10 Years Anniversary:

Korean Air Tianijn Office

[Introduction]

The Tianjin office of Korean Air has opened 10 years ago. As a globally operating airline, Korean Air's flight routes cover 87 cities from 31 countries. There are 11 regular passenger flights and two freight flights per week from Tianjin to Seoul in South Korea. From Seoul one can transfer to other desinations such as America, Oceania, Europe and Japan. Mr. In-Chai Park has been responsible for the Tianjin Office since 2000 and has a long experience of working in China.

Questions to Mr. In-Chai PARK, Regional Manager of Korean Air Tianjin Office.

JIN: When did you come to Tianjin?

Mr. Park: I came to Tianjin in 2000.

JIN: How long have you been in China?

Mr. Park: I have lived in China for 7 years. So far, I have worked on Hainan Island, in Guilin, and Shanghai. I like China very much,

JIN: Compared to other cities you have already been to, what do you think about Tianjin?

Mr. Park: Tianjin has some very special attractions and has developed quickly in the past few years. It is a big city with a lot of potential with regards to IT and the electronic industry.

JIN: What do you like most about Tianjin?

Mr. Park: Tianjin people! They are very hospitable, kindly and warm-hearted and more polite than people in other Chinese cities. e.g. Beijing and Shanghai.

JIN: Is there a strong Korean community in Tianjin?

Mr. Park: Tianjin has a strong Korean community – there are about 15.000 Koreans living and working in Tianjin. The Korean Chamber of Commerce and the Korean Society Community are the two main Korean communities.

JIN: Why did Korean Air set up an office in Tianjin?

Mr. Park: We realized that Tianjin is developing fast and that there is a large number of Koreans living here, so we opened the Tianjin Office of Korean Air on December 24th, 1994. This year we celebrate our 10- year anniversary!

JIN: How has the office developed in the past few years?

Mr. Park: It has developed very quickly: At first we offered 4 passenger flights every week, now this number has almost tripled to 11 passenger flights.

JIN: How many people are working in the Tianjin office?

Mr. Park: We have 22 local and 7 Korean employees.

JIN: What flights do you offer from Tianjin airport?

Mr. Park: We offer 11 passenger flights per week and 2 freight flights per week.

JIN: What are the plans for the future with regard to Tianjin?

Mr. Park: We feel that 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be very important. We hope to increase the number of passenger and freight flights in the future. There are a lot of import and export projects in Tianjin. To increase the number of passenger and freight flights is the really important thing.

JIN: Compared to other countries in the world, what do you think of China's economic development, especially with regard to flights?

Mr. Park: I think that Tianjin has a lot of IT and electronic companies, e.g. Samsung and Motorola – for those companies import and export is very important. We have 2 freight flights per week to cater to their needs. We believe that our airline and its service contribute to the development of Tianjin

JIN: Compared to other airline companies, what is your advantage?

Mr. Park: Korean Air is a famous and a strong international airline. What I would like to point out is that people might not be aware of our services: From Tianjin we offer 13 flights per week to Seoul. From Seoul you can quickly reach many other countries and major airports. Our tickets are cheaper compared to others and we are offering the best service to our customers.

For more information on the company visit the website at www.koreanair.com.cn

Questions or comments can be sent to ruimeilan@hotmail.com (Attn: Melanie) or eng-editor@expatriate-jin.com (Attn: Winner)