The Untouchable Chaebols of South Korea | Open Secrets
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- Опубліковано 12 сер 2022
- In this episode, we detail how Korea’s chaebols wield outsized power in this democracy, often to the point of outright corruption, monopolistic practices and labor violations. These include all the biggest names in Korean business like Samsung, Hyundai and SK Group. To outsiders, South Korea is a glitzy place, a modern Asian superpower, especially in the world of arts and culture. But domestically, it is home to a deep class divide. It’s the universal story of the have and the have-nots but in a place small enough that the impact of concentrating so much wealth and power in the hands of so few seem so much more obvious than in the US.
Open Secrets is a documentary series that looks at just this - secrets lived out in the open,
things everyone knows about, but no one will talk about - until that moment when it becomes
fully exposed to the world. Each episode visits a different country, looking at a single secret and
exploring why the issue remained a secret for years despite existing out in the open. What has
allowed these secrets to fester in the open for so long? For some, the reason is a risk, that
blowing the whistle can be deadly. For others, it’s a privilege, that they benefited from the
secret staying such for too long. This series is about the insurmountable control those in the
corridors of power have in societies - till someone decides to risk it all to take them head-on.Click here to SUBSCRIBE to VICE Asia: bit.ly/2LhqAR9
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I worked for Samsung for 5 years, in marketing. I am proud of Yumi's father for standing up to my previous employer. Even someone with no power can make a difference in the world.
Good will always win
@@CryptocurrencyInsider very true. It was truly inspiring to see common people stand up to these issues. But in today's world the one who controls media controls everything
Wtf, other companies have done nothing bad? This smells fishy. Nuke dumping fishy
@@CryptocurrencyInsider In south korea? No. Yumi's case is only one of the few rare ones that win.
@@CryptocurrencyInsider good rarely wins, atleast not before the damage is done.
Yumi father has fought so hard, not only for his daughter but others who also died due to the poor management. I'm glad Vice deliver this in such a way where we could feel the root problem of our society.
Well done Vice. A masterpiece production. Very powerful.
Please anyone explain who is yumi
@@roselady1900 Yumi was the employee of Samsung who died due to Leukimia that caused by the chemical on the Samsung factory.
yes, well done vice. and I think Yumi and everyone who sacrifices their lives at every industry to provide us with better tools (may be it's what the company think) but have really bad management are the heroes. and now I have heavy heart to enjoy too much extended technology because there are must be people behind that improvement sacrifices for that
Hope Someday, North lierates the south and hold these people accountable.
“Presidents and Prime Ministers are temporary but Chaebols are forever”. This sums up the power structure in S. Korea. It will not change.
These large families: they are like mafia organizations
@@larsalanasu313 I don't even know, they are the new nobility of Korea
Every country has their own "chaebols" but whats unique to South Korea's case is that SAMSUNG literally rule their country. No other country government will allow a corporation to dictate how their country is run but considering SAMSUNG feeds 20% of their country's economy makes them untouchable. And as you can see, this documentary proves that people of power controls their media too. If you are observant of South Korea, you will see that when someone in power gets in to a scandal, their media/journalists will write about celebrity scandal and release articles about it almost everyday. Its a vicious cycle that is so obvious not to notice. This is how they control their people, thru fake celebrity gossips. SAMSUNG makes up 20% of their SoKor's economy? that basically makes them the ruler.
perhaps if Japan didn't outright abandon the zaibatsu/chaebol model after ww2, they would've ended up the same way
US IS RULED BY BLACKROCK WHOSE FOUNDER IS A JEW
@@luckyabdurrahman1085 They probably have to otherwise would be hard to get help from US. SK was in similar situation but uniquely located by geography, so the chaebols was given a chance to rule. Besides, as long as US allow those chaebols to live, they live. SK governments has no control over its own citizens.
Someday, a company like Samsung will arise in s. Korea. Right then, there will be a competition.
Government...
Govern
Mentality.
Think about that.
Just boggles my mind how radically different lives Koreans in the North & South of 38th parallel are living. One repressed by a brutal dictator the other burdened by Hyper capitalistic society.
That's America's future
South Korea is infinitely better than North Korea and it shows just how much better Capitalism is compared to communism.
You mean also oppressed. It’s not surprising, they are just replacing one form of oppression (military dictatorship) up to the 80’s with another being hyper capitalists.
Honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of the people in power now were also in power back in the dictatorship era. Power and corruption can easily move from one economic and social system to another without having an effect on those in power.
@@Tsargoldbear They are the fault of America too
the hypercqpitalist society doesnt have people eating grass for food. Plus S.koreans have much better health care system than the US. so
The thing about Asia is that family values rule society, but _family rules society._ It's honestly pervasive how deep these dynasties run. I go to a private school on scholarship (the same school where the people Crazy Rich Asians was based on attended) and often there's five or six students all from the same family attending our school. These clans aren't just national, they're international, spanning across Asia and sometimes the world. Banking, politics, business, and so on - the power isn't in the hands of the people, it's in the hands of the "untouchables". The amount of power a few select families control is genuinely staggering.
That's interesting.. can you share more about your experience being friends with those kind of people? Like difference in mentality, morale standards etc? Just curious
I would also like to hear more about this if you could elaborate.
Would like to hear more
@@vibinggirl6003 like any group of humans, their morality and experiences will probably vary wildly. Hard to paint even what we think are “elite” cultural families from Korea with a broad brush.
As an Asian, I can confirm this... nepotism is notoriously affects society. You put your family first than others, especially in workplace
For example, you can see that big conservative corporations will have their siblings and children hold an important position
In my country, there's a phrase that goes "Ang hirap maging mahirap" which translates to "It's hard being poor". This sums up what I have realized with this documentary. It's hard fighting for what is right if we're powerless since money is power. Justice is served mostly to the rich, while the poor remains defeated.
Just show's how fu€ked up our justice system is🤷🤷
Agree.. mahirap maging mahirap lalo na sa Pinas. But not just in the Philippines but almost everywhere. I wish it werent the case. So heartbreaking.
Exactly. That's why young professionals tend to look for opportunity abroad rather than work in ph. I work my ass off but still under compensated. Life's tougher since cost of living is increasing due to global inflation etc.
