Businesses make money to make the people prosperous… Koo Ja-hak who became a star Shin Chun-ho Shin Kyuk-ho Yoon Deok-byeong

The late Koo Ja-hak, Chairman of Our Home. [사진 출처 = 아워홈]

The first-generation founders who opened the Korean food industry in earnest became stars and disappeared into the shadows of history. These people were born during the Japanese colonial period and experienced the Korean War, realizing the importance of the food industry early amid the horrors of the war, and pioneering the Korean food industry, which was like a barren land, into K-food.

◆ Our Home Chairman Koo Ja-hak dies… Leading the growth of a ‘comprehensive food company’

On the 12th, the funeral home of Ourhome Chairman Koo Ja-hak was set up at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. His funeral is on the 15th of this month, and Jangji is a cemetery in Gwangju Park, Gyeonggi-do. The funeral is held by the company president. The deceased is also known as the ‘first generation of industrialization’ who protected the field in various fields ranging from chemical, electronics, construction, and food. He became a star at the age of 92.

The deceased was born in 1930 in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, the third son of the late LG Group founder Koo In-hoe, and went on to attend the Naval Academy and was discharged as a major. He served in the Korean War and was awarded a number of medals, including the Chungmu Military Medal. ‘The country is at a crossroads between life and death. It seems that this influence was also evident in the slogan of ‘business patriotism’, which states that corporations should make money to make the country and the people prosperous.

The deceased took office as Chairman of Our Home, which was separated from the food service division of LG Distribution (now GS Retail) in 2000 and led the company for 20 years. grown over Although it started as a group catering business and food distribution business, Our Home has grown into a comprehensive food company worth close to KRW 2 trillion by diversifying its business portfolio and expanding its scope to include food, dining, in-flight meals, and hotels.

The deceased is famous for his unusual interest in food, to the extent that he earned pocket money while making kimchi at a Korean mart while studying in the United States.

Before falling ill, at the Our Home management meeting, he revealed his dream, “When I look at the people of the fortress, they are really tall. They eat good food and are healthy.” The love for food was so great.

The deceased also established a food research institute for the first time in the group catering industry, deciding that the group catering business needs R&D infrastructure as much as in the high-tech industries such as chemical and electronics, where he has worked. About 15,000 recipes have been developed here, and regarding 300 new menu items are released every year.

◆ From Shin Chun-ho to Yoon Deok-byeong… A road behind the history of the first generation in the food industry

(From left) The late Lotte Group honorary chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, the late Nongshim chairman Shin Choon-ho, and the late hy chairman Yoon Deok-byeong. [사진 출처 = 각사]

Nongshim Chairman Shin Chun-ho passed away last year. He was 92 years old at the time. Born in 1930, Shin Kyuk-ho is the second younger brother of the late Lotte Group honorary chairman Shin Kyuk-ho. He started a confectionery business with the help of Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, but in 1963, when ramen, which can be prepared quickly and easily, became popular in Japan, he paid attention to it and established Nongshim. Shin Ramyun, his ‘masterpiece’, is being exported to more than 100 countries around the world.

His older brother, Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, is also a giant in the history of domestic food. Starting with selling chewing gum in Japan, he established Lotte Group, the 5th largest business in Korea. He left in January 2020 at the age of 98. He flew to Japan on the lieutenant’s ferry in 1941 to start delivering his milk, and his business skills were so outstanding that his employer trusted him and helped finance his business.

LOTTE started its business in Japan as a single item, chewing gum, and following 20 years, it has grown into a large confectionery company in Japan. went out

The late Chairman Yoon Deok-byeong of hy (formerly Korea Yakult) pioneered the lactobacillus fermented milk market for the first time in Korea. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 92. He introduced the ‘Yakult Ajumma’ system for housewives with the goal of creating jobs for women, and is considered a pioneer in establishing lactobacillus fermented milk as a representative health drink and national snack.

The first generation also worked hard on social contribution activities through foundations, etc. during their lifetime. Shin Chun-ho, chairman of Nongshim, emphasized the philosophy of ‘return to society’ of the company during his lifetime. He established the ‘Hwaam Scholarship Association’ in 1955, changed the name of the foundation to ‘Yulchon Scholarship Association’ in 1984, and took office as the chairman of the foundation to carry out sharing activities. The Yulchon Scholarship Society has been conducting academic support activities such as basic natural science research and development of Korean textbooks for overseas Koreans as well as scholarship projects.

Lotte Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho established the Three Boys Scholarship Association in 1983 to help disadvantaged students concentrate on their studies. The Samnam Scholarship Association changed its name to the Lotte Scholarship Foundation in 1996 and is actively conducting scholarship programs. In December 2010, hy Chairman Yoon Duk-byeong contributed his personal finances to establish the Wooduk Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to children from low-income families, and provided scholarships to numerous students.

Our Home has been conducting volunteer activities by regularly visiting nursing homes and facilities for the disabled since its founding of the employee volunteer group in 2007. In 2016, it signed an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to expand the use of Good Managed Agricultural Products (GAP) and is striving to supply high-quality domestic agricultural products.

[배윤경 매경닷컴 기자 / 이하린 매경닷컴 기자]
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