Koreans tend to do this as an excuse to drop some of that formality to become closer. This is also a big reason why drinking alcohol is so important for business relationships. South Korean business etiquette dictates that you give due respect to a senior person in your company. This is true for many Asian cultures.Īn important aspect of showing respect in South Korea is respecting another’s position in the hierarchy, especially if it’s perceived as higher than their own. If you’ve been studying Korean for a while, you know that your communication style changes depending on your age and status. This isn’t an attempt to be rude or cold. You may also feel that new business acquaintances and business counterparts in South Korea maintain a level of formality and emotional distance from you even if you try to be friendly and “break the ice” with them. For example, if you make a request that a Korean can’t (or won’t) be able to fulfill, you’ll often not get a direct “no.” Instead, they may try to imply that it can’t be done or skirt the issue. These concepts might take a while for a straightforward Westerner to grasp. While South Korea has faced enormous business growth and progress after the Korean war, some of these traditional values still hold true up until today. Since Koreans tend to seek harmonious relationships in both work life and personal life, they don’t appreciate actions that could disrupt that, regardless of how good for business it might be. It’s important to maintain face in South Korea. “ Gibun” is a Korean concept that is another expression for “face”, as in “saving face.” Face-Saving in Korean culture is akin to one’s reputation among their peers. They hold respect for authority, harmony, collectivity, working hard, and modesty as treasured values. “Confucian values” are still very much evident in Korean business culture as it is integrated into Korean culture in general. The two keywords to start your “lesson” on business etiquette in South Korea with are “ Confucian values” and “ 기분” (gibun). 6 Building better business relationships.4.2.2 Sensitive Topics during a Korean Business Meeting.4.1 Meeting a Korean for the first time.

4 Korean Business Etiquette that you should follow.3 Company and Social Hierarchies in Korea.

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