koreabizcast: Recent Episodes

KBLA

koreabizcast is the podcast for anyone interested in doing business in Korea. Whether you are already in Korea, or looking to enter Asia‘s most innovative and dynamic economy koreabizcast has the stories for you. We bring you two stories every working day from across the entire landscape. We interview major conglomerates, innovative tech startups and everyone in between. We also showcase the lighter side of living in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Whether your thing is food, wine, music or film we showcase what its like to live here.

Our host Alex Jensen is a long-time resident of Korea and a well know local media figure. His passion for Korea comes through the interviews as well as ability to get people to share the ideas and stories closest to people‘s hearts.

John Park, Managing Director of Sparklabs Korea speaks with Alex Jensen from KBLA about Korea’s growing startup scene and in particular what differentiates those teams that really kick on from those that don’t.

John describes the intense nature of the Sparklabs accelerator experience. The three-month program bootstraps a company’s growth and provides mentoring, support and skill development. For many startup founders running an office efficiently, paying people and handling government certification and regulation are skills they never thought they would need. Sparklabs helps them develop those skills.

However, the core focus is setting demanding weekly KPIs and working hand-in-hand with the teams. As John says, “Working with a startup team is both a science and an art. We deep dive into their data at a granular level and keep them on track with weekly KPIs. But we also look at the team chemistry. Are they resilient and hungry enough to push beyond what' they did yesterday? You need a team that will push past the hurdles, the challenges and deliver for you consistently.”

With an increasingly large section of Korea’s young talent seriously considering the startup scene as a career alternative, Sparklabs provides the structured opportunity to test themselves and find out what they are really capable of.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Innovation Center Denmark. Creating innovation and business opportunities by building relationships between Korean and Danish R&D intensive companies, research institutes and universities

Even before COVID changed the world, workplace flow and workplace communications were seen as being important. Still major firms relied upon on tools such as Kakao, Line and WhatsApp to organize teams and meet deadlines. This was possible because people were meeting face-to-face every day.

When COVID sent us all home, companies had to either develop their own tools or find a robust solution that was easy to use, secure and could cope with all their demands.

Headquartered in Seoul, Toss Labs In. Developed Jandi a workplace tool suited to the COVID and post-COVID eras. Alex Jensen talks Jandi with Yang Jinho Head of Business at Toss Labs about the 8-year story of the startup and their flagship solution, Jandi.

Like his solution, Jinho was born in Korea, but grew up across Asia and the Pacific. In 2021, Jandi has more than two million users across 300k teams across APAC. As Jinho says, “pre-COVID, people never imagined having to manage workflow away from the office. But now, it's vital that communications are omnipresent and instant.”

Although the pandemic pushed Jandi’s growth into overdrive, the post-pandemic world has not slackened the demand. Many firms are not asking their employees to return full-time to the workplace. Many others are using this time as a reset. To evolve their workplaces to become more efficient and more attractive to younger talent.

Companies also know that the MZ generation will not stay at workplaces that are not agile or smart. MZers think every day about employer branding. They demand a reputable corporate culture, simplified work process, with accessibility to information and to decision makers.

As the pace of digitalization continues to increase, companies like Toss Labs and their solutions will continue to be vital.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering an unparalleled Asia-wide network connecting you with corporates, investors and governments.

Alex Jensen from KBLA speaks to Eric Thorpe and Jeffrey Bohn, Managing Partners and Co-founders of Edge Communications, a Seoul-based Public Relations firm that has just celebrated its fourteenth anniversary. The firm differentiates itself from other PR firms through building a culture of work-life balance in its team. This builds consistency and quality in their client services as well as allowing relationships to deepen.

As Jeff puts it, he was asked by a client one day to, “Give us a reason to hire you.” His answer was that “It really comes down to the individual at the time in the room. You're sitting there and you're looking across at the people who are going to be working with you, can they establish and maintain those relationships that are really going to make the difference to your business.” In Jeff’s view, PR companies are all cut the same way. They propose similar things, in a similar fashion so it’s the people on your team, and their ability to build better relationships.

From Eric’s perspective, Edge’s other point of differentiation is blending their strong business acumen with content and writing skills. As Eric says, “There is a misconception that public relations firms need to be run by journalists, because it's about content, and writing. While content and writing is obviously important, you also need to be able to communicate, share your expertise and advise strategically by utilizing business acumen across industry sectors. I think that's what really cuts through and makes the difference in terms of relationships.”

A great company culture, commitment to long-term relationships, excellent communications content and strategic advice. These are the skills that Edge Communications has built since 2004.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Stylish Elegance in the very heart of the city.

Alex Jensen and Choi Kyungmi KBLA’s special issue reporter discuss the recent #bts successes in the United States and the potential importance of BTS, Kpop Bands and other cultural products in spurring Korea’s economic recovery. Not only was BTS stunningly successful in their recent Las Vegas concerts selling out over 200,000 tickets over four nights, the entire city was transformed into a mecca for their loyal fans.

Coming back home, the impact of the BTS and other cultural content exports is hard to overestimate. It has been estimated that its estimated that each BTS concert generates between KRW 620B and KRW1.2T worth of economic activity. But perhaps more significantly, The Korea ExIm Bank reports that a rise in music exports correlates to an amazing 17X rise in other Korean consumer goods.

This economic discussion happens as the issue of the BTS members’ national service reemerges. The economic benefit and the super-group is seen as being more than enough by many to have them excluded in the same way as Korean champion athletes are. Others argue that it is a better policy that the members complete their national duty in some way.

Alex Jensen talks with Thomas Sommer, CFO of SG Entertainment about investing in NFTs. As many know, HYBE the management company behind BTS invested in Dunamu the operator of Upbit with the goal to releasing BTS-branded NFTS. This move was condemned by many in the Army (BTS fan organization) due to the high carbon footprint, which was seen as contradictory to the band’s pro-environment stance.

Since then, however, other Kpop management companies such as YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment. Fantagio, Abyss and now JYP Entertainment have all announced interest in releasing artist-themed or branded NFTs.

Thomas and Alex describe the why and the how of this trend. As well as looking into what exactly you are buying when you invest in an NFT.

They also discuss the various ways in which you can protect yourself when investing.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Innovation Center Denmark, Seoul Office. Creating innovation and business opportunities and build up relations between Korean and Danish R&D intensive companies, research institutes and universities.

Alex Jensen talks with Suvi Sundquis, Commercial Counsellor at Business Finland here in Korea. They discuss the role Business Finland as an ecosystem builder to foster and fund innovation with startups, SMEs, large companies, and research organizations.

Business Finland is a Finnish Government agency that collaborates with chambers of commerce and other partners to encourage business exchanges. With an unmatched network in Finland and access to unpublished research, Business Finland is at the forefront of innovation.

Suvi’s specific role is to encourage the Finnish companies to go further, faster. As she says. “If you start with a company's growth strategy, for example, they always have some kind of plan, then we step in and we ask, well, what's the part that you left out? What was the part that intrigued you? But you thought that that had too much risk? And they always have that kind of topics, then under the table? And then we say, well, what if we paid part of it, we take some of the risk on the government, would you try it out. And this is the way we encourage the companies to go a little bit further.”

In Korea Business Finland is to match Finnish companies with the best South Korea partners. They look for synergies. By talking with the Korean companies about what they're working on and discovering their needs. In a typically Finnish style, they focus on deep 1:1 relationship that generate long term mutual benefits as well as shorter term synergies.

Away from her role as Commercial Counsellor, Suvi also discusses her enjoyment of Korea, the cultural differences that have intrigued her, and she shares her opinions on why Finland is the happiest place on earth, and some ideas on how Korea might improve their score on the happiness index.

Christoph Heider is the President of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea. Yesterday he talked with Alex Jensen from KBLA about his time in Korea, and the role that the ECCK has in enabling varying kinds and sizes of European businesses to access Korean markets. They also discuss Korea’s increasing profile and importance to Europe.

Christoph began visiting Korea back in 1997, and the trips became more frequent until he was appointed CFO of Bayer in Korea. A role he held until becoming President of the ECCK.

Christoph is well known in Korea, and his #LinkedIn tagline of I love my job, I love Europe and I love Korea is also becomingly increasingly well known. Christoph and his team work tirelessly to build the relationships between European and Korean businesses which are vital for business.

This however is not what he sees as being the core of his role, and the role of the ECCK.

Christoph dispels the notion that ECCK is an umbrella chamber for the other chambers representing European countries. Although called a chamber, the ECCK performs a differentiated role from that of the single-country chambers. As Christoph explains, “The ECCK is called a chamber, but we don’t really do chamber work. We do pure advocacy. We run 25 industry platforms where company representatives and experts participate. We talk about problems such as market access and then we address this towards the Korean Government via letters, visits, or our Annual White Paper. This is the unique work we do.”

Alex and Christoph also discuss one of the newer European business ventures in Korea, Legoland. Legoland is the first overseas theme park in Korea. Located just outside of Chuncheon City in Gangwon Province, it is scheduled for opening in just a couple of weeks, on Children’s Day May 5.

Away from work, Christoph is a musician and recently performed in a Blues Concert at the Studio to raise funds for Ddingdong, a LGBTQ Youth Crisis Support Center.

This episode is sponsored by the Four Seasons Seoul Hotel. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

The Korean government has announced that almost all social distancing restrictions and operating hours. The government also hinted that in two weeks the mask mandate may be revised, at least when people are outside. Choi Kyung Mi and Alex Jensen from KBLA review the past two years of restrictions and support the Korean government has provided in light of the announcement made last week.

As well as the support given to small businesses government benefits are also intended to encourage families to go back to watching sports live in stadiums as well as travel domestically. They will distribute 400,000 sports coupons for football, baseball, basketball and volleyball as well as also providing more than a million discount coupons for lodging.

They also discuss the high hopes many parts of the country have for economic relief from the incoming Yoon Seok Yeol administration. As well as direct cash payments, businesses are looking for support such as a freeze on wage increases.

A very special episode of #koreabizcast today, looking at the Ukrainian crisis through the eyes of two international lawyers. Firstly Ron Parks, Senior Foreign Counsel from Lee & Ko discusses with Alex Jensen from KBLA the crisis from a geopolitical perspective.

Last week, Ron connected KBLA with Timur Bondaryev, Founder and Managing Partner of Arzinger Law Office. Through this connection we are able to hear Timur talk us through, the build up to the invasion, the first few days as well as what the situation is like today. Timur also talks about the impacts of the invasion upon Korea. As he says, “The Ukraine is strongly connected to Korea through both technology firms such as Samsung with large R&D facilities, but also as breadbasket so many major Korean companies source their food and ingredients. So much so that POSCO has invested in a sea terminal in the south of Ukraine.”

The discussion wraps up with Timur letting us all know how we can help, whether by donating directly or making sure that the politicians representing us know how we feel and continue to put whatever pressure that can to help Ukraine regain its independence.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Innovation Center Denmark, Seoul Office. Creating innovation and business opportunities and build up relations between Korean and Danish R&D intensive companies, research institutes and universities.

Judy Kwon, from Human Rights Watch talks with Alex Jensen about her personal journey from international student to journalism to Media Consultant with HRW. It is a fascinating journey. For businesses everywhere in such turbulent times it is important to be aware of the social progression happening around us and their changing responsibilities.

Judy began her professional career working for CNN in Beijing as an intern, due to her talent, work ethic and skills at languages, this turned into a full-time position.

After twelve-years earning her stripes in global journalism, Judy moved to Human Rights Watch, first as Director of the Seoul Office, but then into a regional role as Media and Communications Consultant. She explains the move thus, “I have a lot of respect for all the journalists out there, but our major difference is that Human Rights Watch looks to change government policy on children’s rights, marriage equality, war crimes etc. Journalism can’t do that because they have to move on to the next topic. Public policy takes more than a few days, or months, to push the boundaries, one step forward, one step back.

Judy discusses her progress working with global companies to help them understand the impact of their actions on human rights. Recently she was able to highlight to Kirin, the Japanese brewer, how their actions and support in Myanmar was in fact not helping the general population but was actually supporting the military government. Kirin decided to cancel their contract.

Judy’s work and the work of HRW is commendable in helping governments and corporates understand their human rights responsibilities.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners, bringing you an unparalleled Asia-wide network that connects you with corporates, governments and investors.

Mark Patton, President of the Korean Bourbon Club talks whiskey with Alex Jensen as a preview to KBLA’s Private Evening Michter’s Event at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. At the event, Mark will be providing a brief education session on how to enjoy your whiskey. Mark is a Level Three Whiskey Sommelier. His whiskey his philosophy to keep it as egalitarian as possible. As he says, “The best whiskey is the whiskey like to drink and the right way to drink whiskey is the way you like to drink it. We’re not here to be snobs. But we can help you describe your experience. How does it make you feel? What memories does it bring back? How does it affect your enjoyment of your meal, your evening? That's what we're trying to do with evening.”

Mark also retraces his own journey with Bourbon, growing up in and around the industry living in Kentucky and how a visit back home with his wife Oh Sook Hyun inspired them to create a community of bourbon lovers back here in Korea. “Going back to Kentucky and touring distilleries and drinking we realized, this is sweet, it's nice, it's fresh. Why is this not more popular in Korea? So, we started the Korea bourbon whiskey club and started promoting it. And in the space of just, you know, seven years, the bourbon of mania has taken over Korea, people are just searching for all kinds of brands and high-end bottles. I think we’ve contributed to the interest to get it moving as much as it is. Last year, Mark’s wife took the next step opening the Whiskey Bible, a whiskey retail shop in Yongsan.

Mark and Sook Hyun are building a community, and KBLA is very proud to become part of this effort, and everyone here. We look forward to Friday night with Mark and Michter’s and look forward to more fine dining events throughout the year.

Choi Kyung Mi and Alex Jensen discuss the recent changes happening at Korea’s 11th largest company Kakao.

The company recently announced that it will invest 300 billion won to assist small businesses, digital content creators, startups, and mobility platform workers. These actions are seen in response to criticism both from congress and the general public of the company misusing its market power in its domestic operations.

Recently, the company also announced a slimming down of its business portfolio, cutting back on many of its business areas which were seen to be adversely affecting smaller businesses.

The company also unveiled its global expansion plans. Based on the idea of Beyond Mobile and Beyond Korea. Broadly speaking the company aims to generate 30% of its income from abroad by 2025. The most significant overseas presence currently is in Japan with a healthy webtoon business as well as other cultural content products. The company announced plans to invest in NFT-gaming and metaverse on top of its existing cryptocurrency business.

The company also plans to expand into Europe via France, the United States and Southeast Asia via its online cartoons/webtoons business.

The company hopes that these actions will lesson the public scrutiny of its domestic businesses as well as lessen its reliance upon domestic growth for market capital growth.

