Professor advises on ways to become global-minded citizens

Choi Jung-wha, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, has released “Global Etiquette,” a book that offers suggestions on etiquette to observe in various circumstances.

Through the book, Choi, the founder and president of the Corea Image Communications Institute, provides basic guidelines of proper etiquette while also offering English language expressions that readers can easily use outside of the country.

People in Korea appear to have a different concept of ”the other,“ Choi says in the preface of the book. From her perspective, Korean people tend to be relatively more indifferent to others, compared to people from other countries, perhaps due to its long geographical and ethnic isolation, she comments.

Throughout the book, Choi emphasizes the importance of being more open to others. The book is divided into four different chapters, each chapter comprising of subchapters that provide different circumstances and etiquette related to each situation. It also provides detailed cultural contexts and reasons why certain codes of behavior are required on certain occasions.

The book is, in part, Choi‘s attempt to promote Korea in ways that enhance the country’s global image through means of communication.

Choi, a veteran interpreter, has written more than 30 books. She is also the first Korean female recipient of Legion d’Honneur given by the French government.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)