In 2019, Justice Minister Cho Kuk was engulfed in a corruption scandal after revelations that he and his wife had falsified documents for his children's college applications.
[5] Young adults preparing for life transitions such as college, marriage, or employment often feel disadvantaged, particularly when compared to their wealthier peers.
[6] Many corporations in South Korea demand exceptional academic performance and English fluency, prerequisites more accessible to the upper class due to their financial resources.
In contrast, middle and lower-class individuals face the dual burden of working while studying and lacking comparable monetary support.
He noted that South Korea's income distribution aligns closely with advanced nations, citing indicators like the Gini coefficient and relative poverty rates.
[8] Park identified five causes behind the spoon class theory: Han Jun, a sociology professor at Yonsei University, emphasized the importance of enhancing social mobility to improve societal vitality and integration.
He advocated for targeted policy interventions, such as improving the physical and mental health of children from low-income families and supporting their academic and cognitive development.
[8] The gold spoon phenomenon highlights the complex interplay of economic inequality, social mobility, and public perception in South Korea.