For our 100th Episode, Alex Jensen is joined by Peter Underwood and Penelope Richey Kim from IRC Consulting.

The conversation begins with Peter and Penelope introducing their connection with Korea. Despite both growing up in Korea, Peter is a confirmed Yeonhui-dong Seoul Saram while Penelope grew up in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do. Both have left Korea without expectation of developing careers on the peninsula but returned to find their callings and themselves.

Both now work at IRC Consulting, Peter as Founder and Managing Partner and Penelope as Executive Consultant. IRC Consulting’s mission is founded on the truism that Korea is unique, and to succeed in business here, international businesspeople need to fully appreciate those differences.

As Peter says, “I’ve lived in Korea for more than 50-years, and I'm still learning new things. I’m learning how to work with Koreans, how to meld their ambitions with the desires of international organizations and the objectives and hopes of Korean organizations. I am still learning how to bring all of these people together so that they can create value. I have seen talented people and powerful organizations crash and burn here because they were unable to reconcile their needs with the desires and capabilities of their Korean stakeholders.”

Korea’s rising global profile brings new opportunities for foreign businesses that are built upon the fundamental strengths of the Korean economy. As Penelope says, “Korea has a great location, as a peninsula, it has tremendous potential as a hub to reach so much of Asia. World-class infrastructure, not just logistics and transportation, but digitally, it's got such a highly educated workforce. And the work culture here is such a culture of diligence and efficiency. Deeper than that though, Korea has this unique characteristic of momentum, once Korea is committed to something, the speed of movement, the rapidity with which it can develop in a direction is unbeatable. It really has so many characteristics that an international organization would look for as a base of operations.”

Given all of the changes mentioned above, it is surprising that many of the challenges that overseas organizations face coming into Korea have not really changed over the years. All market entrants have assumptions on how a business should operate, how deals should be done, stakeholders managed, and results reviewed. In most instances new market entrants have to relearn these when entering the Korean market. The way that Korean companies and governments budget, plan and manage is unique. On an individual level, meeting with a Korean partner involves a different skill sets and assumptions. Does my plan help my Korean partner’s individual career goal? What will his peers think of him working with me? These questions are often as important as whether the deal makes objective sense as will be mutually profitable.

Peter and Penelope have spent a lifetime learning how to create mutual value in Korea. Even as Korea moves faster and faster along the path to a fully-digitalized economy, the basic human connection skills they offer will continue to underpin all business encounters.

This episode is our 100th. We would like to thank all of our sponsors, The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, The Innovation Center Denmark Seoul Office and Eastpoint Partners . We would also like to thank those companies that have been with KBLA since the beginning and are key to our survival and growth: Lee & Ko, Edge Communications, Insight Communications Consultants, Shin & Kim, InterCultural Communications, and Orang&Orang

Peter Underwood, Managing Partner of IRC Consulting has a wide-ranging conversation with Alex Jensen about his multi-generation connection with Korea, his own younger days in Korea, and finding his calling as a consultant after returning from his MBA.

As Peter says, “I saw that I had a unique position of understanding Korea while having a Western-based education. I could be a bridge between two very divergent cultures. I kind of fell into this profession, and I've loved it ever since.”

Peter and Alex also discuss the changing face of Korea and the changing aspirations of young Koreans. Unlike their elder brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, this generation of Koreans less likely to settle and more inclined to forge their own career path, whether that be a K-pop singer or game designer or even violin maker.

In a link to Monday’s episode, Peter and Alex discuss the background to the current Korean zeitgeist. Peter and Alex agree that no one has ever won much money betting against Korea or Koreans ability to adapt to changing circumstances and push on ahead.

This episode is brought to you by The Innovation Center Denmark Seoul Office.

Jooch Nam is the Director of Sales and Partnerships at Dongnae, a real estate firm that is innovating the way in which the industry operates. He and Alex Jensen discuss the industry and the innovations that Dongnae is bringing.

With regards to helping expats new to Korea Jooch says, “We offer a full service from moving in to moving out. We kind of hold your hand, especially if you’re from overseas. It’s concierge system rather than a brokerage because really not to be don't take any brokerage fee. Instead, we offer the support that you need with a very low deposit.”

But for Koreans as well looking to escape the wolsae trap, Dongnae provides its FLEX solution. As Jooch says, “What we do is we rent out a premium apartment, turn it around and we sublease it to tenants. We drop the key money required to something affordable for people in your 20s and 30s, we try to keep the monthly rent reasonable as well, somewhere between two and four million won, depending on the location. In this way people can start to save a deposit for their own place while living in a nice apartment.

This solution and others have been recently covered in the media including a recent article in techcrunch.

The Dongnae strategy is resonating not only with tenants, but with all stakeholders. This is evidenced in the support from a wide range of investors the firm attracted in its recent Series A fund raising. Dongnae raised 20 billion won in equity and loans from a group of investors including: NFX, Daol Investment, Hana-Magna, Hana Financial, MetaProp, Fursys, Han River Partners, Flybridge and Maple as well as WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey.

This episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering you and unparalleled Asia-wide network connecting you with corporates, governments and investors.

Dain Leathem is President of ANZA, he talks with Alex Jensen about the services provided by ANZA and how this Australia and New Zealand-based group is preparing its 2022 calendar.

As Dain says, “The Anza Community is unique way to give service. Although we all have diverse backgrounds, the people in ANZA share similar goals and a commitment to give service here in Korea. For quite a long time now, people have come together, given service in any way they can.

ANZA Korea came together in 2001 as a group of Australian and New Zealand expats, mainly trailing spouses who wish to give service to charities and service organizations in Korea.

ANZA is able to work because of the dedication of its committee members and the with the generous support of long-term sponsors.

Choi Kyung Mi and Alex Jensen discuss economic pressure the Korean government is facing due to the external pressures associated with the Ukrainian invasion and its global repercussions. The Korean government and the Bank of Korea are now facing sustained economic pressure associated with rising fuels prices and associated other inflationary pressures. Recent price rises although having been led by fuel prices are not restricted to the energy sector. Prices in Korea are moving to retail prices, with meat, fish and other daily necessities also rising above background rates.

People in Korea are awaiting not only the present government’s response, but also the incoming government, to be headed by Yoon Seok Yeol’s action plan for when he becomes president in May.

Michael Breen CEO and Insight Communications Consultants and Alex Jensen discuss communications and media strategy.

Former oil rig worker and journalist, now author and communications consultant, Michael Breen and his diverse team provide communications strategy advice and execution to both Korean and multinational companies.

This interview looks at PR & Communications from a strategic view, on how companies need to change their messaging style as the world changes. Gone are the days where PR firms were employed mainly to maintain relationships with media outlets and journalists. The constant rotation if journalist beats and the impact of social media now means that the inherent quality of the piece needs to be a major draw. As Michael says, “An overworked reporter isn't going to visit your website’s PR page. Instead, you need to pull them in with excellent features and interviews with your C-suite people and experts which journalists run as they are or get ideas for stories. This is new, however it will become the norm very soon. “

For more details, check out Michael’s idea in his LinkedIn article Five Ways to Improve Your Media Exposure in Korea

Kie Brooks and his business partner Amir Kamandi come from very different backgrounds, culturally and professionally. Their synergy has produced FastPong a digital Table Tennis training tool. With its instant visual feedback and detailed metrics, FastPong is set to revolutionize Table Tennis for everyone.

Kie, the CTO of FastPong has a strong pedigree in AI with multiple degrees. Amir, CEO has a sports science and Table Tennis champion history. They have produced a product that combines AI, instant feedback, gamification and in-depth metrics.

Kie talks with Alex Jensen about the uniqueness of FastPong. He says, “The power of FastPong is the visual dynamic target. It enables everyone to practice different strategies and get real time feedback, and then later see their metrics. Whether you are a beginner, a club player or a pro, its going to help with your accuracy and your decision making. This also greatly enhances your enjoyment of the game as can see improvement almost instantly.”

The training benefits could well be superseded however by the entertainment potential. With digitalized sports already well established across Asia, FastPong could well be the next big thing in affordable fun.

Today’s episode was sponsored by The Innovation Center Denmark Seoul Office. Creating innovative business opportunities and relationships between Korean and Danish R&D intensive companies, research institutes and universities.

Dr. Roland B Wilson is the Program Coordinator, Professor and faculty advisor for the School for Analysis of Conflict and Resolution at George Mason University’s campus in South Korea. He is also the Peace and Conflict Studies Center Asia (PACSC Asia) Co-director. Last week he was a panelist at KBLA’s Breakfast Forum on Dispute Resolution. Since first in arriving in Korea in 1984 his career has taken him through the military, government, and now in academia. He consults regularly with both Korean and global organizations on the topic of conflict resolution.

In his discussion with Alex Jensen, Dr. Wilson discusses various aspects of conflict resolution: The impact of power and position, the importance of knowing yourself, the commonalities of all disputes, the role of psychology and sociology in conflicts as well as the importance of culture.

As he says, “Our lack of cultural wisdom can cause many conflicts in business. First of all, how well do you know their culture, not only that country's culture, but that business’ culture? We have to know the cultural identity of our counterpart in order to build successful business relationships at the individual and at the corporate level as well.

Today’s episode was sponsored by Eastpoint Partners. Offering an unparalleled Asia-wide network connecting you with corporates, governments and investors.

bright Belly CEO Jem Kim is producing home ready meals that prove that plant-based menus do not have to be boring or repetitive. Alex Jensen and Jem, discuss the growth in the plant-based industry. As she says, “The market in Korea in Korea is not just growing, its exploding. There's so much more awareness for plant-based food. When I tell people that we are going into a lot of the major retailers, they say,” Oh my god, I didn't know that was you, we didn't know that that was plant-based. So, I think that's why we see the business growing. Over the next couple of years there's going to be a lot more growth, and it's just great to be a part of it.”

The company, bright Belly is not aiming to turn all of us to 100% vegans or vegetarians. Instead she offers quality food for anyone who would like to reduce the amount of meat they eat, without giving up variety, taste or convivence.

Jem and Alex, also take a moment to step back and join the dots of Jem’s extraordinary career. From journalist, to corporate recruitment strategist, and now to startup CEO, Jem is able now to look at the threads that join all of these in the way that Steve Jobs famously did in his Stanford Commencement Speech.

Choi Kyung Mi and Alex Jensen review the week that was, and look ahead on the market’s reaction to North Korea’s launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM, capable of reaching continental America and President-Elect, Yoon Seok Yeol’s proposed move away from the Blue House to Yongsan military installation.

The launch did not actually provoke a significant reaction from the Korean stock market, as most analysts had already factored it in. Samsung securities global investment strategy team stated that unlike Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the North provocations don't trigger instability in prices of major raw materials, therefore it had limited impact in the short term.

The other major issue from Seoul last week, was Yoon Seok Yeol’s proposed move away from Cheong Wa Dae, the official residence of the Korean President as his office to a military complex in the Yongsan area. Alex and Kyungmi discuss his reasons behind the move, Yoon’s insistence that the required renovations be completed before his inauguration on May 10, and the impact of such a move on the Yongsan area.

As Korea relaxes its COVID restrictions, hotels like the Four Seasons are continually adapting to the needs of their customers.

During COVID, the hotel’s focus switched from international travelers to domestic. This meant perfecting the staycation experience.

The Four Seasons has tailored packages to the various needs. Pet-friendliness, family-centric, rowdy party time or a quiet, romantic weekend with loved ones, they have packages for all.

Michael Cho, Four Seasons Seoul Hotel Manager also lets us know about the changing face of fine dining at the Four Seasons. The Oul bar is coming soon. As Korean traditional drinks gain popularity both at home and abroad, the Four Seasons is paying homage with the Oul bar. It pays homage to the ever-changing identity of after-hours Seoul. This late-night contemporary bar is an artful exploration of the city’s traditional history, the turn of the century, and of today and beyond, where Korean specialties and seasonal drinks are served alongside bar bites crafted by world-class chefs.

Alex and Michael also talk about the Four Seasons commitment to superior service with the dedicated team of hospitality professionals adapting to the needs of each guest as an individual.

Richard Wilson, Director of Epiq a AI-powered technology that enables the legal industry and corporations to take on complex tasks with efficiency, clarity and confidence. Richard and Alex Jensen begin their conversation discussing Richard’s early career and the trail that led him in 2004 to work in an IP law office in Seoul. From there he worked as both an inhouse counsel at Hyundai Heavy, and then as a Senior Foreign Legal Advisor, before joining Epiq in 2021.

Richard and Alex also delve into the New Zealand mystique in Korea. For some reason, Kiwi’s appear to be over represented and according to other antipodeans a little over-appreciated by their Korean hosts.

Currently working for Epiq, Richard discusses the increasingly complicated task legal firms and large corporates find when facing cybersecurity literally millions of documents in a legal proceeding. As Richards says, “It's all about transforming the way that legal services are delivered. Much of legal work, is largely routine requires legal skill, but now, it can be done through an AI-powered solution. that is the main thrust of what Epic is about. And as you mentioned, that there's also a cybersecurity aspect we we support, functions and large corporations and law firms as well to achieve cybersecurity safer.”

Tae Yang Kim runs Gideb which app that provides self-care tools for mental health. He and Alex Jensen from KBLA the need for Gideb in Korea, and Tae Yang’s journey to establishing the company.

The company has a double-barreled name Descry I Gideb – Descry is an English word that means to be enlightened or to catch sight of something. Gitdeb is a Korean contraction of 기대요 - 기댑 or lean on me. All of these are related to his mission, to help everyone improve their mental health.

Tae Yang began gaining experience working in this area while in America. Three and a half years ago he moved to Korea and discovered a dearth or organizations in the field. He decided to do something about it.

As Tae Yang says, “There's so many different levels of mental health right and mental illness, some people just need to feel better because they're stressed out or they are going through some like trauma in their life or significant event that in their life. And types of issue, are what our app and our can actually help with.”

A friendly word, from a compassionate ear sounds like something almost everyone could use once in a while.

Gitdeb is available at Google Play and the Apple Store.

This episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners, connecting you with an unparallel Asia-wide network of corporates, governments and investors.

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Hani Oh, founder and Creative Director of Nalda discusses her company, Nalda, artisanal perfume with Alex Jensen. With a deep back in fashion and branding, Hani has developed a range of perfumes that express her feelings about her homeland.

She created aromas that not only represent these key figures in Korean history, but also scents that those great people might wear. As she says, “When I created our Admiral Lee Sun Shin perfume, people expected a smoky woody, strong aroma, but he wrote a journal every day, so I created an aroma for that part of him. Clean, comfortable to help him relax. And this aroma also for you, when you came home, relax and you pour yourself a beer. For when you take your time relax, part of a perfect time for you.”

Hani has also created a powerful ecosystem surrounding her products with strong followings on Instagram and Naver that has led to Hani being invited overseas to discuss Korean tastes at international forums.

