On March 7, 2009, Zhang Ziyan, a beautiful woman from South Korea, chose to hang herself and ended her beautiful life at the age of 29. Despite this, she is still a beloved star on contemporary Korean screens, and has participated in several well-known Korean dramas.
However, the question is, why did the so successful Zhang Ziyan choose this desperate path? The reason is that South Korea's serious chaebol monopoly has caused many actresses like her to fall into a canary dilemma and suffer every day.
How bad are the chaebols in South Korea? How despicable and shocking are their behind-the-scenes actions? What is the inextricable connection between Jang Ziyan's suicide and the chaebol?
First of all, it's worth noting her shocking suicide note. The remaining suicide note reveals Zhang's history of mental problems and depression, as well as the collapse of her acting career, which was tormented by pervasive sexual harassment. These include employees of planning companies, financial institutions, and even broadcasters. According to the expert's verification of the handwriting of the suicide note, it is confirmed that these suicide notes were indeed written by Zhang Ziyan, so the facts they reveal are extremely credible.
The publication of the suicide note shook the entire Korean entertainment industry and chaebol groups, causing public outrage and forcing the South Korean parliament to introduce the "Jang Ziyan Act" to eliminate improper transactions in the industry. However, years have passed, and the bill has not been implemented as expected, and the chaebol group is still acting recklessly, which shows that there are complex and deep social and political factors involved.
In early October 2014, the Seoul High Court filed a lawsuit against Kim, the representative of the Korean brokerage company mentioned in the suicide note, demanding 24 million won in compensation. Although he did not receive much compensation in the end, the brokerage company's Jin refused to enforce the crime, and the court failed to convict him because of "insufficient evidence of sexual entertainment". As late as March 2018, more than 200,000 South Koreans were calling for a re-investigation of Ms. Zhang's case on the Blue House petition website. In the end, however, the chaebol giants who forced Ms. Zhang to sleep with her remained at large, and the only one sentenced to a year in prison was a hotel owner.
Justice in Jang Ziyan's case seems to have been forgotten, which is a true portrayal of South Korea's chaebol economy. In this country, the social economy is not people-centric, nor is it dominated by the government, but in the hands of those chaebols who wield the power of money.
2. What exactly does the Korean chaebol mean?
To put it simply, South Korea's chaebols refer to those large conglomerates, such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG mobile phones, which we are very familiar with. The influence of these chaebols in Korea is so great that we use the literal translation of the word "chaebol" in Korean to describe them. The origins of the chaebols can be traced back to the 40s and 50s of the last century, when Korea was just freed from Japanese colonial rule, but the economic situation of the whole country was in chaos due to the slow economic development caused by the long period of control. Therefore, in order to maintain economic stability, South Korea had to rely on the support of the United States at that time.
However, for an independent state, this dependence is not sustainable. As a result, South Korea began to use raw capital to promote the development of private business. The government transfers assets and foreign aid received from Japan to private companies at preferential prices or free of charge, and provides support such as loans at low interest rates. For example, chaebols such as Samsung and LG have accumulated funds in this historical context, which has played an important role in promoting the recovery of South Korea's economy.
After Park Chung-hee came to power, the chaebols turned more to export-oriented and heavy industry, and basically mastered the South Korean market. They began to enter the heavy chemical industry such as oil and steel, and led the import and export business in Korea, and continued to expand their capabilities.
After decades of development, the Korean chaebol has now become an indispensable part of the Korean economy. According to the data, Samsung Group's revenue alone accounts for more than 20% of South Korea's GDP. At present, the chaebol group has formed a unique social circle, and their top positions are usually held by family members, and it is difficult for ordinary people to enter them. A March 2017 survey found that among the top 10 chaebol groups in South Korea, there were 310 family members, of whom 94 obtained positions through business marriages and another 60 through official and business marriages. This shows that the solidification and fission of the Korean chaebol class has become a reality.
3. In what ways is the bad behavior of the Korean consortium reflected?
South Korea's upper class is crisscrossed by chaebols, and their evil deeds have caused us to think deeply.
First of all, we can take the Zhang Ziyan incident as an example. This incident is a typical example of the Korean entertainment industry. As the birthplace of "fan culture", South Korea's celebrity entertainment industry has become an important pillar of the country's economy, with a large number of new stars emerging every year.
However, the lives of these promising young people are completely controlled by brokerage firms. Those companies are extremely strict about their daily lives and work. This is not an exaggeration, Zhang Ziyan never asked for help from the outside world during her lifetime, precisely because she could not afford the high liquidated damages of the brokerage company.
The contract signed by a Korean artist is like a deed of sale, and if the company's rules are violated, they need to pay a huge amount of liquidated damages. Therefore, artists can only obediently obey every instruction of the agency, even at the expense of personal reputation and dignity.
