Part Three: Love is Enduring - My Family
	28. My Last Daughter, Sung Joo, a Businesswoman
	I thank God that He allowed by His grace, for all three of my daughters to have always smiling, beautiful faces. My youngest daughter was such a cute child that everyone complimented her. Not realizing how adorable se was herself, she was always very surprised when others told her so. I was very grateful for her genuine modesty. When she was in sixth grade at Eun Suk Elementary School, she came home one day and said, “Mom, I’ll be receiving a prize for my good behavior.” Surprised, I asked her what she did to deserve such an honor and she just said, “I don’t know. Just come to the school and see.” Not having visited her school since her first day of class, I went and met the principal. As I greeted him, I asked, “I hope Sung Joo isn’t behaving like a spoiled kid being the last child in our family.” But the principal said, “Not at all, Sung Joo is very well behaved. She is like a big sister to all the students. Every morning, she comes to my office and leaves roses on my desk. (Our house had a big rose garden and Sung Joo loved to pick the roses in the morning.). Since her behavior is so exemplary, the teachers unanimously chose Sung Joo when the Wise Men’s Club asked them to elect one student for their good behavior.” I even learned that all the students in her school called her “Joan of Arc.” When she went to middle school, Sung Joo was loved by everyone and her teacher in first grade cared for her even until she graduated from the school. At Ewha Girl’s High School for, she was the class president. In her third year, her teacher came in one day during the last period of class and said, “This is the first time that I don’t like the class president.” Sung Joo was so surprised to hear this that her eyes opened wide, but then the teacher said, “In fact it is just the opposite. I was just trying to find a way to express my feelings by using a dichotomy.” The whole class burst into laughter. When classes were over, Sung Joo led the whole class in a song, which she wrote with their teacher’s nickname. I left a smile on the students’ lips as they went home with relief from the stress of a long day. Sung Joo had a funny story to tell us about what had happened at school once. Her teacher, Mr. Hyuk Jong Yoo, was the smallest in height among all the teachers in school while she was the tallest among all the students. Whenever she had to go to his office, he asked her to approach his desk only after he had sat down. Sung Joo laughed so hard when she told us about his request. When she was a senior in high school, she wondered what she would major in at university. At that time, Jung Joo had returned home with her M.A. degree in English Language and Literature filled with the Holy Spirit, from the States after receiving her. At this time, Sung Joo was suffering from a corn on the sole of her foot. A surgeon at the clinic said that she would need an operation. Sung Joo was worried about the possibility that her foot might not be healed fast enough while she was preparing for her university entrance exam. Upon hearing that Jung Joo said, “Sung Joo, let us pray. God even opened the eyes of a blind man, healing a corn on your foot is nothing compared to that.” By God’s miracle, Sung Joo was immediately healed after the simple operation and I was so grateful to Him. We praised God with our hallelujah’s and amen’s. Jung Joo persuaded Sung Joo. “You have a natural talent for painting and singing as well. As I studied English Literature, which is only a secular science, I realized it has its own limits. But theology is science among all sciences and since Pyeongyang Women’s Theological Seminary was forced to be closed down, Mom couldn’t finish her study in theology. So it would be nice, if you can study theology.” Sung Joo, being naturally kindhearted, liked her sister’s advice. She applied to the Theological College at Yonsei University. At the interview, which was part of the entrance exam, the professors asked, “Why would you, a student with such a good family background, come study at a theological college?” Sung Joo answered, “I believe people would study theology better if they have family background as mine.” Sung Joo was greatly loved by her professors at Yonsei University. Her beauty and sense of style created some friction between her and other female students. Though Sung Joo only wore second hand clothes from her sisters, one day, several seniors called her and confronted her. They said “Hey, why do you always dress up for school?” Although Sung Joo was shocked, she kept her composure and responded, “Please do not pay attention to me, I only wear clothes handed down to me from my older sisters. I am the last daughter of the family.” Those seniors, seeing that Sung Joo was truly sincere and kind, felt sorry and apologized for their behavior. Later, they said that they didn’t want to confront her, but that other girls had pushed them to speak up. Sung Joo served as a Sunday school teacher at Luce Chapel at Yonsei University and as a member of the Hosanna Choir of Young Nak Presbyterian Church. Sung Joo loves her siblings, her sisters-in-law, brother-in law, and her nephews dearly. She lives surrounded with joy, happiness, and love. In the summer of her sophomore year at Yonsei University, she was chosen as the first-place