The 2024 Korean Sisa Journal-e.com Start-up Conference

Heads up– I am a keynote speaker at the 2024 Korea’s Sisa Journal-e.com Start-up Conference this week.

My topic–The Ecosystem of Global and Korean Start-ups: Risk, and the Shift in Startup Mindset.

I’m joining an amazing lineup of guest speakers talking on: the electric vehicle market, the Unmanned Exploration Research Institute Space robotics, and The role of climate tech in achieving carbon neutrality.

The event will be held in Seoul at 10 AM, March 20 KST, and shared Live via this YouTube link.

Later this week, I’ll post my presentation.

Questions? Just ask.

South Korea Aerotropolis–Air City and Incheon Free Economic Zone

Site Selection Magazine just posted an article on the Incheon Airport City and the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ)South Korea Aerotropolis leads the world in the combined magnitude, range, and quality of commercial investment in both its airport city core and peripheral business and urban clusters. Its planning and development epitomize the principles of “thinking big, acting fast, and doing it right.” 

South Korea Aerotropolis--Air City and Incheon Free Economic Zone

International Business Centre 1 (IBC-I) was designed to reinforce air traffic demand, boost airport commercial revenues and improve the operational efficiencies throughout the broader Incheon Aerotropolis. Image courtesy of Incheon International Airport Corporation

Link to Site Selection article https://siteselection.com/issues/2024/mar/incheon-airport-city-is-tops.cfm

Questions? Comments? dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

South Korea’s Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Newsletter

South Korea’s Free Economic Zone (IFEZ)
Photo courtesy of IFEZ

South Korea’s Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Newsletter shares how the district has positioned itself as the global hub for future industries such as bio-healthcare, smart manufacturing, high-tech finance and future robots, information and communication (IT), and artificial intelligence (AI) while making great strides as a hub for distribution, logistics, tourism, and MICE. #songdo

Please check out our Newsletter https://stibee.com/api/v1.0/emails/share/lp9zm4qG0yY9K45_RHds5rRVGh3ppNE

Questions? Please ask…. dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

310–866–3777

Black Mass and Upcycling

Black mass and upcycling. Once a lithium battery reaches the end of its useful life or becomes damaged, the battery pack can be collected, dismantled, and shredded.

The shredded material is then processed to produce what we in the industry call black mass, not be confused with an astrophysics term, or a dark movie on Netflix.

This black mass can consist of high amounts of lithium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel metals. EV batteries use these metals in ratios which we label as NMC 622 or 811–60% nickel, 20 % manganese, and 20% cobalt, or 80% nickel, 10% manganese, and 10% cobalt. [1]

These metals when sent to a facility can be reclaimed from the black mass and in direct recycling reused in new battery production.

Black mass and upcycling
(Image courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.)

I like to use the term upcycle vs recycle for these materials.

As I wrote in my End-of-Life article, “The Lithium-ion Battery Life Cycle: Mandates, Sustainability, Recycling, Recovery,” compared with the West, Asia — specifically China and Korea have been at the forefront in recovery and re-use — reclaiming batteries’ black mass.

I reported in 2021, “… with strong encouragement from the Korean government, many of the nation’s top groups are actively engaged in some form of end-of-life program. For example, Korean steel producer POSCO, looks to import waste battery scraps concentrated in a powdered form from Europe. Likewise, the Hyundai Motor Group, SK Innovation, and LG Chem all have programs to ensure used batteries have second-life applications, or are recycled and metals such as Lithium, Nickel, and Cobalt are recovered. These programs made lots of sense, as Korea is one of the world’s largest producers and innovators of Lithium-ion EV batteries — with accordingly a high demand for these raw materials.”

Fast forward…

This trend has shifted with new incentives for North American battery recovery.

For one, the U.S. government has mandates to shore up batteries among the nation’s key strategic interests. Second, the government looks to make the U.S. more competitive in the battery market.

These programs include the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other funding under the Biden Administration such as The Energy Act of 2020, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which, together with the IRA, offer billions of dollars to the Department of Energy (DoE) funded government programs.

These monies do come with some restrictions.

Specifically, under the Inflation Reduction Act, vehicles that use batteries that contain (i) any “applicable critical minerals” that were extracted, processed, or recycled by an FEOC [ or (ii) any component manufactured or assembled by an FEOC would be ineligible for the $7,500 Section 30D consumer tax credit (Sec. 13401(e)(7)) starting after 2023.

A FEOC is defined as a Foreign Entity of Concern and, with reference, to the IRA, a Chinese company or entity controlled by a Chinese firm.

These prohibitions take effect in 2024 for EV battery components and in 2025 for “applicable critical minerals.”

A Question.

In a recently attended EV battery panel, I raised a question, “Will we, like in the EU, see more regulations for End of Life?” [For example, the new EU regulations will over the next few years, mandate minimum levels of recycled content in batteries, noting end-of-life batteries contain many valuable resources and these critical raw materials must be reused instead of relying on third countries for supplies.]

The panel’s consensus was that unlike the EU and their use of widespread regulations; the thought was for the U.S. to continue to use more of a carrot approach — incentivizing reclaiming battery materials. Something we can see in a range of DOE grants now being offered.

In closing,

One final takeaway the driver for reclaiming black mass is sustainable profitability. The critical metals, NMC, for example in the black mass in this form have a value that may or may not be competitive against new widespread sourcing of the rare materials.

That said, when the reclaimed key materials are further refined and separated from the black mass their value increases 3-fold, and even further new processes increase the value 6 times.

I have also read that these refinements in the reclaiming process can result in improvement in the very EV battery life span, battery density, and range… all of which add considerably to what I see as “Upcycling”.

About the Author.

Mr. Southerton provides strategy, consulting, and training to Korea-based global businesses.

This includes long-time support of many of the major Korean Groups including the Hyundai Motor Group, SK Corp., and LG.

He also has supported Korean market entry for several innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Most recently Southerton has been engaged in the mobility, electrification, and the battery sector.

On related issues, Southerton has been a contributor to CNBCThe Economist, Automotive News, the BBC, CNN Fortune, Korea Times, Yonhap, tbs eFM, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.

[1] Most EVs today use either lithium-ion NMC, NCA (Aluminum), or lithium-ferrous LFP chemistry batteries. There are advantages and disadvantages.LFP: lower cost, lower density, higher discharge cycles; and NMC/NCA: higher cost, higher density, lower discharge cycles. Regardless they all contain ametals that are reclaimable.

Korean Business: Challenges and Solutions 50 Workplace Hints, #2 Managing Expectations

I am often asked to assist with Korea-facing business ventures. This can be a North American firm just entering the Korean market or a Western company already with operations in Korea.

Too, I am also asked to support top Korean Groups with their overseas operations.

Most often Korean and Western senior leadership teams did a great job of gaining mutual trust. Both negotiated well. The deal is signed and it’s time to perform.

Sadly, the honeymoon is over. Challenges arise, and what appeared to be clear expectations can now seem murky with poor alignment and weak communications. Why?

There are several reasons. One is that teams that meet, bond, and negotiate are seldom the ones doing the work. The teams on both sides that crafted the deal are better skilled in global business. The teams doing the work are talented, but usually less skilled in local affairs.

Many Westerners have no recent experience working with Koreans, and the Korean teams have limited experience working with North America.

A caveat to this is that many of the Korean teams are bright, but very junior, new to the workplace, and tend to be generalists, while Western teams are comprised of highly specialized industry veterans.

So, what’s the solution?

Frankly, in our experience, the most successful firms show great leadership and vision. They also recognize both sides will need constant ongoing support and training.

Expecting the teams to “get it” seldom works — and if it does it takes time, is costly, and contributes to stress, poor productivity, and even employee turnover. Expecting non-Koreans to understand Korean culture, business models, and workplace expectations is like throwing someone into a pool and assuming they will swim, not sink.

That said, a huge mistake is hiring an industry consulting firm without a full understanding of the specific challenges and cross-cultural issues. In many cases, they fail to get to the root of the problem(s) and expectations are never fully clarified. Issues will surface. Things will get worse.

To conclude,

In dealing with partnerships, I understand the huge stress loads within Korean-based firms. Teams need to perform. Partners will also be expected to perform. Clear, well-communicated expectations and cross-cultural understanding from the beginning are vital, along with a strong business plan and strategy.

Need a solution, I am here on-call with practical workarounds and seasoned experience in overcoming the challenges. Waiting only adds layers and costs.

Text 310–866–3777 

Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

Why we need Korean business cultural training

Why we need Korean business cultural training. My “no punches pulled” Q and A. Targeted cross-cultural support and coaching are necessary for local teams to succeed in working with overseas Korean business projects.

By Don Southerton

Q. Why do we need Korean cultural training?

A. This may be the first time working with a Korean team. This opportunity brings with it great opportunity and the need to better understand the new partner’s culture, workplace norms, and expectations.

In most cases, Western teams will interact with Korean HQ and expatriate teams. Some of the teams will hold a line managerial position with day-to-day responsibilities alongside Western managers, while others will hold key management C-level positions, such as CEO, COO, or CFO. In many, if not most, cases, these teams may operate as a “shadow management” with considerable oversight and operational control over local operations.

With the best of intentions, the Korean teams will look to build strong collaboration and teamwork and try to avoid a sense of us and them. However, they do bring Korean work norms that can conflict with Western work-life balance and Western working methods. 

More so, Korean teams may make seemingly one-sided decisions with the company’s best interest in mind but without consulting local teams, causing mistrust.

A solid training and coaching program followed by ongoing support can address differences, such as sharing work styles, hierarchy, and comfort levels, plus providing workarounds.

Q. What are some typical issues that arise, especially without training or coaching?

A. As with all individuals, no two of us are alike –and the same goes for Westerners and Koreans… Each has their unique strengths, skills, experiences, and personalities.

Expecting local teams to “get it” without support and training seldom works. Even if a better understanding of the work culture eventually occurs over time, this “learn as you go” approach is costly, contributing to stress, poor productivity, and even employee turnover. Sadly, the most common mistake I see is waiting to see if tensions rise, and workers quit before acting. 

 Q. Can you cite an example of misunderstandings resulting in mistrust, loss of time, resources, and profits?

A. A challenge I was recently asked to address was the intervention by the expatriate partners in decisions that are best handled by local Western teams.

Probing the issue, I learned that based on extensive experience in the market and industry, the local Western management felt these decisions were often short-sighted, reactive, and not aligned with their well-thought-out strategy. Some saw it as a “cut twice, measure once” approach and “ready, fire, aim.” 

Of even more significant concern were one-sided decisions not resulting from the collaboration. In any case, local management felt their input and expertise were being marginalized. As pressure to meet HQ expectations, avoid any negative news, as well as missing Sales or Production “Targets” they saw increased intervention by the expatriate teams.

In this case, I worked with the Western teams to provide some proven workarounds, particularly tempering the Korean teams’ pressing for immediate results.

Specifically, I shared ten steps.

1. To soften jumping to implement a stop-gap plan with hopes of producing immediate results, look to minimize the anxiety for both the local Korean team and the headquarters team. Please be sure to show confidence that the challenge can be overcome.

2. Acknowledge your team’s high engagement and assure the Korean teams that action will be taken promptly.

3. As a next step upon receiving a directive from Korea, have an informal discussion with local Korean teams to brief them on action steps that enable the team to work through what needs to be explored more deeply.

