I've been boycotting Samsung for years now. People outside Korea often seem surprised when I mention this—after all, Samsung is one of the most recognizable Korean brands globally. So let me explain.

It started after I read Think Samsung (三星(삼성)을 생각한다) by Kim Yong-chul, a former Samsung lawyer turned whistleblower. The book exposed systematic corruption, slush funds, and how the conglomerate wielded its influence to evade accountability. It painted a picture of a company that operated as if it were above the law.

But what pushed me from mere dislike to active boycott was the 2015 merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. This wasn't just questionable corporate governance—it was engineered to help Lee Jae-yong consolidate control of the Samsung empire. The merger ratio heavily undervalued Samsung C&T, and the National Pension Service, despite its fiduciary duty to Korean citizens, voted in favor of it. Korean pensioners lost billions.

The whole affair later became central to the corruption scandal that brought down President Park Geun-hye. Lee Jae-yong was convicted of bribery. And yet Samsung continues as if nothing happened.

I'm under no illusion that my personal boycott hurts Samsung in any meaningful way. But some things aren't about effectiveness. They're about not being complicit.

@hongminhee Thank you! This is entirely in line which I believe must have happened around the EU's bootloader unlock ban. Ie it can only be the result of severe "lobbying" (to put it mildly) by Samsung in the background.

It's sad, because it removes consumers' right to repair, tinker, and extend device lifetimes.

https://www.sammobile.com/news/the-real-reason-behind-samsungs-one-ui-8-bootloader-unlock-ban-is-an-eu-law/