The Republic of Konsumerism

Upon entering a supermarket in Seoul for the first time, I was completely lost. What I thought would be a simple challenge became nerve-wrecking: choosing a tube of toothpaste. Everywhere I looked, each product claimed to be better and cheaper than the last. “Three for the price of two”, “20% off”, “value deal”. These messages came at me from every direction. I got a headache and just left. Toothpaste is toothpaste: its fundamental function is to clean teeth and protect against cavities. Yet e