"The 'Galbi Dumplings' the Triplets Ate Are Ours"... 22 Billion Won Dumpling Queen Reflects on 'Would I Recommend This to My Family?' [Power K Woman]

From Insurance Planner to Dumpling Company CEO
Nam Mi-kyung Shares the Ups and Downs of Building Hanmandu Foods
"Strive to Become an Entrepreneur Whose Products You Can Recommend to Family"

Nam Mi Kyung, CEO of Hanmandu Foods (left), and a scene from The Return of Superman (right). Asia Economy DB · KBS

Nam Mi-kyung, CEO of Hanmandu Foods, was once a successful insurance planner. A story she heard during a company incentive trip to Italy became a turning point in her life. She learned about a person in Korea who made delicious dumplings, shared them with local elders, and eventually started a business. Driven by curiosity, she visited the factory and encountered what she calls her "life-changing dumplings." Confident in her sales skills, she eventually secured an exclusive distribution contract after persistent persuasion. That was the beginning of her journey with dumplings, and now she produces them herself. She currently runs a small dumpling company with annual sales of 22 billion won, competing in a market dominated by large corporations. The journey has been full of ups and downs. We listened to her story.

Nam Mi-kyung, CEO of Hanmandu Foods, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Hanmandu Foods headquarters in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

-What prompted you to start your own dumpling company?

▲I generated considerable sales at the dumpling company where I had signed the exclusive distribution contract. I was selling about 100 million won a month and taking home around 20 million won. Everything was going well, but in the early 2000s, the "garbage dumpling scandal" broke out, causing the company to go bankrupt, and I suddenly became a credit delinquent. I thought, "If I could sell this much of someone else's product, why can't I do it myself?" That same year, I immediately opened a dumpling factory.

-Did you face any difficulties when you first started the dumpling business?

▲For the first two years, I couldn't even pay the rent or my employees' salaries properly. I had 13 employees at the time, but no matter how hard we worked, we could only produce two boxes of dumplings a day. We needed to make at least 20 boxes, but productivity was just too low. The biggest problem was that the dumplings didn't taste good. To get the seasoning right, I tried adding and removing onions and chives hundreds of times. It took a full six months just to get the seasoning right.

With no sales at all, I thought about reducing staff. At the time, there were three male employees who handled the filling, dough, and delivery, but I paid their overdue wages and let them go. Then I took over their work myself. For about two years, I would start mixing the filling at 3 a.m., roll the dough at 6 a.m., wrap dumplings until the morning, spend the afternoon packing and delivering, and then find it was 1 a.m. the next day. I would take a two-hour nap in the car and start again at 3 a.m.

-Was there a turning point that helped your company grow significantly?

▲In 2015, the KBS variety show "The Return of Superman" featured Song Il-kook's sons, Daehan, Minguk, and Manse, enjoying "galbi mukbang," which became a huge sensation. The galbi dumplings they ate were our company's product, and after the broadcast, word spread both online and offline, and sales skyrocketed. Annual sales were about 3.5 billion won before the show, but after it aired, sales more than doubled. The following year, sales exceeded 13 billion won.

Nam Mi-kyung, CEO of Hanmandu Foods, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Hanmandu Foods headquarters in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

-Do you have any special childhood memories related to dumplings?

▲Looking back, dumplings have always been part of my life. When I was young, dumplings were a special treat reserved for holidays. I could only eat them a few times a year, and only if my mother made them. Occasionally, on rainy days, my father would give me pocket money to buy dumplings, and I can never forget the taste of those dumplings from the neighborhood shop. In high school, I tried boiled dumplings in Jongno for the first time and thought it was a fantastic food that melted in my mouth. As an adult, I was shocked again when I tried shumai in Hong Kong during a trip.

-What is the most important belief you hold in running your company?

