On February 10, 2020, the winners of the 92nd Academy Awards were freshly released, and the winning work was filmed by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho for the black comedy "Parasite". You know, the Academy Awards have never been awarded to foreign films since their inception in 1929. "Parasite" can win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Film at the same time, which must be superior.
"Parasite" shows people the huge gap between rich and poor in Korean society through elements such as blackness, comedy, and violence. Art comes from reality, but reality is more terrifying than art. In various South Korean reports, sexual assault scandals, celebrity suicides, and assassinations of presidents have emerged one after another. Behind these bizarre social uglinesses, the driving force behind it is the chaebols who have infiltrated the whole of South Korea.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" > South Korea, a company disguised as a state</h1>
There is a saying in South Korea that Koreans have to experience these three things in their lifetime:
Taxes, deaths as well as Samsung.
When it comes to Samsung, many people may still have the impression of it still staying in the mediocre sales of Samsung mobile phones in China. As the first of the five major chaebols in South Korea, Samsung mobile phones are just the tip of the iceberg of Samsung Group. The industrial layout of the rich and invincible Samsung Group has long penetrated into all aspects of Korean life.
From birth to death, Koreans are inseparable from Samsung at every stage: born in Samsung Hospital, studied in Samsung's school, lived in Samsung's house, used Samsung's home appliances, and entered Samsung's nursing home. Even after you die at Samsung's Seoul Hospital, your family is on Samsung's life insurance. Eating, drinking, and having fun, living and dying, everything is inseparable from Samsung.
According to statistics, South Korea's GDP in 2018 was $1.6 trillion, while Samsung Group's revenue that year reached $300 billion, equivalent to accounting for 20% of South Korea's total GDP. No wonder, when outsiders lament that South Korea's per capita GDP is among the best in Asia, they always do not forget to joke that South Korea is the republic of Samsung.
After experiencing the torrents of World War II and the global financial crisis, south Korean chaebols have become an unshakable and important part of Korean society. The barbaric growth of the chaebols not only led to a serious division of korean social classes, but also completely reduced South Korea to a company disguised as a state.
Iron struck Samsung, flowing president. Today, even the president of South Korea has changed more than a dozen times, but Samsung Group has been sitting on the chaebol rich list for ten years. The establishment of the Samsung Empire, on the one hand, is the help of the general environment, on the other hand, the Li family rides the wind and waves, and constantly turns the crisis into a ladder of clouds.
Speaking of Li Bingzhe, the founder of Samsung Group, he is definitely taking the script of the big male protagonist who counterattacked in life. Although he was born in The Xiang mendi, he had no interest in reading, but instead fooled around with the bastards every day, becoming a scum who did not learn and did not learn. These days continued until he went to middle school. One day, Li Bingzhe overheard the sneering ridicule of his classmates, and his heart suddenly burst into flames. He secretly swore in his heart that he would definitely make a name for himself in the future.
This competitive mentality led Lee by virtue of his successful admission to Waseda University in Japan. Just when he himself began to prepare for a counterattack, the heavens did not go according to people's wishes. It turned out that Li Bingzhe was not satisfied with the water and soil in Japan and actually suffered from beriberi. Don't say that Shimoda is doing experiments, even normal walking is a problem. In desperation, he had to drop out of school and return to China.
Because he did not have a college degree, Li Bingzhe, who did not have a skill, had to go home and eat the old man and sit on the mountain to eat the air. It is said that after starting a family first, Li Bingzhe's epiphany was brought to him by his wife and children. Seeing them shrinking their clothes and dieting all day, Li Bingzhe was unwilling. He decided to reverse his life by starting a business.
Counting Li Bingzhe's entrepreneurial road, it is like a roller coaster, with ups and downs. He first used rice to play futures trading and made a small sum of money. However, in 1937, Japan launched a war of aggression against China, and incidentally cut off the loan from South Korea, resulting in Lee Byung-cheol's rice factory directly declaring bankruptcy.
Li Bingzhe pondered, futures are not OK, then try foreign trade. The hard-working Lee Byung-cheol said that he would do it, and the Samsung Chamber of Commerce, which took 4 years to create, made his value rise again and again, and even jumped into the list of Young Rich People in South Korea. However, at this time, the Pacific War broke out again, and the foreign trade business naturally stopped singing.
In 1945, the Pacific War, centered on Japan, finally came to an end, and Lee Byung-zhe was 35 years old. The first two entrepreneurial failures did not make him fall, but became more and more frustrated. He decided to fight in the mall again, relying on superior means, he only took a year to make Samsung the top ten in South Korea's trade.
