MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
South Korea and Brazilian lawmakers committed to expand links with Mercosur
Parliamentary leaders of South Korea and Brazil agreed Monday in Seoul to put forth efforts to promote economic ties between the two nations in the framework of Mercosur, through closer interactions at the parliamentary level. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesLittle insignificant South Korea is trying to play China - taking away countries resources and trying to pushing them its cheap goods whilst refusing to buy value-added products from its partners. If countries are already reluctant to accept that sort of partnership with China, a much powerful country, I don't see why Mr. Park believes things will work out differently for his country.
May 17th, 2011 - 01:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0Forgetit87 you sound a little snarky. Are you jealous of South Korea? South Korean industries have invested in Brazil, not just in commodities, but also higher end investments like steel mills and auto plants. South Korea could offer a good model for Brazil and other developing nations. It started out as a war devastated country ruled by a military dictator into a democratic developed nation. Not a bad example to follow. Another question are you Brazilian? Have you been to Sao Paulo? There is a large Korean population there, they are very active in the Fashion Industry. In LA there is also large Brazlian Korean community, it is not unusual to go into a Korean Restaurant and find them speaking in Portuguese .
May 17th, 2011 - 10:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let's not have any illusions about South Korea's intentions. S. Korea's economic model is the same as that of China or Japan: it's based on the promotion of a great manufacturing base primarily by means of exports to foreign markets whilst working to impede imports from penetrating into the domestic market. Mr. Park's words testify to that - that South Korea's interest is in BR resources. That their industries might have invested in the country is of no importance. Their investments are in nothing but assembly plants that promote only low-wage jobs to replicate foreign innovations. And that means nothing in terms of development. What does promote development in this stance, as S. Korea well knows, is technology sharing. But in this I know S. Korea won't invest. It's a bit like China, who has absorbed aircraft technology from BR's Embraer whilst refusing to share knowledge in BR in the areas it is more advanced.
May 19th, 2011 - 08:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0“It started out as a war devastated country ruled by a military dictator into a democratic developed nation.”
Good for them, but I do know the extent to which foreign aid and technology transfer have played to S. Korea's development. It wasn't all based on the much praised East Asian virtues.
By the way, S. Korean democracy is supposed to be a model for whom? To BR? But BR is no longer a military regime - though I often wish it was, for at least during the military regime there was development and foreign “investors” didn't have it as easy as they do today.
As for Korean Brazilian community, I have nothing against them, just as I don't hold China's exploitative mercantilism against Chinese-Brazilians. Be that as it may, I think you're mistaking Korean Brazilians with Japanese Brazilians. There are 1.5 million Japanese-Brazilians. Korean Brazilians, however, are not even 50 thousand individuals. I have met a lot of Japanese Brazilians, many Chinese Brazilians - some of whom were born in China - but Korean Brazilian I have never seen before.
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