CES 2026 drew 148,000 attendees, including nearly 7,000 members of the media, making it the largest CES since the pandemic. Among the 4,100 exhibitors was the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ), which used the global stage to announce Incheon’s evolution from “Smart City” to “AI City.”
For over 20 years, Incheon has been at the forefront of Korea’s transformation and innovation and is now becoming an “AI City” that integrates AI technologies across the entire urban landscape.
As Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok stated, “CES 2026 is an important stage for presenting Incheon’s vision for its next growth leap—one that has led Korea’s transformation and innovation for over the past two decades—into an AI City. We will continue to do our utmost so that Incheon can establish itself as a leading global AI city.”
Beyond Smart Cities: The AI City Evolution
In my 2024 article “Smart Cities: A Tale of Innovation and Collaboration in South Korea,” I examined Songdo’s development within IFEZ, a community of 167,000 residents featuring underground waste tubes, traffic sensor networks, and integrated platforms that create a “15-minute city.”
Two years later, the strategic landscape has shifted. The concept of a “Smart City” has become commoditized. IFEZ’s pivot to an “AI City” signals that the next phase isn’t just about connected infrastructure but about artificial intelligence fundamentally reshaping how cities function.
Where Songdo laid the Smart City foundation with IoT sensors, the AI City vision layers sophisticated AI across those systems, moving from reactive data collection to predictive urban management.
Incheon has been central to Korea’s economic transformation—the international airport has reshaped global connectivity, and the free economic zone has drawn significant international investment.
The transformation from Smart City to AI City isn’t just about deploying technology; it’s about evolving the narrative. Cities that successfully attract international investment don’t just build infrastructure; they craft compelling stories about why global companies should be part of their future.
How 50 Years of Martial Arts Shaped a Global Business Career—Another Side of Don Southerton: Master Instructor
My public image is that of a passionate Korea-facing global business consultant, coach, trainer, strategist, social commentator, and author.
Throughout my career, I have been frequently called upon by major media outlets to provide expert commentary on Korean business culture and its impact on global organizations.
I have contributed insights to The Economist, BBC World Service, CNN, Bloomberg TV, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Automotive News, The New York Times, CNBC, and NIKKEI Asia. I’m a frequent guest columnist for Branding in Asia.
Additionally, I maintain a robust digital presence on Medium, LinkedIn, a YouTube channel, and over a thousand blog posts on Korean business topics across various platforms, serving more than 10,000 professionals worldwide who work with Korean organizations.
Beyond my consulting and media work, I have also been an avid student and instructor of traditional Korean martial arts for 50 years. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, I trained extensively in Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do (now Soo Bahk Do) under the Korean system’s Founder and his son, the current Grand Master.
A highlight of these years included serving as Chief Instructor/Coach for the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I led both the cadet martial arts program and competition team.
Before shifting my focus to academia, writing, and global consultancy work, my martial arts schools were nationally recognized leaders in the industry and among the largest in America.
In 1987, I was promoted to master instructor in Tang Soo Do, and in 2013, I was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame, an honor that recognized my decades of dedication to traditional Korean martial arts and my contributions to bridging Eastern and Western cultures through martial arts education.
While no longer an active instructor or school owner, other than occasional visits to my close friend’s local school and their events, I have nevertheless continued as a practitioner.
Over the past 12 years, I have added some complex Chinese forms to my repertoire of over 35 hyung, the traditional sets of combative movements martial artists practice to hone their bodies and minds.
I have always seen martial arts as not only a way of staying in shape through a wide range of stretching, kicking, and hand movements, but also as a demanding mental discipline. I attribute much of my success in business to the discipline, self-control, patience, and focus sharpened over a lifetime in the martial arts, not to mention the cultural dimension inherent in a traditional Korean art.
My deep understanding of Korean culture and traditions, cultivated through decades of martial arts practice, naturally informed my professional path and ultimately led to the founding of Bridging Culture Worldwide in 2003.
