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!
