Korea′s amount of social conflict among highest in OECD nations 한국， 사회갈등 OECD
A study conducted by a local think tank says Korea ranks poorly in terms of social conflicts when compared to other OECD nations... which apparently is also taking a toll on the economy. That′s why experts say the government should be doing more for the sake of social cohesion. Kwon Soa has the story. Poor communication between the government and the people， the gap between the rich and the poor， disputes among politicians： these are just a few factors causing social conflict in Korea. According to a recent report the nation′s social conflict index was the fifth highest among 24 OECD nations. Only four countries found it more difficult to deal with social conflict than Korea， while many more handle it better than Korea， with Sweden having the least problems. Studies reveal the way a country deals with social conflict is reflected in its economic growth.... and they stress the importance of cohesion in areas like politics， economy， and social culture. In fact， a ten percent reduction in social conflict is said to increase the GDP per person by around one－point－four percent. ″Due to this correlation between social cohesion and economic progress， experts say the government needs to find more effective ways to manage these problems.″ Korea′s social conflict management index is among the lowest in the OECD， ranking 27th. But， data shows there has been improvement... as back in 2000， Korea was nearly rock bottom... and has gradually climbed the ranks. Analysts say however， there is still a long way to go... especially as people are prone to become more and more sensitive towards conflicts and their own interests， as they gain more information on social issues. ″The government and public institutions should be the main agents of managing conflicts but they are still too one－sided and authoritative. That′s why these social conflicts are expanding.″ Park added that the economy would actually feel benefits through the process of solving a conflicts. Kwon Soa， Arirang News.
