Kyung-Ahm Geum-Jo Song was born in Songjeong Village, Yangsan County, South Gyeongsang Province in 1924. Growing up during a gloomy and turbulent period in Korean history, he stood up on his own feet at the early age of 17, launching his first business.

Eager to succeed for himself, he devoted himself to business. In 1947, he established Kyungnam Pharm and continued to expand his enterprise.

He was granted the Order of Industrial Service Merit and the Prime Minister's Citation in 1986 for his contribution to the nation's industrial development. He was also awarded the Order of Bonghwang in 2000 and the President's Citation in 2002 for his contribution to education.

With Due to his passion for education, Chairperson Song decided, to the amazement of many, to donate 30.5 billion won to Pusan National University in 2003, amazing many people. In the same year, he received an honorary doctorate degree in business administration from Pusan National University and was nominated as the year's first Good Deed Awardee out of ten candidates.

Chairperson Song remains active, assuming the role of chairperson at the Kyung-Ahm Education & Culture Foundation.

As I look back on my life, it feels much like the process of clearing stones from a barren field to turn it into fertile farmland. Seeing this in me, the novelist Kim Jeong-han, known by his pen name Yosan, gave me the name Kyung-Ahm (耕岩), which means “a man who cultivates rocky fields.” Like an ox pulling a plow in silence, without blaming anyone even in the face of hardship, I lived with steadfastness, honesty, and tireless effort. The achievements I see today are the fruits of that hard-won field.

Although what I have accomplished is the result of my lifelong principles of diligence and frugality, I could never have done it alone. I was fortunate to have warm support from others, and at times, even a bit of luck. When I faced unexpected challenges and fell into despair, there were people who offered sincere encouragement. When I lost my way in moments of confusion, others guided me with frank advice and necessary discipline. Among them was Yosan, the man who gave me the name Kyung-Ahm. A native of Busan and a towering figure in Korean literature, he was a great teacher to me. The name he gave me remains one of the most meaningful gifts of my life.

After Korea’s liberation, I began my entrepreneurial journey in my early twenties with a pharmaceutical distribution business. Over the years, I ventured into diverse fields—rice trading, milling, brewing, plastics manufacturing, garment factories, seafood processing, kitchenware production, even movie theaters. It was a long and winding road, filled with hardships and setbacks, yet somehow, I pressed on and built what I have today. Looking back now, I myself wonder how I managed to pursue so many different paths. I may have changed furrows too often, but each decision was, at the time, a necessary one.

Compared to contemporaries like Samsung’s Lee Byung-chul or Hyundai’s Chung Ju-yung, who led Korea’s industrial revolution, my path may have seemed like the small, hurried steps of an ant moving from one furrow to another. Yet I have no regrets. I take pride in having cultivated my own fertile ground in the face of adversity. The certainty that I gave it my all brings me comfort.

Now, in the later years of my life, I have stepped away from most of my businesses. I devote my remaining strength to the cause of education and culture through Taeyang Academy and the Kyung-Ahm Education and Cultural Foundation—both founded with a deep commitment to national service through learning. It is my firm belief that no society or nation can achieve true progress without a strong foundation in education and culture, and I am determined to act on that conviction until the end.

It has already been 13 years since the Kyung-Ahm Education and Cultural Foundation was established. The Kyung-Ahm Prize, founded by the foundation, has come to be recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious academic awards, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of scholarship and culture in Korea. Likewise, Gyeonghye Girls’ High School, operated by Taeyang Academy—founded under difficult circumstances—has remained true to its original mission and continues to thrive. These achievements bring me a deep sense of fulfillment and joy. In recent years, I have found even greater pride and meaning in my life because of them.

I also feel a profound sense of gratitude and pride in the fact that most of my businesses have been rooted in my hometown of Busan. As someone who personally witnessed Busan’s transformation—from the era of Japanese colonial rule, through liberation, the Korean War, and on into rapid industrialization and the knowledge-based society of today—I consider myself a living witness to the city's modern history. Busan was the strong foundation that enabled all my endeavors. It nourished my growth, and its development moved in step with my own.

Now that I have passed my ninetieth year, I remain in relatively good health and can still be active, though my memory is not what it once was. I have come to feel the need to reflect on and record the journey of my life—not to boast of my achievements, but in the hope that what little I have accomplished through perseverance and effort, despite humble beginnings and many hardships, might offer even a small measure of encouragement to the younger generation who may feel lost or discouraged.

At the same time, I also wish to set the record straight about the legal dispute I became involved in with Pusan National University. After pledging a donation of 30.5 billion won—the largest individual donation at the time—for the purchase of land for the university’s long-awaited Yangsan campus, and contributing 19.5 billion won of that amount, I found myself unexpectedly entangled in legal conflict. I hope that no donor in the future will have to experience the indignity of having their honor tarnished by the very institution they sought to support. I believe that shedding light on this issue can help foster a more respectful and ethical culture of giving in our society. I trust readers will judge this matter with wisdom and fairness.

I find great comfort in being able to leave behind a record of the path I have walked. Putting into words the thoughts and stories I had long kept in my heart brings a sense of relief and peace.

The Autobiography of Chairman Ae-Un Jhin