Sex Bribery in South Korea PDF PDF

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Sex Bribery in Korea seen through business anthropology...

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Exam Nu Numb mb mber: er: 13841979. Dat Date: e: 09.04.2019

Sex Bribery in South Korea Introduction Defining what a gift is can be troublesome, but in anthropology it is stated as something that is defined by the perspective of the locals (Torsello, D. & Venard, B., 2015). However, this concept is currently being used in South Korea for bribery purposes. If gifting is done with manipulative reasons, it loses its value and the spirit that both the receiver and the giver are expected to enjoy. Currently, in South Korea clubs are offering women and other prostitutes to foreign investors for manipulation. Reports indicate that club owners are going as far as drugging girls in the process of using sex for bribery purposes. Based on this case scenario, the morality of gifting is tarnished since prostitutes are used as a bait to coerce favors from foreign investors. As much as this act is considered illegal, and in some cases, human-trafficking, it is a blessing in disguise. If the offered prostitutes manage to convince the foreign investors to stay, more money is pumped into the economy which as a result initiates significant development. Therefore, sex bribery is also a gift. It is a form of bribing that is not inherent with the conventional process of gifting. Therefore, this research paper will make use of various theoretical frameworks to determine if prostitution is a gift. As indicated by Mauss, there is nothing like free gifts in society. It is with this knowledge, that the research will link the current sex bribery practices in South Korea with three stages of exchange discussed by Mauss. This concept is also mirrored by Sahlins’ idea of reciprocity. Furthermore, an empirical study will be carried out with a view to assess how South Koreans regard sex bribery and the whole practice of prostitution. Lastly, this paper will seek to explore the general concept of gifting and determine whether prostitution is a gift or not. In responding to this research question, the study will be centered on the gathering of relevant literature on the topic. In association with sex bribery, this paper will seek to examine the different types of reciprocities covered in the case scenario. Also, the research will explore how the whole situation of sexual bribery is directly linked with the spirit of gifting and other modes of the transaction in the modern society.

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Exam Number: 13841979 Literature Review According to Mauss (1925), there is nothing free in gifting. In anthropological studies, gifting is seen as a convention process where receiving and issuance of gifts is an endless process (Parry & Bloch,1989). This cycle is usually initiated by the spirit that is attached to the whole process of gifting (Sahlins, 1974). As indicated by Wilk and Cligget (2007), gifts can at times establish control, power or cause pain. For instance, if a parent offers a child a gift, he or she expects obedience and respect to be offered back. Based on the concepts stipulated by Mauss (1925), there are three main stages of exchange that are inherent with the sex bribery that is prevalent in South Korea. The obligation to gifting is the first stage of exchange which is usually conducted to initiate social relationships (Wilk & Cliggett, 2007). When the foreign investors are provided with drugged prostitutes, the club owner plays a role in initiating relationships that will attract better returns. Obligation attached to receiving the gift is the second stage of exchange, where the receiver has to return respect which as a result strengthens the existing relationship (Wilk & Cliggett, 2007). Lastly, the obligation of gifting back the item is the most complex stage. As much as the club owners are using drugged prostitutes to manipulate the decision of the foreign investors, an object of equal value cannot be expected. According to Mauss (1925), the person who receives the gift is always tormented by the guilt of not returning the favor. Therefore, this concept is inherent with the case scenario since the primary intention of using drugged prostitutes is to persuade foreign visitors to invest in various projects in South Korea. Also, the concept of sex bribery applies to generalized reciprocity; “Generalized reciprocity is a sustained one-way flow. Failure to reciprocate does not cause the giver of stuff to stop giving: the goods move one way, in favor of the have-not, for a very long period” (Sahlins, 1972, 193). As indicated by Wilk and Cligget (2007), general reciprocity refers to a situation where a gift is offered with the lender expecting returns in the future. Through the provision of drugged prostitutes, the club owners are not tied to the monetary value of the act but the attraction that the practice will have over foreign investors. In analyzing the case scenario of sex bribery in South Korea, the whole practice resonates with the concept of balanced reciprocity. As much as the practice may not have immediate benefits, its projected return value may be large enough 2

Exam Number: 13841979 to stimulate the industry and the nation’s economy. Also, the idea of negative reciprocity is evident in this case scenario since both the foreign investors and club owners do not know each other well. Therefore, the original act of offering prostitutes is a gesture of initiating relationships between the two parties.

Gift-giving in a Social Context In order to define whether sex bribery is a gift, it is critical to understand the anthropological concepts of gifts and bribes – and in this case, in a social context. Both serve as a great link amongst social groups. According to Wooten (2000) gift-givers are aware that gifts serve a communicative function and due to this, they often choose their messages carefully, so that the receiver interprets the gift in accordance to what they expected. This ties well into the act of club-owners bribing foreign investors with prostitutes, or some cases, drugged women, as these services are offered in order to shorten the social distance with foreign investors, thereby inaugurating firmer social relations. Furthermore, it is important to remember that under these illegal circumstances these services provide a source of mutual trust, which also ties into before-mentioned general reciprocity, since it acts as an intermediary between the uncertainty of distrust.

