'The Man from Nowhere' Shin Hong-sik provided a time for reflection on the definition of a 'true rich person' through his second act of donating and sharing.
On the afternoon of 18th, EBS and E Channel co-produced 'Seo Jang-hoon's neighbor millionaire' (hereinafter 'neighbor millionaire') unfolded the life story of Shin Hong-sik, the 'legend of Daegu manufacturing,' who created a myth of monthly sales of 300 million won in the early 1990s through computer monitor manufacturing. Growing up in a wealthy family, Shin Hong-sik started a business in his 20s with the help of his father. During this time, he faced a crisis in his life when an accident forced him to move from a 280-pyeong mansion to a single-room rental. Despite earning a monthly salary of 300,000 won while working, he never gave up on his desire to make a comeback. About 10 years later, he finally achieved great success by founding one of Daegu's top five industrial companies.
However, the reason the citizens of Daegu respect Shin Hong-sik is not due to his success as a businessman. He caused a sensation by becoming the first in Korea to open a Starbuck's in a traditional hanok with a 100-year history. It cost 10 billion won for purchase and renovations. Although many proposals poured in to build a high-rise building to generate profits, he chose to preserve the hanok and protect our traditional culture. In addition, Shin Hong-sik has dreamed of establishing an art museum that citizens can enjoy for free and has collected 1,000 artworks over 30 years. He explained, 'Money disappears when spent, but art pieces always exist. They can show the breath of our ancestors even hundreds of years later.' Furthermore, he is active as a kind landlord who provides free space to local artists.
Shin Hong-sik is also famous as the rice shop man from Daegu. Starting during the IMF crisis, he has been delivering rice directly to 85 families for 28 years. The expense for rice delivery alone amounts to 4 to 5 million won each month. He added, 'It is natural to help those in need around you if you have made money.' Shin Hong-sik is also the 5th member of the Daegu Honor Society (a group of high-value donors contributing over 100 million won). Recognized for his contributions to spreading a culture of sharing, he served as the head of the donation organization and received the National Medal of Meritorious Service in 2017. Shin Hong-sik mentioned, 'Seo Jang-hoon is also a member of the Honor Society.' Seo Jang-hoon donated 100 million won for orphans and joined the Honor Society as its 1,452nd member in 2017.
Having donated his wealth back to society for nearly 30 years, Shin Hong-sik humbly stated, 'In the end, it's just spending what you have.' Jonathan humorously commented, 'There’s a saying to let your right hand not know what your left hand is doing, but I want even my pinky toe to know.' Seo Jang-hoon chimed in, 'While it’s a bit uncomfortable to give too much credit to oneself, informing others of good deeds can encourage their participation.' Furthermore, Shin Hong-sik expressed, 'The flower of capitalist society is donation and sharing. I want to fill the empty places of those in need.' Finally, in response to the production team's question, 'Do you think you are rich, chairman?' Shin Hong-sik answered, 'In spirit, no one is richer than me,' delivering an emotional moment.
Next week, the episode featuring 'the popera tenor who touched the world' Lim Hyung-joo will be broadcast.
[Photo] Captured from the broadcast.
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