Boye Lafayette De Mente 
Korean Business Etiquette 
The Cultural Values and Attitudes that Make Up the Korean Business Personality

South Korean companies and technology have suddenly conquered the world. Samsung, Hyundai and LG are industry leaders and the global brands. Korean culture in the form of K-Pop music videos and ‘Korean Wave’ films and TV dramas are watched everywhere from Tel Aviv to Singapore to Rio. Korean gourmet food trucks ply the streets of New York and LA, and kimchi has found a place on the shelves of well-stocked supermarkets around the world.


With just a fraction of Japan’s land area, less than half its population, and no natural resources–how have Korean companies managed to conquer the world in such a short period of time? What is the ‘secret sauce’ of Korean business practices and companies that makes them so successful?


To find out, readers need more than statistics and company profiles. Learning the basics about Korean culture, about Korean social etiquette and Korean business culture, will enable you to understand for the first time how Koreans think and why they work so effectively to achieve their goals. This understanding will enhance your own effectiveness in doing business with Koreans, or in competing with them–whether in Korea or elsewhere.