However, the good days of the Samsung Group were not long before the Korean War broke out. At present, in addition to the arms business, other enterprises have closed down, and the life of the Samsung Group is not very good. Li Bingzhe had no choice but to wait, waiting for a favorable time and place.
On July 27, 1953, the Korean War finally ended, and the situation gradually stabilized. After the war, the government will certainly vigorously support private enterprises. Lee Byung-cheol thought he could finally show his fists, but he met Park Chung-hee, the most difficult president in South Korean history.
Park Chung-hee was born in the military, and after coming to power, his means were naturally fierce. At that time, it was the time of the US-Japan trade war, and in order to make the South Korean economy go fast, Park Chung-hee provided a large amount of financial assistance to entrepreneurs and desperately supported the rise of chaebols. However, there is no Samsung Group on his whitelist.
The reason for this is still the matter of the previous generation. Before Park Chung-hee came to power, it was Syngman Rhee who came to power. And this Syngman Rhee has a lot of ties to the Lee Byung-zhe family. With this relationship, the welfare of Samsung Group is certainly indispensable. As soon as Syngman Rhee fell, the new president naturally could not tolerate Samsung.
And at this time of life and death, Li Bingzhe relied on a clever mouth to bring Samsung back to life. At that time, he spoke dryly in Park Chung-hee's office, from ancient to modern to Chinese and foreign, and analyzed the current situation in South Korea clearly. Park Chung-hee is not a fool, he pondered, living Samsung for the South Korean economy must be more beneficial than harmful. The two made a final hit, officially opening the glorious era of Korean chaebols.
Obviously, the Li family's ambition is not only to build building buildings and building factories. By the time Lee Byung-cheol's third son, Lee Kin Hee, became the second president of the Samsung Group, the Lee family officially began to march into the high-tech industry. In fact, Lee Kin Hee, who was initially taciturn, was not favored by his father. Like the traditional Korean male head of household, Lee Byung-cheol first picked the eldest son Lee Mong-hee.
But this eldest son can't support the wall in mud, does nothing in his career, and even plays tricks to send his father to prison. The second son, Li Changxi, was even more stupid, and in order to win his favor, he even went to jail for him. The operation of the two brothers made Li Bingzhe really headache, and gradually set his sights on the low-key and calm third son Li Jianxi.
Speaking of this Li Jianxi, he is really a strange person who does not show the landscape. When he took over the position of chairman of the Samsung Group, the chip market had already been divided between the United States and Japan. However, Li Jianxi believes that the road is all people coming out. The United States and Japan can go, and Samsung can also go.
If you want to develop chips, high-tech talents are the key. In order to break the blockade of chip technology between the United States and Japan, Li Jianxi ran to Silicon Valley and Japan in the United States every day to learn from his teachers. He even paid employees THE CEO's salary just to keep people behind. When the financial crisis struck in 2008, Li Jianxi, who was alone, smashed his opponent off the stage by throwing money. After successfully winning 75% of the chip market, Samsung has become the world's largest semiconductor company.
Having money can really make people crazy, and so can Lee Ken-hee. After becoming a chaebol tycoon, Lee Kin-hee became South Korea's veritable "economic president" in the political arena. In public, he scolded South Korean President Kim Yong-sam as a cripple, but Kim Yong-sam dared to be angry and did not dare to speak out.
As the second-generation manager of Samsung Group, Lee Kin-hee has irreplaceable influence over the entire political and business community in South Korea. At that time, there was a saying in South Korea that as long as Lee Jianxi coughed, the whole of Korea would catch a cold. And it is. In 2008, Lee was forced to resign as president on suspicion of illegally transferring management rights and sentenced to three years in prison.
On October 10, 2009, a refrigerator explosion suddenly occurred in an apartment in South Korea, and Samsung Group was swept into the cusp. At that time, the Samsung Group was led by Lee Jae-yong, the eldest son of Lee Kin-hee, and in the face of such an emergency, it was obvious that this half-hanger could not stabilize the situation.
Samsung accident, South Korea's economic turmoil. Countless South Korean citizens and political and business tycoons wrote petitions demanding that then-President Lee Myung-bak quickly release Lee Kin-hee. Under heavy pressure, Lee Myung-bak had to use the Olympic Games to release people. This incident further confirms Samsung's huge deterrent power against the South Korean government.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="67" > president Roh Moo-hyun was forced to jump off a cliff by the chaebols, and the desperate dragon slayer Moon Jae-in returned to politics to avenge his friends</h1>
In South Korea, there are four chaebols like Samsung, namely Hyundai Korea, South Korea SK, LG Group and Lotte Group. Former South Korean President Park Chung-hee fed the chaebols, just to let the chaebols lead the South Korean economy forward. However, he underestimated the ambitions of the chaebols and overestimated the power of the South Korean government, and eventually fell into the fate of raising a tiger. The most typical verification is the suicide of Roh Moo-hyun, the 9th president of South Korea.
