Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

South Korea's Songdo is leading the way in bio-pharma... The Korea Herald  notes..." Songdo Bio Cluster in  Incheon , where the biopharmaceutical production capacity has reached 1.2 million liters, the world’s largest followed by Massachusetts, San Francisco and Singapore, according to officials from the  South Korea’s growing biopharmaceutical production capacity is increasingly making the country an attractive investment destination for global life science companies, industry sources said Thursday. S ongdo  has successfully created an ecosystem for the bio-industry over the past few years, and it is now home to numerous international bio companies, with Korean biopharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics being the key driving factor. Full article  Korea’s CMO ramp-up lures biotech investors ###

  Tip of the Iceberg  I have been fortunate throughout my career to receive extensive media coverage in both Korean and Western publications.  I feel a major contributing factor is that as a consultant I cover and am engaged in Korean business.  I have a lot to say, and many people seek out my perspective. In fact, in just the past 6 months, I’ve contributed to  Korea Times , CNBC , Branding in Asia , Haps Magazine,  and  Sisajournal-e.com , not to mention releasing a new book and multiple press releases. Topics often vary-- Hyundai, Startup Ecosystems, EV and Critical Minerals, Smart Cities, and insights into the ever-changing Korean business culture. So why “Tip of the Iceberg?” As a prolific writer, I enjoy sharing my perspective, but only a fraction of my insights are shared, like the tip of an iceberg. It’s in my consulting work that I explore the difficulties that companies and teams encounter in greater detail. I have decades of experience ...

Branding in Asia Don Southerton takes a look at smart city development in South Korea. https://www.brandinginasia.com/smart-cities-a-tale-of-innovation-and-collaboration-in-south-korea/ Minimize image Edit image Delete image Over the past nearly 20 years, I have been engaged in Smart Cities. This work has involved various Smart City projects. The first was the Songdo International Business District in Incheon, South Korea, and more recently—cutting-edge Smart City Platforms. The concept of “Smart City” is an emerging technology that many local governments see as the future; however, few municipalities have a solid roadmap. The term “Smart City” can be defined differently. Some envision a green and sustainable community that offers a life-work balance and implements cutting-edge technologies to achieve these benefits. For example, Songdo, on the West coast of South Korea was built on reclaimed land and covers roughly 1500 Acres. Today, Songdo is a community of 167,000 residents located ...

Don Southerton takes a look back at Hyundai Pony Check out my article in Branding in Asia   https://www.brandinginasia.com/hyundai-and-kia-motors-the-early-years-and-product-development-the-pony/ Photo Courtesy of Branding in Asia and YouTube

Photo Courtesy of IFEZ South Korea’s Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) has positioned itself as the global hub for future industries such as bio-healthcare, smart manufacturing, high-tech finance and future robots, information and communication (IT), and artificial intelligence (AI) while making great strides as a hub for distribution, logistics, tourism, and MICE. Please check out our Newsletter  https://stibee.com/api/v1.0/emails/share/lp9zm4qG0yY9K45_RHds5rRVGh3ppNE Questions?   Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com  

Photo Courtesy of Don Southerton The Hyundai Motor Group has announced “an extraordinary journey with Hyundai's PONY Heritage Model as it revives the vintage charm of Seoul in the immersive ZEPETO 3D Avatar Universe.” Please check it out… https://youtu.be/5qhGK14Z_MU?si=t-OJkMQFelKIL1OG I’d also like to share an excerpt from my 2012 book, Hyundai and Kia Motors:  The Early Years and Product Development  Chapter 1 The Pony By 1973, the Korean state-run Economic Planning Board (EPB) had formulated The Long-Term Plan for Promotion of the Automobile Industry. In a policy shift from CKD partnerships, the government mandated Korea’s four leading automobile companies—Hyundai, Daewoo, Kia, and SsangYong—to submit detailed plans to develop a “Korean” car by 1975.  Following similar tactics imposed across business sectors to build an import-substitution economy, the Korean government coerced automakers to embrace the new mandate or face restrictions in their current operations. Hyu...