The Fight Against Corruption
by Selina Lee
October 15, 2014
No country is completely free from the corruption of public officials. According to regular surveys conducted by Transparency International, this is a sad truth despite much effort to eradicate it. Corruption, it seems, is an inevitable fact that we as a society must endure. However, how can it be ensured that society as a whole is not totally undermined by distrust and dishonesty?
This question was discussed and explored in depth at the 15th Annual World Knowledge Forum in Seoul. A panel featuring Lanny A. Breuer, vice chairman at Covington & Burling LLP and former assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Herbjorn Hansson, CEO of Nordic American Tankers Limited, and Young Chul Kang, head of the Regulatory Reform Office of the Office of Government Policy Coordination in Korea, shared their insights on the ways corruption inhibits society.
“Corruption is what stands in the way of a young student having the confidence that if they work hard, study hard, and try hard, they can achieve their dreams,” Mr. Breuer said. If it becomes clear that success is instead determined by bribery, he believes that people will be utterly demoralized.
There are a myriad of laws in a multitude of countries that are aimed at preventing corruption, according to the panelists. Unfortunately, many of these policies have not been, and continue not to be, enforced.
“If a law doesn’t have teeth, people don’t care about it, and they don’t follow it,” Mr. Breuer said.
Mr. Breuer emphasized that global collaboration and effort is crucial in ensuring that laws are not merely passed but properly followed.
Mr. Kang agreed with this idea, and expanded it further by commenting that citizens need to fully understand the legal framework of their nation, and that power within that nation needs to be balanced.
He elaborated on the idea of a “corruption food chain,” in which the legal system actually supports and sustains dishonesty. Bureaucrats enjoy power and often abuse it, resulting in a cycle of income and power disparity in society. Laws that hold institutions and people accountable for systematic dishonesty need to be created, and adhered to, Mr. Kang stressed.
Mr. Hansson similarly believes that it is vital to achieve a societal understanding of the immorality of corruption, which can be established with appropriately severe penalties for offenses.
“It has to do with the legal system, but also with the notion of trust,” he elaborated. “And this notion is extremely valuable.”
Mr. Breuer believes that it is important to have an appropriate resolution, especially since it is virtually impossible to please everyone in any given country. He offered the United States as an example.
“You’ll never get people in our country to agree on anything,” Mr. Breuer said.
Thus, he said, each case of corruption should be resolved by following the actual facts and the rule of law, disregarding politics or public sentiment. In Mr. Breuer’s view, establishing a sense of fairness through concrete rules and clear policies is essential in fighting corruption.
Mr. Hansson also pointed out that it is important not to focus too much on the legality of the matter, as corruption requires more attention to practicality and morality.
“You can’t go up to a pirate and say, ‘Here is a UN resolution! You’re not allowed to attack us!’”
In his opinion, it will be equally important to integrate and incorporate the issues of dishonesty into the principles of business ethics.
While there is certainly no clear solution to the question of corruption, the bottom line is that people should not lose hope in the battle to rid society of it.
“We want to encourage more businesspeople to say, ‘Absolutely not, it’s wrong, and we’re not doing it,’” Mr. Breuer remarked. More leaders need to step up and make it clear that corruption is unacceptable.
“We should tackle one thing at a time,” Mr. Kang added.
Apparently, sometimes the best answers are also the simplest ones.
