“Install the emergency stairs at both ends of the building from the beginning stage of designing!”, this is the ground rule in architectural designing to have the emergency exit first at the beginning, not in the last stage.  The EXTI could be escapeway to save lives in emergency situation only when it is secured from the beginning.  Nowadays, it is common sense to guide on the EXIT and escape route before the departure of plane or ship, or before the events in the concert hall or theater.  Having this ground rule forgotten, many valuable lives were sacrificed in emergency cases because they were not able to find the EXIT.  We are facing the lurking risks in the complex systems all around us as much as the convenience of modern lives.  To keep ourselves safe from those risks, we should check the EXIT in advance.  We are living in the era that the EXIT strategy is the most important measures to take, i.e. to secure the EXT for the emergency cases. 

The EXIT strategy was a terminology used in the military, planning to withdraw troops with damages minimized after the goal is achieved.  But now this concept is being in explaining the economic or business situation.  Currently, the global economic is in the financial crisis which is caused by sub-prime mortgage in U.S.A and sovereign defaults in South Europe.  To overcome these crises, the advanced countries took the ‘quantitative easing' monetary policy of increasing the money supply as a solution.  Now collecting those money back became an urgent issue, and this is an EXTI strategy for the global economic these days.  But there is apprehension that this rash EXIT strategy could bring the situation to the double-dip recession by casting a cloud over economic recovery.  So the EXIT strategy is a decision making of which choice selection is very important in right timing and level of strength, etc.  The recovery of global economy shall be unforeseeable and the selection for choice will be much more difficult due to the arguments on the faced economic situation if the standard indicator for EXIT strategy has not set up clearly when the ‘quantitative easing' monetary policy has been applied.  First of all, the EXIT strategy requires the cooperation from each country most importantly, but it looks that the different and complicated interests from the economic agents are entangled and each agents are forced to face to their own way of solution.  If there's no EXIT strategy to the country or individual in the situation like this, the national economy and household economy will be drawn into the maelstrom like Sewol ferry case.

Likewise, EXIT strategy is very important decision making in general business situation.  The disinvestment (or partial disinvestment) is Business EXIT strategy to collect the investment money back.  The IPO (Initial Public Offering of stock) or M&A could be regarded as examples of EXIT strategy from the perspective of the investor.  But Korea has a structural problem as it has a limit of the EXIT strategy, i.e. the complicate processes for IPO or M&A, not like   other investment advanced countries.  Korea is ranked at the lowest in the record of company survival rate among the major of OECD members, 60% of newly established companies are being closed within 3 years, and 75% within 5 years.  The requirements for stock listing are becoming easier in the newly established market, KONEX followed by KOSPI and KOSDAQ, but the EXIT rate is still very low, as it take more than 8 years in average for the listing.

Eventually, the development of the M&A market is required, but this is also a process of a long way to go.  The ecosystem of the Silicon Valley tells us a story that when a start-up venture businesses create a boom with small technology, it is being spread out through M&A from big companies, like Google, Apple.  The investors pays the value of the venture business technology reasonably and the successful EXIT strategy works, satisfying all the relevant parties.  The venture businesses sell their own technology and get the resources for new investment, and big companies set their market in bigger size through those technologies, the deal could be materialized in virtuous circle satisfying both sides.  It is rule in Silicon Valley that the value of the technology and marketability is to be paid at a reasonable price.  This makes American dreams come true and start-up venture businesses the best company within 10 years like Google, Facebook as model cases.  But the virtuous circle of M&A is not working well in Korea, it is frequently happening in Korea that the big companies develop the same services rather than paying the reasonable value for the transaction trade for M&A, the venture businesses with new technology go belly up due to lack of marketing and investment.  This is what the general ecosystem of venture business works in Korea, even if they survive, they are being degenerated to outsourcing company of big company or subcontractor.  In a word, the implementation of a normal EXIT strategy is not possible in Korea.  In the business world also, it surely has difficulties to attract new entry and raise the business if the EXIT strategy is not prepared properly.  In this respect, the growth of venture is limited in our current business ecosystem.  Guess how many start-up venture business have grown up to the middle standing company in recent 20 years.  The diverse EXIT strategies, which support business culture where the value of the technology is being compensated and evaluated properly, is the most important factor for the virtuous circle of start-up business ecosystem.

The EXIT strategy is not only important for economy and business, but also for individual.  All things in the word have a beginning and end, also do for the individual life.  The EXIT strategy for an individual could be the same as the step of completion of individual whole life by beautiful ending of his/her days.   

Zhangzifang, the epitome of strategist, who was a key advisor to Emperor Gaozu Liu Pang of Han dynasty is notable as a master of the individual EXIT strategy.  After he performed the great achievements for unifying the China under the Han dynasty, he suddenly left the position and took an honorable retirement.  Otherwise, Han Xin who was also an outstanding contributor missed the timing of leaving and became to be tied up by slander later while Zhangzifang lived the rest of his life and died in peace.  Han Xin who reached the pinnacle of his power as one of the recognized founding contributor for Han dynasty was put to death by slander of a traitor at the end.  The idiom, “To Sa ku Paeng“ came from this story which means “Kill the dog after hunting is over”.  This was all happened due to the failure of the EXIT strategy for individual, not being aware of the time to leave.