Republic of Korea (South)

Korean Culture Report 1

1. Greeting

When you arrive in Inchon International Airport, you will meet the guide from the Korean companies. Around 80’s business people usually bow, but these days, especially when Korean companies treat foreign business people, we shake hands instead of bow.

2. Clothing

The clothes of business people depend on the type of work. Office worker usually wear necktie with suit pants, and women wear suits. Recently, some companies allow wearing jean and t-shirt, but not many companies do this.

3. Business Meeting

Korean people are strict of time schedule, if you are late on meeting, they might think that you are not interest in your job. They will say it is ok to be late, but they are disappointed already. When Koran speaks Korean, they speak high forms of Korean language. It is respectful meaning for client. Korean don’t spend too much time on contract, if they like the client’s suggestions, they just sign it.

4. Business Dinner

We usually have dinner after business meeting; Korean who can speak clients’ language might have business meeting at dinner, but not very often. Korean treated Korean food usually but in these days, they usually go to buffet.

Korean Culture Report 2

1. Clothes

Businessmen wear suit, necktie everyday expect on Friday. They can ear casual clothes on Friday. And businesswomen also wear suits or company uniform such as you would see at a bank or insurance company.

2. Greetings

First, shake hand with 45 degree to one’s hand and then introduce each other. Second, exchange business cards. If this area is outside, they out business cards in the wallet. But usually they meeting placed inside; they put business card on the desk.

3. Meetings

During a business meeting, ideas and projects can be shared. It is important to show pride and impress them a lot. During the meeting, they examine the business card and sometimes they make notes summarize or important fact on the backside of the cards.

4. Business Dinner

Usually Business dinner is food with alcohol, they eat good food, drink beer. Dinner is more comfortable than conference meeting room. So they can talk about business more deeply. Even though they are doing business, they can talk about personal life, hobby during the dinner. Sometimes they can become friend after dinner.

5. After Dinner

Korean people like to sing. Usually they go to a place to sing after dinner. It is not important if you are good singer or not. We like to sing together. They also go to bars to talk more and drink alcohol.

6. Business Time

When you have an appointment in Korea, you better leave earlier than normal to make sure you arrive on time for your appointment. Korean likes to be on time. If you are late too much, you may lose your business partner and opportunity.

Korean Culture Report 3

Fact 1

In order to succeed in business in Korea, people should have good human networks or connections throughout the society.

Fact 2

In Korea, businessmen usually wear suits at offices, but labors usually wear work gowns. However, for business meetings, everybody wears suit, especially black one.]

Fact 3

Actually, Korean have some antipathies against foreigners, so many foreigners will have difficult in doing business in Korea. In my opinion, there are not so many good negotiators in most Korean companies, so negotiation between two companies will seem to be never finished. Even after both companies sign a contract, there still remain some possibilities to change contents of the contract. Beside that, even if a certain company makes a big profit from a deal with another company, the company, in many cases, sometimes returns some part of the profit back to the other company that lost money from the deal because of informal business manners in Korea.

Fact 4

Korean have a tendency to arrive late at regular meeting such as lunches, dinners, parties but they arrive on time at business meetings because being on time is one of the most important business manners in Korea.

Fact 5

In many cases, buyers or clients are well served at good restaurants, they are usually treated to good food, good alcohol. Sometimes, some important deals can be made there. Therefore, even drinking alcohol can be considered one style of business acts in Korea.