[Mid-sized Business Mastery Series] ① Yu Jin Enterprise's Ryu Deuk-hyun... '30 Years as Research Director, 170 Papers' Technology Expert

Ryu Deuk-hyun, Head of Technology Research Center at Yujin Corporation... Joined at 23, Became Head at 28
Yujin Corporation's Key Contributor to Industry Leadership and 'First' Achievements
Advises Juniors: "Keep Self-Development, Become Field Experts, and Maintain Networking"

Editor's NoteThere is a hidden master in our company. A 'master' refers to a person who excels in skills or abilities in any field or group. Many small and medium-sized enterprises have hidden masters who are not visible. These masters quietly demonstrate their skills in their positions and help the company grow. We share the stories of true masters who protect small and medium-sized enterprises.

"The answer to our problems lies in the field."

Ryu Deuk-hyun, the industry-recognized 'top master (最高手)' in the ready-mixed concrete (Remicon) industry and the head of the Technology Research Institute at Yujin Corporation (Executive Director), said, "No matter how excellent a technician is, if they don't know the field, they cannot find the answer," when asked about his motto.

Ryu Deuk-hyun, head of the Technology Research Institute at Yujin Corporation, is being interviewed by Asia Economy.
[Photo by Yujin Corporation]

'Umunhyeondap (愚問賢答)' originally means 'a wise answer to a foolish question.' On the 6th, when we met Ryu at Yujin Corporation, he said, "There are limits to technology in offices and laboratories, so whenever there is an opportunity, you must go to the ready-mixed concrete batching plant (manufacturing facility) to learn about the manufacturing process of Remicon and visit the shipping room (control room) to learn the actual Remicon manufacturing technology." He emphasized that the attitude of 'Umunhyeondap' is most important when working.

Ryu joined Yujin Corporation's Incheon Remicon plant in 1989 at the age of 23, during the height of the new town development boom in the metropolitan area. At that time, Yujin Corporation was a small company established five years earlier, and as the demand for Remicon exploded, Remicon plants began to spring up nationwide like mushrooms after rain.

The Remicon industry needed technicians knowledgeable in concrete, and mostly graduates from architectural or civil engineering departments dealing with concrete entered the industry. Ryu, who was about to graduate from Inha University’s Department of Civil Engineering, got a job at the local company Yujin Corporation’s Incheon Remicon plant.

However, after joining, he found the company was more challenging than expected. The public reputation of Remicon companies was at rock bottom, and employees of construction and cement companies, who worked alongside and bumped shoulders with Remicon company employees, often looked down on them. Ryu said, "I became determined." So he resolved to make products that only his company could supply and make customers buy them by necessity.

Launching the 'Technology Research Institute' in an Era When Remicon Quality Was Neglected

Yujin Corporation Technology Research Institute located on the 3rd floor of Yujin Corporation Seo Seoul Factory in Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Photo by Yujin Corporation]

Remicon refers to concrete in an unset state, before it is poured into the formwork that shapes the building at the construction site. As a quality control manager, he realized the need for a technology research institute because Remicon is a demanding product requiring extensive preparation depending on the season and weather to perform optimally, and it was necessary to carefully manage its best condition before and after shipment at every site.

He proposed this to the company, and appreciating his passion, the company established the Technology Research Institute in 1994 and appointed him as its head, despite him having only five years of experience. At that time, Remicon was a product that sold just by making it, and it was not an era of competition in product quality with rivals. Ryu said, "I judged that quality improvement of Remicon was absolutely necessary. To do that, a facility capable of researching and developing everything about Remicon was needed." He added, "The same industry watched us with half curiosity and half envy, but we were desperate when thinking about the future of the Remicon industry."

A photo taken in 1993 at the Eugene Corporation Incheon factory with colleagues. The person on the far right is Director Deukhyun Ryu (Executive Vice President).
[Photo by Director Deukhyun Ryu]

The launch of the Technology Research Institute became a stepping stone for Yujin Corporation to leap to the top of the Remicon industry despite being a latecomer, and Ryu’s leadership as the head of the institute was a key factor in maintaining the number one position.

The goal of the Technology Research Institute to advance Remicon quality and develop new products made him a scholar. Realizing his own shortcomings, he challenged himself to learn, earning master's and doctoral degrees through night school over six years. The institute gathered excellent talents and acquired new technologies through industry-academia cooperation.

170 Papers and Making Yujin Corporation a Company Always Prefixed with 'First'

Thus, he made Yujin Corporation a company always associated with the term 'first' in the industry. In 1997, they commercialized the country's first low-heat concrete (concrete that generates less heat during cement hydration), which had never existed before. In 2005, they compiled the first domestic encyclopedia of concrete technology. This encyclopedia was placed in each workplace to help not only quality control staff but all employees understand concrete products better. It also attracted attention by organizing commonly used Japanese terms in the concrete industry into pure Korean words.

In 2010, they developed the country's first low-carbon concrete, and in 2018, they introduced smart factory equipment to Remicon plants for the first time domestically. While competitors developed ultra-high-strength concrete manufacturing technology of 150 MPa (megapascal), Yujin Corporation started developing ultra-high-strength concrete exceeding 200 MPa, always staying one step ahead.