Alex Jensen and Choi Kyungmi, discuss the impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry, and the government's opening strategy.

As Kyungmi says, 'The sector's overall sales decreased by 62% Compared to 2019, which is of course before the onset of the pandemic. And it's also led to a 4000 jobs being lost in the sector."

Despite record numbers, the government appears to be focused on opening the economy to overseas travel.

Alex Jensen discusses international education, and the increasingly popular areas of study with John D. Pomeroy, Director of International Admissions and Recruitment at SUNY, Albany. SUNY Albany has a strong history with Korea with a strong alumni. This relationship has been built by John over 25 years by frequent visits, and during COVID many zoom calls with prospective students and their parents. The Provost of SUNY Albany, Carol H. Kim is keen to develop this relationship and expand it into new areas.

As a part of this expansion, Hailey Yang, Co-Chair of KBLA, led a strong delegation to SUNY Albany early this year to study Cybersecurity. This delegation was able to learn the latest ideas from world-class professors in the area.

Cybersecurity is a key STEM field, which has become an increasingly more popular for Koreans is studying in the STEM fields: Science, technology, engineering, and math, Graduates in the STEM areas are eligible for a three-year work permit, and the initial rewards in these areas are quite high. This is because there is a clear need for these skills in America.

As we the world reopens, more Korean students will look to universities such as SUNY Albany to develop the skills and begin their careers.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Innovation Center Denmark, Seoul

Lin Hwang, Co-founder and CEO of Damogo has a great nose for business and a keen ability to spot opportunity. His entrepreneurial skills were born and honed working for his father in the seafood processing industry. This brought him to Korea in 2015, just when the startup scene began to balloon.

His experience in the food retail sector in Korea, his own social conscious and a great introduction gave birth to Damogo.

As Lin explains, “For example, Dunkin Donuts, or a bakery, at the end of the day, there'll be tossing those donuts away that they haven't sold. And it's obviously a huge waste. So, what we would do is we will partner with these kinds of bakeries and restaurants, hotel buffets that have breakfast, lunch, dinner services and at the end of each day or service, they would upload it to our app at half price. And any user that's on our app can browse. It’s a direct improvement to their bottom line in two ways. Extra cash from the sales, and less money spent on waste disposal.”

Despite this idea, Lin found it a tough sell, to convince bakeries and restaurants to list. Korea is drowning in food apps. Most owners saw Damogo as just another app wanting their slice of pie.

Then came the two pivots. The other Co-founder of Damogo, Muhammad Farras, and Lin had been building an Indonesian connection. After a visit or two, both saw the opportunity to maximize their capital and enter one of the world’s largest consumer markets.

The moved Damogo to Indonesia and switched from a B2C business model to a B2B model. The reborn Damogo connect retail food stores with their suppliers through an app that is convenient efficient and guarantees no more lost invoices.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners, offering you an unparalleled Asia-wide network to connect you with corporates, governments and investors.

Globalization Partners: Enabling companies to operate in new markets with flexibility and mobility Josh Kim, Partner manager from Globalization Partners discusses flexibility and mobility in the post covid world with Alex Jensen, along with the SaaS services offered by Globalization Partners.

In discussing the world today, Josh says that. “I don't think we are going to go back to the pre-COVID world. The demand for flexibility, the demand for mobility will continue to get stronger. Globally we are also experiencing a war for talent. There is a talent shortage, so it's, it's getting more difficult to find, and attract the best talent.”

Globalization Partners offers a unique solution to this. As Josh says, “So normally, people see the potential of the market. And they desire to enter it, but they need to test it out first. So, after the identify who they want in those senior roles, we become the employer of record, until they are ready to commit fully and establish a legal entity. “

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul

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Yoon Seok Yeol will be 13th person to hold the title of President of Korea. Immediately after his narrowest of victories, he stated that his priorities are recovery from the pandemic, boosting growth, and dealing with the rapidly aging society. He pledged to overcome them by supporting the values of an open society and economy and by fostering integration and prosperity. He wants a business-led economy less incumbered by regulation.

Choi Kyung Mi and Alex Jensen go through his major policy platforms, as they relate to business, and then look at the former Prosecutor General’s problematic relationships with many in the Korean business community.

As Kyungmi says, “Yoon has emphasized that the private sector should be the driving force for a fair and innovative economy, blaming the government for its debt incurring spending. He has vowed to give the private sector more freedom or in order to raise Korea's potential growth rate from the current two to 4%. And some measures to achieve this includes increased flexibility in working hours, extending tax benefits for small companies, even after they become larger in scale. And he's expected to focus on building business friendly environments and support measures so that companies can create quality jobs.”

With such a small victory and a potentially unfriendly legislature, it will be intriguing to see if Yoon can accomplish is priorities.

John Yoon CEO and Sue Nguyen of SeoulZ discuss their brilliant idea of taking content written for Naver and taking it global through Google SEO with Alex Jensen As John says, “ A lot of content is on Naver, all we are doing is repackaging it and making it more Google friendly. This is because if I ask 100 people in the UK or US, do you know what Naver is? I think one may say yes. So, we take this content and make sure it gets maximum exposure on Google.”

Both John and Sue had experienced Korea before, and then left not knowing about the Korean startup scene. Then John came across the wealth of information that lives only in the naververse. He realized that if he could repackage this for global search engines, then he would have something to offer the companies themselves, as well the ecosystem supporting them. SeoulZ was born.

Seoulz has grown into Korea’s leading independent digital media resource covering the latest tech news, events, and trends for the Korean Startup Community.

Their mission is to inform, educate, and connect the global startup community with the Korean startup community. Over the past 5 years they have come to become the place for news about startups in Korea.

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Jacco Zwetsloot and Alex Jensen discuss Yoon Seok Yeol’s election yesterday in the 20th Korean Presidential election. With record participation rates, Yoon has secured 48.56% of the popular vote, leading Lee Jae Myung with 47.83% of the vote. Shim Sang Jung secured 2.37% of the popular votes as well.

Jacco Zwetsloot is a man of many hats. He works for PR firm Insight Communications, North Korea specialist news bureau NK News, and Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, part of the Economist Group. Calling himself a Jacco-of-all-trades, he writes and speaks for a living.

In terms of business, Jacco comments that. “Yun has promised to do away with certain regulations and to streamline business processes. “

Jacco also commented that Yoon has also made campaign promises around renewable energies, and small businesses and startup. However, we don’t know what he will do now that he is in the position.

The new President also faces the challenges of recovery. Small businesses suffered a lot under the last two years of COVID, especially in the service industries with the curfews at nighttime These people, who are working in the small business and people who are self-employed will be looking to Yoon to support and help rebuild that part of the economy.

Today’s episode is made possible by the support of the Innovation Center Denmark Korea

Monica H. Kang and Alex Jensen discuss her career and life with the backdrop of International Women’s Day 2022. Monica is the CEO and Founder of InnovatorsBox. Monica describes herself as a curious child, a person who never stopped asking the questions that we all do as children, but somehow, unlike the rest of us who have lost the habit, Monica has kept it.

The first part of her career was just about as far away from being an entrepreneur as a person could get. She worked in the world of nuclear non-proliferation, ‘preventing the bad guys from spreading nuclear weapons around the world. In this space as a younger Asian-American women, she found herself constantly surrounded by white men. But she found the courage, the mentors and the belief to never be limited by others view of her identity.

After a great deal of s(e)oul searching, Monica decided a change was required. She began the switch to serial and serious entrepreneurship while authoring two children’s books and.

The Innovators Box helps its clients (re)discover the creativeness to drive cultural transformations and team development. Their research-based, interactive programs empower leaders to unlock their creative mindset and adapt to change so they can thrive in today’s complex world.

Today’s episode is made possible by the support of the EastPoint Partners. Connecting you with an unparalleled Asia-wide network of corporates, governments and investors.

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With early voting now complete, a shade under 37% of eligible voters have already voted in Korean Presidential election. This number is a full ten percentage points higher than the previous record and is even more significant as it occurred during the peak of the Omicron wave with nationwide cases topping 208,000 daily.

Today Choi Kyung Mi and Alex Jensen discuss the late merger of the conservative ticket, the major pledges of each party and the reasons behind the record early voter turnout.

The merger of the Yoon Seok Yeol ticket with the Ahn Cheol Soo ticket was announced last Thursday at a joint press conference. The lateness of the merger is problematic for a plethora of reasons.

Firstly, the voting ballots have already been printed with Ahn listed as a separate candidate.

Secondly, overseas voting had already commenced and 161,000 expat Koreans had already voted, any vote for Ahn is in essence wasted. But more than this is a sense of betrayal from Ahn supporters who have stayed with the candidate throughout the campaign, and now find themselves compelled to support a candidate they never intended to support. Ahn acknowledged this disappointment with a handwritten note posted on his Facebook page.

Before the poll blackout was imposed, candidates were still neck and neck. Will the merger put Yoon’s campaign over the line, or will there be enough disappointment at Ahn’s last minute machinations to swing the result towards Lee Jae Myung?

Today’s episode is made possible by the support of the Four Seasons Seoul. Providing stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Rod Rothwell, Co-Chair if KBLA and Alex Jensen discuss the stress that the current Russian invasion of Ukraine has put on one of Korea’s oldest relationships. The first Russian Korean agreement dates back to the 1880’s. During the colonial period, and the Soviet period relations obviously were much weaker, but since the birth of the Russian Federation trade has grown, till it peaked at around 30 billion in bilateral trade in 2011.

Part of this has been significant investments in Russia by Korean firms including manufacturing plants, energy assets and tourism developments.

Korea also imports more than $15 billion dollars’ worth of energy products from Russia. Coal, oil, gas and naphtha being the main fuels. This fuel is not ready to be replaced by either other sources or renewables, so there is a real security risk there.

Apart from that there has been a history of people exchanges with estimates of up to 500,000 people of Korean origin living in Russia.

How this relationship will cope with the stress of the current situation remains to be seen.

Today’s episode is made possible by the support of the Innovation Center Denmark Korea.

David Tizzard recently wrote a piece for the Korea Times, ‘What if Ahn were King.’ In it he reflected on the derision many people show towards Ahn Cheol Soo as a serious political candidate and postulates why. Korean media constantly talks about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, And Ahn is the only candidate with any experience running a tech company. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and Ahn is the only candidate with any medical professional experience, so where does the derision come from.

Alex and David then discuss the basic differences between the big two and what it might mean after March 9. Both acknowledge the difference between the rhetoric needed to garner support, and the compromise needed to govern effectively. Whatever their statements towards wage levels, working hours, real estate supply are during an election, their working policies will most likely be moderated.

David also comments on the kinds of candidates we seem to be getting, not just in Korea, but also worldwide. As David says, “We are seeing that the quality of leadership is sometimes not what it once was. We are getting people to those positions on the back of social media campaigns and images rather than actual depth to their character.”

As David says,“ It feels like at the moment with everything that's going on around the world, we're living through history with a capital H. With COVID, the fourth industrial revolution, the situation unfolding in Ukraine, the world is not the same place. At this time more than ever, to be the president of any country must be a hell of a responsibility.”

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Choi Kyungmi and Alex Jensen begin the penultimate week of the Korean Presidential election. Lee Jae Myung and Yoon Seok Yeol continue to vie for the undecideds. At the same time there are conflicting reports of the on-again, off-again merger of the two conservative candidates. Yoon’s camp and Ahn Cheol Su’s camp putting out different messages on the state of negotiations.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops brought foreign policy into the election again. All major candidates, with both Lee and Yoon forced to clarify their statements about the conflict. Rather than showing their diplomatic skills.

Historically, up to 30% of Koreans do not choose their candidate until the final week of the campaign. This unpredictable campaign continues to be an extremely tight race, with undecideds now being key to the result.

On Thursday, the Innovation Center Denmark released a report titled, Outlook on Hydrogen Economy and Roadmap. To discuss the report, its implications and the growing partnership between Korea and Denmark in the hydrogen economy, Alex Jensen is joined by Harry Oh Country Representative of Bloom Energy in Korea, Lars Kruse Director, Markets and Projects APAC for COWI, Dilshod Akbarov, Project Manager Energy and Environment Sector at Intralink and Bae Sungyou, Innovation Officer at Innovation Center Denmark Seoul.

The discussion dives deep into the status and near future of the hydrogen economy and how Korean and Denmark are well situated to synergize by dovetailing on each other’s strengths and challenges. Denmark is well situated in terms of upstream hydrogen elements such as gather electricity from offshore windfarms and use that energy to generate green hydrogen.

Korea on the other hand, is well placed in terms of applications and downstream solutions. Companies such as SK, GS, and POSCO are continuing to invest in hydrogen. Hyundai has committed 11.4 trillion won to its hydrogen-based business.

No one doubts that the moving to a hydrogen-based economy is not challenging, as Harry Oh from Bloom Energy says, “The devil as always in in the details when it comes to delivering innovation. Although it would be nice if Korean companies could do anything, that’s just not realistic. Hydrogen is a team sport.”

The conversation then moved to the increasing need for and speed of development in the sector. Many countries such as Demark are at or remarkably close to 100% renewable for the energy sources, while Korea in this respect lags. But as the global price of offshore wind power continues to fall, Korea has an excellent opportunity to put its fast follower skills into practice.

As these kinds of cross-border partnerships continue to develop, Koreans can look forward to a future not only of greener mobility, but also greener energy and manufacturing sectors. All key to achieving net zero by 2050.

Yesterday, PowerPT presented Podium Star Pitch Tournament. Alex Jensen was able to talk about the event with Jonathan Moore, Chief Innovation Officer at PowerPT and Host of the event and Abhishek Srivastava Executive Director of Teknobuilt, today’s winner. The event began with sixteen startups, this field was then narrowed to 8, who had the chance to give a 1-minute elevator pitch to an audience, unlike other events where the judging was done by investors. At Podium Star, the 300-strong audience voted for the startups they thought were strongest. The final four then gave a longer pitch to the event judges. A real trial by fire for the startups and an amazing way to build your pitching skills.

As Jonathan says, “I think all of the teams did get something out of it. They learned how to express themselves in 1-minute and let people know what they do, how they do it, why they do it, and how well they are doing it. That’s a powerful skill for anyone.”

Abhishek explains Teknobuilt’s platform. As he says, “Every time a big infrastructure or Smart City project happens. There are multiple engineers and contractors that come together with separate teams, and siloed systems that often cannot talk to each other. The result is poor visibility and 80% of projects struggle with delays, cost overruns and safety issues. My brother Yogesh faced a lot of these stresses, so we teamed up to build a platform that connects the entire process of construction, boosting productivity.”

PowerPT hosts Podium Star to connect startups with investors by developing their communication and pitching skills, whether it’s an elevator pitch or a full slide deck pitch.

