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First Impressions of South Korea at Samsung Electronics

1. Samsung and South Korea
The Samsung Group includes Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Display Interface (SDI), Samsung Constructions, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Chemicals, and some other structural groups. Many of the Samsung Electronics headquarters are located in Suwon City, 25 miles south to the capital Seoul. The city itself and the area close to it are totally under the Samsung influence. The Samsung Electronics area in Suwon City contains several assembling plants, IT center, Mechatronics Center, Digital Media Center, Hangyong Plaza, a football stadium, and many other facilities. The international family of the Samsung Electronics is composed mainly of Russians and Indians. The latter are mostly software developers. Chinese community is also large. Few people are from France, Poland, US, Japan, and Indonesia. The company is currently increasing the number of foreign employees. Samsung Electronics pays much attention to the unification of its international family. As a result, the meetings of foreign employees are held regularly.

South Korea is a developed country with a high level of life. There is a good system of public transport (subway, buses and local trains), taxies are cheap, but big traffic jams are common. Samsung provides free shuttle buses to/from the office complexes. The level of crime is very low, it can be said that South Korea is an absolutely safe country. There are many sports clubs, swimming pools, etc. Besides, Samsung provides its own cheap sports facilities. Samsung has its own health centers in which health treatment is also free for the employees.

2. Climate and Weather
It is hot in summer (+25 to +30°C), spring, and autumn. However, it is moderately cold in winter (-5°C at night). Spring, autumn, and especially winter are dry. It is typically one rain weekly in the late autumn, and practically no precipitation in winter. One month a year, in July, there is very rainy.

There are no mosquitoes, no dogs, no cats, no birds (except for magpies), and no any other insects. Special chemical reagents kill mosquitoes almost completely. However, special anti-mosquito grids are used in each typical apartment.

3. Apartment
Samsung Electronics has its own district in Suwon City where practically all foreign families live. The buildings normally consist of 20 stories. They are composed of two blocks with two apartments only at each floor in the block. Each block has its separate entrance and one elevator.

Usually Samsung Electronics provides comfortable apartments for all foreign employees. Apartments have all necessary household items (furniture, electronics and household items). Accommodation is free. The employees who live in apartments pay the maintenance fee only. There is a similar accommodation policy in SAIT (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology). Each block of buildings has its own patio, where children can play by day and night. It is absolutely safe. There is a special TV channel, monitoring what is going on in the patio, and you can switch your TV set to watch your kids. Samsung Electronics pays for the apartment rental. The employee has to pay for the maintenance fee only, which is as small as about $100 per month. The maintenance fee includes the telephone, electricity, gas, water, heat, garbage, elevator, etc.

4. Shopping
Samsung Electronics provides its employees with good salaries. According to the laws of the Republic of Korea, international specialists are exempt from tax for the first 5 years of their work in Korea. This makes shopping a pleasure. In a five-minute walk from our building, there is a huge six-story supermarket called Home Plus which belongs to Samsung. You will find everything there.

5. Food
The food is different from the Western food; many dishes have lots of red pepper and are very hot. There are some restaurants serving western cuisine and it is possible to buy some missing familiar products in supermarkets. The company provides free (or at a low price) food in the office complex and is currently trying to improve the lunch menu for foreigners.

6. Language
The company provides foreign employees and their families with free Korean language classes. The English language is the official language of Samsung Electronics. Most of the documentation in the company, seminars and meetings are in Korean.