“There are many people who have given this much,
“No one has revealed this much.”

Over 50 years since my mid-20s
A life of giving without expectations and expecting nothing in return
The Kim Jang-ha Virus, a Virus That Spreads Its Positive Influence
What on earth made this life possible?

The question I was asked most frequently during the reporting process was, “How did you get permission from Mr. Kim Jang-ha?”
But the teacher never gave permission.
The teacher has been active in public activities through various public organizations, including the Equality Movement Memorial Association.
So, the teacher seemed to think that he had no right to stop the interview of a person who was close to a public figure.
I've never even done an interview.
I just exploited the teacher's weakness(?) of not being able to coldly reject people who come to visit.
And many people naturally created opportunities for me to be with the teacher.
I am deeply grateful to them as well.
In November 2021, I received an offer from MBC Gyeongnam PD Kim Hyun-ji to cover the story together, and thanks to her, I was able to uncover many things I would have otherwise missed or never accessed.
In particular, we owe much to the planning and casting skills of PD Kim Hyun-ji, cinematographer Kang Ho-jin, and writer Cha Seon-yeong, as well as their quick wit on the reporting scene.

It was also a pleasure to meet many '100 Kimjanghas, 1000 Kimjanghas' during the reporting process.
Principal Hanam Chil has been giving scholarships to students of his alma mater every year for many years as a way to 'return the scholarship money', and although he does not appear in the text, I heard that architect Park Beom-ju (1970~), a graduate of Myeongsin High School, is also becoming like Kim Jang-ha as a strong supporter of the cultural and artistic world.
Not only the people who appeared in this book, but also many who did not appear were already infected with the 'Kim Jang-ha Virus'.
I believe that if this virtuous cycle continues, we will surely achieve the world that Mr. Kim Jang-ha dreams of: a world where everyone can live well.

During the reporting process, PD Kim Hyun-ji asked everyone she met, “How would you describe Mr. Kim Jang-ha in one word?”
Various expressions were used, such as ‘living Buddha,’ ‘Bodhisattva,’ ‘righteous man,’ ‘true adult,’ ‘Jesus of this era,’ ‘strong support,’ ‘a hill to support the civil movement,’ ‘a model of goodwill and respect,’ ‘a person like Nammyeong Josik,’ and ‘a lake that embraces everything.’
But the expression that resonated with me the most was 'Teacher Kang Sang-ho of this era.'
These were the words of the director of Geukdanjang, Go Neung-seok.
Not many people know the name Kang Sang-ho, so it may not have been a good idea for broadcasting, but the two people are most similar in that, despite being rich and living a life of luxury, they used their wealth to take the lead in realizing equality and justice on the side of the world's most downtrodden people.
- From the author's 'Closing Remarks'

I asked about his pen name, Namseong, and the meaning of his business name, Namseongdang Pharmacy.
“It is said that the male is in charge of the number.
The character for life (壽).
There is a saying that men live long lives where they shine.
My grandfather gave it to me, and he told me to use Namseongdang as my business name and to use Namseong as my pen name.
“It’s named after the constellation Antarctica.”
-Did you name him that way because you wanted your grandson to live a long life?
“It means that everyone should take the medicine prescribed by the pharmacy and live a long life.
“The star is visible but not always there, but it plays a role. It means to be a person who does not step forward but always plays his role.”
-My grandfather named it with such deep meaning.
“It may not be as bright as starlight, but it is contributing something.
But don’t show off your contribution and just live like that….”
---From "The Beginning of the Report"

Kim Jang-ha lost his mother when he was 8 years old and was raised by his stepmother and was taught by his grandfather.
After opening a Namseongdang Pharmacy in Sacheon Seokgeo-ri at the age of 20, he became the de facto head of the household.
He raised his grandfather at Seokgeori until he passed away at the age of 27, and held a funeral for his stepmother who raised him at the age of 29.
At the age of 30, he brought in a stepmother to support his widowed father, and at the age of 42, he sold the house he lived in with his father to his stepmother, who was left behind after his father passed away, to provide for her old age.
Of course, in this process, it was Jang-ha's responsibility to raise his younger siblings and send them off to get married.

---From "Father and Mother"

“I didn’t send out invitations to my daughter and son’s wedding.
However, many people who had gotten to know each other little by little attended as guests, but there was no window to receive congratulatory money.
Although the guests were treated to the finest food, some were not pleased.
“He attended all of his acquaintances’ weddings and funerals and gave them congratulatory or condolence money, but they didn’t accept it, so people responded by saying, ‘Are you campaigning because you have money?’”
---From "The Quiet Boy Kim Jang-ha"

Kim Jang-ha received the Moran Medal of Civil Merit from the President in 1992, but his refusal to attend the ceremony caused chaos at the Gyeongnam Office of Education.
The superficial reason for the refusal was 'I can't empty the pharmacy.'
Although the then-appointed superintendent of education pleaded, saying, "I'm going to lose my head," he ended up attending, but it is an anecdote that is talked about for a long time.
In January 2003, he was invited to a luncheon meeting and debate held by President-elect Roh Moo-hyun in Busan, but did not attend.
It was the same reason.
I've had lunch with the teacher a few times, hanging out with people, and no matter what, at a certain time, he always stands up, saying, "We have a guest waiting."
---From "The City of the Gate"

