Dr. Tae Yun Kim was recently interviewed by TheCelebrity.Online Magazine and here is the Q&A session we had with her.

Dr. Tae Yun Kim As Cover Story Interview – July 2026 Magazine Edition

How do you introduce yourself?

Hallelujah! First and foremost, I am a child of God. He is my Father, my Chairman, and my CEO.
This is how I have always felt:
“With God, I am everything. Without God, I am nothing—not even as the dust beneath my feet.”
Everything I have accomplished has started with my faith in God.
People know me as Great Grandmaster Dr. Tae Yun Kim, Founder and Chairman of the TYK Group, including Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions.
They know me as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, television personality, motivational speaker, and the pioneer for women in Tae Kwon Do, as the first female Great Grandmaster in Tae Kwon Do. I am also known as the Hope of the country of Korea, the Little Giant of Silicon Valley, the first and only female Knight of the Order of Constantine and St. Helen, Wonder Woman, Phoenix, rising from the Ashes, tradition breaker, Hero, and many more.
I have always thought of myself as a teacher.
Whether I was teaching martial arts, building businesses, writing books, speaking to audiences around the world, or mentoring young leaders, my purpose has always been the same—to help people discover the extraordinary, God-given potential that already lives within them.
Whenever anyone tells me: “This is impossible!”
I say, “It is possible.”
Because the power is in me, it is my personal choice what I do in my life! I will not allow anyone else to tell me what to do in my life.
When I was a little girl growing up in Korea my life in all the people’s eyes was all set – I was meant to cook, and sew, and have 12 sons – that was it, my life was supposed to be all set like that. Looking back now, I can only smile because God and my Master saw something that no one else could see.
Today, I am physically 80 years old, but inside I feel like 18. Most people don’t believe my age and think I am much younger. In Korea they accuse me of saying I am much older than I am because in their culture, the older you are, the more respect you get!
I still wake up every morning excited to encourage one more person, help one more dream come alive, and remind people that their circumstances do not determine their future. No matter how dark it seems around you, there is always that one little glimmer, small as the eye of a needle, that little light that I can help you find.
I will continue to work until my last breath. I do not know the meaning of the word “retirement”. Too many people not only retire from their jobs, but also retire their brains, their desire to live, to be healthy and strong.
Think about it: Moses lived to be 120 years old. At age 80, he led all the Israelites across the desert for 40 years! Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. So, what is my excuse? I will not let age overpower me!
The message that has guided my entire life is still the message I share today:
HE CAN DO.
SHE CAN DO.
WHY NOT ME!

Struggle – What hardships have you gone through in life?

