South Korea Culture and Business Climate: A Complete Guide

Introduction: Approaching Korean Culture for Foreign Business

The challenge of any cultural history undertaken to determine the foreign business fitness of a location is to ensure that due respect is afforded to the society with regard to issues that might not be seen as directly affecting the bottom line. So much of the time in the business world we are collectively focused on the continued development of the global economy, without regard for the existence of prior national issues. An easily made mistake for a researcher addressing Korea from the United States would be to distill Korean history into a form that only includes the interests of this country after the Korean-American War.

This account will attempt to address those issues by examining Korean culture through its earliest history to its present state, covering modern demographics, religion, education, housing, leisure activities, climate, politics, language, currency, and the recent developments associated with the division between North and South Korea. Both the serious and the socially intriguing will be discussed in a brief overview of the cultural climate of South Korea. Though this work is by no means long enough to encompass the entire rich history of Korea, it is meant to be a starting point for more complete independent exploration — the kind of exploration that would be recommended to any person thinking of expanding their business into South Korea, or simply immigrating there to answer the need of an already active and very prosperous foreign business market.

Of course, some of this information can be gleaned from long and exhaustive research in history books and political commentaries, but with the advent of the Internet, information about Asian culture has become much more available to the non-academic. If a researcher chooses their sources wisely by addressing the organizations that enable this research, a great deal can be easily accessed by simply performing online searches for the parameters of Korean culture one wishes to address, whether those are issues of education, language, or housing. Another useful way to receive real-life information about cultural issues is to find firsthand accounts of life in Korea by signing up for email list-serves on the topic and finding legitimate sources for direct communication with Koreans and expatriates already living in South Korea. This is a great starting point for any information about South Korea that might not directly relate to the business aspects of a planned transition.

Korean history is rich in culture and fable — a history as independently rich as that of any nation. The foundations of culture and government are traced through a series of dynasties, or monarchical families. Each dynasty is associated with a time of change. The focus of each individual dynasty might run the gamut of all cultural and political development; some dynasties were known for their great contributions to literature, art, and science, while others were associated with more political concerns. The stories and rich imagery of Korean cultural history are often rejected by rationalists and dismissed as fable, yet the need for understanding is evident regardless of one's perspective. Korean cultural history is ancient and rich, and just as with any ancient history, the difficulty of proof or disproof through archaeology or other means is present. Regardless of the secular focus of today's world economy, valid engagement with Korean culture requires not only knowledge but also respect for a strong cultural character.

The real and spiritual connection that the Korean people feel to their long and rich history is a source of great pride. According to the Korean History Project:

"The rational, logical mind quickly dismisses such legends as meaningless mythology, an indication of Korean totem worship. Much of what Westerners find so irrational and inconsistent with legends such as this represents the whole foundation of the Korean culture and it is the key to understanding their history. The ancient people of Choson did not question the significance of the legend's underlying truth that a deity had desired to become human of his own volition. Unlike Westerners, Koreans never considered the earth as a place of exile for the gods, or a place where sinners were sent to do penance. They believed their land and their nation comprised a wonderful dream, a dream so good that even the deities and animals wanted to live there. Koreans felt gratified to have chosen so beautiful a place for their home." (Korean History Project, 2000)

Ancient Korean History and the Choson Dynasty

One of the oldest and most fundamental stories of the origin of Korea is associated with the foundation of the first Korean dynasty. The intervention of a god whose son coveted a place on earth where he could live in peace as a human founded the Choson state, literally translated as "Land of Morning Calm." Choson was said to be founded in 2333 BC. The prince came down from heaven and made his home near a sandalwood tree. Hearing of this, two previous inhabitants of the earth — a Bear and a Tiger — went to the godly prince and asked him to make them human as well. He gave them a challenge. The Tiger failed the challenge; the Bear met it and was transformed into a beautiful woman, who became the wife of the prince. From this union sprang the first king of the Choson Dynasty, Tan-gun, the Sandalwood King. From this legend also springs the legacy of the tiger. In the last year of Tan'gun's reign, he bestowed a gift on the old tiger who had failed his earlier test: the tiger became human, but only for short periods of time. In this role he would know what it was to be human — both the good and the bad — and he would become the guardian and historian of the Korean people as they became their own separate sovereign nation. (Korean History Project, 2000)

"He is the Tiger of Shinshi, the Warden of Three Thousand Li, Defender of Choson, and Guardian of the Golden Thread. He is the strength and cunning the Korean people have used to defend their homeland. He protects and keeps alive the long and ancient history of Korea and his teachings pass this legacy to each new generation. He is the comforter who brings peace to the spirits of Korea's ancestors and who safeguards and protects the Golden Thread, that which ties and binds the Korean people together throughout time, a thread that must never be broken." (Korean History Project, 2000)

Though to an outsider these stories may sound like little more than colorful folklore, the real history of the Korean people is deeply rooted in the stories of its first dynasty and in the ideals of its early ancestry.

