It sucks being stuck in the middle while they pretend to be nice to us, but the bigger issue is the collateral damage from the rare earth situation. For rare earths to become finished products like semiconductors, they go through three main stages. First: refining and smelting. Second: turning that refined stuff into semi-finished products. Third: making the actual finished goods from those. FYI, China has a 100% monopoly on the refining stage. The problem is that Japan has a monopoly on the second stage (semi-finished goods). And then we take those and turn them into finished products.
So basically, whether we like it or not, we're in this joint division of labor for semiconductors and batteries: China -> Japan -> Korea. But now it’s like China -> (X) Japan -> (X) Korea. Our supply is getting hit hard. That's why we can't just say, 'Haha, serve you guys right, getting a taste of your own medicine.' Instead, we're stuck in a spot where we have to tell them, 'Hey guys, please don't fight...'
These shitty assholes...
"Users are lamenting Korea's geographical and economic 'bad luck,' being sandwiched in a fragile supply chain where they can't even enjoy watching their rivals fight without getting burned themselves."
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