A foreign coworker made a mistake and even apologized verbally, but the next day he was told, "Write a statement of apology and bring it in." He thought it had ended with words, but then paper came out again. ## The rule: words disappear, paper remains In Korean companies, when a big mistake happens, you are sometimes asked to write down in detail what happened. Simalseo (시말서) means "a document recording the beginning and end of an affair." Usually, you admit your fault and write that you won't do it again. The reason the company does this is to leave a record of where responsibility lies. Because if things blow up later and there are only spoken words, everyone remembers it differently. ## Exception 1: An incident report is not an apology letter An incident report only describes "what happened." You write only the facts in chronological order: when, who, and what they did. That's why it's considered lighter than a written apology (simalseo). But some companies use the two names interchangeably, so you shouldn't feel reassured just by looking at the title. ## Exception 2: It's not a document the law requires A letter of apology (siMalseo) is not a document that the law requires you to write. It depends on the company's rules. However, it can later be used as grounds for disciplinary action. So keep these points in mind. - Write only what you actually did, truthfully. Be careful with sentences that admit to things you didn't do. - First ask why you have to write it and whether it's in the company rules. You can usually see the rules of employment if you ask the company. - If the meaning is hard to understand, ask a Korean friend or a Ministry of Employment and Labor counseling desk before you sign. The less Korean you know, the easier it is to think "let's just write what they tell me to," but don't forget that paper lasts a long time.