Mrs. Right

Business Lunch

I got started right away creating an onboarding program for new hires, learning more about the company along the way. I would have to confirm with Min-Jun what corrections and updates would need to be made, but I had created a good skeleton for the program by the time I heard Mr. Yun knocking on my door so we could have our first lunch meeting. He opened the door before I had a chance to respond and looked down at me with a commanding presence.

"Do you like Korean barbecue?"

"I like food, so yes?"

The left corner of his mouth curled up at my response. If I was going to make it in South Korea, I had to get used to the food. Korean barbecue was really hard to find back home, so I had never had it. Even if I ended up not liking it, I felt I had no choice but to say yes and power through.

"Good answer. Come on. I'll take you to my favorite place. We have a lot to discuss."

He waited for me as I grabbed my jacket, scarf, and purse and we headed outside. He hailed a taxi and before I knew it we were being shuttled to god knows where.

After about a 10-minute ride, the taxi pulled over and we got out in front of the restaurant. He grabbed the door and held it open for me. We sat at a table in the back corner and as he studied the menu I could not help but stare, puzzled by his manners.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Um, no. It's just . . . I noticed you don't seem to act very Korean based on what I understand of your culture. I also noticed you speak English fairly fluently."

"Ahh. Yes."

The waitress approached and he gave her his order. "Do you know what you want?" he turned to me.

"I don't. What do you suggest? As long as it isn't too spicy I should be fine."

I was running on so much adrenaline I didn't really care. I had to make a good first impression.

He pointed to an item on the menu as he spoke to the waitress. I was so stressed, I didn't even hear what he said. He turned to look at me, smiling.

"I went ahead and ordered for you. We can share."

"Sounds good."

"Sooo . . . oh, right. You don't think I act very Korean. I actually studied abroad when I was in college much like your son is doing now. I spent a full year in New York. It was quite an adjustment, but I learned a lot of Western behaviors along the way. I figured using them might help you feel a little more comfortable as you adjust to Korean culture."

"Oh, well that explains it!" I giggled, covering my mouth. He looked at me and smiled.

"Well, let's get started. As we mentioned during your interview, our CEO is wanting Hybe to increase its global market beyond having offices in other countries. He wants to do that from the inside by hiring and training staff to be more culturally aware and global-minded. Our first step was to hire you. You will play an integral role in growing our company by creating relevant staff development opportunities . . ."

I listened intently as he outlined the company's goals and proposed projects focused on accomplishing them. It was exciting thinking that I would play a major role in helping Hybe grow internationally. The waitress delivered our food, and I waited for him to start eating first. I fumbled a bit with the chopsticks and hoped he didn't notice. Despite weeks of practice, I still wasn't very good at using them yet and I still got cramps in my wrist.

The lunch progressed and we headed back to the office. I plopped in my chair and sighed in relief. I had survived my first Korean business lunch. Even better was the fact that he was in agreement with my proposal to create an onboarding program for new hires. I sat up and went right back to work.