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Jakarta is not Seoul and Choi Chang-sik, the chief executive of PT Hana Bank Indonesia, is well-aware of the fact. He knows that business dinners here don’t last until midnight and that a worker isn’t always loyal to his company. However, he tells us why his move to Jakarta has resulted in a lot more positives than negatives.

Is this your first time in Jakarta?

I first came here in 2000. At that time, the situation in Jakarta was dangerous and it felt insecure because there were bombings, earthquakes and many demonstrations. But when I returned a year ago, Jakarta had become a very secure city and there were no bombs. I think it had gone through a 180-degree change.

What do you do for fun in the city?

Koreans usually like to play golf. I don’t particularly enjoy it, but as a businessman I play golf with our customers at the weekend at places like Imperial, Rainbow Hills, Jagorawi and Halim. I’m a member of the Jagorawi club, but if I don’t have any golf scheduled, I stay at home and read books.

What do you read?

All sorts of things. As a banker I need to be aware of the current economic and banking situation because when I meet with customers they usually want information from me. Sometimes I read books on self-development and self-motivation.

I usually try to read two books a week. Over the last holiday I read three.

Let’s say you had guests coming in from South Korea. Besides golf, what would you do to entertain them?

I take Korean customers out for dinner and drinks. The entertainment industry here isn’t really developed. Like I said, I play golf on the weekends.

What are some of your favorite restaurants here in the city?

Hansol near Semanggi is a traditional Korean restaurant. Its strong point is that it has many rooms so you can make it very private; I like that. When I’m with Indonesian customers, I go to Social House or PEPeNERO.

What is one flaw of Jakarta that you’ve learned to live with?

I’ve now spent a year in Jakarta and, as a businessman, the traffic jams are too much for me. I need to meet many customers, so the traffic is a serious problem, but compared with the environment in Korea, Jakarta has a lot of golf courses. So on weekdays I face some difficulties that I must adapt to, but on weekends I can enjoy myself in Jakarta.

Describe the city.

Compared with the architecture in Korea, the buildings are very diverse. The people are very kind and very laid back. When I meet Indonesian people their attitude makes me relaxed.

Can you compare the people of Jakarta and the people of Seoul?

The people in Seoul are less tolerant. Indonesia has many natural resources, it’s actually a very affluent country. In South Korea we have few natural resources and our major resource is our acumen, so businessman try to survive and flourish in a very competitive world by being tougher, more aggressive. That has a positive effect because Korean men are very loyal to their company and will work for 20 or 30 years for the same firm. Here, when someone becomes successful, they move to another company, like they do in America.

Is there a drastic difference in the work ethic of Jakarta and Seoul?

In Seoul, banking industry workers usually arrive at the office at 8 a.m. and go home after 7 p.m. Personally, I worked more than that when I was in Korea, I would go to the office at 7 a.m. and then head home at 11 p.m. or midnight.

If you had just one day left in Jakarta, what would you do?

I’m a workaholic, so if I had one day left I would visit tourist spots like Puncak. I like to visit national museums but the National Museum in Jakarta is not well-managed. The government should pay more attention to managing the nation’s heritage.

What stereotypes are you hit with?

Here there are Muslims and Christians. Indonesian Christians, when they find out I’m from South Korea, they ask me about Pastor Jo Yong Ki, who is very famous in Indonesia. He came here many times. Other Indonesians ask me if we have four seasons.

Do you miss snow? Did you watch the Winter Olympics?

Yeah, I like snow, I like to go skiing. In previous Winter Olympics we were only strong in short-track speedskating, but this year we won many speed skating gold medals and also figure skating through Kim Yu-na. I watched it live, it was marvelous.

What do you miss most about South Korea?

Many things, the weather is good, actually. After my first few months here, I was missing my friends and my staff in Korea because they are quick and responsible in performing their tasks. But after a year in Indonesia, I find the people here are very generous, very kind and considerate. Yesterday it was my birthday and I received a necktie from a branch manager. It’s the first time a subordinate has ever given me a present. Another employee gave me a sketch. It moved me a lot, I was impressed. When I was in Korea, I couldn’t grow a moustache or beard. Companies there don’t allow employees to grow them. But when I came here I wanted to look like an Indonesian so I grew both. Whenever people meet me, they notice it. People remember me and they say I look like an Indonesian.

Choi Chang-sik was talking to Zack Petersen.