Contemplating Korea

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I’m getting ready to leave Korea after my first visit.  It has been a whirlwind few days.  And while a few brief hours in a centuries-old culture doesn’t make me an expert, I want to capture my first impressions of a place that has a lot to teach the world about listening, communicating, and doing both with style.

What I am taking home with me from Korea:

–I love the fact that people smile when they are sorry or are trying to apologize.  It defuses the situation in a way that I am sure can be annoying at times, but for a newbie like me, it was a reminder of how far graciousness can go when trying to negotiate a disagreement or difference of opinion.

–Korea is a place of grand style.  The city of Seoul was a UNESCO design city, and everything from its unapologetic architecture to the sharp sense of aesthetic of its people, sends the message that there is no excuse for visuals that are anything short of beautiful.  There is a modern vibe to everything, including design whose main mission is to enhance or showcase the ancient.

–A few minutes in the Shinsegae Food Court is about as much fun as you can have.  I’ve never seen such a presentation of the savory and the savvy.

–The meetings I attended coincided happily with the month of May.  Almost without exception, people I met or who spoke to us as part of the INPUT Conference welcomed us as part of “the experience of Korean Spring.”  It was a charming turn of phrase that says a great deal about a people who value hospitality, generosity and harmony.  It is not as if Korea has the market cornered on Spring.  I have lived in places and cultures where Spring is an important reminder of life and symbol of renewal.  But the way my new Korean friends referred to “Korean Spring” it was as if it were a precious luxury good that only the privileged had discovered.  And I felt  that way every time someone pointed out how beautiful the country is in May.  It made the azaleas that much more brilliant, and made me appreciate the city as it was part of “Korean Spring.”  Even when it rained, people ranging from CEOs to cab drivers linked it to “Korean Spring.”  I was informed that a Spring rain means that someone is coming to visit you from far away.  I certainly hope so.  And I certainly hope I can find, and cherish, those communication moments when I can convey to a guest that they are both welcome, lucky to be in the U.S. at a certain moment, and that what I take pride in about my people is a gift I can give to a visitor.

–Korea seems to value health, stamina and vigor.  Physical well-being is more than power, it seems to be the embodiment of harmony.  I loved waching the young people as they went from exercise to catwalking to socializing.  There is a vitality about the young people of Korea.

Color is very Korean. I learned quickly about the centuries-old connection between color and the Korean aesthetic.  They celebrate vibrant color, and why wouldn’t you?  The complement of 3-4  hues together makes a very Korean statement that makes me want to re-think my garden back home, and intensify the colors I use at work, at home, in my closet and in my kitchen.

–While they were almost frantic visits, I am now officially in love with the Korean National Museum (the scope, the size, the space dedicate to treasures!) and the hyper-chic Leeum Samsung Collection (where contemporary art feels like it always should be a part of your day … and where the cleaning crew appeared to have been dressed by Armani…I haven’t enjoyed alone time with a Rothko so much since the retrospect at the Nat’l Gallery)

History is very close to what people do and talk about here in Korea.  Whether they are sporting global brands and gadgets, Koreans are ready to talk about their ancestors and the glories and tragedies of their history.

So as I drag my Bebimpag and Kimchi-stuffed body to the airport, I am mindful of the fact that I will pass the world’s 2nd-highest building under construction, and that it is taking shape in a place that has been under construction for centuries.  It took me 39 years to get Korea, but the lessons about smart ways to interact and innovate have me inspired for an exciting tomorrow.

 

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