Not all of the 20 KorAm Bank employees on a visit to Citigroup's New York headquarters were impressed with the South Korean lender's new owner.
Despite ascending the glassed tower on Lexington Avenue that houses the world's largest financial group, touring its vast trading floor and being entertained by Chuck Prince, the chief executive, something was not quite right. “There is no kimchi!” shouted an employee while lunching in the corporate dining room, visibly horrified at the absence of the spicy pickled cabbage that is ubiquitous in South Korean cuisine. The incident prompted a solicitous Citigroup employee to make a trip to New York's Korean quarter to buy the pungent vegetable and avoid a gastronomic culture clash.
