Wow I knew SK hadn't been a true democracy for most of its history, but that graph about how its leaders ended their political careers was jaw-dropping. Seems much more like that of an African country, or some in Latin America.
1. S Korean leaders #7 and #8 didn't have a tumultuous end. They had tumultuous periods before they became president.
2. Youngsters (men, mostly) all over the developed world are swinging rightward compared to their slightly older brethren (Millennials and even older Gen Z). Possibly because some combo of COVID and smartphones/social media.
3. S Korean work culture is pretty brutal. Has led to a dramatic rise in wealth and living standards but (along with views on gender; in many ways, S Koreans went from the medieval era to modern times in 1+2 generations) has led to a collapse in fertility.
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14, 2024, following his controversial declaration of martial law earlier that month. The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment in a unanimous decision on April 4, 2025, resulting in his formal removal from office.
The fact that N Korea was a victim of US bombing in the Korean War means the N Koreans have become much more defensive in their cultures interest in being an open society. The US made the decision to literally bomb every building in N Korea. What effect did that have on the ability of N Korea to become wealthier vs having to focus on avoiding being bombed into oblivion again.
It was North Korea that initiated the invasion, so it is at least equally true that South Koreans had to focus on preventing future invasions. South Korea was not in better shape than North Korea after the war. During the Japanese occupation, which ended in 1945, Japan built more industrial facilities in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Until around 1960, North Korea’s per capita GDP was indeed higher than that of South Korea.
Given that the general capabilities of ordinary people are likely similar in both the North and the South, a reasonable explanation for the economic divergence lies in the differences in political systems and leadership. While President Park was a dictator, he was dedicated to South Korea’s development during his rule and laid the foundation for the country’s economic growth.
The North invaded bc as in Vietnam the Western forces, aka US, divided the peninsula against Korea’s wishes. Like we have done in Cuba we prevent trade with Western economies while subsidizing others friendly to Wall Street. I have friends that have been to N Korea & it isn’t what Western propaganda says it is.
This is very insightful (and beautiful at the same time) - fantastic work!
Great work ... can't wait to see the next release!
That is exactly what I needed for my morning reading. It has value added vs the copious amounts of rehashing our abysmal political world right now.
Hello Tomas,
I hope this communique finds you in a moment of stillness. Have huge respect for your work.
We’ve just opened the first door of something we’ve been quietly crafting for years—
A work not meant for markets, but for reflection and memory.
Not designed to perform, but to endure.
It’s called The Silent Treasury.
A place where judgment is kept like firewood: dry, sacred, and meant for long winters.
Where trust, patience, and self-stewardship are treated as capital—more rare, perhaps, than liquidity itself.
This first piece speaks to a quiet truth we’ve long sat with:
Why many modern PE, VC, Hedge, Alt funds, SPAC, and rollups fracture before they truly root.
And what it means to build something meant to be left, not merely exited.
It’s not short. Or viral. But it’s built to last.
And if it speaks to something you’ve always known but rarely seen expressed,
then perhaps this work belongs in your world.
The publication link is enclosed, should you wish to open it.
https://helloin.substack.com/p/built-to-be-left?r=5i8pez
Warmly,
The Silent Treasury
A vault where wisdom echoes in stillness, and eternity breathes.
Wow I knew SK hadn't been a true democracy for most of its history, but that graph about how its leaders ended their political careers was jaw-dropping. Seems much more like that of an African country, or some in Latin America.
This is really amazing. I loved how you overlaid maps to explain the facts, which were already very interesting.
1. S Korean leaders #7 and #8 didn't have a tumultuous end. They had tumultuous periods before they became president.
2. Youngsters (men, mostly) all over the developed world are swinging rightward compared to their slightly older brethren (Millennials and even older Gen Z). Possibly because some combo of COVID and smartphones/social media.
3. S Korean work culture is pretty brutal. Has led to a dramatic rise in wealth and living standards but (along with views on gender; in many ways, S Koreans went from the medieval era to modern times in 1+2 generations) has led to a collapse in fertility.
Interesting that SK has the lowest fertility rate, but the population ratio v NK continues to expand.
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14, 2024, following his controversial declaration of martial law earlier that month. The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment in a unanimous decision on April 4, 2025, resulting in his formal removal from office.
The fact that N Korea was a victim of US bombing in the Korean War means the N Koreans have become much more defensive in their cultures interest in being an open society. The US made the decision to literally bomb every building in N Korea. What effect did that have on the ability of N Korea to become wealthier vs having to focus on avoiding being bombed into oblivion again.
Japan and Germany were bombed into oblivion.
And yet...
It was North Korea that initiated the invasion, so it is at least equally true that South Koreans had to focus on preventing future invasions. South Korea was not in better shape than North Korea after the war. During the Japanese occupation, which ended in 1945, Japan built more industrial facilities in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Until around 1960, North Korea’s per capita GDP was indeed higher than that of South Korea.
Given that the general capabilities of ordinary people are likely similar in both the North and the South, a reasonable explanation for the economic divergence lies in the differences in political systems and leadership. While President Park was a dictator, he was dedicated to South Korea’s development during his rule and laid the foundation for the country’s economic growth.
The North invaded bc as in Vietnam the Western forces, aka US, divided the peninsula against Korea’s wishes. Like we have done in Cuba we prevent trade with Western economies while subsidizing others friendly to Wall Street. I have friends that have been to N Korea & it isn’t what Western propaganda says it is.
Why aren't you blaming the USSR for dividing Korea against the Koreans' wishes?
Bc they didn’t we did.