4. Follow up with email correspondence confirming the verbal discussion.

5. Allow a day or two for the Korean team to review your action plan. In many cases, the Korean teams are not familiar with local practices and the vocabulary used to describe Western technical nuances.

The local expat teams may also want to report back to Korea on progress. HQ leadership is ultimately responsible, so the better informed they are, the more trust they will have in local teams — Korean and Western — that the project will progress.

6. Remember that you may receive only some feedback promptly because of time differences.

7. Conducting informal daily updates to the Korean teams and sharing the steps undertaken with the local Koreans can also be helpful.

8. Even better is reporting positive accomplishments in your review process.

9. It is essential to address the potential trade-offs and risks as action steps leading to solutions and assuring the team that these steps will not impede the project and may, in fact, avoid costly setbacks.

10. Finally, having said all this, maintaining trust through strong relationships between Korean and Western local organizations is essential.

Q. What have Koreans told you about Americans? Work habits, commitment, etc.

A. If you ask Korean expats how they perceive Americans and Westerners in general, responses would be very positive and respectful, especially toward Western work ethics and work habits. Koreans see great value in American and Western teams providing them with new insights, perspectives, and best practices.

A. What might be covered in Korean business culture training?

I see the training as twofold — 1) providing teams with an understanding of the Korean partner’s affiliate company history, heritage ( challenges overcome), trends, and expectations! , and 2) sharing the Korean workplace and its norms, practices, and workarounds. One nuance I share is that Korean overseas operations can differ from those in Korea, something I am most familiar with. 

Above all, a best practice is to celebrate similarities and shared values when possible, along with instilling an awareness of and respect for cultural differences.

Addressing the team’s questions and concerns is also vital with issues, such as work-life balance, safety and quality processes and procedures, and Korean partners’ overall expectations.

Q. Anything else?

A. To conclude, the need for cross-cultural training programs for local employees and management is a high priority.

The assumption that local and expatriate teams can bridge cultural gaps through practical on–the–job experience might work with those few highly intuitive individuals with the exceptional ability to assimilate cultures.

What stands out in numerous studies, however, is the need for ongoing multicultural training, that can successfully impact people, especially those who need to quickly adapt to new or changing business culture and values, while fostering sensitivity and teamwork among all company members.

Finally, I have found a tiered service model — training, mentoring, and ongoing strategic support- to be the most effective approach for an organization. For leadership, they most often benefit from one-on-one coaching, too.

Don Southerton

Rise of Kia: Part 2 Brisa

The Hyundai Motor Group has posted some wonderful images of a 1970s Kia Brisa. Last week in Part 1 of my “Rise of Kia” I shared the launch of the Brisa. Part 2 provides some more details on its success.

In the fall of 1974, the first Kia Brisa S-1000 four-door sedans rolled off the Sohari production line. ( A year earlier they had begun production of the Brisa pickup).

Overall the Brisa sedan was a success with 75,987 sold between 1974 and 1981.

In conjunction with the manufacturing of the Brisa sedan and Brisa pickup, Kia Motors also produced the vehicles’ 1-liter gas engines.

While the competition sourced engines from their foreign partners, this marked the first Korean company to manufacture its engines. In the first year of production, 65 percent of the parts in the Brisa, including the engine, drive shaft, and clutch, were manufactured in Korea. This local sourcing was strongly encouraged by the Korean Government and the ratio of locally produced parts increased steadily over the years.

Kia Motors would grow into Korea’s second-largest carmaker and would experience both international success and its demise under the 1997 financial crash —the latter leading to a “second chance” under parent company Hyundai Motor.

Source: Hyundai and Kia Motors The Early Years and Product Development  Author Don Southerton

The T600 and the Rise of Kia Motors

October 18, 2023 Don Southerton

Over the years I have been fortunate to meet with and interview many of the early Korean and Western Hyundai and Kia teams and leadership. Today’s successes were built upon their struggles and can-do perseverance.

Last week the Hyundai Motor Group posted some amazing photos of the Kia T600 circa 1969. I shared some more details such as in early 1962 Kia’s Shiheung production line launched the first in the line-up–the K-360. Production would continue until 1973 with over 25,000 of the sturdy vehicles sold.

I’d add the T600 would signal Kia’s rise … ( Kia= Rising out of Asia).

From my 2012 Hyundai and Kia Motors The Early Years and Product Development

Kia Motors [Now Kia] Kia Worldwide is one of the world’s fastest-moving global automotive brands. It has earned a reputation as an industry leader in design styling along with a full line of fuel-efficient vehicles that have earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness. Interestingly, the carmaker had early roots as a Korean bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer.

In the early 1960s, the Kia Motors Company moved beyond first bicycle components, then bicycles, and motorcycles to produce a highly practical K360 three-wheel utility truck. Across much of Asia, similar vehicles met a demand for reliable low-cost commercial transportation that could transport goods and products often in tight urban areas.

Based on the Mazda Mazdago design, the K360 also signaled Kia Motors’ long technology alliance with the Japanese automaker with a number of cars and trucks eventually licensed from Mazda.

During this era of budding Korean economic development, strong technology ties with foreign partners were common. For example, other Korean firms entered into partnership arrangements with international carmakers, including Nissan (Datsun), Toyota, Fiat, GM, and Ford. Korean industrial groups desiring to enter the car sector forged these alliances to gain advanced automotive technology and know-how. In addition, the government implemented strong trade protectionism in an effort to build a self-sufficient import substitution economy.

In particular, the Korean Automotive Industry Promotion Law required cars to be manufactured locally versus imported from foreign markets.

When pressured by the government to produce Korea-assembled cars, Kia Motors leveraged its strength as an engineering-based company and chose not to assemble compact cars imported as knockdowns (CKD). Instead, Kia set up a full-scale production plant with considerable local sourcing of parts.

Sohari

In 1973, Kia’s Sohari plant opened with the initial production of a pickup version of the Brisa. Drawing on the ongoing relationship with Mazda, the Brisawas based on the second-generation Mazda 1000, which was marketed as the Familia in Japan.

The T600 and the Rise of Kia Motors
Brisa

In conjunction with manufacturing the Brisa pickup, Kia Motors also began production of 1-liter gas engines. While the competition sourced engines from their foreign partners, this marked the first Korean company to manufacture its own engines. In the first year of production, 65 percent of the parts in the Brisa, including the engine, drive shaft, and clutch, were manufactured in Korea. This local sourcing was strongly encouraged by the Korean Government and the ratio of locally produced parts increased steadily over the years.

In the fall of 1974, the first Kia Brisa S-1000 four-door sedans rolled off the Sohari production line. Overall the Brisa was a success with 75,987 sold between 1974 and 1981. In 1975 the Brisa pick-up also became the first Kia to be exported when a number were shipped to Qatar in the Middle East.

The T600 and the Rise of Kia Motors
Brisa Sedan, Sohai Plant

Oil Shock

Notably, what spurred the Brisa’s early success was actually its small 1000cc engine displacement. Starting in 1973, an international oil shortage forced gasoline prices to skyrocket creating a supply shortage in Korea.

Veteran Hyundai and Kia Motors executive Mark Juhn who began his career with Shinjin Motors noted that the oil shock had a devastating impact on Kia’s rival— a newly formed and much larger General Motors Korea, a joint-venture company between GM and Shinjin Motors.

Mr. Juhn shared that with high gas prices Korean consumers favored the Kia Brisa and its smaller more economical engine over GM Korea’s first production model, the Chevrolet 1700 with a larger 1700cc engine.

Mr. Juhn also pointed out, “I could say the oil shock brought good luck to Kia but GM Korea struggled.”

[For those of you long associated with Hyundai, Mr. Juhn would later in his career head up Hyundai Motor America and was the driving force convincing HMC leadership to approve and support the game-changing 10-Year, 100,000 Mile Guarantee program].

The T600 and the Rise of Kia Motors
Mark Juhn with Don Southerton, Seoul, South Korea

Steady Growth

By 1976 Kia also strengthened its position in the commercial vehicle sector by purchasing Asia Motors based in Kwangju, South Korea. Asia Motors manufactured heavy trucks, buses, and a line of military vehicles. In addition, to meet the growing demand in Korea for cars, Kia even started CKD assembly of the Fiat 132 sedan, along with the Peugeot 604, a larger model sedan.

Government Intervention

Despite Kia’s successes, government intervention imposed new mandates over much of the growing Korean economy. Direct competition was regulated across many sectors of industry. In 1981, Kia Motors was told to stop producing cars and concentrate instead on light commercial vehicles. In turn, more light truck and van models were added, including the 1-ton Bongo, the Ceres pick-up and some larger truck models.

Ford Alliance

By the mid-1980s the Korean Government decided to change policy and relax its restrictions on the car and truck companies. Kia was allowed to return to car production. Working with Mazda’s Ford alliance, Kia Motors began to produce the Festiva (known as the Pride in Korea). Export to the U.S. began in 1988. The venture was extremely successful with 300,000 Festivas being shipped overseas between 1988 and 1993.

Stay tuned!

More to come on my documented early years of  Kia Motors Kia America, and Kia Worldwide and Hyundai Motor America and  Hyundai Motor Group

Earth Day- Earth Week- Earth Month 2023

Earth Day- Earth Week- Earth Month 2023
By Don Southerton

Reflecting on Earth Day, my ties to Green and Sustainability have reached back in time more than a few years. In fact, it parallels my work with Korea. In the mid-2000s, I was an advisor to developing and building the Incheon, South Korea Songdo International Business District. Under the leadership of Green visionary Stan Gale, the city is the global model for urban sustainability.

Earth Day- Earth Week- Earth Month 2023

Envisioned as a Green, high-technology city of the future — at the time, it was one of the world and Korea’s most significant foreign real estate development projects.

Built on reclaimed land and with partners like Kohn Pederson Fox, Cisco, and United Technology, the forward-leaning project also showcased some of the first LEED-certified buildings in South Korea and Asia.

In conjunction with the Songdo IBD project and my work for Hyundai, around 2007 the Songdo team and I had the opportunity for a VIP visit to Hyundai Motor’s R&D. We even got to fuel their 1st Gen Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), and then test drive the vehicles. At this time, Songdo’s leadership was very interested in FCEV buses for the International Business District powered by hydrogen.

Songdo’s innovations were again the subject of my 2013 article for the Korean government’s Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, highlighting the city’s Green accomplishments.
Link: https://www.scribd.com/document/157552923/KOREA-2013-VOL-9-No-08#

I also hosted a 2013 BBC World Service visit to Songdo IBD, showing off its Green smart city capabilities, capped off by an interview with Cisco’s former Chief Global Strategist Wim Elfrink, an early adopter who popularized the term IoT — the Internet of Things. A day later, we visited Hyundai Motor’s Eco Lab and test-drove their 3rd Gen HCEV, a first-of-its-kind production SUV, which was soon launched in Korea and then California.

In the years that followed, as companies I supported moved to mobility and EVs, I, too, shifted my research and work to these new sectors. Electrification has been and continues to be a major part of my work, leading to an ongoing immersion in the sector supporting Korean startup Grinergy and Green lithium battery technology.

This year we’re seeing a heightened level of engagement fueled by the U.S. Biden administration’s funding more eco-friendly and secure sourcing of related Green technologies at the top of the list. See https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/american-made-limits-sourcing-eliminating-dependence-new-southerton/?trackingId=DMW8HonHQV2b1SGG%2B43GmQ%3D%3D

In particular, the focus on Green, Sustainability, and Resilience is this year’s Earth Day, or as one presenter at a recent webinar shared—it’s more of an Earth Week and Earth Month.

