[2023 Women’s Forum] K-Women Who Paved Their Own Way: “There Is No Right Answer in Life”

Asia Economy Hosted '2023 Women Leaders Forum' Power K-Women Session
'The Secret to Discovering and Growing Your True Self' Theme
CEO Moon Woori, President Kang Shinsook, CEO Lee Yeonsil, Director Lee Gilbora

"There is no correct answer in life. Whatever choice you make, the effort and attitude afterward create the meaning." (Moon Woori, CEO of Fortify)

"When I first became a fan of my customers, they became fans of me." (Kang Shin-sook, CEO of sh Suhyup Bank)

"Whether you fail or succeed, it’s ultimately my life... The difference in experience between what you have tried and what you haven’t is huge." (Director and writer Lee Gil-bora)

On the 24th, at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, panelists are having a discussion on the theme "The Secret to Discovering and Growing Your True Self" at the '2023 Women Leaders Forum' hosted by Asia Economy. From the left, Moon Woori, CEO of Fortify; Lee Yeonsil, CEO of Iyagijangsu; Kang Sin-sook, President of Sh Suhyup Bank; and Lee Gilbora, director. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the 24th, the '2023 Women Leaders Forum' hosted by Asia Economy was held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. At the event, a Power K-Women session was held under the theme 'Discovering and Growing Your True Self.' The presentation was delivered by Moon Woori, CEO of Fortify, which provides psychological care services. The moderator was Lee Yeon-sil, CEO of Iyagi Jangsu Publishing, and panelists included Kang Shin-sook, CEO of sh Suhyup Bank, and director Lee Gil-bora.

Moon Woori, who gave the presentation, emphasized focusing on one’s authentic strengths. Moon explained, "People try to match their shortcomings to the average, but if you put that energy into your strengths, you can gain much greater energy," adding, "When you express your true self, each person's potential can be maximally unleashed."

Moon’s strength was her interest in people. During her medical school days, she pondered problems that medical technology alone could not solve, then moved to the U.S. and worked at consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Currently, she offers psychological care services that classify inner types individually and provide advice. Many people urged her to follow the 'average path,' but she remained steadfast. She said, "There is no correct answer in life. It’s not the momentary choice that creates the outcome, but the effort and attitude after the choice that give it meaning."

Kang Shin-sook, who became the first female branch manager at sh Suhyup Bank in 2001 and rose to the position of CEO, earning the nickname 'the first maker,' shared stories from a time when she was called simply 'Ms. Kang' and women were excluded from loan operations dominated by men. Despite discriminatory situations where she had to learn the work by watching over someone’s shoulder, she mastered it herself and led a branch on the verge of closure to rank first in performance evaluations for 15 consecutive quarters. Overcoming sneers like "She probably only gathers apartment housewives as customers," her records in household and corporate loans remain unprecedented.

The secret was becoming a fan of her customers herself. Since her employee days, she kept customer notes as if scrapbooking every move of her fans. "When I first became a fan of my customers, they became fans of me," Kang explained. She added, "I like Einstein’s saying, ‘Opportunity favors the prepared mind.’ Those who prepare will surely seize opportunities," and urged, "I hope hardworking juniors will break my records."

To female juniors, she recommended an 'inverse plan.' For example, setting a goal like "I will be the CEO of our company in 2040" and working backward from there. She advised, "You should define your future self by year and prepare tailored steps to achieve your goals. Having a goal helps you utilize surrounding opportunities much better."

Director Lee Gil-bora emphasized the 'power to push forward what you want to do.' After finishing her first year of high school, she embarked on an overseas trip through crowdfunding, realizing that learning exists outside of school, and chose a different path from others by leaving the traditional school system. When asked about the strength to overcome societal pressure to follow the same path, she said, "Back when the term crowdfunding didn’t even exist, I showed my travel plan and received support to travel Southeast Asia for eight months. Looking back, it was reckless, but I captured the results in the documentary film 'Roadschooler.' I emphasize that whether you fail or succeed, it’s ultimately your life. The experience points between trying and not trying are clearly different."

Her current identity as a 'Artivist (art + activist)' stems from being a 'Roadschooler.' She said, "I express social voices through writing, film, and art. That’s what I consider being an Artivist," adding, "My experience as a boundary person applies not only to CODA (children of deaf adults) but also to various existences. I want to discuss diversity with such people and broaden boundaries together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.