Today's episode was brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering you an unparalled Asia-wide network connecting you with corporates, investors and governments.

Jonathan Cleave, Managing Director of Intralink Korea is a well known and respected member of the Korean business community. His commitment to Korea is evident in his completion of the coursework for both his Masters degree and a Ph.D. in Korean at SNU.

Since starting at the Korean office of Intralink in 2014, he has witnessed Korea’s transformation from a country obsessed with exports and import substitution, to a vibrant economy that is able to attract investors and partners to its growing tech, renewable energy and financial sectors.

In this discussion with Alex Jensen, Jonathan previews a major event being hosted by the Innovation Denmark Center Seoul on Thursday to discuss the opportunities that exist in the Hydrogen economy between Korea and Denmark.

Julia Mellor CEO and Founder of The Sool Company returns to koreabizcast to discuss the status of Korean tradition alcohol in general and the enormous potential for growth in both in Korea and abroad. Alex and Julia have a great conversation on the topic of opportunities in the Makgeolli and traditional Korean alcohol.

As Julia says, “I've been doing education and services for years now. And this has grown a portfolio of people wanting to open breweries internationally. Now, I, am now looking at opportunities abroad, because to be honest, now's the time. This perfect storm of conditions where Korean products, Korean awareness is easy to access market. Whereas, maybe six, seven years ago, it would have been a lot harder to do. But it's just that we are in this moment of something where Korea is easier to access.”

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

Alex Jensen and Choi Kyungmi discuss the latest machinations, polls and possibilities. With less than three weeks to go Ahn Cheol Soo has ruled out a joint ticket with Yoon Seok Yeol. In an election campaign full of twists, this rejection is not seen as a final refusal. All possibilities still seem possible until February 28, the day the ballot tickets are printed.

Recent polling has conservative candidate Yoon Seok Yeol consistently ahead progressive Lee Jae Myung. However, with Ahn Cheol Soo’s candidature, a joint conservative ticket would enjoy a healthy lead. The candidate himself suggested the idea earlier in the week.

However, after tragedy struck Ahn Cheol Soo’s campaign last week the Ahn appears to change his mind. As most know, the campaign was suspended to mourn the loss of a local campaign chief and a bus driver and visit a second bus driver recovering from a similar accident.

With eighteen days to go, Yoon has a consistent lead in the polls. However, given the recent rises and falls in polling numbers, it seems that this race will be a tight one.

This episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offers an unparalleled Asia-wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Last week, RDI Worldwide hosted People Matter 2022. A Virtual HR Conference held over two days. Today, a week later, CEO Gordon Dudley and Principal Consultant, Eric Sung Him Wan talked with Alex Jensen on what happened at the conference, what were their own key learnings and their viewpoint on the advantages of virtual conferences over offline ones.

The conference had 8 sessions that covered a wide range of topics from the metaverse, Korean market opportunities, Diversity & Inclusion on women in leadership as well as the critical skills in a volatile marketplace.

All of the topics were future facing topics, as we learn more and more than for successful businesses, people really do matter.

As Gordon says, “There have been some important shifts in the relationship between employees and employers, increasingly people really do matter. Right now, HR related activities have come to the fore and become more important than ever before. Companies are looking at these issues to find better alignment between work and life, and to make better leaders.”

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Craft meats, maybe a new term to some, but George Durham of The Salt House is turning it into a successful business. Alex Jensen and George discuss the humble beginnings, making bacon in a cardboard box with wood pellets in his studio apartment to a hectic business selling at three retail outlets, online and B2B catering, The Salt House is a story of a dedicated small team taking an idea and seeing how far it can go.

Two great quotes from George.

“I don't believe in authenticity, we focus on giving people what they want in terms of taste or experience. We don't care about following the rules. If a traditional French sandwich is a certain way, but Koreans prefer more butter, then we put more butter on the sandwich. we listen to our customers, we adapt and that has driven the popularity.”

“Terms of scaling up, it was very much just learning on the job, honestly. Because the bigger you get, the fewer YouTube tutorials there are really like if you want to make a slab of bacon, in your in your fridge at home, you can you can find it online, it's very easy. If you want to make two tonnes of ham a week. Those that technique those tricks, they aren't really shared.”

The Korean digital asset market outlook for 2022: Crypto trading, NFT gaming and NFT trading Earlier this year, Oleg published a Digital Assets 2022 Outlook: South Korea. Summary of 2021 and Predictions for 2022.

Alex Jensen spoke to Oleg Smagin, Blockchain Business Senior Manager at Cocone a company at the forefront of the merging of digital lives with reality.

Together they go through some major points of content with regard to digital assets.

The Korean market, with 5.8 million unique traders in Korea, how does Korea rate as an earlier adopter?
What are the key concerns about regulation? Too much, not enough, or the wrong sort?
What is the kimchi premium? Why does it exist?
Is the hype behind NFTs subsiding? Is there really some value there?
How will the NFT gaming market (or play-to-earn) affect the ‘normal’ gaming item shops?
Is NFT merchandise produced by companies like HYBE (BTS’s) management company putting teenagers at risk? Will teenagers even buy an NFT, or will they want the physical item?

Alex Jensen Speaks to Johnson Penn, CEO and Founder of EcoLinks a renewable energy project development, financing and asset management platform. Cameroon-born Johnson cam to Korea in 2017 to study at Handong Global University. While living in Pohang he learnt Korean and began to build a plan for the future.

EcoLinks is aimed at creating a sustainable world where anyone can access clean and reliable energy. In a very convenient way, through EcoLinks, investors can choose the investment amount they want, search for a project that matches their profile and then invest through Paypal, Kakao pay or any of the other major payment services. So far he has developed three projects in Cameroon, two of which are already producing solar energy, and the third is almost fully invested.

EcoLinks mission is to bring clean energy to underprivileged societies and helping them emerge from poverty. They are already seeing really satisfying the end results.

As Johsnson says, "We are looking to get into carbon emission reduction projects, because it’s much more urgent than any other thing right now. We really need to act, to cut down on carbon emissions and promote any form of technology."

Today's episode brought to you by the Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

With the Beijing Winter Olympics in full swing, Alex Jensen and Choi Kyungmi look at the controversies surrounding the games. They also discuss how these events have feed into the electioneering of the major candidates. Finally, they provide important background into the complex relationship between Seoul and Beijing.

Fama Ndiaye is Co-Founder at KbeautyFest Global and CEO of Kworld Media. She is an expert in Korean Culture and K-beauty Marketing & Management. She speaks from France with Alex Jensen on the attractiveness of K-beauty to Europeans, the philosophy behind K-beauty.

K-beauty is a $6 billion dollar a year industry and is part of the tsunami of Korean soft power. As Fama says, “This is not just a trend, this is something that is going to stay because Korean beauty philosophy is unique. It includes the whole. Healthy eating, taking good care of yourself as well as healing you skin. I think there's going to be such a good bridge between France and Korea, so this is a great opportunity for somebody like me who really wants to spread knowledge about Korean beauty.”

Growing at 15% a year, K-beauty exports will rise in importance in the years ahead, unlike other country’s cosmetics industries, k-beauty sales increase during COVID. They continue to resonate with people from across the world as people like Fama work with manufacturers to improve their inclusivity.

We look forward to hearing much more from Fama on her return to Korea.

Today's episode is brought to you by the Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Alex Jensen and Genya Smagin from SK Telecom Strategic Investments, give us an insight into important parts of Korean business. Genya begins by recapping the major acquisitions that have occurred and will occur in the gaming industry. Starting with Microsoft’s $68.7 Billon dollar acquisition of the Activision Blizzard stable. Titles from this stable include; Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Candy Crush Saga. Alex and Genya discuss the short term, and long term impacts of such deals on the Korean gaming industry.

The pivot from this to a discussion on how NFT gaming and meta gaming will also impact the broader gaming market. These new forms of playing, earning and not earning are going to strategically shift the market.

The next topic is the IPO market in Korea. 20 million people in Korea participated in IPO’s last year, a phenomenal amount. Koreans are looking at equity markets to hedge against inflation and avoid the low bank interest rates. But Genya’s concern is that there might be some people with out the internal fortitude needed to prosper in equity markets. He reminds us of Warren Buffet’s consistent purchases in Coca-Cola and Bank of America over flash stocks. He reminds us that there is no such thing as a good stick or a bad stock, there are just good prices and bad prices.

Alex Jensen talks with Kim Minjung, Founder and CEO of KoreaPEN and Le Linh, KoreaPEN's Project Manager about the mismatch between Korean industry and young Koreans. In 2022, there is an ever-widening gap between students spending a lot of time studying libraries to get good scores and certificates which are not considered useful in companies. In response companies are becoming increasingly hesitant about hiring university graduates. Internships have evolved away being a pathway to fulltime employment to a skill-building exercise.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering an unparalleled Asia wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Alex Jensen talks innovation, diversity and inclusion and what it takes to thrive for 30 years in a tough business world. Kim Youngmi (May) the Country President of Henkel Korea and JW Min, head of Operations at the same company invited Alex to visit Henkel Korea’s downtown headquarters in Mapo.

Henkel, founded in Germany in 1876, first came to Korea with a simple distribution business model. Nowadays however it manages several top brands in adhesives, beauty and laundry and home care.

Kim Youngmi discusses the importance of innovation is tough markets, as well as how the company is improving its diversity and inclusion work to respond to the changing nature of doing business in Korea.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Stylish luxury in the heart of Seoul.

Korean Presidential Election: 30 days out and still too close to call. Alex Jensen and Choi Kyungmi discuss the status and importance of the upcoming Korean presidential elections. Whatever the outcome, we are going to see profound changes. It's not going to be continuity. There will be some real change in real estate, business policies, as well as geopolitics and Korea’s pandemic response.

NB The second debate mentioned in this interview has been cancelled.

Since September 10 this year, koreabizcast has put on 59 episodes. In this final episode for 2021, Alex, Hailey, and Rod chat about their favorite episodes, what they feel they have accomplished and what they are looking forward to in 2022.

According to Rod, some themes have emerged over the three and a half months; diversity of business, transition towards a carbon-free economy and the changing face of ‘how’ we do business in Korea.

Hailey highlights the startups she has met during the season, as well as the government that are really motivated to find out more about the startup scene here in Korea. The way that the ecosystem is developing so quickly here, both through domestic programs such as Born2Global and overseas-based programs such as Techstars.

For Alex, it was the chance to not only meet some of the most interesting people in Korea, but also hear what they had to say about their favorite topics. Alex was also amazed at the range of business topics that generated such great conversations on social media and encouraged follow up episodes.

Looking towards 2022, KBLA will take a break now for approximately one month. We aim to back on air on January 24.

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Around 2013, Jason Boutte began wondering, why with all of these delivery apps available in Korea, why he couldn’t get the food he wanted. “Why can’t I get a burrito delivered?” He looked around and wondered if there was an opportunity, or whether he was missing something. After some investigating, he decided to, ‘stop complaining and solve my own problem.’ He began Ynot Takeout with three scooters bought for 300,000 won each and launched his first iteration.

He formed Shuttle in 2016 through merging his company with Bird Riders after his CMO, Mark Boesch helped Jason see a bigger picture, where Shuttle had strengths in customer service, a better selection of must-have restaurants and being known as a bilingual service, Bird Riders strengths were in a wider delivery area, better rider-solutions and a more sophisticated website.

Into their 5th year, Shuttle is well established in Seoul and is also servicing communities in Osan, Pyeongteak, Daegu and Busan with a wider selection of foods than most other delivery apps, and a great CX as well.

Today’s episode was brought to you buy Eastpoint partners. Connecting you with an unparalleled Asia-wide network of corporates, governments and investors.

On the same day that President Moon signed an agreement with Australia to boost exports of rare earths to Korea, it is the prefect time to discuss the Korea-Australia partnerships next iteration. Ross Gregory has built his career deep diving into the needs of his clients and working with them to develop long term solutions.

Now as Executive Director of Altor Capital in Korea his is bringing all of his knowhow and experience to bear on helping Korean high-tech manufacturers secure the critical minerals and rare earths they need.

As Ross says, Korea’s advanced manufacturing is the powerhouse of the economy. Korea produces right across the whole of the EV ecosystem, everything from the production of cathodes and anodes, separators electrolytes as well as all the major components of cells. Korea, along with China and Japan also leads in cell manufacturing. Household names such as SK and LG energy solutions, Samsung SDI, POSCO, as well as Hyundai and Kia. All these firms have a global footprint, and they all security in their supply chains.

Given this, Australia is once again Korea’s natural partner. However, whereas previously it may have been sustainable to secure resources on a spot rate, or longer-term contracts, long-term investments are now required to secure upstream supply.

The current geopolitics are a factor here as well, as China looks to secure its own needs in its energy transition, it is vital for Korea’s national security to do the same.

Through Chris Sotomayor’s experience coaches executives he’s witnessed how corporate culture in Korea is changing, and indeed has changed. His first experience in Korea for McKinsey was over twenty years ago. It was then that he realized around then that he needed to pivot away from consulting and focus on coaching people because he saw the impact of regular 1:1 or group coaching sessions had on an individual or small group.

In his current role as Head of PERSOLKelly Consulting Group Korea he is able to bring his twenty plus years of experience in coaching to help Korean and expat leaders improve themselves.

Chris describes a rewarding coaching experience as one where an executive either receives feedback that there are areas around communication they need to make, or they realize themselves that they need to improve in areas, and then they reach out to an executive coach. They design the coaching program, conduct a 360 assessment, and then dive into the work. The first step is to isolate two or three small, yet high impact changes that the executive needs to make to communicate with their team.

The role of the coach is to be a sort of objective guide, that helps the executive make the changes agreed upon. And if that leader improves, that can have a significant impact on the culture of a company on the success of a company on the growth of a company.

Today’s Episode was brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Dulwich College Seoul’s new Inquiry Hub has just won the prestigious AIA International Region Award. The award-winning architect, SNU Professor John Hong and Dulwich College Seoul’s Head of Primary, Jane Smith talk with Alex about using space to encourage independent inquiry and a love of books.

The remit given to John was a highly usable space that sold books to young children while also offering spaces to individuals, small groups and classes that they could relax in, research independently and then share ideas.

John’s team came back with a mini city, a place where children felt that they have a sense of agency. An urban interior with various levels, a European tower that is accessible for all ages, abilities and tastes. All of this achieved in a remarkably small space.

John also discusses the process of team design, his previous projects, and his passion for designing libraries.

Jane then discusses how her experiences as a child in Victorian-style libraries in the UK encouraged her to turn her ideas upside-side down when it came to this project. She wanted to vanquish the rows of books and the silence and instead create a joyful experience for children to explore and collaborate.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering a Asia-wide network with connections to corporates, governments and investors.

