Dress for Success in South Korea

One of the important aspects to consider before entering another country's working environment is to familiar with its business attire. So, in order to be on trend you need to be assured that your clothing is a key aspect in making a good first impression.  Do your best to conform to the dress code and present yourself in a clean-cut, professional manner to come off as someone colleagues would be pleased to do business with.


South Korea is very much a conservative country, and in the business world it’s considered a positive trait to blend in with your coworkers and not attempt to exalt yourself. In this case, stick with a business suit—black, dark grey, or navy blue—with long trousers and a good quality tie.  Depending on the time of the year, you will want to opt for either a lightweight cotton suit or a wool suit, as winters in South Korea can get pretty cold.




Women can wear business suits or dresses, but again in dark colors so you blend in with the rest of the office.  Miniskirts, of course, are taboo, as are revealing or skin-tight outfits. If you happen to have any tattoos, be sure they’re completely hidden while you’re in the business setting.  If going out to socialize in a less formal setting, it’s appropriate to wear short-sleeved shirts or bright colors, but it would be wise to wait until you’ve established yourself as reliable and responsible to your coworkers first.

Wearing appropriate shoes also important and remember not to wear flashy shoes.  For men, a pair of leather shoes, either black or brown, is appropriate business attire. Like the rest of your wardrobe, your shoes should be of good quality without overtly advertising themselves as such.  Women have more freedom with expressing themselves in their footwear, so long as they stick to business-like flats. Traditional meals and social gatherings in South Korea often involve sitting on the floor because of the special designed tables, so be sure to be wearing shoes that are easy to maneuver on and off. So, during dinner time your foot will remain under the table the whole time.



Tasteful accessorizing in a moderate upon is appropriate and acceptable. If you want to include a few small personal touches in your wardrobe, such as a watch or tie clip for men, or jewelry and scarves for women, this is fine. Just make sure it’s something simple and elegant, and not too attention-grabbing.

History of Korea or First Koreans

Before entering, especially doing business somewhere we want to learn more about that place and somehow prepare ourselves. So, since our past defines and affects on our future, let's take a look on Korean's history, and see how South Korea became the one we are familiar with today. Moreover, I bet you probably always wondered how and why Korea divided and became two separate countries, with same nation and language, but different values and structure.

People have been living in Korea for at least 10,000 years. Archaeologists believe the ancestors of today's Koreans came from Mongolia and Siberia.
Korea's first kingdom was Old Chosun, which ruled the northwest and parts of China for more than 22 centuries. In 108 B.C. it was overthrown by Chinese armies, and three new kingdoms emerged: Koguryo, Paekche, and Silla. In the A.D. 660s, the Silla, with the help of Chinese troops, won control of the country.

By A.D. 901 Korea had once again broken into three kingdoms. In 936, a powerful noble named Wang Kon unified the country under the name Koryo. This kingdom lasted until 1392, when the Yi family seized the throne and began the Choson dynasty, which ruled until 1910.


In 1894, Japan and China sent soldiers to put down an uprising in Korea. Afterward, they and Russia fought for control of Korea, which Japan won in 1910. When Japan lost in World War II, its territories, including Korea, were taken over by the Allies. Soviet troops occupied the north while U.S. troops stayed in the south. In 1950, the communists in the north invaded the south, sparking the beginning of the Korean War. The war raged until 1953, and more than 2.5 million Koreans, Americans, Chinese, and others died. The war was never officially ended, and the Koreas remain divided.


And that's how it is today, there were several attempts to unite the nation and countries, but all attempts failed. South Korea demonstrated its willingness to peace, however all negotiations with North ended unsuccessfully. So, now South Korea achieved a permission of separated families meeting, where thousand of people were able to find and met their relatives and family members. However, people are not very satisfied with the way it goes. Here is the video how these meetings looks like.

The Importance of Family or Confucianism

In order to do business with Korean people you have to understand and get to know them better. This will also help you to be a better leader, a better employee and a better business partner.

So, of the things you need to learn about Koreans is that they puts family first, they really respect and value their parents, grandparents and all their ancestors. However, they even in family they follow strict hierarchy structure.


