Korean Etiquette & Ethics in Business | Office Calls

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A monthly column from the Asia Pacific Management Forum

Review focus: Office Calls in Korea, personal connections, advance approach, government officials
Boye Lafayette de Mente's Asian Business Code Words Boye Lafayette de Mente is one of our regular monthly columnists at the Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine. A noted author with over 30 years of experience in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries, Boye's tips on doing business in the region are both pragmatic and enlightening. Some material is taken from Boye's many books exploring Asian cultural and business Code Words, business etiquette, customs, and language.

Asian Business Code Words Index
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
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Office Calls June 1998
Office calls in Korea should be treated as formal affairs, especially if you are visiting a company for the first time. It is not only polite but expeditious to make the appointment well in advance and advise the people you want to see what you wish to discuss. Koreans are reluctant to say no directly and do not like to appear uncooperative or unresponsive, with the result that the inexperienced foreigner can waste a lot of time making presentations to a company that has absolutely no interest in the project but won't say so directly.
One approach is to write the company well in advance and provide as many details as possible about your project. This tactic gives the appropriate people in the company time to discuss your proposal and at least make a preliminary decision about whether or not they want to pursue it. Companies with no interest in your project will generally eliminate themselves with a written response or by not responding at all. Another approach - often the best one - is to enlist the aid of a local go-between or consultant who can sound the company out on your behalf.
A significant percentage of all new business relationships in Korea begin with personal connections. The first step in the approach to a company is an attempt to line up these personal contacts. At present, high-level government officials are among the most effective contracts for foreign executive can have in Korea. If you can get the personal backing of an important ministry official, it will open many business doors.
At the same time, Koreans, especially government bureaucrats, generally do not dispense favors without expecting something in return. This something can range from an enhancement of their image to an indirect participation in the venture proposed. These matters are usually subtle and often require the sensitive antennae of an experienced Korean to properly execute - particularly if you cannot communicate fluently with the official concerned. If you do bring in a local consultant or agent, you have, of course, added another layer to whatever relationship might develop between you and your target company.

This month's column is excerpted from Korean Etiquette & Ethics in Business, by Boye Lafayette De Mente available from NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company