4 ms·

South Korea is reaping the dividend of the demographic transition right now. They are where Japan was in the 1980s. They played their cards very well and were a

South Korea is reaping the dividend of the demographic transition right now. They are where Japan was in the 1980s. They played their cards very well and were able to build up both hard and soft power during the growth years.

alberth 3y ago
Hopefully they don’t experience Japans “Lost Decades”, where since ~1991, economically the national has stagnated. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decades https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decades
- Mistletoe 3y ago
  Hopefully America isn't about to experience the exact same thing. The similarities abound as our population grays and reproduction is at all time lows. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?locations=US https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?location... US net migration is declining drastically also. https://econofact.org/the-decline-in-u-s-net-migration https://econofact.org/the-decline-in-u-s-net-migration
  - clove 3y ago
    Japan's stock market has been trending sideways for decades. Housing values only depreciate to zero over time. Japanese people have no way to easily invest locally. They no longer buy stocks. Virtually, the only reason to buy stock now is for discounts (e.g., buy transportation stocks for discounts on tickets; buy grocery store stocks for discounts on food). If America is headed this way, this is what to expect.
    - MichaelZuo 3y ago
      > Housing values only depreciate to zero over time. That's true for every country, it's land that appreciates.
tsunamifury 3y ago
Crashing population, massive child suicide rate, terrible dictator families running the nation and an outright cult controlling even more… I really don’t think we should hold SK up for anything other than what aggressive capitalism does to a society. Kills it off.
- neximo64 3y ago
  There are plenty of people in other countries who would easily pick South Korea as a better place to live, but never admit it verbally for the reasons you're saying.
- thegaulofthem 3y ago
  If only we had an aggressively socialist nation with a comparable demographic to compare to. Shame there isn’t an East Korea we could compare with and against.
  - solarmist 3y ago
    North Korea was screwed the second they were divided. They have terrible geography for sustaining a country.
    - thegaulofthem 3y ago
      It’s a real shame what the mountain ranges and cold weather did to the North Korean people. Perhaps they could learn from Switzerland and casually handle sketchy wealth.
- gtop3 3y ago
  My familiarity with SK is minimal, but I am interested by part of your comment and would like to study more. What is the name of the cult you are referring to?
  - solarmist 3y ago
    Dunno about that cult, but huge conglomerates like Samsung and LG control their entire economy.

alberth 3y ago

Hopefully they don’t experience Japans “Lost Decades”, where since ~1991, economically the national has stagnated. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decades https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decades

Mistletoe 3y ago
Hopefully America isn't about to experience the exact same thing. The similarities abound as our population grays and reproduction is at all time lows. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?locations=US https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?location... US net migration is declining drastically also. https://econofact.org/the-decline-in-u-s-net-migration https://econofact.org/the-decline-in-u-s-net-migration
- clove 3y ago
  Japan's stock market has been trending sideways for decades. Housing values only depreciate to zero over time. Japanese people have no way to easily invest locally. They no longer buy stocks. Virtually, the only reason to buy stock now is for discounts (e.g., buy transportation stocks for discounts on tickets; buy grocery store stocks for discounts on food). If America is headed this way, this is what to expect.
  - MichaelZuo 3y ago
    > Housing values only depreciate to zero over time. That's true for every country, it's land that appreciates.

tsunamifury 3y ago

Crashing population, massive child suicide rate, terrible dictator families running the nation and an outright cult controlling even more… I really don’t think we should hold SK up for anything other than what aggressive capitalism does to a society. Kills it off.

neximo64 3y ago
There are plenty of people in other countries who would easily pick South Korea as a better place to live, but never admit it verbally for the reasons you're saying.
thegaulofthem 3y ago
If only we had an aggressively socialist nation with a comparable demographic to compare to. Shame there isn’t an East Korea we could compare with and against.
- solarmist 3y ago
  North Korea was screwed the second they were divided. They have terrible geography for sustaining a country.
  - thegaulofthem 3y ago
    It’s a real shame what the mountain ranges and cold weather did to the North Korean people. Perhaps they could learn from Switzerland and casually handle sketchy wealth.
gtop3 3y ago
My familiarity with SK is minimal, but I am interested by part of your comment and would like to study more. What is the name of the cult you are referring to?
- solarmist 3y ago
  Dunno about that cult, but huge conglomerates like Samsung and LG control their entire economy.