There is a famous Korean saying that “Scratch my back and I will scratch yours”. It means that relationship with people is one of important things to do in Korea. Korea is very relationship-oriental. I lived 18 years in Korea and 6 years in the U.S. I believe that my experiences in both eastern and western cultures created a unique personal value system.
This story is when I was in the army back in Korea. It was ordinary hot summer day in middle of June in 2008, a private, Nam-Il Kim, deserted from barrack in my company. Before that one of officers died in beginning of June because of car accident while having the mobilization of police. So we were having investigation from Korea National Police Agency. My boss called me privately and gave the order to find Kim whatever it takes. I started to get my troops, and 150 company people started searching the private, after a few hours later I suggested that some of us should go to bus terminal. We went to the terminal and we finally caught Kim. At that time I was the chief of my platoon, I had to do something with Kim. Kim said he just got news that his single mother got breast cancer. My ethical dilemma was should I just let him go to his mother or should I report him to the court-martial? Western culture is very strict and accurate in rules. However in Korea rules are not really strict, it is negotiable in certain situations. My value is trying to combine eastern and western cultures, found the best possible outcome.
The stakeholders are Kim’s family, his mother had cancer and do not know how bad it is. He might not see his mother if she dies before he gets there. He did not harm anyone, and he said he would come right away after seeing his mother. If I let him go, I could not keep my promise that I made to my boss and it would be unfair to my co-units. Another stakeholder is the government, because we were serving our country by law. The soldiers’ family and soldiers are also stakeholders because control by same...