Creating Duality in Korea

This article addresses the role of Samsung and social actors in forming and influencing structures creating a duality of structure. To that end, Samsung’s influence on the media and its image creation as well as people’s perceptions, knowledge, and resulting actions are analysed in the way they form a duality of structure using Anthony Giddens’ theory as foundation. Interviews and an online survey with Koreans and with experts from various fields were conducted. It will be shown that Samsung instrumentalises the media to influence its image, so the conglomerate creates structures which people can modify through their actions. Those actions are influenced by their knowledge and perceptions. Perceptions and, consequently, people’s actions are influenced by various aspects, such as physical-material, social-cultural, and subjective ones. Overall, the analysed group creates a positive picture of Samsung, which is also discussed.