Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

Many thanks to my friends at The Korea Society for posting on YouTube segments of recent Korea Inc business discussion.   To view the full YouTube Working for Korea Inc. series go to: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYTdCvotGB1QKPCB5zVzabQD6NG9I2VkZ  ###

Working for Korea Inc
 An evening discussion with Don Southerton
 Hosted by The Korea Society, NYC   June 27, 2013  5:30 PM Korean firms operating internationally employ non-Koreans at all levels. Don Southerton, CEO of Bridging Culture Worldwide and author of Korea Facing: Secrets for Success in Korean Global Business, shares insights on working for Korea-based companies and understanding Korean operational norms for goods and services providers. http://www.koreasociety.org/corporate/working_for_korea_inc.html THE KOREA SOCIETY is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with individual and corporate members that is dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. In pursuit of its mission, the Society arranges programs that facilitate discussion, exchanges and research on topics of vital interest to both countries in the areas of public polic...

By Don Southerton As a disclaimer, the viewpoints of this report are solely the opinions of Don Southerton and Bridging Culture Worldwide. Kia Motors America I support a number of Korea-based global organizations. Many are in the automotive sector. This is because the top Korean auto maker (Hyundai and Kia Motors) has a huge overseas operations and the auto sector requires extensive infrastructure and staffing to support their network, including parts, sales, marketing, logistics, manufacturing, finance, R&D, design, legal, and compliance with a myriad of local, state and federal regulations. Moreover, tier 1 vendors and suppliers now support the carmakers. This creates the need for these third party partners to better understand the mindset and corporate culture of Korea-based firms, such as Hyundai and Kia Motors. First reported in 2010 and updated again the following year, I prepared a case study sharing how Kia Motors America, a subsidiary of t...