Award-winning CEO
Possibly the most significant and successful female business tycoon Korea has ever seen, Kim has proven to be a true pioneer both in academics and business, and has earned herself an assured rank among Asia's most celebrated businesswomen. She has been profiled in magazines such as Asiaweek, Newsweek and Forbes. She was selected as one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1997, as one of the 20 Most Powerful International Businesswomen by Working Woman Magazine and as one of the 7 Most Powerful Women in Asia by Asiaweek.
Kim's fiery drive, incredible courage, committed faith and extraordinary application of her skills has distinguished her as one of Korea's most successful entrepreneurs.
Study abroad at Amherst
Hoping to escape the strict cultural boundaries imposed by both her family and Korean society, Kim decided to pursue a degree at Amherst after receiving her B.A. in theology and sociology at Yonsei University, Korea's top university.
"Daniel Lee '50, the father of one of my best friends whom I went to elementary school with, was the first Korean student to ever attend Amherst College," Kim said. "Both of his daughters attended Amherst as well, and one of his daughters, my best friend, suggested the school to me. I had the option of going directly to graduate school, but instead went to Amherst in '79."
Kim found studying in the U.S. liberating, as it allowed her to evade the marriage her parents had arranged for her. Amherst was a likely choice. Aside from its high recommendation, it was also a distinguished school, which would guarantee her parents' approval.
Although the decision to study at the College seemed intuitive, Kim's initial experiences here told a different story. "I didn't have much of a background in English, so I had a really tough time. I remember the first class I went to-a sociology class. After two hours, I left with blank notes. I couldn't understand anything!" Kim said. "To survive at a tough school like Amherst, I had to study 10 times harder than the other kids," she added.
Kim sought support and friendship from two organizations at Amherst. She actively participated in the Christian Students Association.
"I came from a very religious background, so joining this association was such a comfort spot. Every student was so warm and welcoming. They even helped me correct my papers and prayed for me," Kim said. Her own faith and the support of others within the organization helped her overcome the pressures of Amherst.
Kim also joined the women's chorus. In an environment where not being fluent in a language was a hindrance, she found music to be an alternate channel to communicate and bond with others. "Whenever I entered the rehearsals, the music was such a beautiful sound. Listening to such beautiful music, I found it to be healing, and I experienced that music truly is a universal language."
It was choir, in fact, that eventually revealed an inclination for business. During Kim's choir career, a chance came for about 20 male and 20 female members to travel to Europe. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, the group had to finance its own flight tickets. The members took action by deciding to sell choir T-shirts at the alumni reunion. "I probably raised about half of the whole fund by myself, and at that point I realized I had the skill," said Kim.
Indeed, one of Kim's most distinctive qualities is effective leadership. Before coming to Amherst, Kim believed leadership was automatic for anyone who attended a good school, received high grades, passed some form of government exam, made a lot of money, became famous or held a high position. Amherst, she explains, taught her that leadership requires other elements, such as high academic achievement, spiritual and physical fitness and high moral standing. "[Amherst College] has been a great influence to who I am today. I learned true leadership at Amherst," she said.
Thinking internationally
She recalls one phenomenon at Amherst that particularly struck her. While she attended the College, there were many debates concerning discrimination in South Africa and in American society.
In particular, she remembers watching a film about Korea's Kwang-Ju Rebellion. "I was really shocked and surprised that such a film was screened at Amherst. The rebellion involved internal issues, not even global issues, yet the school and students were concerned," Kim said.
She believes that true leaders should be aware of what is going on in the world. "Amherst really tries to teach its students how to be true leaders, to uphold high moral standing and to be individuals who can fight for justice," she said.
It seems unlikely that a woman who studied theology and sociology would rise to such an esteemed position in the business world, but Kim attributes much of her success to her seemingly irrelevant studies. Kim had decided to pursue theology in Korea in response to her brother's death. While she was still in mourning, a professor approached her and advised that she should face tragedy rather than avoid it. During this crucial time, she began to question her existence, and theology seemed an appropriate subject to pursue.
"I was really glad that I studied theology before entering such a secular world as this," said Kim. "But I also wanted a balance in understanding life in this society, so I also studied sociology." She said she feels that sociology is the reverse parallel to theology. While theology has the longest history of study, sociology has the shortest; while theology is a very subjective study, sociology is a very objective approach to analyzing what occurs in the human environment, according to Kim.
