Dram now makes his recommendation for a “must read”. No North Korea, but it does have China and Japan.
A very interesting little article in the Chosun Ilbo over the weekend on the growing imports of Chinese rice, kimchi, and vegetables. It includes a rather indignant quote from a government farm official:
On his guests’ response, Jeong said, “I wanted to show off our high-quality rice. But their response was so unexpected.”
Now perhaps Jeong feels the pain of the US traders when they get the constant comment “Korea rice is superior”. Probably not, but a guy can dream can’t he?
Speaking of which the article has an a quote which shows how stiff Korean rice taxes are:
Keep in mind that is after the rice tariff and the quota/auction system. With out that Chinese rice would be even cheaper.
The article also has a great little story about how China somewhat took revenge after the Kimchi parasites were found last year:
The crocodile tears are welling up. Oh that reminds me one of the more humorous aspects about the Kimchi parasite case that was never said. Most of the contaminated Kimchi came from Korean owned Kimchi factories.
Speaking of economic nationalism and development. The author also gets a taeguki sticker for his forehead for blaming all the increasing Chinese farm imports and decrease in Korean farm exports on Japan. Two points for the somewhat gratuitous swipe.
Deduct a point for who ever is translating the Chosun these days. Did you know the US rice export to asian markets is called the “Carlos”. Ole!
7 Comments
The Great Garlic War of 2000 or 2001 or there abouts was interesting, and it might have been instructive for the United States if it didn’t mind being painted even more as the bad guy by Korean society.
Like with Chile on the FTA, after long, drawn out negociations over agro-fishery product import tax reductions were finishing (or I think finished) with a deal in place, the details, which the South Korean government had tried to keep secret, were leaked, and the usual response came in Korean society: the unions and farmers were in an uproar and soon joined by the citizens — since much of the society still remembers Korea’s times of dire poverty. The media was swinging both ways. They chose to focus on garlic inparticular. All this brouhaha in the society led the government to do as it often does: say that they would renegociate the agreements. Oh, I forgot, I think the bulk of the tarrif reductions were to be phased in over time — which gives SK the idea that it can always renegociate later.
But, unlike with the US, and unlike with a weaker nation like Chile, China did not stand for it.
Seeing its name being splashed across the news in red ink all over Korea, and/or seeing the South Korean government talk about renegociations and dising the deal they just cut, pissed China off, and it retaliated immediately with high tariffs on telecommunications and chemical industry products South Korean corporations were making a fortune on.
And with this major thumping on the head, the Korean government and press changed its tune and told the unions and farmers to stick it. —- And the rest of the society got quiet as well, because under the surface, they knew they were making good money due to access to the Chinese markets.
I am not sure, but I think the US could very well take a lesson from this. Most of the time, the US reaction when South Korea gets its back up is to fret over “worsening conditions” and fears making moves that could make matters worse. China surely doesn’t follow our lead when dealing with South Korea.
“due to access to the Korean markets” Chinese markets, idiot…
What’s to fear from China? If we really wanted to punish China for its illegal arms and technology transfers to our enemies, the U.S. would simply have to strip its Most Favored Nation status from China, and request Japan to cease any and all production in China. China dies overnight.
We’re all aware of China’s pending ecological disaster, it’s just a matter of time before the “production machine” comes to a halt. I except a revolution in China soon…
It’s not like America is going to play dead, and give up its hard-earned #1 spot in the world. There’s a China policy in place, and it seems to be effective in controlling their aggression, while the country modernizes, and matures into a 1st world country in terms of economics at least.
–Remort
usinkorea>Good points. You do remind me of another thing about the trade talks I find funny, a good portion of the tariffs the US wants lifted or reduced Korea is ALREADY obligated to do so under the WTO agreements. How quickly people forget things like the rice deal of a few years ago.
Remort> Incidentaly you have a point, I should have used quotes around “fear” in the title. Little to fear really in trade.
Better becareful who you cheer for. I can understand that you don’t like Korea very much at this moment, but your wishes may very well come true and you won’t like the results (that is a growing economically powerful China that will rival the United States in Asia). This, at a time when US influence in Asia is being gradually hijacked all over Asia.
South Korea is just one country in Asia that are taking out more eggs from the US hat, and putting more into the China basket. It is not out of total impossiblity that after the dissolution of the USFK, South Korea will ally itself with China, economically, politically and militarily. At that point, China and North Korea would have won a huge victory without firing a single shot.
“It is not out of total impossiblity that after the dissolution of the USFK, South Korea will ally itself with China, economically, politically and militarily. At that point, China and North Korea would have won a huge victory without firing a single shot.”
And unfortunately, it seems that certain groups and politicians would have no problem with this and are actively working towards this, to the detriment of most Koreans.
China has an inept, repressive government that is mainly interested in staying in power (insert Bu$hie joke here) and the greed of local officials is setting the stage for a massive revolt. In its race to be an international player its destroying the environment at an amazing pace:
http://www.iht.com/articles/20.....lution.php
S. Korea would be siding with a losing proposition by an alliance with China.