There’s a pretty scathing article in the The Kernel about Samsung’s business practices in South Korea that make their rampant infringement on Apple’s intellectual property look mild in comparison. It paints a picture of a business that essentially runs South Korea, with tentacles molesting every business sector in the country from theme parks to food and beverages. Speaking out against Samsung in-country is tantamount to treason, even in the face of numerous bribery, corruption and even money laundering scandals. And then there’s the company’s refusal to release data on the health of its employees:

In a paper published by the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health in its Summer 2012 edition, Samsung is highlighted as one source of major health issues in the semiconductor industry.

The study, “Leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in semiconductor industry workers in Korea”, says: “Samsung, the world’s largest information technology and electronics corporation (as measured by revenues), has refused to make public such data concerning the industrial processes that affect electronics workers and has impeded attempts by independent researchers to obtain essential information.”

The bottom line is – and always has been – that Samsung is a grossly unethical company that will use any means at its disposal to remain competitive. Buying off government officials, actively busting any attempt by workers to unionize, blatantly ripping off the designs of its more successful competitors: nothing is out of bounds for this company. The Apple v. Samsung case is just another entry in a catalog of business decisions made without regard for their consequences.