@@brightdaysaheadofUs pls translate it in Bisaya.. so i could understand you better. Thanks
medyo nababahala na ako sa MIF ni Bongbong Marcos now that I watch this 😅
I cried when he talked about how he felt he wasn't brave enough to throw her ashes into the faces of those Samsung people that came to the funeral. He is a very brave man. He has my utmost respect for fighting so much for his daughter. She'd be so proud.
I need VICE Asia to do one of these in the Philippines. It would be terrifying, but people need to know more about the political dynasties. We suffer due to ignorance and the rampant silencing of activists and journalists in our country.
The Marco's are vile, horrendously currupt people.
Sadly, most people are not on UA-cam, Twitter or Reddit, to check their news. The Big Controlled Media already had their grip on major newspapers and news sites.
Same in pakistan, imran khan is trying to break those very dynasties.
not only the political dynasty but the oligarchs itself.. if Koreans have "chaebols" Philippines has "oligarchs" who rule the society.. that their influence reach up to the government. Nepotism in Asia is really rampant that it exists in every country. As long as you're friends or related to the person in power for sure your life will be much easier.
oh god, to live in a developing country... so embarrassing.
The running joke in Korea is
Why is prison better than the military?
The answer is-
You'll find plenty of corrupt politicians/CEOs in prison (so the facilities are quite humane, food is decent, etc.) so every time they complain about their human rights, the prison facilities will change immediately.
But there is zero chance of finding the children of said politicians/CEOs in the military (many kids from powerful families find a way to skip military service). Thus, no matter how many conscripts kill themselves/are abused to death, no one cares.
Says a lot about how things are run here
That isn't much different in the US, but it's worth pointing out that South Korea's legal standard is diffferent. For instance what is strictly illegal in South Korea is openly allowed in the US -- eg, political lobbying.
"zero chance of finding the children of said politicians/CEOs in the military"
How would you know if the children of politicians/CEO are not in the military? Do they always identify themselves as children of such and such when they enter the service?
@@tooltalk Nobody has to "identify themselves" as an elite 🤣😂🤣
I don't think you understand cultures outside the US...
Your comment about political lobbying also is odd, because these families fully control government officials.
They just don't "openly" lobby them, to use your word. Their control is not an open, regulated thing. It is all behind closed doors. Private. Shady. Threatening.
The concept of political lobbying doesn't exist in dictatorships. It's all personal family desires and control. And Korea is a bit more like this, than like the US, on this topic.
@@tooltalk : It is two different things. South Korea is similar to the UK. Meaning that, there are "Royal families" that lives in the UK and they date back centuries. In many countries, there are similar "royal families" just that we do not classify them as much, by the way we structured our laws and our current global framework. But in truth, if there have been "indigenous for generations", then I should and can class them as "Royal families". The way that I have seen, or from what I have seen, South Korea has structured itself into a proper Confucian society. By that, what do I mean? Sure.. if you ran a DNA test for their entire population, you might find that they are all relatives. So how can you structure a society, with different age groups. And different skills and jobs that needs to be done ??
US is not like that, US is a place of democracy, and freedom, freedom is in the sense that, "you can claim land or money, and you can work and be paid, without favours or without restrictions". Whereas in the UK, everybody, except the current ruling royal family has to pay taxes. That includes the other extended royal families.. like very lower ranking royal families. They too, have to have a job and work as well. And they too have to pay taxes.
Thanks for sharing this information its new to me
In indonesia Chaebol word sometimes to be labeled as discriminative for person who not tall or too short at their body
Yumi's father is truly remarkable. He is an unassuming man with little financial power, but he stood up to one of the most powerful companies in the world. He stood up to a system, a government, a monopoly, a way of life-and through courage and determination, he nearly brought those powers to their knees. It goes to show the strength one individual, a father fueled by his love for his daughter. Power to the people!
It's crazy to see how chaebols are idolized in korean dramas too. It makes me rethink the love stories between the poor "commoner" girl and the rich chaebol, who is considered desirable.
It’s pretty universal that wealth is attractive, though.
Samsung isnt the only company with its dark acts but it is just interesting how this company controls a whole country. Samsung is so entwined with South Koreas everyday lives that its so easy to control the masses. My condolences to the familys being treated like this.
Always nice people who are taken advantage of in this world. Its so hard to understand how this world works and not get tainted by the cesspool of this world.
Free South Korea, Free East Asia!!! ua-cam.com/video/moL7fUlxris/v-deo.html
🏹Freedom!!!🏹
Because they contributed a lot to their GDP.that's the only company I know that made south Korea well known when it comes to electronics .nothing else !since their economy was in sluggish situation ,so they need these chaebol to bring back the old glory days of samsung too.
@@realcindydadrana1903 Their also known for their construction business as well (Local & Oversea projects)
Samsung C&T
U think its gna work?, Do they have a magic wand or special abilities
there is a company the whole world dont dare to mess it called lockheed martin
It’s interesting to see South Korea in a different light. Whenever South Korea comes in mind, people are quick to say that the country’s just all about K-pop, K-dramas, their street food, their iconic landmarks and tourist hotspots, so on and so forth. There’s always a dark side to every country, and South Korea doesn’t differ from that. The untouchables inherit so much power and authority that even those below in rank them just can’t compare. It goes to show that even in South Korea inequality, marginalization, and discrimination are pretty much overshadowed. I’ve heard stories of foreigners getting unfair treatment, and even some of them couldn’t get the justice that they rightfully deserve. Overall, there’s some things that are needed to be spoken about more to gain more awareness and attention all around.
I worked for their government. It’s a fuxking horrible country. We burned files - an entire room full and got raided by the secret police once in Hyehwa. Ridiculous place.
Same for Japan
"people" ... little kids that spend too much time on social networks, not "people".
Did u get sex as bribery?🤣
@@lawlivelaugh you a mercenary?
I have a friend who got a job in samsung marketing right out of university in malaysia. Everyone around her were in awe of her and were so proud of her. Truth was she became so depressed. Her bosses used to overwork her, she had to do jobs that she was not contracted to do and worked most saturdays too, even if her hours were during the week.
I'm sorry to hear that. How is she now?
Note that this video is blocked in South Korea... I wonder why 🤔
How you know?
