Samsung Caught Bribing Government Officials

Dekortage writes "Allegedly, electronics giant Samsung Electronics attempted to bribe a South Korean government official with 5 million won (US$5,445). Ironically, the official was Lee Yong-chul, who was a presidential monitor against corruption at the time. This is the latest allegation against Samsung, which was recently accused of running 'a vast network of bribery through the government, the judiciary branch and the news media' that reaches all the way to South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun."

Comments

Has Samsung learned nothing from the U.S.?!?!

[elrous0]

Hey Samsung, you don't bribe OUTRIGHT! The smart way to do it is through major contributions to "non-political" nonprofits (like "Focus on the Family" or moveon.org) and hosting generous fundraisers for candidates where all your employees and anyone else you can muster show up at $2,000 a plate.

Geez, handing a politician an actual suitcase full of cash went out with Huey Long. The smart companies figured out long ago that there were much better, technically legal, ways to bribe their politicians.

Re:Has Samsung learned nothing from the U.S.?!?!

[evilviper]

Even better: give government officials high paying jobs in your company, the day they leave office.

Maybe even jobs where they directly lobby the government in your company's interests.

Re:Has Samsung learned nothing from the U.S.?!?!

[Asmodai]

Oh that's so true.

In South Korea and Japan giving gifts to business acquaintances is very common. Here in the Netherlands and some other countries such things are commonly forbidden in employee contracts as they're considered bribes.

That's the problem of viewing events only from your local cultural perspective.

South Korea

[Junky191]

I've spent enough time there to know that token respect bribes are just a part of how business gets done. I'm sure most of the large corporations are doing the same, it just seems Samsung slipped up and got caught.

A vast network of bribery in South Korea...

[digitaldc]

...also known as Washington lobbyists in the United States.

Consistency is Not Irony

[Doc Ruby]

Ironically, the official was Lee Yong-chul, who was a presidential monitor against corruption at the time.

That's not "irony". That's evidence that Samsung was also bribing or otherwise corrupting the government that Lee was paid not to monitor.

Even Alanis Morissette knows that bribing a cop to freely rob a house isn't "ironic".

Corruption everywhere

[TheBearBear]

I grew up a bit naive, believing my country is different from others in terms of corruption, with all our checks and balances and just our culture. In other countries where corruption runs high, people just accept it as a way of life. But now I am reading all about corruption in my country and it just made me realize that our form corruption is most dangerous. Corruption hides behind all these wack laws and loopholes so alot of times we won't/can't recognize it as corruption, while other poor countries - tho they are off worse - know full well what it is.

You see, those countries' peoples will have a chance to fight because they know what it is. Depends on how bad they're willing to shed blood. THat's why their "leaders" rule with an iron hand. They're AFRAID OF THE PEOPLE. US, on the other hand - we don't even have the will to fight. We're too comfortable. Corruption THRIVES on this. Corruption doesn't have to rule with an iron hand. They know the sheep are fat and lazy.

We've all taken the red pill.