Mark Patton is a level three Bourbon sommelier. He runs the Korea Bourbon Club, and quite recently his wife Oh Sook Hyun has opened the Whisky Bible near Yongsan Station. A major reason for Sook Hyun’s decision to open a high-end independent whisky retail shop has been a seismic progression in the way Whiskey is appreciated in Korea. The modern-day image of whiskey that Mark and Sook Hyun want to put top-of-mind is of a sophisticated and fashionable beverage, on equal footing with wines and high-end Korean liquor.

To do this, Mark and Sook Hyun spend a lot of time working with people to improve their noses and palates as well as their whisky vocabulary.

As Mark says, “When you're doing whiskey, I can image a picture in my head. So, if I drink an Islay, I don’t just stop at ‘smoke’ I some grilled fish cooked over coal briquettes.” Both he and Sook Hyun are also great whisky storytellers. Whether you attend a (virtual) whisky tasting or visit the Whiskey Bible, you can learn the backstory of the whiskeys.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city

Sarah Philomena Schmidt and her business partner Giacomo Mason are creating 3D virtual spaces for advertisers with their company, VSLB. These vivid virtual spaces were originally used in the architectural world as 3D renderings, but as Sarah says, “life happens.”

Sarah and Giacomo were approached a personal contact to pivot their renderings toward advertising. They then began creating and designing virtual architecture for brands to place their products into so that their customers can experience the products in a visually stunning environment anytime they like.

The two are growing organically and have already been accepted into an accelerator program. Their target looking to see how technologies such as gamification can be leveraged by brands to attract customers.

VSLB is a true marketing-technology, enabling brands a presence in their customers’ digital lives.

This episode is made possible with the support of Eastpoint Partners. Offering an unparalleled Asia wide networking connecting with corporates, governments and investors.

Grenoble and Korea, two innovation strongholds building deep networks and ecosystems Veronique Pequignat, Director International Actions, Invest in Grenoble Alpes and Hailey Yang the Korean Director of Invest in Grenoble Alpes and KBLA CoChair discuss a deepening relationship between the Capital of the Alps and the Miracle of the Han River.

The two cities share many things despite the difference in size and location, both are deep in semiconductors. Grenoble accounts for30% of semiconductor professionals in France. Secondly, both cities have impressive startup ecosystems. Finally, both are betting their futures on finding innovative ways to work together, as evidenced by Naver Labs having established the largest AI research center in Europe in Grenoble. Hyundai Motors has also recently concluded its second round of funding for a deep tech startup in Grenoble.

Beyond semicon and startups, Going forward, both Veronique and Hailey expect the Green business opportunities to increase. With both cities being surrounded by mountains, air quality is a key concern. Grenoble has been designated the European Green Capital for its leadership in protecting its local environment. In 2022, delegations from Korea will visit Grenoble to learn and benchmark their environmental protection action plans.

All of these exchanges are basically people-to-people exchanges. Generating as many diverse and challenging roles of talented young people is a key outcome for the Grenoble-Korea Partnership.

Everything is made of chemicals, are chemicals becoming safer, and more sustainable? Scott Watkins, Chief #Sustainability Officer at KISCO shares his multi-pivot journey from #PhD, researcher and then innovation exploiter in Australia to Chief Marketing Officer and recently, CSO at one of Korea’s major #chemical firms.

Along with his personal journey, Scott shares how chemical companies like KISCO have moved from the position they were 30 or 40 years ago, where chemical companies were seen as some of the worst polluters. Since then, multiple forces such as national and international regulations, as well as increasing customer demands have brought a real focus on the safety of chemicals that we use in industry every day.

Scott also reminds us of the scale of chemical industry underlies its importance. KISCO customers run from clothing and dye companies to electronic display companies and also to the semi-conductor industry as well. All reliant on companies like KISCO and their supply chains.

Supply chain fragility is an issue key to KISCO and Korea. KISCO’s response has been to deepen its chain. Scott explains; instead of purchasing a semi-finished product and then turning it into the final product, KISCO works out how to turn the raw material into the semi-finished product as well, or at least a few more of the steps.

Scott’s discussion with Alex helps us understand both the scale and the complexity of modern chemical companies.

Please see the comments section below for links to our major #podcast channels

Today’s episode is brought to you by Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

YouTube, Adsense, cryptocapital gains, and workingvirtually are all changing the tax we pay Christie Lee talks with Alex about the unique and changing face of taxes in Korea as well as how she kept her business growing during the pandemic.

Christie Lee runs Hana Tax, one of the few tax firms that specialize in providing services to expats and foreign-base companies in Korea. Over 15 years she has grown her business, through the global financial crisis, and now through the pandemic she has been able to pivot quickly and effectively.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped Christie’s business development, but it has changed. Gone are the endless chamber events and networking evenings. She has become a prolific content creator on LinkedIn, her own blog and Instagram.

He business has also changed, as the diversity of business in Korea continues to grow, so are the needs or her clients. How can I stop Google withholding my income? What if I work in Korea for an overseas company as a freelancer? As a social media influencer, I have multiple sources of income, some in Korea, some overseas, what do I do?

Christie also helps young Koreans sort out their crypto-tax liability, with the recent postponement of the crypto-capital gains tax giving a break to Korea’s most common traded product.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering you an unparalleled Asia-wide network of connections to corporates, governments and investors.

Ian Matthews Founder of Zenbok talks with Alex about #welltech, technology based in mobile phones and other #wearables to keep track of your heart rate and other bio-essential data. Although not an automatic #technophile, Ian discusses with Alex how he uses #welltech as a personal wellness and self-care coach.

Ian in fact took a 20-year sabbatical from technology before being approached to help develop wellness mobile app. From this experience he began exploring how far welltech had come.

Not just for basic devices such as #Fitbit and other cardio devices, but also apps that help with breathing better, oxygen levels, improved mental health, correcting posture and monitoring other vital #biorhythms.

Ian lives in the real world, he knows that constant self-monitoring can cause its own stress, so he lets us know that periodic, even monthly monitoring of key indices like heart rate variability (HRV) can be enormously helpful.

For those new to the idea of health coaching, Ian breaks it down. Health Coaching is so much about just awareness, giving people that awareness, and then nowadays, welltech can gently nudge people into healthier habits such as morning exercise, smaller dinners, and even cold showers.

Balance is key to Ian’s advice to clients, and he balances his wellness advice, mainly focused on the physical side with mental #wellbeing, and #personalcare.

Ian works with his clients to help them learn more about their bodies, and their minds to give them better options, as well as being a trusted accountability partner to help them build healthier habits.

Ian separates the role of #healthcoach from doctor. A doctor treats illness, but a health coaches form deeper and personal relationships with their clients to see what’s really going on with them and how they could be improving.

Ian’s work with clients is great in that it reminds us that the role of technology is to enhance our lives.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Dr. Martin Henklemann inherits a strong legacy of cooperation between Korea and German, both well known for their strong manufacturing, bioscience, drive for innovation and outstanding work ethic. He has only been in situ as President and CEO of the AHK Korea, (German Chamber of Commerce in Korea) for 8 months, but he brings a wealth of experience in international trade and cooperation.

Alex and Martin discuss the recent Innovation Awards hosted by AHK Korea. Winners came from all sectors and included Kakao Enterprises. dSPACE Henkel Korea, and Proglove. Its great to see the chamber recognize these innovative companies and showcase them to a wider audience.

On a lighter note, Alex and Martin share their love of football, with Alex being a passionate Crystal Palace supporter, and Martin supporting his hometown team of Monchengladbach, both unfortunately suffering from an empty trophy cabinet. If Korea is able to open up in 2022, both hope to attend K-League game sin person.

The role of AHK Korea is probably well known to koreabizcast listeners, but it might not be known that it is actually the second largest foreign chamber in Korea. Adding to this strength in numbers, is strength in brand power with household name such as Deutsche Bank, BMW, Benz, Porsche, Miele, as well as powerful B2B brands such as Merck, BASF and Daimler Trucks. This was evidenced last week at the Seoul #mobility Show where German car brands were well represented.

Martin wraps up by looking at how the Korea-German partnership may evolve in the future away from the heavy manufacturing focus of previous times to industries such as biotechnology, aged care and autonomous driving.

This episode was brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering you an unparalleled Asia-wide network to connect you with corporates, governments and investors.

Koreabizcast’s Choi Kyungmi analyzes the current state of the #Korean #Presidentialelection with just 100 days to go. Then Rod Rothwell discusses the #koreabizcast as it approaches some key first #milestones. Unlike previous elections, this one is way too close to call. Previously with three months to go there have been clear frontrunners. But in 2021, nothing is normal. Some polls have #opposition candidate #YoonSeokYoul as far as 9.4% ahead, while other polls have it within the margin or error. What we know for sure is that Lee Myoung Jae has a fight on his hands.

Both candidates are now facing prosecutorial probes for past transgressions. And it seems that the general public is despondent at their options, perhaps this is a key reason for that lack of a definite frontrunner.

The second interview is with Rod Rothwell, KBLA CoChair. Alex and Rod segue from talking about the poll closeness to the technology used by pollsters to the KBLA and koreabizcast.

What Rod wants is a candidate that will continue to support the growing diversity of business that the KBLA and koreabizcast are committed to showcasing.

The KBLA is fast approaching 50 episodes and 3,000 downloads. A great achievement in two and a half months. This has been driven by a new community of people wanting to find out more about business in Korea, and of people wanting to share their stories.

KBLA and koreabizcast would like to thank everyone who has joined our community so far. From next week we will be opening membership and look forward to hearing from as many people as possible.

With almost twenty years’ experience working across Asia, Christian Groeger, President and CEO of Eppendorf Korea, talks with Alex about the opportunities of working in a high growth market. Christian Groeger, President and CEO of Eppendorf Korea, talks with Alex about the opportunities of working in a high growth market as well as the unique challenges that his Company Eppendorf Korea faces to become a more #sustainable company, while maintaining the highest possible quality standards.

There is no doubt that the #biotech scene in Korea is a hotspot in the economy. Tipped to become a $10 billion dollar industry, it is made up of established Korean firms, small hungry #startups, and a scattering of #multinationals, all vying for a place in an intensely competitive market.

Christian and Alex discuss how Eppendorf has grown since he established in Korea in 2012. Prior to that the company worked with a general distributor. Christian arrived already knowing Korea quite well, but a relative #newcomer to the industry. He has grown his business and his team to now a thriving concern.

One of the key takeaways from this interview is getting Christian’s view on the people he is looking for in his team. He advises that younger people get as much practical experience as they can in leadership, sales and marketing so that they can offer something more than a sparkling GPA to his team.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city

Australia and Korea, today and tomorrow, much more than just trading partners Ron Green, Australian Trade Commissioner at Austrade’s Seoul office and Alex Jensen discuss the trade and economic links between Korea and Australia. The symbiotic nature between Korea and Australia might not be well know outside the relevant bilateral bodies, but it is one of the closest trading relationships anywhere. The bilateral began in earnest in 1971 when #POSCO first its first long term contract in 1971. From there, trade between the two countries has grown and grown, in 2019 it was worth $41.3 billion.

The recent #ureacrisis in Korea shows how well the partnership can work. Within days of realizing there was a crisis in Korea, Ron Green and his team reached out to Australia’s only commercial urea plant. They retooled from fertilizer mixing to diesel water and had it ready for Korean Air Force Flights in days.

Ron and Alex then move on to perhaps the hottest topic in #koreanmobility, #hydrogen. Even though, right now the cost of hydrogen is far from economic, Korea and #Hyundai in particular are partnering with Australia to move beyond battery #EVcars as soon as possible. Although possibly 10 years away, both countries are absolutely determined to make hydrogen work at the vehicle level for passenger vehicles as well as heavy trucks.

With its clear advantages in solar and wind power generation, Australia is again Korea’s natural partner in building a world class hydrogen economy.

Korea and Australia agreed to this before #COP26. They committed to forging a technology partnership, mutually beneficial to both countries that enables both to move towards carbon neutrality and resource security. The targeted areas include, not only hydrogen production, but also #carboncapture and storage, #criticalminerals and #greensteel. These are areas where Australian and Korean governments have to cooperate in order to facilitate industry take up.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint partners, offering you am unparalleled Asia-wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Steve Jobs once said that the only way to do great work was to love what you do. Lewis Patterson and MinGu Jun are real life examples of that. Both of them are committed to helping businesses thrive in the circular economy. Their vehicle is the Korean chapter of Sustainable Brands (SB), a global community of business innovators that share ideas and create connections while helping to create a sustainable economy.

Lewis and Mingu were surprised when they approached Korean companies about creating a SB conference in Seoul. They found a real desire to showcase ideas, build connections and adopt best practices. The first conference in 2016 was focused on sustainable packaging, and from there is grew to a much wider view of sustainability.

While there are many conferences in Seoul, the advantage of working with a platform like SB is that Korean companies are able to build global links. There have been some major successes built around the connections formed at SB Seoul.

Alex, MinGu and Lewis also discuss the current status of the circular economy in Korea. Lewis is quick to point out they although high-profile, plastic packaging is not the high-value target. Instead he suggests that designing closed-loop systems is where the real value is.

This is where SB has real value, they offer their members a Brand Transformational Roadmap, a tool to for companies to use across their entire business: Operations, SCM, production, service and governance.

The conversation then moves on to greenwashing, a term used to describe companies that don’t walk their talk when it comes sustainability. This is a hot topic, and it runs into the other killer buzzword for 2021, ESG, although in Korea the G seems to be the focus in ESG, there is a growing sense of building a pathway for a company to become more sustainable.

All of the topics and more will be discussed at the SB Seoul Conference which will be held as a hybrid conference February 24-25 find out more at seoul@sustainablebrands.kr

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Gordon Dudley sheds light on the nuts and bolts of setting up a business in Korea. As much as it has improved in the 11 years that he has been in Korea, setting up a business in Korea is not easy. Gordon successfully launched RDI Worldwide in 2016 and is now passing on what he learned.

If you are coming in directly, as a Foreign Direct Investment which would have required 100 (now 300) million won in incoming capital. Gordon was able to go a much less capital-intensive route, he set up a sales-office as a subsidiary of a foreign company, which avoided the capital requirement, but still allows him to operate.

Gordon then discusses the challenge of finding the right business partners, either inside the company as directors, or outside the company as client feeders. The client feeder model may sound enticing, but Gordon’s experience left him questioning the decision.

However, there are some partners, you must have in starting a business, Gordon goes through these must-haves and what to look for in them. He also recommends shopping around and driving hard for a price level that you can afford.

For new businesses, Gordon recommends looking at the shared office space, for simplicity and again avoiding the large upfront capital requirements. The shared office options in Korea are continuing to improve, no longer the domain of large companies such as WeWork, there are smaller options able to tailor to a young business’ needs.

