Seminar at Incheon National University

From March to June 2015, on Wednesday afternoon, this course organizes presentations with various representatives of the EU established in Korea. The purpose is to gather various expatriates to discover the potential of European companies and institutions, their presence here in Korea, and the good and bad of being a European in Korea.

Furthermore, our students are interested to learn what requirements and skills are needed by European companies to get an internship or a job.

Thus during three month, guided by motivated students, different companies and institutions are invited to visit us and briefly introduce themselves, respond to the students questions, and have an enjoyable experience presenting their homeland and their objectives in Asia.

The atmosphere of these presentations is meant to be very pleasant for all of us, and to celebrate the participation of our guests properly they are invited to enjoy a dinner afterwards at the University restaurant.

Our students are studying German or French and European Trade. English skills are required. Most of them are in the 3rd or 4th academic year. Also our international exchange students can participate in this class.

In order to graduate, each group of students supervising one of the eight delegations will have to make a presentation and remarks on the website of this class.

Classes always on Wednesday, 2.30 – 5.30 pm

Room 502, College of Humanities, Bldg. 15

Program:

March 4th	Short Introduction
March 11th	History of Korean-European Relations
March 18th	European and Foreign Companies (in Korea)
March 25th	How to do Power-Point?
April 1st	Intercultural Aspects
April 8th	Job-Application, Job-Interview
April 15th	Muser Trading, France, Licensing of Brands
April 22rd	Illies & Co., Germany, Trade, Machinery
April 29th	Morgan, France, Fashion
May 6th	SWS Wine, France, Food & Beverage
May 13th	BMW, Germany Automotive Excursion Meeting at the bus, 14.30 behind soccer-field
May 20st	LSG Sky Chefs, Logistics, Service for Airlines Excursion Meeting at the bus, 14.30 behind soccer-field
May 27th	Euro H&J, France, Luxury Food
June 3rd	Advantage Austria, Business Chamber, representing companies from Austria
June 10th	Final Remarks

Topics for student's presentations:

a)    Licensing of European Brands or Companies, April 15^th
b)    European Machinery, April 22^rd
c)     European Fashion, April 29^th
d)    European Food and Beverage, May 6^th
e)    European Car/Automotive , May 6^th
f)      European Transport, Logistics-Companies, Airlines, May 27^th
g)    European Cosmetics, Luxury Goods, May 27^th
h)    Austrian and Swiss Companies & Products, June 3^rd

  Contact:
Prof. Johann Blondeau (French Dept.) blondeaujohann@gmail.com
Prof. Michael Menke (German Dept.) mmenke@hotmail.com

C. Illies & Co.

On April 22nd Mr. Steffen Trabert, who came from Germany, visited our class. He gave us a speech about Korea Illies Engineering Co. company. He is CEO of Korea Illies Engineering company right now. (He said to us that he became CEO in 2014.)

First, Steffen Trabert explained relationship between Korea and Germany. He said that Korea industry has keep in fairly intimate touch with Germany industry and so does Germany industry. They have interacted, cooperated with each other for a long time. He showed us a distribution-chart, which is indicated clearly that machine is one of the important factors in mutual relation. Furthermore, he mentioned about difference between Korea and Germany, like working attitude. It was quite interesting point to us.

Next, He introduced his country, Germany, and then introduced Illies Engineering company. Illies Engineering company is a world-wide Germany machinery company, that produce Textile, pressure die, vacuum and so on. Illies Engineering company has 150 years history. Also, Illies has many branches (including Hamburg, Germany) all over the world like China, India, Vietnam etc, in many Asia. Although Illies is middle company, he emphasized the importance of middle company in industrial society. Because they are acting as a mediator between machine-producer (in Europe) and customer (in Korea and other Asian countries), and mediator's act is significant. That's why we can call Illies "Hidden Champion". We could realize the importance of middle company when he said that part.

After that, Mr. Steffen Trabert talked about himself briefly. How could he get a CEO position, how was his working in Korea, China and India, how were differences between Korea, China and India's working environment, and so on.

Through his presentation, we could learn many things what we didn't know like machine. After his speech, we asked him many questions and he gave a friendly reply. We could also know useful information through Q & A time. In particular, information that Incheon National University (Our university) progress Illies Korea's internship program. It was attractive information to us. We thought we have to concern ourselves with small companies and we have to have a wider perspective on company.

We wanted to thank Steffen Trabert for his great speech. It was a valuable experience, we thought.

German Language and Literature, Leehyun Kim and Boram Yu.

Morgan de Toi

On April 29th Mr. Olivier Dupuy explained to us the French Fashion-Label Morgan de Toi ".
Morgan belongs to the Beaumanoir Group which is a famous fashion group in France.
Mr. Olivier Dupuy said Beaumanoir’s　history and its growth, and also Beaumanoir had very rapidly become a world-famous and best brand of France. In addition, he explained all brands in Beaumanoir like Cache-Cache, Bonobo, La city, Bréal and Scottage as well as Morgan and the styles and ambiances and the marketing target of each brand and how many branches all over the world. Especially, he showed advertise videos made by each brand. The videos showed well their features. So we can understand their brands very well. It was very impressed for us.
Furthermore, he explained the distribution ways of the brands that launch into abroad, comparing wholesale, retail and license.
After presentation, Mr. Olivier Dupuy answered sincerely to all questions, even long or short!
About internship, Morgan is not that big in Korea now. So they have no internship program as yet, but he said they may have internship system later.

Morgan sells mainly their products on homeshopping with GS Shop in Korea.
So in that point, we presented about homeshopping as the main marketing strategy against the slump of fashion market.
Now in Korean fashion market, many brands have difficulty because of economic recession and spa brands' aggressive marketing.
Actually, the sales of Korean big fashion brands remarkably decreases or some brands become bankrupt.
Although Korean prefer foreign brands to Korean brands, foreign brands can also have difficuly about sales if they have no good marketing strategy.
Foreign brands have improved the existing strategy such as entering to department store but now they change their strategy for the consumers who want to shopping easier and more convenient. For example, offline to online or high price to reasonable price.
For that strategy, many brands choose homeshopping as a sales system!
With homeshopping, they can reduce all investment costs of entering to store, store management, destocking and advertisement. Morgan started selling on homeshopping with re-launching to Korea in 2011, they was a huge hit!
Now they appear consistently in homeshopping and have high sales.
But homeshopping needs changes also.
GS Shop employed Korean designer and he will launch a new line collaborated with Morgan.
and GS Shop uses an application on smartphone for purchasing their products easier and meeting Morgan more.
Morgan also chooses Korean actress as their muse so that they are more friendly to us.

40-50 year old women are not only consumers of homeshopping no more.
Homeshopping changes in many ways and appeals to various consumers.
In fashion distribution, they stand tall on the top so we think they still have development possibility.
Accordingly, Morgan also can establish themselve more in Korea.