My hardships began at my birth.
I was born in Korea into a culture where sons were treasured and daughters were often seen as a disappointment. Because I was the first-born child, on the lunar New Year! —and a girl—my birth was considered a curse, bad luck to the family and the entire village. My grandmother wanted me to die and told my mother to turn me over so I would suffocate.
My mother couldn’t follow through and I survived, and made it through a miserable early childhood, full of rejection, starving, beatings. Nobody cared for me, and even the other village people wouldn’t allow their kids to be with me so that my curse wouldn’t infect them. Those kids threw snakes and rocks at me to keep me away.
Then came the Korean War.
When I was only five years old, my family abandoned me because in their eyes I was just one more mouth to feed.
I still remember that moment very clearly – my family turning around and running away, and telling me to stay, and I was screaming and screaming for my mother. The bombs were dropping really close by and I was so scared! Then an old man came, grabbed me and told me to come with him. I ran as fast as I could but couldn’t quite keep up.
At that moment a little girl came running and said “you can’t stay here! I’ll will race with you! Come, run!” In that moment, even with all that chaos going on around me, I was so happy. There was someone smiling at me and telling me to come with her! So I ran as fast as I could. Then, with a very loud “kaboom!” a bomb dropped in front of us. I passed out. I don’t know how long I was out, but when I woke up I didn’t see my new friend anywhere. I didn’t even know her name, but kept calling – and then, I saw her – on the ground, arms all twisted and body all bloody – she had died. I was devastated and traumatized. The only friend I ever had, even for such a short time, was dead.
In that moment, the seed to becoming a warrior was planted deeply inside me, and I told myself: “I am not going to run anymore!” I learned to survive on my own, no matter how big the challenge was. I realized that:
Nobody can eat for me
Nobody can sleep for me
Nobody can go weewee for me
What I do in my life, it is my personal choice, and I will face whatever comes my way.
One morning, not long after the war was over and I had found my family, I woke to loud sounds outside our small home. For a moment I was terrified. I thought the war had returned.
Instead of glass windows, we had openings covered in rice paper, so I carefully poked a tiny hole through the paper to see what was happening outside.
I saw my uncles practicing martial arts.
I can still picture that moment. The early morning mists were still swirling, and the punches and kicks they performed seemed so mystical.
Something inside me came alive.
I knew right that moment, what I wanted to do in my life. I was going to train and become a great Martial Artist!
Everyone else thought I was absolutely crazy. Girls were not allowed to train! Impossible!
Girls were expected to cook, sew, get married, and have 12 sons. Martial arts were simply not for girls. I was ridiculed, beaten, locked away. During my childhood I thought my name was “No”, or worse, “bitch”, because that’s all I was ever called – nobody used my actual name.
The youngest of my uncles decided to teach me – but only to show me that I couldn’t do it – he was hitting me hard and was sure I would give up very quickly.
Instead, I was training harder and practiced as much as I had time.
The entire village thought I had completely gone crazy. My mother beat me and cut off my hair so I wouldn’t go outside and train. My father got drunk every night and beat my mother and me like we were drums.
My grandfather was furious and wanted to get rid of me as fast as possible, so at first he had the match maker come to marry me off, even though I was only 7 years old. I instantly knew what was going on. Instead of very nicely serving hot tea – this is how the matchmakers checked out the girls to see how they behave and how well trained they are – I pretended to stumble and spilled hot tea all over the match makers lap. She was furious and told my grandfather that no amount of bribing would get her to find a match for me. I was so happy! I had reached my goal, I did not want her to like me or find me a match.
My grandfather was even more upset and came up with another plan to get rid of me. He called a very highly respected Buddhist monk, in the hope that he would take me far away to a monastery and shave my head and lock at me away for good.
Guess what!
God had another plan.”
Instead of seeing a crazy girl, a curse, a nothing but trouble little girl, the monk saw fire in my eyes, a determination he had not seen before.
He asked me to look at him – I didn’t dare because it was against our culture, as a little girl to look at someone like him directly. He gently lifted up my face, and asked, “What do you want to become?”
“A Martial Arts Teacher, Sir” I replied.
He asked me, “don’t you want to get married?”
“No Sir!”
He asked, “don’t you want to have 12 sons?”
“No Sir!”
He smiled and said, “I will teach you.”
Rather than taking me away, he accepted me as his student.
That single decision changed the direction of my entire life.
This was not what my grandfather expected or wanted, but because he was such a high ranking monk and because he had directly consulted with him, he had to agree.
This made my life even harder. I was a total outcast in society. I was rejected by everyone except my Master. My father beat me worse, my mother starved me and hit me, and all the people in the village saw me as crazy.
But my training made up for all the suffering I had to experience. My Master was the most important person in my life, and training meant everything to me. I could handle anything and everything through my training.
My Master taught me much more than martial arts.
He taught me that one person who believes in you can change your future forever.
Years later I came to America believing life would finally become easier.
Instead, I found different challenges.
You have to remember, when I first came to the USA, it was right during the Vietnam war, during civil unrest, and most people back in Vermont didn’t differentiate between different Asian countries. and I spoke almost no English. I arrived with only $$ three hundred in my pocket. I worked as a janitor and pumped gasoline because those were the only jobs I could find. No one wanted to rent space to a Korean woman who wanted to teach martial arts. When I finally found a tiny school, it was burned down by racists.
Looking back, I now see that every challenge prepared me to help others discover their own strength.
I did not give in to outside challenges. I did not let fear take over; I did not let any outside influence take over. I took charge in my life! I took authority over my own life and became the warrior in my life!
Everyone has that same power in them: to take control of their own lives and take charge. Our lives are in our own hands.
One more thing: I often get challenged “so you say it is my personal choice, but what about my family? I did not choose to be born into horrible abuse, or poverty.” Correct!
But how you deal with these circumstances is much more important than the circumstances themselves! You have the power to deal with what you are facing!

