I. Introduction

While Korea has been making free trade agreements (FTAs) with the United States and the European Union, more and more foreign companies have been establishing branches in Korea. Companies here are hiring more foreign professionals in an effort to enhance their competitiveness in the markets of advanced nations. While working in the same company or workplace, it is very common for disagreements or misunderstanding to arise between Koreans and Westerners due to differences in culture, occupational habits and language. It is very difficult to understand our counterparts if we do not understand the cultural characteristics that have formed over long periods of time, which of course can lead to an atmosphere that is not conducive to business. There are many differences in the way we think and behave at work, such as the kind of hierarchy we are familiar with, the way we relate to each other through linguistic expression, the way we address each other, and the way we express our opinions. I would like to deal with this issue through one tragic case involving culture, and the opinions of some foreigners living and working in Korea.

II. Culture: the Secret Behind a Plane Crash

At about 1:42 am on August 6, 1997, a Korean Air passenger plane approached Guam Airport and attempted to land, but because of the low visibility due to stormy weather and pilots’ accumulated tiredness, the plane went off the runaway and crashed into a small hill nearby the airport. This accident resulted in the deaths of 228 of the 254 passengers onboard. As the pilots were trying to land, they could not see the runway due to the poor weather. When the ground proximity alarm sounded at 500 feet (152 meters), the co-pilot suggested gently "Let's give up the landing." When the pilot did not do so, the co-pilot said again, strongly this time "No visibility, give up the landing!" The pilot then gave up trying to land, but it was too late: the plane continued to descend and crashed. If the co-pilot had spoken in a commanding voice instead of a suggestion, the pilot would have understood the emergency situation they were in, and prevented the crash.
After David Greenburg from Delta Air was hired by Korean Air to be a flight safety manager, he discovered the fundamental causes for this tragedy: the complicated ways of expressing oneself in the Korean language and Korea’s vertical hierarchy. His approach was to create a rule for Korean Air pilots: they must speak English. “The official language in Korean Air is English. If you want to continue to work as a Korean Air pilot, you must be able to speak English fluently.” English does not have such strict rules regarding politeness, and emotional authority between positions and ages is not as high as in Korea. In the ‘Power Distance Index,’ which indicates the degree of authority people in higher social positions have over those in lower positions, Korea places among the highest, while the US places among the lowest. Although a pilot and co-pilot work in a situation which requires them to operate a plane together in cooperation, Korean pilots have a very clear vertical hierarchy of superior and subordinate, putting the co-pilot in a position of obedience to the pilot. The pilot can discipline his co-pilot by hitting his hand for minor mistakes, something taken for granted. In addition, this vertical hierarchy includes complicated expressions of language. The superior talks down to the subordinate while the subordinate talks in high forms to the superior. For example, using the lowest form of language includes orders “you will do this”; talking in low form would be “do this”; talking in high form would be “please do this”; talking in the highest form would be “would you please do this?” Under such a strict vertical hierarchy and the required forms of expression, a subordinate cannot simply point out his superior’s mistakes, but must speak indirectly in a way that does not offend the superior.
Since Korean Air began employing Mr. Greenburg, accidents have almost ceased and the company was able to restore confidence, both internally and in terms of how other entities view Korean Air. Mr. Greenburg changed the cultural atmosphere inside the cockpit by insisting on the use of English, hiring more civilian pilots to join an organization made up mostly of former military pilots, and standardizing technical terms and conversational methods. By making adjustments to these organizational cultures, Korean Air has been able to prevent similar plane crashes, and has become an example of air safety for other airlines. On April 10, 2010, a plane with the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, aboard, crashed while trying to land at a Russian airport in very foggy conditions, killing 97 passengers. One of Poland’s major daily papers, Gazeta Wyborcza, introduced Korean Air and its recent safety history. “During the late 1990s, Korean Air faced a crisis: Air France and Delta Air were requesting the airline leave their alliance, and the American Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) had given it a very poor safety rating. However, Korean Air was able to get through the crisis with the help of safety consultants. The answer was to ‘speak English.’ Korean culture demands such a high form of respect for superiors or seniors that a co-pilot could not address directly the fact that a pilot was making a mistake. But through English communication, the airline was able to work around this strong hierarchical structure rooted in the Korean language ‘trap’.”

III. Cultural Differences Related to Position and Age

1. Cultural differences: position
In Korea, addressing someone by their title or position is important. People at work call each other by their job positions, while westerners use first names, or Mr., Mrs., or Ms., plus family names for respect. In western culture, position titles only indicate persons-in-charge, and are not used when addressing that person. Mr. or Mrs. is acceptable regardless of someone’s position, with first names used once two people are on friendly terms. In Korea, title indicates status, so if someone is addressed in a way that is not suitable for his age or position, he or she may be offended and feel they are being talked to as an inferior. Sales employees introduce themselves using a title that is higher than their own, to give themselves authority in the eyes of customers.
Following are some titles used in Korean companies when addressing other persons or describing their positions.

Korean Titles Chinese Titles Pronunciation English Title
회장 會長 Hway jang Chairman
대표이사 代表理事 Dae pyo isa Representative Director
사장 社長 Sa jang President
부사장 副社長 Bu sa jang Vice President
전무이사 專務理事 Jun moo isa Executive Managing Director
상무이사 常務理事 Sang moo isa Managing Director
이사 理事 Isa Director
부장 部長 Bu jang General (Senior) Manager
차장 次長 Cha jang Manager
과장 課長 Gwa jang Section Chief (Manager)
대리 代理 Dae ri Assistant Manager
사원 社員 Sa won Employee

2. Cultural differences: age
In Western culture, people can be friends with whomever they want, while in Korea you can only call someone your friend if he or she is the same age as you. In Western culture, people keep in mind the age difference and give respect where it is due, b