In his 30s, Kim Han-kyun, who built a company valued at 2 trillion won, emphasized the fundamental principle of success: "Only those who are prepared can seize opportunities."
On the episode of 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighbor Millionaire' (hereafter 'Neighbor Millionaire') aired on the 30th of last month, Kim Han-kyun, the 'hero of the K-beauty success myth', shared his life story. From being a poor part-time worker at a cosmetics store earning the minimum wage of 20,800 won a day to becoming the CEO of a company valued at 2 trillion won, his journey of determination and challenges has inspired many.
Kim Han-kyun, who was a poor boy from a low-income neighborhood, faced ridicule for wearing the same clothes every day, yet he never stopped dreaming of changing his environment. Due to his family's financial situation, he entered the workforce at the age of 19 and found a turning point in his life with his first part-time job at a cosmetics store. Based on that experience, he became the first and only 'male beauty power blogger' in Korea, achieving great success as a blogger with 100,000 daily visitors. Seo Jang-hoon praised him, saying, "These days, it's common for men to take care of themselves, but back then, he was the only one who took that path."
Kim Han-kyun launched his first cosmetics brand at the age of 28 based on his blogging success, but the result was a complete failure. After juggling 3 to 4 part-time jobs to make ends meet, he created a face mask targeting the Chinese market in his 3rd to 4th year of entrepreneurship, which became a massive hit. By 2023, the cumulative sales of that face mask in China reached 2.2 billion units, a record of 7 units sold every second since its entry in 2014.
The secret to Kim Han-kyun's ability to sweep through China as an unfamiliar low-cost brand was his thorough 'preparedness'. After South Korea's decision to deploy THAAD in 2016, China strengthened export regulations on Korean cosmetics. However, thanks to having obtained hygiene approval in advance, Kim Han-kyun's face masks were able to fill the void left by other companies whose exports were halted.
Kim Han-kyun also clarified the rumors about being a '2 trillion won millionaire in his 30s' through 'Neighbor Millionaire'. He explained that due to his success in China, he achieved annual sales of around 200 billion won in his 7th year of business, and at that time, the offer to acquire his company was 2 trillion won. Kim Han-kyun added, "I was scared and didn't know much, so I rejected it, and that became a big news story."
Kim Han-kyun, who said, "The most anxious time was when I reached the top," revealed that he manages his anxiety by sticking to a daily routine of morning exercise, diary writing, and studying economics. He also focused on 'time-saving', sleeping in short naps of 3 to 4 hours a day and even saving 3 minutes while brushing his teeth. Kim Han-kyun stated, "Time is my greatest asset. If I could buy time with money, I would."
Finally, regarding the reason for continuing to work despite achieving 'financial freedom', Kim Han-kyun said, "I like that my existence is needed in the world and that I can see the world change positively because of me." Seo Jang-hoon empathized, saying, "I also get asked this question a lot. Work is a process of confirming my value as a person."
Meanwhile, 'Neighbor Millionaire' airs every Wednesday at 9:55 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
