Backed by 30+ years of industry experience,

Joseph Song provides an in-depth look into the current state

of the global relocation and overseas removal industry

Joseph Song, CEO of Asian Tigers Korea

The moving and relocation business can trace its roots to the Korean War when American troops were being deployed and stationed in Korea. In the latter part of the ‘60s, a market had sprung as multinational companies began their entry into Korea by sending both civilians and diplomats into the country. By the mid ‘70s, an expansion in the financial market thanks to the country’s accelerated economic growth paved the entry of global banking entities into Korea. Between the ‘80s and ‘90s, Korea was well under way into a significant boon within the moving industry as it saw the entry of overseas oil and chemical industries coupled with an increase of Korean immigrants into the rest of the world and major expansions in the country’s automobile, shipbuilding and oil industries.

However, the industry suffered setbacks in 2007 due to the economic crisis in the U.S. and Europe and stagnation in the Korean real estate market. Even under such circumstances, Asian Tigers Transpack, with 30 years experience under their belt and in-depth knowledge into the global relocation and overseas removal business, has strived to stay ahead of the curve by providing various one-stop services and new paradigms in customer satisfaction to continue leading the industry in Korea.

Q. Could you briefly introduce your company?

Asian Tigers Transpack was founded in May of 1984. During our early years, our clientele consisted mainly of multinational corporations, diplomats, foreign expatriates and specialized skill set workers. In order to provide our clients with seamless quality service, we focused on hiring local employees who could communicate fluently in English while also recruiting foreign employees to lead the company’s sales and marketing activities. Since inception to present day, we train all our employees in every aspect of customer service and further their knowledge through various internal case studies. In addition to owning our own storage warehouse and maintaining a fleet of specialized cargo trucks, one of our greatest assets lies within our packing crews. All our crew members are full-time company employees that boast abundant experience with outstanding packing skills and the knowledge to securely customize any shipment for either air or sea transport. Also of great importance are our dedicated partners at any destination country across the world that can safely and professionally receive a shipment, clear customs and deliver the goods up to a client’s residence.

Asian Tigers Mobility was established in 1998 to provide incoming expatriates with customized relocation services that would facilitate their integration into Korean society. We provide an in-depth tutorial and perform various services that include areas such as school information and enrollment for the accompanying children, hospital facilities, bank account setups, driver license applications, residential forms, daily goods shopping and a host of other functions which are always at the disposal of our clients. In addition, Asian Tigers Real Estate was opened in 2007 to provide a more hands-on approach in the areas of housing information, house searching, tours and contract signings.

To sum it up, Asian Tigers Korea offers a one-stop total service with one point of contact to facilitate our clients moving, relocation and settling-in/out, all wrapped into a single integrated solution.

In March of 2012, Asian Tigers Korea entered into an MOU with KEB (Korea Exchange Bank) to provide our integrated relocation solutions to their customers. This is one of several Korean companies where we have placed such agreements to facilitate our one-stop services for the benefit of their foreign new hire employees.

Q. What contributions has Asian Tigers Korea made to the history of the moving and relocation industry?

Not only with general packing, but the moving industry as a whole, we truly believe we have implemented the best methods in minimizing customer inconveniences while providing exceptional service levels and gaining the utmost trust of our customers. We have trained and fostered some of the brightest talents in the industry while continuously enhancing the overall quality of our services. We maintain constant ISO certification and have gained membership into the international industry associations of FIDI and OMNI respectively.

In addition to leading the progress for the development of industry standardization, one of our main contributions in raising the awareness of Korea’s external credibility within the international industry has been in our strategic sales partnership with various overseas networks and our role in co-founding the Asian Tigers Group across 14 countries spread throughout Asia.

Q. Current market downsizing has led to price competition and turmoil within the industry. What solutions could you offer?

Our market is and has always been determined by the laws of supply and demand. Take traditional goods shopping as an example. There are high-cost department stores that provide exceptional customer service, mid-priced supermarkets and low-cost private concessionaires. Which option is chosen lies solely on the consumer’s decision.

The reduction in immigration numbers and corporate downsizing has caused a senseless competition within the industry to sell services below cost. There is no easy way to rectify this problem and offer a solution unless the industry and its consumers are committed, competing and being judged by service quality while making a steady recovery in pricing structures.

Q. Has there been any accomplishments made after the foundation of the Korea Overseas Movers Association? What improvements should be made in the future?

One of the biggest accomplishments since its foundation 9 years ago has been the successful incorporation of the association. Rather than trying to look at problems as individual members, we strive to analyze issues from the industry perspective as a whole, as it demonstrates our commitment to the developmental progress and survival of the association. In addition, we make dedicated efforts in earning better reliability and evaluation standings from the customers who use the association services.

It is our hope for future evolution that all companies in our industry are able to restructure themselves into an appropriate size and provide quality service while engaging in good faith competition. In order to ensure the healthy growth and development of the industry, we must engage in a win-win situation that forges on a sound pricing structure without resorting to excessive competition by cutting prices below cost.

Q. What would be an urgent industry issue that could be resolved by the new government administration?

First of all, as someone who is directly engaged in SMEs(small to medium enterprises), I sincerely welcome the new administration and the keen interest they have shown in developing Korea’s SMEs.

On a personal level, my specific interest lies on what methods will be used to complement the markets without causing any disruptions. As an industry, we hope for a proper procurement process between buyers and sellers by expanding the number of professional purchasers representing the buyers’ standpoint. Price-driven purchasing by selection of the lowest bids should be replaced with a systematic assessment of service quality at reasonable price structures.

It would be unrealistic for the new administration to step in and be able to fix everything within the industry. However, a lot of positive changes can be influenced if they were to lend support and allow reasonable changes in amending the current bidding conditions.

Q. As the CEO of Asian Tigers Korea, what are your aspirations for change within the relocation and overseas moving industry?

Although we provide a fully integrated relocation service, there still lacks sufficient publicity and a general misconception to the advantages of using such services. One of our main goals is to enhance the awareness of our total solution packages for customers entering Korea. Whether it be residential area selection, children’s school, hospitals, local culture, daily life activities, work permits or visas, we want to ensure a one-stop service through our company to which all our customers have access to the multitude of services made readily available to them.

This year marks the 29th year we have been in business since the company’s formation. We will continue striving for perfection as we lay the foundation in becoming a long-lasting company that can stand the test of time, even 50, 100 or 200 years into the future.