Alex and Gordon wrap up their conversation by reflecting on the missteps that Gordon has taken in starting his own business and how he overcame them.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners Limited. Offering a unparalleled Asia-wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Oleg Smagin provides a great background for everyone on how crypto was sparked and developed into a burgeoning career with Alex.

Oleg Smagin career in crypto shows how the blockchain-based currencies continue to develop new opportunities. The company he works for, Delio, offers investigative services including digital asset backed lending, decentralized finance, and custodial solutions.

Their goal is to generate passive income for their users as well as lending services. They are also currently looking into building businesses in decentralized finance and NFT.

Decentralized finance is the ability to buy & sell different tokens without relying on an intermediary. In the NFT space, Delio is looking to build a market place, where verified creators can offer NFTs.

Oleg and Alex discuss the growing sense of legitimacy around the crypto industry. Unlike previously where tokens were simply bought and sold, the industry now has the ability to offer a range of services very close to what a normal bank might offer, lending, passive income etc.

Oleg also talks about how many developing countries, that previously suffered because they lacked traditional banking infrastructure have leapfrogged into crypto-banking because their populations have smartphones and are able to access their wallets much easier than a brick-and-mortar bank. On top of this, crypto currencies yields are now much more attractive that regular bank yields.

Oleg then deep dives into NFTs, explaining exactly what fungible and non-fungible means and why this offers investors and creators so many new opportunities including gamification. NFTs look like becoming a stable of the future gaming industry as a way to buy and sell game items.

Government regulation around the industry is becoming clearer, recent legislation in Korea has taken away some of the wild west feeling. Licenses, taxation and registration reassure people that they protected to at least some degree. This may take away some of the crypto original attractiveness as a decentralized place to do business, but for many others it brings reassurance.

This process of legitimization is growing, with 15% of the Korean adult population have now had at least one experience involving crypto currencies.

Jared Bruhn and John Doran speak to Alex about the state of the $12.9 billion-dollar Korean gaming industry as well as how they are preparing young Koreans to enter the industry as a career. Jared Bruhn is an Assistant Professor at the George Mason Korea, he teaches courses that cover game design, game history and online and mobile game production. John Doran is an instructor at George Mason Korea. He is a passionate technical game designer, software engineer and author.

They begin the conversation discussing what it takes to become a game designer. Yes, a passion for games is required, but what is it that separates a passion player, from an effective designer. This highly competitive world is not a casual career choice. Prospective designers need to get a solid understanding of the demands of skills required in game design.

They then talk about what its like to be a part of such a massive industry with so many titles competing head-to-head. Young designers are often passionate about a particular kind of game that might not be in fashion at the moment, how do they balance a need to be creative and have ownership, while also delivering the public what they want.

In building these skills, Mason Korea has developed a Computer Game Design BFA. This program has just begun to be offered at the Mason Korea campus, but it is well established at the main campus in Fairfax Virginia.

Students at Mason Korea spend 3-years getting to know the rigors of the career, the kinds of programming skills they’ll need as well as the skills they will need in art, design and writing. The course features a strong group focus, with many group projects that enhance communication and leadership skills as well.

As a way to spot talent, Mason Korea is supporting a progress@play exhibition at Square One in Songdo. It is open to High School students. They are challenged to come up with game ideas & designs around questions such as: how can we have better education? How can we talk about health and wellness? And how can we talk about climate action?

Then John and Jared share their views on metaverse, hype, solutionism, or a valid XR experience, or perhaps a mix of all. Where do NFTs fit into game design in the future, where item stores are already so common.

They wrap up the interview sharing their insights into the future of games and gaming, new game types, new application of gaming development skills, new gaming demographics.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul, Stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Laura McLuckie has followed her own path since her days as a language student at Kyungsung University. She shares her stories about her life in Busan, her dedication to wellness and her work in broadcasting and the media.

Not only does Laura run WellMi Wellness Solutions, she is also a regular broadcaster on Busan English Broadcasting (부산영어방송). Her other hats include, Head of Community Relations at the International School of Busan and Ambassador of the Marine Stewardship Council.

Alex talks with Laura about her most recent projects including the Busan International Wellness Conference as well as sharing how she came to understand and value mental health and wellness after she became a mother.

She also talks about thriving in Busan, a city she describes as being a little more laid back than Seoul, with a holiday feel and some really beautiful nature while also being a bustling port and a growing high-tech scene. Its this dichotomy that for her makes it such a great place to live.

Today's episode was brought to you by Eastpoint Partners Ltd, offering an unparalleled Asia wide network of relationships with Corporates, Governments and Investors.

Listen carefully to today’s master bartender Keith Motsi’s description of his, ‘Bishop’ cocktail and win 2 KRW100,000 vouchers to the Boccalino Italian restaurant at the Four Seasons Seoul. (The description begins at 16:55) Once you know the ingredients, send us a direct message via LinkedIn or drop us an email at info@kbla.net Alex Jensen, and the rest of the KBLA team, met Keith. the Head Bartender at the award winning Charles H bar in the lower lobby of the Four Season Seoul. It is a speakeasy, so you’ll have to find the door by yourself.

In an elegant side room, Alex and Keith discussed with Hailey Yang their love of cocktails, the flavors associated with festive spirits, and what it takes to become a master bartender.

Keith shares with Alex, the best way to indulge your passion making cocktails, start simple, start with friends and family, and if they like what you do, try a part-time gig. This is what Kieth did as he moved from his hometown of Leeds, in Yorkshire England down south to London, where despite studying architecture, he managed to take his mixing skills as well as his hosting skills to the next level. Keith recounts his experiences learning his trade in what he describes as a five-star dive bar.

But Charles H is something else, named after the legendary bon vivant, barman and writer is a very different experienced. Design to bring back the ambience of a prohibition-era New York bar, the focus is on fantastic service, creative cocktails and a wonderful experience.

The first cocktail that Keith shared was a twist on the festive staple, an eggnog. He makes this one with cognac, chai tea, Italian Amaro Montenegro, some custard cream and some spices on top.

Hailey Yang’s comments of this eggnog was that it felt like Christmas.

The second cocktail that Keith shared was, The Bishop. An Old-Fashioned inspired drink.

Please listen carefully to Keith’s description and send it to us via direct message at LinkedIn for a chance to wine two KRW100,000 dinner vouchers at Boccalino Italian restaurant at the Four Seasons Seoul. (The description begins at 16:55)

The final cocktail that Keith shared was an extremely festive Manhattan, a rye whiskey, with sweet Vermouth and a truffle hydro-sol, with a wonderful white chocolate and truffle garnish on top of a square ice.

Keith wraps up this festive excursion by letting everyone know that from November 22, the Charles H at the Four Seasons will have special holiday season menu with slightly more indulgent drinks for you, family and friends.

Today's Episode was brought to you by the Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the heart of the city.

Forging a fully digital business model while also forging global connections Alex talks with Kim Bosun and Oh Segyo. Both are from Asiance, a digital marketing company. Bosun is co-founder and Segyo is digital strategy consultant. Asiance began life 17 years ago as a collaboration between three people who were passionate about Asian culture and building connections between Asia and Europe.

Asiance helps companies and entrepreneurs enter into Asia. As a digital marketing agency, they fuse creativity with technology to become a brand tech partner.

An important part of Asiance, is the Asiance Academy which provides workshops and knowledge transfer to share Asiance’s 17 years of expertise and insight as widely as possible. Specifically, as the Korean digital ecosystem grows, its depth and complexity grows as well, the Asiance Academy helps people and companies navigate through the complexity.

Kim Bosun and Oh Segyo help their clients understand the potential, as well as the challenges of working with native platforms such as Naver and Kakao; how can foreign firms build channels, gain followers and communicate with their client bases through these platforms is a unique challenge that Asiance helps their clients with.

Today's episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners, offering an unparalleled Asia-wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Examining Korea’s transition towards technology and innovation exporter Alex Jensen talks with Yeon Kyu Hwang, Startup Enthusiast Innovation and Ecosystem Catalyst about Korea’s transition from importer of technology and innovation to exporter.

Yeon, Kyu Hwang (Kevin) says that he has had a series of harvests in his career, from studying in the UK, developing startup ecosystems in Daegu to now beginning a new project in Senegal to enable female entrepreneurship.

After returning to Korea from his study abroad, Kevin worked for Korean, German and American companies before finding himself CEO of the Daegu Center of Creative Economy and Innovation. Here he created ecosystems to enable startups to find the resources, talent and eventually investors to fruition.

Since then, he has been continuing to assist startups working with the Korea Productivity Center, World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) and as Head of the Center for Startup Excellence at Zephyrus Lab in Busan.

Recently he was involved in the APEC Best Award, an award to recognize the achievements of female entrepreneurs around the Pacific Rim. Korea’s Grip (그립) Company headed by Hannah Kim won the Fourth Industrial Revolution Project award.

But his focus now is with a program run by the Official Development Assistance Program of the Korean Government. Kevin is taking his skills, network and passion to Senegal, to assist them in setting up their own startup ecosystem, focusing particularly on encouraging and enabling female founders who globally are underrepresented. He will be helping the Senegalese Government scan their environment, do they have sufficient engineers? Do they have a pathway to investors? Can they get their startups to the US to access funds there?

Alex talks with two very different entrepreneurs about the passion projects. Firstly, he talks with Fama Ndiaye, Co-Founder at KbeautyFest Global and CEO of Kworld Media. Fama has made it her mission to push the Korean beauty to forge a new path of inclusion away from previously limited definitions of beauty and skin care. Secondly, Alex talks with Ryan Gossel, CEO and founder of The Camarata Music Company and Chief Conductor of the Camarata Choir.

Fama Ndiaye was studying in New York when her friends first introduced her to Korean dramas, one of her reactions was, ‘Oh my god, these women and men having amazing skins.’ This led to her investigating Korea town, New York in search of Korean beauty products. She learned about the 10-step Korean beauty regimes and was not put off by the lack of inclusive products or lack of diversity.

Instead, she turned it around, ‘These products are amazing, I want everyone to get an experience to experience them.’

Since then, she has sought to bring Korean culture and beauty products to the widest audience possible by intertwining them in her companies and projects.

Alex’s second guest today is Ryan Gossel, a founding member of the KBLA and a driving force of music and live entertainment in Seoul. In autumn 2009, Ryan wanted to gather a few people together to sing Christmas Carols. He received over 50 responses from people eager to join, with this interest and his own passion the first production of Camarata Music Company was Handel’s Messiah on December 19 2009.

For almost 10 years Ryan passionately expanded the scale of productions and the breadth of the company. He added musical theatre, chamber singing and a youth choir to the company. The choir’s productions grew and have performed over 300 times musical pieces such as Fauré Requiem, Duruflé Requiem, Mendelssohn Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem Beethoven Mass in C Major, and Schubert’s Mass amongst many others.

Ryan opened a live venue, The Studio in Haebangcheon just before the pandemic, and he discusses the challenges with Alex.

But Camarata is back with A Camarata Christmas Concert", held in the auditorium at Dwight School Seoul. Tickets available at: tickets@camaratamusic.com, or at: www.camaratamusic.org.

Air mobility technology is already here. Alex Jensen looks into it a field day display at Gimpo Airport. Alex Jensen took a quick trip west of Seoul to attend a demonstration of a commercial drone with the ability to ferry people around cities.

He first spoke to Jang Young-ki, deputy director of the Drone Transport Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport on the need to stabilize the systems and the legislation and then the support for safety of passengers. The first phase involves building out taxi services from Seoul’s two airports to the city. By 2035 it is expected however to have a nationwide commercial service available.

Alex then spoke to Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter a German company leading the field. Florian points out the great progress made in the field even within two years, and looks forward now to the development of the necessary ecosystem to bring this new transportation mode to people everywhere.

In terms of ecosystem, SK Telecom’s involvement in the demonstration day is a clear indication of the resources behind the technology. Shin Sang-hoon, team leader of SK telecom's S&C Business Division told Alex of the VPN technology being used protect the drones from outside interference such as hacking.

Alex then has an in-depth discussion with Thomas Maresca, Seoul correspondent for UPI on their view of the industry. According to Morgan Stanley, the air mobility market should be worth a trillion dollars by 2040. Between now and then, the main challenges are with the ecosystem, safety & security and whether people are ready to make the leap of faith from ground cars to air taxis and then the even greater step to fully automated air drones.

Can Squid Game, Hometown Cha Cha Cha and BTS NFTs all be linked to deep, worldwide cry for authenticity? Alex Jensen talks with SG Entertainment CFO Thomas Sommer. Thomas postulates that the success of, ‘that show’s’ can be found in our collective need to see direct consequences of our actions, in a world where we get so little visceral feedback, where we are unsure of our consequence, Squid Game shows us a world of less talk, more direct action and consequence.

Thomas then draws a line to a seemingly unrelated show, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, about a young dentist giving up the big smoke and finding connection, happiness (and love) in a small country town.

Thomas’ premise is that despite these shows being on opposite ends of the genre spectrum, their success lies I their portrayal of authenticity. As Thomas says both of these shows portray worlds in which, ‘acts trump words.’

Thomas then deep dives into why Korean writing, whether for dramas, movies or even songs are resonating so much globally. He posits that Korean writers have been dealing with the angst caused through lack opportunity to show our true selves for so many years, and now that authenticity and connection have become so rare worldwide, the result is a global need for the kind of writing that Koreans have done so well for so long.

Alex and Thomas then take a right turn into something often seen as the most inauthentic form of art and culture, NFTs. Specifically, NFTs offer the promise for fans for instance, to get part of the ownership or the ownership of a specific artifact that belongs to an idol. Thomas warns us against prejudging these kinds of transactions and realize that it is another step in building a connection between fan and talent. If the societal purpose of pop stars is to entertain, to give solace and to make the world a little brighter for a fan, then owning an artifact of the talent, even virtually is simply another connection.

As an example of this deep connection, Thomas and Alex discuss the relationship between BTS and their Army. As Thomas says, without army BTS would not have gone so far, or become who they are. At the beginning, the Army because BTS talked about themes and topics which were very relevant to them and really resonated with their deeper needs. having said that, Thomas also warns the companies surrounding BTS, to balance their need to exploit the group for profit, with the need to maintain the authenticity that brings them such devotion.

In the final stanza of the interview, Alex and Thomas look at what happens when the veneer of a Kpop star’s life is peeled back in front of the world, and the world’s reaction.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the heart of the city.

Legacy companies and startups, what drives their workplace culture, and what’s the impact on lives and results? Jem Kim and Alex Jensen have a nuanced, balanced and insightful conversation about the different workplace cultures that are both well established and also emerging in Korea. Korea was once well know for its semi-military workplace culture, with strict hierarchies, endless workplace dinners and a strong concentration on building jeong (정) between workmates.