@@dikshasahu5830 exactly how does he know
It's heartbreaking how Yumi's father shared Yumi's story. The story itself is so tragic, and now it's being told by her father, recalling each painful memory, so that her story will be heard. I can't imagine the pain Yumi's family had to go through...and it's so sad that there are other workers, and their families, who suffered like this
I thank Yumi's father for sharing his story with us, it must be very painful to retell his beloved daughter's dead 😢. May Hwang Yu-Mi rest in peace.
To clarify for some who think koreans are not talking enough about the issues or try to demean the whole nation.. being of korean descent myself and having lived and visited various times there, I’ve come to realize that they are indeed very well aware of their reality.
Just meeting my own family members in Korea made me realize, they suffer, endure and live by horrible realities day by day. I have family members that disappeared leaving huge debts on their children, others that work in big corporates and have formed a beautiful family but are never ‘enough’ because they are not ‘chaebols’, or have only developed extreme social anxiety disorders. And the most intelligent and studious person of all but graduated “second” at school because the “first” bought the answers at ‘hagwons’. Or neglected and looked down upon people just because of disabilities, when he is a national paralympic athlete. Oh and grandparents that lived through war and extremely abusive relationships but are just living by the modernity with all their traumas.
I met grandmas that still sing japanese songs that they were taught when little because during the japanese colonial era, korean culture/language was tried to be completely erased. Trust me, our heroes are not just ‘bts’ or some ‘chabeols’ with money, but the people that fought and sacrificed their lives for us to be able to speak the language in the present & maintain what’s left of our beautiful culture.
Popular media only sell what will attract people, and judging a whole country by that, just strengthens your ignorance. People that actually do something to remember the history, fight for injustices, or just survive in such cruel reality, care less about these topics becoming viral. Why? Because they don’t care? No, because they are busy living by or fighting against the rules of their world.
So, it’s truly refreshing to see VICE Asia, or any bigger media companies tackle these issues that help paint the whole picture of our complex nation (as any other country in the world). There are so many things media will never tackle upon, but people live through it and will remember in their hearts and soul, forever. At the end, what ‘sells’ is not of true value, but the integrity people decide to hold on in their short lives on this earth.
"Korean culture/language was tried to be completely erased" what? Very not true.
Wtf, other companies have done nothing bad? This smells fishy
@@sturmtiger7704 But I was not talking about any companies, specifically was talking about colonialism. Regardless of having full or partial political control, they are still forcing a language and cultural values that was never invited and asked for. For me that’s eliminating what’s already there.
I'm sorry for what your grandparents went through and that the scars are still fresh. I hope one day they can come to terms with what happened
yeash westerners tend to love to generalize any aspect about South Korea
I'm proud of Yumi's father. I'm in awe of his courage to fight. And thank you as well to independent media and those that helped the victims. Thank you Vice Asia for not being afraid to get this story out.
I think this is happening not only in South Korea but also in many so-called democracies where the rich have driven the government for their own sake. Kudos for Yumi's Father for standing up and become inspiration
yes..but to be the only company that can single handedly contribute 20% of their country's economy? i cant think of a lone company outside of south korea that does that. SAMSUNG alone is south korea's biggest economy...which makes sense they can control their govt. In the US, it takes several corporations....competition is tough but at least the US government don't rely on 1 company alone to survive.
Korea however is a special case, because Samsung is literally THE ECONOMY for Korea THE NATION, government can't afford them to fail I'm public face and lose their share value.
@@nebunezz_r Samsung is just one of the Big 4. The others SK, LG, Hyundae
The government could force the corporations to invest in better safety regulations
That wouldn’t hurt the korean economy
"Nothing is permanent in this wicked world", Thank you VICE for highlighting this issue.
It's the same with Red Bull in Thailand, the grandson is still can not be jailed for killing someone, it will be an insult to the world to jail a billionaire it is impossible to happen.
Nothing is permanent except change
Not even the democrat party and vice itself.
@@Noblyuntruthfulonly russia can change everything through war. Look how untouchable ukraine became now
This is what true journalism is all about...no holds barred.
Thank you. Greatly appreciate it.
It's the same with Red Bull in Thailand, the grandson is still can not be jailed for killing someone, it will be an insult to the world to jail a billionaire it is impossible to happen.
Vice is weird as feck. On one side they deliver a solid stories but at other side, they make utter hypocrite videos.
@@satriorama4118 the only time the deliver stories without Bias is when their Bosses have no interest in the stories being told if not you will get a voice over tell you what they want you to hear and shabby edits
@@satriorama4118 the only time the deliver stories without Bias is when their Bosses have no interest in the stories being told if not you will get a voice over tell you what they want you to hear and shabby edits
@@satriorama4118 they're owned by disney, take a Huuuuuge guess 😂
The part which got me is them saying“do you think big companies like samsung would file in false report just because some of the workers died from leukemia"!! Like seriously why wouldn't they....? They will obviously do anything to save themselves!!
I studied in a school that is also considered prominent in my country. Rich people think differently and I laugh at how pathetic they are. That's why whenever I see someone patronizing wealthy people I just laugh at how ridiculous they are. Most of them are mentally unstable and they are obsessed with grandiosity.
They all have npd
Genuinely impressed by the quality and presentation of documentaries in the Open Secret series. This is what true journalism should be, so the public knows the truth even though it's already open secret. Passing judgment is another thing but we should have the chance to know and decide for ourselves. Great job done well, VICE Asia! Looking forward to seeing more of these!
I wish they could address Apple's political clout in America, too. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if this Samsung hit-job was sponsored by Apple.
@@tooltalkit's vice asia...they cover the topic around asia.... Every corporate company does some shitty work... If one is shown doesn't mean sponsor by opponents....riches take the opportunities of this thought and continue all of the shitty works
I hope Yumi's parents can rest well knowing that they have done all they can to fight for justice in a country where big companies get away with anything. Rest in peace Yumi and others. I'll definitely think twice the next time I buy any Samsung products.
just dont buy it, then you are morally helping all the victims to get justice within your control... mild activist :)
@@hakunamatata826 Your comment doesn't make sense. There is literally no way you can avoid these companies. Samsung, the biggest conglomerate of all has their feet in so many industries, they earn 400000 dollars a minute, even if you don't buy their products. If you pay for shipping, chances are you are using their ships. Burj Khalifa and Twins Towers built by Samsung. Everland built by Samsung. Chipsets and screens from major smartphone manufacturers sourced from Samsung. Without Samsung, iPhone won't be possible. I still am a fan of some of their phones myself, I think it's just good to keep in mind how dark conglomerates have become behind the screen.
