South Korea Communication Styles

South Korea Communication Styles

There is a contradiction at the heart of Korean communication patterns which is that, like the Japanese, Koreans want to preserve harmony and promote good relations but at the same time they have a tendency to become emotional if they feel that things are not going their way.

This combination of the non-confrontational and the emotional probably stems from the historical sufferings of the nation and is best categorised under the concept of hahn. Hahn describes the feelings of unreleased frustrations developed during periods of extreme hardship in the past and which is still felt in certain elements of society today. If a Korean expresses obvious disquiet in a meeting it is fairly good sign that the meeting is not going well.

Generally speaking, Koreans regard saying ‘no’ as poor etiquette and something to be avoided at all costs. It can, therefore, be difficult to get at the truth of their intentions. Unhappiness and disagreement will usually be voiced very vaguely through the use of such phrases as ‘we will try’ or ‘that might be difficult but we will explore the idea’. Nor does ‘yes’ necessarily mean ‘yes’. It might simply mean ‘I have heard you’ or ‘I recognise that you have made a point’. Due to this vagueness of meaning it is very often necessary to go over the same point many times trying to elicit more meaning as time progresses. This obviously has the effect of making meetings longer and can be somewhat frustrating. It is important to maintain patience and politeness at all times.

Remember that communication is seen as a means of developing good relationships. Therefore, the way in which you deliver the message could in fact be more important than the message itself.
It is important to maintain good body posture during meetings. Slouching or overly expressive body gestures could be disconcerting.

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in South Korea only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.