[Delightful FTA] Beyond Fear...

For anyone, putting your head under water is frightening. But if you cannot overcome that fear, you cannot learn to swim. Swimming is something you can learn only if you are prepared to put your head under water and swallow some water a few times. Fortunately, once you get past that first stage, anyone can learn to swim.

The same is true of openness. Competing with excellent products from around the world and winning consumers’ choices may seem impossible. But just as our motor senses gradually awaken once we bravely begin putting our heads under water, once we begin competing with those who now seem intimidating, our potential starts to emerge. We have seen such evidence many times.

When Korean home appliance makers first entered the global market, their products were nothing more than cheap, third-rate goods that no one paid any attention to. But they stood up confidently to competition, and as a result, rose to the world’s highest level in design, quality, and price competitiveness. Now the products of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are no worse than Sony’s—if anything, they are better. They accomplished what would have been unimaginable even 20 years ago.

The same was true when Korean construction companies first began advancing overseas in the 1960s. Foreign clients could not trust unknown construction firms from a small country called Korea. So Korean construction companies had to work as cheap subcontractors. But now, after 40 years, our construction firms have easily surpassed the wall that once seemed impossible to overcome and have become construction companies with world-class technological capabilities. That is the result of leaving behind the safe and comfortable domestic market and entering the unfamiliar and intimidating arena of global competition.

Now the service sector must rise to the challenge. Among service organizations such as elementary, middle, and high schools, universities, hospitals and clinics, law firms, and broadcasters, there is still nothing at the world’s highest level like Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, or Hyundai Engineering & Construction. That is not because teachers, doctors, and lawyers lack ability. In fact, those who became professors, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and producers are probably more intellectually gifted than those working in manufacturing and construction. Nevertheless, the reason the service sector still falls far short of world standards is that it has shut its own doors and remained complacent under government protection.

When foreign students come to Korean elementary, middle, and high schools, when people from around the world come to Korean hospitals for treatment, and when foreigners seek out Korean lawyers to resolve difficult cases they cannot easily win, then Korea will be able to become a truly advanced country. The first step is to open up voluntarily and enter into competition with foreign companies and foreign professionals.

Original title: [유쾌한 FTA ] 두려움을 넘어서...

Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

Date: 2007-06-20

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=column&pn=19&idx=10698