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Finding my way

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Many people assume that international students come from wealthy families, and they may not be wrong. but my story is a little different. I was born in Korea, the eldest son of a poor family, and spent most of my childhood in a small basement single room in Seoul. Memories of sharing hamburgers with my brother that my grandmother brought whenever she visited instilled in me the importance and responsibility of family. This poor environment shaped my strong motivation to achieve economic independence and help my family.​

• My first career experience as a soldier

My first official job was serving as a sergeant in the South Korean army, managing satellites. Thanks to a scholarship I received for attending a military high school, I was able to quickly advance in the military and earn a stable income. Although I chose the military path to reduce my family's financial burden and minimize my own consumption, the deterioration of my grandmother's health and eventual death while serving in the military had a profound impact on my life.

The guilt of not being there for my grandmother's last moments made me weak, and the anger of not being able to prevent her from passing away in pain made me rethink my career and goals. Military service taught me rules and responsibilities, but it also gave me a new determination to make a life for my family.

• Starting a business as a OEM Agent

After leaving the army, I took my first steps in business by selling toys at the lake in my town. Starting with small sales activities, I tried importing directly through Alibaba to get bigger profits. Later, the wholesaler offered me a delivery offer and I took on a new role as an OEM Agent.

My main job was to connect Chinese factories with Korean clients, earning 10% of the total order value as commission. However, to address client complaints (quality and speed issues), I started to take matters into my own hands by hiring people and setting up a packaging factory. During this process, I enjoyed buying materials from different factories and combining them to create original products.

My products successfully entered the market, selling 50 million units in three months in South Korea. But despite this success, over-expansion and failure were costly. I failed at new challenges such as sports drinks and dog food, but in the process, I gained a wealth of knowledge and network.

• A senior project and a new vision

When my business ran out of funds, I entered various competitions to challenge angel funding and developed innovative ideas. After several failures, a news story about elderly care issues that I happened to come across inspired me to propose a service for the elderly, and I experienced my first award. Later, I realized that most of my projects were related to elderly issues, and I realized that I still harbored love and guilt for my grandmother. The elderly project was more than just a business to me; I wanted to continue this work until all the elderly in Korea were happy, but I also realized that funds and time were limited. To solve this problem, I had a dream to start a senior food company. This decision was driven by a strong desire to help the people I love the most by doing what I do best.

• Conclusion

My career identity has been shaped by my diverse experiences as a soldier, OEM agent, and entrepreneur, starting from a poor background. The most important lesson I've learned from all of them is that failure and challenges are the fuel for growth. My dream is not just to pursue success, but to make a positive difference to people like the ones I love. The senior food business will be my first step in utilizing my experience and learning to create new value. My determination and passion, which I have built in difficult circumstances, will continue to light my way.