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I am quoted and contributed to the article …. Don Southerton
KIM JAEWON and PAK YIU
September 11, 2025 12:16 JST
Updated on September 11, 2025 14:47 JST
SEOUL/NEW YORK — Moon Young-ju could not contain his anger when he heard the news that over 300 South Koreans had been detained after U.S. immigration authorities last week raided a joint Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery factory under construction in the state of Georgia.
The 54-year-old former merchant protested in front of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul on Wednesday with a yellow banner reading: “Yankees go home. Get out america army.”
“I came here because I was so upset,” Moon said after lighting a cigarette. “We invested as they demanded. We built factories as they demanded. It’s our blood, sweat and tears.”
Moon is not alone. South Korea’s government faces widespread public outcry and calls to stand up to the U.S. over the treatment of its arrested citizens, some of whom were seen in footage being led away restrained by body chains, although the two sides have since agreed to send the detained workers home this week on a charter flight.
The raid came as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes ahead with a crackdown on illegal immigration even as he demands that countries like South Korea make massive investments to build state-of-the art production facilities in America — part of his policy of “reshoring” manufacturing and reducing trade deficits.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said at a news conference on Thursday that the raid would likely make some companies from his country “hesitant” to carry out more large investments in the U.S. “Companies are quite taken aback. The fact is that they sent these workers to the U.S. not for the long term, but to set up machinery in a factory because there aren’t enough workers in the U.S. who know how to do that,” he said.
The raid and the accompanying national indignation have pushed Seoul to demand that Washington loosen visa rules for workers from abroad amid confusion about the status of the detained.
Lee expressed hope that authorities in the two nations could negotiate changes to visa regulations that would make it easier for South Korean firms to send workers to the U.S. for limited periods.
The government dispatched Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to Washington. The ministry said that he had a meeting with U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Wednesday, asking the secretary of state to set up a new visa category for South Korean workers.
He also told Rubio that South Koreans were “hurt and shocked” by the arrests of their compatriots, who came to the U.S. to contribute to the revival of the country’s manufacturing industry.
After arriving on Tuesday, he hosted a meeting with executives from eight South Korean companies operating businesses in the U.S., including LG and Hyundai Motor.
Company executives asked the minister to bring up with the U.S. the potential launch of a separate visa under the E-4 category — which currently covers certain classes of special immigrants — for South Korean professionals, as well as increasing approvals of E-2 visas — which cover professionals with advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability — for South Korean companies investing in America. They also asked the U.S. government to clarify guidelines for B-1 visas, a short-term business visa that employees of South Korean companies get when they make work trips to the country. Many of the detained South Korean workers held such a visa.
Cho told the businesspeople that their concerns had already been conveyed to Washington and pledged to continue making efforts to ensure the smooth operation of South Korean companies investing in the U.S.
Moon Young-ju stands next to his protest banner near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Sept. 10. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
South Korean companies complain that there is only a limited quota of B-1 visas, meaning they cannot get them when they need them.
“Sometimes we need to send our employees immediately,” said an industry source familiar with the issue, who also requested anonymity. “It’s not easy to set up a plan a year in advance. Many Korean companies raised this issue before. I’m very sorry that [the raid] happened before the problem was resolved.”
The incident has rattled Asian investors who have set up factories in the U.S. and highlights some of the labor difficulties foreign companies face. Companies are now wondering how they can set up and build manufacturing in the U.S. if they don’t have support from the authorities, said Don Southerton, a business consultant who works with South Korean companies such as Hyundai.
He anticipates some projects will slow down, and this will send ripples through America’s battery market. Southerton says the incident underscores the urgency of visa revisions that would allow expat engineers to work more effectively and streamline projects that will foster American manufacturing. Currently, he said, the visa system “allows them to teach how to use a screwdriver but doesn’t actually allow them to use a screwdriver. How can you show them how it’s done without actually demonstrating?”
On Monday, South Korea’s foreign minister said that resolving the visa issue is a precondition for the country to deliver the$150 billion in investments promised during a summit between the two allies last month.
