Chamber to put on Korean culture event

Kokomo Tribune, Ind.
·2 min read

Feb. 21—With StarPlus Energy's development of a $2.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Kokomo, the community is expected to see an influx of Korean residents and businesses. By familiarizing the community with these new neighbors, the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance is working to create a welcoming space in Kokomo.

In an effort to do so, the Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce is holding a Korean Culture Integration special event from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 6 at Kresge Auditorium on the Indiana University Kokomo campus.

Speaking at the event will be Seung-kyung Kim, director of the Institute of Korean Studies at IU Bloomington. She will present "Intercultural Understanding and Communication: South Korean Corporate Culture in the 21st Century."

"Embracing and understanding the Korean culture lays the foundation for successful collaboration and mutual respect," Lori Dukes, president and CEO of the Alliance, said in a statement. "Cultural acceptance in business creates a diverse and inclusive environment, fostering innovation and mutual understanding, leading to sustainable and profitable relationships."

Kim will address several topics, including the following:

—An overview of Korean society and culture

—A historical look at Korea and how it's impacted the Korea of today

—Corporate culture in Korea and how it's different from the American corporate culture

—Samsung and Samsung SDI's corporate culture

A Korea Foundation endowed professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Kim is a cultural anthropologist by training. Her scholarship addresses the participation of women in social movements as workers and in relation to the state, the processes of transnational migration in the context of globalization and the experiences of families in that process and feminist theories of social change.

A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. before the event. The event is free but registration is required as space is limited. You may register at bit.ly/ChamberCulture.

For those unable to attend, the program will be recorded and available at greaterkokomo.com.