Archive for Don Southerton

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.

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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

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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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Hammer Ready

As a trusted friend constantly reminds me, “Don, no one does what you do.”

Hammer ready

I strive to ensure success and sustainability in dealing with Korea-facing business partnerships through well-communicated expectations and cross-cultural understanding.

It also requires a unique skill set—groomed over decades working with an ever-changing Korea.

I like the story that shortly after an engineer retires, a machine at his former factory stops working. They try everything they can do to fix it, to no avail. Finally, the boss calls up the engineer and asks him to come in and fix it.

The engineer agrees to do so as a paid consultant. He comes in, walks around the machine, looks at a few things, takes out a hammer, and whacks the machine. It whirrs into life.

The engineer presents his former boss with a bill for $5,000. The boss says, “This is ridiculous! What did you even do? I need an itemized bill.”

The engineer provides a new invoice that states:

· Hitting machine with a hammer: $5.00

· Knowing where to hit the machine: $4,995

My work is knowing when and where to use the ‘hammer’, catching issues early and then as needed providing work-throughs as projects can so easily get sidetracked. In fact, many assume when initial talks and progress seem smooth things will continue to move forward—which is rarely the case.

It’s one thing, too, for those well experienced in global business who are now engaged in Korea projects to expect past experience in the West will be enough to work through what can be escalating challenges—but in fact what many will find out is that they are poorly suited to adapting and being flexible (a very Korea business approach and norm). At the very least, working through issues can become a very lengthy learning process. Both ways it time-consuming and costly.

My long-time approach when providing work throughs is to step back and look for underlying concerns and nuances that are easily missed. Then knowing the Korean processes and mindset work for a resolution. Again, this is more art than science.

To summarize, impasses are common in all business—but what may work in the West to overcome issues will take a different approach in Korea.

The best model is to constantly be aware and sensitive to what may be unfolding. Use less direct and non-confrontational ways to gain deeper insights into any challenges and be open to alternative approaches at work-throughs.

As always, I look forward to discussing any challenges as well as any questions you may have.

I’ll have my hammer ready, too.

Don