Korea has its own cultural etiquette in business world and daily life, separate and distinct from western countries. In corporate culture,"Yes" is not necessarily “yes.” Koreans avoid saying "no." So people try to phrase questions in a manner that doesn't require a "yes" or "no" answer. For example, instead of saying "Could we sign the agreement by next Friday?” people would say "When is the earliest date that we could expect to sign this agreement?" Also, building trust and relationships is vital to establishing a successful business relationship in Korea. This requires patience. Koreans prefer to do business with people they know. Therefore, the first meeting is to establish trust, and business should not be discussed.
In the case of body language, direct eye contact between junior and senior business people should be avoided, because this is seen as impolite or even as a challenge. And always pass and receive objects with your right hand (supported by the left hand at the wrist or forearm) or with two hands to show respects.
There is also a special highlight for women in the cultural etiquette that Korean women behave differently from Western women. For instance, Korean women usually nod slightly and will not shake hands with Western men, while western women may offer their hand to a Korean man. Besides, foreign women may have difficulty doing business in Korea, because Korean men generally prefer to negotiate with men although women are becoming more accepted in the Korean business place. Last but not least, Korean women would wait for Korean men to make the first move instead of "lady first" in Western culture.
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