Kim was able to achieve a balance between the two, and the study of both subjects proved useful and even advantageous. "All my academics turned out to be great assets, although not directly related with fashion or retail. Through theology, I learned good ideas, gained good aims and found a direction for my life. It gave me clear moral standing and taught me not to compromise in the face of corruption," she said. "God gave me a talent in business and gave me a great family. Therefore, I must give back to society. Meanwhile, economics and sociology gave me great social, scientific and analytical tools. They have helped me understand the market and consumer behaviors very clearly. I find that other people in fashion and retail may have only a limited view, whereas I have gained a macro view-an extra tool."
Getting started
Although Kim was able to pick up on clues that she had innate business skills, she was not sure until she was 26 years old that she would become a good businesswoman. Kim's family came from an area heavily influenced by Confucian teachings, and she was raised to be a traditional home-making housewife. It was taboo for women to get involved in business matters.
Her father was already running one of the largest energy groups in Korea, and Kim slowly intervened during one of her father's company's major business transactions. She helped the company succeed in a very auspicious venture, leaving her father, who disapproved of her involvement in business-related work, in shock.
"I helped my father's business without any pay, and my father was so impressed he felt he owed me a favor, so I asked if I could start my own division of his company. I received only a desk and a chair in a small stockroom-type room," Kim said.
Kim started her career in fashion by working under Marvin Traub, the CEO of Bloomingdale's in New York City, who was in search of a project manager for Korea. At that time, Korea was one of the largest textile importers.
Kim was scouted immediately, and it was there that she plunged fully into international business. "It was a tough job. I didn't know much about fashion, and there was still some discrimination, because I was Korean," Kim said. "There was also a lot of competition. It was extremely tough surviving there and learning about fashion retail, merchandising and marketing, but it was probably the best training I could ever get."
Empowering women
Although Sung Joo Kim has been fortunate in obtaining business opportunities, she faced significant opposition along the way. "Working within a heavily male-chauvinistic society like Korea was a struggle," she said. "Every step was a stumbling block. When I first began my business, nobody wanted to work under a woman. I only had the option of hiring non-graduates of college or college graduates who did not have other work. I had to train them from A to Z all by myself."
Kim also mentioned both internal and external challenges. "Whenever I tried to make a commercial deal, every counterpart had a drinking party, [engaged in] heavy bribery or was influenced by corruption. However, I could not and did not want to get involved in that. Chauvinism, corruption and finding talented colleagues were all challenges I faced. At the same time, I also had a family to look after." Kim has one daughter, now 14 years old, whom she hopes will consider the College when the time comes.
In addition to her successful business ventures, Kim is also a staunch advocate of women's involvement in the entrepreneurial world. She administers women's economic websites, which mainly concentrate on business, leadership training and networking. They also explore how women can gain economic power.
She emphasizes that this is not about beauty, sex or dieting, subjects that concern many women today. "A lot of women are encouraged by connecting with each other and learning from each other" with the help of her websites, Kim said.
Kim is also extensively involved in the Global Summit for Women, through which hundreds of businesswomen from over 80 different countries convene to exchange and receive training. In her recent book, titled "Wake-up Call," which immediately became a best-seller in Korea, Kim explains why the economy needs female workers. She feels women are well-qualified, not only by their intelligence, but also because of their emotional capacity. She offers an equation: IQ + EQ = WQ, which means intelligence quotient plus emotional quotient equals women's quality.
Words of inspiration
By looking up to role models such as Eleanor Roosevelt, former Washington Post chairwoman Martha Brown and eBay chairwoman Meg Whitman, and by galvanizing herself with the words from Proverbs 31, a Bible passage her mother impressed upon her, Kim continues to rise and act as a role model.
She also attributes much of her encouraging sentiments towards women to the values she acquired at the College. "I attended Amherst during the time at which the school first became co-ed," she said. "It was also during the women's movement. I learned that there are two kinds of approaches from women: the militant, which criticizes men and fights against them, and then the less vociferous attitude, which is not compromising, but a more formal way of establishing oneself."
The College has helped cultivate a true world leader. Evading corruption, prevailing over her struggles and embodying good morals, Kim is a true leader and a pioneer of both social and business frontiers. She hopes that Amherst students, particularly women, will continue to assume leadership roles. Kim leaves the Amherst community with some words of advice: "Take on opportunities." And to women, she urges, "Girls, be ambitious!"