Since, the ancient times Koreans adhered to Confucianism, and in Confucian tradition, the father is the head of the family and it is his responsibility to provide food, clothing and shelter, and to approve the marriages of family members, and it remained unchanged till our days. Moreover, the eldest son of the family has special duties: first to his parents, then to his brothers from older to younger, then to his sons, then to his wife, and lastly to his daughters, women have a lower position in comparison to men. Furthermore, Koreans believe that members of the family are tied to each other because the actions of one family member reflect on the rest of the family, that's why one of the taboo things for individual is to put a shame on a family.

Back to Confucianism, which has its roots from ancient China and spread throughout Asia. The founder of Confucianism was Kong Qiu (K'ung Ch'iu), who was born around 552 B.C.E. in the small state of Lu and died in 479 B.C.E. The Latinized name Confucius, based on the honorific title Kong Fuzi (K'ung Fu-tzu), was created by 16th-century Jesuit missionaries in China. Confucius was a teacher to sons of the nobility at a time when formal education was just beginning in China. He traveled from region to region with a small group of disciples, a number of whom would become important government officials.

Another important aspect of Koreans' life is the heritage of their ancestors, in other words ancestors are very important in South Korea. Every Korean must know and respect his/her family's ancestors.
Here are some facts you might consider knowing:

• Ancestors are based on the male family line.
• Children are raised to believe they can never repay their debt to their parents, hence the popularity of ancestor worship.
• They hold ancestral ceremonies for the previous three generations (parents, grandparents, and great grandparents) several times a year, particularly on Chuseok and NewYear's Day.
• On Chuseok, people cook and set out food to celebrate their ancestors.

Korean Business Etiquette

Talking about doing business in South Korea, we can not address the subject  about features of business etiquette there.
As I mentioned in previous posts manners and etiquette are very important to Koreans, so they follow it very strictly. In this post I will tell you more about how to behave on a Korean business meeting and what to expect on a workplace.



First and very important aspect is that South Koreans prefer to do business with people with whom they have a personal connection, so they try to establish and develop strong long-lasting relations. Talking about relationships, they can be developed through informal social gatherings that often involve a considerable amount of drinking and eating. Moreover, Koreans believe that individuals who have established mutual trust and respect will work hard to make each other successful.

Another no less important point is the fact that is very crucial to Koreans be introduced by a third-party. In other words you can not come and introduce yourself to a partner of another firm. While, sensitive matters and topics may often be raised indirectly through the one that that first made the introductions. And it is important to remember under no circumstances insult or to criticize in front of others, especially it is important if you will have Korean employees, it will be better to talk with them tete-a-tete.

Also, South Koreans have different perception of contracts and business documents, for example they treat legal documents as memorandums of understanding. Besides, they view contracts as loosely structured consensus statements that broadly define agreement and leave room for flexibility and future adjustments as needed.

South Koreans are extremely direct communicators, it can be seen when hey are not averse to asking questions if they do not understand what has been said or need additional clarification. One more thing is that in his is a culture where "less is more" when communicating, so you also need to remember to respond to questions directly and concisely.

Since there is a tendency to say "yes" to questions so that you do not lose face, the way you phrase a question is crucial. It is better to ask, "When can we expect shipment?" than "Can we expect shipment in 3 weeks?", since this question requires a direct response.

So, here are some tips for business meetings with Koreans:

• Do not remove your jacket unless the most senior South Korean does so.
• Appointments are required and should be made 3 to 4 weeks in advance.
• You should arrive on time for meetings as this demonstrates respect for the person you are meeting.
• The most senior South Korean generally enters the room first.
• Have all written materials available in both English and Korean.
• Meetings are used to understand a client's needs and challenges. They lay the foundation for building the relationship.

Beautiful Korean Culture

One of the things that will not leave you indifferent, is the culture of this ancient country with rich history background. South Korea is country where peace and harmony were reached and created by wars and past tragedies, but still retained its traditions and heritage.

Kore is a divided country, at the End of World War II in 1948, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel. And know is referred as two different countries, South Korea (the Republic of Korea) and North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea), consequently North Korea became communist country, while South Korea is not.


There are actually two Korean New Years for Koreans. This is because Koreans go by two calendars; one being the same people use in the West, and the other being the Lunar calendar. But that doesn't mean they don't celebrate the actual New Year, they do and celebrate the other one as well. Usually it comes after the actual New Year, but dates varies due to Lunar calendar.

