Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gsxr750r]

Here is a sample of why corporations don't want something like the FTA "putting farmers out of business":

Samsung BDP-1000 Bluray player (made in Korea).

Korea price: 1,300,000 won
USA Price: $699

Korea link:
http://www.mple.com/prdt.do?method=prdDetail&noPrd=1027559560&BscCode=enuri&DtlCode=enuri-005-000

USA link:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7772822&st=bluray&type=product&id=1142289574588


Here is a Samsung Combo DVD/VCR. Notice that the DVD Player does "upconversion", which means you can watch regular DVDs on a new PDP or LCD screen and it'll look good (regular old DVD Players look like crap):


US Price: $99
US Link:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7656752&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat83900050016&id=1134702290306



Korea price: 310,000 won.
It's virtually the same thing as the US model, but with a different model number, and 6 heads instead of 4. Newer model, but the price shouldn't be so far off.

Korea link:
http://www.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=113972398&GoodsSale=Y&jaehuid=200001172


Oh, but just in case you want to save some money and go with the "older" non-upscaling technology (cheapest model DVD/VCR I coudl find), you can get a regular 4-head DVD/VCR in Korea for twice the price of the better USA model (the USA model has upscaling, but not this Korea model):

Korea Price for a much lower-end model (cheapest they sell) 187,000:

http://www.mple.com/prdt.do?method=prdDetail&noPrd=1031804059&BscCode=enuri&DtlCode=enuri-005-000



I have a real beef with the Korean electronics companies, who are currently trying to make it VERY expensive to add DVD to your LCD or PDP TV. They know the Korean market has more LCD and PDP TVs than just about anyone (other than the Japanese), and they're really trying to milk the market for as much money as possible. You can't buy a Korean PS3, and I believe this is partly why. If people could buy the PS3 to play bluray in Korea, nobody would buy the 1,300,000 Samsung Bluray player!

[rocklee]

Thanks for posting that.

After my last purchase (only yesterday but it was a steal ) I think that's it for buying electronics in Korea.

[eamo]

Yep.
The Chaebol, including Samsung, of course, have it all sewn up. A captive market who have been convinced that anything made in Korea is of the highest quality, hefty tarrifs on imports and little or no price-cutting or competitiveness in the domestic market. Sweet scam.

Have you noticed that Koreans believe 2 million is a reasonble price for a refrigerator!!!

[mishlert]

[rothkowitz]

Or that 300K and up is perfectly acceptable for a phone.500K with a colour screen and bright case that costs stuff all to produce.Of course ,Koreans will say it's for the components you're paying for and that Korean reception is number one.

"It's a phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!That's your basic use for it!!!"

On fridges I pity the ajoshhi who has to splash out an extra 200K for a fridge for it's floral pattern.

[DCJames]

I pray for foreign competition to come in here quickly and offer lower prices for superior goods.

Even with cheaper/better foreign brands, Koreans will continue their blind allegiances to Korean manufacturers.

Which will only continue the status quo here for us. We pay exorbitant prices for crap products.

[rocklee]

[mishlert]

[gsxr750r]

I still remember how sweaty and tense I was as I walked by customs with no less than my entire home stereo system from the USA: 2 paradigm mini-monitors, a PDR-12 subwoofer, Onkyo receiver, Onkyo DVD Player. I had paid $100 extra for the baggage, and had written USED in English and Korean in big letters all over the boxes.

Man, I was trying to time it right so that they had grabbed some other people and were all busy. Just as I passed through the door, this customs lady yells at me, "Hey, what's that?" I said, "My stereo speakers-- they're used." She said, "Why don't you just buy them in Korea."

At that moment I was so nervous, I just blurted out something unintelligent without thinking:

"Because THEY'RE MINE!"

She said, "Ok, go ahead."

Ugh.... I think that before I go into the USA some day, I'll just sell all of this crap off.

[mindmetoo]

I wanted an iRiver mp3 player (Korean) but I waited until I went back to Canada. Do Koreans even have any idea Samsung is giving Americans much better prices than Koreans?

[gsxr750r]

You know, I asked that once. The response I got made me laugh my butt off...

The Korean said, "Samsung makes higher-quality products for Koreans only. They make low-quality products for cheap overseas sale."

If lots of Koreans believe that, then Samsung has done a pretty masterful job of brainwashing!

[gsxr750r]

On another note, when the gf went back to the US with me, I made it a point to take her through a very large warehouse furniture store in my area. She was in shock at the prices. Sofa sets that cost 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 in Korea were 1,000,000 OR LESS in the USA. Same with bed frames. We saw a bed frame in Lotte Myongdong that cost something like 5,000,000 won (and it looked like verneer over particle board -- bed only). We saw solid-oak bedroom sets, including armoire and cabinet, for about half that back home.

Total look of shock on her face.

[zappadelta]

[rothkowitz]

That's exactly what I'm hoping will eventuate from the FTA.

First,Koreans will wear a face,like,this stuff is from Mars.....,then they'll get pissed that they've been ridden for so long,then they'll begin to cultivate a taste for something with quality overriding name.

[rothkowitz]