Winter 2015/16 Special Interview ECCK Connect Robert Walters Korea The Quarterly Duncan Harrison Page 20 Government Project Korean Free Economic Zones Page 24 Magazine of the Sejong City Page 26 European Chamber of Art & Culture Commerce in Korea Belgian Design Days 2015 Page 42 Cover Story Hotel Industry in Korea 2015 Page 28 세종호수공원 2 President’s Message Dear Readers, As 2015 quickly approaches the finish line, I wish you all the happiness and relaxation over the holidays. The year-end season should be dedicated to family and friends to celebra- ting their love and encouragements throughout the year. Looking back at this past year as the ECCK president, I feel very thankful to our members and partners for their support. This year, the Chamber has hosted reputable conferences in- cluding EU Research & Innovation Day and Global Alternative Investment Insights Conference, while organizing numerous information sessions on taxation, compliance, human resour- ces, and industrial safety. Moreover, the ECCK has accelera- ted its effort to update regulatory information for members. We have circulated the first White Paper in which non-tariff barriers and regulatory issues are investigated and listed. The Chamber also released the first business confidence survey to gauge the perception of European businesses towards Korea’s market environment. The second year survey has recently been conducted and will be released early next year. To wrap up the successful year, ECCK Connect has prepared interesting sets of articles for our readers. As a cover story, we will overview Korea’s hospitality industry, and then introduce recently opened hotels in downtown Seoul. The culture sec- tion will feature the Belgian Design Days on November 18-19 in Seoul, as well as the activities of the Korean Culture Centre in Brussels. You will also find insights from various other articles in this issue. Next year, we will continue to improve our services, in particu- lar, to help members cope with difficult regulations and mar- ket barriers in Korea. Once again, I’d like to deliver my gratitude to everyone and hope you find the finalECCK Connect of 2015 interesting and informative. Kind regards, Jean-Christophe Darbes President, European Chamber of Commerce in Korea 4 Table of Content 2 President’s Message Government Project 24 2015 Free Economic Zones Business Day Startup News 26 The Multifunctional Administrative City, Sejong 6 KoreanTourGuide.com 7 Planet Hustle Cover Story 28 Hotel Industry in Korea 2015 ECCK News 29 Four Seasons Hotel Seoul 8 New Members 32 Four Points by Sheraton Seoul Namsan 9 General Events 34 ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong 11 ECCK Seminars & Forums 36 Shilla Stay 14 ECCK Busan Chapter 16 Special Report: Busan Global Visiting in Hamburg Research & Insights 18 ECCK November Network Night 38 LOTTE Social Impact Conference 2015 40 Healthcare Innovation Forum 2015 Special Interview 20 Robert Walters Korea: Art & Culture Interview with Duncan Harrison 42 Belgian Design Days 2015 47 Korean Cultural Centre Brussels In partnership with Seoul Global Center (SGC), 6 Startup News ECCK Connect — Winter 2015/16 7 ECCK Connect introduces startup SMEs in every issue. KoreanTourGuide.com Planet Hustle KoreanTourGuide.com is Korea’s premier tour guide service. At KoreanTourGuide.com we seek to close the gap between Korea, the land of the morning calm, is anything but calm Through our guides, we offer tours, local experiences and inbound and intrabound travel. In fact, ideally there should the morning after a typical weekend in Gangnam, Itaewon destination management services for people, schools and never be one. The only difference being a really being a great or Hongdae, and Planet Hustle and their team of Hustlers companies visiting Korea. We also offer tour guide training interpreter, tour guide and fun travel partner. On all of our can be credited for much of this said chaos. Planet Hustle and other travel consulting services for local companies. We services offered, we give you just that. Korea centres its events on two simple concepts: good mu- are seeking to acquire technology to position ourselves as the sic and great memories. From DJ–ing high school proms at Uber for tour guides in Korea and eventually the rest of the At KoreanTourGuide.com, we educate our guides on how our swanky hotels to creating spectacular parties at high-energy world. Above all, we are a startup so we are still very open to clients are seeking true local experiences. Our staff is trained nightclubs, Planet Hustle boasts a broad range of entertain- partnerships, investment as well as pivoting our operations to take tourists around Korea as if they were taking around ment services from product marketing to artist manage- towards other promising business projects. their own families on a weekend getaway. Sure, we will still ment. Pinnacle TheHustler, Planet Hustle’s