The Far East Hasn’t Been This Close.
안녕하세요! Annyeonghaseyo! Hello! Merhaba! With its technological developments, rising popularity of its culture, and crazy skin care products, this country is one of the most interesting and appealing countries in the world. Yes, you’ve guessed it right! This month’s ‘’Country of the Month’’ is South Korea and we can’t wait to share our CEO’s thoughts and memories about his visit to Pyeongchang and Seoul.
Mr. Aydemir, as you know, I would like to ask you questions about your business trip to South Korea. Before we get into the questions, is there anything you would like to begin with?
Even if it wasn’t our closest family member, many Turkish people have a Korean veteran in their family. Most of us grew up hearing the positive stories about South Korea. I’m sure there is at least one Korean veteran in every village of ours. I came across something very interesting when I did some research a while back; as far as I know when Turks immigrated from Middle Asia to Anatolia, ancestors of the Korean people from the same region immigrated to today’s South Korean peninsula. Meaning that we were neighbors in the past. They say, our grammars are pretty similar, as well.
- You got off the plane. What was the first thing you noticed?
When I first got off the plane, the warm behavior of the passport control officer was the harbinger of hospitality in South Korea. The Incheon International Airport was very modern and chic; however, it wasn’t very different from the airports I’ve seen in Europe. When we went to the train station though, I noticed how different the trains looked. But definitely my first impression was the positive energy and warm welcome at the airport.
2. Why was the reason you went to South Korea? Where did you go?
I went to South Korea as part of our MOS2S project. We landed in Incheon, spent 2 days in Seoul but mainly stayed in Pyeongchang, in the Olympic Village.
Check out all the details about our MOS2S Project right here!
3. Was Korea ever on your ‘’must visit’’ list?
I wouldn’t say that South Korea was a specific location on my list, though I’ve always wanted to see somewhere in Far Asia; so I am glad that it was South Korea. Of course, our visit coincided with the 2018 Winter Olympics and it was an invaluable experience to have the opportunity to visit the Olympic village. It was very nice to be both in Korea and in the Olympic Village.
4. What was your impression of South Korea?
One of the things that surprises me in a place where technology is highly developed is that you don’t feel the technological superiority while strolling around the city. The buildings are less new, less flashy; away from ostantate and glamour. The country had a very natural and humble nature.
5. How would you describe Koreans?
They are very hospitable and also very warm. We received a lot of welcome.
6. So you have been to Korea for work purposes. What was it like to work with them?
We have been working with them for many years. Korea’s participation in EUREKA, ITEA has had a very positive impact for us. We first started working with Koreans with our MOS2S project. And later we worked in the OPTIMUM project under the leadership of ETRI. We work on three projects involving Koreans, our 4th project is also accepted. First we leagued together technically, then had the opportunity to meet in Europe in person.
They are quite humble. They make great things and act as if what they make is very routine and natural; they talk about it like it’s not a big deal. Their humility is admirable. They work a lot more hours compared to us. They are quite durable.
7. What was the most difficult part of working with Koreans?
They are always very helpful but sometimes they assume you already know a lot of things, so you have to ask a lot of questions. Due to their own abilities, many things are very natural to them.
8. Have you had any challenges during your trip?
I would say the biggest difficulty was having jet lag. I did not experience any difficulties while working with them. Though, Koreans speak English with an accent and are a bit shy, so we had some difficulty in communicating while touristing. For example, we asked if the food we ordered was vegetarian and got a yes response, but it contained meat. Maybe they didn’t understand our English well or they weren’t very careful. Also, fish oil is used a lot in frying and this is not something we are used to. That’s why I had to stay away from fried food.
9. What is your best memory from your trip?
Our friends from ETRI introduced us to their project colleagues from Belgium, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. When people found out that we are Turkish, they showed a special interest in us. It was very flattering. Frankly, we have never encountered anything like this anywhere else in the world. We owe this to our elders who were martyred in Korea, and I would like to express our gratitude again. We tried to show our gratitude to these kind gestures by bringing them some Turkish delight and Baklava.
‘’Another pleasant moment I had was the night we spent in the ‘Olympic House’ of the Netherlands. Apparently, The Netherlands would have an Olympic house called The Heineken House (aka Dutch House) in the Olympics. A beautiful place is rented and the success of the medal-winning athletes is celebrated together in that house. Our Dutch friends from the Johan Cruijff Arena invited us there so we had a unique night spent with our colleagues/ friends. It was a rare experience to celebrate with the Dutch. ‘’
10. Are there any similarities between Turkish people and Koreans?
I know our language is very similar. Grammarly, Turkish and Korean are two languages that are very close to each other. Also their hospitality, the respect they show to people from different cultures and their fondness for meat, even though they cook differently than we do, are similar sides between the two cultures. It’s a tough country for a vegetarian *laughs*
11. Could you give 3 reasons to work with them?
I can count more than 3 reasons. First, we get along very well and have a mutually positive relationship. They work hard, they do great work and we have a lot to learn from them.
12. What about Korean food? I know it’s very popular on the internet right now. What are your thoughts on it?
Korean cuisine is a very rich and different cuisine. I would say Italian cuisine is also very rich; however, it is not foreign to us. There are some differences in Korean cuisine for physical reasons. Lactose intolerance is high in the Far East; for this reason, milk and dairy products are used less frequently and are difficult to find. Same thing goes for bread as well. If you look for it, you can find bread; however, it is not as common as it is in Turkey. Seafood, especially fish special to Korea and shellfish such as crab and lobster are very popular and delicious.
They have a very famous food that I can describe as sauerkraut: Kimchi. It’s not an ordinary sauerkraut, of course. Spicy, bitter and quite tasty.
13. What was the best thing you ate?
Bibimbap.
14. Favorite place you have been to?
I have to say the Olympic Village because it is specific to the Olympics. I watched ice hockey games in Korea for the first and second time in my life. I don’t know when I will watch it again in my lifetime; I guess it will be difficult.
15. Last but not least: Have you watched Squid Game yet? :)
I haven’t found the right time to watch Squid Game yet. But I have seen good examples of Korean cinema such as Old Boy and Parasite. I also watched the TV series Aelliseu (Alice) and another Korean drama, Crash Landing on You.
About Özer Aydemir
Computer engineer since 2002 and entrepreneur since 2007. CEO and Co-Founder of IOTIQ GmbH. Project leader for Eureka projects Insist, and I-DELTA; project member of BaaS, Demwatch, Insist, Mos2s, SecureGrid, Optimum, Pianism, I2Panema, Machinaide, and hopefully many others in the future.
About Mina Onar
Mina is the Copywriter of IOTIQ GmbH. Click here to visit our website.
