Suna in Wonderland

When I was 20, I worked at English institution for a while as part time job. I really worked hard but last two month, my salary was kept delayed. Of course i demanded my wage but boss kept told me that I would get my salary next month.( I should I have see it coming when I hear this, but I was too naïve and young that boss will pay me for sure)

And as you can guess, one day, she just ran away without letting anyone know, including clients and eventually company closed down. I was too shocked by the fact that i am broke and also the fact that someone can actually do this. I cursed how irresponsible the boss was and i still do.  I mean, fall down of company is understandable but just running away and leaving all the responsibility to others made me feeling really ridiculous and furious. There i learnt that world is not so beautiful as i expected.

5 years later, today I was researching on bad reputation of Korean company abroad. UNBELIEVABLE!! I found out that this irresponsible act is pretty common for some Korean people.(perhaps it is more correct to say Korean entrepreneurs) I am really shameful and hurtful hate to admit this.

Turned out to be on 2008, hundreds of Korean-invested factories have closed down, leaving workers without pay. It occurred especially in eastern China’s Shandong province. In Qingdao alone, 200 small and medium-size factories closed down over night and Korean employers flee the country without paying Chinese worker’s wages. According to news, the main reason was due to rise of labor costs and tax advantages reduced. Therefore for them, China became less attractive and moved to place where cost of labor is cheap such as Vietnam or Cambodia.

I got curious and looked for the wage price of Chinese workers. According to news articles, wage has been raised to $107 a month, which it made me more despond, how employers felt that $107 is too expensive for them.

Thanks to all these irresponsible Korean employers, now Korea has a bad reputation when it comes to company. Some of stories that I read through online were horrible that I do not even want to mention.

Why can’t people see in long term? For sure, China is growing rapidly in economically, politically and every perspective. If Korea companies keep making these troubles and treating Chinese workers badly, then there would be point when Korea would not able to do business in China anymore. But more important is not about matter of doing business but on Business Ethics. These stories on the news would represent Korean do not have business ethics plus can not be trusted. We are losing credibility not only in China but globally!!

I wonder if those people who just flee and throw their responsibility can sleep at night. If I were them, I would have already go nuts with guilt. I personally feel that these people have no right to run the company and hoping that Korea government would catch these irresponsible people and make sure there would not be another victim.