In Korea, there are some old conventions that some individuals will even now take after. One is to visit the oldest individual from the family and bow toward them to show regard and to wish them a long life (this would happen on New Years Eve).

One of the things is that politeness and good manners are highly valued there, and it is very important to be able to adjust to a unique greeting gesture, which is a 90 degree bow facing the person that is in front of you, and being younger one, you need to greet (bow) first.


Another thing is being ready to give and receive gifts, even if you are a guest coming to South Korea, you still need to bring some little symbolic gifts (advisable from your country, or something that represents it, or can not be found in Korea), because you are 100% will get a lot of gifts from them, and even if they says no, they still wants something from you in return.

 

Hofstede's Scores for South Korea

Here is the data from Hofstede's website.



The part about individualism, because it can be seen at the first sight that Korean people are tend to stick in the groups, and establish close relationships with the members of it. Furthermore, they are very concerned about the respectful attitude towards older people, and it is appeared in every group, family or community.

Moreover, the structure and order are very important for punctual Koreans, that’s why it was obvious that they would get a high PDI, and also they are seem to be more happy to follow a good and responsible leader or boss than to act without one.

The last is an indicator of the long term orientation, which is very high (100%), and it also can be seen in the way Korean people behave, because they try to plan and make things considering how it will operate in future, even the way they build houses, with a high security, comfort and quality standards.

Koreans value and respect if you act or behave in more introverted way, however it will inspire and encourage them if you will show your confident and outgoing extroverted side. There is a stereotype that Koreans are very shy and quiet, however I disagree with it, I observed myself that among themselves they are very energetic and loud. I think the fact that they value etiquette and manners highly may sometimes be interpreted as timidity, but I can guarantee that wit close people Koreans act very freely and even sometimes wild.

Another thing is that Korea has the highest gender inequality of any developed country, yet they elected their first female president. Here is the picture of her.

Park Geun-hye

How to be Korean

For foreigners Korean people might seem a little quite.. abnormal, due to their unique attitude towards life and specific behavior in some cases, people tend to think and got particular facts and stereotypes and towards them and the country as a whole. Here are the list of things about Koreans and their exceptional habits and tastes.

Take for instance - English, most people here thinks that people who speak English is cool. but this generation though.. most of them speak good English.

 Korean people are the heaviest drinkers on earth, in fact, Soju is the alcohol company that sells the most in the world, and they only cost less than $2 (USD).

Within their Confucian framework, emotions must be discreetly controlled in public. People with higher status or rank show negative feelings more freely than those of lower rank.

Plastic surgery isn’t a secret here, not many people would actually lie that they’ve done it.

The older, the superior or the man pays, it’s an unfair world, but that is how it is here.

There are 3 major religions in Korea, Buddhist, Christians and the no religion. While it seems more like a country with more Buddhists, there are actually more Christians.

Koreans loves their Coffee, you can find the widest range of coffees here. They cannot live without it. and believe it or not, the coffee shop culture have only been here for much lesser than a decade. 

Unlike other races, Koreans will always be Koreans, and they are proud of it. Even when they are born in another country, they will always feel that Korea is their own country and there will always be this huge bond between them and their roots.  

Blood type tells what type of person you are, Koreans really obsessed about Blood type thing and if you want them to think that you’re the perfect blood type, just say A. because As are known to be perfectionists and Bs are players, ABs are hipsters, and O are plain and lazy. 

South Korea is definitely on the forefront when it comes to the term “Save the Earth”! We always try to save on energy and recycling. The Korean government initiated a program throughout the country back in 2005 that tries to limit green house gases by conserving the energy costs of businesses.

Koreans are extremely emotional in all facets of life. It’s just another Korean personality trait. When a person dies in Korea, it’s not quiet; Koreans give new meaning to the word “cry.” But of course death is an emotional aspect for any culture. 

Koreans still have many obligations towards one another and share a close intimacy. The traditional Korean family was based on the male family line. Traditionally, only a male could be the head of the family. This has resulted in some unusual situations such as a single or divorced mother needing her five-year-old son's signature on legal documents. Modern Korean society has given women to the right to head a household. Extended family also holds an important role in Koreans' lives.

The Importance of Nonverbal Communication in Business

Nonverbal communication is important in the traditional Korean culture.




