[Power K-Women] Poor Rural Girl Becomes Part of the Top 0.1% Wealthiest in the UK

The "Heuksujeo" Success Story, Chairman Kelly Choi... The Positive Influence He Shares
A Life Story More Dramatic Than a Movie... Evolving with the "Wellthinking" Message

Editor's NoteAsia Economy will select women who are active not only in Asia but around the world as 'Power K-Women' at the Women's Leaders Forum to be held this October. We have chosen individuals who have overcome and broken down boundaries such as race, nationality, and disability as 'Power K-Women.' This is to widely promote the value of those who have not been intimidated by discrimination or confined by boundaries but have fought back, and to convey new values of leadership to youth and women. Their stories will provide comfort to a weary world, become role models for someone, and give the community the strength to move forward again.

Date｜ Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 9:00 AM ? 5:20 PM

Venue｜ Crystal Ballroom, Lotte Hotel Sogong-dong (2F)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] "There is a big difference between pioneering and following a role model." There is a person who has created a life drama more dramatic than a movie. The adjective that follows her name is 'Heuksoojeo' (dirt spoon). Rather than inheriting fertile soil cultivated by others, she practices a life of pioneering it herself and passing it on to future generations.

A Korean woman listed among the top 0.1% wealthy in the UK. The protagonist is Kelly Choi, Chairwoman of Kellydeli, a global company with annual sales of 600 billion KRW across 1,200 stores in 12 European countries (real name Choi Geumrye, 54). There are many wealthy people in Korea, but few have experienced as dramatic a life as Chairwoman Choi.

Her childhood is difficult to describe with just the word 'impoverished.' Born in 1968 in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, as the fifth of six siblings, she literally experienced a life of extreme poverty. Her mother practically took charge of the household instead of her physically disabled father. She worked tenaciously with the single-minded determination not to let the children go hungry, but reality did not improve.

The dreams and hopes of the children were also adjusted to fit that reality. Even if they wanted to learn, they could not. At the age when they should have been sharing memories with school friends, they had to go to work. The six siblings of Chairwoman Choi were no exception. For Choi, who had a strong desire to learn, life in a factory began instead of school. Thanks to the factory's consideration, she worked during the day and studied at night, trying to gather the scattered pieces of her dreams, but the harsh life did not improve easily.

Because of lack of money, she sometimes had to sleep in short naps without blankets even in the middle of winter. The situation of girl factory workers at that time was mostly similar. Chairwoman Choi spent her teenage years with such friends. They comforted their weary lives by laughing and crying together. Despite the difficult environment, everyone tried not to let go of the thread of learning.

The heartbreaking incident involving Choi's close friend Youngsook also happened then. One day, on a bus going to school after work, Youngsook choked on a rice cake and passed away. The senseless death of her closest friend. The shock, pain, and despair swirled in the mind of the teenage girl. Chairwoman Choi had no choice but to quit factory life.

Chairwoman Choi tried hard to shake off the shadow of despair. She made every effort not to lose the light of life. The admiration she felt when she saw a dress shirt designer while working in the factory became the seed of change in her life. She headed to Japan to study fashion. She did not even know Japanese. She had no extra money for studying abroad.

But the firm will that led her to entrust a farewell letter to her younger sibling and leave supported her. She continued her fashion studies while studying by day and night. This led to her connection with France, the country of fashion. French was also unfamiliar. Life in France was not easy either, but Chairwoman Choi had a strong ally called 'willpower.' An invisible, intangible presence that stood by her side when she faced difficulties.

Chairwoman Choi started an exhibition business in France, achieving success to the extent of having headquarters in Paris and a branch in Korea. But the joy was short-lived, and misfortune came again. Business difficulties continued, and the situation worsened to the point of leaving a debt of 1 billion KRW. She was in such despair that she even considered throwing herself into the Seine River in Paris.

But she could not die so futilely. With the thought of enduring, she began to look for mentors. Believing that having role models is the shortcut, she took 1,000 people as her mentors. Her criteria for choosing mentors were simple. Anyone from whom she could learn something in a specific field was considered a mentor. She searched books, lectures, media interviews, and social media content to seek teachings and internalized them.

Chairwoman Choi often expresses this as "I ate them up."

One of those she met was sushi master Yamamoto. At that time, seeing the potential of the sushi lunchbox market just beginning to form in France, Chairwoman Choi clung to Master Yamamoto, and her prediction was correct. Although there was concern that she might be rejected, things went well.

After two requests, she gained cooperation and was able to preempt the market by distributing high-quality sushi. The taste and the colorful appearance stimulated the Orientalism of the French. The so-called success story of Kellydeli is not the final stop in her life. She is trying to pioneer another meaningful life and meaningful time.

Chairwoman Choi does not consider her meeting with the master a coincidence. She focused on the reason why many wealthy people want to use their wealth as a channel to open the path of wealth to others and spread positive influence. She named this 'Wellthinking.' It means that thoughts and attitudes aimed at positive influence are important.

The attitude that must come first in 'Wellthinking' is to eliminate 'ressentiment' about money. Ressentiment is the hatred, revenge, jealousy, and anger that the weak feel toward the strong. She advises correcting this and abandoning hypocritical thoughts about money.

Chairwoman Choi defines the wealthy as 'people who help others, people with self-determination, people who lead for social benefit,' and money as 'a means to help others, something convenient to have if available.' She also values clarifying core values such as friendship, recognition, contribution, reputation, service, and wealth.

Self-confidence is also an emphasized virtue. When asked, "Did you think Kellydeli would succeed?" Chairwoman Choi answers, "Yes." Of course, she did not know 100% that it would succeed. She just believed. This is also the power gained when declaring one's goals, and she emphasizes this 'power of belief,' saying that once she declares, she pours all her energy into realizing the decision.

One of Chairwoman Choi's routines is visualization. Humans have new thoughts every 3 seconds and are influenced by the unconscious, so to control this, visualization divided into emptying and filling is necessary.

First, all negative thoughts are emptied, and then a positive future image is planted in the empty space. With blueprint visualization, when a mid-to-long-term (5?10 years) dream is achieved, she leaves a photo of the most desired moment, and with director visualization, she plans the success process to control the unconscious, she explains.

Why do some live as rich and others as poor? Chairwoman Choi says the answer lies in 'Wellthinking' and encourages that anyone can do it. "He can do it, she can do it, so why can't I?" The message Chairwoman Choi delivers at every lecture is a profound resonance to us who easily get discouraged in front of the walls of environment.