dmthoth
dmthoth t1_ixldqou wrote
Reply to comment by matty_low in TIL in response to infamously high suicide rates at Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, the bridge was adorned with suicide prevention messages and uplifting photos. These measures weren't enacted by the government, however, instead the entire project was financed by Samsung's life insurance division by evilclownattack
Yeah exactly. If you ask any actual economist who knows about east asian economic systems, they would say so. But ignorant basic redditors have this strange 80s/90s dystopian cyberpunk wet dream(mostly based on anti-asian stereotype) and want to depict east asain countries the way how mainstream western media have been for decades. So it is basically a meme.
South korea had economy driven by government until asian financial crisis in 1997. Chaebol was born by dictator general park in 60s/70s to micro-mange every indistrial sectors/trading goods and boost investment when south korea did not have much manufacturing industry back then. The entry to each industrial sectors was ristricted for only 2-3 chaebols to promote competition and they were never allowed to own bank(they are still not allowed by the laws) but government mainly used carrot and stick policy. For that reason they are definately not immune to conviction for corruption or embezzlement etc. South korean justice system naver hesitated to send chaebol to prison. However in many cases they got lesser sentences or received pardon when they make a deal with the government. For example, samsung CEO Lee got his pardon right after he made a deal to build semi-conductor factory in the US. And government never allows them to pay less taxes. South korea is still one of the countries with highest corporation tax rate.
Many south koreans hates chaebols because they are exploiting their employees & subcontractor and decepting consumers, not because they are in charge on nation, as many people on reddit want to believe. And that kind of shit happens all over the globe. What kind of country ran by private corporation has single-payer universial healthcare, mandatory paid leave(parenting, sick, vacation), national pension program, unemployment benefits, child benefits, basic income, etc etc? What does it make the US?
What happens if one of chaebol want to get out of leash? Well, look what happend to Chung Mong-hun, the founder of Hyundai group.
The most poweful and influencial interest group in south korea is actually the prosecutory authority. And current conservative president is one of them.
dmthoth t1_ixlbshe wrote
Reply to comment by Lolumo in TIL in response to infamously high suicide rates at Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, the bridge was adorned with suicide prevention messages and uplifting photos. These measures weren't enacted by the government, however, instead the entire project was financed by Samsung's life insurance division by evilclownattack
This BS again? Historically, hyundai had more connections with beuarocratic government especially when it comes to north korean policy. Samsung never has been a 'traditional' partner. Btw former hyundai CEO killed himself because government pushed him to do so. And samsung ceo went to jail because the government wanted to do so. Whtat kind of puppet government does that? Americna/european on Reddit and youtube should stop with their 80s & 90s distopian cyberpunk wet dream fantasy, just because they are lazy as fuck and never look into actual sources. They just reproduce and spread their existing prejudice over and over again.
dmthoth t1_ixlf75q wrote
Reply to comment by Lolumo in TIL in response to infamously high suicide rates at Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, the bridge was adorned with suicide prevention messages and uplifting photos. These measures weren't enacted by the government, however, instead the entire project was financed by Samsung's life insurance division by evilclownattack
I did not say south korea is good. All I am saying is 'company-run-state' kind of thing is pure echoroom fantasy. There is no significant exaggeration either. South korean companies actually do pay taxes and government provides social safe nets by demand of people, such as single-payer universial healthcare, mandatory paid leave for both parents, for sick and for vacation, national pension service, basic income, unemplyment benefit, child benefit, state-run-nursery etc etc. corrupt politicians get actual impeachment and imprisonment. South Koreans went through a lot of shit in modern history. Even after korean war, four seperate regimes were overthrown by people. They obviously have rebellious nature in their blood, contrast to depiction of western mainstream media, which want to paint all east asians as submissive and mindless. It is just an usual ordinary country, or a socialist country if you compare to the US.