Delicious hospitality

It has been suggested that it would be most appropriate to blog about the wondrous variety of food available here in Seoul. Just within walking distance from our hotel here in the business district, you can find just about anything.

If you go Korean, you might try bulgogi – tender, thinly slice beef simmered with noodles in a broth – or bimimbap – your choice of meat sautéed with vegetables and rice and often with an egg on top. Another common way to go is with a hot, spicy soup.

All Korean meals come with banchan, generous and free additional side dishes that could include kimchi, radish greens and even seafood.

On the coast, such in Incheon, you might pick out a couple of fish, part of which the chef will slice into sashimi and then cook the rest at your table in a soup.

Just like at home, people here want variety. Thus it’s easy to find Italian, Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Because of the influence of the nearby military base, the Itaewon area offers you with an opportunity to eat around the world without ever leaving Seoul.

One dining experience that will stand out, however. Students were invited to dinner at Din Tai Fung, an award-winning restaurant that specializing in small steamed buns – known to most Westerners as "dumplings."

Din Tai Fung was ranked as one of the world's top 10 restaurants in 1993 by The New York Times. Its original location is in Taiwan, but other select locations have opened Japan, the United States and here in Korea.

There is no media hype. The food is fabulous.

Mr. Joo, who has an MBA from the Kelley School, operates Seoul’s three locations, in addition to his other business ventures.

The restaurant sometimes also serves as the meeting place for the local IU Alumni Association chapter. More than a dozen IU alumni now succeeding in business, government and the media joined us at the dinner, along with about 35 students from the IU journalism school and the LAMP program.

Mr. Joo graciously served as our host for Friday night, treating us to a delicate seafood soup, broccoli and broth-filled dumplings, shrimp shu mai, greens and other tasty treats.

Many of these same alumni will welcome IU President Michael McRobbie and a university delegation here in May. We extend them many thanks for extending us the same warm hospitality.

All week, several have helped us to feel at home here, particularly Professor Heejoon Kang and his dear wife Younga. We also thank Dean Robert Klemkosky, who made most of the arrangements for our visits; the staff of our hotel and many people on the streets of Seoul who worked through the language barrier to help us find our way.

Sunday, we're heading home with many fond memories in large part to their efforts.

The world's most serious tourist spot - the DMZ

Whenever you travel to a new place, especially in another country, it is natural to look into local conditions and to be concerned about news events there, especially when they are much different from at home.

As most are aware, South Koreans thrive economically and socially within the international community, in stark contrast to their neighboring brethren in North Korea. The communist country again has gotten the world’s attention with its plans to launch a missile in early April.

North Korea also has been in the news here for briefly closing its border to the Gaesong Industrial Complex, a special economic zone where South Korean-owned factories employ about 39,000. Our guide told us that North Koreans there earn about $70 a month – which they consider a good salary – making clothes, watches and other small items.

Daily life here in Seoul seems largely unaffected by these things. Many people have told us that they feel safe, while acknowledging that conditions in North Korea are “not good.” We have felt safe here – in fact safer than in many U.S. cities. Many IU faculty have come to teach here, in addition to the sending students here, without need for concern.

However, the picture was less clear when our group visited the Demilitarized Zone, which marks the border between the two countries. It was established on the ceasefire line at the end of the Korean War in 1953, when only an armistice was signed.

As we made our way up the hour drive northwest, we gradually saw increased signs of security measures. Initially, we saw barbed wire lining the highway and occasional guard towers. Eventually, as we entered what has to be one of the most usual tourist destinations on the planet, South Korean soldiers stopped our bus and came on to check passports.

It was not a time for humor, although we felt at ease.

The first place we went to was Imjingak Park, where the so-called “Freedom Bridge” is located. To many, especially older Koreans, it is better known as the “Bridge of No Return.” It was a place where many Koreans had to decide at the end of the war on which side of the border they would reside.

Many Korean families were divided as a result and many South Koreans come here on the Lunar New Year and Korean Thanksgiving Day to pay their respects. It is the closest place they can be to relatives and ancestors (ancestor worship is common here).

