201401495 Ji Eun Bok
You're the man, Mr. Bok!
He sat nervously on the sofa as I looked over my list of questions and set the voice recorder on the mobile phone to get started with the interview. His initial reaction to my oral history assignment was rather funny. When I told him that I chose him as my interviewee, he seemed slightly embarrassed. He didn't know what I would interview him about, and the word "interview" must have burdened him. Despite his worries, he turned out to be the best interviewee.
My dad was born in Cheonyang, Chungcheongnam-do Province, South Korea. It was an underdeveloped area and the majority of the population was farmers. My grandfather was a farmer too, and my dad had to always help him out in the field after school. As a kid, my dad was interested in electronics. My dad studied hard to try and achieve his goal. Although growing up in the farming area meant less time to study, he always met up with his friends after class to study and revise. Later, he got into an electronic technical high school. He studied electronics there and went through practical training.
"When I turned 17, my mother passed away. This was a big change, and I had to find other means to help support the family. I decided to get a job rather than to go to university and continue my studies." He said this with a calm voice, but I knew what this meant to him. He had practically given up one of his goals due to a very sudden, unexpected change. He had always wanted go to university, but circumstances didn't allow him with many choices. At the end of his second year in high school, several companies had open recruitment and my dad applied for one company. Fortunately, he got accepted and he began working immediately after he graduated from high school.
The company was located in Suwon, so he had to leave his family and his hometown to move to Suwon. He got a small apartment and began living on his own. He said this was one of his most difficult times in life.
"There was no one there to look after me. I was by myself, and I had to do everything for myself. My health got worse as I didn't eat properly. I was in a slump." He said this was the one and only time he wanted to quit working. There were hard times, but as the saying, time gradually healed everything and he soon got back on the recovery track.
"What do you consider your greatest achievement in your working career? What are you most proud of?" I asked my dad, hoping to learn even more.
When I looked at him, he was already traveling back in time, reminiscing his old days. In 1998, his company formed a Task Force Team (TFT) to develop the world's first digital television. The company had put massive investment into this project as it was aiming for a big change, from analogue televisions to digital televisions. Surprisingly, he became one of the team members, and they got started on their new ambitious project. In the end, everything was a success. The company introduced to the world a 55-inch digital television. This television was even used in some places of the Unites States to live broadcast when NASA launched Space Shuttle Discovery in October 29, 1998. My dad still keeps photographs celebrating this special moment and cherishes the experience.
He went on to mention a few more accomplishments. When he began working in Thailand in 2003, the company sales was around $190 million. However, when he finished his five-year term in 2008, it had increased to about $900 million. When he went to Indonesia, he was involved in the making set-top boxes for television, devices which are used to turn the source signal into content which could then be displayed on the television screen. While the set-top boxes were exported to different countries around the world, there were many technical failures at first. My dad even received a buyer complaint from a quality director of a company. However, through a number of examinations, all the problems were solved. When the same quality director visited the company again, my dad showed him around, explaining how they solved the problems. The director was very pleased and he expressed great satisfaction. My dad said moments like these makes him very proud and happy.
Since my dad has had experience working overseas, I wanted to know what opinions he had about this. I asked him how this experience influenced his life.
"Personally, it was a great opportunity for me to become equipped with a global mind, dealing with foreign buyers and industries from all over the world. I learned to cooperate with them and I gained confidence. I could be thrown in any kind of situation dealing with foreigners, and I had nothing to be scared of anymore."
He also mentioned the effect it had on his family. "I was happy to provide my three daughters with a valuable experience, learning English at international schools," he said with a contented smile on his face. What he said was very true indeed. I have always been grateful.
"How about your main motivation? I am sure it isn't easy… What keeps you going?" I asked in curiosity.
"Well… I have a sense of responsibility. Responsibility for my wife and my daughters, responsibility for the society and responsibility for my colleagues. Everyone has to work hard for each other," he replied in a firm manner. I felt the strength in his words, and I realized this was what really kept him going all these years. He has been working in just one company his entire life for over 30 years. I always felt bad seeing him work so many hours in the office every day, and yet, his deep response touched my heart.
"Oh, another thing," he blurted. I stopped writing and looked at him to show that I was listening. "You do know that our last name "Bok" is a very unique one. I always think that I represent our last name, our family, so I try to give my best in everything I do. I want others to think, at least in my area of work, "That man, Mr. Bok, is really something." This is what keeps me going."
His words were like gems to me. I loved the idea of how he saw himself as one of the representatives of our last name and worked hard to make us proud. I felt the need to plant the same attitude in my heart as well.
My dad had a deprived life early in his childhood. He came from a big family and he could not enjoy the most lavish of lifestyles. However, this soon became his driving force to lead a better life. He studied hard, he worked hard to achieve many things, and now, he has proud accomplishments. He has a happy family, and he is a competent man in his field.
"There are three traits I consider the most important: your abilities in that particular field, your attitude towards everything and your health. One's abilities are of the utmost importance because that is what should follow when you are willing to do something. You need to be good at it. One's attitude is another important aspect, as cooperation is very important. You should be able to form healthy relationships with your coworkers by treating them appropriately. Lastly, all of this is impossible if your body cannot handle it. You cannot exhibit full strength if you don't have the energy." This is why my dad loves sports and works hard to keep in shape. With these last words, he went off to play tennis with his friends.
This is the story of my dad's life; however, I believe it can easily be applied to anyone's life. The key to finding success in life is that we work hard, no matter how difficult it may be, and one day, we will achieve our dreams.
Student ID is 201401496, sorry!
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