees often silently endure unfair demands from abusive customers, despite a desire to assert their rights. This practice often leads to personal harm, bringing urgency to the need for enhanced worker protections.

Companies are now under scrutiny for prioritizing customer convenience and profit over the protection of their employees. As the issue of customer bullying gains visibility, there is a growing emphasis on the importance of companies taking robust action, even if that means addressing concerns about their corporate image and providing compensation. Failure to do so may contribute to a culture that tolerates and perpetuates malicious customer behavior.

Experts point to the necessity of amending laws to strengthen punitive measures and reinforce employers' responsibility for the protection of their workers.

“Currently, the Occupational Safety and Health Act is viewed as an obligation for all workplaces, but the lack of penalty clauses for noncompliance in many places is a significant concern,” said Lee of the Emotional Labor Center. “Empowering workers or third-party monitors to report violations, leading to inspections and fines imposed by the Ministry of Labor could incentivize businesses to comply with these obligations.”

A child places a commemorative message at the memorial space in Seo2 Elementary School in southern Seoul on Sept. 4 following a death of a distressed young teacher due to parents' gapjil. [YONHAP]

Gapjil expands to schools, public offices

Troubling gapjil incidents are not limited to the service sector; they have reached the public sector, including various government institutions — particularly schools, where the traditional mantra of “Customer is king” is fast becoming “Parents are kings.”

The severity of gapjil in education came to light following the suicide of a 25-year-old first-time teacher at Seo2 Elementary School in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in July.

With phone altercations between parents and educators on the rise, a call connection tone warning that “the conversation may be recorded” has been introduced to shield teachers from unwarranted complaints and provide a layer of protection.

Gapjil has also been seen in public services outside of the educational sphere. That same month, a female tax officer in Gyeonggi lost her life after collapsing during a confrontation with a customer and never regaining consciousness.

A recent survey by the Ministry of Personnel Management concluded that emotional labor among civil servants has reached a “dangerous” level, with 89.1 percent of participants reporting physical or psychological harm related to their duties from external individuals.

“Despite ongoing efforts, it's clear that the deeply ingrained attitude contributing to incidents of complaints against public officials or teachers has not been completely addressed,” emphasized Professor Emeritus. Lee. “Continuous efforts are required to bring about meaningful change in addressing these issues.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]

korea joongAng daily

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[WHY] Why does gapjil persist in Korea?

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