# James Choi Spackman A.B. (1962) ![Spackman wearing an altered army uniform. Courtesy of James Choi Spackman.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_4_5__480x600/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/spackman_portrait_2.jpg?itok=24m3Efna) James Choi Spackman (Korean name Ch’oe Sŏk-chin, 최석진 崔石振, 1939–present) is the former President of Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea (1993–2000), President of Prudential International Insurance Group’s Asia Region (2000–2002), and its President and CEO (2002–2005).[\[1\]](#fn1) He was born on September 29, 1939, in the southern part of Korea. Before the Korean War, he lived a modest life with his mother, who was a seamstress. However, his life, like those of thousands of other Koreans, was irrevocably changed by the war, and he was permanently separated from his mother. One day, when he was eleven, his mother left to deliver finished garments to some clients. While out, she was injured in an accident and taken to the hospital. After waiting without food for several days with no knowledge of what had happened to his mother, Choi left home for the nearby city of Masan in search of food and work, believing that she had died as a result of the ongoing war. He learned of her fate later after he became adult: his mother had suffered an accident and had been in the hospital, which had caused her long absence, but when she returned home, he had already left for Masan and would never see her again. Unfortunately, by the time he had realized what had truly happened, she had already passed away, and he was thus unable to reconcile with her. ![Spackman wearing an altered army uniform. Courtesy of James Choi Spackman.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/1.jpeg?itok=L2xOHlfM) Spackman wearing an altered army uniform. Courtesy of James Choi Spackman.In Masan, despite his young age, Choi did whatever odd jobs he could find in order to survive. He eventually found work as an errand boy on the American military base near Masan. The American soldiers working there took a liking to him and his friend, Kwang-su, and they were granted a place to live on the base as well. While working on the base, he was tasked with various errands, from buying goods to delivering packages. However, one particular errand changed his life. After winning a coin toss between himself and Kwang-su, he was selected to accompany a group of American soldiers to pick up supplies from Pusan. During that trip, he met Clarence Spackman, the U.S. Marine Sergeant, who would later become his adoptive father. After that trip, the older Spackman grew fond of the young Choi by calling him “Jim” and took special care of him, making a place for him to sleep in his own barracks and watching over him. After a year of taking care of Choi like his own son, Spackman returned to America in 1951. Before leaving, he asked Choi repeatedly if he wanted to come live in America with him, promising that if he came to America, he \[Spackman\] would support his education. After much consideration, Choi, then only twelve years old, agreed, enticed by the opportunity to learn and study to his heart’s content in America. He continued working on the military base for the next few years while another American officer, Colonel Clio E. Straight, facilitated the process necessary for Choi to acquire his passport and visa.[\[2\]](#fn2) It was Colonel Straight who taught him one of the most important lessons of his life: “Don’t burn the bridges you’ve already crossed.” After four years of working under the wing of American soldiers, Choi was finally granted the opportunity to leave for a new life in America in 1955. On December 16, 1955, Choi boarded the *USS General J.C. Breckinridge*, heading to America. He carried $40 with him, money that had been given to him by his adoptive father, the older Spackman, which represented all that he had to embark on his new life with. Upon arriving in San Diego, Choi met Spackman, who took him into his family and adopted him as his own. As he joined the Spackman family, he assumed the “Spackman” surname for himself and continues to proudly call himself “James Choi Spackman” in order to honor the great generosity that his new father had shown him and the new life that he never could have imagined. To this day, his adopted father, Clarence Spackman, is one of the most special people in his life. ![Spackman’s handwritten lyric of the song “My Hometown in My Dream” (Kkum e pon nae kohyang 꿈에 본 내 고향). Courtesy of James Choi Spackman.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/spackman_handwritten_lyric_.jpeg?itok=y_UelVpj) Spackman’s handwritten lyric of the song “My Hometown in My Dream” (Kkum e pon nae kohyang 꿈에 본 내 고향). Courtesy of James Choi Spackman. Within days of his arrival in America, the young Spackman entered his freshman year of high school at Grossmont High School. He was only Asian among 3,000 students and faced many challenges at school—his English was still very poor, despite learning the language while at the military base, and he did not even complete his elementary school in Korea. He cried many tears when he was alone—for the mother he had lost, for the country he had left behind, for the difficulty of his new life, and for the uncertainty of his future in America.