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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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 Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:37 pm Post subject: So many mountains, so few natural resources |
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One of the mental flips you have to do in Korea is realize much of the food you eat and the gas, tinfoil, and paper you use are not made in Korea. However, the fridge, VCR, TV, mp3 player, etc are all made here.
Now, granting my understanding of geology doesn't go beyond what I've read in the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide, I always marvel that a nation so full of rugged hills seems to have so few natural resources. You would think under all those hills there would be rich veins of nickel, titanium, coal, maybe even some mithril. |
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whatthefunk
Joined: 21 Apr 2003
Location: Dont have a clue
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, there might be but its cheaper to get it else where probably. Just cause theres mountains doesnt mean theres gold my man... |
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Grotto
Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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Korea used to mine alot of coal but the government put a temporary ban on it as they were afraid to deplete a national recource.
They do mine nickel and iron here to a fairly large degree. |
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noelinkorea
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: Shinchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:56 am Post subject: resources |
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| This makes me think about how the South cultivates all this rice (surplus), and yet still charges heaven and earth for it. If there's a surplus, you;d think that's bring the prices of it down (I'm not an ECON major, but isn't this how supply/demand works??), and even more important - if they allowed more foreign rice to flow into the country, the prices would be considerably lower and everyone could get more for their money (a valid point for the poorer folk). |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:05 am Post subject: |
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Just like elsewhere in the world...if a person can make money doing something and the public likes it...charge as much as you can! And then some.
Rice? koreans eat it daily and yet the price is still way above the imported rice! Go figure. Everyone wants to make as much as they can. Teachers want to make as much as they can also. That's life!
But I am amazed at seeing all the shops in korea....you can see 10 shops in a row selling the exact same thing and same prices...how can they make money?! I think a good business to have in korea is a sign shop or flower shop....business are always closing and news ones open and you'll see the new signage and flowers outside the new business!
Everyday I see these big display of flowers for grand opening! |
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bosintang
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:27 am Post subject: Re: resources |
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| noelinkorea wrote: |
| This makes me think about how the South cultivates all this rice (surplus), and yet still charges heaven and earth for it. If there's a surplus, you;d think that's bring the prices of it down (I'm not an ECON major, but isn't this how supply/demand works??), and even more important - if they allowed more foreign rice to flow into the country, the prices would be considerably lower and everyone could get more for their money (a valid point for the poorer folk). |
Korea and Japan heavily subsidize their rice farmers and *I believe* have high tarrifs on imported rice. This is one of the contentious issues in the WTO. Korea and Japan's reasoning goes along the lines of that land is severely limited and expensive, and if rice farms were not subsidized then the land would be redeveloped for non-farming activites. This in turn, would force Korea and Japan to be dependent on developing nations for their rice supply, and make them susceptible to their every whims and fallacies.
Whether or not you should actually buy this argument is another story. |
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funplanet
Joined: 20 Jun 2003
Location: The new Bucheon!
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:43 am Post subject: |
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Korean rice is about 4 times the price of world price...it's highly subsidized here and the farmers are highly inefficient....they scream bloody murder everytime the gov threatens to import more rice or cut their subsidies...they don't want the "tradition" to die here....
don't think they have discovered "comparative advantage" here....but, hey! if they want to pay inflated prices to keep a few whiny farmers in business....well, let 'em |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:22 am Post subject: |
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The western coastal areas are rich in seafood, shellfish and fishing. Most of japanese sushi is imported from korea.
thus, it seems stupid that they are hellbent on destroying this resource with relentless reclamation projects to provide more land area for rice cultivation (Duh, they're already in surplus), or for useless grand building projects to keep the construction industry in jobs.
But its all about copying Japan's model of development, isn't it? |
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matthewwoodford
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Location: Location, location, location.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| Call me a Marxist but cutting back on farming subsidies would mean letting large parts of the countryside go to ruin together with lots of farming communities. You may say leave it all to market forces but being able to feed the population is a national security issue, plus all those out of work hungry people would cause a social problem. Then, suppose you want to start farming the land again, it's not so easy to create a farm out of nothing once you've let all the old fields go wild. Improving farming methods is great but just cutting the subsidies will cause lots of problems. It all seems a bit drastic just to get cheaper rice. Maybe I'm eating only imported rice but it's cheap: price is a non-issue. |
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Yangkho
Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Location: Honam
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:57 am Post subject: |
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| matthewwoodford wrote: |
| Call me a Marxist but cutting back on farming subsidies would mean letting large parts of the countryside go to ruin together with lots of farming communities. You may say leave it all to market forces but being able to feed the population is a national security issue, plus all those out of work hungry people would cause a social problem. Then, suppose you want to start farming the land again, it's not so easy to create a farm out of nothing once you've let all the old fields go wild. Improving farming methods is great but just cutting the subsidies will cause lots of problems. It all seems a bit drastic just to get cheaper rice. Maybe I'm eating only imported rice but it's cheap: price is a non-issue. |
Funny you say that because there are plans afoot to turn big parts of the southwest into golf courses. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 8:05 am Post subject: |
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| matthewwoodford wrote: |
| Call me a Marxist but cutting back on farming subsidies would mean letting large parts of the countryside go to ruin together with lots of farming communities. You may say leave it all to market forces but being able to feed the population is a national security issue, plus all those out of work hungry people would cause a social problem. Then, suppose you want to start farming the land again, it's not so easy to create a farm out of nothing once you've let all the old fields go wild. Improving farming methods is great but just cutting the subsidies will cause lots of problems. It all seems a bit drastic just to get cheaper rice. Maybe I'm eating only imported rice but it's cheap: price is a non-issue. |
Korea has until now been specially exempt on the world stage, being allowed MMA (minimum market access) for foreign rice. Starting 2005, it will have to abide by a WTO ruling to reduce state subsidees on agriculture. Imports of cheap foreign rice can only increase.
