Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

By Don Southerton, BCW Editor Like most Asian countries, South Korea has two different New Year days—one that follows the solar calendar and one that uses the lunar calendar. Traditionally the lunar New Year's, called So-nal, has greater cultural and familial significance (In 2012 it will be celebrated on January 22 - 24).  As for the solar New Year’s celebration, in 1896, as part of reforms instituted to Westernize and modernize Korea, the Gregorian calendar was adopted, along with some of the West’s holidays such as the January 1st New Year’s celebration.  Today I find South Korea’s celebration of the Jan. 1 New Year similar to celebration in America. For example. Koreans make New Year’s resolutions where they promise to exercise regularly or eat fewer sweet things—such as chocolates and candy.  A popular resolution every year is to study harder to improve English language skills—a skill seen as crucial in the workplace.  It’s appropriate to wis...

Happy Holidays 20 11 As the holidays approach, you may wish to greet your Korean colleagues with: Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo ! (Season's Greetings) (I will modify the Romanization for easier pronunciation). Hint: Break the greeting into:  sae hae bok—mah ne—bah deu say yo In South Korea, the government recognizes Christmas December 25 as a public holiday. This year it falls on a Sunday, so most are back to work on Monday. Christians, who make up about 30% of the population, celebrate the occasion as a religious holiday. Like in the West, both Christians and non-Christians may engage in some holiday customs such as gift-giving, sending Christmas cards, and setting up decorated trees in their homes. What may surprise some is that public and company Christmas trees and decoration stay up way past the holiday. In fact, many stay in place to the Lunar New Year in late January. Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo ! works well and is a common seasonal greeting.  For those wa...

By Don Southerton, BCW Editor New Urbanism: Smart, Sustainable Growth -- Fantasy Vs. Reality Guest Post By Don Southerton As mentioned in a previous Forbes guest article, I live in Belmar, a new urbanism community in Colorado. With today’s global and often virtual workplace, about half my day centers on Korea. Between trips to Seoul and being highly involved in Korea-facing business I’ve long observed Korean trends toward quality of living, green and sustainability. For example, trendy Korean Starbucks asks patrons to separate their trash from hot liquids—not trashing unused coffee with the paper waste—soggy paper is hard to re-cycle. I also support Korean manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia Motors. I see them striving to produce the next generation of green and sustainable cars: Outside the hybrids, eCars, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), the materials now used in the assembly of the vehicles are increasingly eco-friendly along with a bold program for the recycli...

By Don Southerton, BCW Editor Lots of interest in my new book  The Hyundai Way .   Here is a FAQ that shares some common questions I'm often asked by friends and colleagues. Lots of interest in US, globally, and in Korea, too. Q-Where can I get a copy of the book?  A-Not yet, I’m still writing. To connect with readers, I’m been sharing the process over the past year through emails, blog posts and social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I’m also circulating early drafts to get feedback and comments. Q-Then, when will the book be released?  A-Lots depends of funding. So far, I’ve covered research and writing costs. If funding can be obtained from the Hyundai Motor Group or similar interested party, I can dedicated more time and effort.  Q-Can we see an outline of the book?   A-Sure. Dedication Acknowledgements Foreword Chapter 1 Quest Chapter 2 Korea and its Culture Chapter 3 Hyundai Heritage Chapter 4 Defining  Th...

By Don Southerton, Editor With South Korea president Lee Myung-bak signing the KORUS FTA, we see the major trade agreement taking effect in January 2012. Long a topic of  BCW Blog, we were pleased to hear Sean King, Senior VP of Park Strategies, CNBC's comments on KORUS FTA. See  http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000059540 Loved Sean's comments and observations on Korean cars.  GM Korea (formerly GM Daewoo) Chevy ribbon badging was a smart move....Old gray GM Daewoo showrooms are now Chevy Town.... colors bright.... etc. Might have something to do with 2 former heads of Hyundai Motor America marketing now running GM and Chevy marketing globally.