university representative and along with another student, who came in second place. They were sent to Youth Camp to participate in the cultural events at the Olympic Games held in Montreal. The judging committee for the selection included Mr. Han Chul Yoo, a judge for the Miss Korea contest and other executives of the Korean Athletic Society. The representatives also had to pass an English test. Sung Joo was ecstatic. Since the Olympic event was an occasion to share different cultures, there would also be a Korean night. Sung Joo had to learn how to perform a Korean dance. This was a difficult task for Sung Joo who was a seminary student. At that time, Jin Kul Kim’s dance institute was located near our house, so after dinner, for 20 days she received three hour lessons. While she learned the royal dance, the fan dance, and the Arirang dance, she not only performed them well, but being gifted, she showed her creativity by doing more than her teacher had taught. I went to see her performance at her last session. She danced so gracefully and elegantly that her teacher, Mr. Jin Kul Kim, who was impressed, didn’t spare his compliments and said, “Another Sung Hee Choi has appeared in Korea. This is too beautiful to be seen by us alone. She dances better than others who have danced on stage for over 10 years” (Sung Hee Choi was a famous Korean dancer in the 1940s). Sung Joo went to Canada; student representatives from every country had gathered there. Whenever Sung Joo smiled, all the others were overwhelmed. They even gave her a nickname, “Happy Maker.” All the students were surprised at Sung Joo’s gracefulness. A student from Czechoslovakia asked her, “Are all Korean women as beautiful as you?” and she replied that she was common looking and that there were more beautiful women in Korea. He then said that he should go to Korea to find a bride. A journalist working for a renowned newspaper in Canada always followed Sung Joo. She printed my daughter’s picture twice, two days in a row with this caption, “A Beautiful Korean Woman.” A paper distributed in the Olympic town also published articles about her three times. Once, the woman journalist asked Sung Joo to pose for a picture in front of the Olympic flag. And at that time, just as a sports event had ended many spectators came out and asked Sung Joo, “Would you pose with my children?” They took over hundreds of pictures and the journalist was in tears as the sun was setting. By God’s infinite amazing grace, His glory was always with her wherever she went. The leader of the student representatives was so strict that he refused any outside interviews. He had turned down many repeated requests made by the Canadian Television Broadcasting to interview her. Since she was a young woman, I appreciated such a policy. I was simply grateful for the fact that she could represent Korea, participating in such an international event where even the Queen of Great Britain was present also. Sung Joo always greeted her foreign friends by saying, “God bless you.” A professor who was supervising the Youth Camp watched her for a month and told her that the beauty of her mind is greater than that of her appearance. Sung Joo returned home, but since she took a charter flight, she wasn’t able to visit her brother on her way home in the States. When Sung Joo studied theology, she thought that all the students there were filled with the Holy Spirit. But throughout the years, she realized that the college was more like an institute where one pursued theology as a science. Sung Joo had a beautiful vision for which she prayed earnestly, “Dear Lord God, while I am at Yonsei University, may You bless all the students majoring in theology so that they may be baptized with Your Holy Spirit. May all the university students become Your precious children to give You glory and be like the founder of the university, missionary Horace Grant Underwood. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.” In March 1977, Sung Joo started holding prayer meetings every Thursday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. She invited Reverend David Ross as a speaker. From the first meeting all her friends received great blessings. Just like planting a tree and looking at the years ahead, Sung Joo prayed hard for the Holy Spirit’s great works in the future. Sung Joo also minored in sociology while majoring in theology. After graduating from Yonsei University, she entered Amherst College as a transfer student in its Department of Sociology. There, she became a member of the Amherst Choir and was able to tour Europe. She was also elected as the department’s representative in the student council and was greatly loved by Bishop and Mrs. Cadigan, the school chaplain and his wife, along with many other professors at her school. At her graduation, my husband and I stayed at the university’s chancellor’s residence as guests of honor. We were able to meet Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco who came for their son’s graduation. Having an interest in so many areas, Sung Joo desired to study further in international politics and international economics so she went to the London School of Economics. During her two years in London, she chose the European Community as the subject of her research and wrote her dissertation on the prospective international and process of phenomena concerning