[Op-Ed in Asia Today] South Korea's Ballpoint Pen and Japan's Pencil: Conditions for Corporate Survival in the AI Era

An Op-Ed article by Masahiro Kimura, CEO of GTS Advisory, has been published in Asia Today, a prominent South Korean media outlet.

Article Highlights

• In Korea, the "breakthrough power" to execute top management's decisions drives corporate growth, whereas in Japan, frontline managers at general trading companies bear the ultimate responsibility for business operations.
• While Korean companies have rapidly succeeded in digital transformation, they often struggle to reflect frontline voices. Conversely, Japan's consensus-driven decision-making can be slow to adapt to change.
• In the AI era, Korea's "ballpoint pen" (breakthrough power) remains formidable, but integrating the flexibility of Japan's "pencil" (frontline information gathering) is essential to navigating future challenges.

Please click the link to read the full article on the Asia Today website (Korean).