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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