Secondly, the monopolistic behavior of the chaebols in the economic sphere is also alarming. In addition to the entertainment industry, they also have a huge presence in many other industries. According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the 10 richest conglomerates in South Korea account for more than 27% of the country's total assets.
For example, Samsung Group not only produces electronic products, but also is involved in more than 60 industries such as shipbuilding, construction, insurance, advertising, etc., and can be said to be an all-round giant. Although South Korea's economic performance seems to be excellent, the country's industrial structure is unbalanced, and a handful of chaebol groups have amazing economic power and almost monopolize every industry.
South Koreans' feelings about the chaebol economy are inseparable and can be said to have stayed with them throughout their lives. The Washington Post once dubbed South Korea the "Republic of Samsung."
For Koreans, there are three major events that must be experienced: death, paying taxes, and the Samsung Group. What is even more shocking is that these chaebol families, when convicted, rarely actually go to prison to serve their sentences.
Thirdly, the destruction of social security and stability by the chaebol family cannot be ignored. Although they claim to be the elite of the upper class of Korean society, the words and deeds of some members do not conform to the qualities expected of the upper class, and even seriously endanger social stability.
For example, Cho Won-tae, who was the vice president of Korean Air, was criticized by the public for hitting an elderly man in his 70s on the road, Choi Cheol-won, the nephew of the founder of SK Group, beat up the driver Yoo in front of everyone and paid only 20 million won in compensation, and the son of a lawmaker, Chung Mong-joon, openly mocked the ignorance of the public on the Internet. In recent years, half of South Korea's 10 richest chaebol families have been involved in various criminal cases, and 16 of them have been prosecuted and found guilty.
Finally, the ambiguous relationship between the chaebols and South Korean politics is also worrying. Because the chaebol has played an important role in the development of Korean history, the relationship between the government and the consortium is complicated, and corruption cases in the political circles are often inextricably linked to the consortium.
The plutocracy is the umbrella that benefits from the government, and when they grow rapidly, they oppress politicians. If politicians want to enter politics, they must rely on the financial backing and political protection of the chaebols, and the two collude to seek each other's interests.
The above is an introduction to the bad behavior of the Korean chaebol. These issues have aroused people's attention and thinking, and we look forward to seeing the reform and progress of the Korean chaebol.
In 2016, the political scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, a close associate of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, ignited a nationwide anti-corruption upsurge, and a series of deep-seated problems emerged. As a result, Park Geun-hye was forced to step down, and the scandal of the chaebol family surfaced with far-reaching consequences.
In September of that year, the South Korean government launched a campaign against nine major conglomerates, including Lee Jae-yong, CEO of Samsung Group, who funded Choi Soon-sil, on bribery charges. The sentence was initially set at five years, but in the second proceedings, the sentence was commuted to two and a half years with a four-year probation, allowing him to easily serve his sentence outside of court. It can be seen that the chaebol is indeed unstoppable in South Korean society.
If the chaebol is so strong, why can't the government take stronger measures to reduce its power? This is a question that we need to think deeply about and solve.
Fourth, South Korea has been "kidnapped"
In the face of the indulgence of the chaebols, the South Korean government has actually fallen into the control of the chaebols. The chaebols have provided strong support for the South Korean economy, but they have also exacerbated the problem of unfair distribution of wealth in society, making life difficult for the people. However, South Korea's economy cannot function without the support of the chaebols, and if the chaebols are pushed to a hurry, the Korean economy may collapse immediately, causing mass unemployment.
Moreover, South Korean politicians also have to rely on the chaebol for funds, and they have to give certain policy preferences to the chaebol in order to gain the support of the chaebol in elections and other political events. This situation has created a vicious circle of chaebol economy and South Korean politics. So far, South Korea's economic model has not changed, and the chaebol is still dominant.
In South Korea, chaebols often ignore the law, ignore the rights and interests of artists, and even use violence and sexual exploitation of the entertainment industry. What's more, they can also monopolize the market, manipulate prices, and control the development of people's livelihood. For example, the adaptation of Zhang Ziyan's experience into the movie "Plaything" exposes the darkness and strength of the chaebol group, and ordinary people are helpless against it, and can only endure economic exploitation and cultural suppression.
For South Korea's economy, the chaebol economy can be said to be a double-edged sword, creating both domestic economic prosperity and disaster for the masses. The South Korean government needs to find a way to weaken the chaebol and improve the quality of life of its people while preserving its existing interests. If this goal is not achieved, I am afraid that similar tragic deeds like Zhang Ziyan will be staged again.
All in all, the current South Korean economy is trapped in a canary cage, and the South Korean government should actively seek solutions that break with the status quo, eliminate the privileges of the chaebols, and return the true well-being of the people.