Foreigners learn Korean ways at work

Seoul City’s classes teach Korea’s unique social, organizational culture


June Acuna from the Philippines has been working at an ink cartridge factory in Seongsudong, eastern Seoul, for two and a half years.

Still, he has to guess the hidden meaning of what his boss or Korean colleagues say to him, and is often offended by direct commands from superiors.

“I am here to learn Korean ways at work and appropriate ways to deal with them,” said Acuna at the fifth lecture on the Whys and Hows of Korean Ways last Thursday at Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center in Myeong-dong in central Seoul.

The class, conducted by Isabelle Min, a communicator and coach in cross-cultural issues, asked participants the questions that foreign employees in Korea may have thought about the most ― Why is a title so important in Korea? Why don’t they ask questions at work but instead prefer discussing difficult issues after work while drinking? Why don’t they bring their spouses to company parties? 

Participants listen to a lecture on Korean ways. (Seoul Global Center)

To answer the questions, Min explained some formalities on the Korean way of introducing persons, where to put business cards after you receive them, deciding who is above whom, and last but not least, the underlying dynamics influencing Confucian protocol.

Ranks and titles mean so much in Korea that placing a business card of someone, especially of higher ranking than you, in your back pocket of pants will be seen like “sitting on the person’s face,” said Min. When you introduce two people ― a male CEO in his 30s and a female employee in her 50s ― who should you introduce first? The answer is the young male CEO, according to the Korean way of determining who is above whom, she said.

Koreans also have a sense of clear boundary which decides what they can or can’t speak about depending on age, rank, profession and the like. But the boundary is blurred while drinking, and they feel at ease bringing up questions and talking about difficult issues and besides you have the excuse of being drunk, according to Min.

Deep down, there is also a line drawn between husband and wife, under Confucianism’s ethical guidance and codes of conduct. According to these guidelines, husbands and wives should categorize and separate their responsibilities and work as a family, said Min.

For those foreigners frustrated with colleagues and bosses asking them all the time to eat dinner together at the last minute, don’t wait until you explode and quit your job, said Min.

Simply knowing all the protocols and hidden dynamics is not sufficient, Min noted.

“Walk in and communicate to clear misunderstandings. You can say ‘I am enjoying the interaction, but there are many times a month I cannot join. Would you mind excusing me,’” Min suggested.

“I hope participants in the class can get a sense of what Korea is, what its culture is like, even if they can’t clearly understand various situations and behaviors at work,” said Min.

Thanks to growing up in more than five countries with her diplomat father, Min is now able to provide lectures and coaching on cross-cultural issues and help third culture people and foreigners adjust to Korea.

The last culture lesson will deal with socializing and networking in Korea and is scheduled to be held at the same center on Nov. 24.

For more information, visit global.seoul.go.kr.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)