Ex-IBK president's book inspires younger generation

Kim Do-jin, a former Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) president, demonstrates well how productive, motivational and inspirational a retiree can be through his recently published book.

Roughly translated as “A Compass For My Life,” the book completes the second and last collection of reviews on more than 200 books that he read after retiring from the state-run bank in 2019.

The first collection was published in 2022 under the title, “A Meditation That Awakens Inside of Me.”

Kim, 64, had no plans to divide his entire collection of book reviews into two books, but had to do so in the end, because such a collection was too large to fit into a single book.

“I want to study something new every day so that I have something valuable to share when I meet junior workers who are still active on duty at IBK,” he said.

Kim was barred from getting a new job for three years after retiring from IBK, due to a regulation on ethics and accountability concerning retired high-profile bureaucrats as well as state-run company CEOs. This rule exists to prevent them from exploiting their connections with government or seeking personal benefits in the private sector.

For Kim, spending three years at home was not a waste of time. Rather, it was an opportunity to turn his attention to a range of academic disciplines, such as history, religion, philosophy and literature, which he hardly had time to get familiar with during his financial career.

The list of the books reviewed includes “Emile” written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century, “The Grand Scribe’s Records” written by ancient Chinese historian Ssuma Chien and “Lee Kun-hee Collection,” which offers a glimpse into the extensive collection of art owned by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

The list also hints at Kim’s future-oriented mindset, given that it includes future technology-themed books, such as “The Age of AI: And Our Human Future.”

“By reading a diverse range of books, I reached the conclusion that I need to open my eyes wide in order to avoid becoming a big fish in a small pond,” Kim said. “No one knows how long I will live, but I do have a strong belief that reading will strengthen my 'thinking muscles' as long as I remain on the Earth.”

More recently, Kim was hired as a senior adviser at Shin & Kim, a major law firm in Korea, in May 2023.

He joined IBK after the completion of his military service in 1985 and served at the bank for more than 30 years thereafter.

He was among a handful of IBK employees who came from within the firm’s own ranks to be promoted to the position of president.