[Books of the Week] "Emotional Salary" and More

Emotional Salary

Professor Shin Jaeyong, a faculty member at Seoul National University's College of Business Administration and an expert in corporate compensation systems, calculated the concept of "emotional salary" using data from 8 million office workers on Blind, the largest workplace community in Korea. He converted intangible values such as autonomy, psychological stability, bonds with supervisors and colleagues, opportunities for growth, recognition and respect, and work-life balance into monetary terms, assigning them a value similar to the monthly salary that appears on a payslip. The difference between the top 30 companies ranked by monetary salary and those ranked by emotional salary offers significant insights. (Written by Shin Jaeyong | 21st Century Books)

AI Business Trends 2026

Upfall, an AI-focused startup, presents ten trends that will shape 2026. These include "AI Independence," where individuals can now select and use tools without expert assistance; the "Popularization of Generative AI," which has permeated all aspects of our lives and culture; the "AI Mix" strategy, which creates new business value by combining various accessible AI tools and their functions; and "Multimodality," which integrates and analyzes not just text and images, but also voice, video, and 3D data. The book delivers ten key insights that will lead the AI era in the coming year. (Written by Lee Soyoung and one other | Maeil Business Newspaper)

Managerial Anthropology of Cultural Differences

This book examines the history of cultural adaptation, from miners and nurses who left for West Germany in the 1960s to the overseas expansion of Korean companies today. Through in-depth interviews and participant observation in overseas locations such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico, it explores how Korean companies adapt to new environments, demonstrating that the success or failure of corporate management depends not only on economic factors but also on understanding and integrating with other cultures. The book also provides important insights for addressing issues related to migrants and foreign workers coexisting within Korean society. (Written by Jeon Kyungsoo | Somyung Publishing)

Pozrang's Investment Story

The author, a seasoned investor who achieved a 7,000% return over the past 13 years, shares his experiences and the advice he has given to those around him. He first advises readers to let go of any impatience to become wealthy quickly. The author emphasizes that, even at the risk of missing out on opportunities to become extremely rich, he prioritized crisis management to ensure his family's well-being was never compromised. He details his investment know-how, including the process of generating investment ideas through performance screening and methods for company analysis, stressing that the ability to consistently find good investment opportunities is more important than short-term gains. (Written by Pozrang | Editor)

The Future of Korea

The author, who leads investment strategy at Shinhan Investment & Securities Research Center, explains the global economic restructuring triggered by Donald Trump and analyzes how these changes will impact Korean households, companies, and the government. He specifically examines the realities faced by the three pillars of the Korean economy: households, companies, and the government. Amid domestic market stagnation, rising household debt, and declining corporate competitiveness, the book offers realistic solutions to these challenges. It analyzes scenarios for the Lee Jaemyung administration to achieve a KOSPI 5000 and presents strategies for overcoming crises. (Written by Park Seongjung | Page2Books)

A House in Seoul

This book chronicles a seven-year journey of acquiring and renovating a 50-year-old apartment unit before finally moving in. Located on the top floor of the oldest walk-up apartment building in Seodaemun District, the author searched for decades-old interior materials and refurbished the old home. Although he thought he knew a bit about interior design, he never expected the process would take seven years. The author shares insights into what is needed, how much, and why, in the pursuit of living convincingly well. (Written by Park Chanyong | HB Press)