Korea Unemployment

Most Korean media has finally acknowledged that the rise in unemployment is due to overcrowding of small businesses in such areas as restaurants and retail, and decrease in industrial jobs.

They still criticize President Moon's policies of spending money on low income people and on creating jobs. They do not mention all the tens of billions of dollars wasted by the previous conservative administrations of former Presidents Myung-bak Lee and Keun-hye Park. Myung-bak Lee wasted probably over a hundred billion dollars on construction projects to build canals in which almost all the major construction companies were found guilty of collusion in jacking up bidding prices and faulty construction. They were promptly granted amnesty by President Keun-hye Park. Then there were all the tens of billions of dollars wasted by President Keun-hye Park in her "Creation of Businesses" projects which were ridden with corruption and waste.

The good news is although President Moon has seen his popularity drop from the 80s to the 50s, the conservative party did not achieve any gains in popularity. In fact, they dropped to 11% which is a record low. This is the party that most Korean media blindly support and has almost 50% of the seats in the National Assembly. Their popularity rating was usually over 40%.

It seems most Koreans do not believe conservative media propaganda. And they definitely do not believe the party that supported and fiercely defended former Presidents Myung-bak Lee and Keun-hye Park.



Wish we had NORML in Korea. I would start a chapter, but I am afraid of being arrested.

91.3% of Korean Males Drink Alcohol

As stated before, it seems drinking alcohol is a national pastime in Korea.

According to The Lancet, 91.3% of Korean males drink.

The Lancet: Alcohol Is Associated With 2.8 Million Deaths Each Year Worldwide

As many comedians pointed out, alcohol is a very dangerous drug, and so are cigarettes. These actually kill a lot of people. Consuming marijuana never killed anyone.

No "Life" After Death, But "Consciousness" Is Eternal

Had a feeling that consciousness was eternal, now physicists are trying to prove it.

Express: Life after death: Soul continues on a QUANTUM level – scientists reveal

Dark Energy

If the universe is surrounded by emptiness, then the universe would have pressure and the surroundings would have no pressure. There is no need for dark energy for the universe to expand. It would expand due to pressure difference.

Add this to the pressure exerted by radiation/photons shooting out of the universe.

94% of Americans Approve Legalizing Medicinal Marijuana

Remember when most Americans were opposed to legalizing medicinal marijuana? It seems like only a decade ago.

Newsweek: Legal Weed: How Republicans Learned to Love Marijuana

Wake up, Korea. Stop with the "reefer madness" stuff.

Corona beer maker invests $4 billion into marijuana business.

Reuters: Corona owner invests another $4 billion in cannabis producer Canopy

Heineken also enters the marijuana beer business.

The Drinks Business: HEINEKEN HAS LAUNCHED A CANNABIS ‘BEER’ WITH THC

Only In Korea? I Think So.

Korea's National Assembly  used to receive "special operational" funds to the tune of 5-6 million dollars a year,  which they did not need to account for. Citizens groups sued to have details of how these funds were used made public. The Supreme Court ruled that the details be made public, but the National Assembly has only released some of the details. In many cases, the funds were used for personal purposes, such as children's tuition and vacations.

The National Assembly promised in the past to get rid of these special operational funds, but they again tried to break their promise. However, due to strong public opinion and potential backlash, they now promise to get rid of most of the special operational funds, except for the absolute minimum needed for operation. In addition, they promised that details of use and receipts would be made public.

Yonhap: National Assembly scraps special activity funds amid criticism

Korean Media Blames Minimum Wage Increase For Drop In Employment

Drop in employment has been a global phenomenon for several years and is due to automation and other technological advances. Yet, most Korean media continue to blame labor unions and wage increases. They do not mention that the conglomerates have decreased recruitment of employees despite increased turnover and profit.

When they reduced corporate tax about a decade ago, they argued that businesses would reinvest their profits and increase employment. The conglomerates did not neither. In fact, they reduced employment and investment. They promised many times to increase employment and investment, but did not. They are promising again to invest hundreds of billions of dollars and increase employment, but I seriously doubt they will keep their promises. 

Another critical article typical of Korean media blaming increased minimum wage and critical of the Moon administration. Most Korean media do not seem to want a progressive government to win in the next National Assembly and Presidential elections. The conservative party's popularity is at an all time low, yet they have yet to mention this in the news. Most media spend all their time criticizing the Moon administration and anyone progressive or liberal. At the same time, they give a lot of air time and attention to conservative views. 

Korea is still run by the conglomerates and the wealthy, at the expense of the people. 