Personally, this includes participating in workshops and presentations at the Federal, State, and local levels, including groups like Yale Blue Green (YBG), who are engaged in environmental and sustainability topics and issues, and the Colorado Electric Vehicle Coalition.

This coming week is no different with plans to attend a Live Earth Day event at NREL—the National Renewable Energy Lab headquarters in Golden, Colorado.

Takeaways
As a Colorado DOT electrification expert shared, the questions their office received just a year ago centered on “if” EVs and related mobility were a good idea—to now a heightened acceptance and questions on expanding infrastructure and issues like micro-mobility, battery recycling, and end-of-life—to expanding availability from urban centers to rural and less economically served areas.

More so, as noted above and in my previous article American-Made, Limits on Sourcing, Eliminating a Dependence on China there is a need for better sourcing and sustainability of the raw materials and components used in Green tech.

Finally, as we reflect on Earth Day, in both in my work and pursuits, I find a greater embrace of new Green technologies, fueled by government and private funding and with a growing public interest in sustainability.

Questions? Comments? Have a project in mind or need support?
Urgent requests Text at 310-866-3777 All other Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

Grinergy to Exhibit at 2022 UMEX 

Grinergy to Exhibit at 2022 UMEX 

The Abu Dhadi event to showcase drones, robotics, components, and unmanned systems.

Seoul, South Korea. February 16, 2022

Grinergy, a South Korean headquartered lithium-ion rechargeable battery and battery management systems company today announced that they will exhibit at 2022 Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) and Simulation Training (SimTEX).

The conference set to kick off on February 20th  in Abu Dahbi is dedicated to showcasing drones, robotics, components, and unmanned systems– key applications for Grinergy battery technology. 

Grinergy offers multiple solutions to revolutionize the shortcomings of the conventional lithium battery industry. Grinergy’s proprietary technology offers remarkable safety with improved charging capability. 

For more information on Grinergy at UNMEX or their battery technology applications, please contact Don Southerton at dsoutherton@grinergy.co.kr or +1-310-866-3777.

Grinergy USA

Year-end Promotions, Restructuring, and New Assignments: Korea’s Corporate Culture 2021

Year-end Promotions, Restructuring, and New Assignments:

Year-end organization-wide promotions, restructuring, and new assignments for teams are traditionally a part of Korean corporate culture. Top to bottom within Korean companies they occur sometime between early December and early January, with the changes to senior leadership announced first, and team level changes as a norm made known the week just before or between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

After the Holidays, teams then report back to work. Some assume new roles frequently in departments where they have little experience—requiring employees to acquire new skills—sink or swim.

In the days that follow those shuffled brief their replacements, as staff remaining in their jobs update new management teams on the status of projects and issues.

Meanwhile, others will be en route to assignments in overseas operations; a challenge for those working outside Korea for the first time.

This can also be a challenge for local overseas operations. In particular, it is common for those newly assigned to be unfamiliar or have very limited experience with the many nuances in the localized foreign business, as well as the new role and responsibilities. Not to mention, working outside Korea is in itself a learning curve that can take months and even years.

And I strongly recommend leadership—Western and Korean– have countermeasures in place to mitigate any transitional gaps. They do occur. In fact, over the years I have worked extensively to facilitate smooth transitions.

So, what to look for…
The top Chaebol will and have begun to announce key promotions, which can provide some insight into future trends. The Chaebol usually also comment on whether this year’s promotion number is more or less than in the past and the reasons “why.”

On restructuring, top Chaebol have already announced plans. These can range from granting more independence to business units to consolidating control.

In their restructuring, SK Group elevated a number of executives to vice-chairman level and granting independent decision-making authority to their key affiliates that span from semi-conductor chips, batteries to wireless network, energy, and biotech.

In contrast, Samsung Electronics noted as a shake-up they will merge 3 of their business units.

Samsung also announced several changes in its corporate policies. With the new year, they will employ a new personnel management system. Under the new system, Samsung will abolish a set of requirements before an employee gets promoted to a certain level, such as a minimum term of service that lasts roughly eight to 10 years. Instead, top-performing employees will be eligible for their work performance and expertise be taken into account as key factors for promotion over time in grade.

The Hyundai Motor Group, too, has announced its executive reshuffle. To align with the new Chairman E.S. Chung’s future vision, we see a plan to bring younger faces on the C-suite with a focus on future mobility and on technology sectors such as infotainment, ICT, and autonomous driving. This then means many of the current leadership are stepping aside to the advisory posts.

New Years’ Message
This said, as in the past, with the new year, we can expect leadership will share their 2022 plans in an annual New Years’ company announcement, too. I monitor closely and as they are in Korean will share when appropriate and upon request.

As a final note, for western global teams, I suggest congratulating those who are promoted but also be sensitive to Korean team members who were passed over… or possibly moved to what may be seen as a less strategic assignment.

BTW Time in grade is just a criteria for promotion, or in some cases if a junior is promoted over a senior it is deemed as their time to retire.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out. dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

Grinergy Top Pick in ‘K-Startup Center (KSC) Demo Day’

Grinergy Demo Day

Translated by Don Southerton

See the original text:

http://www.sisunnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=153895

The 2021 ‘K-Startup Center Demo Day’ was organized and hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Startup Promotion Agency.

‘KSC’ is a startup support program for promising Korean domestic ventures and startups looking to expand overseas. 

This event held on Friday December 10th at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul Crystal Ballroom  showcased 7 innovative companies. Participating in the KSC program were Aon, Sentbe, Testworks , Grinergy, GEMotion, HiLocal and Dot. Each company presented an IR pitch through the online platform and were then screening  by VCs. 

The 1st place winner was ‘Grinergy’, which shared their  lithium secondary battery solutions that are capable of low-temperature and rapid charging. 

Sentbee, which introduced their “Digital C2C/B2B overseas remittance payment service’, was selected as the 2nd place. ‘TestWorks’, which introduced ‘Artificial Intelligence Algorithm and Data Solution Service for Learning’, was selected in 3rd place.

“Startups participating in today’s event are promising companies that have been recognized by accelerators from 7 countries around the world,” said Kim Yong-moon, president of the Korea Startup Promotion Agency. “In the future, the Korea Startup Promotion Agency will spare no effort to support K-start-ups to take a leap forward and advance into the global market.”

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Grinergy Selected 1st Place in 2021 K-Startup Center Demo Day

Congratulations Grinergy on being selected 1st Place in the 2021 K-Startup Center Demo Day.

South Korea Grinergy

What a great honor.

축하합니다

Grinergy is a lithium-ion battery technology company with multiple solutions to revolutionize the shortcomings of the conventional lithium battery industry.

Hangul Day

hangul day

Saturday October 9 is a National Holiday in South Korea — Hangul Day. (As this year the holiday falls on weekend, Monday is celebrated a National Holiday, too).

Hangul Day commemorates the invention and proclamation of Hangul, the alphabet of the Korean language. This commentary will provide some insights into not only Korea, but their native written language. For a online version see https://seoulz.com/how-the-digitization-of-hangul-contributed-to-koreas-economic-rise/

The Digitization of Hangul, the Native Korean Language Script The Hidden Driver of Korea’s Economic Success

We often see terms like “Miracle on the Han,” that highlight South Korea’s economic rise after decades of harsh Japanese colonial rule and then the devastation of the Korean War.

With only determination and its people as resources, Korea became one of the world’s top industrial, export-driven economies. In particular, the main contributions to this success story include the nation’s emphasis on higher education, as well as the role of government and private investment in innovation, technology, and R&D.

Looking deeper, what may be missed is the impact of digitizing the native written language Hangul. Crafted in the mid 15th century during the reign of King Sejeong. Hangul linguistically is seen as a very logical and structured written language script.

Inspired by a vision to make Korea information independent

Jumping forward, it was in the early 1990s that a local Korean company, today’s Hancom, successfully developed a native word processing program for the Korean language.

As Hangul was created so that the common people could accurately and easily read and write the Korean language, so too, the word processing software allowed Koreans to communicate digitally.

Although the Hangul word processing software grew in popularity, by 1998, the company nearly went bust, even though it was considered a national treasure: the Asian Financial Crisis and software piracy had brought the company to its knees.

Rival Microsoft which had only about 15% market penetration in office software at the time in Korea, offered $20 million to Hancom to stop producing its software and instead resell Microsoft’s localized Word program.

For a small investment, Microsoft would have wiped out their main competitor in Korea, one of the few countries in the world that had still resisted wide adoption of Microsoft’s office suite.

When the news of the proposed deal offering surfaced, Koreans united in a national fervor and raised over $10 million through a campaign to save the company.

In addition, the company’s near-bankruptcy brought the issue of software piracy under the spotlight. As a result, Koreans began to pay for their software and more began to adopt and use the Hangul software in Korea.

An Economic Driver

With the rise of globalization, and Korea as a nation leapfrogging economically, experts attribute much of the growth to the streamlining of both government policy and regulations. This was possible with a universally accepted digitalized Hangul well suited to the E-Government transfer of information. E-Government refers to a government that uses technological communications devices, such as computers and the Internet, to provide public services in a country or region.

This has also given Korea a strong competitive advantage — data management critical in the digital age.

Looking forward, South Korea today is at the forefront of AI and Cloud-based technology. That said, one may argue that many under-developed nations, most with their own indigenous languages, too, could follow Korea’s digitalization model.

Globally, South Korea and Korean business are well-positioned to support this and similar endeavors — as the Korean proverb noted — A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats.

Grinergy CEO: The biggest obstacle in the electric vehicle era is the battery!

Grinergy CEO

Translated by Don Southerton


— Lithium-ion batteries perform poorly in cold weather. Lead-acid batteries are not environmentally friendly.
— alternative, lithium-titanium compound, minus 30 degrees, withstand fast charging,
— buses, ships, heavy-duty ‘multiplier’ market can coexist with lithium-ion

Grinergy CEO
Grinergy CEO Sungpang ( Scott) Bang Photo Park Hae-joo

“There are several problems with batteries used in today’s vehicles. Lead-acid batteries are safe, but they pollute the environment and are heavy. Lithium-ion batteries lose their performance significantly when the temperature drops. I think there are batteries that solve these problems. I think the era will come when the existing battery market and new batteries coexist.” Grinergy CEO Sungpang (Scott) Bang

This is a startup that began with the idea that battery technology is a key issue in the era of electric mobility. In Silicon Valley, Sungpang ( Scott) Bang (47, photo)who worked at Tesla, Apple, Byton, and Hyundai, etc., and Samsung Electronics’ former COO Byung-hoon Jeong, who co-founded Grinergy in 2017, are the main characters.

They witnessed early on that the automobile industry was slowly shifting from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, but they realized that current battery technology could not match the tasks that internal combustion engines are doing.

For example, there are problems in that the existing batteries under perform the internal combustion engine in heavy trucks that require strong output or in areas where more than half of the year temperatures falls below -10 degrees Celsius except in the summer.

For this reason, for several years since its establishment in 2017 Grinergy has  developed a secondary battery using Lithium Titanium compound (LTO). Currently, 5 patents related to LTO batteries have been registered and 6 
applications have been filed. Grinergy co-CEO Bang met with reporters in San Jose, California, USA and said, “LTO batteries are lead-free, so they are more environmentally friendly and work at -30 degrees.”

