I don't normally watch Korean TV news as the reports are pretty biased, but some very interesting things happened recently.
The conservative People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok was ousted by allies of President Yoon in a suspicious power play.
First, someone dug up an old case and got someone convicted of a crime to claim that he provided a woman to Lee for sex many many years ago. Yoon's allies, mostly former prosecutors like Yoon, don't like Lee, who is not a former prosecutor.
Yoon's underlings in the conservative party called an ethics meeting and ruled that Lee tried to destroy evidence regarding the allegations and suspended him for six months. Then they got some members of the party's leading board to resign, so that the board would not have enough members to pass proposals. Then, they claimed that it was an emergency situation because the board could not lead the party, dissolved the board and set up an emergency committee to lead the party. Then, they tried to hold a vote to choose a new leader in January, so that Lee could not participate since he is suspended.
So, Lee filed for an injunction against the appointment of the emergency committee and won. LOL
Court suspends PPP's emergency committee chairman, siding with ex-chief
Something like Trump trying to remove Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell using dirty tricks, but failing. Party power struggle.
The emergency committee chairman is claiming that the judge is biased and has questionable ideologies. Usually, the Minister of Justice should defend the judge, but in this case, the Minister of Justice is a former prosecutor and Yoon's underling.
When rulings go their way, the People Power Party insists that the law must be respected and obeyed, but when they lose, judges are biased and might be a liberal or progressive, even worse, a socialist.
The prosecutors have been sitting on investigations involving violence by People Power Party in the parliament, which is illegal, for about five years. In cases involving trumped up allegations against progressive party members, investigations are publicized right away and cases go to court within months.
President Yoon is on TV every day visiting the public and issuing orders, while the media continues to report very favorably on Yoon's actions. Some polls even claim that his approval rating has risen to 32%, but a Gallup poll disagrees and says 28%.
Wholeheartedly agree?
Don’t Blame Inflation on Stimulus Checks. Blame It on Corporate Greed.
Economists Say Life Is Going to Be More Expensive Forever, Sorry
Record profits for grain firms amid food crisis prompt calls for windfall tax
Companies do not pass on cost savings to consumers. They spend tons of money lobbying governments and controlling policy to generate maximum profit, while using media to spread misinformation.
Conservatives (Korean and American) and the wealthy seem to rely on misinformation to con people. At least, more people are noticing and speaking out.
I read about a new algorithm for noise cancelling earphones/headphones based on time delay. The music coming through the speakers left and right are the same, no delay in signals between left and right. Outside noise is picked up from microphones outside the case of earphones/headphones. Any signals with delay between the right and left microphones are actively cancelled through the speakers to suppress them.
There were examples of the algorithm being used in real life situations, and the noise cancelling was impressive. Present noise cancelling earphones/headphones do a good job cancelling low frequency noise, but not mid and high frequencies. The new algorithm suppressed mid and high frequency noise really well.
I tried to find the article but couldn't remember where I saw it.
I have Bose headphones and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 earphones. I wonder which company will come out with products using the new algorithm.
Some brand just launched earbuds with 12mm drivers. I would like 12mm drivers and the new algorithm. It's nice listening to music at a low volume with clear bass and high notes. Very peaceful.
Wonder when noise cancelling earphone/headphone manufacturers will start to sell out their present inventory before introducing products with the new algorithm. It could take another year or two for a product to be developed and launched.
Did you know that earbuds and headphones generate great profit margins for the manufacturer? Far greater than most other products, excluding medicine, of course.
So, other people have noticed that Yoon is trying to act like Trump.
Hankyoreh: 100 days into his term, Yoon is acting more like Trump than ever
Hankyoreh is one of the very few non-conservative news outlets. Most of the media is trying to defend and support Yoon.
But I doubt that the cause is the rising interest rates.
It could be due to the downturn in the Chinese real estate market.
The Chinese have bought a lot of real estate in Korea, Canada (Vancouver), and other countries.
Korean media blames previous progressive administrations for the rise in real estate prices, but it is the conservative government that always has implemented policies that increase real estate prices. Then the progressive government and tries to reel those policies in, while being blamed by the media (and most of the public believes this nonsense).
It is now trying to ease restrictions on real estate development, reduce property taxes and extending credit to home buyers in order to resolve the supposed "housing shortage" (plenty of rentals).
In reality, the rich have a lot of real estate and do not want the prices to fall. The rich also fear inflation. Argentina still has around 60% inflation, I think. Hasn't gone down the drain.
Four of the past twelve former Korean presidents have been jailed with three pardoned to date - Chun Do-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak (out on bail).
The heads of Samsung, SK, Lotte, Hanwha, many more conglomerate heads, and countless corporate executives have been convicted of all sorts of crimes with many receiving pardons.
South Korea's Hanwha chief jailed for 4 years
Lotte shares dive after chairman is jailed
SK Group chief's 4-year jail term confirmed by Supreme Court
There are seemingly countless articles on jailed corporate heads. In their thinking, it's my company and my money, but in reality, it is the shareholders' company and money. That's why there is a Korean discount on Korean stocks. Need to tighten the laws and strengthen enforcement a little more.
Former president Moon Jae-in didn't grant pardons to corporate heads.
Why did incumbent Yoon pardoned them at the first opportunity? Didn't even wait till the end of the year. Why do most media praise Yoon and vilify Moon?
Why didn't Yoon pardon conservative former president Lee Myung-bak? He was just released from prison on bail. Pardoning him too would have probably been too much for the public. His pardon will come later.
Insider trading is rampant. Stock prices go up before major announcements all the time and no investigations from the prosecutors office. Almost no convictions for insider trading, I think.
Wonder if the corrupt four former Korean presidents and corrupt business heads did any business together. Robbed the country blind?
South Korea’s Troubling History of Jailing Ex-presidents
Some conglomerate group heads have received more than one pardon. No wonder they act like Trump.
Wonder if Trump will be indicted? Why not? Other countries indict presidents for crimes. Many think that he should have been jailed long ago? He'll probably be pardoned something in the future.
Wonder how vocal pro-Trump GOP members will be when Trump is indicted. It seems the most vocal are the ones that sought pardons.