On Monday we travelled to Ulsan, which is kinda like the Cleveland of Korea. There’s not that much in Ulsan except industry, and our primary purpose in visiting was seeing the two companies we visited in the morning.
The first company was Jinsan Marine Management, which is a shipping company delivering spare boat parts around the world. It wasn’t the most exciting company (honestly, shipping isn’t the most exciting industry), but it did give some interesting insight into traditional Korean values in the workplace. The founder of the company was very focused on the idea of reputation and diligent work. He described how he worked 6 days a week, only taking two holidays a year, for the first few years of the company. The way he talked about the company’s focus was very aligned with the values of Korean culture that have been described to us.
The second company was Hyundai Heavy Industries, which builds massive cargo ships. After a quick overview of the history of Hyundai (another huge Korean family owned conglomerate), we went to the shipyard. The yard was incredibly impressive, it was manufacturing on the biggest scale I’ve ever seen. The ships are made in the dry docks, where massive sheets of steel are welded together, sealed, and coated with paint. Once the ship is assembled, the gates to the dry dock are opened, and water floods in so the ship can be sailed out into the harbor. I was incredibly impressed by the whole process, I don’t feel like I have the words to describe the size and grandeur of those ships.
After the company visits, Maria and I went out for some Korean shaved ice, which I’ve never had before but is really really good. I had thought it was just like Hawaiian shaved ice, but it’s not. Instead the ice is made with a little cream and a little rice paste, so the ice is creamy and melts away when you eat it. I’m hoping to get it again this week.
We then went out as a group to get Korean BBQ. It was kind of unfortunate because we couldn’t speak Korean, so they just brought out food for us without prompting, and we all ended up spending around $25 on dinner, which was more than we intended. On the other hand, it was a really really good meal, and while it was a little more money than expected, definitely worth the cost.