"They'll straight up speak Korean during meetings" – Frustrated employee calls out insular work culture

A Singapore-based employee has taken to Reddit to vent about the overwhelming presence of Korean nationals in their MNC workplace, raising concerns about workplace inclusivity and communication barriers. In a post that’s sparked heavy debate, the OP shared how multiple management layers—“like 3 levels deep”—were entirely filled with Koreans, creating a workplace culture that felt exclusionary and “cliquish.”

The real frustration? Korean being used as the main language in meetings, even with non-Korean staff present.

The company, though headquartered in the US, has seen a gradual replacement of Singaporean, Indian, and other foreign managers with Korean nationals over the last two years. According to the OP, this shift has led to entire chains of command being dominated by one nationality, with little effort to bridge communication gaps.

“They’ll straight up speak Korean during meetings even when Singaporean colleagues are present! How are we supposed to contribute when we can’t understand what’s being discussed?” – Background-Proof5402

Some readers questioned whether the OP should have expected this when joining the company, especially if it’s Korean-owned. But the OP clarified that it’s an American company, and the localisation shift was not obvious at the start.

“It’s an American company headquartered in Austin, Texas; Over the past 2 years they’ve been replacing Singaporean, Angmoh, Chinese, Indian managers with Koreans.” – Background-Proof5402

The post quickly gathered traction, with many sharing their own experiences working with or under Korean management—most of them far from positive.

“Had to work with a Korean client, he straight up DEMANDED our project manager located in Seoul office to speak in Korean... just replied 100% in Korea.” – fakerealone

“Koreans are just rebranded northern tiongs that speak a different language.” – Maleficent_Today_934

“Koreans are the Japanese from Temu.” – LowOven87878

One commenter who had studied in Korea shared how some Koreans even get upset when foreigners speak their language.

“Agreed lol I can speak Korean but they legit hate it when I understand what they say amongst themselves… On their Kakao they even go block me when I message in Korean.” – Tiny-Significance733

Others highlighted how this kind of insularity isn’t unique to Koreans. It mirrors issues seen with other nationalities in similar contexts.

“Not just Koreans – I’ve worked for a Japanese company and they are probably the OG when it comes to this behaviour.” – BeginningStrange101

A few pushed for practical workarounds rather than complaints.

“Take your pay and f off on time. If you want career prospects, prove your worth or start looking for something better.” – LaughOverLife101

“Pretend to learn Korean! Pretend to use translation apps… And don’t be affected when they speak their language.” – CycleAffectionate169

While the issue stirred plenty of nationalistic and even racial sentiments, some grounded the discussion by pointing out that in any environment dominated by one group, exclusion tends to follow—whether intentional or not.

For this OP and many others, the concern isn't about foreign presence in the workforce, but rather when shared workplaces start feeling like closed ethnic enclaves.