Faith has played an important role throughout your journey. How has it shaped your life and your philosophy?

Faith has always been the foundation of my life.
Without God, I would not be here.
After I came to America, there was a time when I became deeply discouraged. Everywhere I turned I seemed to hear the word “no.” I had almost no money, I did not speak the language, doors kept closing, and for the first time I truly wondered whether I had misunderstood God’s plan for my life.
Instead of giving up, I went alone into the mountains to fast and pray for two weeks.
Life was so hard, I was convinced I could not make it anymore. I felt like I had reached the end. Because I believe in God I could not take my own life, but instead I asked God to please take me home, to let me die.
But God had a different plan. At the end of those two weeks, I experienced something that changed my life forever.
Jesus showed me images of technology far beyond anything I understood at the time. I had no background in science or engineering, so I could not make sense of what I was seeing. Honestly, I wondered whether I was imagining it because I had been fasting for so long.
A few months later, after I had returned home and was no longer fasting, I experienced the very same vision again.
This time I knew it was real.
I understood that God was calling me to build a technology company.
Imagine that.
Faith begins where we trust God more than we trust our own limitations.
I knew that I cannot let myself be taken hostage by limitations – I have to conquer any and all limitations and become who I was meant to be!
Looking back today, I can see that what seemed impossible became the beginning of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions and so many other blessings I could never have imagined.

What do people usually not know about you?

Many people know me as a martial arts pioneer or technology entrepreneur, but what they often don’t know is that everything I have accomplished began with my faith in God.
My greatest passion is helping people discover their own inner power and realize they are capable of far more than they imagine. I help people to uncover their potential that is already in them. I help them to take charge in their lives, no matter what the challenges in front of them are!
Leadership is about serving others. Every company, educational program, book, and philanthropic initiative I have created exists to help people unlock their potential and live lives filled with purpose.

What sets you apart from others?

I have never viewed life as a competition.
My philosophy is not about defeating others—it is about mastering yourself.
Throughout my career—whether building a global technology company, mentoring future leaders, writing books, or creating philanthropic initiatives—I have followed one guiding principle:
” Why not me?”
Business is simply a vehicle for serving people.
I encourage People to discover the hidden treasures inside themselves. I encourage them to take ownership in their lives, and not allow anyone to clip their wings.
We need to celebrate every living breath as if it was our last breath!

At 80 years old, you continue leading companies, writing, speaking, and launching new ventures. What is your secret to maintaining your energy and sense of purpose?

Many people ask me where I find my energy.
The answer is simple: energy is not a temporary boost—it is a system.
For decades I have lived according to six principles: purpose, mindset, discipline, nutrition, faith, and service.
These principles are my weapons.
Purpose gives me direction.
Mindset helps me overcome obstacles.
Discipline keeps me moving forward.
Nutrition allows me to care for the body God has given me.
Faith gives me strength during life’s greatest challenges.
Service reminds me that success has meaning only when it benefits others.
I believe healthy aging is not simply about adding years to life—it is about adding life to every year. Like I mentioned before – look at what Moses, Abraham and Noah did when they were past 100 years old!
At 80, I continue learning, leading, building businesses, and encouraging others because purpose keeps both the mind and spirit young.

Your book Seven Steps to Inner Power has inspired readers around the world. What message do you hope people take away from it?