President and take you to Hanok Village, but did you know there’s a really Head DJ, claims, “Planet Hustle is a work of love; you’ve got Although the business formally launched on April of 2015, awesome stream tucked away nearby. Not likely a place to love what you do in order to be successful, and every one founder Rob Koh has spent the last three years understan- highlighted on official government websites, but it’s a great of our Hustlers works hard to make this company successful.” ding the industry by working in the trenches as a tour guide place to just relax, take your shoes off and feel the cool water himself. During that time, he has developed relationships in running through your feet. “The Hustlers” - Planet Hustle’s staff of promoters, DJs, mo- the tourism field as well as built up a portfolio of returning dels, and more - operate like a family business with some institutional clients. Quite a change from his original care- KoreanTourGuide.com has a perfect record on TripAdvisor of them even taking on multiple roles. Ruthie Park, a Planet er, as he spent 12 years working extensively in finance sector and was also the recipient of the prestigious Viator Top 10 Hustle model, is also the company’s Promotions Director. with Marsh & McLennan, Bank of America and a number of Tour Guide Award for 2014. We will continue to strive for ex- Geewoo Nam was brought into the fold as an event pro- other companies. cellence in our next stage of growth. We welcome you as well moter, but eventually assumed the role of the Community as your guests visiting Korea to give us a try. We have yet to Service Director. A graduate of the Stern School of Business with degrees in disappoint anyone trying our services. is done for them. “Our friends, supporters, and clients are Finance and Marketing, he looks to Korea as the #1 desti- Planet Hustle was initially founded to allow artists to ope- taken into strong consideration every step of the way – from nation in East Asia for Westerners. Being Korean-American, rate freely under the protection of a legal entertainment which artist we book, to which venue we choose, even down Rob is equally Korean as he is American. He understands the entity. However, soon after its establishment, Pinnacle saw to which song will start the headlining set; our crowd is our mindset of both cultures and so is focused on what will bring that Planet Hustle was needed for more than just artists. greatest motivation and it inspires us to be great.” Pinnacle the next wave of travellers here. There were people that wanted to do business, accounting, leaves little room misinterpretation: Planet Hustle really ca- management, and more, but did not have the resources to res about its supporters. In domestic Korean tourism, there is the inbound sector and do so. As a result, Planet Hustle broadened its horizons and the intrabound sector. The inbound business caters to for- created a platform that provides opportunities to people eign tourists coming to Korea while the intrabound focuses outside of the scope of the creative arts. Recently, Planet on Koreans vacationing within Korea. These are usually sepa- Hustle opened up an affiliate program to allow people to rate businesses here, but the question is: “Should they really gain experience in the Korean nightlife scene as promoters. be?” Although you may find some Koreans visiting touristy Ambitious and self-motiviated individuals interested in the places like Gyeongbok Palace, more often you’ll find them Planet Hustle affiliate program can simply sign up on the enjoying overnight pension getaways, taking in beautiful Planet Hustle website. nature and eating really great local food found on a blog Contact Information written in Korean. Why can’t we all? www.koreantourguide.com Audience members of a Planet Hustle event are the lifeb- Contact Information [email protected] lood of the company and it’s evident that every little detail www.planethustle.com 8 ECCK News ECCK Connect — Winter 2015/16 9 Wärtsilä Korea Ltd (Finland) New Members Scott Sejeong Oh (Country General Manager) General Events www.wartsila.com October – World Markets Korea (Korea) European Business Organization Worldwide Business Confidence Survey 2015 Justin McLeod (Managing Director) Network (EBOWWN) November 2015 www.worldmarketskorea.com The Business Confidence Survey 2015 was officially laun- The European Business Organization Worldwide Network ched at Roland Berger office on November 16. The survey Wuerth Korea Co. Ltd (Germany) (EBOWWN) met from November 12 to 14 in Beijing for its has been prepared to gauge European companies’ percep- Tai Yoen Choi (Managing Director) annual regional conference. Including the ECCK Secreta- tion towards the business environment of Korea. Eleven Eu- www.wuerth.co.kr ry General Christoph Heider, the conference was joined by ropean chambers and business councils are participating 3C System S.R.L.