Korean Job Discussion Forums

[toddswift]

I posted earlier about THE END, I just read this:

Now, I ain't being anti-korean, I love it here, especially the money, and the honeys, but the glory days are coming to an end, this article calls China a tidal wave, and I agree.



The Day China Overtook Korea in Shipbuilding

British shipping industry analysts say Chinese shipyards took the top spot in January and February in terms of global orders, accounting for 49 percent of total orders worth 7.8 million compensated gross tons. Over the same period, Korean shipyards were able to win only 2 million CGT, or half of what the Chinese won. This is the first time Chinese shipyards overtook Korean ones in terms of orders. Korean shipbuilders have held the top spot since beating Japanese shipyards in 1999.
Until now, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy has said Chinese shipyards were about ten years behind Korea in terms of overall competitiveness. The ministry has said, based on its own analysis, that Chinese shipyards were still far behind Korea, especially in the construction of high-end vessels, such as LNG carriers or supertankers, which cost over US$100 million each. What foolish thinking this was. In the 1990s, Korean shipyards had steadily increased orders by focusing on low-tech vessels such as bulk carriers. And through that process, Korean shipyards amassed technology and used that to expand into LNG carriers, oil tankers, luxury cruisers and other high value-added products.
The fact that China has overtaken Korea in terms of vessel orders means China can now build any ship Korean can. Since the late 1990s, China has been investing heavily into its shipbuilding industry with that very aim. That led to the creation of more than a hundred shipyards. And since 2002, China�s shipbuilding capacity has increased fourfold. China plans to expand the number of super-size shipyards from the current nine to 17 by 2015. It will expand the number of its large docks from the current seven to 23 by that time.
It was during the mid-1960s that Japan beat the U.K. and the Netherlands to take the top spot in shipbuilding. Japan dominated global shipbuilding for nearly four decades. Now Korea, which was barely able to beat Japan in the late 1990s, is being overtaken by China. And it�s not only in shipbuilding, but in electronics, steel and information and technology. China is catching up even more quickly. At this rate, the key industries that supported Koreans for the last 20 years will drown in a tidal wave from China.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Harpeau]

Do you have a footnote? Thanks.

[Harpeau]

[toddswift]

[Harpeau]

I never said that you were full of it, only that it may be something different. That's all. BTW, thanks for the link.

[toddswift]