Being here is sobering. One look through the fence placed part way across the structure and you’ll see that it is the real “Bridge to Nowhere.” A train passes by quietly, just across the border. Someday, many South Koreans hold for a unified country as indicated here by a pool in this park in the shape of the complete Korean peninsula.

About 2 million people come here each year.

We then boarded a local tour bus for the Third Tunnel of Aggression, which built into granite about 300 meters underground by the North Korean army. Discovered in 1978, the tunnel is 1,635 meters long and 2 meters both in height and width.

To get there, we put on hard hats and rode a tram into the ground. According to information we were provided, it was large enough to accommodate 32,000 fully dressed soldiers in an hour.

“This is the largest one among those that have been discovered up to now, and we can certainly guess how strong a North Korean plot to invade the South was at that time,” the brochure reads.

Based on our experience in the tunnel, they would have had to be short in size.
Next, we boarded the bus up, which usually provides an excellent view into North Korea. But Thursday’s heavy fog obscures the view. Many took an opportunity here to get souvenirs instead.



Our final stop on the tour was Dorosan Station, a thoroughly modern train facility about 700 meters from the southern boundary of the DMZ. Built about a decade ago, it is a symbol of the countries’ division. It completed the Gyeong (the Seoul-Sinuiju) railway line and it is connected to track that could talk you through North Korea, China, former Soviet republics, Russia and beyond.

Three trains run each day to north to Dorasan, but the train stops at that point. Interestingly, the theme on the DMZ brochure said, ironically,“Yes, We Can!”
Once back in Seoul, the bus dropped us off at a museum dedicated to the Korean War. While a few went inside, others chose to re-entered today’s more hopeful city.

Everland

Admittedly, when students opted for Korea at spring break instead of Florida, they also ruled out Disneyworld. What most people don’t know is that Everland, the world’s seventh largest theme resort, is located here.

And it has one heck of a roller coaster -- the T Express. Billed as the highest inclination wooden coaster in the world, it drops you by 77 degrees at one point and provides quite a rush over the entire three minutes.

The coaster ride and a ride through the park’s Safari World was part of a company visit. Everland is a subsidiary owned by Samsung that celebrated its 30th anniversary three years ago. It had 9.1 million visitors last year and has had 1.6 billion people come through its gates during its history.

Leisha and Lila are its mascots. Our host, Kayoung, acknowledged that a lot of people think they look like mice, but really they are "cute lions."

On Thursday, it will be completely different. We’re off to the DMZ.

Samsung's Toyshop

Young people attending college today have always known the Internet and cell phones, hardly remember floppy discs and are instantly astonished when told that people once watched television in black and white.

So it was impressive when today’s tech-savvy students were similarly taken aback by the innovations they witnessed Wednesday at Samsung Electronics Co

And while we can tell you about what we saw at the company’s center in Suwon City, we can’t show you anything past the lobby, where this picture was taken.

No cameras allowed.

As you see in the photo, we were warmly welcomed by one of the world’s fastest growing companies. After a briefing about revenue growth, product lines and corporate philosophy, they showed us the toys.

The first thing we saw was a cell phone that shows you the person speaking to you on the other line. Then there’s the cell phone with a small projector built in, which can project a widescreen image of up to 50 inches. Also of interest to the style-conscious was the phone designed by Georgio Armani.

Another phone will allow you to obtain your body temperature and heart rate while working out. If you like your music, another option is the wireless Bang and Olufsen speakers.

The company’s cell phone research is done at the Suwon campus.

Getting away from the hand-held devices, we were shown a giant high definition TV within a handmade wooden frame. It could be yours for about $9,000 (U.S.), but it’s not yet available for sale in the United States.

Running down the list, there also were the 80-inch plasma screen, the pebble-design MP3 players, many other home entertainment products and the prettiest air conditioners we’d ever seen.

Our visit could be compared to being at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

Of Samsung’s 159,000 workforce, nearly a third, of 40,000 are engaged in research and development. More than 10 percent of Samsung employees have PhDs.

