Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

Working for a Korea-based Organization ? This will help.... Everything Korean : Part 2--Supporting Non-Korean Management In this Vodcast Edition of Everything Korean, I will look at non-Korean management and their needs. Bridging Culture Worldwide provides a number of exclusive services to its clients, colleagues, and the business community. One of these services is video-podcasting. Looking for more BCW Vodcasts? Here's the BCW Link. Questions? Just call or email.

Want to impress your Korean colleagues? Here are some facts on Korea in late July. It's summer vacation time in Korea. Thousands flock to the beaches--the most popular-- Haeundae Beach on the southern coast. Amazingly, mile-long Haeundae attracts crowds of 100,000+. Meanwhile, Seoul streets and factory towns like Ulsan are empty. BTW, today July 29 is called jungbok , which means the middle of the summer's hottest days. To counter the summer heat, the most popular traditional dish during these periods is samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup). Yum! It's very tasty. Please share these facts with your Korean teams and see what they have to say about summer in Korea.... Questions? Just call or email.... DS

In this online edition of Everything Korean , I look at non-Korean executive-level management.  Non-Korean Management Most non-Korean executives employed to run Korean subsidiaries are veterans of their industry. They know the business. They are experts. Sadly, they know little of Korean business. Even more significant, I found that many feel that given time, they will get Koreans to do business their way following the model and methods they polished and acquired working for other firms—often Japanese or German. Contrary to the new executive’s hopes, I do not see Korean firms changing. In fact, if anything expect most Korean companies to stress global standards that transcend local methods and offer a unified standardized model. Solution #1 My suggestion for subsidiary executives is to become fully versed in Korean methods. Learn about the company. Learn how Korean’s manage. This does not occur without considerable insight, training, and coaching. In fact, expecting understanding to un...

Working with Korean teams? This will help.... Everything Korean : Part 1--Supporting Korean Management Teams In this Vodcast Edition of Everything Korean, I will look at Korean overseas teams and their role in Korea-based international operations. Bridging Culture Worldwide provides a number of exclusive services to its clients, colleagues, and the business community. One of these services is video-podcasting. Looking for more BCW Vodcasts? Here's the BCW Link. Questions? Just call or email. DS

In this 2-part special online edition of Everything Korean , I will look at two issues that have a strong impact on Korea-based international operations—Korean overseas teams (ju jae won) and non-Korean executive-level management. Ju Jae Won First, most Korean overseas subsidiaries have Korean management assigned to the host country. Whether they are senior executive level or middle management, the general term for these representative employees is ju jae won. Executive ju jae won are usually key management—CEO, COO, or CFO. A second tier of Korean management serve as managers or coordinators. Roles vary with each company, but most often coordinators act as key liaisons between Korea and the subsidiary. To be eligible for their first overseas assignment, most new ju jae won have worked for the company about 6-8 years. They know company procedures well. They have been successful at their jobs. And, they often were assigned to the headquarters’ overseas support teams, traveled extensive...

I'm watching South Korea and Apple's iPhone. Lots of reasons for it to be popular. The Apple designs are well liked. When I visit Seoul, Koreans techno-lust over my Apple MacBook Air and iPhone. Nevertheless, unlike Japan, the iPhone may never surface in Korea. Here are some reasons..... Yonhap notes... Despite reported attempts by KTF Co., the country's number two mobile carrier, to sell the handset here, South Korea was excluded from the 22 nations -- which include Japan, Germany and Spain -- where Apple announced last month it will release its third-generation (3G) iPhone on July 11. South Korea was also not among the other 48 countries where the iPhone was expected to be released by the end of the year. While South Korea's exclusion came as a surprise to tech-savvy consumers here, where more than 90 percent of the population owns a mobile phone, many analysts remained skeptical that Apple will attempt to tap the Korean market, which is currently dominated by ...

Good News. Rising travel cost and demanding work schedules no longer need limit your team from better understanding Korean workplace norms, practices and expectations. Bridging Culture Worldwide Web-based training (WBT) has been offered on a limited basis for over two years. We have expanded this service and now it is available globally. The system gives BCW the ability to offer Web-based cross-cultural training and coaching across your organization I would like to schedule a trial session for your team to experience this new program. This session will show the system’s great potential for training members of your organization—regardless of their work location or schedule. All that is required is Internet access. No downloads and no hassles. The preview will take about 45 minutes including Q&A. My thought is that we offer the trial session soon, perhaps next week. You and your management team can select the best time and day. Once we confirm a time and day, the BCW Web-based sys...

I can't resist commenting on Starbucks. Other than spending hours a day working out of a Starbucks in La Jolla ( or Seoul), I follow the coffee maker's success in Korea.  One reason for their success is that Starbucks is a status icon.  This article provides more insights .   Starbucks Enlarging Korean Footprint Is it another American icon falling victim to the slow economy or just a tweak in its business plan to improve the bottom line? The answer so far is a combination of both. Following the reports of staggering sales amid an economic hard time gripping the U.S., Starbucks announced Wednesday a major rationalization plan that centers on shutting down 600 stores with 12,000 being let go on its home turf. But the situation is poles apart here in Korea. A spokesman for its Korean operations expects a rise in sales and plans are afoot for a robust expansion. McDonald's already has set a precedent in leaving its home market that has long been saturated and moving to Asian m...

I usually talk about trends in Korean culture and business. In this Blog, I try not to focus on a specific company. This does not mean I professionally focus only on trends, quite the contrary, I work closely with top Korean corporations daily.  I support both their Korean and global management and teams.  For example,  I spend considerable time supporting Hyundai and Kia Automotive Group teams in Korea and worldwide. Few know Hyundai and Kia like I do !! So, I'm not surprised at this recent announcement. In my eyes, Hyundai has always done the impossible. It's part of their heritage and culture. Expect this to continue.... Hyundai- Kia Automotive Group Joins Ranks of Global Top 5 Automakers Rapid climb from 11 th in 1999 global rankings to 5 th place in 2007 (Seoul, Korea) With global sales of 3,961,629 units in 2007 the Hyundai- Kia Automotive Group has emerged as the world's fifth largest automaker moving up from sixth place in 2006, according to Automotive News...