the unification of Europe. While she was there, the Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Ssang Yong Park and his wife, who resided in Switzerland, loved Sung Joo dearly. They invited her to stay with them on her vacations, taking her skiing. Sung Joo experienced the deeper calling of God while she stayed in England and after her studies, she started working in the field of international trade. After having learned business basics from her first brother, she studied two more years at Harvard, gaining experience from working directly in the fashion business in America. Upon her return to Korea, I didn’t approve of her wanting to become a business woman thinking that she might work herself too hard. Nevertheless, seeing her enjoy working so much, I finally allowed her to do so and prayed, “Please turn her into a “queen of export,” so that she would give glory to you through her business.” While I prayed, I often wondered why is it that Sung Joo is so eager to do business when I helped her to study theology. I gradually began to realize the hidden providence of God. I witnessed that when starting Sung Joo International, a fashion trade company was getting started, that many representatives in the fashion business from other countries visit Korea for business and come to have faith after attending Young Nak Presbyterian Church through Sung Joo’s guidance. The president of a world famous fashion brand of in Germany called MCM, Dr. Heiner Cromer, visited Korea to start the production of leather bags and other items in Korea though Sung Joo. His wife, Florence, was a beautiful young Swiss woman. Since the business partner of her husband was a beautiful Korean woman, she didn’t feel comfortable. Right after he arrived in Korea, Mrs. Cromer got a phone call from her husband. He told her, “I visited a church for the first time in life invited by a business partner, Sung Joo. I’m quite impressed by its beauty and size.” His wife, being brought up in a Presbyterian church in Switzerland, had much difficulty keeping her faith because of her husband’s outright atheism, so when she heard the news, she was surprised and glad. Afterwards, the couple visited Korea together and his wife also visited Young Nak Presbyterian Church. Since then, Florence has gotten along well with Sung Joo and they treat each other like sisters. Whenever my daughter visits the United States, she stays at their house and goes to church with them. On a visit to Korea, Mr. Cromer boasted to told Sung Joo that his wife reads the Bible daily. The Cromers have become a beautiful couple and have even changed their import route from Taiwan to Korea. Any problems that have arisen in the course of their business relationship, they solve through mutual discussions. In 1992, Sung Joo gave a special lecture at Kun Kook University in Chungju, entitled, “The Future of the Korean Textile Industry.” At the lecture, after analyzing the different stages of the Korean textile industry and offering suggestions in its future direction, Sung Joo concluded by sharing her business philosophy. Her conviction was to instill a new and honest way of doing business in Korea by rejecting the old corrupt ways of entertaining international and domestic business partners with alcoholic beverages and women, and also by refusing to give bribes even if it meant one may suffer from disadvantages. Upon hearing her lecture, the professors and students were greatly impressed by her business philosophy, which was full of faith and boldness. They sent her letters and a plaque to express their gratitude. Praying that Sung Joo International would grow as a body of Christ, Sung Joo sponsors a weekly Bible Study in her company with the Christian employees under the supervision of evangelist Duk Man Lee. Sung Joo also gathers all the company members for a monthly worship, formerly with Pastor Kyu Kim, and now with Pastor Yoo Kon Ko. As a tent maker missionary like Paul, Sung Joo considers the spreading of the Good News as her first priority. Her fashion business comes in second. Sung Joo works so earnestly that I trust God will be with her in the future and give her many great blessings. After marrying a classmate from Harvard, Sung Joo was blessed with a beautiful daughter, Jee Hae, and is raising her well in faith. Before my granddaughter turned three years old, she memorized all the Bible stories through a children’s picture Bible and recited them to everyone. She has become a beloved grandchild through her love of the Word of God and her desire to pray. Jee Hae has memorized the passages of John 3:16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, sings many hymns by memory and also is able to recite the Lord’s Prayer. My Daughter Sung Joo My beloved and dear Sung Joo, You are like the blossom of a lily. Having a lovely heart, A beautiful face, And a constant smile, You are an angel in our house. (December 14, 1974)
	22. My Husband, Soo Keun Kim, a Successful Businessman
	23. My First Son, Young Tae, Dedicated to God
	24. My Second Son, Young Min, and His Temperate Lifestyle
	25. My First Daughter, Young Joo, Born with a Talent in Painting
	26. My Second Daughter, Jung Joo, Dedicated to Jesus Christ
	27. My Third Son, Young Hoon and the Cross
	28. My Last Daughter, Sung Joo, a Businesswoman
	29. My Mother’s Advice
	30. My Conviction for Children’s Education

1