From International Student to Global Market Builder: Mark Balneger on Korea, Student Mobility, and International Growth

A long interview with Vasiliki Panayi for The Global Founder's Founder Journeys series, recorded before UpperClass, so the job title in it is out of date. The story runs from the study-abroad placement Mark did not choose (every other option was full, so the school offered Korea), through the working holiday in 2015, the whiskey bar, the years in Korean entertainment, and a Korean startup's global marketing team.

The most useful part is on working in Korea: vertical hierarchies, unpaid overtime as the norm, meetings where nobody offers ideas, and universities that move slowly until falling admissions leave them no choice. Mark's advice for anyone considering a career here is to look past Seoul, because every region is trying to revitalise itself and funds the people who help. The interview ends on international education itself and why he wants everyone to spend at least one semester abroad.