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Why birth order is a big deal at LG
Five years ago, the British royal family changed its rule of succession so that a princess is not overtaken in the line by a younger brother. Three-year-old Princess Charlotte, daughter of Kate Middleton and Prince William, is the first to benefit from the rule as she remains fourth in line to the throne despite her y...
[Second Opinion] Conversation with Tada driver, before service is disbanded
“Do you often use Tada?,” A driver asked me yesterday when I used the van-hailing service as usual. My conversation lasted 15 minutes during my ride home. Normally, Tada’s drivers barely talk with customers, other than asking if the temperature setting is OK or reminding us to fasten the seat belt. After all, one of the reasons Tada’s service became popular was because they don’t make small talk with customers. This simple quiet service was appealing t
[Second Opinion] Holistic approach needed to fight pandemic
For the people of a growing number of countries, the coronavirus outbreak is no longer something they read about in the news or on TV as the virus spreads to their cities, communities, and even families. Covid-19 has already evolved into a full-blown global public health crisis: the confirmed cases of infection outside of China grew to over 115,000 as of March 18, with the death toll exceeding 4,700. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared it as a global pandemic. While much
Why governance reform is key to make chaebol accountable
Nearly every presidential candidate in South Korea over the past two decades has made the same campaign promise and failed to deliver on it: End the near-monopoly chaebol hold in the country and give smaller companies an opportunity to thrive. To enact some semblance of control over chaebol, the government has focused on cracking down on corruption and taking executives to court; however, this does not appear to be the sole solution to reforms. In fact, a focus on reforming the governance struct
[THE INVESTOR] Five years ago, the British royal family changed its rule of succession so that a princess is not overtaken in the line by a younger brother. Three-year-old Princess Charlotte, daughter of Kate Middleton and Prince William, is the first to benefit from the rule as she remains fourth in line to the throne despite her younger brother’s birth last month.At Korean conglomerates, it’s not uncommon to see the sons -- usually the eldest son -- take over the empire. There are very few exc
New thinking needed on GM Korea
[THE INVESTOR] No one seems to see much of a future for GM Korea these days. The pessimistic mood seems to be reaching its bottom now, as we see the union workers storming into offices of top executives demanding their bonuses and the company announcing it would soon run out of cash to pay its parts suppliers.Critics say the unionized workers are determined to get as much money in their hands as possible before the company folds up. Observers have long sensed that GM’s leadership was preparing f
Fall of the ‘Angel of Death’?
[THE INVESTOR] Less than a week after his appointment, Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Kim Ki-sik, aka “Angel of Death,” appears to have become the angel of his own death on allegations about previous overseas business trips and relations with an intern-turned-public secretary who received an unprecedented speedy promotion.The opposition parties have formed a unified front in criticizing Kim, an ex-civil rights activist, for taking business trips financed by the very institutions he was suppo
Wherever you end up going
[THE INVESTOR] Southeast Asia has been the buzzword in Korea’s startup scene since last year as venture capitalists and startups began prowling outside the country for new business opportunities. It is comprised of 11 countries and represents 650 million people. Some unwary investors may see it as a unified region, but each country has vastly different cultures, infrasystems, policies and languages, meaning it may appear as one region, but has many gatekeepers. One investor I met in Singapore wa
Grab’s crucial lessons for KakaoTaxi
[THE INVESTOR] What intrigued me the most during a recent weeklong stay in Singapore was not the clean streets or the pricey beer. It was the ubiquitous sight of “Grab/Uber” signs. Most taxi stands had two lines of passengers -- one for ordinary taxis and another for Grab or Uber cars. There was no chaos, and everything was organized. People who wanted taxis waited in their line, and likewise for those who were waiting for their borrowed cabs. For me, it was quite an unfamiliar scene of co-exist