By This is pretty significant considering how far Samsung has come to recreate their brand image to one of electronics quality:
Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s leader in memory chips and flat displays, posted record sales last year, making the company the world’s largest electronics and information technology firm.
Samsung said yesterday its sales grew 15.1 percent to 136.29 trillion won ($117.6 billion) last year from the previous year while its operating profits soared 91.2 percent to 10.92 trillion won.
This puts Samsung ahead of Germany-based Siemens and the U.S.-based Hewlett-Packard, which recorded $109.8 billion and $114.6 billion in sales respectively in 2009. HP and Siemens saw their sales slide by 3 percent and 1 percent respectively in that period while Samsung’s jumped.
In the Fortune 500 company list of world firms published in 2008, only Siemens, ranked 30th, and HP, 32nd, were ahead of Samsung, which came in 40th. With its 2009 performance Samsung now ranks higher than those electronics and IT companies. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
8:35 pm on February 1st, 2010 1
Look what’s happening to Honda and Toyota. It’s what’s happened to Sony. Sony is now fading into a has been. That is the future of Honda and Toyota and the rest of the Japan Inc. as China prepares to replace Japan as #2 world power and as Korea rapidly catches up to Japan. It needs to heed the wake-up call and stop being complacent if it wants to be competitive once again.
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1:06 am on February 2nd, 2010 2
Recalls aren’t rare in the automotive world. And for Korea to go from 13th to 2nd or 3rd just ain’t gonna happen.
Despite the prayers of Koreans, Japan, or the US for that matter, isn’t going to fall out of the G8 because of China, sorry but it’s not gonna happen.
I know the reality hurts, but Koreans will get over it.
I do agree Japan has to take it’s head out of it’s ass though.
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3:38 am on February 2nd, 2010 3
Korea is number 1 and in 10 years somene else will be number 1, it all goes in cycles. Honda, Toyota, Sony, GM, Ge, all used to be on top… samsung will be no different an fade eventually. The only company in the world that doesn’t fall into the normal cycle of things that I can think of is microsoft but someday even they will lose their grip at the top, it is the way business is.
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5:12 am on February 2nd, 2010 4
Korea is reaching the pinnacle of their success. However, it’s at a huge cost. They’re anti-american politics have ensured that half of their country (NK) will continue to be under the rule of a communist dictator.
They also have one of the highest suicide rates in the world. They are recognized as being some of the rudest and greediest people in the world as well. Racist? Yeah, big time.
Everything for Korea from here on is downhill.
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February 2nd, 2010 at 5:54 am
Thanks for the best wishes.
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February 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Yup. This is my attitude and opinion too. It never used to be. I got sick and tired of hearing Koreans hope the worst for America/Americans (not Korean-Americans of course!) and Japan and hearing about how great Koreans are eventhough the rest of the world doesn’t agree.
I got sick and tired of hearing lies told by their media about the US, Japan and Englishee teachers (Pandora’s Box ring a bell?) Not to mention the way they treat biracial Koreans all the while using the victim card as an excuse for such things, yet they never accept any excuses (and they shouldn’t) when they’re faced with such things.
We’re not the only ones, the list is long and grows longer everyday. I love the fact that the AES is getting media attention abroad. They brought it on themselves by talking and treating nonKoreans like shit. Just ask a biracial Korean about it.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:01 am
You are not reasoning well Johnny,
The AES article is not just negative to Koreans but also to English teachers in Korea. The article was not favorable to Koreans but in the long term people abroad will know that Koreans are getting piss off with English teachers behaving badly in Korea.
You said that the “reputation” of Koreans is well known around the world (I won’t argue about it because it is a subjective matter), but the “reputation” of Americans is not that wonderful either.
Do a favor to yourself and do what your mother taught you when you was a kid, be gentle and respectful to people when you are invited to their house. If you feel you were not invited, than just leave the house and don’t follow the same “bad example” of your host. Can you do that?
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6:04 am on February 2nd, 2010 5
Sony makes technically good stuff… but I don’t dig (higher-priced) proprietary accessories, crippled hardware and locked software that does what Sony wants it to do rather than what I want it to do.
Open software and hackable/standardized hardware is the wave of the future.
Goodbye Sony (and Apple), Hello Google (and Samsung).
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6:29 am on February 2nd, 2010 6
Japanese companies stopped in time in the 80’s.
The downfall of their almost absolute supremacy happened because they snubbed two new trends in the 90’s: internet and IT technology. They simply ignored them.
This case shows the main difference between Koreans and the Japanese: Koreans prosper in an unstable environment (are familiar with changes) while the Japanese needs calm scenarios to plan their future (are unfamiliar with abrupt changes).
Unfortunately the USA is following the Japanese pattern because of its fat and big @ss.
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9:41 am on February 2nd, 2010 7
I just knew all the detractors would come out of the wood. I remember the same types of people, a while back, when they would laugh at Samsung and/or at Korea for having poor quality, and that there was no way in hell Koreans can improve their quality because they are inherently inferior to Americans, Japanese, etc., and that how Korea was going to collapse because everybody hates Koreans.
Where are they all now? They’re hiding with ID’s like JohnT. But instead of harping on Korea’s “poor quality”, now they’re trying to shift the topic.
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11:13 am on February 2nd, 2010 8
Koreans talk shit every day about others yet can’t handle it when it when it gets thrown right back at them. Koreans get absolutely no sympathy from me!
Once again Korean hypocrisy shines through!
A Korean called Tom accusing me of hiding behind my real name. Ain’t that irony?
What? You think I’m gonna use my full name Tom? Just so some Korean scumizen loser or draft dodging gyopo can send me death threats like they did with Ohno and others?
I don’t feel like being gunned down or stabbed by some Korean Tom, so I just use part of my REAL name. Can you say the same a Korean called Tom?
Where in my post did you see that I said Koreans make poor quality products? Show me? YOU brought it up…
Your pure blood blinds you more than my mixed blood blinds me. At least I can admit I’m a prick.
Japan and the US are not going to be replaced by Korea, sorry but Korea isn’t even in the G8. If they drop down, Korea drops even further.
Get over yourselves Koreans, you’ve gone as far as you can go. Even a prick like me can admit that that’s pretty good. Be happy with what you have for a change.
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February 2nd, 2010 at 11:52 am
“At least I can admit I’m a prick”
That was unnecessary Johnny, we already knew it
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February 2nd, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Thanks pal! Too bad Tom can’t admit it.
I don’t suppose Dr. Yu is your real name is it?
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5:06 pm on February 4th, 2010 9
Actually, Koreans make pretty good stuff and I have always been impressed by the After Service A/S offered. Samsung and LG are particularly impressive. I’ve also had reasonably good luck with Korean cars.
I really like Japan but a good example of falling behind is internet service (this would include the US too). I have rarely checked into a hotel in Japan where internet was automatically provided, or in many cases, even available. In Korea on the other hand, even a love hotel is not only likely to have internet (at no cost) but many times a computer as well.
Are many (NOT ALL) Koreans excessively greedy? I would answer with a resounding yes! It might be understandable due to Koreas history. But it is almost so apparent it hurts. Has anyone ever heard the phrase: “step over a dollar to pick up a dime”? I use it regularly.
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