By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Success is defined differently in the eye of the beholder. Some people measure visible achievements such as money, reputation and social status as their basic standards of success, while others find it in self-satisfaction, morality and spirituality. Usually, attaining the two virtues at the same time is difficult.
Kim Seung-nam, CEO and chairman of Joeun System and chairman of the Korea National Headquarters of People to People International (PTPI), explores the true meaning of success through his own experiences in a new book ``Good Success.''
His career is initially punctuated by trial and error but eventually he takes on challenges to transform himself into a versatile entrepreneur and philanthropist.
He set up a security service company with only 10 million won and three workers in a small warehouse-like room. But 14 years later, the firm has become one of the top securities companies in Korea with more than 150 billion won in annual sales from 500 million won in its first year.
The businessman said that he was a man on the ``margins,'' who was born to a humble family and served the country as an army officer for 21 years. After retiring, he worked at a special planning division of a provincial bank and moved to an insurance firm without any knowledge of the industry. He felt as if he was a total stranger in society.
But he freely learned many things and built up skills and a competitive edge because he had nothing to lose as a ``marginal'' man. ``I could put in more effort than other successful figures in the mainstream because I was marginalized at that time. Instead of being content with my status, I could afford to take a risk and bring a change into my life,'' he writes.