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It’s not political corruption but political theatre. SKorea is controlled by a few chaebols. They keep the gen pop “entertained” so they can do what they want b
by lvl155 2y ago
It’s not political corruption but political theatre. SKorea is controlled by a few chaebols. They keep the gen pop “entertained” so they can do what they want behind the scene. The closest they got to the chaebol is when they sent the Samsung dude for a couple of years Escobar style. There’s a very famous footage of Ban Ki-moon, former UN secretary and someone universally celebrated, kowtowing to the most hated political figure in SKorea in Chun Do-Hwan. That’s how it goes in SKorea. It’s a miracle that their economy continues to flourish in spite of political turmoil and social malaise.
- alephnerd 2y agoThat's a reductive take. Chaebols are very strong in Korea, but that undermines the relative strength of the (commissioned) Military and the Prosecutor's office in Korean society. Both of these organizations are very traditional and conservative in mindset, but also have extremely tight and cliquish behaviors, and will tend to rally around someone who is a member of the "in-group". And this is why Yoon has survived for so long, because significant portions of the political and quasi-civil society supported and would have enabled his attempted coup.
- lvl155 2y agoThat’s a reductive take.