The typical case use is in electric vehicles and low temperatures. This is because Lithium-ion batteries that power vehicles instead of internal combustion engines perform poorly in low temperatures.This lithium-ion battery operates normally at 10–50 degrees Celsius, and its efficiency drops significantly when the temperature is higher or lower.

More so, in order to upgrade energy sources from internal combustion engines to electricity for transportation means that cars, trucks, heavy equipment, railways, and yachts operating in cold regions have no choice but to look for other alternatives due to the limitations of the existing Lithium-ion batteries.

On the other hand, LTO batteries are resistant to temperature, so they can be  charged at -30 degrees Celsius. “We are conducting due diligence evaluations of batteries with a [Korean] military base through a defense venture project,” said CEO Bang. The goal is to prove how much Grinergy’s LTO battery can perform even in cold weather.

In addition, Grinergy is providing products for Korea’s outdoor smart signs. The current batteries powering the smart signs freeze in cold weather and do not work properly.

Grinergy is also paying attention to medium-to-large transportation such as buses, ships, trains, and heavy equipment, markets that are urgently required to be electrified due to the soot and the pollution problems that pose.

In the case of transportation, it is important to increase the mileage by compressing the size and weight of the battery, but it is also more important to increase the output of energy in a short time. CEO Bang said, “Grinergy’s batteries have better performance for these special industries.”

There is a growing possibility that LTO batteries will replace lead-acid batteries used for starting in existing vehicles. Lead-acid batteries are widely used in automobiles because they are very safe. Even electric vehicles such as Tesla contain lead-acid batteries and are used for starting.

Lead-acid batteries are widely used in automobiles because they are very safe. 
Even electric vehicles such as Tesla contain lead-acid batteries and are used for starting the vehicle.

However, since the recycling of lead-acid batteries is often done in underdeveloped countries — breaking down of the battery into its raw materials — it causes not only environmental pollution issues but also poses health problems. CEO Bang notes he saw the environmental pollution problem of recycling this lead acid battery and thought about how to solve it.

Of course, LTO batteries are not without their drawbacks. CEO Bang said, “LTO batteries have 10~15% less capacity to the same volume compared to general lithium batteries. In particular, he predicted that lithium-ion batteries and LTO batteries would coexist in the future. CEO Bang explained, “The global battery market is worth close to $1 trillion, but half of the battery market is lithium-ion and the rest is lead-acid batteries.” He added, “LTO batteries can be charged at -30 degrees Celsius, can be charged more than 10 times faster than lithium-ion, and are eco-friendly, so there is a good chance of winning.”

[Silicon Valley = Reporter Shin Hyeon-gyu / Reporter Lee Sang-deok]
[ⓒ Maeil Business & mk.co.kr,]

https://donsoutherton.medium.com/the-biggest-obstacle-in-the-electric-vehicle-era-is-the-battery-56e8a63210b7

Haps Magazine–Commentary: “I think it is going to be battery power”

battery power

Battery Power. Michael Malone one of America’s best-known technology writers has taken a shot at predicting game-changing technology that will fuel Silicon Valley’s next round of growth.

In July 2021, Malone among other tech experts who spoke as part of the Computer History Museum’s CHM Live series on the resilience of Silicon Valley.

“I think it is going to be battery power,” he said. “There are some battery companies out there that are doing some interesting things.” Malone feels batteries may follow the path of other technologies and Moore’s Law.

Well-referenced, Moore’s Law states that we can expect the speed and capability of our computers to increase every couple of years, and we will pay less for them.

It’s noted that Gordon Moore co-founder and chairman emeritus of Intel had always said that, at a certain point, battery power, too, would be the limiting factor for future tech advances.

But, Malone has indicated, perhaps the time has come for battery improvements to escalate. “It is possible that batteries can get on the freight train of Moore’s Law,” he said.

“I think the next great invention is just around the corner.”

Not the only one to see the potential in batteries. Rodney Brooks, Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus) at MIT, in his recent article The Battery Revolution Is Just Getting Started, draws upon the famous line from the 1967 movie The Graduate for an updated 2021 spin. “If I were to offer advice to an ambitious young graduate today, I’d have one word for her: ‘Batteries.’”

I’d add to not only at Silicon Valley, but to South Korea a hub of battery innovation, too.

About the Author

For nearly 30 years, Don Southerton has advised Korean firms doing business in the United States and globally. He has also worked with American firms’ M&A and FDI teams as part of their business expansions in South Korea. He currently serves as Chief Investment Officer for South Korea’s Grinergy.

Grinergy is developing leading-edge lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology for electric vehicles and other uses, with state-of-art safety, batteries with fast battery charge times, and improved cell power density. Grinergy has recently announced expanding operation to North America. Talks have also begun with potential POC partners, licensees and investors.

Source: https://www.hapskorea.com/commentary-i-think-it-is-going-to-be-battery-power/

Battery Power: a Grinergy Commentary

Lithium ion battery will only grow. South Korea Grinergy provides some solutions.

Battery Power Grinergy …Michael Malone one of America’s best-known technology writers has taken a shot at predicting game-changing technology that will fuel Silicon Valley’s next round of growth.herto

In July 2021, Malone among other tech experts who spoke as part of the Computer History Museum’s CHM Live series on the resilience of Silicon Valley.

“I think it is going to be battery power,” he said. “There are some battery companies out there that are doing some interesting things.” Malone feels batteries may follow the path of other technologies and Moore’s Law.

Well-referenced, Moore’s Law states that we can expect the speed and capability of our computers to increase every couple of years, and we will pay less for them.

It’s noted that Gordon Moore co-founder and chairman emeritus of Intel had always said that, at a certain point, battery power, too, would be the limiting factor for future tech advances.

But, Malone has indicated, perhaps the time has come for battery improvements to escalate. “It is possible that batteries can get on the freight train of Moore’s Law,” he said.

“I think the next great invention is just around the corner.

Not the only one to see the potential in batteries. Rodney Brooks, Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus) at MIT, in his recent article The Battery Revolution Is Just Getting Started draws upon the famous line from the 1967 movie The Graduate for an updated 2021 spin. “If I were to offer advice to an ambitious young graduate today, I’d have one word for her: ‘Batteries.’”

I’d add to not only at Silicon Valley, but to South Korea a hub of battery innovation, too.

About the Author

For nearly 30 years, Don Southerton has advised Korean firms doing business in the United States and globally. He has also worked with American firms’ M&A and FDI teams as part of their business expansions in South Korea. An author of more than a dozen books on entrepreneurship and Korea he has been interviewed and quoted by Arirang Global Insights, The Economist, Bloomberg TV, The BBC World News, US Korea Connect, eFM Seoul, The Wall Street Journal, Korea Times, Yonhap, Forbes, CNN, and Fortune among other media.

He currently serves as Chief Investment Officer for South Korea’s Grinergy.

Grinergy is developing leading-edge lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology for electric vehicles and other uses, with state-of-art safety, batteries with fast battery charge times, and improved cell power density. Grinergy has recently announced expanding operation to North America. Talks have also begun with potential POC partners, licensees and investors.

###

Grinergy Batteries: The Next Advancement in Lithium-ion

Surprising Many. Grinergy–Next Innovative Advancements in Lithium-ion Batteries Are On The Way From South Korea.

Grinergy

More and more vehicle owners around the world are learning to love Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and these clean-energy cars and SUVs are moving toward worldwide acceptance, However, there are troubling clouds as automakers move to a clean, sustainable future. The problem? One of the most serious technical challenges BEVs face is the need for improvements in battery technology.


While battery engineering has vastly improved, global vehicle manufacturers and the battery makers they depend on still face some key issues that must be overcome. Even as the sales of BEVs continue to increase every month, there are troubling issues around batteries that experts feel must be improved to allow for true mass acceptance of electric vehicles.


The challenges of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles include:


· The need to increase the energy density of the batteries
· Allowing recharging rates that are significantly faster than those possible today
· Improving the cold-weather performance of batteries (Some studies have shown up to a 40 percent reduction in range in severe cold weather)
· Increasing safety by reducing the danger of fire


Grinergy, Energy Company of the Future from Korea
Surprising some, the answers to these questions seem to be emerging from South Korea as the battery technology company Grinergy, which is at the forefront of developing next-generation lithium-ion batteries and has begun to reveal startling new technology.


Working in Korea since 2017 the Grinergy engineers and technicians have already filed for 10 patents in Korea and 9 international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patents with more under development.

Grinergy technology overcomes the current failings of traditional Lithium-ion batteries.

Developments in the United States
All the new Grinergy technology arrives at just the right time in the United States market. At the end of March 2021, the administration of United States President Joe Biden announced a trillion-dollar legislative package which includes a $174 billion investment in the U.S. electric vehicle market.


Industry leaders have noted that with vehicle electrification it’s all about the batteries which, until now, have faced serious challenges. Grinergy has come along at just the right time with many of the answers. Even Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume at Porsche, which made its stellar reputation with gasoline-powered vehicles now says, “the battery cell is the combustion chamber of the future.”


Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise anyone that one of the places breakthrough battery technology is being created is in South Korea. In May 2021 President Biden chose to make just the second meeting he ever held as President at the White House with a foreign leader a summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Technology was one of the important topics the two leaders discussed.


The Market
The rechargeable battery market has been growing exponentially with a compound annual growth rate of some 25 percent in recent years. For example, electric vehicles are a critical part of this growth as sales of such vehicles exploded at an unprecedented rate in major Asian, European, and American markets. In 2020 the market was almost a trillion U.S. dollars and is growing strongly in 2021.

Lithium-ion

Today the technology has far surpassed that of the older lead acid and nickel cadmium batteries which were once used. Lithium-ion has proven to be a superior technology as its use in almost all EVs today demonstrates. Grinergy’s battery technology now adds the next step to the dependable lithium-ion battery increasing safety, flexibility, manufacturability, capacity, and greater fast charge capability all of which foretells a future that is evolving to meet the world’s need for environmentally friendly energy.

Grinergy and the Future
Awareness of Grinergy lithium-ion technology is just beginning to emerge. In a world hungry for innovation leading to better batteries to power the current and future generations of electric vehicles and products, Grinergy is ready to speed movement toward improved worldwide sustainability, in part through the application of electric vehicles that meet the globe’s needs for mobility.


To learn more, go to: LINK

Similar Brings Us Together: Global Business 2021

I often say Similar bring us together

similar
Don Southerton

Global business requires colleagues of different cultures to work together on a daily basis.

How we see each other culturally is often in the differences, like language and in similarities such as shared values like family. I like to focus on the later; as differences can pull us apart and similarities brings us together.

Particularly for western teams engaged in all ways with Korean operations, I believe in the importance of deep learning about the workplace in Korea — the 2021 norms, practices, and day-to-day life. They do change and most often we can get fixed on what could have been tainted by here say — or an altogether lack of understanding.

The same learning goes for Korean global teams assigned to support overseas’ operations. They need to become learners — savvy in the wide range of local overseas practices. Expecting global teams to bend to Korean business norms rarely works, too. It just leads to delays and stalled projects.

As I note above, recognizing similarities is one of the most powerful cross-cultural bridges. In other words, how can you relate to the nuances in communications and day-to-day life. This requires identifying the local beliefs, values, expectations, traditions, and culture.

These insights allow us to better understand our mutual teams’ thoughts and expectations.

