Monthly Archives: February 2011

Japanese & Korean Economic Myths & Realities – Update & commentary

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: This is an interesting rebuttal to the common perception that Japan is sinking. And I mean the common perception that is within Japan. The last time I lived in Japan was the entire decade of the 1990s, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, S Korea Economy, S Korean Politics, Trade | Tagged economy, finance, Japan, Korea, trade, unemployment | Leave a comment

Hardships Fail to Loosen Regime’s Grip on North Korea

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: “Fear” is the key word to understanding North Korea. Fear plays itself out in almost a mind-boggling array of manifestations north of the 38th Parallel. The below gives a depressing update of how fear is preventing one small … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Defense, North Korea, S Korean Politics, USA | Leave a comment

N Korea’s Propaganda Cinema & S Korea’s Internet Addiction

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: AlJazeerah provides two contrasting views of Korea – one North, the focus of this message, and the second South, a review of the social downsides of Internet online gaming, etc. The documentary on South Korea can be viewed … Continue reading →

Posted in Defense, North Korea, S Korean Politics, Society, Technology | Tagged addiction, DPRK, Internet, North Korea, propaganda, ROK, South Korea | Leave a comment

Controlling Political Unrest in N Korea and China

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: The scent of the Jasmine Revolution is passing through China’s Internet bamboo curtain and, in all likelihood, is being picked up by some of N Korea’s elite. While neither country’s government is in any immediate danger of imploding … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Defense, North Korea, Society, Technology | Tagged China, CPRK, human rights, North Korea, PRC, revolution | Leave a comment

Starving N Korea begs for food, but US has concerns about resuming aid

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: Between now and late spring, we can anticipate seeing an increase in this kind of article. The problems of aid giving to North Korea have become too well understood by aid givers. It has been years since the … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Defense, North Korea, S Korean Politics, USA | Tagged dictatorship, famine, North Korea, revolution | 1 Comment

Ubiquitous Gigabyte per Second Internet Speed in S Korea by 2012

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: A common complaint heard from Korea-based expats upon their repatriations or home visits is how slow the Internet is in their home countries compared to S Korea. Long ago, in many people’s minds here, “dial up modem” has … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business in Korea, Education, S Korea Economy, S Korean Politics, Society, Technology | Tagged e-commerce, gigabyte, Internet, Korea, South Korea | Leave a comment

History of Active X’s Misapplication in South Korea – A Protectionism Case Study

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: Over time, anyone dealing with Korean web sites, or Korean software in general, will almost inevitably come across the Microsoft Active X fixation that South Korean programmers have become dependent upon, years after the rest of the world … Continue reading →

Posted in Defense, Doing Business in Korea, Education, S Korea Economy, S Korean Politics, Technology, Trade, USA | Tagged case study, IT, protectionism, software, South Korea | Leave a comment

Localization helps Samsung win French hearts and minds

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: Beyond a doubt, the very large Korean companies are becoming truly internationalized operations – often in spite of themselves. These chaebol, for example, are still infamous for their top-down, military-like hierarchies. At the same time, many large units … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business in Korea, EU, S Korea Economy, S Korean Politics, Society, Technology, Trade | Tagged business, chaebol, consumer electronics, internationalization, Korea, LG, localization, Samsung | 1 Comment

Korea’s Ten Major Trends for 2011

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: Probably one cannot call it a “trend,” but a festering problem, for 2011 and beyond, will be unemployment at both ends of the age spectrum. Young university graduates continue to find it difficult to get their first “real … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business in Korea, S Korea Economy, Selling, Society, Technology, Trade | Leave a comment

Does North Korea deserve aid?

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Tom Coyner

Coyner’s Comment: Brad Martin implies an appropriate, if horrific conclusion: as heart-wrenching the plight may be for the average North Korean, there are many other people in the world also suffering with governments who are far less cynical in manipulating … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Defense, North Korea, S Korean Politics, USA | 2 Comments