And in a post Bill at Ampontan is sure to love, the FT’s Gideon Rachman writes that Japanese are increasingly anxious about South Korea’s recent good fortune:
I expected the Japanese to be feeling anxious about China, what with the much-ballyhooed moment later this year, when the Chinese economy will become larger than that of Japan. What I hadn’t expected to find was increasing alarm about South Korea – a poorer, smaller country that was once colonised by Japan.
But, as it happens, the Japanese are increasingly contrasting their own struggles with Korean success. The most recent cause of anxiety was the Winter Olympics. The South Koreans did brilliantly and came fifth in the medals table with six gold medals. The Japanese didn’t win any golds at all – and only got five medals of any colour.
To the Japanese, the Olympics seem unpleasantly symbolic. The South Korean economy also seems to be doing much better than Japan’s. South Korea managed to grow (just) in 2009, while Japanese GDP shrank by over 5%. In the latest quarter, South Korea grew by 6% while Japan was still in recession.
Nice to see Mr. Rachman reads his own paper. Which he should, since it’s got that nice pink color. Or is it salmon?
Anyway, it appears those regular meetings with foreign correspondents are really starting to pay off.
Marmot’s Note: Just as an aside, I should point out that at least as far as the Korean auto industry is concerned, I’m concerned Hyundai and Friends might run into some of the same problems the Japanese are experiencing in the US market… and it’s not necessarily the Korean side that worries me.
(HT to reader)
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
yep:
‘Olympic medals are amongst others a failry good signal about a country’s attitude towards life and ambitions. Japan will have a hard time beating the Koreans in sports. For the simple fact that the Koreans are built much stronger and taller than the Japanese. Long distance ice speed skating has long been considered a Dutch/Scandinavian game. In Vancouver this rule was broken by… a Korean. First time in history of ice speed skating an Asian and more specifically a Korean man has won gold on the 10k and silver on the 5k. This sportsman has only skated the 10k only 3 times before the games took place. So we must wait and see what else he has got for us left.
Korea is a completely different economy than Spain or Italy. Korea is an heavily industrialized nation. Koreans are very typical when it comes to be ambitions. Koreans love competition. They know that they are the 12th economy of the world. So they compare themselves with number 11 and 10 and see that those countries are Italy and France. The next game is to beat those two countries. Ambitions are found in any level of the Korean society. Samsungs goal was to beat Sony. Another big name is Hyundai whose goal is to beat Toyota. When we take Samsung as an example I am confident that ultimately they will beat Toyota.
To get a decent job one must learn English. So students at the age of 12 start learning English. If you wanna become the best you must be better and smarter so what do parents? Simply: they start learning their children English at the age of 6. Korea has more than 100.000 tutors from native English speaking countries helping to learn English to Korean students. Tutors get paid $ 2.000 a month and housing. No wonder they can choose from Australia to Ireland for the best tutors. The shadow side is that suicide rate is among the highest in the OECD member states and fertility rate is among the lowest. That is the price you pay for beiing so ambitious. Many people cannot take the burden of the pressure to achieve to the best at any price. The pace of Korea beats any other pace in the world, as they live in the overdrive. That’s why so many Koreans live abroad especially in North America. They like the relaxed manners and soft pace of those countries. ‘
I think a Japanese lady who was an economic expert said it best. Figure skating is a good analogy not because Yuna is the best but because although she may be better than Mao and Ando the Japanese have more figure skaters rather the the best one. So, if Yuna ever fails or retires, the Japanese have more skaters both practicing and in the pipeline to take over.
Another American business observer used the analogy of Korea, Inc. being like a basketball team. A great starting five but a weaker bench. I guess my point is that Korea does have a number of great global companies and brands, but that other developed nations have more. It’s like a recent expansion team that has finally enough talent to get to the playoffs but can’t get far into the playoffs. At least not yet.
Korea is getting there, but it’s still a ways away.
I wouldn’t be too concerned about Ampontan’s snottish comments. When he’s not ragging on Korea, he’s bashing, well, everyone. I used to read his blog (sorry – polemical diary or whatever the fuck he calls it), until I got so sick of his endless condescending posts of the ROK, Australia, the US etc etc.
I like his blog. Or non-blog, as it were. Don’t always agree with his views about Korea, but I appreciate his take on things none-the-less.
Did you see Yuna “making cross sign” before start skating? She is a Catholic. Surprised?
Many Koreans are Christians. One sportcaster was attacked and lost his job because he said “God blessed and gave a medal to …Praise His name” when a Korean Christian won a gold medal.
This is what happened to England long time ago and to the US. When true God is blessing a country, nobody can stop Him.
God is blessing South Korea right now. Things are working out in most unexpected ways for the benefit of Korea.
Incredible.
God is blessing South Korea right now.
-As long as South Korean Christians keep burning down Buddhist temples in Korea, Korea will be at war with itself.
You must log in to post a comment.
{ 1 trackback }