For my last week in Korea, I spent most of my free time soaking everything in. I revisited my favorite cafes and restaurants, had authentic braised chicken and Korean fried chicken one last time, and did some last minute souvenir shopping. More than anything though, I tried to slow down and appreciate the atmosphere and environment around me. It genuinely feels like time moved insanely fast and it is hard to believe that two months have already passed. I have met and interacted with so many locals and new people throughout this experience that I cannot help but feel conflicting emotions leaving, both happy and sad at the same time.
One of the most eye opening things about observing Korean professional culture has been seeing how success is defined and displayed both in and out of the workplace. At my internship specifically, success was visible through the sheer work ethic of my coworkers. My boss was constantly on the phone, mentioning that he had to make or receive a call every six minutes just to keep up with the communication between current and future clients. My coworkers were already in the office every morning when I arrived at 8 AM and were still there when I left at 5 PM. That level of dedication and discipline is something that stood out to me from very early on, and left me feeling inspired to work towards my goals like them. Working at a startup made this even more apparent, since every person’s effort has a direct impact on the company’s growth. Success at my internship is tied closely to resilience, motivation, and consistent effort, especially in a start-up environment where the pace cannot slow down.
Outside of the workplace, success in Korea also carries a strong social dimension. South Korea is the largest spender on luxury goods per capita in the world, and that is something you notice almost immediately walking around Seoul. Luxury items are everywhere, and displaying them is a very visible part of how success is communicated socially. What was equally interesting to observe though was the prevalence of high quality replica goods being sold throughout the city. The pressure to project a certain image has reached a point where the appearance of success has become more important than the authenticity of the goods themselves. I found that dynamic genuinely fascinating. On one hand it speaks to an intense cultural pressure around image, but on the other hand it also makes those symbols of success more accessible to people who otherwise could not afford them, which removes some of the exclusivity and allows more people to participate without feeling left out.
In terms of how this compares to success in the United States, the two cultures are actually more similar than I initially expected. Both place a high value on hard work, ambition, and results. The biggest difference I noticed is more subtle. Korea tends to operate as a more collective society, where success is often tied to the group and the company as a whole, whereas the US leans more toward individual achievement and recognition. Korea’s high context communication style also plays into this, since being in tune with the group, reading the room, and understanding unspoken expectations are all part of being a successful employee here in a way that is less emphasized back home.
Navigating all of these differences over the past two months has genuinely shaped how I think about professionalism and success going forward. Coming in as someone with a more low context, individually driven mindset, I had to adjust how I operated in ways I did not fully anticipate. Being more observant, more patient, and more attuned to the collective environment around me are habits I developed out of necessity here, and they are ones I plan to carry back with me.
Two months ago I stepped off a plane into rush hour traffic not knowing what to expect. Looking back now, I can honestly say this experience has been one of the most valuable things I have done so far in terms of professional career development. I am leaving Seoul a better communicator, a more adaptable professional, and someone with a much broader understanding of what it means to work and succeed in a global environment, and I can’t help but be grateful to the experiences and opportunities that have been provided to me.
