지난 21일 오후 7시 30분. 이사벨 민(47)씨는 서울 명동의 북적거리는 인파를 헤치며 서둘러 명동 중심에 있는 건물로 들어섰다. 민씨가 도착한 곳은 서울시가 운영하는 '서울글로벌문화관광센터(이하 서울관광센터)'. 문 앞에 'ㄴ'이라 적힌 10평짜리 강의실이 있었고, 강의실에 들어선 민씨는 먼저 와 있던 외국인들과 반갑게 인사를 나눴다. 민씨가 프로젝터 전원을 켜자 강의실 전면에 'Cultural Views 2011'라는 글자가 떴고, 강의실에 앉은 외국인 10여명의 눈동자가 빛나기 시작했다.

Seoul City’s classes teach Korea’s unique social, organizational culture

June Acuna from the Philippines has been working at an ink cartridge factory in Seongsudong, eastern Seoul, for two and a half years.

Still, he has to guess the hidden meaning of what his boss or Korean colleagues say to him, and is often offended by direct commands from superiors.

“I am here to learn Korean ways at work and appropriate ways to deal with them,” said Acuna at the fifth lecture on the Whys and Hows of Korean Ways last Thursday at Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center in Myeong-dong in central Seoul.

The class, conducted by Isabelle Min, a communicator and coach in cross-cultural issues, asked participants the questions that foreign employees in Korea may have thought about the most ― Why is a title so important in Korea? Why don’t they ask questions at work but instead prefer discussing difficult issues after work while drinking? Why don’t they bring their spouses to company parties?