Exporting South Korea's economic policy to Taiwan

So there's a debate in Taiwan about whether or not Samsung threatened to "kill" Taiwan by taking over some industries there.

Here's another reason I will never have a leadership position in Taiwan. Instead of debating about whether or not Samsung had such a plan, I would visit South Korea on a fact-finding mission. I would then announce that I was going to apply South Korea's various restrictions on business on Samsung:

* Force Korean businesses operating in Taiwan to shut down their businesses at least twice a month.

* Restrict large Korean companies from expanding into other industries.

* Prevent Korean companies in Taiwan from open in randomly designated areas (such as, within 500 feet of mom and pop stores)

* Force large Korean companies in Taiwan to share their profits with smaller companies.

* Demand that they increase their CSR giving.

* Even monitor and control such things as the temperature in their buildings.

* Threaten to tax them more to pay for numerous social programs.

Well, actually, I wouldn't do such stupid things, proof that I am not a politician in South Korea.

To paraphrase Mark Twain:

Suppose you were an idiot.
Suppose you were a politician in Korea.
But I repeat myself.

Of course, that isn't true. I'm just talking about the ones intervening in the economy.

My local Lotte Mysuper. Forced to close because of the government's (national, local, regional) idiotic "economic democratization" campaign.

One night, I stopped by to go shopping, then, oh, Snap! The door was locked. Thanks, Korean government!

The Korean government's effort to slow economic growth.

I asked an employee if I could have the sign the day after. I'm sure if she knew how much I am opposed to the policy that she would have given it to me.

I guess she didn't get the memo that the store was closed, per the government's orders.

Definitely, she didn't get the memo. She walked even closer to the sign, then stomped her foot. I wonder if she voted for the politicians who supported the policy.


If I were CEO of E-mart, the banner would have a photo of the politician responsible for the closure, thanking him for his vision for helping the economy.

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

Freedom Factory Shareholder Meeting (2015-01-31)

Re: Building something out of nothing Freedom Factory is a very small company, of which I am a shareholder. Yesterday we had our annual shareholder meeting. Freedom Factory is allowing us to "incubate" TNKR until we can stand on our two own feet--or at least crawl on our four hands and feet. (Consumer Rights Watch is in the same position). I owe special thanks to FF CEO 김정호. He is a "true believer" in the cause of freedom, so he is allowing both projects to grow out of FF. That's even though Freedom Factory is a small start up with the CEO, staff and supporters wondering how we are going to achieve our dreams with such a tight budget. So when I say I am so thankful to the volunteers and donors of TNKR, it isn't just lip service. Volunteers--along with Freedom Factory, the Atlas Network, donors--are helping us to create something out of nothing, helping North Korean refugees find their own way and tell their own stories. Like the FF CEO, I also don...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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