Seven Steps to Inner Power teaches that lasting success begins from within.
Many people search outside themselves for confidence, happiness, or purpose, but real transformation begins by strengthening your character, your mindset, and your spirit.
Over the years, these principles have evolved into what I call an Enhancing Energy System—a practical way of living that integrates purpose, mindset, discipline, nutrition, faith, and service.
When these elements work together, they create resilience, vitality, meaningful leadership, and lasting fulfillment.
My hope is that every reader finishes the book believing they are capable of much more than they ever imagined.
One exercise I ask of everyone that reads my book:
Close your eyes and sincerely ask the question, whatever it is you need help, guidance, advice for at that moment.
Then let the book open where it may.
Then really read – and digest whatever page the book offers you.
Countless people have written to me and thanked me for this, telling me how much this has been helping them!
Go ahead and try it! What do you have to lose?

What are your upcoming major events?

One of my greatest passions today is helping people discover that healthy aging is not about slowing down—it is about living with greater purpose, energy, and vitality.
Through the TYK Group, we continue expanding initiatives that support healthier lives, stronger communities, and purpose-driven leadership.
Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions continues to innovate as a global leader in cleanroom contamination monitoring technology, helping improve environments where people live and work around the world.
I am also excited about the launch of Rise & Shine Mushrooms, our Southern Oregon farm dedicated to growing premium gourmet culinary mushrooms.
Why mushrooms?
Today, so many young people start having dementia and Alzheimer, even in their 30s! People are starting to loose themselves, and through wrong choices in their lives. But this doesn’t have to be this way!
God has given us mushrooms for healing. For example, Lion’s Mane is a most powerful weapon against dementia! It strengthens our brains, and can even bring back lost brain capacity!
We cultivate exceptional varieties such as Lion’s Mane, Blue Oyster, Pink Oyster, King Trumpet, Shiitake, Reishi, Turkey Tail, and Cordyceps, supplying chefs, restaurants, specialty markets, and home cooks who appreciate outstanding flavor, freshness, and quality. Every mushroom is carefully grown, harvested, and handled to deliver an exceptional culinary experience while honoring sustainable growing practices and respect for nature. Gourmet mushrooms are increasingly celebrated by chefs for their rich umami flavors, remarkable textures, and versatility in the kitchen.
For me, Rise & Shine represents much more than growing extraordinary mushrooms. It reflects a philosophy that nourishing ourselves with wholesome, thoughtfully grown food is an important part of living a vibrant life. Nutrition is one element of a larger Enhancing Energy System built on purpose, mindset, discipline, faith, and service. Together, these principles help create sustainable energy, resilience, clarity, and well-being.
I also look forward to expanding speaking engagements, leadership programs, and community events where I can continue sharing these principles with business leaders, entrepreneurs, wellness advocates, culinary professionals, and future generations.

If there is one message you want every reader to remember after reading this interview, what would it be?

Never let anyone define your future—not your circumstances, not your past, and not even your own fears.
The greatest power you will ever discover already lives within you because God created each of us with extraordinary potential.
Believe in yourself.
Strengthen your faith.
Live with purpose.
Serve others.
Never stop growing.
Always remember: No one can eat for you, no one can sleep for you, no one can get sick for you, and no one can go weewee for you! It is up to you!
Go back to when you were in your teens. If you feel like “I could have done this, or I should have done that “
Well, then do it now! Don’t regret! Now is the time! Do not limit yourself by age! Be hungry for your life, just like you were in your teens, or whenever you were the most motivated!
Every dream begins with one simple question:
“Why not me?”
When you ask that question with faith, courage, discipline, and determination, your life begins to change.

Your social media handles and website links?

• Official Website: https://taeyunkim.com
• Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions: https://www.golighthouse.com
• Rise & Shine Mushrooms: https://www.rsmushrooms.com
• Instagram: @tykcando,
• X: @tykcando,
• Facebook: @drtaeyunkim.ceo
• LinkedIn @grandmasterdrtaeyunkim