“At the previous summit, there was a request for … [South] Korea’s large-scale investment, and we also responded to it. To achieve it, I would stress to the U.S. side that this visa issue is a precondition,” Cho told lawmakers before his trip to the U.S. capital.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said foreign companies were encouraged to legally bring “your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products.” He added, “We will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.”
Analysts said that South Korea needs to use its investment package as leverage to pressure the Trump administration into reaching an agreement on the issue.
“Because there are already pledges of large-scale investment, it should be possible to solve the visa quota issue within that framework,” said Jung Jae-hwan, a professor of international politics and economy at Inha University in Incheon.
“Of course the U.S. could impose new conditions, such as a certain portion of local hires, but at least they should be able to mitigate the recurrence of this kind of detention case.”
GOLDEN, CO, September 06, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — Business strategist and Korea expert Don Southerton is thrilled to announce his latest book, Korean Business: Challenges and Solutions– 25 Workplace Hints for 2025. This essential guide provides 25 practical and actionable tips for professionals navigating the ever-evolving landscape of Korean business culture.
With over twenty years of consulting experience with leading Korean and international brands, Southerton provides a wealth of insights tailored to the challenges of 2025. The book covers key topics, from succeeding in Korea-facing roles to building stronger cross-cultural partnerships with Korean teams and leaders. Each tip is refined, tested, and designed to empower executives, managers, and professionals in today’s rapidly changing global market.
Korea’s influence continues to grow worldwide, and success in this area requires cultural fluency and strategic know-how, says Southerton. “This book is a clear, practical roadmap for building effective, lasting relationships in Korean business environments.” Whether you’re leading a Korea-focused company, collaborating with Korean partners, or entering the Korean market, Korean Business: Challenges and Solutions is your essential guide for success.
Don Southerton has spent his career assisting companies and leaders worldwide in working effectively with Korean businesses. Over the years, he has supported major Korean conglomerates, global brands, and government agencies, earning a reputation as the “go-to” expert on Korean business matters. Known for his practical insights and cross-cultural expertise, Don is passionate about building strong partnerships, solving complex challenges, and sharing what he’s learned to help others succeed.
It’s now a single resource packed with links for insights, strategies, and practical support in Korea-facing global business. Hundreds of YouTube’s, thousands of Blog posts, and a sample 6-week cross-cultural program PPT.
Open to new opportunities, too. Text/ call 310–866-3777 Don Southerton
Over the past week, I have been contributing content for this New York Times human interest story, How North Korea Promotes Kim’s ‘Dear Daughter’ as a Worthy Heir. My quote, “The child who first appeared as a family curiosity is now a polished, rehearsed figure woven into North Korea’s ongoing story of dynastic power,” said Donald Southerton, the author of “Korea 101.” “Each photo, parade walk, and salute I see as a carefully staged story of succession, legitimacy, and continuity for the Kim dynasty.”
After more than twenty years working directly with executives and teams, I have developed workarounds and tactics for challenging Korea-facing business issues.
A client recently shared the content and deep understanding I had shared on Korea, specifically on working with Hyundai.
The term “Hyundai Whisperer” has been used to describe my consultancy both for working with teams and in the media.
This continues, and more recently, in my work and interviews with Korea Times, CNBC, and Branding in Asia, where I have focused on the “big picture” of transforming the Hyundai Motor Group from a fast follower to a game changer.
I see my role as supporting those new to Hyundai and those engaged but with little insight into “working with culture,” its processes, expectations, and ever-changing norms.
I will continue to provide “knowledge of the tribe, ”insights, and client support worthy of the title — the “Hyundai Whisperer.”
Would you be interested in learning more? Let’s chat.
It is no small effort to stay current on key issues with the many moving parts within a Korean Group and with Korea in general.
Knowing there are gaps in communications, I do my best to keep teams and leadership updated. I’d like to share some thoughts ….
From time to time, there are concerns in the overseas workplace over communications.
This can range from a perception of disconnect and being the last to know as global announcements are made or finding out important news second-hand.
This information gap can include working teams but is also felt by local leadership.
Team members may even feel that information was being deliberately withheld.
