Frank Ahrens signs his book, Seoul Man, Tuesday at the Mountainlair.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Discovering his passion for the newspaper atmosphere, Frank Ahrens loved the feeling of being in the know through working at The Daily Athenaeum 30 years ago.
Ahrens set his heart to start his career at The Washington Post as a journalist. After earning the position as an editor and reporter, he met his future wife, Rebekah Davis. Not knowing his love for her would take him on an adventure that soon would change his entire life.
“My wife, Rebekah, is the reason why I went to South Korea,” Ahrens said. “She was a U.S. Foreign Service Office, a diplomat, assigned to go to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea.”
Fearing a decline in his 18-year job at The Post, Ahrens put his faith into Davis and followed her across the world. While struggling to find a job in South Korea, he stumbled across the Hyundai Motor headquarters in Seoul. Sending in his resume, Ahrens was hopeful.
Soon enough, Ahrens was presented a job offer as the director of Global Public Relations at Hyundai Motor in Seoul, as the only American at headquarters.
“In a country like Korea, which is 97 percent ethnically Korean, it was hard to find a job that wanted a native English speaker,” Ahrens said. “And here I was, ready to plop down into their lap.”
With zero experience in PR, Ahrens realized the most difficult part of his evolving career was becoming accustomed to a new country. Ahrens felt lost; a new language, a new form of business attire, and even a new way to greet his superiors.
Deans from of the College of Business and Economics and Reed College of Media, co-sponsored Ahrens lecture.
“The primary narrative of Frank Ahrens is that he has never followed a straight path,” said Dean of Reed College of Media, Maryanne Reed. “He’s a pretty amazing guy, I admire him for being successful in any career path he continues to choose.”
Former Journalist, PR executive, and newly found author, Frank Ahrens shares his experiences in his memoir, Seoul Man.
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