SEOUL: Many Koreans would agree that corruption in the country is not as serious as in the past. Still, few would deny that corrupt politicians, government employees and businessmen remain one of the major obstacles to national development.
Korea ranked 47th out of 146 countries in last years Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparent International; it is in 23rd place among the 30 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Compare this with the fact that Korea has the worlds 11th largest economy and is the 12th biggest trading nation.