South Korea Socio-cultural Report

Contents•Language/Conversation

•Etiquette/Manners

•Culture/ Dress Code

•Negotiations/Deals

•CPI (Corruption Perception Index)

Language & Conversation

• A lot of South Korean corporate people speak Korean, even

though they know English as well. It is vital to understand certain

phrases, and some Korean.

• Must NOT discuss topics like: war, politics, socialism,

communism, personal matters

• Can discuss topics like: one’s cultural heritage, success,

accomplishments, goals

• Status is significant. Presenting one’s achievement is something

South Koreans admire.

• Though talking about one’s position is decent, modesty should be

in mind.

• Address them by title and family name, not first name

Etiquette/Manners

• South Koreans desire bowing and then shaking hands when

getting together with prospective business partners.

• While getting into a person’s home, taking off shoes is necessary

• Appointments need to be made at least 3-4 weeks in advance.

• Design written materials in both Korean and English

• Business cards can be exchanged afterwards.

• Punctuality shows respect, so it vital to be courteous with time

Culture/Dress Code

• South Koreans take food with chopsticks, so it is necessary to

know how to take food with them if you want to socialize over

lunch/dinner

• Giving a thank you note is great after a dinner invite

• The digit “4” is considered as unlucky in Korea, so if one were to

present a gift, ensure it does not made up to 4 items

• Conventional dressing is key, which include: dark suit, white

shirts, avoiding jewelry except maybe a watch, make sure shirts

are have sleeves

Negotiations/ Deals

• South Koreans choose to develop business with people they have

a personal reference, it is therefore important to be introduced

by a third-party

• Abusing others or blaming in front of an audience is not expected

• Familiarize with “less is more,” approach, meaning be direct and

answer questions quickly and simply.

• Business deals have a tendency to to be at a unhurried pace in

South Korea compared to American dealings

• Smoking is permitted in meetings, so be ready to be around

smoking

CPI

• CPI: it stands for Corrupt Perceptions Index

• CPI traces how corrupt a nation and their businesses are

• It utilizes on surveys and polls to see the observed corruptions

within certain countries

• The higher the number: the less corrupt

• The lower the number: the more corrupt

• South Korea’s number was as of 2007: 5.1

• South Korea has almost no corruption like a country has such as

Somalia (1.4), or neither as non-corrupt as Denmark (9.4)

References__________ (n.d.) Doing Business in South Korea. Retrieved -----------, from

http://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for-business-and management/doing

business-in/South-korean-business-and-social-culture.php

___________ (n.d.) South Korea- Executive Plan. Retrieved -----------, from

http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=South_Korea

___________ (n.d.) South Korea: Language, Culture, Customs. Retrieved ----------, from

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-korea-country-profile.html

___________ (n.d.) 2007 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Retrieved

-----------, from http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/2007-transparency-international-

corruption-perceptions.html