Outcomes

Although there is bound to be friction between home and host country cultural values, a successful model accomplishes:

1. Awareness and appreciation of both the home and host country with the ability to gain an insight into one’s own personal traits, strengths, weaknesses, attitudes, and interests.

2. Realization of shared values, along with an awareness of and respect for cultural differences.

Call to Action

So, how do you see this applying to you and your own experiences working with another culture’s teams? I’d like to know, so please share.

Dealing with better understanding Korea-facing issues, challenges, or impasses? I provide workarounds and solutions.

I look forward to your thoughts and comments, and with no COVID travel planned have set aside time to discuss one on one.

Always Private and Confidential. Please feel free to FB or Linkedin Message, Text or email to set up a Zoom time.

YouTube

Korean Lunar New Year 2021- Year of the OX

One popular Korean Lunar New Year tradition is 세배 (sebae), which is respect for elders and ancestors. In the ritual families often travel to the family graves to show their respect. 

Korean Lunar New Year 2021

Also common is younger people will bow to their grandparents. They then wish them a happy New Year by saying: sae hae bok mani badeu say yo (새해 복 많이 받으세요. ) Which translates as “Please receive good fortune for the New Year.”

In turn, the elders typically reward this gesture by giving children New Year’s money, or “pocket money” called Sebaet Don, usually new crisp paper money.  

To learn more, go this week’s post in YouTube  

Christmas Holiday in South Korea 2020

Christmas Holiday in South Korea
Merry Christmas from Don Southerton

Christmas is a popular holiday in South Korea. That said, it is also seen as a distinctly Christian holiday. As the holiday approaches, you may wish to greet Korean colleagues with a common greeting. Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo!

Hint: When speaking, break the greeting into: sae hae bok—mahne—bah deu say yo

Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo! works well both in person, in a card, text, IM, or an email.

In fact, it is the best seasonal greeting for New Year’s, too.

With the time differences, plan to wish Korea-based friends and colleagues a holiday greeting no later than US/ Canada/ EU on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 …so Thursday Christmas Eve Day AM in Korea.

Questions on the Christmas holiday in South Korea business norms? Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

#

Digitization of Hangul

October 9 is a National Holiday in South Korea—Hangul Day.  This digitization of Hangul commentary will provide some insights into not only Korea but their native written language.

The Hidden Driver of Korea’s Economic Success

Dr. Peter Wonsok Yun and Don Southerton, October 2020

Digitization of Hangul, Native Korean Language Script

The Digitization of Hangul–we often see terms like “Miracle on the Han,” that highlight South Korea’s economic rise after decades of harsh Japanese colonial rule and then the devastation of the Korean War.

With only determination and its people as resources, Korea became one of the world’s top industrial, export-driven economies. In particular, the main contributions to this success story include the nation’s emphasis on higher education, as well as the role of government and private investment in innovation, technology, and R&D.

Looking deeper, what may be missed is the impact of digitizing the native written language Hangul. Crafted in the mid 15th century during the reign of King Sejeong. Hangul linguistically is seen as a very logical and structured written language script.

Inspired by a vision to make Korea information independent

Jumping forward, it was in the early 1990s that a local Korean company, today’s Hancom Group, successfully developed a native word processing program for the Korean language.

As Hangul was created so that the common people could accurately and easily read and write the Korean language, so too, the word processing software allowed Koreans to communicate digitally. https://office.hancom.com/about/history/

Although the Hangul word processing software grew in popularity, by 1998, the company nearly went bust, even though it was considered a national treasure: the Asian Financial Crisis and software piracy had brought the company to its knees. 

Rival Microsoft which had only about 15% market penetration in office software at the time in Korea, offered $20 million to Hancom to stop producing its software and instead resell Microsoft’s localized Word program. 

For a small investment, Microsoft would have wiped out their main competitor in Korea, one of the few countries in the world that had still resisted wide adoption of Microsoft’s office suite.

When the news of the proposed deal offering surfaced, Koreans united in a national fervor and raised over $10 million through a campaign to save the company. 

In addition, the company’s near-bankruptcy brought the issue of software piracy under the spotlight. As a result, Koreans began to pay for their software and more began to adopt and use the Hangul software in Korea.

An Economic Driver

With the rise of globalization, and Korea as a nation leapfrogging economically, experts attribute much of the growth to the streamlining of both government policy and regulations. This was possible with a universally accepted digitalized Hangul well suited to the E-Government transfer of information. E-Government refers to a government that uses technological communications devices, such as computers and the Internet, to provide public services in a country or region.

This has also given Korea a strong competitive advantage—data management critical in the digital age.

Looking forward, South Korea today is at the forefront of AI and Cloud-based technology. That said, one may argue that many under-developed nations, most with their own indigenous languages, too, could follow Korea’s digitalization model. 

Globally, South Korea and key digital firms like Hancom are well-positioned to support this and similar new endeavors such as Mobility, EV and AI—as the Korean proverb noted—A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats. 

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Korean Business Protocols: Seoul 2020

I’m just back from Seoul amid COVID and Korean Business Protocols.
In my most recent book  Korea 2020—A Workplace in Transition released earlier this year, I elaborate on a wide range of corporate workplace culture changes underway. These include flattening of workplace titles and hierarchical protocols as well as encouraging those junior to question the status quo.

Beyond my published writing and articles, this transition to a more open and global workplace is covered extensively in Korea media that follow changes at the top groups such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor and SK Groups. 

Korean business protocols

All said, in my two 2020 trips to Seoul, I had an opportunity with “boots on the ground” to again observe the extent of the changing corporate landscape. First, witnessing at one of the leading tech/ICT companies located in the heart of Korea’s Silicon Valley, and the second visiting a long-established industrial manufacturing group.  

First and foremost, in my field research, I try not to be judgmental as each company follows their heritage and values—with no overarching right or wrong, but just different.

For the tech company, more flexible workplace hours and dress codes reflect my writings. In fact, it was refreshing to see widespread casual and rather cool trendy summer fashion worn by millennials—and both genders, too. The exception was middle age staff and leadership in more formal, but tie-less business attire. 

Embracing other changes both management and teams addressed individuals in informal conversation by their first names instead of calling team members by the titles as was once universal. 

Titles rather than names were used only when the team addressed the most senior leadership or with formal email correspondence. 

Office seating however was still based on title and rank reflecting this hierarchy. This is different from some tech companies where we are now seeing open seating.

In contrast, to the tech sector, I witnessed traditional norms in the industrial manufacturing sector visit. 

During introductions and exchange in business cards, we were asked to call them by either a Korean name or a western first name. Although, among the Korean team and leadership they addressed each other by hierarchical Korean title.

The use of rank and title were very hierarchical as well as seating in formal meetings. On the later the most senior leadership was positioned mid-table, flanked by their more senior staff in descending order, and with support staff positioned behind them. 

In such situations it is then important that the western team follow the same protocols. This allows the Korean team to better understand the hierarchy of your company. This includes staying consistent in seating order during every meeting, and dinner event as well as how teams are introduced—most senior first and then in order of seniority and rank. BTW, The same goes for virtual meetings, too. 

Again, in less formal team meetings we are finding these norms less important and more casual. I’d add in observing teams working in the office vs leadership, dress was more casual, too. 

On a final note, reflecting both my research, writing and recent visits, we find that corporate norms and expectations in Korea today do vary. Not to mention, like westerners, no two Koreans are alike. 

True cultural understanding and sensitivity require both recognizing the similarities and differences. More so, the key to any successful business relationship is adapting and respecting local and individual company norms. 

Following norms and expectations leads to clarity and better communications vs. impasses and costly misunderstandings. 

Frankly, a good model to follow is for us to be aware and adapt according to their norms vs. expecting them to change as it’s their country. Plus, change is underway in Korea amid a transition driven by globalization and millennials in the workplace. 

Questions and comments welcome. All kept private and confidential. 

Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

Korean business protocols.
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The Worldly Marketing Podcast: Weathering COVID-19

In this episode of The Worldly Marketing Podcast, Don Southerton was first featured on episode #057 of this podcast. As the Founder & CEO at Bridging Culture Worldwide, he helps Korea-facing business by assisting companies in their market entry strategy into South Korea, and by helping Korean brands expand into North America and internationally. 

In this Worldly Marketing Podcast interview, Don talks about how South Korea’s economy is weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, how he’s seeing interesting shifts in traditional Korean corporate culture, and what those changes mean for Western companies looking to do business there. 

Podcast Link 

the worldly marketing podcast


With nearly four decades of experience, Don is recognized as the definitive authority on South Korean business consulting and Korean corporate culture. In fact, he is known in business circles as “The Korea Whisperer”.  His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, top Korean groups, leading international law firms, and elite consultancies. He has worked with a variety of industries, including automotive, golf, quick-service restaurant sectors, New Urbanism, and green technology. 

In addition, in late 2019, Don became the Global Head of Corporate Communications at Hancom Group, which is South Korea’s leading ICT company. He now heads up the group’s global communications and PR, as well as its North American market entry.  

Don is also a regular contributor to online publications such as Branding in Asia on the topic of Korean business, and he is the author and co-author of several books, including Korea Perspective. His latest book is called Korea 2020, A Workplace in Transition. 

To contact Don about his work in supporting Korean global business. Call 310-866-3777or donsoutherton@koreabcw.com

Roxberry Juice Sales Up in 2020

ROXBERRY Sees 35% Growth in Sales over 2019
ROXBERRY Sees 35% Growth in Sales over 2019

Salt Lake City, UT  (Restaurant News Release)  Although the pandemic isn’t yet behind us, Utah-based ROXBERRY JUICE CO. (founded 2008) has seen a steady growth in sales.

Brad Davis, Founder and CEO noted, “Our systemwide same-store sales are up about 35% over last year. We’ve done extremely well in spite of the pandemic.” Davis also shared that with concerns over health many now see the importance of adding nutritious and vitamin packed smoothies, juices and healthy açaí bowls to the diet.

This fast-casual smoothie concept is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner hours, with a $4-$12+ per person price range. Stores offer Drive through and offer online ordering options.

Earlier this year Roxberry Juice announced plans to expand internationally into South Korea, Asia, and the Middle East.

ROXBERRY Sees 35% Growth in Sales over 2019
ROXBERRY Sees 35% Growth in Sales over 2019

About Roxberry Juice Co.

There are a great number of food choices out there, but when it comes to Fresh Juices, Smoothies, and Açaí Bowls, the best choice is Roxberry. This is because Roxberry pays attention to the things that matter; the ingredients. From 100% natural juices to real fruits and veggies, Roxberry provides the best in quality products on the market.

In a classic sense, Roxberry brings you back to a simpler time. To a time when quality products and ingredients were abundant, and to a time when you didn’t feel the need to question what was in your food. Roxberry cares about you and your health. Our goal is to always provide you with the best quality juices, smoothies, and bowls possible.

More information can be found online at http://www.roxberryjuice.com

Contact:
Don Southerton
Bridging Culture Worldwide
310-866-3777
Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

South Korea Post COVID-19 Survey

Many thanks Branding in Asia Magazine for sharing our Post COVID-19 Survey article. 

COVID-19 Survey


According to a recent post COVID-19 survey conducted by Korean business and market entry advocate Bridging Culture Worldwide in partnership with Tierra Advisors, the mood is upbeat in the South Korean food and beverage industry as the country looks ahead to life after COVID-19.

