Social Deviancy in South Korea Deviancy, in a sociological context, refers to behaviors or activities that violate formal and informal norms within a society. It involves breaking a norm that in return creates a negative reaction to the deviant act and the deviant from the rest of society. Every culture has their own criteria for what is consider deviant, and sometimes what might seem odd or inappropriate in one society could very well be the accepted as the standard in another. Deviancy of any kind, regardless of the society, is greatly looked down upon and can leave the deviant stigmatized from the rest of the cultural group. Often times, this leads the deviant being completely out casted and the consequence of performing a deviant act could be severe. Societies could either be considered “loose” or “tight” depending on the strength of their social norms and the degree of sanctioning those norms within their culture. [1] In the case of South Korea, it is considered a tight society. Neo-Confucianism is the moral and ethical philosophy that is the foundation for South Korean belief and values. These beliefs and values are so strong they rule every aspect of Korean culture from the individual, to the family, to social interactions. Because of its strictness, all social interactions call for strict protocols that must be followed at all times by every member or the society. Many loose societies (particularly those of the Western world) have criticized Korean society for being so firm and unforgiving, making it difficult for an outsider to adapt to the culture and to society. This has been to seem the case for many Western companies that seek to do business in South Korea. Almost, if not always, a foreigner will violate a social norm that is considered insulting, which will then result in leaving the foreigner shunned and ignored by their Korean counterpart. Despite