"My Korean language proficiency was still very low then, and I worried that communicating would be difficult. But I was surprised that people were friendly and eager to help, even though I didn't speak Korean. At the same time, I saw that Korean society was super, super competitive. People lined up in the university libraries, sat on the benches, and studied so hard. They called it "pali-pali"- quick-quick."
"Ten years ago, there was a huge boom in Korean beauty products. Many of my friends and relatives started to ask me to buy them cosmetics, and I saw a big potential in the business. I learned about Korean injectable products like fillers and Botox, and I decided to open a company in this area because of the high competitive edge and high barrier to entry. For four years, I bootstrapped the company."
An 18-year-old exchange student arrived in South Korea in 2008 to study Asian studies and international relations. Initial Korean language limits contrasted with friendly people and a highly competitive "pali-pali" culture. The student completed a master's degree, began a Ph.D., briefly worked at the United Nations in Bangkok, then returned to South Korea to launch a business. Market demand for K-beauty and injectable products inspired the company focus. The founder bootstrapped the business for four years and encountered investor curiosity tied to foreign status. Learning "nunchi" helped bridge Korean and foreign business culture.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]