Sex Bribery in South Korean Cities In this study, a set of questionnaires were distributed among ten participants residing in the top cities of South Korea over an electronic mail. However, participants aged between 20 to 40 years were considered for the empirical study. (Wilk R. R, 2007) Some of the questions indicated in the questionnaire included: do you believe that sex bribery is a gift? Is sex bribery occurring in your nearest town? Has the number of investors increased in your local town? With the help of these three questions, it was easy to estimate how South Koreans view the whole concept of sex bribery. Through the electronically distributed questionnaires, all participants indicated that the number of foreign investors has increased in South Korean cities (Wilk & Cligget, 2007). Also, the majority of participants confirmed that they had witnessed prostitutes being used for bribery 3

Exam Number: 13841979 purposes in their local clubs. Lastly, only seven out of ten participants considered bribery to be a gift. Therefore, one could argue, that the results obtained from this empirical study, are directly connected to the research question which primarily assesses if prostitution could be considered a gift to foreign investors. This could also tie into the dilemma of gift-bribing which is described by Smith (2007). From an etic point of view this practice seems socially adverse, but with an emic perspective, one could argue that these transactions are central in establishing social control in these clubs. This is also supported from the fact that a large part of the local population is aware of clubs using prostitutes to bribe foreign investors.

Discussion and Analysis The results obtained from the empirical material mirrors Sahlins’ theory of reciprocity, which is the distribution of goods and services based on the principles of gift-giving. Therefore, the episodic gifting occasion concept of sex bribery in South Korea is an act that resonates with the theoretical concepts of general reciprocity. With the majority of participants testifying that the number of foreign investors is increasing in South Korean cities, it provides an insight which signifies that the provision of drugged prostitutes is a gifting process. As indicated by Sahlins (1974), generalized reciprocity refers to a process where gifts are issued with a view that future rewards will be received. A return of the gift, therefore, is not immediately expected and the value of the return is not stated since this concept is based on premise that all exchanges are going to balance out. However, this stipulation is supported by Mauss’ (1925) theoretical concept of obligation that is attached to each process of gifting. In his three stages of exchange, Mauss (1925) indicates that there are “no free gifts.” With the majority of participants in the empirical research testifying that sex bribery is rampant in the local clubs, it highlights the intention of the whole process. Therefore, it is evident that club owners are aligning themselves with Mauss ideology of obligation that is attached to every given gift (Wilk, 2018) . However, in Wilk and Cligget (2007) Mauss stresses that a gift-economy is build on reciprocity, where the research in this paper put attention towards club-owners being the giver and the foreign investors being the receivers. Despite the research presented in this paper has been

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Exam Number: 13841979 largely consistent with previous research done in this field, one could question Mauss’ postulation that there is no such thing as a free gift in society - Appadurai’s ideology on the social life of things tend to differ with the concepts stipulated by Mauss and Sahlins. In his theory, the value of an item is determined by the inspiration it portrays to the receiver (Hunt, 2005). With this knowledge, sex bribery is a form of commodity exchange which harbors little affiliation to the gifting process. This concept is mirrored in the empirical study since three participants were opposed to labeling prostitution as a gift. However, the impact of prostitution on the decisions of foreign investors is something that cannot be ignored. With this knowledge, the use of drugged prostitutes could be argued as a gift on its own – Even so, one could argue that there is a lack of comprehensive analysis when it comes to the industry of sex-bribery.

Conclusion In summary, sex bribing act is a gift in disguise. Despite prostitution being an illegal business in South Korea, its ability to attract foreign investors cannot be ignored. However, Mauss’ theory of “no free gifts” helps to provide a concise answer to this question. As much as it is not mandatory for one to return a gift, the obligation attached to the item makes reciprocity a necessity, and it is therefore shown that there is no such thing as a “true” gift, but that it, in practice, is obligatory to give gifts and reciprocate gifts. This concept resonates with Sahlin's theory of reciprocity. General reciprocity, for instance, describes scenarios where gifts are issued with no monetary value attached to the item. However, the whole process is carried out with a view that the person who receives the gift will return the favor in the future. Since economy stimulation is a gradual process, bribing foreign investors using prostitutes is one way of making them obligated to the gifts they receive.

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Exam Number: 13841979 References Hunt, R. C. (2005). One-way economic transfers. Mauss M. (1925). The gift. London and New York: Routledge McCurry, Justin (2019) “k-pop’s Great Gatsby”: Seungri charged over prostitution ring”. (theguardian.com) Posted: March 12, 2019, 12:26 GMT. Parry, J., & Bloch, M. (Eds.). (1989). Money and the Morality of Exchange. Cambridge University Press. Torsello, D., & Venard, B. (2015). The anthropology of corruption. Sahlins, M. (1974). Stone age economics. Wilk, R. R. (2007). Economies and cultures: foundations of economic anthropology. Wilk R. & Cliggett, L. (2007). Gifts and Exchange, In Economies and Cultures: Foundations of Economic Anthropology, 2nd edition. Wooten, D. B. (2000). Qualitative steps toward an expanded model of anxiety of gift-giving. Journal of Consumer Research, 27, 84–95. Smith, D. J. (2007). A culture of corruption: Everyday deception and popular discontent in Nigeria. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

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