Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

William Oberlin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea), called for improving stiff labor relations..."Korea needs to find a Korean paradigm that fits its unique local situation, instead of looking for models in the labor-management relations out of Korea.''

the prevailing foreign sentiment of Korea is anti-business, which is quite different from the reality.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200404/kt2004042117302311860.htm

Is Korea anti-business? Is Korea anti-foreign business?
Do foreigners really have a misconception about Korea?
How would Koreans create a Korean paradigm of the labor-management relationship?

Korean Employers
Korean society is extremely hierarchical, like most East Asian societies. In Korea, the boss is the boss. Keep in mind that employees are not expected to question decisions made by their employers or to challenge their authority, especially in the presence of others. You should therefore be careful about how you deal with your employer.

Most Koreans do not view deviations from a contract as a "breach," and few Koreans would consider taking an employer to court over a contract dispute. Instead, Koreans tend to view contracts as infinitely flexible and subject to further negotiation. Koreans see business less as a legally based interaction than a relationship. The contract thus is only as binding as the personal connection.

Korean society is not egalitarian: a person's status is strictly defined in relation to others. How do foreigners fit into this scheme? The simple answer is they don't. Korean society thus remains very inwardly focused.
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/korea-en.asp

[rapier]

Very true- I wish someone had told me that at the very start.
Right or wrong, culture or crime, I don't think their workplace practises are going to become more westernised very quickly. If you plan on being in Korea for a while, its a process of understanding and fitting into their way of doing things,- for all except the worst situations.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[Homer]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

You think posting a single emoticon forwards your argument at all Homer?

You have nothing to say, so you post an icon as if it somehow means something ...

[phaedrus]

[Homer]

No Kiwi,


Thats not it at all.

Try again.

[kangnamdragon]

[The Man known as The Man]

[The Man known as The Man]

[hellofaniceguy]

I'm not trolling, just the facts...
The only thing wrong with korea is that is has to many koreans in it. They can be their own worst enemy most of the time.
Only tunnel vision, long on rhetoric and short on specifics.
Change is good if it is positive and while most koreans agree that changes are needed, no one wants to step up to bat! Those that do get shot down by the same ones wanting a change! It just goes around in circles. And that is a shame because the people of korea have so much potential if they would just open up and dump the korean way of doing things. Face it, the korean way of doing it is not working. A 4/5 thousand year old history.... they should be way ahead other countries.
It's all about "how much money can I get if I help this person."
It's in the news everyday about the bad business practices, graft, bribes, etc.
Geesh! Can't even get an impeachemnt right!

[Ilsanman]

I understand what you're saying about contracts. A really small thing won't bother me so much. Extra work without overtime, the wrong type of housing (eg. not single, as specified), I sure care about.

Also, lying is lying. Plain and simple.

[phaedrus]

[peemil]

Koreans are way behind the rest of the world. Inward looking, dishonest and have awful business practices. Let them rot.

[rapier]