This Plus3 trip to South Korea has been an absolute blessing. I couldn’t have imagined all the amazing things that would happen on this trip. I have learned so much about Korean history and their culture professionally and socially. Every visit we had, whether it be cultural or professional taught us something unique to Korean life, and as a foreigner, it has opened my horizon on just how much history the Earth has and how unique every culture is. I have made friendships that will last a life time on this trip and we got to struggle and overcome all the challenges that came with being a foreigner in Korea. I am so thankful for having this amazing opportunity to go to South Korea.
As a business student, I tried to pay very close attention to many aspects of business during our company visits. One of the ethical issues that we all noticed, was one of the companies the day before we visited them, was raided for accounting fraud. Also, the company Trainor explained that many Korean workers just want certifications, the title, even if they don’t actually know what they need to. These issues show the ethical issue of greed, corruption, and lack of integrity. It was very interesting to also hear that almost every former president of South Korea is in jail for something, mainly due to corruption. However, the people in charge now, and their society is trying to change this looming presence of corruption and change for the better.
In South Korea, we visited some universities and we were able to talk to some of the students. During these visits, we noticed how important education is in society. Something very interesting was that there was a test, similar to the SAT, for working at Samsung. Students who wanted to work there would take courses and study for these tests. In South Korea, you never stop pursing your education, and there is a strong emphasis on getting a good education.
Something I noticed was the balance between social and professional life is a lot different in South Korea. Many of the workers in South Korea work long hours every day and they barely take any time off. In the United States, if you have time off, you usually use it, however, in South Korea you are expected to not use up all of your vacation time.
Through every company visit, the one common thing was respect. In Korean culture, respect is extremely important, and it can be seen everywhere. Most companies follow a hierarchy and questioning someone superior is almost unheard of. The respect aspect in work can also be seen in Korean language. When talking, there are endings to words that change based on the respect the person you are talking to should be presented with. This is one of the many things that carries over from professional to social life and vice versa.
The South Korea Plus3 had 12 business students and 12 engineering students. I love the idea behind mixing business students and engineers, and I think we all gained a lot more from it. At some of the companies, the engineer got to see hands on what they could pursue while the business students learned about how to run a successful business. While engineers and business students primarily focus on different things, this trip showed us how they come together. In my group, we each got to share our side of creating a product and it was a glimpse into how interactions probably happen at a company. We were able to use what we have learned to help each other create a better product. In the end, I want to thank everyone who made this trip possible. It was truly a life changing experience and I can’t explain how much fun I had on the trip. For anyone reading the blogs, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my experience. Thank you.
Also if anyone has a question about what the featured picture is, yes it is Linus and I on Korean Television being interviewed at one of the universities.