The ‘Beef’ With South Korean Billionaires
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Beef: It’s what’s for dinner, and it’s also back on Netflix. The second season of this pitch-black comedy introduces a full lineup of new characters—but its most intriguing storyline has to do with chaebols, the family-run corporations that structure South Korea’s economy and have far-reaching influence on every aspect of Korean society. I learned all about this cultural phenomenon by reading Natasha O’Neill’s fascinating deep dive into how chaebols were formed and how they’ve shaped one of the world’s biggest GDPs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their dominance also helps explain why so many huge South Korean films and TV series (your Parasites, your Squid Games) are focused on class resentment. So much for American exceptionalism!
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HILLARY BUSIS,
SENIOR EDITOR
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The second season of Netflix’s Beef is focused on the nepotistic oligarchs who rule South Korea’s economy, a class of people so privileged that they’re literally above the law.
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“No one gives a fuck about movies or television or any of that shit,” the comedian tells Vanity Fair as he plots a way out of the celebrity churn.
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When asked about the beef with Alex Cooper, one person waiting in line said, “I don’t think there’s anything else happening in the world except for this feud.”
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For the April 1988 issue, VF’s Mick Brown spoke with Grammy-winning songstress Sade—who was announced as one of the 2026 inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this week.
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posted by Francis Dwight at 3:57 PM

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