Someone once did a survey on what is the most dangerous occupation in the world. Unlike the police, military and other occupations that everyone recognizes, the death rate of the President of South Korea is surprisingly high. Before South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office, successive presidents worked on the Blue House. It is also mysterious that the first nine presidents, except for Moon Jae-in, are not allowed to die well. This is the legendary Blue House Curse.
It is difficult to say whether the curse is true or not, but the death of President Roh Moo-hyun is inseparable from the South Korean chaebols. As a civilian president, Roh Moo-hyun has a deeper empathy for the Korean people. During his tenure as a lawyer, he has been speaking out for the vulnerable and fighting lawsuits for the poor.
As a powerless grassroots, Roh Moo-hyun was often squeezed by plutocrats during his presidential campaign. Once, they even made a big fuss about Roh Moo-hyun's father-in-law, who had been dead for many years, saying that his father-in-law had done a leftist movement, and presumably Roh Moo-hyun's intention to participate in politics was not pure. In the face of outside doubts, the unashamed Roh Moo-hyun will not abandon his wife no matter what.
In this regard, Roh Moo-hyun also specially expressed his views on this matter during the election campaign, asking everyone: Is it necessary to abandon such a hard-working and virtuous wife when he is president? Is it not right to be president if you continue to love your wife? Roh Moo-hyun's speech was touching and moved by countless South Koreans. In the end, Roh Moo-hyun also successfully won the election.
As South Korea's most respected president, Roh Moo-hyun is not afraid of power, he has never been accustomed to the temper of a chaebol, and he has not opened any backdoors for them. He focused on people's livelihood, introduced many policies to benefit the people, and vigorously supported small and medium-sized enterprises. During his tenure, the Korean DGP grew to 4.4 percent, and the South Korean economy was thriving.
Under his drastic measures, the Korean chaebols have obviously converged a lot. In the early morning of August 4, 2003, Zheng Mengxian, the former president of South Korea's Hyundai Group, could not stand the censorship and jumped directly from the upper floor of the company's headquarters and committed suicide in fear of crime.
As president, Roh Moo-hyun has a clear view of the international situation. He knew that the economic lifeblood of a country in the hands of foreign capital was not a long-term solution. He diplomatically demanded distance from the United States and asked the United States to withdraw its troops from South Korea as soon as possible. Not only that, he has also visited China many times to fully promote international cooperation between China, Japan and the ROK.
Roh Moo-hyun's approach has clearly touched the cheese of vested interests. Politicians led by Park Geun-hye began impeaching Roh Moo-hyun in an attempt to remove him. But whoever wins the hearts and minds of the people wins the world. The South Korean masses collectively spoke up for Roh Moo-hyun and marched in the streets, shouting that "impeachment is invalid."
Escorted by the people, Roh Moo-hyun's presidency ended successfully in February 2008. After retirement, Roh Moo-hyun and his friend Moon Jae-in lived in seclusion in a mountain village and lived a comfortable and idyllic life. However, fate refused to give this old man a piece of tranquility.
In 2008, after the chaebol president Lee Myung-bak, who backed the big tree of South Korea's Hyundai Group, came to power, he fully supported the chaebol group, suppressed the civilian class, and even in order to divert contradictions, he often gave former President Roh Moo-hyun a stubble. On May 23, 2009, Roh Moo-hyun, who was tormented in his heart, finally jumped from a 45-meter-high cliff and ended his life.
Roh Moo-hyun's death is a "masterpiece" of the chaebol, and Moon Jae-in knows it. But he chose to hide all his hatred in his heart. Moon Jae-in spent many years in South Korean politics, survived Lee Myung-bak, sent away Park Geun-hye, and finally successfully became the 19th president of South Korea on May 10, 2017, officially starting his "revenge" road.
The friendship between Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in is as noble as the flowing water of the mountains. Saddled with Roh Moo-hyun's political ambitions, Moon jae-in vowed to severely punish the criminal chaebols and create an innocent South Korea. It can be expected that when Moon Jae-in steps down, the end will certainly not be good. However, although tens of millions of people are looking forward to it. If the cancer of South Korean chaebols is not cured, South Korea will always be just a company working for Wall Street.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="70" > South Korea's political stability, achieved by sacrificing female stars</h1>
On stage, Korean stars always seem to be so glamorous. But in fact, the Korean entertainment industry is not only a big dye tank, but also a high incidence of depression. Many young and beautiful men and women, after entering the Korean entertainment, eventually fell depressed and were killed. The Zhang Ziyan incident, which has caused a sensation in South Korea for nearly a decade, has left a heavy mark in the Korean entertainment industry.
