[People Met Through Books] Escape the Inner 'Safety Zone' That Blocks What You Want to Do

'It's Okay to Start Now' by Jeong Hoe-il
Finding a Way to Live Through Reading While Suffering from Severe Skin Disease
Self-Taught English Bestseller Author
Current Concern: 'How to Earn Money Alone'
Everyone Has Their Own Killer Content
Find What You Do Well and Love That Makes Others Happy
Refine and Commercialize to Get Closer to Your Dream

He overcame numerous life-threatening crises due to severe atopic dermatitis that began in middle school. Steroid addiction led to kidney function decline, and severe atopic dermatitis pushed his life into agony. Blood and heat erupted from his entire body, causing him to change clothes more than 20 times a day. His heart beat irregularly, stopping and starting repeatedly, and he often lost consciousness. The pain felt like being stabbed all over his body with a knife, accompanied by insomnia, leading him to one day decide on an extreme choice. "Mom, I'm sorry. I want to stop living now."

However, he felt it was unfair to die without having done many things. From then on, he followed so-called successful people and absorbed their teachings. Thinking that both the time lost to illness and the remaining time might be limited, he challenged himself immediately whenever he had an insight. As a complete beginner native Korean with no overseas experience, he started self-studying English by reading about 500 books on original texts and study methods. Just six months after starting, his English lectures gained significant attention. Later, in 2014, he founded Youngnahan Co., Ltd. (English Study Abroad, I Do It in Korea), achieving the miracle of turning absolute beginners into English instructors.

Having found mentors through books, he has now become a mentor himself and is publishing books. Based on reading over 3,000 books, he infused life experiences into works such as ‘Hong Daeri, the Reading Genius’ and ‘You Must Read to Survive.’ Subsequently, he has been spreading the dream that one can excel in English without overseas study through English textbooks and operates an educational platform. His cumulative book sales have reached 500,000 copies. He is also dedicated to philanthropy. While repaying hundreds of millions of won in debt inherited from his parents’ business failure, he donated hundreds of millions of won. Since clearing his debts several years ago, he has been more devoted to financial and talent donations, though his health still holds him back. Even while battling illness for several years due to deteriorating health, he found work he could do and published ‘It’s Okay to Start Now (Chai Jeongwon),’ containing practical advice. On the 11th, we interviewed author Jeong Hoeil.

-How have you been recently? How is your health?

▲My condition is not good. I have been mostly lying down for two weeks because I was exhausted from revising the new book. I want to do YouTube live streams, but it requires a lot of physical energy, so I haven’t been able to. I should hold autograph sessions and lectures to promote the book, but for now, I am focusing on rest.

-The book contains life changes and realizations through reading. What does reading mean to you?

▲Through reading, I learned ‘how to learn’ and achieved infinite growth. Reading is the best way to gain the experiences and knowledge of successful people. For me, reading goes beyond seeing and knowing; it calls for action. It is about drawing the book’s content into direct experience. Philosopher Socrates said, ‘Knowledge without practice is not knowledge.’ By continuing practice, one can create something unique. At that point, you can inspire others’ will to act beyond yourself. Reading is a tool for my growth and sharing that learning.

-Is this book also a result from that stage?

▲This book can be called a flower blooming amid hardship. Honestly, my health has been very poor. Shingles tore my skin all over, causing bleeding, and I suffered lightning-like pain several times a day. Additionally, minor illnesses manifested heavily in me, leading to extreme pain. It was painful enough to cry out, “God, please take me now.” But I focused on writing with the thought that ‘While I cannot choose my environment, I can choose what to do in the given environment.’ When I think about it, daily life and being alive are miracles. I wrote this book to share the joy and happiness of enjoying that miracle.

-You achieved considerable success with English lectures earlier. How is the current situation?

▲I started English lectures just six months after beginning self-study and quickly got on track. Although it was an early start and I received many criticisms, teaching in practice helped me identify what I didn’t know, and I studied harder to fill those gaps. As a result, I wrote English books and opened an academy without ever studying abroad. I created success stories such as turning absolute beginner students into English instructors. However, some side effects like reduced effort, arrogance, or pretending to know when I didn’t have knowledge appeared, so I am reorganizing the system.