Korea Herald: Gov't shifting from 'income-led growth'

A more objective article explaining some of the reasons for the loss of jobs.

Korean Net: Involuntary-job changes

Study Finds Marijuana Decreases Workplace Fatalities By 33.7%

Science Direct: Medical marijuana laws and workplace fatalities in the United States

They say that this could be due to reduction in consumption of alcohol, opiates and other substances.

In Korea, someone gets stoned and it is big news, definitely a crime worth jail time. At the same time, being drunk and beating up people is so common that it does not make even it into the news. In fact, judges give reduced sentences in cases where the person was drunk, stating that their mental capacities were diminished. WTF?

The media is definitely against marijuana and very pro-alcohol. Most young people are not. Old ones are too far brainwashed. Drinking and smoking cigarettes still appear to be national pastimes.

Small Business Owners Protest Increasing Minimum Wage

A small group of small business owners protested the increase in minimum wage to a little under $8 per hour. They say restaurants and other small business cannot afford the increase and will let employees go.

Conglomerates, the conglomerate owners' family, relations, and franchises all have restaurants, retail outlets, and other businesses that compete with "small business owners". This is the main reason for the plight of "small businesses", not wage increases. Also the number of employees employed by the conglomerate, wealthy and franchise related companies probably greatly outnumber the number of employees of actual "small business owners". Reducing minimum wage will benefit the conglomerate and franchise affiliated companies much more than actual "small business owners". Why increase wealth disparity?

I also know many small business owners that are very wealthy, multimillionaires. In some districts, main shopping areas, and rich neighborhoods, almost all of the small business owners are millionaires. There is an old lady in my neighborhood who runs a small very run down beauty salon on her own with no employees. Outwardly, she seems to be poor, but actually she owns the most real estate in my neighborhood. She owns several buildings.

The media portrays most small business owners as poor mom and pop stores, just barely eking out a living. That is definitely not the case. For many, business is not great, but they have already accumulated so much wealth that it doesn't matter that much.

No mention of this in Korean media. They only concentrate on giving negative associations to progressive or liberal policies trying to prevent conglomerates and the wealthy from rapidly increasing their power and wealth, at the expense of small businesses and normal Korean citizens.

Musical enjoyment seems to be God given. There is justice in the world!

Korean conglomerates promise investment and jobs

Korean conglomerates announced that they "plan" to invest $400 billion and create jobs.

I heard these promises many times before for over a decade, but they were mostly not kept. Most Korean media report on the promises, but not when the promises are broken. Why?

Let's see what happens.

Chosun Ilbo: Samsung Promises Massive Investment and Job Creation

Former President Myungbak Lee made a campaign promise to donate all his money to charity. He set up a foundation where his close associates were and are employed. Many went to jail. This foundation does not have to publish where and if they used any money for charity. The foundation has not offered any proof, so far, that any money was spent on charity. Yet, there is no mention in the media about this. If it were a progressive or liberal president that made the promise and set up a foundation instead, then all hell would break loose.

The best way to increase jobs is to legalize pot and keep the conglomerates out. Korea should break away from relying on business conglomerates which only care about profit.

Korean Economy Is Doing Great For The Rich

A lot of Koreans complain the economy is in shambles because they believe what they hear and read in the media. Actually, the wealthy are doing great. The divide between the rich and poor is growing, and the rich control an ever increasing share of the wealth in Korea.

Regular Koreans do not earn $29,000 per year, which was the per capita income for Korea in 2017. Yet, a large number of them support the conservative party which is pro-big business and pro-rich.

This is because regular Koreans are not doing so well, so it seems the economy is bad for them. the conservatives, businesses and most media pick up on this and state that progressive policies are ruining the Korean economy. Most regular Koreans used believed this, but fewer and fewer are believing.

Due to the corruption of former presidents Keun-hye Park and Myung-bak Lee (spying on and blacklisting citizens, framing innocent people as North Korean spies, making deals with Korean courts for rulings against labor unions, etc.), support for the conservative party has decreased, in spite of the fact that most Korean media has mounted a vehement campaign against progressive and liberal ideals, calling it socialism and pro-communist. Pulling out all the dirty tricks and name calling. It used to work in the past, but not so much nowadays. They make it a really big deal, if President Moon's popularity falls a little and state it is because of his bad handling of affairs. As if that was BIG NEWS! What travesty!

I hope that common Koreans continue to not listen to the rich and most Korean media. Most media try to taint anything and anyone that is progressive or liberal with negativity.

