How 강상훈 (Joony Gahng) Built KOREA HR BANK After Losing Everything and Starting Again

I hesitated for a long time to accept this request. Everyone has their own story, which should be told to others only when one's life is more or less complete. If my story can inspire even one person to live a better life, I think all the failures that have happened to me will have meaning.

I never lived an easy life. Although I was an outstanding student who scored full marks in mathematics competitions, I encountered severe challenges during my adolescence. I even had some suicidal thoughts. Eventually, I gave up on college and joined the military.

After being discharged from military service, feeling frustrated as many of my friends became successful, I dedicated myself to studying for 80 days with only two or three hours of sleep a day, and was admitted to college.

After graduation, I built an online business, which generated annual revenue of hundreds of billions of won, and I even obtained the first patent for consumer product evaluation in the world. Unfortunately, changes in government policies caused my business to collapse. My house was foreclosed on, and my wife and I had to live in a Korean sauna for 15 days.

Overwhelmed by my own fragile mentality, I once told my wife, "I think I'll become a taxi driver." I drove a taxi for three months, forgetting my past glory and humiliation, and rediscovered my confidence.

I then turned to the real estate industry, where I used my expertise in information technology to achieve remarkable success. Still, I felt something was wrong. It was not my ideal job because I did not love it. After struggling with another social media business, I reluctantly became a headhunter.

Within three months, I realized that this was the best thing that had ever happened to me. At this moment, I can influence others' careers and contribute to their growth. It is meaningful to me. Therefore, I studied hard and earned an MBA. Then, I pursued a Ph.D. in human resources and organizational management. 

Five years ago, I set up KOREA HR BANK, Inc. to serve start-ups and global corporations and to provide sustainable growth for the next 10 to 20 years. At present, I am contributing to the development of corporations and society as much as possible, and my dream is to establish a global human resources management company.

Throughout my life, I have struggled and suffered greatly. Even after my businesses failed and my houses were dispossessed, I still maintain that the most important thing is not when you start, but how long you keep preparing and what wise choices you make when opportunity comes.

I still have a long way to go, a lot to learn, and a lot to create. That is why I still consider myself young.

– As narrated by 강상훈(Joony Gahng), penned by the Rolling Authors® Team. Visit www.rollingauthors.com, the studio behind bestselling authors, for biography and memoir development.