'Incomplete Life" What Does Guanxi Mean
What is this thing called "Guanxi" that is featured in "Incomplete Life?"
On the 17th episode of tvN Friday/Saturday drama "Incomplete Life" (script Kim Won Suk, script Jung Yoon Jung) broadcast on December 5th, Chairman Choi (played by Lee Kyung Young) secretly suggests the solar panel business to Oh Sang Shik (played by Lee Sung Shik). Afterwards, Sang Shik called Kim Dong Shik (played by Kim Dae Myung) and Chun Kwang Woong (played by Park Hae Joon) to the meeting room.
Chun Kwan Woong suggested that they take on the project. He said that if they were successful with the project, Sales 3 Team would get the performance ratings they needed for two to three years. If they didn't go forward with the project, they would hear that they couldn't succeed even if given the perfect project. Chun said, "In Chinese businesses, guanxis are the norm. There's nothing to feel guilty about."
Oh Sang Shik said, "But I feel like this isn't right. Guanxi is a tradition and a norm but there are instances where it is not rational. And if we don't succeed in the project despite giving such a high amount of guanxi, we can be blamed for it in full."
"Guanxi" is a slang term meant to indicate a relationship from an object to an object or a person to another. In China, they even say that they work not with systems but with guanxis. This is how important they regard relationships.