I hope regular Koreans come to realize that they are suffering due to conservative policies and the wealthy hoarding all the money while treating common Koreans as second class citizens and acting like dictators.

Regular Koreans should boycott greedy enterprises and VOTE for people who will stand up for them. But alas, it seems most don't care.

Korea's GDP Per Capita Was $29,891 In 2017

Korea has the 11th largest economy in the world.

Why is most of the Korean media complaining that raising the minimum wage to a little under $8 an hours going to wreck small businesses and the economy?

Why are they not complaining about unfair labor laws and the growing divide between the rich and poor?

I supposedly live in a half million dollar apartment (condominium). It is very small and run down. I pay about $400 a year in property tax. The extremely wealthy with multi-million dollar homes and buildings pay about the same rate as I do.

As I stated before, I would gladly pay much more in property taxes, if the rich pay their fair share. Supposedly, raising property taxes will cause property values to plummet and ruin the economy according to most Korean media.

Property taxes are between 0.15% to 0.50%, but are levied on the official property value which is about half of the real value. So, in effect it is about 0.08% to 0.30%.

Corporate tax is 10% on income under about $180,000, and 20-22% for amounts over $180,000.

Businesses get preferential electricity rates with regular consumers getting shafted with up to triple rates for peak periods. Consumer rates are much higher than business rates. 

I could go on and on. 

Korea Herald: Moon administration pushes real estate tax hike, dithers financial income tax

Joongang Daily: Tax changes for next year narrow the income gap

Editorials complaining about wage increases, reduced working hours and other reforms. Very similar to the tone on TV media, very pro-wealthy.

Joongang Daily: Runaway government

Korea Herald:  Substantial, not conceptual, growth

Sending Drug Users To Jail Only Makes Things Worse

Drug users are not criminals. Many rich conservatives abuse prescription drugs, but they don't go to jail. I knew some corporate CEOs that did this. None ever got arrested for abusing prescriptions. Unlike some of my pot using friends.

Time: Want to Win the War on Drugs? Portugal Might Have the Answer

In Korea, conservatives regard pot users as liberals and will do anything to stop pot use, including jailing people. Seems like the US. Using drug laws to suppress freedom.

US Companies Doing Great, Wages Are Not

Sounds familiar. Companies doing well with wages stagnating seems to be the new norm.

Companies seem to be rewarding shareholders and management with ever increasing payoffs, and hellbent on keeping wages down. 

Newsweek: TRUMP’S TAX PLAN IS FAILING TO GIVE AMERICAN WORKERS THE WAGE GROWTH HE PROMISED

Korea already tried tax cuts for the wealthy and businesses several times in the past. It only exasperated the divide between the rich and poor. 

I'm spiritual, not religious

I believe in some sort of God, but not religions.

Korea Monthly Trade Surplus Average Is $50 Billion

For the past seven months, Korea's monthly trade surplus has been about $50 billion.
GDP has grown about 3% this year. Seoul is one of the most expensive cities to live in.

Yet, according to most Korean media, the economy is in shambles due to the increase in minimum wage to about $7 an hour.

The economy for small mom and pop restaurants and stores is bad, with many closing. However, this was the trend before increasing the minimum wage. The problem lies with high rents, high credit card transaction fees and very unfavorable franchise contracts (many would be illegal in the US). Also money does not flow downward into the local economy from the major corporations that export. They are not hiring, not investing and not paying their fair share of taxes. They are not even paying full price for electricity. Just hording money and buying real estate.

Property taxes are appraised according to the official value of the property which is a about 60% or less of the actual value and the rate is probably under 1%. So, in effect, rich property owners pay less than 0.6 percent. Rent is not even properly taxed. There is a tax brake if you report rental income. That's why the rich all have property, and why they hate property tax increases.

Something is not right in Korea.

At least, some are now seeing justice. During the past conservative administrations, Korean courts ruled against labor unions and laborers. Under the present progressive administration, a few are finally seeing justice.

Hankyoreh: Samsung leukemia and KTX cases finally nearing a close after more than 10 years

And to combat high credit card transaction fees, many mobile transaction services have appeared.

Hankyoreh: Seoul Pay to allow direct wire transfers for everyday transactions

There is legislation pending to extend the protection period for renters, so that landlords cannot raise rents exorbitantly, to ten years. There were cases where landlords would raise rents by 1000% or more, after the present protection period of 5 years was over.

I know many landlords who run businesses directly in their buildings, because there are no renters. Since they own the building, it is profitable for them to run businesses. For renters, the rent is so high, they cannot make any profit.