The bilingual survey, which was conducted from April through mid-May 2020, polled a mix of domestic Korean F&B teams and leadership as well as Korean foodie influencers and business entrepreneurs, asking their views on opportunities for F&B growth and expansion over the next year. According to the findings, in a lead question on the general mood, a 60 percent majority surveyed shared an overall positive feeling toward the F&B market for 2020-21, said the two organizations.

Additionally, the survey found 38 percent responding “Very Likely” or “Likely” to expand their business in 2020-21. In contrast, only 10 percent responded Very Unlikely.“The study was conducted to gauge the overall market mood and more specifically future F&B growth plans in response to the uncertainty and disruption of COVID-19,” said BCW Founder and CEO Don Southerton.

BCW and Tierra Advisors pointed out that Korea appears to have reined in the outbreak. Still, the economy and businesses like restaurants and coffee shops have suffered. “Although Korea never experienced mandated widespread closures, Koreans pro-actively stayed away from eateries, bars, and cafes,” according to a statement to Branding in Asia. “The restaurants did remain open, eagerly waiting for customers who seldom came.”

Fast forward to today and Korea’s everyday life today is now resembling something closer to normal. There are lines outside restaurants during lunchtime; malls are bustling, and the streets are busier. As a positive indicator, major Korean food brands like SPC have also recently announced plans to open new locations as well as add additional western fast-casual brands, said BCW and Tierra Advisors.

Fast Casual Tops List of Opportunities

Also, highlights of the survey found that among F&B concepts, ‘Fast Casual’ tops the list in the study when looking ahead at where the industry sees the most opportunity for growth in the local Korean market. QSR-Fast Food, Sandwich, Coffee cafes, Juice Bars, and Bakery concepts, too, were popular picks.In open polling questions at the end of the survey, the top F&B criteria for 2020-2021 food brands included delivery and take-out service, healthy food options, and a value-added menu offering both high quality and affordable pricing.

South Korea Hancom Group Unveils Hancom Office 2020 —Their Newly Feature-Enhanced Office Productivity Suite

hancom Office

In a move set to advance operations and support the company’s aggressive growth, Hancom Group, South Korea’s leading ICT company has announced the North American release of flagship product ‘Hancom Office 2020.’ 

Previously, Hancom has been most well-known internationally for the default mobile office suite experience in Samsung Galaxy/DeX devices and a long-time technology partnership with AWS WorkDocs supplying a cloud-based collaborative document editor.

More cost-effectively than with any other office suite available today, and a smart alternative to Microsoft 365, new enhancements for the Hancom Office 2020 product lineup include word processor Hancom Office Word, spreadsheet Cell, presentation Show, and PDF. Most importantly, as a part of ongoing efforts for enterprise customers, this update facilitates interoperability by improving the spreadsheet’s Excel compatibility significantly by adding advanced support for pivot tables, charts, formulas, and macros.

Setting the stage for collaboration, Hancom Office 2020 also strengthened its link with Hancom Space, a cloud-based storage and web office. Hancom Space, a cloud service that allows you to edit Hancom Office documents via Internet access, even on a PC without Hancom Office, allows users to save and share documents created on Hancom Office 2020 directly in Hancom Space. In turn, you can edit a document you created in Hancom Space on Hancom Office.

Adding value, too, a cost-saving and a new feature of the suite, Hancom Office 2020 now offers a new built-in PDF application that provides an essential tool for PDF use and includes annotation, merging, and extracting. It also allows you to convert any existing PDF documents into Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and then edit and reuse your PDF files. With this feature, there is no need for a separate PDF editor required by other products in the market as users can edit and author all common office documents formats.

Regarding the product launch, Sungjun Byun, Chief Executive Officer of Hancom, said, “Building upon decades of experience supplying the office productivity suite to Korean enterprises, SMBs, educational institutions and government, Hancom Office 2020 is built to meet the diverse demands of global customers regardless of size or sector.”

Dr. Peter Wonsok Yun, President of Global Business, Hancom Group notes, “With the New Normal Post COVID-19 workplace, Hancom Office 2020 will unleash your creativity and enhance your productivity more cost-effectively than with any other office suite available today.”

A free 30-day trial version is available for download at office.hancom.com.  And the subscription license and a lifetime license are available for purchase now.

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New Normal Market Entry Post COVID-19

new normal market entry

I am excited to share my most recent article that looks at the New Normal market entry for brands and products.  As always your comments and thoughts are welcome.

 New Normal Best Practices for Post COVID-19 Market Entry 

In this post COVID-19 world, we hear the expression the New Normal used frequently with regard to society and business. A timely question then is how will this New Normal apply to commerce and specifically international market entry?

In a Deep Data webinar jointly hosted by the Israel Economic Trade Mission to Korea in Seoul and Cardumen Capital based in Tel Aviv, I spoke to a wide audience of Korean companies on how I saw market entry under post COVID-19.

For one, and as in the past, ‘need and demand’ have always been the drivers for a successful business market entry. Goods or services must match what is lacking in a market and enterprisingly fulfill a need or gap in that local market. 

For example, in a market like South Korea with an abundance of pizza and fried chicken eateries introducing either fast food would be an uphill battle. In contrast, with innovative hubs like Israel and South Korea as developers of new AI, robotics, drone, deep learning and mobility technologies, a company offering its unique product or service has a much greater probability of success in that they provide needed cutting-edge solutions. More so, these technologies will drive the transition to the digital economy accelerated by COVID.

Second, for successful market entry selecting the right partners goes without saying. I feel a best practice is to find a partner that has both an industry sector plus international experience working with other cultures and approaches to business. Teams tied to the project must be skilled in a deep understanding of the local culture, norms and expectations. With the new normal of COVID-19, a partner who has also weathered past crises and business disruptions would be a huge bonus, too. 

And finally, the third best practice is the need for flexibility. If there is one lesson from COVID-19 it is the need for businesses to be open and flexible. As an example we now see the widespread adoption of video conferencing during the pandemic instead of insisting on in-person meetings.

That said, few market entry projects succeed in a climate of rigid thinking on either side of the partnership. Give and take fosters collaboration, which builds relationships nurtured over time. 

Even under adversity, fulfilling a demand, the right partner, and coupled with flexible and adaptive transformative thinking means all parties will see a project through to execution and beyond—to both side’s mutual benefit, as well as the individuals tied to the market entry partnership.

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Smart Work and COVID-19 Transforming the Workplace

smart work

My most recent article in Branding in Asia on Smart work.

South Korea: Smart Work and COVID-19 Transforming the Workplace

By Don Southerton

With the COVID-19 New Normal from video chat platforms to office productivity and cloud-based software, the shift to working remotely is now seen as a convenient alternative to in-person communication, the office and commerce.

In this article, we will look at how Koreans post-COVID-19 may come to accept remote working (also referred to in Korea as “smart work”), as an option to the traditional on-site model. In February and March government agencies and companies across South Korea opted to keep workers home in what can be seen as a mass experiment with the remote work system — the intent to flatten the spread of COVID-19. As the threat passed, and methods to control the spread of the virus proved effective, companies soon called for their homebound teams return to their offices.

In a nation with little experience with teams working remotely, responses are mixed — some now strong advocates perceiving themselves more productive and efficient, while others feel working from home meant longer hours tied to technology and little boundaries between work and personal time.

With the post-coronavirus shift back to the office, the pros and cons of work-from-home will be subject to scrutiny and comparison with the day to day work culture still heavily rooted in on-site interaction and interpersonal contact.

One issue that did not hamper work from home was Korea’s Internet infrastructure robustness even as the demand for telecommuting solutions rapidly increased.

Unlike underdeveloped countries, Korea was not limited by a lack of state-of-the-art technology. A number of Korean and multinational information technology companies were able to provide top-notch smart work services, with many large firms like the Hyundai Motor Group having long had their own internal communications systems.

More so, Korean domestic ICTs like the Hancom Group have since the 1990s offered a suite of office productivity software platforms. Originally developed for the home Korean market in their indigenous language Hangul, the software now has English as well as other language options. Plus, as an attractive alternative to Microsoft 365, Hancom offers several Cloud-based products, including Hancom Space and Hancom DocsConverter. [Source: https://office.hancom.com]

Not Alone

Korea tech brands like Naver, too, saw considerable demand. The tech giant which offers Line Works, a popular telecommuting software, witnessed a huge spike in usage during the peak of Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak. The company added that its video conference calls technology saw a sevenfold increase during the same period.

The Big Question

As most of Korea has returned to working on-site, the big question remains open as to whether working remotely and adopting “smart work” systems will become an option and part of the new normal.

As I noted in my book Korea 2020, A Workplace in Transition that was released earlier this year, there has been a considerable effort to offer a flexible working environment. Many of Korea’s top Groups have transitioned their corporate policy for rigid older norms to open dress codes, flexible work hours, and are adopting a more horizontal and creative work culture.

Increasingly, Korean companies, particularly those dedicated to technology and mobility have sought to become adaptive and agile global players. Adding to this, we are finding that the strong hierarchical corporate culture is being challenged by the growing number of millennials. It is no surprise that some millennials are leaving their corporate jobs to pursue freelance work and are very open to working remotely.

That said, even as Korea’s workplace culture has progressed, we are seeing push back on working remotely — some executives still prefer their teams to work on-site and are expressing concerns about employees’ work ethic and output.

On an encouraging note, South Korea’s leading game and online service provider NHN Corp. just announced it has decided to take its remote work experiment further by making Wednesdays their official “work remote day .” The move comes after overwhelmingly positive feedback from NHN and their affiliates’ employees. [Source: https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?sc=30800018&year=2020&no=471263 ]

A Second Look

Perhaps Korean companies should take a second look into creating a smart working environment. Accepting remote work systems that have been embraced in the West will depend greatly on whether companies and society are willing to bring such corporate and cultural changes.. Businesses can improve ROI and save on overhead and rental costs for their offices. Workers, for their part, can reduce their hours’ long commutes and experience increased productivity, as well as foster a better life-work balance.

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed the way people work and their perceptions about work. The virus crisis could provide an opportunity for Korean companies to re-visit and re-evaluate the benefits of smart work approaches to the workplace.

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Deep-Tech: Israel-South Korea Webinar

Deep-tech

I’ll be a guest speaker sharing my thoughts on Deep-Tech and what Israel and South Korea have to share as both are strong centers for innovative technology. For all those in the tech sector, this webinar will prove insightful.

The webinar is hosted by Yaniv Goldberg Economic Attaché — Head of Israel Economic and Trade Office, Embassy of Israel in Korea, and Israeli Cardumen Capital.

The webinar will explore among other topics of interest Israel’s ‘Deep-Tech’. Speakers include Gonzalo Martinez de Azagra, CEO and Founder of Cardumen Capital and Ruby Chen, Venture Partner of Cardumen Capital.

The event will be held at 3 PM on Wednesday, May 13, Korea time (time subject to change).

To participate in the Zoom Webinar, you must register. Interested?

Email Me

Questions? Comments?

Don

Korea First Mover in COVID Recovery

South Korea: A Roadmap to COVID-19 Economic Recovery — Industry and Automotive First Mover

Apr 27, 2020

In this second segment COVID-19 recovery series, following up on the first, we look at how Korea as a first mover could be a model for best practices in maintaining the industrial workforce and preserving jobs.

Like most of the world, government intervention is the cornerstone of South Korea’s recovery. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has announced a massive relief package worth billions for South Korea’s key industries disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Preventing layoffs and creating jobs have become the top priorities for the government.

