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.”
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
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
Building teamwork and cross-cultural understanding is paramount to success. Misunderstandings and stress created by the differences in culture impact productivity and smooth business operations. Cross-cultural education is recognized as the chief solution to cultural challenges in the workplace.
Bridging Culture Worldwide (BCW) provides a wide range of Korea-focused training, coaching, and consulting services beginning with Korea 101.
What is Korea 101? Korea 101 is a timely overview approach to Korean culture, modern history, norms and business culture. The goal of the program is to foster a better understanding of Korea and its business culture.
What are topics covered? Business and social etiquette History and economy of Korea Culture (music, art and cuisine) U.S./Korean relations including North Korea The Korean workplace, management structure, and decision-making Popular culture New trends Cross-cultural insights
Tell me more For the first time we are offering Korea 101 in an on-demand online learning format. The intent of each of the five lesson sessions is to build upon the current experiences, while providing new knowledge and insights.
Korea 101 has been offered in corporate Live and Webinar sessions both in the United States and internationally for more than a decade. Thousands of participants have benefited from training and the insights it shares.
The program is conducted by noted author, strategist and lecturer, Don Southerton CEO and President of Bridging Culture Worldwide. Don works closely with many of Korea’s top Groups such as Hyundai Motor and is an experienced specialist in bridging cultures between Korean and non-Koreans. His firm, Bridging Culture Worldwide, is a Golden, Colorado, Irvine, California, and Seoul, South Korea, which offers programs and consulting to help management and employees appreciate and understand Korean culture and business relations.
Noted Korea expert Don Southerton
Don has authored numerous publications with topics centering on culture, new urbanism, entrepreneurialism and early U.S.-Korean business ventures. Southerton also extensively lectures and writes and comments on modern Korean business culture and its impact on global organizations. He is a frequent contributor to the media (WSJ, Forbes, CNN Fortune, Bloomberg, Automotive News, Korea Times, Korea Herald, Yonhap, Korea Magazine, eFM tbs Koreascape and FSR) on Korea facing business and culture.
Outcomes include: A strong understanding of Korean cross-cultural differences and their relevance to Korean workplace culture. Reduce tensions and frustrations rooted in cross-cultural issues. Better morale and team spirit. Support for interacting with Korean teams assigned to local operations.
The Cost for the 5 web-based on-demand learning sessions in $495.00.
The Korea Society looks at Songdo and their collaboration with Cisco in the informative and insightful presentation. I am a long time supporter of Songdo IBD and Gale International, the master developer.
Cisco has partnered with Sondgo, a city of the future on the west coast of South Korea. Together they share a vision for smart communities. This video series highlights that vision.
By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
Songdo IBD’s master plan recognized that world class education was vital. In turn, International School Songdo (ISS) was built to set a new standard for education–embracing true 21st century pedagogy and Classroom 2.0 mindset. Today that vision is reality, the school and its staff sharing this vision with educators globally. In fact, the school is in the fore front of virtual/ web based learning–strongly supported by Cisco and Cisco Webex technology.
This new video, hosted by ISS headmaster Dr. Jorge Nelson, shares ISS’s vision.
The long awaited opening of the Incheon Bridge will have tremendous impact on Songdo IBD and the region. The soft opening is this week. (Last weekend the Bridge hosted a marathon for 30,000 runners).
ChosonIlbo notes, Incheon Bridge to Open Friday The Incheon Bridge is to be officially opened on Friday[October 16], four years and four months after construction began.
The bridge connects the Songdo International Business District in the Incheon Free Economic Zone and Yeongjongdo, where Incheon International Airport is located.
To celebrate the opening of the bridge, Incheon city and the Chosun Ilbo co-host a walking tour on Saturday. Vehicles are allowed from Monday.
The bridge at 21.38 km is the country’s longest and the world’s seventh longest. Among cable-stayed bridges, it is the world’s fifth longest bridge.
By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
Songdo IBD continues to draw much attention. Its Green and eco-friendly technology interests many. For example this Joongang Ilbo article shares some of the city’s eco-friendly features.
The article notes among other cutting edge technologies the city’s automatic garbage gathering system.
Songdo International Business Complex has been chosen for the LEED-ND pilot project, an environmental grading system for buildings run by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the highest environmental certification available for a building, and the entire city of 5.72 million square meters has been selected, reflecting its eco-friendly construction. Songdo is the largest single LEED-ND pilot project outside North America.
To receive the LEED-ND certificate, which no city has ever received before, Songdo International City will compete with other cities.
When graded according to the LEED system, Songdo International City hopes to rank at silver. For individual buildings in Songdo, the Northeast Asia Trade Tower, a landmark of the city, is also aiming for silver. If it succeeds in that goal, it will be the first and only building to do so in Korea.
The U-Life Complex building, which will serve as the Asian headquarters of Gale International Korea, is aiming for the highest level: platinum.
Meanwhile, Korea’s first eco friendly seawater “road” connecting the center of a city directly to the sea, is now under construction. The canal, to be built through Songdo’s 400,000-square-meter Central Park, will pump seawater into the city, a first for Korea.
The seawater will fill a 4.8-kilometer canal starting at the western water treatment plant in the business complex. Filling it up with seawater instead of fresh water minimizes the environmental disturbance due to the ultimate discharge into the Yellow Sea, while a double filtration system eliminates the need for chemical purifiers.
Automatic garbage collection will make use of underground conveyers inside pipelines, with automatic sorting, compression and dehydration – no garbage trucks required. If people follow the guidelines to dispose of their trash, the entire system can run cleanly and efficiently, contributing to a more pleasant city life.
The pipeline network will cost 390 billion won to build and will be finished by 2020, when it will be the largest of its kind in Korea.
The new book Chemulpo to Songdo IBD will soon be released. Details will be posted in the near future. In the meantime, plans are underway for media events in the US and Korea.
South Korea’s Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Newsletter
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
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Questions? Please ask…. dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com
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