Five Tips for Taking Depositions in South Korea

By Katelin Myers

Are you heading off to South Korea for the first time on a mission to take a deposition and not sure where to start? Here are a few quick tips to help avoid international pitfalls:

1. Location, Location, Location! Need a location for your deposition? There are numerous conference room and videoconference sites available in South Korea. However, locations in providences outside of Seoul, such as Suwon, Incheon, and others, may not have many of the amenities or conveniences of the city. Booking a site in or near your hotel will help with some of the logistical details, such as printing, transportation, shredding, etc.

2. Make Sure the Dates and Times Match! Taking a videoconference from 9am-5pm? Be sure your location knows if that’s in U.S. or Korea time! The 12-to 15-hour difference (depending on where you are in the U.S.) can be a bit confusing when planning a videoconference or deposition over the phone, but it’s vital for execution. If you schedule a videoconference during business hours in Seoul, then make sure your U.S. center will be open after hours to host the call.

3. Need a Lift? Like driving in New York, D.C., or other busy cities, make sure you plan for extra drive time in Korea! Due to recent re-planning efforts, the roadways are currently being updated and thus causing major delays. If you plan to take a taxi to your deposition location, you may want to leave quite a bit early to get there on time!

4. Location Pronunciation. Now, you don’t have to be fluent in Korean to get around in Seoul, but having a basic understanding of the general pronunciation can help in preventing travel delays, location misunderstandings, and ease some language barriers. For example, do you have a deponent on Jeju Island? Make sure to pronounce it “Che-chu” but spell it “Jeju,” otherwise this might lead to some confusion (and note Google maps and other map applications don’t always recognize the phonetic spelling of these locations).

5. 24-Hour Printing & Copying Service. Have some late-night and last-minute exhibits to print? Well, in Korea, you may run into challenges, as many printing locations are not open 24 hours (with the exclusion of some Kinkos sites). For big printing jobs, it’s better to have the local reporting team send it to a reliable printer for printing, binding, and delivery. For smaller jobs, staying at a hotel with a 24-hour business center is always useful for late-night printing jobs.

These tips, as well as working with a reliable and experienced court reporting firm, can go a long way in simplifying the process of taking a deposition in South Korea. Just contact Planet Depos at international@planetdepos.com or 888.433.3767 for more information and helpful travel tips!