"Despite incomplete evidence to support it, many archaeologists and historians accept the Tan'gun legend's founding date of 2333 BC as correct. Even ancient Chinese records written twenty or thirty centuries before Christ mention the name of Choson. Whether legend or fact, somewhere, sometime, the power and personality of a man called Tan'gun made a deep and lasting impression on the Korean people." (Korean History Project, 2000)

Though there are several other dynastic legends that can be addressed through early Korean history, the Tan'gun legend and the history of the Choson Dynasty are a wonderful expression of the essence of ancient Korea. During the Choson Dynasty much of the culture was developed as the formal Buddhist codes, mores, and etiquette were replaced by Confucian ideals. The focus on Confucian beliefs was extended to state policy and academic institutions.

Throughout the history of Korea, there can be found a near-constant conflict between the ideals of Confucianism and the reality of landed economic interests — a tension visible even in modern times.

"Confucian dogma promoted career advancement according to a fairly administered examination system that demonstrated a candidate's ability in the art of governance. It also promoted the ideals of simplicity and frugality and condemned materialism. This inherent contradiction between Confucian doctrine and the power and privilege of the aristocracy existed regardless of who held power in government. Government agencies, staffed largely with younger, less privileged men deeply committed to Confucian ideology, constantly challenged the old guard's enjoyment of high station. The views of the highly reform-minded literati had an idealistic and moral thrust that differed from that of the scholar-bureaucrats in Seoul." (Korean History Project, 2000)

In the time of the fourth ruler of the Choson Dynasty, King Sejong (1418–1450), the ideals of science and literature were developed further as the class-wide Korean alphabet, Han-gul — a highly scientific yet simple and effective writing system — came into use throughout Korean society and had an equalizing effect on class structure. These changes and others mark a "golden age" in Korean history, focusing on the ideals of a more progressive government, economy, and culture. The ascension of Sejong to the throne in 1418 led to a series of technological and cultural changes that would establish a historical model and standard for scientific and social progress.

Confucianism, the Golden Age, and Korean Isolationism

The Confucian expression "agriculture is the basis of government" was a practical fact of life in Choson, and King Sejong and his scholars paid particular attention to agricultural research. The government took an active role in improving the lot of Choson's farmers by investing in new and better agricultural technology. It sponsored research that led to the development of new seed strains better adapted to Korea's climate. Acknowledging the differences between Korean and Chinese soils and climate, scholars compiled a manual in 1430 on agricultural techniques called Straight Talk on Farming, a custom-designed manual that addressed the specific needs of Choson agriculture. (Korean History Project, 2000)

Though far from complete, the ancient history of Korea has been increasingly well-documented, and the reality of a challenged nation — through the encroachment of European imperialist Portugal and later other nations, and through the flagging power and alliances of other Asian nations — reveals that Korea and its people have withstood a great deal.

Another aspect of Korean history worth noting is their historical isolationism. Throughout their history, Koreans showed no interest in becoming a colonial power. They determined to stay within their own means and borders and were sometimes seen as a people eternally and benevolently bound to their beautiful homeland.

"Once known as the 'Eastern Land of Courtesy,' Korea seldom cultivated overseas interests, never invaded its neighbors, nor sought development outside given boundaries. The Korean's excessive adulation of their homeland and their aversion to coveting the territories of others eventually invited foreign invasion, subjugation, and a long period of colonial suffering. Koreans have preserved the Tan'gun legend and its psychological foundation through the centuries as a source of spiritual comfort in times of crisis." (Korean History Project, 2000)

Korea's isolationism left it fertile ground for the 19th-century colonial movement. Korea used many means to insulate itself from the encroachment of western thought on its culture, business, and economy, and maintained its ancient tie with China, which was itself busy fighting its own battle against westernization.

"Japan had learned to master the new tools of power by the second half of the nineteenth century and gradually assumed a new role in relations with its neighbors, that of an aggressive Eastern state. Until its eventual downfall in 1945, Japan acted toward East Asia in much the same way Western powers had acted toward Japan and other East Asian nations." (Korean History Project, 2000)

After countless years of resistance, Korea became one of the first regional acquisitions of modern imperialist Japan, owing to Japan's ability to navigate the diplomacy of a more globally connected world. Both Britain and the United States allied with Japan, believing that Eastern imperialism needed to be balanced in much the same way they believed this of western-style imperialism.