@@hakunamatata826 "just dont buy it": What else should we buy, when we need a cell phone for example? Apple sure isn't any less corrupt: They just abuse workers in other countries.
@@Junispro31 Also worth noting all of Samsung's competitors are just as bad or worse.
There are about 2 companies in the entire consumer facing electronics industry that care, Fairphone and Frameworks, and they will still be badly exploiting people because as of yet it's impossible not to (phone would have to cost a million dollars or something if they did not, because they'd need to vertically integrate the entire operation from scratch).
@Junispro31 You are right, sadly there is nothing in this world that is 100% ethically made, even if they advertise it as such
I received Higher diploma in Korean Language, worked three years in Samsung Construction in their abroad projects,(3 different projects in Bangladesh) surrounded by Koreans. Though they were all civil people not chaebol, there is something off with them, abnormal behavior with there fellow staffs (verbal abusement) and always being stressed and without solid reason make other people stressed. i believe this is from these companies work pressure and inflexibility with their employees. I was traumatized for a time being for their overall unhealthy working environment and glad that i could manage to replace my job.
Coming back here while watching Reborn Rich on going. Gosh, the drama realistically show us the chaebol dominance in SK.
I was looking for this comment. I'm also watching Reborn Rich and it's heartbreaking to know that this stuff actually happens
Perhaps this condition made the writer consider to represent repentance instead of a happy ending plot…
The daughter's story could be made into a movie, which can attract way more attention than a legal case. Attention to what happens at Samsung and "stays" at Samsung.
That would be shut down unless they try to omit the company's name. Many tech companies do the same. Apple also has skeletons in the closet. So they should cover all.
edit: This seems insensitive. They should try to do so anyways. Also, include other large cooperation's crimes.
They actually have a few documents series on her and the family.
These chaebols own the law it has influence internationally, it would be really hard except foregin power backed it coming from me who uses samsung
the south korean government heavily censors any content that criticises it or the chaebols. that's why so many films like parasite have to go about it in a roundabout way.
i was just hating on samsung in my mind. they ruin android experience.
I see a lot of happy comments saying that Yumi's dad won the battle and defeated Samsung. Just know that their CEO and all the higher executives were never held responsible for what happened. Samsung is still one of the biggest companies in South Korea. This is when we should use our own capital to boycott Samsung's products. Samsung made a lot of money oversea and contribute to Korea's GDP, causing them to have immense power. We might admire Yumi's dad for standing up to such a big conglomerate but as individual, we can also make a small difference leading up to a bigger impact too.
Man, I'm with you on that one. I feel like throwing my Samsung phone while watching this video but I can't because I am f**ckin' unemployed right now. Hate my life, hate this life.
@@polythenepam1795 How? You know that Samsung is not only product smartphone, right? They even produced components for iPhone, they make electronics components for TV, fridge. You can't boycott Samsung, they are too big and powerful to be affected by boycotting.
@@duongvan3401 at least they will face great loss ....if we boycott them ....
@@duongvan3401 It's always possible to boycott certain companies as long as you have will then there is definitely a way
Then why not boycott EVERY corporation, company because EVERY one has this or similar problems. That's always the leftist way...boycott. You folk live in a dream word that life should be a utopia. Is North Korea better because they don't have any of the big, bad meanie capitalist? Would you rather live there?
Random fact: this video is blocked from viewership in South Korea. I actually had to use a VPN to watch it. Gee, I wonder how and why that happened. *scratches chin sarcastically*
I've been watching a lot of kdramas that explore the class divide and chaebols recently and I had no idea it pulls so literally from reality. This breaks my heart..
Vice is back in form.
Korea's chaebol situation is very unique because in no other country so few companies hold such a massive sway over economy. It feels like a corporate dystopia.
its not unique tho every capitalist country has known families whos wealth can be traced back to 100 years (at least 2 generations) and not surprising to see they also hold political power and immunity over everyone else
@@Ichiko980 5 corporations don't hold any other country besides S. Korea.
Bhai ..apne India mein toh isse worse hain 😂 it's just that it's taken care of under the table here
elite people of money existing above the law isn't unique to South Korea it exists in most every society and country. Certain prominent western families are so powerful they've become mythical legends like the Rothschild and some are even associated with mysterious secret society like the illuminati and the free masons that supposedly control the world's economy and politics from behind the curtains. And these days you have the tech billionaire that hold significant power and influence that pretty can do whatever they want without consequences. American companies like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon pretty much dominate their industries as monopolies despite antitrust laws. They're global giants that can do whatever they want within their respected industries and pretty much no one not even a country can get in their way. So to summarize the chaebol and Samsung situation is not unique to South Korea it exists everywhere in various form under different names. in western corporations the family ties go further up the line closer to the source of the money for example the Rothschilds.
@@iamauro1114 The days will get worse for us. Ambani, Adani and Tata will be involved in every sector
There is a Korean movie about Yumi Huang's story and I respect the courage of the director and the producer for producing such a movie against a big conglomerate like Samsung (although in the movie they changed the name of the company, but I guess most Korean knows it is about Samsung)
what's the title of the movie?
@@katecoronel Another Promise.
@@cestmoi4252 thank you!
Good to know, thank you.
I hope the producer of this video doesn't disappear from earth surface
Another fantastic piece from Vice. As a Korean living in Seoul, I couldn't have told this story any better. No surprise, this video is banned in South Korea. I came across it while using a VPN...
That’s scary like it should reach to more working people living there
How many people use VPNs in S. Korea? Do social media people advertise them as much as they do here?
This is when family values ruin a society. I'm in an Asian country and political dynasties behave exactly like the chaebols of Korea, and in some cases are also business families that have their fingers in local businesses. They rule over everything, especially in small towns; it's practically feudalism dressed up as democracy.
the philippines political.dynasties control local economies and act as feudal lords
Yup. Here in Pakistan we have the Sharif and Bhutto dynasties. To say they're thieves is an understatement.
The power in the west is localized like this, too. But no one wants to admit it.
