Soonkyu Shin, a vp credit score analyst at personal funding financial institution Brown Brothers Harriman and writer of three essay collections / Courtesy of Panmidong
Soonkyu Shin’s life story may at first sound like a traditional story of hardship and heroic triumph — all too straightforward to flatten into drama.
Shin misplaced his eyesight fully at age 9. At his mom’s urging, he started studying the piano, and by 15, with the assistance of an American missionary, he left on his personal for america. As soon as there, he discovered himself drawn to not the piano however to the workings of the human thoughts, finding out psychology at Harvard with hopes of changing into a psychiatrist. However that dream died when new medical pointers required physicians to look at and diagnose sufferers with none outdoors help — an ordinary that successfully closed the career to blind candidates.
After a interval of looking, he pivoted to the psychology of enterprise as a Ph.D. scholar at MIT Sloan in administration and organizational research. Earlier than he received his diploma, alternatives led him to Wall Avenue, working at JPMorgan after which Brown Brothers Harriman, the place he has been a credit score analyst for the previous three many years.
Shin stresses that his life is distant from the standard narratives typically imposed on disabled individuals.
“My life is just not like that. There’s no overdramatic story of unimaginable hardships and triumphs in opposition to overwhelming odds,” he advised The Korea Instances in a latest interview in Seoul. “I’ve simply been extremely blessed with the individuals who have crossed my path, from my start dad and mom to my American dad and mom, lecturers, buddies and coworkers. So the phrase ‘self-made’? I’m nothing like that. I’m ‘others-made,’ in a method.”
As an alternative, he thinks of a mantra that has guided him for many years and have become the title of his newest essay assortment: “Assume Can-do and Discover a Means.” The guide follows “Issues You See with Your Eyes Closed” (2015) and “Shining By means of the Darkness” (2021).
The phrase first got here to him from an archery trainer, however the mindset had been with him lengthy earlier than he heard it spoken out loud. “This has change into such a pure method of working,” he stated. “If there was a factor I needed to do, one thing my blindness made not possible or perhaps a little ridiculous, I at all times tried to say, ‘There’s gotta be a method to do that.’”
At 13, he was invited to play the piano at an occasion hosted by Lions Golf equipment Worldwide in Seoul. The company of honor have been from Singapore, and Shin was requested if he may play their nationwide anthem.
“Bear in mind, this was earlier than the web, earlier than Google. I believed, ‘All proper, between now and subsequent week, I must study the Singaporean anthem. How am I going to do that?’”
He determined to move to the general public phone sales space and name listing help to search out the quantity for the Singaporean Embassy. As soon as related, he defined his state of affairs and requested if somebody may sing the anthem to him. Utilizing the recording he constituted of the decision, he discovered to play it.
“Whether or not I received the chords proper, I don’t know,” Shin stated with a chuckle. “However primarily based on the melody, I performed the anthem. And the company have been delighted and astonished. Folks say that wasn’t doable again in 1980, however I principally dared to name the embassy of a rustic and requested them to sing their music to me. There’s at all times a method.”
A gifted storyteller, Shin fluidly strikes between discussions of politics, know-how and the origins of YANA (You Are Not Alone) Ministry — the nonprofit he based to assist orphaned and deserted youngsters in Korea. What follows is an edited and condensed model of that dialog.
The duvet of Soonkyu Shin’s newest essay assortment, “Assume Can-do and Discover a Means” (2025) / Courtesy of Panmidong
Q. It’s been 4 years for the reason that launch of your final essay assortment, the place you shared reflections meant to assist readers keep resilient throughout the pandemic. Again then, COVID-19 felt just like the worst world disaster of our time. However since then, the world has confronted much more turbulence: wars, polarization, political extremism. How do you see the state of the world as we speak?
A. Change has at all times been with us, however the pace of change has accelerated. I believe the largest disaster we’re going through as we speak is that we not know what’s true and what isn’t. All the pieces might be twisted. And past the problem of reality versus falsity, there’s this: youngsters as we speak are taught to see the world as ‘us versus them.’
Once we have been in highschool, we have been taught to respect individuals who held completely different truths. Voltaire’s perception is commonly summed up as, “I disagree with what you say, however I’ll defend to the loss of life your proper to say it.” That type of pondering engenders civility — a decency that permits for a range of thought.
So after I communicate at colleges, I inform college students that when somebody tells you one thing, ask your self two questions. Is what this particular person saying making me afraid, indignant or hostile towards some group of individuals? And does the particular person profit from my believing or accepting what they’re saying? These are purple flags. I believe it’s inevitable that we’re used or manipulated by somebody, however you need to be the one selecting by whom you can be used or manipulated.
Q. How have technological advances, from algorithmic concentrating on to social media, fueled this state of polarization?
A. I used to like Fb. Within the early days, it was a approach to reconnect with long-lost buddies. However as soon as the algorithms started to kick in, all the things modified. They’re designed to indicate you no matter will generate extra “engagement” and improve advert income. The algorithm isn’t pushed by your curiosity or your well-being; it’s pushed by their backside line.
And it’s not simply that. Folks react rather more strongly, and rather more steadily, to content material that’s dramatic, stunning or divisive. So the issue isn’t know-how itself — it’s how know-how is used. Once you take in this continually, your persona shifts. Your outlook shifts. I believe we should always all be very afraid of that.
