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Seoul Man
Seoul Man: A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity Inside a Korean Corporate Titan | Frank Ahrens
4 posts | 3 read | 2 to read
Recounting his three years in Korea, the highest-ranking non-Korean executive at Hyundai sheds light on a business culture very few Western journalists ever experience, in this revealing, moving, and hilarious memoir. When Frank Ahrens, a middle-aged bachelor and eighteen-year veteran at the Washington Post, fell in love with a diplomat, his life changed dramatically. Following his new bride to her first appointment in Seoul, South Korea, Frank traded the newsroom for a corporate suite, becoming director of global communications at Hyundai Motors. In a land whose population is 97 percent Korean, he was one of fewer than ten non-Koreans at a company headquarters of thousands of employees. For the next three years, Frank traveled to auto shows and press conferences around the world, pitching Hyundai to former colleagues while trying to navigate cultural differences at home and at work. While his appreciation for absurdity enabled him to laugh his way through many awkward encounters, his job began to take a toll on his marriage and family. Eventually he became a vice president—the highest-ranking non-Korean at Hyundai headquarters. Filled with unique insights and told in his engaging, humorous voice, Seoul Man sheds light on a culture few Westerners know, and is a delightfully funny and heartwarming adventure for anyone who has ever felt like a fish out of water—all of us.
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review
Trace
Mehso-so

Bounced back and forth between funny and boring.

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Ellen
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Pickpick

Ahrens compares his coming-of-middle-age, fish-out-of-water West Virginian in Korea story with the changing times of Korea and Hyundai, his Korean employer. The concept surprisingly works, as Ahrens' puts his journalism experience to good use. There was more about the car industry in the book than I expected but it was well-written and engaging. Good choice for anyone with interests in Korea, American expat experiences, or the car industry.

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Jessicav
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My obsession with Korea continues. I had to hassle my boss to return his book on time since I was next in line for it... 😬

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Hamed
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Pickpick

Career vs Family

1 like1 stack add