Philippines came to say hello 👋🏻
That's Capitalism for y'all.
as much as i love listening to kpop and watching kdramas, i acknowledge, there is a side to south korea that foreigners will ignore to live in this "world" created by the art and culture. i'm glad vice asia is shedding light on chaebols, the hyper capitalism that exists, and south korea's law system. hope more people will watch this.
Kdramas often feature chaebols and their evil families though. I'm still shocked when they're beating up another character with metal bars and the person just let's it happen instead of punching back or just leaving. Or how they have to beg for forgiveness on the floor even when they've done nothing wrong. I think Kdramas really kinda portrait the power of chaebols in a nutshell.
Stop supporting chaebols by consuming Kpop and kdrama. They are directly financed by chaebols. To them kpop and kdrama is just an investment and when you consume kpop and kdrama you are making them richer
@@lucyskye7229 While that is true, they will be the least hurt by that given their immense wealth. Every day people will still need to buy things they need to enhance their lives from chaebols so they still get the money
As someone who loves Kdramas and Kpop I acknowledge that fans tend to nit focus on the dark side of SK. But I think a lot of times the dark side is portrayed through kdramas and kpop. Idols committing suicide, kdramas showing the power imbalance in society, lack of justice etc. So I remind myself that it is just a form of entertainment and rest of it is just like any other country filled with injustice and economic disparity.
@@asifnothingeverhappend Reminded me of a scene from little women kdrama.
This is called journalism. Proud of you guys for being so honest & letting the family of victim share their story. 💕
What a brave story. Admiration and respect to all the common people who agreed to be interviewed and have their perspectives and identities known. Keep making stories of this quality, VICE Korea.
this is just so bad, i cant imagine how the father feels, my thoughts and prayer for hwang yumi she deserves justice
It's the same with Red Bull in Thailand, the grandson is still can not be jailed for killing someone, it will be an insult to the world to jail a billionaire it is impossible to happen.
I want to see a video on America's "chaebols" now. That would also be quite interesting! There is a global corporatocracy that must be exposed.
Well there is documenter about it by johnson n johnshons heir. The name is the one percent. Its old but you get little glimpse of it in the eyes of the one percent of one percent
Me too
@@MissSyntha but it doesn't show corruption just how rich kids think
@@godslittlecrayola But it does shows abit into their world. Like how their parents can just easily buy and privatize national railway for their own benefits.
Epstein is an example. The mafia is an example.
It was disgusting that the manager said Samsung has no money... What planet are they on? And all of this over not providing cheap protective equipment. I don't understand how a company can fail so badly in something so simple and not rectify it over such a long period of time. Feel so bad for Yumi and the other victims, hopefully their families get peace.
Exactly
People keep saying that these companies cant afford to improve the working conditions or that it would hurt economic growth
But it really doesn’t cost them much off of their massive profit margins to make it better
In this case a couple of protective suits would have prevented all of this for whats to them no more than pocket change
It will cost the CEO his 10th yacht. We wouldn't want that to happen now do we?
Money is the root of all evil.
Thank you for this great documentary and everyone who is participating in it. I've learned so much.. condolences to families as well :(
Unusual in South Korea you call them Chaebols in Japan the term Zaibatsu is used. In some parts of Southeast Asia you call them Cronies. In Hong Kong you call them Taipan In the West you call them Big Tech or Robber Barons or Oligarchs in Russia etc etc it has different names same meaning a clique of wealthy individuals who control the most important key companies of the county's economy and dominate them that if governments try to removed them they risk economic catastrophe.
exactly 🙌
actually that China has quite a lot of Taipan as well even thought theyre communist
Except the zaibatsu were broken after the war. For as a big of an economy as Japan has there are very few super wealthy, and the power of big corporations is largely held in check by the government bureaucracy. I really hope there is a more peaceful way to achieve this though...
@@redpool1141 not really. The political dynamics are different in Mainland China, and nobody uses the word Taipan. Xi Jinping’s administration marked its beginning with political struggles against Oligarchs, Maoist elders and princelings (he is in theory a princeling as well). It is also very harsh on the ultra-rich as the message is clearly “rich doesn’t grant one’s power; political office and state institutions do.” Laws were also passed to make it impossible for bureaucrats and their near families to run businesses: it is either money, or political power.
Not all oligarchs from the 1990s were gone, but current system unlikely will produce more of those. And the corporate influences remain very limited to the state.
The rich elites in HK are obviously pro-establishmentarians, close to the central government, but in the same way as they were pro-British back in the days.
Zaibuts does have much power as Japanese media bashes all companies that does wrong deeds in Japan. And there services are voluntarily avoided. So Zaibutsu lineage companies tries to stay out of public eyes. And most of them have shifted to B2B and has no direct products under them.
It's predictable for me when Yumi's father said they had to go to the hospital at 4:30 am for his daughter's operation - it's always uncommon and unusual to do that at that time. Not surprising that Yumi still passed away, even after treatments and probably a crazy amount of money.
I feel bad for Yumi's dad. Throughout the entire video, he looks calm and rational, but as a sensitive person, I am able to detect his hopelessness, anger, and sadness. When he sat on the mountains, tears went down my face. Heartbreaking, as I can tell. "If she's alive, she would have married, have a family of one or two kids." I always ask myself, it'd be great if fantasy can be a reality, and that's exactly the reason for that.
Her dad is brave. I'm sure her daughter will be proud of him in heaven. He's righteous and invincible, to some extent.
It's sad and indignant to see that a corporation did nothing but avoid at all costs. I'm convinced that not only does Samsung claim that "She died because her personal health problems," but every big company does the same as well.
Ironically, on the other hand, is that most media cooperations are under control. VICE is the same. They can firm and edit it into the video, in my opinion, is that they want to create a false feeling to the normal people, that they seem to have the power to be against the mainstream media; however it's impossible, just like in this case. Yumi's father won, but what about others? Other victim families and other big companies? No idea.
Completely being emotional in the comment sections, because I can't help but do so.
I agree with you completely about the ironic aspect 😟
Completely broke my heart seeing the victims and their families being helpless against money and power
Gotta say this is a top-notch documentary.