▲I believe that if the people working are happy, the results will be good. There's an old saying that when breastfeeding an infant, even couples shouldn't argue. The same goes for dumplings. Only when the employees making them are happy can delicious dumplings be made. Ten years after starting my business, I completed a management course at E-Land Group's executive school. There, I was surprised to see that company executives read books and volunteered together with their employees. I realized it's important to provide more than just a simple company experience.

Since then, I set our company slogan as "a company where employees are happy" and have paid special attention to employee welfare. Employees greet each other with "I love you" and add "-nim" to each other's names as a sign of respect. We also enjoy cultural activities together. Currently, there are over 10 internal clubs for volunteering, education, and more. We have massage chairs in the production area to create a resting space. I always strive to treat employees with as much dignity as possible.

-You release a variety of new products every year. Where do you usually get your ideas?

▲The only way is to keep researching and studying. These days, I try incorporating cuisine from around the world into dumplings. For example, we've developed unique products like Jjajang dumplings, Jjamppong dumplings, Yusanseul fried dumplings, Kkancho shrimp dumplings, and Mala dumplings by combining Chinese cuisine. To do this, I attend many international food exhibitions. If I find a dish at an exhibition that seems like it would go well with dumplings, I actively try it out when I return. Now, we have over 150 different products. We are also actively developing export dumplings tailored to overseas tastes, such as pollack dumplings, octopus dumplings, and webfoot octopus dumplings that blend Korean cuisine.

Nam Mi-kyung, CEO of Hanmandu Foods, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Hanmandu Foods headquarters in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

-How do you view recent trends in the dumpling market?

▲These days, there are so many food options besides dumplings. Not only fast foods like pizza and fried chicken, but also meal kits come in a wide variety. In this environment, I believe dumplings need to be much more sophisticated and diversified to meet consumer expectations. The cheese added to dumplings should have a rich flavor, and the shrimp should be large and plump. In short, unless we develop increasingly premium products, we cannot satisfy consumer desires. The appearance also matters. At Hanmandu Foods, we are constantly developing transparent dumpling wrappers and unique shapes to make our products visually appealing as well.

-Do you have any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs?

▲When I started my business, perceptions of female entrepreneurs were not good. People would say things like, "Why is a woman behind the wheel?" when I was driving. Now, I believe perceptions of women have completely changed. In fact, when working together, women are more meticulous and excel in every aspect.

My advice to aspiring female entrepreneurs is to take advantage of these social changes and be recognized for your abilities. I also encourage you to actively use the strengths you have as women. For example, pay more attention to caring for employees and helping them grow. If consumers are customers outside the company, employees are another group of customers within the company. If business owners neglect their employees and manage carelessly, it will never lead to consumer sales. Furthermore, as a food company, I believe a good company is one where you can recommend your products to your family and loved ones without a second thought. I've heard that at some companies, employees tell people not to eat their own products. Such companies will never last.

-What are your goals for the future?

▲It may sound ambitious, but I want to use the dumpling factory to help people in need around the world. Sometimes, a company enters a region and brings a richer life to the local residents and children. Likewise, my ultimate goal is not just to work for profit, but to become a businessperson who has a positive impact on society.

▶About Nam Mi-kyung, CEO of Hanmandu Foods

She graduated from Hyehwa Girls' High School in 1981. In 1992, she joined Kyobo Life Insurance as an insurance planner. In 1994, she completed the Women's Management Program (WMP) and Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Soongsil Graduate School of Small and Medium Business. In 1996, she started her dumpling distribution business with Euljeon Foods. Later, in 2011, she established Hanmandu Foods as an agricultural corporation. Starting with the signature galbi dumplings, she successively launched webfoot octopus dumplings, transparent dumplings, chive dumplings, and corn cheese dumplings, establishing a strong presence in the frozen dumpling market previously dominated by large corporations. Hanmandu Foods now records annual sales of 22 billion won, employs 120 people, and offers more than 150 types of products. In 2015, she received a commendation from the Minister of Employment and Labor, in 2018 from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the President, and in 2022, she received an award from the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.