Skip to main content

Grocery and supermarkets shut down by Seoul city government

1) I was planning on doing some shopping yesterday, but, oops! I forgot that it was Sunday in Seoul. Twice a month, the Seoul city government forces large grocery stores and supermarkets to close.

2) Dear Mr. Mayor: If my mom writes you a note, will you allow me to shop on Sunday without needing your permission? If my mom is okay with it, you should be, too.

3) Korea's 386 generation and their children who support that idiotic policy are abusing government power, violating the rights of consumers and businesses to engage in willing exchange, and forcing a stupid policy on the populace. But forget that serious stuff, you 386 folks pulled a fast one on me today, haha! I walked to my local supermarket, expecting it to be open, forgetting that it was Sunday in Seoul and I needed to check ahead.

4) The North Korean government trying to crackdown on markets up north might want to study the techniques of the national and local governments in South Korea to get some tips.

5) I know that South Korean politicians talk about the importance of having more economic growth--they even have meetings and speeches about it. An unsophisticated person might conclude, however, that forcing efficient businesses that want to be open to shut down at least 24 times a year on busy shopping days won't help that goal. 
Ah, but Thomas Sowell says that politicians are trying to solve their own problems, and that solving our problems are secondary to that.

6) I guess I shouldn't be too harsh on Seoul. North Korea tried to force markets to be closed all but three days a month. Seoul and other regional governments only force them to be closed twice a month.



Lotte Mysuper is one of the grocery stores forced by the Seoul city government to close twice a month.

Grocery stores shut down: The Seoul city government's contribution to improving the economy.

 

Popular posts from this blog

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...