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From: robohen@ocf.berkeley.edu (Henry Robertson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean,soc.culture.japan,rec.autos
Subject: Re: Market Access
Date: 22 Apr 1993 05:27:43 GMT
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In article <1993Apr22.044605.29922@leland.Stanford.EDU> underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) writes:
>In article <1993Apr22.041452.27262@eecs.nwu.edu> andrew@eecs.nwu.edu
>(Andrew Sung Hyun Kim) writes:
>>...
>>What about the rice import issue?  Of course, it is not closed up
>>like a shell,  but how open is it compared to to US? 
>
>Japan is _much_ more open than Korea.
>
>Yes.  A Pontiac Grand Am suffers a factor of _2_ increase in price
>when it is exported to Japan.
>
>However, a Dodge vehicle (the one that Congressman Gephardt mentioned)
>suffers a factor of _4_ increase in price when it is exported to Korea.
>A Ford Taurus suffers the same problem.  A Honda Accord costs--I am
>not making this up--$48,000 in Korea.
>
>Just how many people would want to buy a Honda Accord for $48,000?
>
>Solution:  All ships carrying Korean-made vehicles should be returned
>           to Seoul.  Pronto.  Until as such time as Korea decides
>           that it wants to abide by the rules of free and fair trade
>           with the USA and Japan.

Now, now, before we get too carried away here....

Keep in mind that owning any car in Korea is a luxury that only the ruling
class can afford.  Every government agency worth its salt finds some reason
to levy a tax on car ownership; last I heard, there were seven different
fees to pay to own a car.  I believe this is the sort of petty bureaucratic
inefficiency that new President Kim Young Sam wants to eradicate.  Basically,
I think the rules came into place as bureaucrats from plebian backgrounds
wanted to wreak revenge on the ruling class.  In exchange, zaibatsu's like
Hyundai screwed over smaller companies, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
I have faith that Korean people can potentially build cars as well as anyone
else, but for now Hyundai cars seem to reflect the tensions within society,
of screwy components that won't work together.  Stubborn like a mule, the
car either won't go forward or won't stop at all.