But how has this changed with the growth of the startup scene, when a startup becomes a giant like Coupang, what kind of workplace culture does it have? Does it retain the leanness of a startup, or does it begin to resemble what Jem describes as a legacy company?

Through their conversation, Jem and Alex are careful to avoid judging one workplace culture as being superior to another. Yes, there is probably more freedom in a startup, but then again, there are fewer people to turn to for support. A feeling of shared mission can exist in both, as can a sense of progress and achievement.

And what does this mean for a non-Korean coming into a Korean company? Whether as a senior leader, or in a working level position. Are they supposed to act as catalyst for change, or are they expected to localize fully? Undoubtedly, the truth varies company to company, but in almost all cases non-Koreans spend a great deal of their days working out what they can tweak, what they can’t touch and what needs real change.

Their conversation also touches on the impact of ESG on Korean public companies as well as the succession from family-owned company structures in chaebols and other companies to more professionally managed structures. As stakeholders become more diverse it seems unlikely that a corporate leadership deriving from a single family would be able to cope with the increasing complexity of a modern corporate.

Alex and Jem wrap up their conversation by looking at two factors that are impacting workplaces cultures today, the pandemic and political forces. What will happen once companies are free to return or not to previous practices? What will happen if another center-left government comes in. Yoon Seok Youl has promised widespread deregulation to business including abandoning the 52-hour week rule.

Today’s episode was brought to you by Eastpoint Partners Asia, offering you an unparalleled Asia-wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Alex talks with Kate Kalinova, Project Manager at AustCham Korea, Director and Korea Correspondent for Asia Options and perhaps the busiest person in South Korea right now. Kate is the ideal person to talk about the reopening of Korea. As Korea progresses with its reopening, Kate has been attending, Defense Expos, Australia-Korea 60th year anniversary functions and perhaps most passionately the Seoul International Café Show.

Kate and Alex deep dive into the Australian Coffee culture, at last count Australians drink approximately two and a half times the amount of coffee that Koreans drink. At the Seoul International Café Show, you can sense the difference in Australian coffee styles. Different blends, roasting methods, and most of all different coffee concoctions. The flat white reigns supreme in Australia but is very hard to come by in Korea.

On a more serious note, Alex and Kate discuss the current supply chain security issues affecting Korea now. For many people, it seems almost unbelievable that a country could be suffering from a urea shortage. However, that’s exactly what is happening, due to cutbacks in Chinese supply, Korean farmers and diesel operators are facing severe shortages. As part of the emergency response, the Korean government is flying in 20,000 liters liquid urea from Australia.

On a broader front, the Australian-Korean economic partnership has taken another step with the setting up of the Australia Korea Low and Zero Emissions Technology Partnership. In the wake of COP26 this entity is designed to enable technology exchanges in the areas of hydrogen and other technologies to accelerate both country’s move to a low and then zero carbon economy.

Kate also lets us know about korea.net a website hosted by the Korean Ministry of Culture Sport and Tourism. They are currently recruiting volunteer reporters to showcase various aspects of Korean culture to the world. Drop them a line if you are interested.

Kate wraps up by describes the joy she has diving into Korean culture and discovering unexpected treasures like Korea’s oldest bakery, new Hanbok designs or a hidden garden.

Alex Jensen talks with two leaders about how the leadership of their companies changed in face of adversity. Lukas Beech, Partner and Head of the Korea Office of August Leadership and Rob Wilkinson, Managing Director of Colliers International Korea. The legendary leader and basketball coach, John Wooden once said that, ‘Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.’ Over the past two years leaders in all organizations have faced change, many leaders and organizations have been overwhelmed by the amount of change required and succumbed. Hertz, Brooks Brothers, J.C. Penny and Muji are part of a long list of the large corporations that closed as a result of COVID.

Today’s as a new round of change faces them, Alex talked to two leaders on how their organization reacted to the pandemic, and now how they are assessing which of those changes to keep and which to but back in the cupboard.

Lukas is a twenty-year veteran of Korea. He has been involved in Executive Search and Talent Recruitment for much of that time, he has a diverse, growing up in New Zealand, but with strong German roots he has established himself as a core member of the expat community.

Rob Wilkinson will celebrate his two-year anniversary in leading Colliers International in Korea next January. In those two years Rob has worked to build his office, and expand his business, He has also contributed to both the American and British Chambers of Commerce by sitting on various Boards and Committees.

Both leaders describe how they initially reacted to the adverse business conditions of Q1 2019, how they communicated with their head offices, their staff and their clients in new and unproven ways. As COVID settled in, they both adapted to the new normal and built the systems needed.

They both now are looking towards the reopening strategically. By and large, people still want to work in an office, but not every day. There is a declining need to be visibly busy in an office as businesses become more results orientated.

Leadership in adversity is the true test of a leader.

Today’s episode was brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul. Stylish elegance in the heart of the city.

Korea’s Presidential election combatants have been chosen, their road to net zero emissions a vital part of Korea’s economic future success. Alex Jensen talks with Choi Kyung Mi, KBLA Special Issues Reporter about Yoon Sok Yeol, the Conservative, People Power Party’s candidate for the 2020 Korean Presidential election. Yoon, a former Prosecutor General is a break from other candidates as he was the only non-career politician in the field.

Choi Kyung Mi outlines some of Yoon’s economic policy platforms such as business deregulation, more flexible labor arrangements and increasing housing supply by 2.5 million housing units.

In relation to the Glasgow COP26 conference, Yoon has committed to reversing the Moon Jae In anti-nuclear policy, while his opponent, Lee Jae Myoung has said that a carbon tax aimed at high-emission businesses would be key to his pathway to zero net emissions.

In the second interview, Alex speaks to Rod Rothwell on the Moon Jae In’s administration’s roadmap to net zero released at COP26. Rod says that the commitment is hard to put any stock in. Firstly, at the moment, Korea is importing coal at a faster rate than ever before and is also funding Vietnamese coal-fire power stations. Secondly the pathway banks on using Carbon Capture Technology that, despite being around for more than 40 years, has yet to prove its ability to significantly reduce net carbon emissions.

Rod points out that with over coal currently powering over 40% of Korea’s electricity, and renewables less than 6%, there is a lot heavier for Korean industry to do to meet the ambitious goals.

Adding to the burden is semiconductor production. Korea’s number one industry, is high-carbon emitter as 82% of its current energy needs being met by carbon fuels in 2020.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners. Offering a unparalleled Asia wide network of relationships with corporates, governments and investors.

Alex talks with Ian Matthews, Founder of Zenbok, personal wellness and self-care about the surprisingly real sources of stress in the workplace, and then with Hailey Yang CEO of Orang&Orang who is helping Koreans and Korean companies prepare for the post pandemic life in her own way. Alex and Ian begin by talking about what is really happening to us when we know we are getting angry, and yet we can’t stop it. Ian breaks down what emotional hijack means. Ian then goes into his definition of resilience and how his definition may be different from the one you are expecting.

Ian and Alex then discuss the major sources of stress at workplaces, a major new study has found that its not the pandemic, nor the pace of change, it’s actually something much much closer to us. Ian shares his own personal story of how he came to reduce his monkey mind moments and begin to build resilience one thought at a time.

Ian then really deep dives into building the habits we all need to develop, the tremendous impact of even five minutes of self-care can have on a day, as well as his Mind Gym program.

Alex then talks with Hailey Yang, who apart from helping young Koreans improve themselves while also helping Korean companies protect themselves against hacking and DDos attacks.

Firstly, Alex and Hailey talk about the project she is leading to SUNY Albany campus this winter. The purpose of the program is to help Koreans gain knowledge and skills in cyber-security. The five-week program is an impact opportunity for anyone considering a career in the field.

Hailey then talks more about her own background as an international student and how she is leveraging that experience to help not only Korean students going abroad, but also foreign students looking to get a working foothold in Korea after they have finished their studies.

Hailey shares a story from her own experience as an exchange student that imprinted upon her the desire to help students avoid the kind of negative experiences she had.

Low energy trains and high energy food. Alex Jensen talks Low energy trains and high energy food. He outlines one step in Korea’s pathway to net carbon neutrality before turning his ear to the culinary prospects for all of us as Korea reopens. President Moon Jae-in has made his promises at the 26th Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this week, stating the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, compared with peak levels in 2018, before achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Alex takes a 45 minutes KTX ride from Seoul to check out a KTX-EMU train, which is a lower energy use high speed. Built by Hyundai Rotem these electric KTX-EMU (이음) replace diesel locomotives with the goal of achieving zero direct emissions.

Alex spoke with Kim Do-han, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport Railway Operation division more about the project. Mr. Kim said that the the KTX-EMU is the very most important element if we know that the railway is a more eco-friendly alternative to trucks or individual vehicles it may have flow on effect to help us reduce carbon emissions.

Also, on board the train was Andres Sanchez Braun from the Spanish news agency EFE. Alex and Andres discuss the wider implications of the Korea’s commitment to carbon neutrality in the middle of the Glasgow COP26 Meeting. Andres, like many others have noted that Korea, with its over reliance on fossil fuel energy is lagging behind most developed economies.

Alex, Andre and Kim Do Han were all part of a showcase provided by the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport Railway Operation division to show the KTX-EMU train during the splendors of autumn in Gangwondo.

Now to high energy foods with Tood Sample, CEO of Eathentic, and Co-Owner of Nostimo, an excellent Greek dining experience in Naebang Dong.

Alex whets his appetite talking with Todd about Nostimo, before looking at his journey through the pandemic, and what it means for him and other restaurant owners as we approach reopening and traditional celebrations to mark the end of the year.

Todd talks about the recent Seoul Food Week (서울미식 주간) as an example of how Seoul’s reopening. He also talks about one the flagship events for Eathentic Cinemat (cine맛), which is the pairing of a quality film with related fine dining. In the past, Eathentic has worked with major Korean food companies such as CJ, as well as foreign embassies in Seoul to display the best cinema art with great food and wine.

Todd then wraps up by giving us his tips on the best autumn cuisine, unsurprisingly he suggest getting out of Seoul to somewhere like Namhansanseong where there are plenty of quality Korean restaurants. In Seoul, Todd suggests checking out his own restaurant, Nostimo is just 15 minutes from both Gangnam and Seoraemaeul, and a two-minute walk from Naebang station.

The road less taken, Alex Jensen talks with Genya Smagin and Ed Rimmington about their two very different paths to success in Korea. Genya Smagin, works in one of Korea's major conglomerates, SK Telecom in their M&A Team. Ed Rimmingtion is Managing Director of Gogozing Mirgration, that provides immigration services not only to Koreans, but to anyone wanting to immigrate to Australia. Their end points are very different, but their hard work ethic, commitment to reaching out and networking and passion for doing business in Korea is remarkably similar.

Genya Smagin is well know to many people because of his media work and his popular YouTube posts. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Genya and his twin brother have found their way to very interesting roles in Korea. While his brother works in blockchain, Genya works at SK Telecom helping the conglomerate find financial backing for its many growing subsidiaries while also finding partners such as Uber Technologies to fully exploit their own technology such as T Map Mobility.

Edward (Ed) Rimmington operates Gogozing Migration an independent immigration service helping Koreans follow their dreams and migrate to Australia, for study, for work, or to change their lifestyle. Although his story ended in a very different place, it began at the same spot, visiting Korea and falling in love with the country. Ed studied hard, and then worked even harder to build a personal brand strong enough to build his own business. He tirelessly built a network of supporters both in Korea and in Australia so that when he knew exactly what he wanted to do, there were people there to recommend him.

Alex uncovers the secrets to their success. Their key decisions and their strokes of good fortune along the way. These two impressive young leaders are an inspiration to everyone looking to follow their own path in Korea.

Today's episode is brought to you by Eastpoint Partners Asia, offering an unparalleled Asia wide network of relationships with Corporates, Governments and Investors

Alex Jensen talks Korean presidents, past, present and future with Michael Breen CEO of Insight Communication Consultants and author of The New Koreans. Alex and Michael begin their discussion with a reflection on the passing of Roh Tae Woo and his complicated contribution to the development of South Korea. The 1988 Seoul Olympics being juxtaposed with his participation in a coup and his three-time reelection.

Michael then discusses the amazing development he has witnessed since his arrival in Korea in 1982, both economically and politically. As the building cranes built the apartment buildings and factories, a burgeoning democracy was also being built. He discusses the times of the Three Kims, Presidents Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung and king maker Kim Jong Pil with some very interesting comments on Kim Jong Pil.

Michael then talks about an amazing three and a half hours he spent at a luncheon with 20 other journalists in Pyeongyang. He met with and listened to Kim Il Sung discuss his perspectives on the Korean War and Japanese occupation.

Moving to the present, Michael outlines his learned views on the current state of Korean politics and the potential risks in the ongoing rift with Japan. Michael wraps up by discuss the brewing tensions between the US and China and how it could impact on Korea.

A thoroughly entertaining and vital piece of context for all of us wanting to understand the political landscape of South Korea.

Today's episode was brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul, stylish elegance in the heart of the city.

The New Koreans: The Story of a Nation

Korea Reopening, what does it mean for your business? Alex Jensen talks with Rod Rothwell, CoChair of KBLA about what the reopening of Korea means for business, and what we can expect in early 2022. In the interview, Rod and Alex also discuss:

The traction koreabizcast has achieved in its first full month.
How the KBLA and koreabizcast are moving forward in November
Korea's first steps towards reopening.
The movement from online to hybrid and offline events with Korea's reopening that we can expect
The road-map to reopening as published by Korea's Government
The Apps you need in Korea on your phone to access everywhere
The need with reopening to switch away from counting cases to a more nuanced view of COVID 19
How Korea has got to the stage where reopening is possible
Now that Korea has achieved 70% first dose, what can it do to help other countries with their reopening
Korea, how is it balancing the need for reopening with human rights
The importance of trust in the media in Korea's reopening

Retail innovation is key to the outstanding success of IKEA Korea. Fredrik C. Johansson is Country Retail Manager IKEA Korea. Fredrik deep dives into the retail innovation that drives IKEA's success in Korea with Alex Jensen. Fredrik and Alex discuss the entrepreneurial spirit that he loves at IKEA and that drives the company to innovate in all aspects of their business. Not only adding retail e-commerce to the brick-and-mortar stores, but also ensuring that the human contact remains with online shopping with the human remote sales teams.

Alex and Fredrik discuss how the pandemic forced IKEA to rethink both its supply chains and its retail spaces, how would they cope with such a massive drop in available containers? How would they cope with strict limits on in-store visitors to the retail outlets?

Fredrik also discusses the impact of changing demographics have had on the IKEA business retail model. How would IKEA adapt from serving the family with kids model, to a country where 40% of people live alone as well as the extra factor of more and more elderly people living alone?

