Welp, I can see how divided people are when it comes to their perspective on HS.
I am fairly new to the community, and I just built my first board a month ago. It is a HS 60%, and the whole process is like putting together LEGOs, which I am not ashamed of. To a newby like me, HS is more accessible, and it helps me easing my way into the hobby. Do I plan to use HS anymore? That is a fat "maybe". I agree that the current technology of HS is not optimal, and it may never be good as far as I am concerned. Improving HS would just be "feature-creeping" and over-engineering of a problem neglected by the existence of soldering itself. So HS, to me, is a milestone, a side track, and a lower hill that allows me to observe the actual mountain that is custom MKB. What I am saying is, it is a "gateway" to full customs.
But, why wouldn't you just learn soldering in the first place and build your first board that way to achieve chad status? True, that is a valid thought, and I often question myself like this as well. If HS does not help you obtain an essential skill of building customs, why do it? That is, again, a valid point. I do not plan to rely on the "convenience" of HS in possible future builds, but using HS has reassured me that this hobby is within my reach.
At the end of the day, HS is just a sub-optimal technology that allows filthy casuals like me to sneak into the hobby, and no one should rely on it to build long-lasting keyboards.
As for the person who spent 3.5k on a Korean HS board, I am sorry man, I think you got scammed. (This is my OPINION, correct me on FACTS only please)