March 22, 2026 • Seoul Bureau
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Electronics
In the bustling markets of Yongsan, the price tags tell only half the story. Behind every discounted circuit board lies a chain of labor, environmental debt, and hidden subsidies that consumers never see. Our six-month investigation traces the true cost of the devices we take for granted -- from rare earth mining in Mongolia to e-waste dumps in Ghana.
The gap between what we pay and what things cost has never been wider. As global supply chains stretch thinner, the 값 -- the real value -- becomes increasingly obscured by layers of intermediaries, tax havens, and deliberate opacity.