Part of the retail innovation and entrepreneurial nature of IKEA Korea is the IKEA Planning Studio in Seongsu

IKEA is a company that takes sustainability seriously, from the flat pack strategy, which reduces their supply chain carbon footprint, to the renewable and recyclable materials used in 70% of their products, to the 2030 goal of being a climate positive company.

Fredrik also looks to the future, expressing IKEA's desire to use or purchase green energy where it can, a challenge in Korea, still very much a coal-dependent country.

The interview wraps up looking at the fair trade aspects of the business model, how IKEA ensures that its suppliers, and sub suppliers receive a fair slice of the pie.

Today's episode was brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul, stylish elegance in the very heart of Seoul.

Korea is always heralded as an innovative place to do business. Today's guests, John Walker AM and Julia Mellor are two innovative business leaders who prove this. Although they work in different fields, their drive and leadership shows how much the Korean business environment is diversifying.

Alex talks with John Walker AM, Chairman of Eastpoint Partners Asia . The first order of business is to announce that Eastpoint are the newest sponsors of koreabizacast. We thank him and his team for their support.

Alex and John talk about Eastpoint Partners role in developing projects across Asia, as well as his role in Deputy Chairman of the Australia Korea Business Council which is having its 42nd Joint Meeting this week in Seoul. The AKBC meeting is happening at a key time for Australia and Korea. It is imperative for both economies that they discuss the opportunities for Australian industry and Korean industry to cooperate in areas such as, energy transition, sustainable technologies, and particularly the importing of green hydrogen, to Korea, which can be made in huge volumes in Australia. The AKBC Joint Meeting will also have sessions on critical minerals, infrastructure, agribusiness, e-commerce, health & bio and defense collaboration.

Alex then talks with Julia Mellor, Korean Traditional Alcohol Specialist & Director of The Sool Company The world's leading resource for Korean alcohol education, events & consulting in English.

Alex and Julia discuss how she is changing both Koreans' and expats' views of traditional Korean alcohol one cup at a time. She traces her journey from the regular soju, beer and somek experience that almost everyone has in Korea, to the wonderful regional diversity that exists especially makgeolli. Her business, The Sool Company conducts a wide range of events that help people learn more about makgeolli. Tastings, brewing experiences, site visits, almost every way possible to show people how to enjoy themselves in the world of traditional Korean alcohol.

They also talk about how she had to pivot her business as a result of the pandemic. and now as she prepares for a return to normal, how she is ramping up for 2022.

Today's episode is brought to you by our newest sponsor Eastpoint Partners Ltd.

Metaverse and digital marketing are changing the way we do business, today and tomorrow. Alex Jensen talks with two leaders working in the digital space. First he talks with Albert Kim, CEO and Founder of Double Me. DoubleMe is a leading volumetric capture company focused on bringing the physical and virtual worlds together. They push the boundaries of what’s possible with 3D technology and create simple solutions that improve the lives of real people, in real time.

Then Alex talks with Stephen Revere . Steve is the Founder and Principle of InterCultural Communications, a digital marketing that has as its tagline, 'we give small and medium businesses a fighting chance' #BeScrappy InterCultural Communications delivers a wide range of expertise: website development, digital advertising, social media management, search engine optimization (SEO), remarketing, campaign reporting, etc. It's aimed at helping those companies that can't afford to hire a team with all this expertise. They deliver all of it for you. Their multi-lingual team can do it all, they have native English, Korean or Chinese content creators.

Erwan Vilfeu is a senior leader in the Korea phrama industry. Alex talks with Erwan about how his leadership strategies and expectations have been challenged by the pandemic.

As President of Zuellig Pharma in Korea, he has lead his company through pandemic and has actually leveraged some of its challenges to raise the level of flexibility and productivity in his company.

Alex Jensen talks with Erwan across a wide range of topics, including his movement from Nestle to Zuellig, his desire to come back to Korea, the role of Zuellig in the Korean market as well as the impact of the pandemic and the democratization of medicine.

Today's episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul, stylish elegance in the heart of the city

Alex talks with Jem Kim about the great resignation, a global moment where people are taking stock and reconsidering their careers, and sometimes quitting working for good. In the US alone during August, a record 4.3 million workers left their jobs.

Then Alex talks with Marta Allina on now to Marta Alina, Korea startup community catalyst and inclusivity based social entrepreneur. Marta is the founder of Seoul Startups, The biggest international startup community in Korea Marta. Marta shares her story, from Poland, to corporate Korea to operating the most vibrant and inclusive startup community in Korea. Her passion is infectious as you'll see.

Alex Talks about hurdles today, both working with them and sometimes just sidestepping them. Firstly we talk with Gwen Yoon, Senior Catering Sales Manager at the Four Seasons Seoul about ways to have your events right now, and also what we can look forward to when we get back to the new normal. Then he talks with Sarah Soo-Kyung Henriet and French Korean entrepreneur on her startup journey.

This episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul, Stylish elegance in the very heart of Seoul

A very special episode. Alex Jensen follows up on Austrade's Webinar on How innovation in digital financial advice is improving wellbeing, customer engagement and social responsibility. Alex talks with Craig Keary, the Asia Pacific CEO of Ignition Advice. And Dr. Toby Walsh. Dr. Walsh has authored two books on AI for a general audience, Machines That Think the Future of Artificial Intelligence, and 2062: The World that AI Made. (Available in a dozen languages including English and Korean). Dr. Walsh is an ARC Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor of AI at UNSW Sydney and CSIRO Data61. He is a Fellow of the Australia Academy of Science and was named on the international "Who's Who in AI" list of influencers.

This conversation occurred after the webinar and covers many key topics for Korean Wealth managers as well as people looking to get ahead in their own investment plans:

To what extent does Squid Game represent the financial struggles of Koreans?
What is causing the growing gap in wealth in Korea, and what can be done about it?
What is the state of AI, and how can it improve financial wellbeing?
What is the difference between digital advice and roboinvesting?
How can technology empower both the institution and the investor?
What does customer-centrist design mean in regard to digital financial advice?
Are there any ways in which the pandemic has improved the situation?

2062: The World that AI Made

Machines That Think: The Future of Artificial Intelligence

Alex meets two people passionately the startup scene in Korea to learn about the Korean and French perspectives on fostering the Korean startup scene. First, Alex talks to Sokjin Chang, Director of International Co-operation at Born2Global about how he and his colleagues support Korean startups and enable them to globalize. Then he talks with Isabelle Morin. Isabelle is passionate about helping startups as both the Program Manager at Rainmaking Korea, and also as Vice President of French Tech Seoul.

Today's episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Alex Jensen talks with two people about the business engagement between Korea and Australia. As the two countries celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties on today's edition connects with two key participants in that engagement.

First of all we will talk with Craig Keary, CEO Asia Pacific of Ignition Advice, a leading global advice technology specialist for financial institutions seeking to help more customers access financial advice in a fast and scalable way. Ignition helps its clients combine the power of digital intelligence with a human touch to enable smarter, more flexible and more secure advice delivery. Ignition's SaaS platform integrates seamlessly into existing systems, enabling our clients to deliver a customer-centric experience that brings a customer and adviser together into a single advice workflow.

Then we talk with Kate Kalinova, Project Manager at AustCham Korea. AustCham Korea is the peak body representing Australian and Korean business interests. Kate is also a prolific writer on Korea. She is currently writing for both Asia Options and Korea.net. Kate has just celebrated her second anniversary working for AustCham, and is a key part of the chamber's continued success.

Alex talks to a pair of pioneers. Bryan Do is producing Korea's very first single malt whiskey having been the force behind the local craft beer maker Hand and Malt. Anthony Joshua is going boldly into the world of blockchain, offering individuals organizations, and smart cities the chance to use this technology for much more than cryptocurrency.

We are talking Korean elections today. The 2022 Korean election will probably be known as the 'Squid Game' Election. Our Korean politics reporter Choi Kyoungmi reports on Lee Jae Myoung's strong victory in the DPK primaries. Then Rod Rothwell and Alex Jensen look a little deeper and discuss what exactly it means to be the Squid Game election. How does this dystopian drama reflect some of the cracks in the Korean dream? It's a lively discussion that we hope you will enjoy.

Alex talks with two people about their very different experiences of the COVID 19 and learns how they maximized their learnings during the pandemic and are now getting ready for a new normal.

Firstly, Alex talks with Somang Yang, Co-Founder of Kada Kudu, a shoe brand and fit data company that uses computer vision to fit customers for shoes from their smartphones. Her story of entrepreneurship is a great story of resilience and ability to pivot.

Then Alex talks with Robert Matz, Dean of George Mason University Korea. George Mason is the largest public university on Virginia USA, and Dean Matz leades the Songdo Campus. With Alex he discusses the programs, before showing us how GMU pivoted towards online learning early 2020, and is now taking those learnings as he wait like all of us for the opening of Korea.

Today, Alex talks with a best selling author, Tim Harford, who's devoted a book to helping us make the world add up. And then Alex Talks to Ian Matthews who is a wellness specialist helping both Koreans and expats talk more openly about the importance of mental health and the costs to all companies if they do not take substantive action to improve the wellness of the work spaces.

Alex talks with two business people about the opportunities and challenges of trading products and services with Korea. Firstly Alex talks with Tim O'Sullivan CEO and Co-Founder of Bae Juice. Tim imports Korean pear juice into Australia and sells it across Australia in supermarkets, liquor stores and health food shops. His story is an inspiring one for anyone whose thinking about what they could possible export of out Korea.

Next, Alex talks with Christopher Lai is the director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in Korea. Alex and Christopher talk about the opportunities that exist for Hong Kong and Korean businesses to work together. They also talk about how the pandemic has perhaps turbocharged the digitization of trade between the two Asian economies as well as how important it is to maintain productive working relationships.

Today's episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

As we head into a long weekend here in Korea to celebrate Hangeul Day, we are doing a special in depth interview with author Dr. James Robinson. Dr. Robinson has co authored the book, 'Why Nations Fail.' and in it he uses the two Koreas as a main example, to illustrate the point that manmade political and economic institutions are what determine global gaps in wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine.

Alex also asks him what he thinks about South Korea's prospects today, and where they fit in with the growing rivalry between the US and China.

Alex Jensen discuss the challenges of finding employment in a very tough job market from two perspectives. First he talks with Gordon Dudley, CEO and Founder of RDI Worldwide a B2B consultancy firm that helps companies with the acquisition of bi-lingual talents and also corporate training programs. Then Alex talks with Walter Kim (Kim Sungji) one of Seoul's finest baristas. Alex and Walter discuss Walter's journey of following his passion and finding the career that fits him.

Today's episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Hotel soul, stylish elegance in the very heart of the city.

Alex Jensen talks to two passionate business executives who have experienced multiple cultures have diverse backgrounds, but now called Korea home. Firstly he talks with Ben Morris CEO of WeCrest, an AI-based company helping IP attorneys worldwide connect with their customers at exactly the right moment. They discuss how IP is a weapon in business and among nations. Then Alex talks with Chea Srun, CEO of XQuant. Despite a very successful career as a trader, Chea is now building apps for the finance industry. A lifelong coder, Chea shares how he fused his new career with his childhood passion.

Alex talks with Hailey Yang, CEO of Orang&Orang (and CoChair KBLA) about her project with the German government. It is a virtual tour of Korea for 12 of Germany's most innovative company to Korea to find potential business partners here. Hailey's passion is to help Korean firms find the best overseas partners. And even though COVID-19 has put a stop to many forms of business matching, Hailey and her team at Orang&Orang have created a value-packed virtual tour including seminars, 1:1 meetings and more.

Alex then talks with Sarah Jung CMO of Argos Vision. Who gives us a wonderful insight into how robot vision and robot eyes are coming closer and closer to human capabilities. Sarah also talks about the how the face of Korean business is changing. As larger corporations look towards smaller, more nimble companies who can deliver solutions tailored-made.

Today's episode is brought to you by The Four Seasons Seoul, elegance in the heart of Seoul.

In this episode Alex Jensen talks with Thomas Sommer, Co-Founder and CFO of SG Entertainment. SG Entertainment strives to produce engaging and appealing content to inspire the younger generations to develop a positive attitude towards their future and take their lives in their own hands. The company’s mission is to find, train and empower performers, creators, models and thought leaders to define the way forward so that everyone can find their place and envision a harmonious tomorrow for all.

In the second interview, Alex discusses the real situation in Korea when it comes to innovation with Eunse Lee, an experienced early stage investor in tech startups here in Korea. Eunse was the very first Managing Director at Techstars for its first-ever Korea program and built and ran Techstars Korea Accelerator. Prior to joining Techstars, Eunse headed BEYOND STARTUP as Managing Director and worked with very early stage companies.

For Friday, we are talking with Rod Rothwell, a long-term resident of Korea about the plight of young people today in Seoul. Then we talk with Simon Walsh a New Zealand wine entrepreneur. Simon and Alex discuss the changing wine market and the future trends.

Today's episode is brought to you by the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, Stylish elegance in the very heart of Seoul.

In today's episode Alex looks at the impact the real estate crisis may have on the 2022 Korean presidential campaign followed by an in depth conversation with John Walker AM an Australian businessman who has forged a stunningly successful career in Korea, and continues to search for new ways to contribute to both the business community as well as the wider community.

In our third episode for our pilot week we first look at ESG, a trend in business that is growing in significance. Ethics Sustainability and Governance are all becoming increasingly important. Then we chat with Gudmundur Jonsson, Head of Dulwich College Seoul.

In this our second episode for our pilot week we examine startups and smaller businesses in Korea with two different business stories. Firstly Alex talks with Jonathan Moore, Entrepreneur in Residence at Techstars. Jonathan moved from running his own startup to helping other startups find investments and growth opportunities. Then Alex speaks to a business-owning team, Sara Park and Todd Sample, who operate two food businesses simultaneously, Eathentic a social media platform for authentic western food in Korea and Nostimo, a busy Greek restaurant near Naebang Station

In the first segment, Alex Jensen looks at cryptocurrencies. Are they the a good investment and a democratic way to transfer money, or are they a Ponzi scheme to lure those caught up in the hype? Alex talks with Dr. Nicolas Weaver, a crypto-septic from UC Berkeley and Dr. Merav Ozair a proponent of cryptos and NFTs.

In the second segment, Alex talks with Mr. Alejandro Bernabe General Manager of the Four Seasons Seoul on the impact of COVID-19 has had on the local tourist industry as well as the positive side of vaccine passports.

From next week, Alex Jensen will be hosting koreabizcast. It's a daily podcasts about doing business in Korea. In this, prepilot, Alex sat down with Hailey Yang and Rod Rothwell, CoChairs of the KBLA. The Korea Business Leaders Alliance to discuss their aspirations for koreabizacast as well as their motivations for joining forces with Alex to bring it to life.

Alex shares his own passion for the project along with aspirations.