A Comparative Analysis of Corruption in Canada and South Korea: Focusing the Effect of Corruption on Societal Development and Social Capital

This paper compares corruption in Canada and South Korea in terms of social capital. The paper focuses on causal relationships between corruption, economic development, and financial crisis. Corruption functions differently in Canada and South Korea. Illicit behavior in Canada is characterized as “incidental corruption”while South Korea suffers from “systematic corruption.” Lower levels of unlawful behavior in Canadian governance and politics derive from political structures ensuring transparency, respect for the law, and the sanctity of public interest. South Korean governance, on the other hand, is rife with nepotism, cronyism, and favoritism; social elements have made corruption pervasive and systematic. Such corruption stems from less developed institutions unable to ensure transparency and respect for public interest. A consequence is lower levels of public trust. The paper will argue that clean government, characterized by the elimination of corruption, is linked to extra-governmental institutions that build up important elements of social capital including trust and reciprocity.