On January 25, 1980, Zhang Ziyan was born in South Korea to a petty bourgeois family. Her father was the boss of a private enterprise, and Zhang Ziyan was a princess who ate and dressed well from an early age. At the age of 16, with the death of her parents in a car accident, Zhang Ziyan's life has undergone major changes since then.
Zhang Ziyan, who is tall and beautiful, seems to be a natural star. After graduating from college, Zhang Ziyan was quickly favored by major brokerage companies, and successfully shot her first cookie advertisement at the age of 26. So far, her life is still bright. However, in 2007, a visit by a man named Kim Jong-sung officially changed the trajectory of her life.
Kim Jong-sung is the president of The Contents, a South Korean entertainment company that has produced many famous artists. President Kim's visit flattered Zhang Ziyan, who was not deeply involved in the world, and signed the overlord contract in confusion. In the event of a default, a liquidated damages of 1 billion won would be awarded, or 5.9 million yuan.
In 2009, Zhang Ziyan starred in a villain role in the Korean version of "Meteor Garden", and her superb acting skills and unique temperament attracted a large number of fans. In the eyes of outsiders, Zhang Ziyan's career is very good, and there is nothing to worry about. Unexpectedly, on March 7, 2009, Zhang Ziyan hanged herself in a rental house. After police investigation, the cause of death was depression.
How can a good female star suddenly become depressed and commit suicide? When Zhang Ziyan's family was grief-stricken, Zhang Ziyan's former agent, Liu Mou, brought a 7-page suicide note and claimed that her death was inseparable from the brokerage company. In the face of this well-written suicide note, the family refused to publish it because it involved Zhang Ziyan's privacy, and asked Liu to quickly destroy it. Who expected that Liu Mou, who did not achieve the goal, gave the suicide note to the media with his backhand, and Zhang Ziyan's suicide note has since been made public.
In this suicide note, there is a large amount of space to record the inhuman treatment that Zhang Ziyan has experienced in the company over the years. Regardless of the menstrual period or the death day of her parents, she was forced by the company to drink with customers, and she was beaten by President Kim if she did not cooperate. On the last page of the suicide note, there is a list of 31 people who have sex. This list is filled with important Korean figures, such as the steed of the three-star princess, senior Korean government officials and celebrity directors.
Under the company's arrangement, Zhang Ziyan provided more than 100 sexual receptions to these 31 people, and was often pulled to the table to dance hot dances. Zhang Ziyan, who was tortured, completely lost her human dignity and became a sex slave. The last straw that overwhelmed her was being pulled by President Kim for a ligature a month before her suicide, because it would allow for complete contraception.
From 2009 to 2019, the Zhang Ziyan incident continued to receive public attention. South Korea's current president, Moon Jae-in, even stressed that the relevant departments gambled on their own fate and had to go all out to investigate the case thoroughly. Based on the testimony of Zhang Ziyan and his sister Yi Zhiwu, the media finally restored the Zhang Ziyan incident.
It turned out that the 7-page suicide note was actually a document against The Contents, written by Zhang Ziyan at the instigation of former agent Liu mou and li Meishu, a senior of the same company. Lee Mi-sook originally wanted to use this complaint to threaten the director on the list, Zheng Shihao, and help her terminate her contract with the company.
Who expected, Zheng Shihao not only did not buy it, but also called zhang Ziyan. After Zhang Ziyan learned that Liu and others had exposed themselves, she had no love and eventually committed suicide. No one knows Zhang Ziyan's mental journey before her death, but it is even more regrettable that her death is not a guilty chaebol, and it is not painful or itchy. On May 20, 2019, due to the lack of conclusive evidence of sexual hospitality, the Zhang Ziyan incident was finally closed and it was difficult to re-investigate.
For South Korea, the Korean chaebol is a burden on sweet honey. While they helped South Korea embark on economic highways, they also made Korean society deformed and sad. Rich people born with golden spoons seem to be able to do anything easily. And the poor who were born in the cold door, even if they passed the hellish college entrance examination and entered the chaebol group to work, they still had to endure inhuman workplace bullying and carry loans that they did not know when they would be able to pay off. I don't know when this group of "parasites" can say the phrase "good night, capital society".