Employees of the Yujin Corporation Technology Research Institute posing for a commemorative photo after developing the first low-carbon concrete in Korea in 2010.
[Photo by Yujin Corporation]

During this process, he published over 170 papers in the Korean Concrete Institute and the Architectural Institute of Korea. For more than 30 years, he lived intensely, writing 5 to 6 papers annually. His papers, combining theory and practice, were cited by numerous scholars and technicians. Ten or so papers, including the 2008 paper presented at the Architectural Institute of Korea Federation titled 'Experimental Study on the Bending Performance of RC Beams According to the Absorption Rate of Recycled Coarse Aggregate' and the 2011 paper at the Korean Concrete Institute Conference titled 'Basic Properties of Fly Ash-Based Inorganic Binders According to Fly Ash Chemical Components,' were cited at least 10 times each, showing significant influence on the industry and academia.

He also authored books. The 2013 publication 'Causes and Countermeasures of Ready-Mixed Concrete Quality Problems' was co-authored by the Ready-Mixed Concrete Quality Management Committee and the Korean Concrete Institute, but Ryu was the primary author. This book presents various cases of quality problems that can occur during concrete construction and proposes solutions based on practical experience. It serves as a practical guidebook and is considered a textbook in the concrete industry.

Walking the Path of a Nationally Certified Concrete and Remicon 'Top Master (最高手)'

Concrete compressive strength specimens and testing equipment are placed in the Ready-Mixed Concrete Quality Control Room at Yujin Corporation's West Seoul Plant. It is located on the floor below the Technology Research Institute.
[Photo by Yujin Corporation]

Ryu credits Professor Kim Mu-han of Chungnam National University as the person who helped him the most in his growth. He introduced him as "a professor who studied abroad at Hokkaido University in Japan when there was no concrete major in domestic universities, nurtured students at Chungnam National University, was the first concrete expert in Korea, and made great contributions to the development of the domestic concrete industry."

While working at the Remicon company, Ryu sought Professor Kim’s help many times regarding quality problems in concrete, mix design, and claims from construction companies. Ryu said, "In the past, when problems occurred in the concrete field, they were often solved by the intuition or experience of senior technicians on site, but the professor solved problems based on theory in various environments. It was a new world and an eye-opener for concrete technicians. It greatly helped the industry's development," expressing his gratitude to Professor Kim.

Over 30 years leading the Technology Research Institute, his career is impressive. He taught students at Inha University and served as a member of the Concrete and Cement Expert Committee at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s National Institute of Technology and Standards, a technical evaluation committee member at the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, a new construction technology reviewer and R&D evaluator at the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement, and a technical evaluation committee member at the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute. Additionally, he is vice president of the Korean Concrete Institute, vice president of the Korean Architectural Construction Society, and a quality inspection review committee member at the Korea Aggregate Industry Research Institute, leading a very busy life. He has received commendations from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the President. He truly deserves the title of a nationally certified top master in concrete and Remicon.

Employees at Yujin Corporation’s Technology Research Institute describe him as "really gentle and considerate, but meticulous and thorough in work."

Ryu Deuk-hyun, head of the Technology Research Institute at Yujin Corporation, is being interviewed by Asia Economy.
[Photo by Yujin Corporation]

Ryu said, "When dealing with employees, I emphasize sincerity and responsibility but try not to point out weaknesses." He added, "Fundamental problems such as structural issues must be addressed, but pointing out minor faults in general site problems can cause conflicts among members. Highlighting strengths as much as possible makes the organization stronger."

To junior workers, he advised, "To do what you want, you must continuously develop yourself and become an expert in at least one field," and "Maintain steady exchanges with related people in connected fields." His own life is a model example of this advice.

Remicon Industry Warns: "Secondary Product Manufacturing Capability Will Determine the Future"

He emphasized that the Remicon industry must develop "secondary product manufacturing capabilities." Ryu predicted, "Over time, the amount of concrete poured on site will decrease, and more places will use safe secondary products pre-made in factories," adding, "The need for PC (Precast Concrete) will grow increasingly."

Yujin Corporation Seo-Seoul Factory located in Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Photo by Yujin Corporation]

PC refers to precast concrete. Recently, construction companies prefer the PC method, where building columns, beams, walls, etc., are pre-made and brought to the site for assembly, following modular housing construction. This is because safety verification is already completed in the factory, it is environmentally less burdensome, and construction time can be shortened. Ryu’s sharp warning is that the Remicon industry must accelerate preparations for future growth, such as improving secondary product manufacturing capabilities, to survive.

Regarding the upstream industries of construction and cement, he requested a "respectful attitude." He said, "It is regrettable that there is a lack of culture recognizing each other's domains." He continued, "Remicon companies know Remicon best. However, when construction companies issue 'instructions' beyond 'consultations,' it becomes a problem," urging, "We need mutual respect by recognizing each other's domains and taking responsibility within those domains."

◆ A Word from the Master

There is a saying, ‘Umunhyeondap (愚問賢答),’ meaning ‘a wise answer to a foolish question.’ In the Remicon industry, it is interpreted as 'the answer to our problems lies in the field.' No matter how excellent a technician is, if they do not know the field, they cannot find the answer. He advises Technology Research Institute staff that since there are limits to technology in offices and laboratories, they should seize every opportunity to visit the Remicon batching plant (manufacturing facility) to learn about the manufacturing process and the shipping room (control room) to learn actual Remicon manufacturing technology. Mastery of such technology prevents product defects and enables production of high-quality Remicon demanded on site. He also requires visits to construction sites where Remicon is finally poured to observe the pouring process, the construction of concrete structures, and to check for defects after strength development. Without combining theory and practice, one can never become an excellent technician.