Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

Market Entry: Part Two, A Special Report For Korean Brands Expanding Globally By Don Southerton, CEO Bridging Culture Worldwide Localization and understanding the market are key to any successful overseas' expansion.  My consulting work focuses on assisting Korean brands entering the US market and US brands entering the Korean market. Last week, I discussed Korean market entry. This article now addresses Korean brands, both furthering their global reach and launching for the first time in Western markets. In a recent Korea Herald article I was quoted saying, "Over the years I witnessed firsthand cross-cultural issues that surfaced when Korean companies expanded globally. My role has been to address these issues, such as trust among the Korean and Western teams, lack of lines of communication, local employee turnover and managing expectations." To add to this, I believe that global expansions require Korean brands to alter many of the practices, which h...

The following article appears in U.S. Korea Connect. See Link below by Don Southerton I have long followed and supported both successful market entry of Korean business into the US and American firms to Korea. This mutual success has centered on product, retail and quick service restaurants, with limited opportunities in the service sectors. The KORUS FTA will make a huge change in this exchange. In the area of services, I see KORUS FTA as a game changer. A few weeks ago, United States Secretary of State John Kerry visited Korea and spoke about the importance of trade between our two nations. This month, President Park will visit the White House to reaffirm our countries’ mutual commitment and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Korea strategic alliance. Since its implementation last year, the KORUS FTA has given that alliance a new dynamic. One area of the agreement that should receive more attention is trade in services. At its core, trade in services is trade in...

By Don Southerton, BCW Editor Outside an artist's need to create, their work also reveals a yearning desire for self-expression. For Denver-based Anna Cash-Mitchell her paintings are meticulously crafted to take on a three-dimensional perspective. On closer examination of the paintings, much of the work is set back within the canvas—a process Anna has perfected over the past 5 years. Anna notes, “My paintings play with bold color and form. I use elements of sculpture with visually hidden layers to create a feeling of depth when you move around each piece. This depth invites you to experience my art in a physical way, which doesn’t come through a two-dimensional photo. In a sense, it is a reminder to be present here and now in our ever expanding digital world..." The Net As for the artist, Anna grew up in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies where she earned a BA in Fine/Studio Arts and a Master of Humanities at University of Colorado, Denver. Her education as an art...

By Don Southerton, BCW Editor As mentioned in the previous post, I hosted BBC World Service Click journalist Gareth Mitchell in Korea earlier this year. In BBC Click's latest series "A Route 66 of the Future", Gareth explores the ideas behind a smart highway in the Netherlands and gets behind the steering wheel of a hydrogen fuel cell powered car at the R&D Eco labs of Hyundai Motor Company in South Korea. Very cool technology. This is Hyundai's 3rd Generation of FCEV and will be first production model in the industry. Hyundai Motor's Dr Byung Ki Ahn with Gareth, and the hydrogen fuel cell SUV Audio Link http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/digitalp/digitalp_20130430-2032a.mp3 Questions? Comments?