[\[3\]](#fn3) However, he confronted these challenges with fierce determination, staying up all night studying and working relentlessly to improve his English and academic performance. Through these efforts, and with the help of many supportive teachers and friends such as his English literature teacher George C. Gross, he was able to overcome his obstacles and not just survive but even thrive in his new environment. He was elected student body president and captain of the tennis team in his senior year.[\[4\]](#fn4) Additionally, his exemplary academic performance resulted in him being accepted to a plethora of Ivy League universities. Among these, he chose Harvard, not because he was aware of its prestige but simply because the high school principal told him it was the best college in America. After only two-and-a-half years in America, Spackman matriculated at Harvard in 1958. His biggest challenge during college was economic hardship. While he did receive a scholarship, it was insufficient, and he had to work a part-time job washing dishes in the dining halls. Due to the vast number of books he had to read and studying he needed to do for class, it was hard for him to maintain his part-time job. In addition, to the language barrier, it took him twice as long as his peers to read and comprehend his studies. In order to overcome his academic disadvantages, as well as combat the surrounding noise and chaos in the kitchen, Spackman would mentally review his notes from class while washing dishes. During school breaks, he would give private lessons or clean the student dorms. Although he recalls the difficulty of working several part-time jobs in addition to his grueling studies at the time, he later realized that all of his efforts were beneficial for his growth. ![Spackman running a snack stand at Harvard. Courtesy of James Choi Spackman.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/2_1.jpg?itok=-r8woPzA) Spackman running a snack stand at Harvard. Courtesy of James Choi Spackman.In addition to his dishwashing, janitorial, and tutoring jobs, Spackman started a snack stand, selling candies, other snacks, and magazines on campus. In order to gain selling rights, he’d made a deal with the school administration to split half the profits with the school. While he started his small business with the intention of just making $600 to meet various expenses, he ended up exceeding profit expectations and made $2,500 in his first year of running the stand—this is when he realized his potential for business. Later, Spackman called this experience his “first business lesson.”[\[5\]](#fn5) Spackman graduated from Harvard in 1962 with an A.B. degree cum laude in Far Eastern studies. When he graduated, the Boston Globe interviewed him in a piece titled, “Harvard Degree Caps Korea Waif’s Long Fight.”[\[6\]](#fn6) The article detailed his journey from being orphaned in wartime Korea to graduating from Harvard, an impressive feat especially given the lack of Koreans attending Harvard at the time.[\[7\]](#fn7) Following his undergraduate education, he attended Columbia University for graduate school. Shortly afterward, he joined the United States Air Force as a commissioned officer, serving from 1963 to 1968. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain in 1968. During his time in the Air Force, he was stationed in Osan, South Korea from 1965 after serving in Japan for about a year. It was the first time he had been back on Korean soil since he had left a decade earlier. While serving in Korea, he met his wife, Chae-min Sim, and married her on March 23, 1968. Immediately after marrying, Spackman left the military and moved back to the U.S. with his wife, where he then began his career as a banker. While he worked at the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City, his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter. In 1971, Spackman volunteered to be transferred to the Korean branch of Chase Manhattan Bank and thus moved his family back to South Korea. After several years of working for various banks and going back and forth between the U.S. and South Korea, he and his family ultimately settled in South Korea, where his second child, a son, was born. He worked as a banker at Chase Manhattan Bank, Marine Midland Bank, and HSBC for twenty-five years before being scouted by Prudential Financial, which was looking to appoint a president for the newly opened Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea. He became its president in 1993, which marked the beginning of his successful tenure at Prudential.