A Korean student in the Intergrated Media Arts MFA Program at Hunter College, recently clued his classmates into the national pride that Koreans take in their family-owned “father,” Samsung Group. According to Wikipedia, Samsung is, “one of the largest super-multinationals in the world.” Not surprisingly, many Koreans are proud of Samsung’s presence at the heart of Times Square, a kind of mountain top for international corporate striving, and, according to my friend, it is customary for Koreans visiting NYC to photograph themselves in front of the giant screen advertisements, in which Samsung thanks its loving customers for supporting them. There is a definite paternalistic nature to the ads. (more…)

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