In this Yongsan New HQ column, we will share some episodes during the project. Since it's a large-scale project working with many people, Corporate Building Construction Division is going through a lot, as it works to prepare a new chapter of Amorepacific in Yongsan, Seoul.

 Nearly 300 people, including Korean architectural firms, constructors, construction supervisors, departments and international companies (including architect, furniture and other materials makers) work together for the Yongsan New HQ project. Such a large project requires many decisions and ongoing cooperation. It's not easy to bring all people involved when something comes up and sometimes a decision is being delayed. Amorepacific and its Korean partners try to streamline the process of making decisions and sharing data through AP Review Request System (5 steps: AP requests for review > constructor gives an opinion > supervisor reviews > AP makes a decision > AP confirms the budget). The problem comes when communicating with international companies. Great care is needed when communicating in English, which is not the first language for both parties. Indeed, we have put considerable effort to use the correct words and give a full explanation to avoid any misunderstanding. There was also a problem with communicating only through e-mail and phone because of the long distances involved. But, after over five years of working together, we are now hand in glove; make a good team together for the project.

 Our new HQ building is quite a big project on the level of Yongsan District and Seoul as well. There were so many licenses, permissions and reports required in the early stage of construction. People worried that because of its massing, it would not be permitted. Corporate Building Construction Division talked with the licenser, several times to keep to the original design drawn at the early stage and persuaded German designer when modification was requested based on the results of the review. Neither was easy, but thanks to the hard work put in by so many members, our new HQ building will look almost the same as it planned at the first place.

 Change is always confronted with resistance. Same here at the site of Yongsan New HQ project. Neighboring merchants made a groundless claim of their decreasing sales and some even filed civil complaints for malicious purposes to take down the building, but most are now settled amicably, with the exception of the last civil petitioner making an unreasonable demand. Corporate Building Construction Division is working on that case together with AP Legal Team.

 The Yongsan New HQ project has been going over five years and when you are working on such a long-term project, it's important to get along with other members. Calling a person by his/her real name is one of ways to get closer to each other. But, it is very difficult for German people to pronounce Korean names correctly. German architect Hans Krause called Lee Jonghyuk, Corporate Building Construction 1 Team as Yonghyuk. That's because the way German pronounces J as "Y", which is different from the way we read it. The first couple of times, people corrected his pronunciation, but it didn't get better. Then one day after everyone gave up, Krause succeeded in correctly pronouncing Jonghyuk's name. It took nearly five years, but he did it and Lee Jonghyuk and everyone else cheered and clapped. That's just one of the many ways Corporate Building Construction Division built great team chemistry of international partners as well.