While there may be some truth in the disconnection, the feeling that Koreans are withholding information deliberately is most often not reality. What may be a surprise for Western overseas teams is that Korean staff in their home offices must make quite an effort to stay informed.
As one entry-level employee of a major Korean group lamented,
“If I did not spend an hour daily networking with fellow workers, I would be in the dark on issues major and minor that could have a significant impact on my work assignment and projects.”
For my work with Korea-based companies, nightly chats, frequent emails, and Kakao texts are required, or I too, would be “in the dark.” Still, I often find breaking news issues when checking my Kakao or running an early AM Google search. It is common when I ask a Korean colleague and even leadership on the news, their response is one of surprise—not in me asking, but this may be the first they had heard about, too.
This implies that silos within the company limit the sharing of information. More so, those not well connected are out of the loop or rarely given an advance heads up.
I find it interesting that colleagues within a company often remark and see me as well-connected—a very positive trait. As a caveat, teams try to keep their trusted friends, colleagues, and management well informed—even on sensitive and confidential issues. Savvy management continually seeks news on issues, projects, and forthcoming announcements from their colleagues and networks. This is not only to stay informed but to avoid being caught off guard or blindsided.
This network can play a critical role in one’s career and advancement. That said, for most Koreans facing international operations, the communication channel—informal and formal—between the Korean HQ and local subsidiaries is through expatriates.(The same goes for Western companies located in Korea, as Westerners there serve as expats.)
Roles vary within each company, but most frequently with Korean global business an expat’s primary role is to be the liaison between Korea and the local subsidiary.
Frankly, some expats are more open to sharing information than others.
Regardless, I feel this is less a deliberate withholding of news than a “filtering”—that is, a review of communications from the mother company and then a doling out of appropriate information. Filtering becomes an issue when information is withheld until the last moment, whether for clarity, to avoid confrontation, or to decide to best address a delicate situation.
Delaying communication often forces local operations to drop everything and deal with an issue that would have been less demanding and disruptive for the teams if conveyed promptly. In other situations, I found that information is often held back until a 100% certainty is reached on an outcome or upcoming event.
What appears to be silence on important news is often an attempt based on their years of experience working with the mother company to spare local teams from concerns that could and probably would change over time.
So instead of constantly having to return to the local team with a shift in plans, an expat may stay quiet until the last moment and have a firm confirmation.
This can mean little advance notification, as it is common for announcements first to need legal, PR, and then leadership’s “final” approval.
Workarounds
There are workarounds, and one needs to recognize that much is strongly rooted in a company’s culture. Culture matters.
For starters, my best practices include: 1) Building a strong professional network—including colleagues local and overseas. Have set times to chat even nightly with Korea… I suggest by Kakao.
2) Maintain a reputation as one who can share and be shared information—with a high degree of trust and confidentiality when appropriate
All said, outside issues deemed as private, sensitive, and confidential, few will dispute the need for strong internal communications and updates—shared across the organization. Here as always.
If you have a question or inquiry on this topic or another, let’s set a time to chat.
I’m also available by Kakao at 310-866-3777 and Don Southerton, so join me…
(Kakaotalk is free, and best to download the app on your phone and access it).
South Korea seeks US visa rule changes after mass arrests spark outrage
I am quoted and contributed to the article …. Don Southerton
KIM JAEWON and PAK YIU
September 11, 2025 12:16 JST
Updated on September 11, 2025 14:47 JST
SEOUL/NEW YORK — Moon Young-ju could not contain his anger when he heard the news that over 300 South Koreans had been detained after U.S. immigration authorities last week raided a joint Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery factory under construction in the state of Georgia.
The 54-year-old former merchant protested in front of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul on Wednesday with a yellow banner reading: “Yankees go home. Get out america army.”
“I came here because I was so upset,” Moon said after lighting a cigarette. “We invested as they demanded. We built factories as they demanded. It’s our blood, sweat and tears.”
Moon is not alone. South Korea’s government faces widespread public outcry and calls to stand up to the U.S. over the treatment of its arrested citizens, some of whom were seen in footage being led away restrained by body chains, although the two sides have since agreed to send the detained workers home this week on a charter flight.
