Entered Korea in 1999, suffered fraud and hardship... Established himself through successful fur distribution... "Now I want to give back love to Korea and Guro-gu that helped me grow"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The first foreign member of the ‘Guro Heroes’ has been born.
It is Kim Seong-hak, CEO of Taebal Fur (47, nationality: China), who lived in Shandong Province, China, and came to Korea in 1999.
Originally working at a fur-related trading company in China, CEO Kim entered Korea through a connection with a client’s president and exported fur materials to China. After settling in Guro-dong, he struggled with basic daily life such as using public transportation due to poor Korean language skills. About a year after arriving, he was defrauded of tens of millions of won by the client’s president he relied on. However, by working day and night and meeting good Korean neighbors, he established himself. His fur distribution business also succeeded.
In March, when COVID-19 was at its peak, CEO Kim thought about helping neighbors in need. He explained the reason for his donation: “The Republic of Korea and Guro-gu are the places that helped me grow. Although sales have dropped significantly due to COVID-19, I still want to live by giving love to Korea and Guro-gu.”
Having donated 10 million won in March, CEO Kim promised to donate an additional 40 million won by 2024. With a total donation of 50 million won, his name was also inscribed on the Guro Heroes Hall of Fame on the 7th.
Since 2016, Guro-gu has been running the ‘Guro Heroes Project’ to discover and honor major donors. In 2017, the ‘Guro Heroes Club’ was founded to spread a culture of sharing and establish a local welfare resource system. Individuals who donate or pledge 30 million won or more, and corporations or organizations who donate or pledge 50 million won or more, are registered as Guro Heroes members and have their names engraved in the Hall of Fame.
At the Hall of Fame induction ceremony that day, the E-Land Foundation (CEO Jung Jae-cheol) & E-Land Retail (CEOs Kim Woo-seop and Seok Chang-hyun), who pledged to donate 300 million won by 2022, were also listed.
E-Land Retail plans to open the NC Department Store New Guro Branch at the former AK Plaza site near Guro Station at the end of August. It is expected to revitalize the local economy as a new urban outlet that coexists with the surrounding commercial district.
Lee Sung, Mayor of Guro-gu, said, “Congratulations on overcoming many hardships and becoming the first foreigner to have your name inscribed in the Hall of Fame. I also sincerely thank the donors, including E-Land officials, who are creating a warm Guro through their precious sharing.”
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