The funds are meant to help them weather the crisis, which the Korean president characterized as the worst since the 1997 IMF financial meltdown, and to help maintain employment. Moon also unveiled an additional job protection program to cushion the COVID-19 impact on the country’s overall job market. This includes new job creation in the digital sector.

Drilling Deeper

A significant portion of Korea’s economy and the backbone of the country’s employment is from export-driven sectors, especially in hard-hit key industries that include aviation, oil refinery, shipping, shipbuilding, and car production.

Noting the huge task for Korea amid global downturns with much of the country’s employment driven by export-driven sectors such as automotive, how Korea preserves its workforce and jobs will take considerable effort and savvy.

As in past crises, senior government officials recently met with a group of top chaebol executives. The participants included Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors, SK Holdings, LG Corporation, and Lotte Corporation. Although closed-door meetings, they seemed to have centered strongly on persuading the leading employers to maintain employment in the face of coronavirus-related challenges.

The Auto Sector

In a separate round of talks, senior officials from five local automakers and nine auto parts manufacturers met with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

The five domestic automakers, Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea, Ssangyong, and Renault-Samsung account for 150,000 jobs in Korea. Within their supply chain, their roughly 8,850 partner companies employ 240,000 workers.

An upswing in local sales is welcome news considering Hyundai, Kia, and the other automakers have weathered many challenges over the past few months.

According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, the auto industry officials said they need a total of $34 billion to maintain their workforces, operate facilities, and keep up with fixed costs for the next three months. With $10 billion already secured, the local automobile industry asked the government to provide $26 billion in emergency loans to save automakers and associated companies struggling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Automakers also requested tax cuts to overcome the pandemic’s negative impacts on sales and production.

As a condition for the funding, the government pressed the automakers to maintain their employment numbers. To make up for overseas losses and boost domestic sales, the government will also expedite the order of 8,700 EVs and make an advance payment of up to 70 percent.

Strong Local Demand

Still, we are seeing strong demand in Korea’s domestic auto market. As COVID-19 cases have been dropping without mandating drastic measures such as a nationwide stay at home and remote work, Korean customers are again venturing back into auto showrooms.

Hyundai’s domestic sales in March hit their highest level in more than four years, up 80% from February 2020. Much of this was driven by attractive discounts and installment payment plans, as well as a cut in consumption tax. Hyundai also noted robust local pre-orders for new models like the Elantra and Genesis G80.

An upswing in local sales is welcome news considering Hyundai, Kia, and the other automakers have weathered many challenges over the past few months.

In February, Hyundai and Kia had to suspended operations — hamstrung by a lack of Chinese sourced parts with the coronavirus outbreak crippling China’s industrial output. As COVID-19 peaked in Korea some plants also closed briefly as a safety precaution.

More pressing, although local sales are a cushion, little has prepared the automakers for the drop-in demand overseas and the unexpected halt in their global production facilities.

Although domestic production in March was at 95%, with the slump in global sales and demand taking hold, we are beginning to see Korea’s production, too, take drastic moves. For example, Hyundai halted production for 4 days of the sport utility vehicles Palisade, Tucson, Santa Fe, and Genesis GV80.

Sister firm Kia Motors, too, is looking to suspend 4 of their Korean plants with a mix of closures to keep inventory levels manageable and stay flexible to overseas demands.

As an additional countermeasure, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have decided to halt all their domestic factory lines from May 1 for Korea’s Labor Day to May 5 for the nation’s Children’s Day — both public holidays. Korea’s other car brands and related industries are mulling similar moves, too. Some suppliers are now considering extended shutdowns into mid-May.

Preserving the Workforce

Noting the huge task for Korea amid global downturns with much of the country’s employment driven by export-driven sectors such as automotive, how Korea preserves its workforce and jobs will take considerable effort and savvy. It will be a difficult balance between mitigating business losses while holding on to jobs.

For one, as Korean groups have shifted manufacturing overseas, the lesson from COVID-19 is to have a less concentrated supplier and production base which ultimately means spreading things around. This does not, however, help Korean employment.

Next, government funding is but a part of the solution, more so may be an agile and scalable production model — one that can grapple with and carry on through the unforeseen and disruptive times. Again, countermeasures need to be in place as new situations unfold.

With unemployment spiking globally, the lessons learned if Korea as a first mover can successfully maintain their workforce in the wake of the crisis will be of the greatest interest as regions and nations emerge from COVID-19 — many facing the same tough challenges.

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As always here for your comments, thoughts and questions. Open to interviews, webinars and new business opportunities.

Don

South Korea – A Roadmap to COVID-19 Economic Recovery

Covid-19

Global coverage for my article on COVID-19 and South Korea as a First Mover in economic recovery.

COVID-19  economic recovery

https://www.brandinginasia.com/south-korea-a-roadmap-to-covid-19-economic-recovery/

South Korea – A Roadmap to COVID-19 Economic Recovery
For many weathering stay at home and a remote office, how businesses will return to work weighs heavy on the minds of governments, employers, and workers worldwide. It’s a delicate balance between staying safe and an urgent need to re-open commerce.


For an economic recovery, South Korea could be a glimpse into future best practices.


The world has been watching and, in some cases, following as South Korea benefits from its social distancing guidelines, technology-powered testing, tracing and treatment, as well as measures to utilize data in fighting the virus.


How South Korea tackles rebooting their economy will also be closely followed — as Asia’s fourth-largest economy, it is considered a bellwether for world trade.


As a trial, in their recent election, South Koreans turned out in record numbers. The country after much discussion went ahead with elections as its massive and rapid testing and quarantine efforts have slowed the spread of COVID-19.


On one level the strong voter response is a sign of intense public interest in what may be seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in and his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.


Perhaps more insightful, as a first step in COVID-19 recovery, it appears to have pushed more citizens to cast their ballots.


I believe all efforts will now turn to economic recovery.


For me, this was very apparent in recent in Zoom calls and correspondence with Seoul.


In one example following the election, a Korean colleague asked what was needed as the next step into jump-starting our marketing outreach for a stalled product launch. More so, sensing the urgency and some pressure, they shared leadership’s new and rather hefty quarterly goals for the product launch.


In another instance on a call with a team, senior leadership jumped in to get an update on a number of global business outreaches made in the last few weeks — leadership then asked to move forward ASAP with whatever support was needed from their teams and HQ.


Stepping back and pondering some, I feel we all need to have a plan in place — and be positioned to move forward fast.


As business and commerce recover, agreements will probably be revisited, terms subject to renegotiations, and above all expect partner and leadership requests for a detailed localized Recovery Plan!


To this, I’d add that it’s best to include some countermeasures for recovery.
In weeks to come, and as economies emerge from COVID-19, early movers like South Korea may provide much-needed roadmaps for recovery and implementing return to work plans.


That said, we can assume recovery will be gradually phased-in, vary by location, industry sector, and the overall local health status.


It also will require continued social distancing, expanded use of personal protective equipment, and other preventative health measures.
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Cloud demand surges during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cloud

With millions of people sheltering in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the cloud computing market is getting a serious usage boost.

Schools, corporations, and individuals are using cloud-based software to learn, collaborate, and stay connected.

The pandemic is changing the way the world operates, including how we work.

A significant number of companies deemed non-essential have transitioned to remote work environments to remain in operation, using cloud-based software to collaborate and work.

At the same time, a large segment of the population is practicing social distancing and turning to virtual tools to stay connected.

That demand for cloud-based services isn’t going to go away anytime soon, even if cities begin easing social distancing rules in the coming weeks or months.

One attractive alternative to Microsoft 365, is Korea’s Hancom suite of productive software. The company in business since 1990 offers a number of Cloud-based products, including Hancom Space and Hancom DocsConverter.

Hancom offers a number of Cloud-based products, including Hancom Space and Hancom DocsConverter.

Hancom Space provides a full-featured suite of office productivity tools in a modern collaboration space for enhanced team effectiveness.

You can create and share documents conveniently from a desktop, mobile device, or web browser. You can work together on documents stored in the cloud.

You can even combine cloud storage services and manage them from one place.

Hancom DocsConverter is a server solution that enables you to convert MS Office documents into a variety of formats. It provides features such as document preview, content security, search keyword extraction, and more.

DocsConverter integrates with Groupware, EDMS, CMS, email systems, search engines, and more.

The Hancom DocsConvertor business application is available through the AWS Marketplace with a free trial period, too.

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Hancom AI-powered solutions major role in virus fight

Hancom AI-powered solutions

SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) — South Korean IT solution providers are introducing various artificial-intelligence (AI)-based solutions to help the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus, industry insiders said Thursday.

Hancom Group, South Korea’s leading software developer, said it has been offering an AI-powered phone calling system, known as Hancom AI Check25, for free to help local municipalities monitor those in self-quarantine. 

The outbound call system asks people about their health conditions and can quickly analyze data from their answers. Its AI voice assistants can make many phone calls at once, allowing authorities to save time and check quarantined people efficiently. 

The AI call center platform is currently used by cities, like Seoul and Daegu. Hancom said Naver Business Platform Corp., an IT infrastructure management firm, is also supporting systems by proving cloud infrastructure.

In the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak, South Korea’s ICT ministry has since last month been supporting IT firms that develop AI algorithms or solutions for the containment of COVID-19.   For more information, please contact Don Southerton

Source

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200409007500320#none

Working Remote, Coronavirus, Korea Facing

With many now Working Remote Amid Coronavirus and reaching out on Korea facing business, here is the best way for us to connect.  

https://go.oncehub.com/DonSoutherton

If times are a challenge or you have an urgent need to talk regarding Korea, text me and we can connect.

310-866-3777

Don

working remote
Don Southerton

To stay proactive here are some of my thoughts for this week

Like you, I miss meeting in person, travel and much of the daily routine. That said, after more than a decade + of 24/7 working remote, virtual and online support for teams in Korea, North America and worldwide, technology today allows us to stay very well connected.

I do however recognize the uncertainty most are experiencing and have blocked off time in my schedule to not only catch up with teams and leadership but feel free to reach out as a sounding board and for a strategic, culturally savvy perspective

 Here are a few examples… but not limited to these 🙂 

1.     Short term how will Korea HQ’s’ team and leadership respond globally vs, in their own Domestic market?  i.e. Will HQ work to maintain their Korean workforce,  but mandate overseas operations cut employment, budgets, etc. 

 2.     As a caveat, what countermeasures can global subsidiaries recommend to their Korea-based / HQ organization as an alternative to drastic global cuts across the board?  ( I always try to suggest 3 options)   [Same goes for western operations in Korea for a western-based / HQ company who may be pondering cutting backs.]

3.     How can western-based teams and organizations with new and/or ongoing ventures in Korea ensure their Korean partners do not pull back amid the uncertainty?  (This has been common in the past with recessions, the China boycott, etc.)    

4.     Noting Korea’s cross-cultural high-risk avoidance, how do we structure re-assurances?

5.     Noting western cross-cultural frankness, how do we structure constructive Korea facing dialogue and conversations dealing with the Crisis? 

6.  As a partner, service provider, or vendor, how can I mitigate Korea-facing / HQ budget cutbacks in programs and services? 

 As always, all communication is kept private and confidential.

Don

Korea’s Evolving Workplace Culture

This week in Branding in Asia, my article on South Korea’s evolving workplace culture 2020.

Korea's evolving workplace culture
Korea's evolving workplace culture

Questions? Comments?

