Fundamental to my intellectual agenda is the modern dilemma of how best to support diversity and nurture meaningfulness on part of the minorities, a focus that may be the result of my experience coming to adulthood in a divided country. Perhaps due to inhabiting a historically homogeneous culture, Koreans are somewhat intolerant of difference. In fact, spoken Korean incorrectly substitutes “wrong” for “different.”

Particularly, North Korean defectors face tremendous prejudice once they are in the workplace, even though they are of the same ethnicity. In light of my experiences, helping minorities is a calling, with the aim of contributing to their experience of meaningfulness and making positive changes to society, which I believe start from the field of the workplace. In my attempts to foster diversity, my multinational work experiences in the military and government have enriched my thinking, providing me with insights into the importance of trust and coordination. I hope my understanding of the dynamics of competing forces in an organization will foster diversity, trust, and justice in the workplace and ultimately improve the lives of those left out.