This article is a great insight into the importance Korea's top executives see in language skills. Many firms reguire their team members hone their language skills. Some firms even have mandates that ALL employees have a minimum level of foreign language proficency. In fact, one requirement for all new applicants is high language skills--often in two foreign languages.
Korea Times
In an age of globalization, speaking a foreign language is vital.
As more business meetings and presentations are conducted in a language other than Korean, the pressure is high among office workers to bump up their foreign language skills.
This is also true for top executives at Korea’s leading industrial corporations.
CEO Koo Hak-su of Shinsegae, Korea’s largest discount store operator, is one of many Korean chief executives known for his passion to learn and speak a foreign language.
He once said to his staff: Don’t even dream about reaching the top seat if you can’t hold a meeting in English.
Koo devotes one hour, three times a week, to mastering English, taking private lessons from a native speaker.
Koo said that he started to study English as the company began its global expansion, adding that it was inevitable especially today when Korea and its companies are becoming more multinational.
Thanks to his diligence, Koo is able to discuss business matters with his foreign counterparts in English gracefully, according to Shinsegae officials. Besides English, Koo also invests time in learning Chinese and is already fluent in Japanese.
Cho Suck-rai, chairman of Hyosung Group, is probably the leader with the most exceptional foreign language skills among Korea’s corporate executives.
He can speak English and Japanese without any help from interpreters, as proven at various international affairs where he speaks to guests in several languages back-to-back.
Like Koo, he stresses that people need to consistently learn foreign languages to stay afloat in today’s competitive global market. He urges his employees to interact with foreigners as much as they can.
Also on the list is Kang Shin-ho, chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Dong-A Pharmaceutical. He is fluent in English and German as he studied in Germany for his doctoral degree.
According to FKI, Kang can conduct a conversation in basic Chinese as well.
Cho Yang-ho, Korean Air chairman and Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Corporation, are also fluent in English almost to a native speaker level, while Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Group, is known for his high-level fluency in Japanese.
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