Infomag  ¡µ
Organized Contact
Feb / 2008
Mr. Ram Garikipati is Chief Editor of EUCCK, responsible for publishing the flagship monthly business magazine Infomag, communication with the International media and writing articles/speeches for the Board of Directors.

It is now a little over three years since the EUCCK decided to revamp its flagship publication Infomag, and convert it from a dry bi-monthly report of activities to a full-fledged
monthly business magazine. The larger goal was to not only keep readers updated with the activities of the Chamber, but also to inform them about the various dynamics of the Korean economy and business, incorporating high-profile interviews with Government officials and business leaders.
This of course meant that an experienced journalist had to be brought on board and the Chamber tapped Mr. Ram Garikipati who was a business correspondent at the largest selling English-language newspaper in the country - The Korea Herald.
It was not very difficult to convince him to take up the challenge, and since the first issue of the revamped Infomag rolled out in January 2005, he has been responsible for the planning, writing, interviewing, editing, coordinating design and layout of this magazine.
Although the main purpose of the magazine is to inform, it has grown to become an important lobbying tool for the chamber in attracting new members, finalizing projects and negotiating with government officials concerning problems faced by EU business in Korea.
With an education background in economics and field experience in business reporting for close to 14 years now, Mr. Garikipati (Ram as he prefers to be called) has been able to successfully bring out 38 issues of the magazine without a break, covering a diverse range of topics. Since he took charge, Infomag has written on a wide range of topics and interviewed almost all the high-profile Government Ministers and working level officials.
While 90 percent of his time is spent on Infomag, he also writes articles, official letters and speeches on behalf of the President and Vice-Presidents of the Chamber
In addition, he has been entrusted with the task of communicating with the International media and keeping them informed about the Chamber¡¯s activities. He prepares press releases, invites them to various events, arranges interviews with the Board members and ensures adequate media coverage.
As Ram puts it, his previous experience as a newspaper correspondent comes in handy whenever he deals with the media.
Before coming to Korea, he was a Special Correspondent at The Hindu BusinessLine, one of the leading financial dailies in India. It is part of The Hindu group of publications, one of the biggest media houses in the country.
¡°I joined the organization in 1995, as a Research Analyst based in the South Indian city of Chennai, to analyze the financial sector and macro-economy. I was transferred to New Delhi after a year and rose in ranks to become a Special Correspondent,¡± he said.
His education background in economics helped. Ram did his Bachelors and Masters in Economics as well as an M.Phil in Applied Economics writing his dissertation on Banking and Economic Growth. For the uninitiated, M.Phil is a research degree in the British education system (which India follows) and is bridge between a Masters and a PhD.
¡°I was not too keen on academics, especially since my father is a retired economics professor and I wanted to be different. Journalism fascinated me. In business journalism, one¡¯s ability is judged by the frequency of ¡®breaking news¡¯ stories and articles that make the government change policies. It was therefore an exciting and rewarding experience,¡± he said.
At his first job, he covered a wide range of sectors including finance, infrastructure, trade, IT & Telcom, apart from regular macro-economic analysis and op-ed articles. He was also a fortnightly columnist on telecom issues for the newspaper.
Then in 2001, he met his Korean girlfriend, who was in New Delhi on a mid-career program, fell in love and started liking Kimchi! It was because of her that he first visited Seoul to take part in the excitement of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and cheer the Korean team in stadiums across Korea and at City Hall in red attire.
After a couple of years, unable to stand the chaos and heat in India, his girlfriend returned back to Seoul in August 2003. Not to be left behind, Ram bagged a mid-career fellowship for international journalists at Seoul National University.
The SNU-LG Fellowship for International Mid-Career Journalists annually selects 10 journalists from an equal number of countries across the world to expose them to Korean culture and society. He was chosen to represent India and spent one month learning about Korea, studying its history, economy and culture.
¡°It was more of a fully paid vacation where I could learn about Korea and also get to see all the tourist spots, while making nine news friends from different countries,¡± he said.
He used this opportunity to meet various media organizations and by the time he got back to his work in India, he had a job offer in his pocket.
He followed his heart to be with his girlfriend, who is now a writer and multi-cultural consultant. To earn his bread, he joined The Korea Herald as a business correspondent, covering the activities of foreign investors in Korea, International institutions and macroeconomic analysis. His work brought him in touch with the EUCCK and his writings were appreciated because unlike the normal American bias in Korean newspapers, he tried to give a European perspective. It could be because of his parents and brother who have settled down in the UK (Scotland) for over a decade now.
An offer to work for the Chamber followed, and as they say, the rest is history.
¡°The three-plus years at the Chamber have been a breeze. While initially it was a challenge to take up the responsibility of Infomag, each edition brings forth newer challenges. The Chamber has been very supportive,¡± he said.
Speaking on his interests and hobbies, Ram noted that apart from drinking soju regularly and losing one¡¯s inhibitions in the company of like-minded folk, he is an avid blogger. Writing as Seoul Buffoon (http://seoulbuffoon.blogspot.com), he frequently comments on Korean news with an Indian perspective.
¡°It is now close to six months since I started this blog, and the response from netizens, while not being great, has been favorable. Since most of the netizens are more comfortable with blogs written in Korean, my readers are mostly expats in Korea and Koreans abroad,¡± he said.
It could be a good thing, because of his tendency to call a spade a spade, some of his comments about Koreans may not go down too well. Anyway, not caring about the number of ¡°hits¡± it generates, Ram spends most of his spare time at home and the lunch breaks at work, updating his blog and tinkering with new software.
¡°I avoid Microsoft products, when given a choice, and therefore love hunting for open source software which provide greater flexibility and independence. At home I am a Mac buff and keep wondering why the Koreans are so tied down to Microsoft,¡± he said.
In the weekends, he spends his time entertaining his three dogs (Lucky, Buddy & Cotpia) and takes them on long hikes along Mt. Bukhansan where he stays.
He is also an avid reader and is working on his first book, which he hopes to complete before the end of this year. If he does manage to get rid of his laziness, and completes it, he hopes to take it on as a full time career. Until then, the Infomag deadlines will keep haunting him!