There’s a guide by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt referred to as “The Anxious Technology.” He argues that children who develop up with social media whereas their brains are nonetheless forming find yourself with a special psychological make-up from prior generations, and that’s why they’re so anxious.
Q. However some technological developments have introduced significant advantages for individuals with disabilities. How do you suppose know-how, together with AI, can higher serve the socially marginalized?
A. Display screen-reader know-how, as an illustration, has allowed me to get a stable training and work in a extremely aggressive business. However the individuals driving innovation can’t at all times design for the complete spectrum of human wants.
If one thing — an app, a tool — is made simpler or extra intuitive for sighted customers, it typically turns into more durable for blind individuals. However I believe that is only a part. As AI improves to the purpose the place you possibly can merely communicate to a tool to get issues achieved, the advantages will change into rather more democratic.
Take ATMs for example. After I was in faculty, that they had bodily buttons, so I may withdraw money simply. As soon as all the things shifted to the touch screens, it turned not possible. A process that takes 30 seconds for a sighted person can take 5 minutes for us. Tesla is similar; all the things is a contact display. However ultimately, even these techniques might be voice-driven.
Designers used to think about just one type of person: somebody who can see, hear and use each arms. However as we speak, whether or not due to regulation, client demand or easy consciousness, they more and more acknowledge customers who can’t do sure issues. When an organization like Apple builds VoiceOver accessibility into its gadgets, it pushes Google to enhance Android accessibility. When LG designs dwelling home equipment with broader wants in thoughts, their opponents must comply with. That’s the pure evolution of a market-driven financial system. So I’m hopeful.
Q. You based YANA Ministry to assist youngsters from childcare establishments in 2012. What significance does it maintain in a rustic like Korea, the place adoption charges stay low?
A. Round 2008, I met a younger pastor at our church who was captivated with serving to youngsters rising up in Korea’s childcare establishments. He started taking American highschool college students to Korea throughout the summers to run English trip Bible faculty applications. To be sincere, I didn’t even know Korea nonetheless had orphanages in 2008. In my thoughts, orphanages have been postwar establishments caring for warfare orphans. I knew that poverty within the ’60s and ’70s led quite a lot of dad and mom to give up their youngsters, however by 2008, Korea was the world’s 14th-largest financial system. So after I discovered there have been nonetheless about 20,000 youngsters in these group houses, I used to be astonished.
The pastor advised us about what occurs when these youngsters flip 18 and should depart the houses. In a single day, they must change into adults. I discovered concerning the actuality they face — the unfairness connected to rising up in an orphanage, the dearth of academic and vocational alternatives. I believed, “That is extremely just like the challenges blind individuals confronted after I was rising up.” My spouse and I agreed that that is the place we have to attain out our arms.
I’ve at all times stated that earlier than we insist on equality, we should always attempt to reduce inequality. It felt extremely unfair that I’ve primarily had two households supporting me all my life — a household in Korea and a household in america — whereas these youngsters have none.
In 2012, we based YANA Ministry. What I actually needed was to duplicate my very own story. My American dad and mom took me in with no paperwork, no authorized course of. They welcomed a whole stranger and “adopted” me as their very own. And that bond continues to be alive as we speak. I needed to create that type of household connection for a few of these youngsters. And earlier than asking others to do it, we felt we needed to do it first ourselves. So in 2014, we introduced over Yejin, our daughter. She got here technically as a world scholar, however we turned her household. We supported her and educated her. She’s a really sensible younger lady; as we speak she’s a nurse at Dartmouth Medical Heart in New Hampshire. In the mean time, about 130 youngsters are related with sponsors within the U.S. via YANA.
Since final 12 months, we’ve expanded past Korea. The world is massive, and the necessity is nice. We’re now working in Indonesia and Ukraine. We’ve introduced graduates of Jakarta Worldwide College who grew up in orphanages to the U.S. for internship alternatives. In Ukraine, we’re operating a restaurant the place youngsters can come for nourishment — not simply meals, however consolation and studying. On the coronary heart of all of it is one precept: we need to construct relationships that final. We need to change into as near household as doable for these youngsters, which implies committing to them for all times.
Q. Are there plans for a fourth guide?
A. Sure, I’m hoping to publish it earlier than the Fourth of July subsequent 12 months. It’ll inform the story of my American journey. Over time, so many individuals have made my life doable — all People embodying what I name the standard American mindset of kindness and decency. Regardless of what we frequently hear within the media as we speak, the America I’ve recognized and skilled continues to be very a lot alive; it’s simply drowned out by those that scream louder and spin extra dramatic tales designed to divide and anger.
What’s occurring as we speak within the U.S. is strictly what should not occur in a rustic like this. As a superpower, there ought to be a code of conduct, express or not. Sadly, that’s not the truth proper now. I imagine and hope that is only a part. In any case, the nation is simply 200 years previous. What we’re seeing is a pendulum swinging from one excessive to the opposite. I’m hopeful that the pendulum will quickly swing again towards a extra cheap middle.
Within the subsequent guide, I need to share the pillars which have sustained me. One is my religion. One other is the nation I’ve adopted as my very own and that has, in flip, adopted me as one among its personal. For this one, I’m hoping to publish it not simply in Korean but additionally in English.
