The One Where Value Stays Hidden

In Korean organizations, formal structures often fail to reflect reality. Some employees are truly irreplaceable, yet their value remains hidden, intentionally obscured by low-ranking titles. This tendency is particularly evident in businesses where deep domain expertise is critical.

Korea is known for its low labor-market flexibility. I strongly believe that unrealistic organizational charts are attributable to such rigidity. Within this culture, seniority—the number of years someone has spent in the workforce—has traditionally defined a person’s worth, an approach ill-suited to modern enterprises, particularly in IT.

Enterprising workers take pride in transparent, public recognition; even a discreetly generous paycheck cannot replace it. When a system consistently fails to credit its real contributors, they grow isolated and eventually leave.