Korean Way in Business: Understanding and Dealing with the South Koreans in Business

Learn the ins and outs of conducting business in South Korea.

South Korean companies and technology have suddenly conquered the world. Samsung, Hyundai and LG are industry leaders and the global brands. Korean culture in the form of K-Pop music videos and "Korean Wave" films and TV dramas are watched everywhere from Tel Aviv to Singapore to Rio. Korean gourmet food trucks ply the streets of New York and LA, and kimchi has found a place on the shelves of well-stocked supermarkets around the world.

With just a fraction of Japan's land area, less than half its population, and no natural resources--how have Korean companies managed to conquer the world in such a short period of time? What is the "secret sauce" of Korean business practices and companies that make them so successful?

To find out, readers need more than statistics and company profiles. Learning the basics of Korean culture, about Korean social etiquette and Korean business culture, will enable you to understand for the first time how Koreans think and why they work so effectively to achieve their goals. This understanding will enhance your own effectiveness in doing business with Koreans, or in competing with them--whether in Korea or elsewhere. The Korean Way in Business is a must-read for business professionals who wish to know the secrets underlying the commercial practices and business success of modern-day Koreans.


About the Author
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, China, and Korea since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, trade journalist, editor, and author working out of Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He is a graduate of Jochi University in Tokyo and The American Institute for Foreign Trade (now Thunderbird: The School of Global Management). His 70-plus books include Japan's Cultural Code Words, Business Guide to Japan, and Japan Unmasked.