Name: Randy M. Kim
Age: 57
Position: Assistant vice president, First Hawaiian Bank
First job: South Korea Marine Corps
Hobbies: Swimming, hiking, travel

Banking on bilingual ability

Randy Kim, who is fluent in Korean and English, feels his bilingual ability helps him deal with the language and cultural problems of Asian-Pacific peoples in Hawaii.

He handles big and small financial services, from personal loans to corporate loans at First Hawaiian Bank.

Kim was a South Korean Marine who fought as an infantry platoon leader in Vietnam. He came to Hawaii in 1971. "I came after talking to American servicemen," he said. "It was the American Dream."

Kim has worked for Bank of America in Hawaii and last year received its top seller award in loans and deposits. He also worked for Liberty Bank as assistant vice president and received the company's best employee award in 1991.

Kim was a director of the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor's degree in law from Yonsei University.

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By Jerry Tune, Star-Bulletin