DeepL uncovers hidden costs of language barriers in global collaboration
New research sheds light on how language barriers impact meeting participation, inflate meeting preparation and added workloads, and what Korean businesses need from real-time voice translation
Seoul, South Korea – October 28, 2026 – DeepL, a global leader in Language AI, today shared new insights from in-depth focus group discussions with Korean professionals, shedding light on daily communication challenges and what teams truly need from real-time voice translation. The insights follow a recent DeepL survey of 500 Korean professionals announced in March 2026, which revealed a gap between the perceived need for AI voice translation and its actual use: 89.8% considered the technology necessary for work, while only 35.8% reported using it. To explore this adoption gap, the study brought together 16 professionals who regularly use foreign languages at work, organized across four focus groups. Through a guided trial of DeepL Voice’s translated captions during a simulated multilingual meeting, participants explored practical workplace applications and key requirements for enterprise adoption.