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David Daewoong Kim, right, 32, is in the middle of his 16-month MBA program at Sungkyunkwan University's Global School of Business in Seoul. Established in 2004, the SKK GSB MBA was the first international MBA program in Korea. The university is also the oldest in Korea with its antecedent being founded in 1398.
What did you do before coming to SKK?
I graduated from University of Maryland University College (UMUC, business management major) and worked six years at Koscom, the IT subsidiary of the Korea Exchange. My role there was to support foreign financial firms in Korea regarding the stock exchange's IT infrastructure.
Why did you choose to attend SKK?
I have lived in Seoul for six years and now I have a family here, so I wanted to stay in Korea while doing an MBA. But at the same time, I wanted to avoid Korean-language programs because I feel more comfortable with classes taught in English. I asked around whether there was a good global MBA program in Seoul, and most people recommended SKK as having the most established one in Korea.
What are the international aspects of the program?
It feels like that I'm back in a U.S. school. About 60 percent of the lecturers are non-Koreans, and even the Korean teachers all have teaching experience abroad so the quality of the faculty is really competitive. Actually that was the main reason why I chose SKK over other schools in Seoul. As for students, you need to be as fluent as native English speakers. Otherwise it can be quite difficult to catch up.
What are the dual degree programs and exchange programs?
We can go to either MIT Sloan or to Indiana University's Kelly School of Business after one year at SKK, which will grant you degrees from both schools. But only the very best students with a dream GMAT score and more than two years of work experience can get the chance. Otherwise, there is the Study Abroad Program, where you can stay for the final semester at one of six top business schools in the U.S. This is easier and most applicants go where they want to go, but still you need to have high grades to apply.
So is it tough to get a good grade?
The class is quite competitive. Many of the international students are picked and sponsored by Samsung (Samsung is the main sponsor of the university), so you can guess that they were outstanding students/workers in their home country. And there are Korean classmates sponsored by big firms. These people are typically older, and they pretend to be relaxed. But it turned out that they are the most hardworking people!
What is your favorite class?
Recently I had a class called Effective Communications, which was taught by Neal Hartman from MIT Sloan. In my previous job, I used to do a lot of presentations and this class gave me the chance to review my presentation skills. I also enjoyed the accounting class of professor CJ Song, who was very demanding but also very popular among students.
Do you have a major?
There are three tracks - finance, marketing and management. I chose finance, as finance is at the root of many happenings these days. My wife also works in the finance sector, and she recommended me that it would be a rare opportunity to learn finance in an academic environment.
So do you want to pursue a career in finance afterwards?
Not really. I want to work for a big company with a global presence, whether it is Korean or non-Korean. I do not have a specific industry in mind yet.
Do you have any complaints?
I feel that 16 months is too short. After working six hard years at Koscom, the MBA program feels like a dream. Sometimes I wish I could do this, say, for four years.
Interview by Cho Jin-seo
