Global BusinessSouth Korea
South Korea
- Israel vs. Hizballah: Drumbeats of War
- The Pentagon Prepares for a Missile Attack from 'Iran'
- Snow Job for the Avatar Opening?
- Iran's Opposition Loses a Mentor But Gains a Martyr
- Did Reid Make Health Reform Tougher Than It Had to Be?
- The Conquerors of the Tigers Now Battle for the Spoils
- Sarkozy Stands By France's Hated Immigration Minister
- U.S. Companies Shut Out as Iraq Auctions Its Oil Fields
- The Year in Viral Videos
- In Nigeria, an Ailing President and Peace Process
MULTIMEDIA
GLOBAL BUSINESS
The Allure of the Oasis
The largest cruise ship in the world, the Oasis of the Seas from Royal Caribbean goes through final preparations before setting sail. TIME photographer Andrew Kaufman gets a sneak peak at this floating city.
Cultivating South America's Favorite Drink
An American company finds success cultivating South America's popular caffeinated drink
Home Instead: The Business of Granny Care
As the population around the world ages, Home Instead finds that non-medical companionship and care giving can make good business
COUNTRY NAVIGATOR
- South Korea
- Capital: Seoul
- GCI Rank: 12 What's This?
Developed for the World Economic Forum by Professor Xavier Sala-i-Martin, the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) measures the competitiveness of nations using economic statistics and extensive polling of international business leaders.
FEATURED STORIES
South Korea
The Tiger Trap
South Korea and its neighbors rode exports to prosperity. But in a global recession, that strategy has backfired
Risky Business.
Investing in North Korea might seem like a crazy idea, but some are betting that stronger commercial links could push the Hermit Kingdom toward reform
Hyundai Grows Up
No more snide jokes. With its reliable vehicles, the South Korean car maker is a serious contender
DOING BUSINESS IN SOUTH KOREA
Problematic Factors
- Access to financing
- Restrictive labor regulations
- Foreign currency regulations
- Inadequate supply of infrastructure
- Inefficient government bureaucracy
- Inadequately educated workforce
- Poor work ethic in national labor force
- Policy instability
- Government instability/coups
- Crime and theft
- Corruption
- Tax regulations
- Tax rates
- Inflation
- 0 10 20 30
- Percent of responses
Note: From a list of 14 factors, respondents were asked to select the five most problematic factors for doing business in their country/economy and to rank them between 1(most problematic) and 5. The bars in the figure show the responses weighted according to their ranking.