Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Ethics" in Asia are not the same as the rest of the industrialized world. While I can't speak for Korean ethics, I've had dealings in other Asian countries where business ethics are really more like guidelines, elastic ones at that. I wouldn't be surprised if the execs who sanctioned this behavior on Samsung's part don't even understand that it was wrong.
Right ... and US companies are always ethical, and have always been that way? Or US companies have simply been burt so many times that they know not to play loose with the truth. It's probably worth noting that Korea "chaebol" (conglomerates) can be a little odd. They have a lot of power over the local government and media, so they end up thinking they are invincible. They are sometimes said to be very shady, at time…
That's where it's different in Asia, where such behavior is business as usual.