4 ms·

Can you go more into why you aren’t positive about Samsung?

eatonphil 7y ago
Not who you're responding to, but for just one possible reason look at Lee Jae-Yong. He's the head of Samsung and was arrested in 2017 for bribery, embezzlement, etc. Chaebols (name for families that run these mega-companies) are both respected for success and disliked for corruption as I understand it. While there are these mega-companies in RoK and Japan that have especially "close" relationships with governments, I don't think it's that dissimilar from the revolving door of lobbyists/board members/politicians in the US. Citizens in the US are similarly critical of corruption at this level in pharma, tobacco, military, etc. At the same time, these companies are all responsible to varying degrees for the success of the economy and first-world lifestyle in the US, Japan, RoK. So you can't just want them not to exist either.
- Nokinside 7y ago
  Keiretsu-type groups that do everything in-house can prevent whole business sectors from emerging. In Japan the relative lack of independent software companies have been attributed to Keiretsu structure. Software development was just in-house activity to serve established product divisions. It was not seen as business to be sold independently. For example, Toyota made whole integrated CAD/CAM/CAE system called 'TOGO' in the late 90s. As a result Japan has been mostly no-show in software business outside console games. Software they develop is sold inside hardware.
  - eatonphil 7y ago
    Agreed, historically anyway. Older Koreans (judging by my in-laws) hear "computer science" or "programming" and think of computer repairmen. Oddly enough, Korea and Japan have even higher percentage of SMBs than in the US (can't remember the link but the OECD published such stats). However historically they served only as subcontractors to the chaebols and keiretsu groups. I think that's changing in Korea and Japan as of recently. In the last 20 years, there has been a rise in startups serving massive audiences in online gaming, social media, and e-commerce. Think Nexon, Daum, Naver/LINE, Rakuten, SoftBank, etc.
    - bobthepanda 7y ago
      IIRC, one big type of sector that they received flak for when they moved into it was bakeries. Food is one sector in Korea with a lot of SMBs, and at the time it looked like they were trying to steal even more of the economy for themselves. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120126001019 http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120126001019
jbverschoor 7y ago
Corruption, bribing, tax-evasion, spying, fraud, sabotage
- valuearb 7y ago
  Use of prison labor.
shadowCensor 7y ago
They are like Apple. Lots of marketing a medium quality product but charging luxury pricing. They do this from TV, to smart phones, to SSD, to appliances. They are on my "no buy" list.
- samfisher83 7y ago
  They aren't like apple more Like GE they do everything. The sell appliances. They sell you life insurance. They do construction. They do oil and gas. They sell cars.
- chrischen 7y ago
  If Samsung and apple are at Medium quality product then what is a high quality product because I must be missing out.

Not who you're responding to, but for just one possible reason look at Lee Jae-Yong. He's the head of Samsung and was arrested in 2017 for bribery, embezzlement, etc. Chaebols (name for families that run these mega-companies) are both respected for success and disliked for corruption as I understand it. While there are these mega-companies in RoK and Japan that have especially "close" relationships with governments, I don't think it's that dissimilar from the revolving door of lobbyists/board members/politicians in the US. Citizens in the US are similarly critical of corruption at this level in pharma, tobacco, military, etc. At the same time, these companies are all responsible to varying degrees for the success of the economy and first-world lifestyle in the US, Japan, RoK. So you can't just want them not to exist either.

Nokinside 7y ago
Keiretsu-type groups that do everything in-house can prevent whole business sectors from emerging. In Japan the relative lack of independent software companies have been attributed to Keiretsu structure. Software development was just in-house activity to serve established product divisions. It was not seen as business to be sold independently. For example, Toyota made whole integrated CAD/CAM/CAE system called 'TOGO' in the late 90s. As a result Japan has been mostly no-show in software business outside console games. Software they develop is sold inside hardware.
- eatonphil 7y ago
  Agreed, historically anyway. Older Koreans (judging by my in-laws) hear "computer science" or "programming" and think of computer repairmen. Oddly enough, Korea and Japan have even higher percentage of SMBs than in the US (can't remember the link but the OECD published such stats). However historically they served only as subcontractors to the chaebols and keiretsu groups. I think that's changing in Korea and Japan as of recently. In the last 20 years, there has been a rise in startups serving massive audiences in online gaming, social media, and e-commerce. Think Nexon, Daum, Naver/LINE, Rakuten, SoftBank, etc.
  - bobthepanda 7y ago
    IIRC, one big type of sector that they received flak for when they moved into it was bakeries. Food is one sector in Korea with a lot of SMBs, and at the time it looked like they were trying to steal even more of the economy for themselves. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120126001019 http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120126001019

jbverschoor 7y ago

Corruption, bribing, tax-evasion, spying, fraud, sabotage

valuearb 7y ago
Use of prison labor.

shadowCensor 7y ago

They are like Apple. Lots of marketing a medium quality product but charging luxury pricing. They do this from TV, to smart phones, to SSD, to appliances. They are on my "no buy" list.

samfisher83 7y ago
They aren't like apple more Like GE they do everything. The sell appliances. They sell you life insurance. They do construction. They do oil and gas. They sell cars.
chrischen 7y ago
If Samsung and apple are at Medium quality product then what is a high quality product because I must be missing out.