It is heartwarming to read the feedback from my friend in Seoul, Dr. Sugar Han, an alumna of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Manila that she had shared with her business and social networks of which 218 people in Korea likes my story entitled “South Korea's transformation to 1 of the world's most economically advanced nations is one of the greatest success stories” published by newswav.com on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. I noticed one of the primary keys to doing business successfully in South Korea, and in practicing the process, is having lots of chingu (cheen-guu), which means “friends”.
I remember during our conversations, Dr. Sugar, said “The business environment in South Korea, is a small country with a large population, is intensely competitive, not only among the best professionals, but also in terms of the allocation of space, licenses, and other factors making up a real sophisticated business structure. Since this competitive factor is combined with a very personal approach to business, the whole business environment is susceptible.”
I realized the core pillars of Korean Business Success is relationship building (Jeong & Gwang). A long-term partnerships and trust take precedence over immediate transactions. Networking and social bonding via after-work dinners form the bedrock of corporate ties. Harmony and Face (Inhwa & Kibun) by maintaining emotional balance, group co-existence and organizational loyalty steers the collective decision-making process. “Ppalli-Ppalli” (Hurry-Hurry) culture led a fast-paced drive allows companies to execute projects rapidly, turn around consumer goods like K-beauty items, outpace global competitors.
Dr. Sugar added that “The Korean Wave (Hallyu) is the rapid surge in the global popularity of South Korean culture, driven by K-pop, K-dramas, cinema, fashion & cuisine. Initially spreading through Asia in the late 1990s, it has evolved into a global phenomenon and a massive economic & business engine.”
Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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