[\[8\]](#fn8) When Spackman first began as president of Prudential Korea in 1993, he faced many challenges: the Korea branch was on the brink of shutdown and many employees were against the new changes he proposed to reinvent the company. However, with the support of Kiyofumi Sakaguchi, president and CEO of the Asia Pacific Region of Prudential Life Insurance Co. at the time, he was able to successfully salvage Prudential Korea from its demise through a series of reforms, the most prominent of which was the Big Rock project. The Big Rock project involved newly redesigned training programs, new hires, and most notably, a group of people who were specially trained to promote life insurance in innovative and nontraditional ways. Spackman revolutionized a new, accessible approach to life insurance for the Korean public. His vision of labeling Prudential employees as “life planners,” not insurance salesmen, allowed Prudential to minimize the gap between complex contracts and personalized long-term plans for customers who wanted the assurance of life insurance but felt intimidated by premiums and legal jargon. Spackman’s goal for Prudential Korea was to sell life insurance with a “love of the family” mentality. He prioritized a customer-oriented approach and believed in explaining complex life insurance policies to customers, listening to their stories, and tailoring insurance plans according to their family’s needs. Through his policies, Prudential Korea changed the way that Koreans thought about life insurance—whereas previously, life insurance had been seen as a backup plan meant for old, sick people, Prudential’s “life planning” approach redefined life insurance as a symbol to express love for the family by preparing them in advance for tragedy or unexpected circumstances. ![Portrait of James Choi Spackman by Caroline Spackman. Pencil on paper. 2018. Courtesy of Caroline Spackman.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/3.jpg?itok=Y2NXYY1k) Portrait of James Choi Spackman by Caroline Spackman. Pencil on paper. 2018. Courtesy of Caroline Spackman.Aside from his genuine compassion for his customers, Spackman also heavily invested in the growth and potential of his employees. He himself had always hated being told that he was not capable enough to do a job. When it came to selecting his employees, his goal was to hire the right people for the right positions based on their capabilities. He aimed to provide many opportunities for high-achieving employees while also training those lacking in skills to fulfill their potential and expand their skillsets. By empowering his employees, Spackman was able to change the perception of insurance employees from bored office employees to proactive, caring professionals who managed to convince even young, healthy individuals to buy life insurance. In addition to good people management, Spackman’s leadership philosophy prioritized giving back to the community. He firmly believed that if a corporation earns profits, it is their responsibility to return those profits back to society and share the benefits with the public. He exemplified this giving spirit in his personal life as well—he has volunteered his time and experiences to organizations such as the Invest Korea Advisory Council and the Friends of the Asia Foundation Korea, and to his alma mater, Harvard, through affiliations such as the Harvard International Issues Planning Committee, the Board of Overseers Visiting to the College, and the Harvard Asia Center Advisory Committee. Beyond his Prudential career, he has been Chairman Emeritus of Spackman Group Ltd., an investment group founded by his son Charles, since 2005. He is now retired and resides with his wife in South Korea. He has two adult children, a son and a daughter, who are now married with their own children. Written by Kaylee Kim, 1/15/2023 --- ### **Endnotes** [\[1\]](#p1) This biography is mostly based on James Choi Spackman’s autobiography titled *Chinaon tari nŭn pul t’aeuji mara* 지나온 다리는 불태우지 마라 \[Do Not Burn The Bridges You’ve Crossed\] (Sŏul: P’urŭdensyŏl Saengmyŏng Pohŏm Chusikhoesa, 2007). [\[2\]](#p2) In his autobiography, Spackman explains the difficulties he faced as an orphan to get his passport and how he almost instantly acquired it with the interventions made by American officers. Spackman, 101–107. [\[3\]](#p3) Spackman wrote down the lyric of the song “My Hometown in My Dream” (Kkum e pon nae kohyang 꿈에 본 내 고향) during his way to America. Spackman, 112. The song was first composed in 1943 but became popular after the breakout of the Korean War in 1950 because its lyric touched heartstrings of the dislocated people who missed their home while starting a tough life as a stranger in an unknown place. . [\[4\]](#p3) Spackman is recognized as one of the “1950s Hall of Honor” by the Grossmont High School Museum. . [\[5\]](#p4) His share was $1,250 after paying a half of the net profit to Harvard. He received an annual scholarship of $2,400 and needed $3,000 to manage a comfortable college life. Spackman, 158. [\[6\]](#p5) Robert M. Smith, “Harvard Degree Caps Korea Waif’s Long Fight,” *The Boston Globe* (June 14, 1962). [\[7\]](#p5) Note that the Boston Globe article contains slightly different stories than the ones presented in this biography. [\[8\]](#p6) Jin-yong Cha, “Korean-American Named to Lead Prudential Group,” *Korea JoongAng Daily* (January 5, 2003). [https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2003/01/05/finance/KoreanAmerican-…](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2003/01/05/finance/KoreanAmerican-named-to-lead-Prudential-Group/1899458.html?detailWord=. ); *The Harvard Korean Alumni Biographies Project and the Project website are copyright © 2024 President and Fellows of Harvard College and/or its licensors. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is not permitted.* *Please contact Executive Director Susan Laurence (*[*susan\_laurence@harvard.edu*](mailto:susan_laurence@harvard.edu)*) for any concerns or questions*. - ## Decade [1960-1970](/decade/1960-1970) - ## Korean Alumni [Harvard College](/korean-alumni-decade/harvardcollege)