I teach design at a major Korean art and design university and every year there
seem to be one or more student projects that are about globalizing Korean food. This is not only a popular topic with students, but the Korean government apparently also has had such a project in the works for some time. It is important to Koreans that there culture, and especially their food, is globally popular, particularly to Westerners. Thus, there are many projects concerning this effort to globalize Korean food.

As a trained design researcher, this problem has bugged me as well for a long time: why is there such a dearth of Korean food and Korean restaurants in my country, the United States, and why do so many Americans have such trouble adapting to Korean food. After many years in Korea, and with doing constant cultural research on my own, I have concluded that solving this problem has much to do with how Koreans approach many globalization issues like this.

What I mean by this is that in certain areas, such as globalization of certain Korean things, such as food here, the power of Korean culture, ethnicity, hierarchy and nationalism often trumps the logical scientific method and normal research processes. To Westerners, the obvious reason for the popular success of the above-mentioned Asian foods and restaurants in, say, the USA, has clearly been because these foods, as well as their preparation, delivery and presentation, have been appropriately modified from their “pure” ethnic form to accommodate American cultural dining preferences and the American palate.

I have found that in many cases in resolving such issues, Koreans strangely ignore the obvious and abandon established and common discovery research methods and principles, and even ignore the logical scientific method, only to continually have the same results—in this case, failure to globalize Korean food in a major way. I have identified some reasons why I think this is true.

Here are three problems I see: 1) a resistance to change Korean food in any way— we are Korean, it is Korean food, and it will STAY that way, 2) either a resistance to or an inability to realize that discovery research of the Western palate and dining culture MUST be done with WESTERNERS and not with Koreans, and 3) that globalizing Korean food is more about branding, marketing, image, advertising and promotion than it is about actually providing a delicious, palatable and culturally appropriate ethnic food product.

I believe there are three key issues in globalizing Korean food, and these can be
characterized by the acronym, ATA: Appearance, Taste and Ambiance. More about ATA in another future article in this publication.

Bill Dresselhaus_ CEO of DRESSELHAUSgroup / IDAS, Joint Invited Professor of Design, Hongik University

Copyright © Bill Dresselhaus April 10, 2011

“Now we trust you” – this statement, after working over one year as a German with Koreans really surprised me and brought me to think more deeply about trust in the international cooperation with Germans and Koreans. In the German business world trust is not a word we would typically use in our business life. As a German woman I experienced that trust in the Korean business is something Koreans speak about when working with others. They say: “I can’t trust her or him”. In Germany somebody would easier say: “she or he is not working professionally” than “I do not trust my Korean colleague”. From my experience in intercultural training and coaching on international project management, collaboration in international teams and coaching across cultures “trust” plays a major role in business. “Trust” is a key predictor of effectiveness, creativity and readiness to accept change in international team work.

So when does a German business partner trust a Korean business partner or a Korean a German business partner? German business partners trust their Korean business partner when they are honest on business subjects, talk about facts, show an active time management e.g. fulfill due dates, separate work and private life and are ready to discuss business facts until the team finds a better solution on a specific problem. Trust is mainly built on fact orientation. It is possible to loose trust if you act more often in an unprofessional way, e.g. do not hold due dates.
Korean business partners tend to trust a German business partner when they find out about common subjects, like sports, share the same feelings or emotions on a specific topic e.g. your private life, family, education or food. The more your Korean business partner is getting to know from you, especially about your private life and your emotions on some topics, the easier he or she can trust you. Trust is built on commonness. Trust is a very solid basis for the future relationship between Germans and Koreans and may remain your whole life.

The approach how Germans and Koreans gain trust and what trust means for them is an important element in the relationship between Koreans and Westerners.
Personally I really appreciate to have a trustful relationship with my Korean business partners and can do business so in a more effective, creative and faster way.


Ruth Kürschner_ Consultant for intercultural cooperation