But grow up korea. japan went through the same thing: but overcame the full market opening by focussing on specialised varieties, sensible pricing and distribution policies, and finding new ways to diversify farmers incomes.
A country packed with golf courses is not the answer. Korea is not a desirable climate for most international golfers, nevermind having the water needed to maintain thousands of hectares of perfect turf, with the simultaneous environmental degradation caused by huge amounts of toxins to upply the greens.
korea is desperate to kick start their flagging economy. Lets look at some facts and figures for this year, related to south Koreas international ranking of 104 surveyed countries: (Report by World economic forum).
1) global competitiveness: 29th (down 11 notches from 2003)
2) Macroeconomic indicators: 35th (23rd last year).
3) Public system evaluation: 41st (down from 36th in 2003).
4) Technological competitiveness: 9th (6th in 2003).
5) Corporate competitiveness: 24th (23rd in 2003).
6) efficiency of parliament: 81st
7) Public sector's hiring of women:102nd
 elasticity of hiring foreign workers: 99th
9) financial soundness of commercial banks: 77th
10) Budget for agricultural policies: 77th.
The reasons given for the slump include:
*Policy inconsistency
*bureucratic red tape
*labor rigidity
*tax regulations
*inneficiency in the capital market.
- just felt like posting that, I certainly found it interesting...... |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: resources |
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| bosintang wrote: |
| noelinkorea wrote: |
| This makes me think about how the South cultivates all this rice (surplus), and yet still charges heaven and earth for it. If there's a surplus, you;d think that's bring the prices of it down (I'm not an ECON major, but isn't this how supply/demand works??), and even more important - if they allowed more foreign rice to flow into the country, the prices would be considerably lower and everyone could get more for their money (a valid point for the poorer folk). |
Korea and Japan heavily subsidize their rice farmers and *I believe* have high tarrifs on imported rice. This is one of the contentious issues in the WTO. Korea and Japan's reasoning goes along the lines of that land is severely limited and expensive, and if rice farms were not subsidized then the land would be redeveloped for non-farming activites. This in turn, would force Korea and Japan to be dependent on developing nations for their rice supply, and make them susceptible to their every whims and fallacies.
Whether or not you should actually buy this argument is another story. |
I believe Korea is breaking many international trade laws with their tarriffs and other things.
Korea has classified itself 'A Developing Nation' to lower taxes on exports. I say, ok, you are developing. 2nd world country. |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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Korean is NOT an advanced nation by world standards in my opinion. And koreans also are not advanced. Oh...technology wise...they are...they copy the best the world has to offer and call it korean.
But the shoddy workmenship in all phases of industry leave a lot to be desired! While they are making strides and doing way better...most of the behavior is still 3rd world.
Hey hakwon owners...
why not run your hakwons as a school instead of as a business for openers?
Isn't it about time to start thinking about the future of your country instead of your wallet?
Concentrate on having students learning how to speak the world language instead of having them waste money on the books you sell them. |
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noelinkorea
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: Shinchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:23 am Post subject: giving up the rice |
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| People mentioned that the farming can go to ruin without the support from the government. Not true - if they are willing to adapt and grow new products. I read on BBC recently about the NZ government giving up the tariffs in the 1980s and they predicted all doom and gloom then - but the farmers altered what they produced and things are successful - dairying, organic foods, deer farming, and especially vineyards...all have developed since NZ diversified away from sheep farming. New young farmers are also starting up new farming-related businesses - it's not left to the oldies. Also, I heard last year (?) that the Korean government is paying farmers to switch to alternative crops, etc to lessen the over-production of rice. Like many an issue here in Korea, I think the price supports for rice and they fear of cheap foreign rice has more to do with tradition and nationalism than economic efficiency and rationality. The majority of Koreans are urbanised, and maybe those hard-working city-dwelling folk wouldn't mind the extra change they have from rice that is at least four times cheaper (not to mention that health benefits...). I think rice in NZ is something like about 50-60 US cents a kg - damn cheap... |
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dzeisons
Joined: 14 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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my father in law is a rice farmer in korea- in preparation for the loosening of rice importation restrictions he started organic rice farming. the law change provided the impetus for this.
i find ti funny that the us carries on about free trade all the time but at the same time is one of the biggest protectionist economies. |
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