May Yumi and all of the workers that passed away rest in eternal peace🙏🏽🤲🏽🕊️
I cried so much watching this. We really live in a terrible world that could be so much better for everyone if people weren’t this selfish. I’m so sorry to Yumi and all the other workers, they didn’t deserve that.
that's their economic system, and its effective. literally from 3rd world after the war become 1st world country in just a decade
@@itzysdaily9238 Would you sacrifice your own life if you were in Yumi's place for a tech giant to make some profits for itself and call it development?? Stop trivialising an innocent human life that was lost unless you wouldn't mind being in their place.
@@chaos.n.cosmos how much do you know about macro-economics? Im a Accountant/Finance girl who's studying economics for years now. Every economic system has a sacrifice, this is a capitalist country which also means its a free market. if you are not valuable to economy then you're deemed to suffer lol. try to compare it to 3rd world country who has more poor people influencing others to be poor as well.
@@itzysdaily9238 Lol, just because you're an economics student you don't value human life?? Is economics and being an accountant an excuse for your inhumanity?? Also, I asked you a question but you dodged it.
Lmao.. just because you know what macroeconomics is, it doesn't make you superior to other humans. Maybe you should've tried taking some lessons on empathy and morals along with your finance classes.
"If you are not valuable to the economy..." I mean how tf does getting a deadly disease like cancer because of a company's mismanagement equals 'not being valuable to the economy'?? Do you hear yourself?
@@chaos.n.cosmos dear, this is why you will never understood someone like me. haven't heard about "rat race" I am not feeling superior just because i know what's happening, Im just trying to make you understand the reality. Economics is mainly a study of people, not just about money, business, jobs. etc. and u asked me about empathy lol. I know its heartbreaking as I said something like this is inevitable as they became 1st world country from being 3rd world and it lessen the poverty rate by half. and for your question from first comment; No, im not that dumb to be part of rat race And second, Yes, it's a development.
All those deaths could've been prevented by acknowledging the problem and taking accountability. I wonder what's so hard for a company to practice that. Corporations and capitalism have made humans value money more than human lives. Deepest condolences to the families affected, I hope they find their peace
I wonder if the people at the top even knew. It sounded like the managers at the level the workers were on were trying very hard to keep it under wraps, perhaps they felt it reflected poorly on them? No excuse, though.
it not that easy if you put your foot in their shoe with a mind set of profit first. If you acknowledge the problem , you have to compensate a lot of people and it also created an example for future juries to put force on your companies, not to mention the damage to their reputation. Not to defend them, it just what i think their mind set is
@@matchaIatte that's plausible, I've experienced an inept manager keeping things under wraps while the top was clueless. Though I doubt they care, thanks for your input
@@Nhan_nguyen271 true but in the long run its going to affect them greatly since leaving a problem and dragging it along will make things worse for them
@@esrever777 I mean we only outsider, but once they can identify the problem ( or when they thing the problem will go out of control) they can shut it down without acknowledge, after all they have more than enough money to do it, not the mention their great ally from the media whos can bend the truth easily...
Bless this channel for providing justice to the affected families. This is what journalism and media should be. May God bless the people behind making these contents.
Thank you vice asia. You did an incredibly amazing job in shedding light on this horrible issue.
Whenever I see western people talk highly about s.korea I am happy but too often its fans of the music, they really don't know the big corruption issues happening. S.korea needs lots of development still when it comes to political and social issues. I'm happy to see it grow but as someone who lived there to see the good and bad I'm glad the issues also get exposed to the world so that pressure to fix them grows.
Or the societal problems. Asian Boss does a good job of showing these issues and the massive inequality
I think every modern based manhwa and k drama i’ve seen has chaebol related villains who get away with crimes and violence due to wealth. The corruption is such an issue that you can see korean creators incorporating it frequently into their work. I think as a child I was only intersted in kpop but as I consumed more korea media their problems became more apparent for example the issues with the idol industry and slave contracts and how the idol industry was essentially controlled by three large companies for a while.
I mean, the greatest south korean movie ever to produced was based of ideal/premise in the movie called Parasite..
exactly.
Yup so true .
What
Ironically, it was co-produced by a Samsung Heiress. She even spoke when they accepted Best Picture
Parasite is not the greatest out of Korea, just the most popular to westerners, and by default the most celebrated. But I get your point. Criticism of society are actually the bench mark of many dramas from there. You should see how their police forces are constantly portrayed as incompetent and biased to higher ups... and it's not far from the truth.
Im glad vice put this out i live in us and i watch Netflix shows and now I understand some of the shows well done vice great piece
Vice, i appreciate all youve done. Keep it up. More of this as well.
Now I understand why South Korea is accepting workers from other countries to work in factories because of this kind of issue. My friends told me who have relatives who work in South Korea that some Koreans don't want to work in factories and prefer another type of job.
They’re like, welp. We will just hire people from other countries to work this job and get sick. Smh absolutely disgusting.
Yeah your country is poor and the salary is so low so your people want to work in korea
One of my goals in life is never to set foot in a cleanroom ever again.
"we are noticing that the gains of the chaebols are coming from someone else's sacrifices " . This is so deep. And so sad reality of life💔
the main focus of this video is about the story of Yumi (died due to the lack of workplace chemical safety standard). Samsung is not the only company that has such issue but there are others as well (in various countries). Nation OSH (occupational safety and health) body / authority must play their part well to address such issues. There are others in other company and country face such issue as well particularly in electronics industry where many type of nasty chemical (very toxic, toxic, corrosive) used for their process. Obviously company try to avoid investing in workers safety if possible and push the issue back to the employees if something bad happen.
I think the main focus was how powerful people can just stumble over us.. without even facing the consequences.. It's like they are the law.....
Excellent journalism by Vice. Thanks for bringing this to light
The funny thing is that I just watched a K-drama not too long ago. In the drama, the protagonist, a prosecutor, who sent a chaebol to the jail for murder and corruption, predicted that the chaebol won't serve much time in jail, because the chaebol is too important for the nation economy. A week later, in real world, the president pardoned samsung's heir, for the same reason, for economy, amazing.
What drama was that
@@summer8888 the recent Lee joongi drama
@@summer8888 again my life
My heart goes out to all victims and their families! Irony is Samsung medical centre has one of the best cancer centers in Asia and around world. Its so sad to hear about the girl going cx of leukemia due to chemical exposure. I can feel for the father and family! as an oncologist i know the strain cancer patients families go through! Its heart wrenching.
