[Corridor Conversations] Daniel Ha

Corridor Conversations – Daniel Ha

Title: President – Australia Korea Young Professionals Association (AKYPA)

Quote: “The goal of AKYPA is to connect future leaders and create opportunities within Australia Korea bilateral relationship.”

Daniel, could you give us a quick background about yourself please?

I was born in Korea and immigrated to Sydney, Australia when I was very young. Most people in my social circles in high school had a golden path in mind, so a lot of my friends became doctors or lawyers or engineers. I knew I wanted to do something different and challenge myself, so I decided the Army was the place to go. I learnt a lot and was proud to serve my country.

After four and a half years in Army I began working for a not-for-profit organisation that operated medical vessels into Papua New Guinea. During that time, I coordinated a lot of government engagement on the Australian state and federal side, as well as the PNG side. Those experiences sparked an interest in public policy and I decided to go to Canberra and work at the Department of Social Services.

From there I moved into consulting with Defence as my key focus – combining a lot of my different skills and experiences. After that I took up an opportunity with Hanhwa Defense Australia based in Melbourne, working on the self-propelled howitzer project as the Australian Industry Capability lead. Now I work at Arlula, a space tech startup, where we provide a platform for procuring and managing satellite imagery from a wide range of satellite operators.

Tell me a bit about the Australia Korea Young Professionals Association (AKYPA).

The goal of AKYPA is to connect future leaders and create opportunities within the Australia Korea bilateral relationship. I got involved with AKYPA in 2021 because I saw a different model or organisation and engagement being formed at AKYPA. A part of the reason AKYPA has a unique position is because we are open to any young professional who is interested in the Australia-Korea relationship. We make a point not to limit our membership criteria by ethnicity or heritage. It’s a really important point in terms of driving interest and growth. A lot of people who are involved value the people-to-people relationships. When you look around there’s not a lot of that in the Australia-Korea space – Australians have a particular image of Korea, and Koreans, if they have anything, have a narrow view of Australia. We want to do our part to change that.

How do you feel about the Australia-Korea relationship?

In terms of a national level of importance, we are significant strategic and trading partners, but there’s a lot to be done in terms of raising each other’s profile. From both sides, I get the sense the relationship is perceived at a second-tier level of importance. There are an increasing number of hero cases where there’s significant collaboration that generates momentum, such defence, hydrogen industry and steel exports. But I think the relationship is too dependent on these cases. It doesn’t help that they’re relatively inaccessible to the general public. Obviously, Korea does soft diplomacy really well, such as K-pop, food and beauty. That’s generating a lot of momentum but that’s very much a one-way street. I think there’s a bright future ahead of us as partners but there’s also a lot of work to be done for us to get there.

You’re based in Australia, so what advice would you give to Korean expats moving to Australia?

Don’t fall into the trap of only hanging out with fellow expats and be up front about the value that you can add to any organisation. In a lot of Australian professional environments you have to be forward leaning in that sense. The whole subtlety and humility piece that’s valued in Korean culture is very different in the Australian context. It’s okay to talk about what you bring to the table!

How has AustCham Korea been able to help you?

I have personally been aware of AustCham Korea for several years and AKYPA has had a relationship for a while. AustCham Korea has been a helpful sounding board for our initiatives and where we want to position events. AKYPA is Australian-based and has a unique perspective and AustCham has a reflective perspective from Korea. They support us through what we do in terms of raising our profile in Korea, connecting us with potential speaker opportunities and helping with connecting us with potential speakers. That’s why we signed a MoU – we’re looking for mutual assistance and to build our relationship further.

Culturally, what kind of differences and similarities do Australian and Korean cultures have?

One of the differences that I would highlight is how we approach detail. Korean culture is very detailed-oriented. Australians are much more comfortable in ambiguity and that presents very differently in the business setting. For example, I might ask a question, and in the context part of my question I might think that I’ve given the necessary information. But a Korean might ask me ten more questions before giving an answer. In terms of similarities, I think there is a strong cultural alignment in mateship. For Koreans, once they trust you, they’re there for you. Australians are the same. That sense of loyalty and trust is something that you can rely on once gained in both cultures.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy staying fit – running and cycling and going to the gym. Whatever it is, I like being active, I really enjoy that. I love learning new skills – I enjoy getting past that initial curve in learning and then it’s something that I can keep in my back pocket.

What is your favourite Korean food?

순대국 is probably my favourite Korean food. It’s hard to find variety in the Korean restaurants around Melbourne city, but there’s a lot of very good BBQ joints!

What is your favourite Korean phrase that you’d like to introduce to the Australian community?

“회신 부탁드립니다” (hwe-shin bu-tak-du-lim-ni-da) which means “I request a reply.” It’s very specific email language. Often in dealing with a cross-cultural context a lot can get lost in translation. Both Australians and Koreans think that each other is too direct – once you receive that feedback you can try to be too indirect which makes it hard to communicate. By requesting a reply, you’re requesting an answer and you’ll probably get a reply!

How about an Australian phrase?

‘She’ll be right’ – it’s a phrase that really encapsulates the Australian’s attitude. If you understand where this phrase comes from then it will save you a lot of stress and anxiety!

That’s also one of my favourite expressions – right up there with “it’s not ideal!” 

Daniel – thanks for talking with us, much appreciated.