(X-M), X>M=surplus

it amuses me some of the wonderous things that my next-favourite country after singapore (i would like to think that it is true) is exporting or rather, can export.

first up, we have gmarket that is rapidly expanding into singapore. but items have become slightly dodgy ever since it was acquired by ebay in 2009 at a value of $1.2 billion.

then, there came a kpop craze whereby even till now, korea is still exporting its lucrative entertainment business and you see teenagers in singapore parting with a few hundred bucks to see bigbang and SNSD in concert. and i dont refer to just singaporeans who boast the highest GDP in the region but a recent bigbang concert in taipei raked in a record amount of KRW5 billion. mind you, that's about USD$5 million in topline. and no prize for guessing the all-time #1 video on youtube. PSY's gangnam style is/has been internationalized. my favourite cover of this song is also performed by a pair of korean twins. OK, you have to see this and i mean it.

already in the pipeline or out of the pipeline, i am seeing increasing number of korean cosmetics shops and beauty counters popping up around the island. to name you a few - faceshop, etude house, sulwahsoo and laneige.

this afternoon while i was on hsbc women's champions, i noticed that choi na yeon, is leading in round3 with a score of 14 under par, ahead of stacy lewis and paula creamer (who was involved in a recent car accident in thailand) at golf (a game primarily american-dominant). at a mere of 25 years old, choi already has a few titles under her belt after turning pro in 2004 including winning the US Women's Open just last july. a few players hot on her heels also including a few other koreans. i really wonder who will bring home that S$1.7 million tomorrow at sentosa's serapong golf course coz i have already thought out what im gonna buy when i win toto next friday.

as a country with borders confusion (notice: north and south korea) and with a greeting (an nyeong ha sim ni kka = meaning "安宁吗?" traditionally used to greet neighbours and checking if they are still alive with invasion from China on their west and Japan on their east), the Koreans have sure progressed a long way.

disclaimer: by no means is this a post on nationalism, instead i applaud the country's determination and efforts to succeed. you go girl, new korean female president Park Geun Hye *^^*