Combining Korean Confucianism with European values to build successful business relationships

Confucian and Buddhist influences in Korea combine to create a paradoxical culture in which different ideas work together harmoniously. Confucian philosophy’s legacy in Korea remains strong compared to China, for example. With increasing opportunities and collaborations between European Union (EU) countries and Korea, developing enduring and successful business relationships has become imperative. This paper addresses the lack of focus on Korean Confucianism and its effect on relations with Europe. It emerges from the unique opportunity to evaluate a series of highly successful EU-Korean collaborations conducted over a period of 11 years in higher education institutions and commercial industries. Using the thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with