ESSEC Alumni in South Korea: “Our position between the West and the BRICs opens many opportunities”

Thomas Sommer (E10), President of our South Korea Chapter, tells us more about our local alumni community – and the services he provides them. 

ESSEC Alumni: How many alumni are there in South Korea?

Thomas Sommer: ESSEC and South Korea happen to have strong ties as our school has an exchange program with Seoul National University, with which it offers two double degrees, as well as with Korea University Business School. All in all, we have officially close to 160 alumni in South Korea. The profiles are quite diverse, with the majority being Koreans who went back to work in their home country after their graduation. There are many expats as well, with a few foreigners who have lived in the country doing their own activities for some time, such as myself.

EA: What opportunities are there in South Korea for our alumni? 

T. Sommer: The native alumni for the most part do the same type of jobs as one would typically do after graduating from a business school: finance, consulting, marketing… as well as a few entrepreneurs. As far as foreigners are concerned, outside of expat missions, it is difficult to find a local job unless one speaks Korean. That being said, although South Korea’s link to the West is primarily centered around its more recent relationship with the United States, there has been a strong influence of French culture from the 18^th century onwards, in particular through the work of Catholic missionaries.

EA: What is the economics and politics climate currently in South Korea?

T. Sommer: South Korea is situated in the middle of the increased geopolitical divide between the Western countries and China, who is leading the BRICS and global South. Although this position could place the country between a rock and a hard place, I believe that it also offers opportunities to play a growing mediating role in the tensions slowing down global trade. However, I don’t think that this is something that alumni should be primarily concerned with. It’s more important to first see things for oneself and get experience in the country.

EA: What may strike a foreigner when discovering South Korea?

T. Sommer: Korea is very unique in that, as a society and as an economy, it has developed tremendously fast over the past 40 years. At the same time, it is one of the few countries which have kept a very strong feeling of national belonging and unity. This important feeling of belonging to one big family, along with the hyper competitive nature of Korean society, may appear quite unique to foreigners.

EA: What advice do you have for our alumni moving in South Korea?

T. Sommer: Moving to Korea, especially if it’s on a more permanent basis than for an expat mission, can be very challenging for Westerners as the culture and overall philosophy is very different from what they are used to. Be prepared to change your mind and way of doing things on many aspects of work, especially when it comes to professional relations.

EA: What are the offer and services of ESSEC Alumni’s South Korea Chapter? 

T. Sommer: We offer help and guidance to alumni moving to the country and we organize events throughout the year in the capital – as South Korea is as a centralized country as France. We put together a meet up last December and we are currently in talks with alumni organizations from other universities to plan a bigger, common event.

EA: Who are the members of your team? Do you need more volunteers to get involved? 

T. Sommer: The team includes Sooyoun Chang (E04) and Sung-Yeon (Céline) Kwak (E05), in addition to myself. They have been instrumental in helping with logistics and organization. At the moment, we don’t need more permanent members in the team, however we might require sporadic support on the next events we will organize. Get in touch!

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni 

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