Don

Year of the White Rat

The Year of the White Rat. South Korea (as well as China and Vietnam) celebrate two New Years’. One on Jan. 1 and the Lunar New Year celebration, which this year falls on Saturday, January 25. 

For your Korean colleagues (living and working in Korea), you can wish them Happy Lunar New Year on Wednesday afternoon by phone, text, or email, which is Thursday AM in Korea and their last workday before the holiday. 

Koreans this year will have a 4-day weekend starting Friday K time.

For expatriate Koreans working outside Korea/ globally, you can wish them a Happy Lunar New Year and Year of the White Rat on the day itself, Saturday, January 25, or at some time prior on Friday.

Here is the formal greeting.

Sae hae bok mani ba deu say yo

year of the white rat

One more thing…
The year of the rat opens up a new 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac. As the first animal to finish the Great Race of the Chinese zodiac legend, the quick-witted rat represents new beginnings and versatility.

According to legend, a Great Race was organized by China’s Jade Emperor to determine the order for the annual calendrical signs. The competition saw the small but clever rat crossing a final river race obstacle by riding on the back of the ox. Then nearing the finish line, the resourceful rat jumping off to cross before the other animals. Thus, being name first among the animals of the 12 Chinese zodiacs.

In Korean folk tales, though the tiniest among the zodiac animals, rats are seen resourceful, nimble, diligent and productive—this translates into 2020 being seen as a year of wealth and abundance.

As always, I appreciate your comments and thoughts, as well as any inquiries to support you and teams by steering through Korea facing business issues with a proven strategy, work throughs, and solutions.

Don Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

https://www.bridgingculture.com

South Korea Hancom IoT Ecosystems

South Korea Hancom
With the 2020 CES Show just weeks away, and the Holidays upon us, I wanted to share more on how South Korea Hancom sees the future of technology.

Pre-show and Show media interviews are welcome, too.

You can reach me at Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com
Don


SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Dec. 20, 2019 /Hancom Group, South Korea’s leading ICT company has announced it will unveil its next-generation Life Blockchain technology at the 2020 CES Show in Las Vegas.

How Hancom sees Blockchain
Within the Group’s “Safe World” vision, affiliate Hancom WITH has built upon its 30 years of core competencies as a trusted and integrated information security provider. Ever evolving and steering the 4th Industrial Revolution IT ecosystems Hancom WITH offers convergence solutions that enhance productivity in both Blockchain and Intelligent City Platforms.

Next generation Blockchain
Hancom provides a robust and trustworthy blockchain service by integrating security technology and blockchain technology. Within our lineup of products is HancomSLedger, a blockchain platform that allows privileged user access, providing electronic contracts, document notarization services, civic applications/certifications and public data access.

HancomSLedger optimized modules support various areas like supply chain, IoT and finance and can be easily configured for new services. As a result, it assures data integrity, transparency and service efficiency.

Next generation Intelligent City Platform
Hancom’s Intelligent City Platform acts as an urban controller tower collecting and analyzing information from transportation, safety, and the environment to help make the most suitable decisions. Hancom simplifies the development process in the complex data processing and monitoring of literally thousands of devices. As Hancom provides a proven seamless rapid development process, Hancom Intelligent City Platform is scalable and customizable to fit each city’s environment.

Intelligent City Platform
Stop by the Hancom 2020 CES booth located at South Hall 2, AI & Robotics, Booth 25628 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Learn more about Hancom WITH at https://www.hsecure.co.kr/index_e.php

Media Contact
Don Southerton
+1-310-866-3777
Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

About The Hancom Group
Founded in 1989, today South Korea Hancom Group is a leader in creating innovative ecosystems that will lead the world through the convergence of technology.

With its reach of 13 affiliate companies covering Hardware, Software, and the Finance industry, the Group’s mission is to create a “Convenient World, Connected World, and Safe & Secure World.”

Convenient World
Hancom Inc. Global smart work solutions from AI to productivity software solutions.
Hancom MDS Intelligent convergence solution leader based on IoT and embedded technology IoT.
Hancom Mobility Sensor-based smart parking sharing solution.
Hancom Robotics Intelligent logistics and service robots.

Connected World
Hancom Interfree Voice recognition and translation that remove language barriers.
Hancom Teladin IoT-based wireless solutions.
Hancom Talkafe Communication solutions.
Accufly.AI AI-based solutions for barrier-free communication with the best technology from Korea & China.

Safe World
Hancom WITH Next-generation smart city platform creating a secure urban ecosystem based on blockchain.
Hancom Lifecare Integrated safety solution ranging from personal safety equipment to social safety.
Hancom GMD Mobile Forensic & AR/VR Solution based on Digital Data Analysis.
Hancom Investment Investing in companies with excellent technology in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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South Korea Hancom Group to exhibit at CES 2020

Who is Hancom? How does Hancom envision Robotics, Smart City and AI Life Blockchain technology?

For Immediate Release

Hancom

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Dec. 13, 2019 /Hancom Group, South Korea’s leading ICT company today announced that it will participate at CES 2020, Jan.7-10, 2020, in Las Vegas. The company will present its visions for making the world better through pioneering future innovation for an ever-evolving tech industry.

Hancom

Rendering of the Hancom Group CES 2020 Exhibit

The new exhibit will be located at South Hall 2, AI & Robotics, Booth 25628 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Who is Hancom?

Hancom like the other highly recognized South Korean market leaders will share with the industry how it uniquely envisions Robotics, Smart City and AI Life Blockchain technology.

How Hancom sees Robotics

Led by Hancom’s Convenient World vision for work and life, Toki is one in a line-up of specialized robots for home and educational use. With customized AI conversations through face and voice recognition tailored to each family member, Toki also has home monitoring and video calling capabilities. Come experience Toki live at the Show.

Toki, Home and Education Robot

How Hancom sees Smart City and Blockchain

Driven by Hancom’s Safe World vision, the innovator has developed an Intelligent City Platform, the next-generation smart city platform creating a secure urban ecosystem by connecting everything to each other utilizing the latest technologies. This connectivity will improve city services and infrastructure, as well as the quality of life for urban dwellers.

The Intelligent City Platform acts as urban control tower integrating AI technology, blockchain and IoT, while utilizing real-time data for easy visualization.

Intelligent City Platform

On Life Blockchain, Hancom’s efforts are game changing and wide ranging. They include a seamless, private blockchain platform to allow privileged user access, providing electronic contracts, document notarization services, civic applications/certifications and public data access.

Life Blockchain

“As South Korea’s leading ICT company, we look forward to sharing at CES how Hancom will contribute to make the world Smarter and Better,”  Dr. Peter Wonsok Yun, President of Global Business, Hancom Group.

Pre-show and Show media interviews are welcome.

About The Hancom Group

Founded in 1989, today Hancom Group is a leader in creating innovative ecosystems that will lead the world through the convergence of technology.

With its reach of 13 affiliate companies covering Hardware, Software, and the Finance industry, the Group’s mission is to create a  “Convenient World, Connected World, and Safe & Secure World.”

Convenient World

Hancom Inc. Global smart work solutions from AI to productivity software solutions.

Hancom MDS Intelligent convergence solution leader based on IoT and embedded technology IoT.

Hancom Mobility Sensor-based smart parking sharing solution.

Hancom Robotics Intelligent logistics and service robots.

Connected World

Hancom Interfree Voice recognition and translation that remove language barriers.

Hancom Teladin IoT-based wireless solutions.

Hancom Talkafe Communication solutions.

Accufly.AI AI-based solutions for barrier-free communication with the best technology from Korea & China.

Safe World

Hancom WITH Next-generation smart city platform creating a secure urban ecosystem based on blockchain.

Hancom Lifecare Integrated safety solution ranging from personal safety equipment to social safety.

Hancom GMD Mobile Forensic & AR/VR Solution based on Digital Data Analysis.

Hancom Investment Investing in companies with excellent technology in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Media Inquiries

Don Southerton 1-310-866-3777 Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

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Habit Burger Grill Sets Sights on Korea

Proud to announce The Habit Burget Grill Looks to South Korea! Interested? Contact me at dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com


The Habit Burger Grill (Nasdaq: HABT) is setting its sights on South Korea as the next international growth target as the burger-centric restaurant concept continues its steady march abroad. To support its expansion plans, The Habit has partnered with the experienced business development consulting firm, Bridging Culture Worldwide to attract multi-unit franchise development companies.

“South Korea, with its savvy consumers, open minded culture and interest in global brands is an ideal marketplace for The Habit Burger Grill’s expansion,” said John Phillips, The Habit Burger Grill’s Chief Global Business Partnership Officer. “The people of South Korea appreciate quality food and enjoy the fast-casual experience. We look forward to working with Bridging Culture Worldwide to find the right franchise partner to ensure our mutual success.”

The Habit Burger Grill’s entry into the South Korea marks the next phase in a larger international expansion plan. Bridging Culture Worldwide will help The Habit lead its expansion into the broader Asia-Pacific region. The consulting, strategic planning and market entry service is excited to join this venture.

“South Korea has embraced premium Western brands and The Habit Burger Grill delivers exactly what consumers are seeking – great food and excellent service. With their distinctive fresh off the grill Charburger and hand-crafted sandwiches, fresh salads and other menu items, we know South Korea will appreciate all that The Habit Burger Grill has to offer,” said Don Southerton, Bridging Culture Worldwide’s Founder and CEO.

Better burgers are just the beginning at The Habit where the menu also includes hand-cut salads, grilled sandwiches including line-caught, sushi grade ahi tuna, fresh chicken, and hand-filleted marinated grilled tri-tip, and sides including onion rings, sweet potato and French fries, and tempura green beans. Guests can choose from a variety of peppers, lemons, limes, and sauces at a complimentary condiment bar to customize the flavor of their meal.

Habit Burger Grill

The Habit Restaurants, Inc.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, The Habit Burger Grill is a burger-centric, fast casual restaurant concept that specializes in preparing fresh, made-to-order chargrilled burgers and handcrafted sandwiches featuring USDA choice tri-tip, grilled chicken and sushi-grade ahi tuna cooked over an open flame. In addition, it features fresh made-to-order salads and an appealing selection of sides, shakes and malts. The Habit was named the “best tasting burger in America” in July 2014 in a comprehensive survey conducted by one of America’s leading consumer magazines. The first Habit opened in Santa Barbara, California in 1969 and was most recently named the winner of USA Today’s 10Best in Regional Fast Food. The Habit has since grown to over 265 restaurants in 12 states throughout Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington as well as six international locations. More information is available at www.habitburger.com.

About Bridging Culture Worldwide
Founded by Don Southerton, Bridging Culture Worldwide provides targeted market entry, strategy, and consulting to Korea-based global businesses as well as support for major western firms entering Korea.

With a life-long interest in Korea and the rich culture of the country, Southerton has researched and authored numerous publications with topics centering on the creative culture lifestyle, the Korean auto industry, new urbanism, entrepreneurialism, and U.S.-Korean business ventures.

Southerton has been a contributor to The Economist, Branding in Asia, Automotive News, the BBC, CNN Fortune, Korea Times, Yonhap, Korea Herald, tbs eFM, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. To learn more, go to www.bridgingculture.com.

Global Collaboration: an cultural approach

Short 2-minute video on Global Collaboration: an early stage cultural savvy approach.  Timely as so many JVs, MOUs and partnerships. 

Questions? Comments? Inquiries?

mailto: dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

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