South KOREA PRESENTATION

SOUTH KOREA

INDEX

The country

The people

The Corporate Culture

01. The country

Geographical position :

Currency:

Population :

South Korean Won

The current population of South Korea in 2022 is 51,329,899, a 0.05% increase from 2021.

Current political system:

Languages :

The Government of South Korea is a centralized democratic republic with the three primary branches of government; executive, legislative and judicial.

Korean : spoken by both south and north koreans , but they have two different dialects

01. The country

Religion:

Boudhism and christianity

The country's history

Establishment of the first republic

The fourth Republic : the Yushin order

Military Coup d'état

The Sixth Republic

August 1961

1948

1980

1971

1987

1963

1961

military rule

Restauration of civilian government: Fifth republic

Second Republic

The Third Republic

Koreans will always be older than you

20% of Korean people share the same name

Fun facts about South Korea

Valentine’s day is for guys

Plastic surgery Capital

fastest internet debit in the world

02. The People

An ethnically homogenous population

Although a variety of different Asian peoples had migrated to the Korean Peninsula in past centuries, few have remained permanently, so by 1990 both South Korea and North Korea numbered among the world's most ethnically homogeneous nations. The indigenous minorities population amounted to negligible number. In South Korea, people of foreign origin, including Westerners, Chinese, and Japanese, amounted to a small percentage of the population who generally resided in the country temporarily.

Yet a significant regional differences and rivalry

The most historical and emotionally charged regional rivalry may be between the southwest and the southeast: the two Jeolla provinces (also called Honam in Korean) vs. the two Gyeongsang provinces (Yeongnam). Gyeongsang is traditionally a conservative haven; Jeolla is liberal.

a poor agricultural region, harder for outsiders to access.

major industrial hub.

Liberal

Conservative

Gyeongsang region

Jeolla region

Urban or Rural ?

• South Korea stands as one of the world's most densely populated countries

• Between 1945 and 1985, the urban population grew from 14.5 percent to 65.4 percent of the total population.
• In 2020, 81.41 percent of South Korea's total population lived in urban areas and cities.

Entertainment indutries used as soft power - HALLYU-

Hallyu : The Hallyu movement is defined as the international popularisation of Korean cultural and media products, such as K-dramas and K-pop

• It is through the use of soft power that South Korean media culture has carved out a place for itself in the international economic and cultural markets.
• Cinema, television and popular music permeate the consumption of South Koreans and South Koreans and foreign countries, mitigating the 'threatening' image of South Korea and fostering an attractive and enviable image

Entertainment indutries used as soft power - HALLYU-

1. K-Pop

National branding and cultural diplomacy in the construction of visual and media content.

• Video clips : representation od south korean ideologies and values, the use of religious symbols
• Scripts in both korean aand english
• The huge fan bases that have a global reach and is able to create an influence on social/political topics (BLM movement for example)

• Blackpink was the first female K-Pop group to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2020.
• BTS was the first band to reach 6 #1 songs on the Billboard charts since the Beatles
• BTS was invited to visit the United Nations General Assembly in 2021

Entertainment indutries used as soft power HALLYU-

2. K-Drama

National branding and cultural diplomacy in the construction of visual and media content.

An Important presence of Visual cultural references The presence of diverse cultural objects, characters and locations, the use of references to foreign popular cultural works, the presence of different Asian and international production models, and the presence of predominantly English and Korean scripts

Representation of cultural customes and identity The representation of Asian cultural identity and sense of belonging to the Asian identity, the role of women and men

03. The Economy and Business Culture

Overview of the Economy

- Ranks 10th in nominal GDP- OECD country since 1996 - A developed and a high-income nation - Historically reliant on agriculture after the division, but then shifted to industrial sector, especially manufacturing - Manufacturing accounts for 28% of its GDP as of 2021

Corporate Culture

- Emphasis on hierarchy and seniority- Age = wisdom - Long working hours - Boss is always right

Stereotypes on Corporate Culture

Demystifying Korean corporate culture : the roots

Cultural legacyInfluence of Confucianism (Chosun dynasty), Japanese collectivism

Corporate leadershipPaternalistic and authoritarian leadership of chaebol founders (conglomerates)

Social climateRegime of Park Chung-Hee in 1961, US military influence

• Five biggest Chaebols (Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Lotte, SK) = 50% of the Korean Stock Index
• Circular shareholdings

• Family approach to workplace
• Working for a boss, not a company
• Age = wisdom

• Military values
• Obedience and high sense of responsibility
• Enhanced hierarchy

Cross shareholding within chaebol

However, since 2018, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) further restricted new arrangement of cross shareholding through the Korean Fair Trade Act.

Common practices

- Bow for formal greetings - Use two hands when shaking hands with a senior - Give business cards using two hands - During lunch or dinner, offer and receive alcohol using both hands and drink with head facing away from the giver - Consensus among all parties is needed - Hweshik : an integral eating and heavy drinking culture after work

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