John Bae's Story

Running a business is a great way to learn about Australia and improve English skills according to John Bae, business owner and President of the Korean Society of Victoria.

‘Starting a business within a year or two of arriving in Australia is a good idea – any business – because that’s how you learn. There’s no point looking around for too long - it’s best to jump in.’

A former executive with Daewoo Motors and construction company Hanyang, John moved to Melbourne, the capital city of the Australian state of Victoria, with his wife Cathy and two children in 1993.

He first became interested in migrating to another country while working in Saudi Arabia in the late 1980s. ‘I did a lot of travel and saw how relaxed the Western lifestyle was. I thought it would be good for my children so I started doing some investigation.’

Over the next few years the family investigated Canada, and was accepted entry to New Zealand, but ended up moving to Australia.

‘I knew a few people in Australia. Even before I moved here I talked to them on the phone or when they came to Korea. I loved the lifestyle immediately – it’s so relaxed and friendly. I was also impressed with the quality of education.’

The family first settled in the Melbourne suburb of Mt Waverley, close to a friend. ‘I never thought of moving anywhere else. There was a Korean grocery store not far away and many Asian stores in nearby Springvale where we could find anything we wanted.’

John and Cathy debated whether to send their two children, aged 15 and 13, to private or public school but decided on private school. ‘It was a little bit difficult at first but very soon they made friends and got involved in after school activities.’

Their daughter is now a qualified doctor working in Darwin, in northern Australia, while their son is completing a PhD in computer science.

John’s first business venture was with a friend. Together they set up a small company exporting canned spare ribs to Korea. ‘It went reasonably well but the food export business is very complicated so after two years we decided to sell out.’

Not easily deterred John then bought a small coffee shop, where he and Cathy worked seven days a week for two and half years.

‘It was hard work but we learnt so much. It taught us a lot about running a business in Australia, and by talking to customers every day our English improved very quickly.’

After selling the coffee shop in the late 1990s John returned to Korea briefly to work on a large construction project but didn’t like being separated from his family.

In January 2000 he bought a domestic cleaning franchise, and over the next two years John and Cathy cleaned around 20 houses per week. Later he set up a commercial cleaning business, JCB Cleaning Services, which now has a contract to clean seven Safeway stores throughout Melbourne.

‘At first I cleaned the stores myself but as the business grew I started subcontracting to other people and employed a foreman. Now I look after administration and monitor quality control. Quite often I’ve finished work by 9.30am and spend the rest of the day on the golf course.’

Although he was brought up as a Buddhist, John decided after arriving in Australia to join the Korean Church of Melbourne (Uniting Church). ‘I am not very religious but I knew it would be a good way to meet new people.’

He also joined the Korean Society of Victoria, of which he is now president, a membership based organisation that offers social support and informal settlement advice to many Koreans arriving in Victoria.

There are around 11,000 people from Korea living in Victoria, including families, working holiday makers and overseas students.

Established in 1972, the society provides advice and referrals on legal, housing, education and business matters. Members pay AUD$50 per household and the society produces a regular newsletter distributed to all members. It also hosts two annual social events during Luna New Year in February and Full Moon Day in October.

‘It’s a great way for people to stay in touch with their culture and learn from others about how to make a life in Australia. We also have an excellent system of referring people to other agencies and experts for specialist advice.’

Further information

• Living in Melbourne
• Victorian Government business visa sponsorship.