-You mentioned criticism regarding your English lectures earlier. Has that been resolved?

▲In the early days, many non-majors and those without overseas study protested, asking why I taught without credentials. I clearly stated that I offered low-cost education based on what I was newly learning, but many who were attracted by the low price resisted the learning method that was not familiar grammar teaching but rather ‘open your mouth wide and make sounds.’ However, after my books on reading methods and English learning became bestsellers, such criticism disappeared. Regarding criticism that ‘he cannot speak well,’ it is true, and I am making various efforts.

-Where is your spirit of challenge directed now?

▲Because my condition is worse than others and I have many limitations, I am thinking about ways to earn money alone at home. Methods like multiple jobs (N-job) and digital nomadism, which are popular recently, are things I have been considering and discovering on my own for some time. For example, ‘how to make money with just one laptop.’ I gain many insights from books. Since many things are for people without physical problems, it is not easy to find helpful content, but I seek answers from the wise thoughts in books. Currently, I am educating on how to earn money without commuting or credentials. If you look closely, everyone has their own content that can be commercialized. Instead of worrying ‘Can I do well?’ or ‘Will anyone buy this?’ it is important to start first. From real estate to cooking, dressing well, or even dating well, all can be content.

-You said you enjoy doing what you want when you want and encouraged readers to live like that, but reality has many difficulties.

▲Actually, those ‘difficulties’ are often safety nets, such as a salary or passive work attitude. It is like two sides of a coin. Anyone can choose freedom. Instead, you must bear the weight of responsibility for your choice. Many methodologies already exist. You just need to find and try them. You may be afraid or feel inadequate, but overcoming difficulties naturally makes you stronger. There is something called a ‘comfort zone,’ a safe area like a zoo. Animals in a zoo are safe but limited to that. Humans are the same. Whether you leave your comfort zone to grow depends on your will.

-Many people do not know what they like or want to do.

▲All answers lie within yourself. They are just obscured by negative messages. You can hear the answer by focusing on your inner voice. The answer inside you is the best among what you have seen and heard so far. To do that, you must first see and hear a lot to fill your inner self. The answers of someone with one choice and someone with a hundred choices inevitably differ.

-Conversely, if you have many things you like, how do you prioritize?

▲Consider whether it is something you like, are good at, and makes others happy, then choose what only you can do. Everyone has things others find difficult but they do relatively easily. Refine and commercialize those parts. I also pondered every morning for two years while looking at my notebook. Through steady effort on the path of exploration and endeavor, I achieved my dream.

-You took mentors from various fields. Do you have tips for interacting with mentors?

▲A mentor is someone better than me in some way and from whom I can learn something. In the past, many were businesspeople of a certain scale or those who made money in real estate and stocks, but recently, there are many self-proclaimed mentors, making the situation confusing. It is not easy for the public to distinguish real mentors. You have to experience and learn by trial. I also met many such people at first. After filtering out those ‘obsessed only with money,’ I met better mentors. It is important to adjust your values and experience for yourself.

-What goals do you currently have? What do those goals mean to you?

▲My bucket list is broadly divided into things I want to own, things I want to do, and things I want to become. When I first wrote my bucket list, the goals were modest, like saving 5 million won, reading 10 books, and teaching 7 students. Later, they grew to opening an academy, living in Bundang, publishing two books, reading 2,000 books, earning a billion won annually, and donating 10 million won, all of which I achieved. I will soon realize my dream of retiring in my 30s. Considering my many limitations and difficulty moving around, I think I have accomplished quite a lot. My current immediate task is to recover my physical strength to a normal level. I run one to three times a week, which helps a lot. I ran 2 km in the 9-minute range and want to finish 3 km within 15 minutes, but I am a bit stuck. (laughs)

-You participate in various charitable activities and serve as an ambassador for donation organizations.

▲I believe we are all beings gifted with life. We were born as babies and grew up under someone’s care. No one is poorer than when they were born, even if not as much as they want. Moreover, having survived numerous life-threatening crises and lived again, I am grateful every moment. That is why I give back. Jews, who hold over 30% of the world’s wealth, consider donating one-tenth of their income natural and think donating about one-fifth is ideal. Those who do not donate even one-tenth are considered very stingy. Since I do not consider what I have as originally mine, I share with joy.