One of the most common non-verbal communications for Koreans is bow, they are bowing to each other during greeting or farewell, and it is usually followed by a handshake. The person of lower status bows to the person of higher status, yet it is the most senior person who initiates the handshake. Also, when you leave a social gathering, say good-bye and bow to each person individually.  To show respect when shaking hands, support your right forearm with your left hand. Korean women usually nod slightly and will not shake hands with Western men, while western women may offer their hand to a Korean man.



Another one is interaction between seniors and juniors, for example direct eye contact between junior and senior businesspeople should be avoided, because it might be considered as impolite or even as a challenge. Koreans mostly appreciated Eye contact & smiling as gestures of welcoming and friendship.

Small talk may be viewed as pointless, but meaningful conversation highly valued. However, non-business centered small talks is very differs from North American, for example it's really culturally strange to talk openly about bowel problems like diarrhea or constipation in US. But, an "overshare" - giving more information than you really wanted, is totally appropriate for Koreans. As far as I can tell, it's OK to talk about bowel problems in Korean small talk (at least for some groups - particularly older folks), but it's really strange to North Americans (and I'm pretty sure people from other English speaking nations would agree).

Even, professionals that are meeting for the first time usually exchange business cards, you need to remember to present your card and receive your colleague's card with both hands. Besides, one interesting fact that is need to be remembered and considered is that a  low, deep bow from Koreans at the end of a meeting indicates a successful meeting, while  quick, short parting bow could mean dissatisfaction with meetings.

Another thing in Korean working environment is company dinners, this is a very important part of every employees' and employer life. This is kind of a necessity and an integral part of Korean culture. In order to get known your coworkers better and introduce yourself as well, this will be the best possible opportunity. Below is the video of how this dinners went.

  

Korean “Ingrish” or How to survive in South Korea without Korean?

Blog for International Business (MGT - 345 - 1)Kendall College Zhanelya Ydrys

  The country I chose is the the land of the morning calm, South Korea. I have been there once (two years ago) and one of the reasons why I chose this country is because I was fascinated and impressed by their rich culture and interesting history. South Korea is also known for the rapid dynamic economic growth and global integration, that was able to perform in a short period of time.  

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name Korea is derived from the ancient Kingdom of Goguryeo, also known as Koryŏ. Highly urbanized at 92%, South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle; half of them live in high-rises concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area with 25 million residents and the world's sixth leading global city with the fourth largest economy. South Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Official language in South Korea is Korean (Hangul), and it is one of the world’s most ancient and oldest living languages. There are 78 million people all over the world speaking Korean in and outside of South Korea, it is the North Korea and also the People's Republic of China's Yanbian and Changbai. Korean language has different dialects that varies through provinces and districts. For example dialect of the Jeju Island sound so different that sometimes classifies as a separate language, however majority of people and businesses speak standard Seoul dialect.

Fortunately, almost all of Generation X and Y as well, are speaking basic conversational English and can help in case you get lost and asking for directions. While, in all medium and big companies knowledge of English is required, moreover in big cities like the capital Seoul and Busan all street and shops writings are in English. But it is highly recommended to at least learn some basic phrases in Korean, because it will make your travel experience more convenient and enjoyable. Also about doing business in English in Korea is possible, however an interpreter would be useful during meetings with elder partners or board members. Moreover, an interpreter will be able to explain you traditions and etiquette during meetings and negotiations. So, an interpreter would be a nice accompaniment, but if you are confident enough about your language skills and your ability to grasp on the fly as a global leader, then you will be fine on your own. 

The most crucial words and phrases you need to know and use in South Korea, the first one is for greeting Hello/Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening “Annyeonghasimnikka”, greeting is very important for Koreans, so you are expected to greet people that you even don’t know, for example shop assistants or strangers in elevator, second one is Thank you “Gamsa hamnida”, since Korea is all about the manners being thankful is also very important, the last one is Can you speak English? Yeongeo halsu isseumnikka?/ I can’t speak Korean well “Han-guk-mal jal mot-hae-yo”, it is better to let your interlocutor know that you don’t speak Korean from the beginning, because most Koreans think that if you know how to properly say hello and thank you ( and look asian) you must speak Korean, so they start to fluently continue the conversation in Korean. Furthermore, it is very crucial to distinguish whether to use formal or informal appealing, it depends firstly on age of the person you are referring to, then on how close you and another actually are, because friends or people of the same age use informal language with each other.