Former Hyundai Executive Lee Dong-ho Publishes Memoir Reflecting on Life and Career

Lee Dong-ho, who spent 36 years at Hyundai Department Store Group and rose to the position of vice chairman, has released his first memoir, titled 'The First Step of a Long Journey.' The book offers a candid and humble account of his life and career, moving beyond the usual narratives of business success and strategies often found in such memoirs. Lee, who oversaw key mergers, acquisitions, and new business ventures while leading the group's planning and strategy divisions, and later managed overall group operations after his promotion to vice chairman in 2017, shares his personal journey from childhood memories to his return to civilian life. Unlike typical executive memoirs that focus on achievements, Lee's book openly discusses his personal mistakes, weaknesses, and failures. He confesses to the human aspects often hidden behind the corporate spotlight, reflecting on relationships with family, colleagues, and friends with a gentle perspective. The memoir includes specific anecdotes, such as being disciplined for watching adult films as a teenager, his anxieties about military service after failing university entrance exams, and his struggles with being tone-deaf during his early career. He also revisits childhood memories, offering a warm message that life's journey doesn't always have to be a high note, and it's okay to have quiet passages. The book also contains a heartfelt love letter to his wife, celebrating their half-century together, and expresses a desire for peace of mind in his later years, referencing the Buddhist teaching 'do not be hit by the second arrow.' Through simple scenes of daily life, Lee aims to impart a sense of fulfillment and beauty in the ordinary.