Korea should approach Trump with business mindset, Sunny Park says
Sunny K. Park, president of the American Korean Friendship Society and the Korean War United Nations Veterans Memorial Foundation, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's headquarters, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
When Sunny K. Park arrived in the United States in 1974 with just $200 in his pocket, he had little idea that he would one day become a successful Korean American entrepreneur with extensive ties to Washington.
Park, now 84 and president of the American Korean Friendship Society, was 32 when he moved to Indiana to study at Indiana University. Having grown up in poverty and survived the 1950-53 Korean War, he recalled seeing America as a “paradise” filled with opportunities.
Two years later, however, he left school to support his family and began selling life insurance door to door. His involvement with the Korean immigrant community eventually led him into a different line of work. While helping newly arrived Koreans find jobs, Park noticed growing demand in the commercial cleaning industry.
“Korean immigrants came into the U.S., but they had a tough time to get a job, so I helped them and that brought me to a new industry — commercial cleaning,” Park told The Korea Times.
“That business became so popular and it doubled in just one year. I gave up the insurance sales and started doing more on the commercial janitorial (services). We became one of the top 10 private commercial cleaning companies in the U.S.”
Park founded General Building Maintenance in 1983 and went on to establish himself as a prominent Korean American business leader. Over the years, he also built ties with government officials, politicians, universities, religious groups and other organizations in the U.S., as well as with Korean communities on both sides of the Pacific.
But Park said building that network as an immigrant and ethnic minority required years of effort.
“(You) can go out to picketing, but nobody is going to really honor what you're preaching for … When I donated money, they paid attention to me and came back asking for more. I kept giving and continued to do so since 1979,” he said.
Park, a Republican, developed relations with many prominent figures in the party, including current U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Park. He said he came to know her while they were both involved in activities connected to the George W. Bush administration and came away impressed by her ability and commitment to the Korea-U.S. alliance.
“She's a very smart person and she is straightforward. She doesn't hide anything. So she is the right person for that job,” he said, describing her as an American ambassador with a Korean heart.
Park also rejected suggestions that her qualifications should be discounted because of her husband or her ties to U.S. President Donald Trump.
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, she’s a Trump (person),’” he said. “You cannot change that, and what’s wrong with that? Trump is the most powerful person in the world, so make the most of it.”
Trump as businessman
When asked about Trump, Park said he had dealt with him before he became president and described him primarily as a businessman driven by negotiation and returns.
“He's a very business-oriented person,” Park said.
He argued that Korean officials should take that mindset into account when dealing with the Trump administration and consider placing more people with business experience in positions involved in negotiations with Washington.
“Korea really needs to have a different perspective. There's a good thing when you deal with a merchant — they are looking for more profit,” he said.
Park characterized Trump as someone who expects something in return from a deal, rather than approaching negotiations through traditional diplomatic conventions.
He also predicted that Trump would not remain president beyond his current term and argued that, where possible, Korea should take a longer-term view toward major investments rather than making decisions solely in response to short-term political pressure since major investments often take decades to generate returns.
Trust at heart of alliance
On recent friction between Seoul and Washington, including restrictions on intelligence sharing, Park said he expected such disputes to be temporary and expressed confidence that the alliance would endure.
“I feel that the relationship between the two nations will remain strong. Looking back last 75 years of history of the two nations, there were times the relationship was troublesome but the leaders ultimately made wise decisions (and) put the past behind us,” he said.
However, he suggested building trust between the two countries to allay U.S. concerns, particularly what he described as a growing perception that Korea is moving closer to China.
“American people will never let Korea down. I'm pretty sure … (But) they already have a perception that (Korea is) leaning toward China,” Park said.
For Park, maintaining the alliance ultimately comes down to trust and frank communication, particularly when the two sides disagree. He urged Seoul to address Washington’s concerns openly rather than allow misunderstandings to deepen.
“Take everything out and show (what's in) my pocket. (Say) ‘This is what it is,’ and then ask ‘what should I do’?”
Park added such openness was essential to preserving the trust that has sustained the alliance through decades of political and diplomatic challenges.