'Yes!' the 50-odd recruits roar back.

Then the music begins. It is time for the 'Hippy Hippy Shake.'

What follows - a platoon of grinning, giggling twentysomething youths following their instructor in a series of dance moves to a soundtrack of disco hits, interspersed with back slapping and buffoonery.

This is an important element in the training of Korea's next generation of economic shock troops.

As South Korea powers away from the heavy-industrial economic paradigm of the recent past towards a high-tech future, the aim of LG Electronics is more about nurturing creativity than raising warrior ants; the training is as much Club 18-30 as boot camp.

'They need to be eager to win, creative and achievement-oriented,' said Jee Eun-koo an assistant manager at LG Electronics' Global Leadership Development Group, which oversees training of the new staff.

The recruits - largely recent college graduates - are joining a prestigious company. With 72,000 employees and consolidated revenues of US$45 billion, LG Electronics is the world's largest supplier of air conditioners and digital TVs and the fourth-largest maker of cellphones.

Although the chaebol - the giant family-run conglomerates that dominate Korea's economy - face domestic flak over corruption and opacity, they remain prestigious employers.

Training begins on company history, vision, core values and team building with colleagues from LG Group, comprising also LG Chemical and LG Card. Then, there is a week at LG Electronics' training institute.

Finally, they go on to specialised business unit training and other courses. The process takes place over six to seven months, exclusive of on-the-job training.

The recruits' creativity inoculation includes the 'Vision Dance.' Each 10-person team, after learning a series of dance steps, videos themselves booty-shaking to a popular rap song. They have to sing the song - replacing the lyrics with ones about LG's corporate vision.

Another task is to shoot a 15-minute video drama - choosing director, actors and actresses from among their team. The scenario is simple: Solve a conflict.

But all is not fun and games. In addition to creativity, presentations, physical exercise and initiative are all tested.

The 50 recruits are divided into teams and the prized eagerness to win and achievement orientation is emphasised by a tough competitive schedule.

'It's been hard. We don't get enough sleep,' former army officer Lee Jong-hoon said.

A recruit said: 'They make us do intra-team competitions and rank other members of the team. We are not used to that.'

And the habits of the past - such as chaebol training once stressed squads running up mountains, hefting company flags and chanting company slogans - die hard. During LG Group training, the recruits undertook a 40km forced march, interrupted at intervals by a series of team-building initiative tests.

'We were stretched to the limit, but we are stronger now,' trainee Kim Ji-hye said.

Posters around LG Electronics' impressive training facility - complete with dormitories, lecture theatres, lawns, rockeries, a gym, a spa, an acupuncture footpath and a qigong room - send the recruits the appropriate messages.

'We Can Do It: Global Top 3!' blares one. 'Great Company, Great People!' roars another. 'Blue Water Strategy: Think New!' is a third.

But while the schedule may sap some recruits, the communalism of the training seems to be inspiring loyalty to the company.

'I feel like the trainers are very humane and caring; this is more like a family than an organisation. The day we arrived here, we all got an email from the CEO and that made me feel really welcome,' Ms Kim said.