The raid came as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes ahead with a crackdown on illegal immigration even as he demands that countries like South Korea make massive investments to build state-of-the art production facilities in America — part of his policy of “reshoring” manufacturing and reducing trade deficits.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said at a news conference on Thursday that the raid would likely make some companies from his country “hesitant” to carry out more large investments in the U.S. “Companies are quite taken aback. The fact is that they sent these workers to the U.S. not for the long term, but to set up machinery in a factory because there aren’t enough workers in the U.S. who know how to do that,” he said.
The raid and the accompanying national indignation have pushed Seoul to demand that Washington loosen visa rules for workers from abroad amid confusion about the status of the detained.
Lee expressed hope that authorities in the two nations could negotiate changes to visa regulations that would make it easier for South Korean firms to send workers to the U.S. for limited periods.
The government dispatched Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to Washington. The ministry said that he had a meeting with U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Wednesday, asking the secretary of state to set up a new visa category for South Korean workers.
He also told Rubio that South Koreans were “hurt and shocked” by the arrests of their compatriots, who came to the U.S. to contribute to the revival of the country’s manufacturing industry.
After arriving on Tuesday, he hosted a meeting with executives from eight South Korean companies operating businesses in the U.S., including LG and Hyundai Motor.
Company executives asked the minister to bring up with the U.S. the potential launch of a separate visa under the E-4 category — which currently covers certain classes of special immigrants — for South Korean professionals, as well as increasing approvals of E-2 visas — which cover professionals with advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability — for South Korean companies investing in America. They also asked the U.S. government to clarify guidelines for B-1 visas, a short-term business visa that employees of South Korean companies get when they make work trips to the country. Many of the detained South Korean workers held such a visa.
Cho told the businesspeople that their concerns had already been conveyed to Washington and pledged to continue making efforts to ensure the smooth operation of South Korean companies investing in the U.S.
Moon Young-ju stands next to his protest banner near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Sept. 10. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
South Korean companies complain that there is only a limited quota of B-1 visas, meaning they cannot get them when they need them.
“Sometimes we need to send our employees immediately,” said an industry source familiar with the issue, who also requested anonymity. “It’s not easy to set up a plan a year in advance. Many Korean companies raised this issue before. I’m very sorry that [the raid] happened before the problem was resolved.”
The incident has rattled Asian investors who have set up factories in the U.S. and highlights some of the labor difficulties foreign companies face. Companies are now wondering how they can set up and build manufacturing in the U.S. if they don’t have support from the authorities, said Don Southerton, a business consultant who works with South Korean companies such as Hyundai.
He anticipates some projects will slow down, and this will send ripples through America’s battery market. Southerton says the incident underscores the urgency of visa revisions that would allow expat engineers to work more effectively and streamline projects that will foster American manufacturing. Currently, he said, the visa system “allows them to teach how to use a screwdriver but doesn’t actually allow them to use a screwdriver. How can you show them how it’s done without actually demonstrating?”
On Monday, South Korea’s foreign minister said that resolving the visa issue is a precondition for the country to deliver the$150 billion in investments promised during a summit between the two allies last month.
“At the previous summit, there was a request for … [South] Korea’s large-scale investment, and we also responded to it. To achieve it, I would stress to the U.S. side that this visa issue is a precondition,” Cho told lawmakers before his trip to the U.S. capital.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said foreign companies were encouraged to legally bring “your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products.” He added, “We will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.”
Analysts said that South Korea needs to use its investment package as leverage to pressure the Trump administration into reaching an agreement on the issue.
“Because there are already pledges of large-scale investment, it should be possible to solve the visa quota issue within that framework,” said Jung Jae-hwan, a professor of international politics and economy at Inha University in Incheon.
“Of course the U.S. could impose new conditions, such as a certain portion of local hires, but at least they should be able to mitigate the recurrence of this kind of detention case.”
Additional reporting by Steven Borowiec.
South Korea seeks US visa rule changes after mass arrests spark outrage