I was recently offered a short course in precision medicine in Hemato-oncology from Samsung medical centre but could not make it to Korea cx of visa delay. I didnot know this story back then thank you vice for bringing this up👏👏
Yumi's story and her father made me very. What strength and so much love, that made her father went to that lengths to seek justice
Seems common to all countries. We all have untouchable groups, that when faced with controversy always come out on top without consequences. If you have money, you're safe from laws that really only govern poor people.
These Chaebols remind me of Corpos in cyberpunk stories. Super wealthy, powerful, influential, and above the law. Dystopic.
Agreed, very well said!
Yep nothing new under the sun.
look at all the car companies in germany they can pretty much do whatever they want
Actually, it's not like that everywhere. Some countries apply the law equally to rich and poor. But you need a strong independent judiciary. It's not at all impossible, but it's rare.
@@aksbeixhev which country?
This was the best documentary VICE made in a long time.
Agreed
Yumi's father is such a brave and genuine person. He is a great human being. May God Bless Him.
Very saddening story. I almost cried when Yumi's father had been telling Yumi's final moment.
It's like with greater good comes grater evil as Amish Tripathi said 🙂
rest in peace Yumi hwang. May god give her parents the strength to endure this loss of a lifetime
One can tell from the dryness of the eyes of Yumi's father that he probably shed so many tears that it is not possible to shed anymore.
You are so strong, yumi's father! Everyone who help the family are all so courageous!
Thank you VICE for bringing this to light! Excellent documentary
What always upsets me is how elected officials, civilian workers and police who are humans on the clock refuse to acknowledge that they make the world go round. The rich need the people which is why people should always stand up for one another and what is right. Not what will benefit them for a moment or make them look good. This was so heartbreaking. I know this occurs everywhere too.
Such is the design of democracy. You appease the majority of the population or a demographic of powerful people and the government is yours
@@sayantanmazumdar3 as an Indian wiseman once said, “Democracy is by the people, for the people, but the people are retarded”.
@@jumpvelocity3953yup and consumerism is what made us retarded. Companies and governments want to keep us consumed with our own individual comfort so that we don't wake up and realize that we outnumber them. Plus, they keep us divided by highlighting social issues. It's a mess. Wonder how long it'll last.
Yes, the large companies lifted South Korea from poverty to prosperity, all within one generation, a superhuman achievement. However, the country is now paying the cost of that economic strategy. As with other corporations and conglomerates around the world, when they acquire that much money and the attached political connections, they are now beyond prosecution. Their only mandate is to maximize shareholder profit, and they operate with impunity to acheive that single objective. They don't give a rat's ass about the environment, employees, or using their vast wealth to serve communities. Lying, cheating, tax evasion, inadequate wages, and anything else they can get away with are all acceptable ways to do business in their view because who is going to stop them? Are there other solutions besides full-out revolution?
Every society sees a day when the poor say "Eat the rich", it's just a matter of when. First they had to fight against the Japanese, next they'll be fighting these chaebols.
@@chaos.n.cosmos It's easier to fight countries and dynasties than capitalism.
My heart was broken when I saw his tears. He didn't show his sorrow when he talked about his daughter or when he fight for her. But after ten years of struggle the lights just came out.
Excellent work, Vice.
They are everywhere in Asia not only in South Korea. Democracy is just a front for many community/country that attained wealth & power through consumerism. Forget about cancel culture - if people learn to stay away from products/services this family-companies created - they would not have power against smaller people. But being comfortable because of their products & goods had already made us all blind, myself included.
True. This happens especially in Asia for some reason.
Your comment doesn't make sense. There is literally no way you can avoid these companies. Samsung, the biggest conglomerate of all has their feet in so many industries, they earn 400000 dollars a minute, even if you don't buy their products. If you pay for shipping, chances are you are using their ships. Burj Khalifa and Twins Towers built by Samsung. Everland built by Samsung. Chipsets and screens from major smartphone manufacturers sourced from Samsung. Without Samsung, iPhone won't be possible. I still am a fan of some of their phones myself, I think it's just good to keep in mind how dark conglomerates have become behind the screen. To be avoiding them meant avoiding insurance, electronic devices, transport.
Excellent reporting. Thank you Vice. My heart goes out to all the victims and their families.
It's the same with Red Bull in Thailand, the grandson is still can not be jailed for killing someone, it will be an insult to the world to jail a billionaire it is impossible to happen.
Thank god u uploaded it again 🤧🤧
this touched my heart 😢rip to yummi and other employers who suffered similar fate
Thanks to Yumi and Yumi's family for bringing the change. Big respect to all to accept the change. Thank you Vice.
It is said or common knowledge in South Korea that The Inheritor Children of the Chaebol Hierachs are exempt from military service...and other hardships...
It's the same with Red Bull in Thailand, the grandson is still can not be jailed for killing someone, it will be an insult to the world to jail a billionaire it is impossible to happen.
Used to be but not anymore.
How ironic is it that the world is developing in terms of economy but the people are depressed, overworked, and unhappy
since teenager i have realized more on 'kesenjangan sosial' when the power only hold by the wealths and it's always hurtful to see. Thanks for Vice Asia for the new insight of chaebol in Korea. I really love it, throughout the video i mumbly said it could've been good if there is also its samsung pov, but then the last sentence got me :\
Yre a moslem but you have weird tought about hiw rizq works..
Learn yre religion.
Everything from the beginning of the creation of the Qalam until the day of Qiyamat has been written on Lawah Mahfudz, because since the beginning of the creation of the Qalam Allah has said to him: "Write", He (Qalam) asked: "O my Rabb, what should I write?" Allah says: "Write everything that happens". Then he (Qalam) wrote everything that happened until the Day of Judgment. Also narrated from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam: "Indeed, when the fetus is in its mother's womb, when it is four months old, Allah sends an angel to it who breathes a spirit and writes about his fortune, death, deeds and whether he is wretched or happy." Rezqi has also been written and destined along with its causes, neither increasing nor decreasing. Some of the causes (rezqi) are human work to seek sustenance, as Allah says ۖ "He (Allah) is God who has made the earth subject (to you), so walk on His shoulders and eat of His sustenance and to Him is the return" [Al-Mulk/65: 15]
What makes your fate unfortunate is attributed to your own sins ..