"Because of R&D investment spending, we are among the top 10 companies in the world. We believe that the large investments for R&D have helped us to be the leading company," said one of the executives giving the briefing.

To help retain quality employees, Samsung invests in benefits such as meals for employees – several delicious choices in Japanese, Korea and Indian cuisine were available at lunch today – child day care, exercise facilities and continuing education. One member of Samsung’s human resources team said that another draw is the Korean business philosophy towards solving problems – that there can be more than just one solution.

After seeing the present and future, we were shown Samsung’s "museum" and within an hour everyone had another souvenir from our trip, a handsome framed copy of the photo – similar to the one above – which employees took only an hour earlier.

SKKU says "Hello Kelley!"

The sign said simply, “Sungkyunkwan University Global Business Administration Program warmly welcomes members of Kelley School of Business.”

According to Rosanna Bateman, who had been on campus earlier in the day Tuesday, excitement among SKKU students was high and she wasn’t surprised by the overwhelming student involvement at a reception later on.

In the last few years, ties between the two schools have become close. Last year, the two institutions signed an agreement that will bring together students, faculty and programs.

Founded in 1398, Sungkyunkwan University -- known to many as SKKU -- is the old royal university. Now private, it is South Korea's third largest university with 24,000 students and the country's second-ranked business school.



Also there to welcome us was Robert C. Klemkosky, the founding dean of SKK Graduate School of Business, who previously taught at Kelley and had been its associate dean of research and operations, chair of the Finance Department and director of the MBA Investment Management Academy.

Several Kelley professors regularly make the trip to Seoul to teach here. Among them is Heejoon Kang, a professor of business economics and a native of Korea. He has been our host this week and we greatly appreciate his looking out for us.

Soon, students from the global business undergraduate program at SKKU will take come to IU Bloomington and the Kelley School for a new program that will enable them to earn degrees from both universities.

A very selective program, it will admit only students in the top 1 percent of their high school class. Already, it has attracted hundreds of applications. Kelley students also will soon come to SKKU for a similar program.



In little under a year from now, Kelley students will have an opportunity to extend hospitality in return. The first undergraduate SKKU students will arrive in Bloomington next January.

Students from both schools will get together on Friday night.

“Students from SKKU Global Business Administration welcome you with whole heart,” the invitation to “Hello Kelley!” reads.

IU also was represented on the campus. In addition to the Kelley students and faculty, other invited visitors to SKKU today include economist Gerhard Glomm and political science professor Jean Robinson. The banners were out.

Kyobo

In Korean, Kyobo means, "education."

So it should be no surprise that Kyobo Life Insurance Co. -- in addition to its insurance offerings -- is involved in several educational pursuits, including a chain of bookstores that recently had the attention of both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Through the efforts of Professor Pil HwaYoo of SKK Graduate School of Business, arrangements were made for us for a presentation by Eugene Chung, senior vice president of Kyobo’s investment management division.

Chung discussed the investment philosophy and principles of the 51-year-old company, which had annual premium income last year of $7 million. Kyobo is one of Korea’s “big three” life insurers and has 18,600 agents and another 4,177 employees.

Unlike other insurance companies recently in the news, Kyobo has taken a conservative approach and attracted more interest from a couple students who were happy to exchange business cards with Chung’s associates.\

Finding new friends at Seoul's Woodstock

Believe it or not, but our group went to Woodstock for a gig.

It’s a club on the third floor of a building in Itaewon that only had attracted a handful of people – a total of four, in fact, before the Kelley students arrived on this slow Monday night.

The band had taken a break, leaving their instruments on stage. Andrew, Jenny and Aashish didn’t think anyone would mind if they played them. Andrew played the bass, while Jenny and Aashish took turns on the drums.

Once they got going, the band members returned and together everyone jammed on songs made famous by Brian McKnight and Damien Rice. Afterwards, they played some billiards and “talked a lot.”

Andrew said their new founds friends had many questions about the United States and are very interested in American culture.

"They said they were pretty happy we came because they were bored," Jenny said proudly. "We took over; Kelley took over. We wrote our names on the white board. We left our mark."