Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59297
Refashioning the World Sung Joo Kim talks with equal ease on the topics of business, family, education, religion, social responsibility, and luxury goods. For Kim, the founder of retail fashion chain Sungjoo International in Seoul, Korea, they're all inextricably linked. She is keenly aware that as one of the rarest creatures on earth—a Korean woman who runs an international business—she is in a position to support good works, inspire other women, and generally make the world a better place. Adding charm to her business savvy, social conscience, and willpower, Kim comes Korean retailer Sung Joo Kim uses her string of high-end boutiques to market designer labels—while opening doors for women and raising funds for good works. by Sharon Shinn across as an unstoppable force. That's particularly true when she describes how she convinced her father, a strict traditionalist who did not believe women should pursue careers, to allow her to attend Amherst College in Massachusetts in the late 1970s. First she staged a hunger strike. When that didn't work, she searched for prominent Amherst graduates in Korea—such as scholars and cabinet members—and invited them to her father's house for dinner. "They said to him, 'We understand your daughter was accepted to Amherst. Would you allow her to go?'" she relates. "Ten pairs of eyes focused on his face. He couldn't say no!" She had already earned a B.A. in theology and sociology from Yonsei University in Seoul. The B.A. in sociology from Amherst was quickly followed by two more degrees: a master's in international relations from the London School of Econom- ics and a master's degree in theological studies in business ethics and economics from Harvard University. In 2000, she also was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Amherst. Her desire for an education and a career led to a years-long estrangement with her family, but they eventually reconciled. In 1989, her father lent her the money to launch Sungjoo International, and Kim introduced Western-style retailing to Seoul. Today, the 85 retail stores carry designer brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Lulu Guinness, Billy Bag, and Marks & Spencer. Under the umbrella of Sung Joo Group, Kim also runs Sungjoo Merchandising Inc. and Sungjoo Design Tech & Distribution Inc., and together the enterprises gross more than $100 million. Her success has led to a host of accolades. She was named one of the 1997 Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum; one of the most power- ful businesswomen in the 21st century by Working Woman magazine in 1999; and one of the seven most powerful women in Asia by Asiaweek in 2001. In 2004, the Wall Street Journal called her one of the Top 50 Women to Watch. While Kim loves fashion retailing, she sees it as only part of a higher calling. She serves on the boards of Save the Children and several other foundations, and her business donates money to charitable organizations throughout Asia. She is passion- ate about bringing women into the Korean workforce and is deeply involved with two Web-based initiatives—HRKorea.co.kr and iwillb.com—that focus on helping women find jobs, get educated, and manage money. It seems fair to say that Kim is dedicated to saving the world with fashion and style. 16 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2006