Episode 6. “Can I become a Middle East Expert?”

After many turns, I found myself back in the Middle East. The UAE, the very first country I ever visited during one of the most challenging times of my life, holds a special meaning for me and left me with a deeply positive impression.

After starting my independent life in Seoul, I became involved in a variety of activities and projects. As part of this, I began to actively use LinkedIn. At first, I engaged passively—mainly uploading content about my activities such as participating in programs in Japan or attending startup camps. But later in the year, I began following and connecting with people who were active in the region I was most interested in—the Middle East.

It was around this time that I came across the LinkedIn profile of Daniel Han, the CEO of the company I now work at. I followed him, and since he often shared news and insights related to the Middle East, I found myself regularly keeping up with his posts. When I learned that he would be hosting a seminar in Korea about entering Middle Eastern markets, I decided to attend so I could introduce myself and gain insights. Before attending, I prepared a small gift. As anyone who follows me on LinkedIn knows, I enjoy drawing as a hobby, so I designed a character illustration for him as a present (laughs).

Through the seminar, I gained valuable insights into the current Middle Eastern market and business environment, and I was also able to meet and greet him in person, which was very meaningful. Although the event was busy and we didn’t have much time to talk, I was later given the wonderful opportunity to have lunch with him in Korea. Over lunch, I spoke candidly about my experiences and concerns regarding my career direction. After listening, he suggested that I try working at his company. I was thrilled. And that’s how I began a three-month unpaid internship at Turning Point MEA.

During the first three months of my unpaid internship, my initial focus was on marketing tasks. I primarily worked on planning and creating LinkedIn content for the company, which helped me gain a deeper understanding of the organization and its operations. At the same time, I studied various videos and materials related to the Middle East, allowing me to gradually build knowledge about regional issues, trends, and market conditions.

Around May, I attended a startup event held in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, where I had the opportunity to meet my CEO and the company’s partners in person. I was truly impressed watching them run our company’s booth in the “Global Pavilion,” engaging with many attendees and communicating with professionalism and confidence. It was a moment that deepened my respect for their leadership and expertise.

That day, I also had the honor of meeting the Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do. He expressed strong interest in collaboration with Middle Eastern countries and offered both encouragement and valuable advice, making it a very meaningful occasion for me.

In June, our company hosted a seminar on expanding into the Middle East at a hotel in Gangnam, Seoul. I assisted with the entire process—from preparation to on-site operations.

As part of the preparations, I sent out cold emails to a wide range of potential participants, including prospective clients, companies, students, and local government agencies who might be interested in Middle East market entry. Through these efforts, we successfully recruited around 70 attendees. I also managed the guest list and supported event operations on the day. This included preparing and arranging the attendee list and name tags to ensure smooth check-ins, photographing and filming throughout the seminar, and creating content for LinkedIn and Threads.

After the event, I summarized the key insights gained and published them as a LinkedIn newsletter, ensuring that the knowledge shared during the seminar could reach a wider audience beyond the attendees.

Building on my passion and contributions, in July I officially signed an internship contract and transitioned into a paid internship. With this new role, I began taking on more in-depth responsibilities.

My main tasks now included studying our client companies, conducting competitor research, identifying potential buyers, and directly sending cold emails to those buyers to initiate connections. These activities allowed me to engage more closely with the business development side of our work and understand the processes behind global market entry.

Although it has only been a short time since I formally started this work, over the past five months of working alongside the CEO, I have already gained invaluable insights and learned a great deal. This internship has not only deepened my understanding of the Middle Eastern market but also expanded my perspective on international business as a whole.

From a professional perspective, I have gained several key insights through this internship:

First, the importance of understanding the company and conducting competitor research. When I first began working on buyer discovery, I struggled because I lacked sufficient knowledge about our own company and was not familiar with identifying competitors. This made it difficult to generate high-quality leads. However, through various meetings with client companies, I realized just how crucial it is to thoroughly understand the company, its products, and the overall market landscape. By studying internal materials, developing a clear grasp of our product offerings, and analyzing competitors, I have been able to improve the quality of buyer discovery and contribute to more meaningful results.

Second, gaining insights into the current landscape and future vision of key Gulf countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Initially, I entered this role with only a general curiosity about the Middle East and little concrete understanding of the region. But while working alongside my CEO, I studied reports and resources from institutions such as KOTRA and KITA, read specialized literature, and regularly compiled both domestic and local Middle East news into newsletter-style reports. These activities greatly expanded my knowledge of Middle Eastern markets, trends, and national visions. This intellectual growth has not only strengthened my ability to identify potential buyers but has also enhanced the overall quality of my work. For me, this represents one of the most meaningful areas of personal and professional development.

Beyond professional skills, I have also gained many personal insights during this internship. Above all, what I am most proud of is the fact that I have had the opportunity to work directly with my CEO, Daniel Han. Throughout my work, I met and spoke with many people, and every single one of them shared only positive feedback and stories about him, which left a deep impression on me.

In reality, no matter how hard one tries, it is natural to sometimes receive negative feedback or to encounter outcomes that don’t align with one’s plans—such is the nature of human relationships. Yet, everyone I met had only praise for my CEO, and after working with him for the past five months, I can wholeheartedly agree.

As a leader, he is both highly capable and genuinely good-hearted. In work, he is precise and thorough, always giving direct feedback and encouraging open communication. His attention to detail and straightforward feedback have been invaluable to my growth. When errors arose, he guided me to correct them quickly, and when better methods existed, he encouraged me to learn, adapt, and apply them boldly to move in a better direction.

On a personal level, he listened sincerely to my career thoughts and concerns, remembering even the small things I shared. Whenever opportunities or useful information came up, he would share them with me. Thanks to his guidance, I have been able to refine my résumé, think critically about how to promote myself more effectively, and pursue my own growth with greater confidence.

Most importantly, working under a leader who genuinely supports and encourages my personal development has given me both warmth and confidence. This support has empowered me to challenge myself more, embrace new opportunities, and push my boundaries further than I otherwise might have dared.

He is not only an excellent person but also an outstanding leader. Everyone I have met has spoken highly of him, and I wholeheartedly agree. I truly consider it an honor to have the opportunity to learn and grow under such a great mentor.

Just as he has given me so much support, I aspire to continuously reflect on the value I can create, grow through that process, and ultimately become both a “growth-driven professional” and a reliable “teammate” who can deliver meaningful results.

Today as well, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my CEO,

Daniel Han, for always supporting my growth and development.