Read alquran. So you can understand how life actually works.
Alquran surwah An nisa 79: Whatever good (favor) you obtain (comes) from Allah, while whatever bad (disaster) befalls you is caused by your own (mistake).
I've seen these things in their drama's and movies that I no longer feel shocked. You will see these stories in every plot and seeing this makes you think "so it's all true after all" Yumi's story and the others who died because of chemical exposure made me remember of the drama Vicenzo... and the villain corporation which is the "Babel group" who's workers also died because of chemicals and they silence those families who grieved with their love ones who died. They paid a meager amount to the families and say sorry but what are those things can do to those who died and continue to die🤔🙄 But this isn't only happening in Korea, in every country their are those powerful families who controls it all. Well how can they evade punishment and taxes? cause they've had money and sadly normal people like us were just canon fodders in their world.
I was also thinking about Vincenzo drama
Vincenzo, Sky castle, Beyond Evil, Extracurricular all these korean shows show the very truth and ground reality of korean society. They are all inspired by real life situations. First I used to think it was exaggerated and no country could be this cruel bad if you read their news or history or go there you'll realise it's just as they show in the shows. Even worse because in real life no 'Vincenzo' is coming to save them or take revenge for them. In real life these poor people have noone. 😕 And I hate it when kpop sasaengs and stans constantly want to live in Korea or become idols. They wouldn't last a month there.
@@_ashmason007 well… you seem just as delusional as the people you are criticizing. Korea is not heaven, but it’s also not hell. It has its problems, just as your own country and every other country, the difference is that now you’re AWARE of its problems.
the chemical exposure one broke my heart.. like people are just trying to make money to live well and they end up like that😭😭😭 this world is so unfair
Its no different elsewhere
Just look up the coal wars in america
Coal miners were being exploited to the point of being defacto slaves
And when they demanded better treatment it turned into a massacre
I watched this documentary a month or so ago (via VPN bc at the time it’s not accessible during those times) as it was recommended by a tiktoker on Tiktok, all I can say is this is a Next level of journalism that some people are afraid to touch this particular subject of these companies negligence and exploitation of there workers Health and wellness. But also tragically treating their families nothing but imbeciles, I was so moved and heartbroken to the father as he wanted to get justice so much that he wanted to throw the ashes of her daughter to the representatives of Samsung who came to her ashes scattering ceremony.
Same here brother. It was unavailable in india. But it is available. I believe this one has few more minutes edited from the original one
oh wow vice is back with their quality documentary!
im really sad and shooked ...hope all their souls rests in peace
So hardbreaking story. Large conglomerats and techgiants who getting more powerful and untouchable last years all this facts says that what the world is so fragile. But humankind should always fight against evil, unresponsibility and win all of them. Thank you Vice!
To anyone who does not know, this video is blocked in Korea.
What...
the ending was terrifying, all these families with same story of death and sickness. And they covered it up.
Is not just in Korea, everywhere is the same!
This is one of the many reasons that South Korea is inevitably headed towards a bleak future. The country prioritizes economic standing over addressing structural societal ills. Pardoning Samsung's vice-chairman is a chief example of this. For all the successes that it's enjoying now and in recent years, SK is digging its own grave as a result of such ills and the failure to rectify them.
-Reluctance to shift away from the patriarchy
-Excessive educational competition
-Dismissing corruption in favor of economic development
These are just some of those issues that have been festering in SK for years and because of this, SK is one of the unhappiest countries in the world and that in turn, has led to chronically low birth rates. As a Korean, it's heartbreaking to see my country like this, but it's time to accept that it is a dying society.
Sure I agree with you but you can’t ignore SK’s huge cultural impact on the world which has promoted foreigners to immigrate to the country just like what Japan has done- the future might not be so bleak for the birth rate
@@sydn2698 Foreigners who emigrate to the country are usually thru marriage. No foreigners i knew will want to stay there on their own accord. What's more south korea is a racist country. If your skin color is dark, you're basically f in south korea.
You speak as if SK is all guilty when China, Japan and Taiwan etc.. are even worst.
its ok if the birthrate drops for a few years, would it really be all that bad for there to be less people everywhere. as long as the smart healthy people are the ones breeding , itll be ok. the problem is we have a lot of people who will live long enough to become decrepit and need 24 hour nursing, . what we really need is to stop treating and feeding aged vegetables and let them die younger with some dignity. once society trims down a little , breeding will get back to good naturally, its not like it isnt one of humanities favoured activities.
@@ytn00b3 South Korea has the world's worst birth rate
The father of Yumi is a hero! She must have been very proud of her father…What an eye opening documentary Vice🙌🏼 I kind of knew that was going on but you she’d some better light on it…The only solution might be to boycott all these companies…But we are in it too deep I am afraid. God Bless all🙏🏼🍀👋🏼🇨🇦
As a Korean (living in NY),one major difference between US billionaires and Korean Chaebols is that the people actually respect and like the chaebols. They act as representatives of the market opposing the government; especially the current Samsung CEO Lee Jaeyong. Hyundai’s founder, Jung Jooyong, is looked up as one of the moral leaders of early Korea as he accomplished many feats from the ground up. Also, there are alot more mega corporations that aren’t rlly known to foreigners. Naver, Kakao, CJ, Coupang and Lotte - many may not be familiar in markets outside of Korea, but has extreme control over many fields that Samsung, Hyundai SK etc cannot reach. I would say that on the personal scale, there are enough “mega corporations” enough to compete with each other and create a healthy cycle.
Thank you VICE for sharing these stories. If Yumi Hwang story had been shared to the world earlier, I think as a collective we could solve the case sooner. Thank goodness, Samsung handled the case already. Was just about to dump my Samsung phone. Dont need to get my hand dirty.
Really looking forward to this!
This shows that with united efforts and perseverance we can fight against the toughest n most powerful people. Very well documented video. Thank you for making such videos and showing the truth about the world which many of us wouldn't have known. I hope you continue to make such videos
And win minor victories, easily receded.
The power of a father's love. What an extraordinary achievement, and hopefully the beginning of change.
awesome video! Thank you!
Absolutely heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to those who've lost loved ones due to the chaebols. They deserved better.