“It was in February 1987 when the first Myeongsin High School graduation ceremony was held.
A teacher noticed a woman of short stature struggling to walk on tiptoe behind a group of parents, unable to see in front of her.
She was the chairman's wife.
When I approached him quietly and suggested that he move to a seat on the stage, he strongly declined and asked me not to tell anyone that he was there.
As soon as the graduation ceremony was over, the chairman's wife quietly left the school gate to catch the bus.
“It was understandable that he would want to attend the first graduation ceremony of his life’s work, but the fact that he was careful not to cause trouble by anyone seeing him showed that his family’s concern was truly extraordinary.”
---From "That Husband, That Wife"

The teacher personally showed me that the Republic of Korea is a place where we can build wealth based on freedom, pursue equality to eliminate unreasonable discrimination, and strengthen the community through philanthropy.
When I passed the bar exam and went to say hello, he said, 'You don't need to thank me.
I have never forgotten the words of my teacher, who said, 'I gave you what belongs to this society, so if you want to repay it, repay it to this society, not to me.'
---From “The Case of Constitutional Court Justice Moon Hyung-bae”

It was there for a while in the early days of the school opening.
It was a classroom-sized office with a large desk, nameplate, sofa, etc.
At first, I thought it was just a normal thing and worked there, but after about a month, I realized that the school facilities were inadequate and there was no reason for the chairman to take the position.
Kim Jang-ha told the principal to vacate the chairman's office.
And he decided to use that space as a health room.
I didn't go to school very often except on days when there were special events or meetings.
Board meetings were also held in the principal's office, and any decisions that needed to be made were made in the office.
When I went to school, I took the bus or a bicycle.
The sight of the chairman entering the school on a bicycle left a deep impression on the students.
---From "A school that has everything but no principal's office"

“My wife also attended the chairman’s retirement ceremony.
On the way back, he asked, "Are you sad that I left you behind?"
Why wouldn't it be like that? It's sad.
But at that time, I thought, 'There's nothing to be upset about.
When we met, we were empty-handed.
“Even if we throw this away now, we still have enough to live on, and we don’t owe anything, so what’s there to be upset about?” he said.
-You were upset inside, but you said that to your wife, right?
"yes."
---From "The Reason for Donating a 10 Billion Won School Free of Charge"

There is a 'grave of equality activist Kang Sang-ho.'
There was only one tombstone that read, ‘Baekchon Kang Sang-ho’s Grave.’
It was a tombstone whose origins and date were unknown, but the following inscription was written on the back.
“As the harsh years of the plague continue, I miss you more and more, teacher.
“Little citizen.”
I was curious as to who the 'little citizen' was.
After some inquiry, I was able to find out that it was established in 1999 by Kim Gyeong-hyeon (1966~), a specialist member of the Past History Related Work Support Team.
For some reason, I had a feeling that this 'little citizen' might be Mr. Kim Jang-ha.
I called Mr. Kim Kyung-hyun.
“I don’t know who you heard that from and are confirming it with me, but please tell me who you heard it from.”
“I didn’t hear that story from anyone.
“It’s just my feeling that….”
Finally, I got his confession(?).
My hunch was right.
It was Mr. Kim Jang-ha.
---From "For the Liquidation of Pro-Japanese Collaborators and an Equal World"

"The counseling center's board of directors has a fund of 100 million won. We'd like to use this fund to build a shelter for women. How can we do that? That's what we discussed."
“Oh, good, let’s do the facility, very comprehensively.
He responded positively, asking if I had been thinking like that all along, and saying that he had thought like that too, but how did I come to think like that?
He said he would shield the other directors so they wouldn't complain.
Otherwise, it will be difficult to build a house.
that
So, if it weren't for Chairman Kim Jang-ha, this house wouldn't have been built.
---From "Rescue the Abused Woman"

-In this photo and that photo, Mr. Kim Jang-ha is always at the end?
“You saw it well.
Let's leave the middle seat for the chairman, right? Please decline.
Here too, you sit at the very end. You always say, "Oh, but I'm not going there," and take the corner seat yourself.
“People really hate it when people treat them like this.”
-I think so.
I hate standing out.
“This is exactly it.
“You made a good point, but if you want to be our spiritual pillar, you should sit in the middle. I told you to make a seat for us, but you still wouldn’t sit.”
---From "Rescue the Abused Woman"

“If you throw it away, you should throw it away without regret.
If you gave it to me, that's enough.
“What are you going to do with that plaque of appreciation…?”
5:00 PM on the 9th, Gyeongsang National University event hall.
Originally, it was a position the teacher did not want.
However, it was an event I reluctantly attended because the recipient earnestly requested it.
Perhaps that's why, even though the teacher was showered with praise throughout the event, his expression remained uneasy.
Nevertheless, the scheduled greeting was carefully written on about 1.2 pages of A4 paper.
The last part was this:
“Over 20 years after the foundation was established, nothing has been accomplished and it has fallen short in developing the backward local culture.
Accordingly, it was decided to dissolve the Men's Cultural Foundation and donate the remaining assets to Gyeongsang National University.
“I’m sorry for making you carry such a heavy burden.”
---From "Donating Billions of Won Leftover Assets and Retiring After 60 Years"

“Don’t politicians always have someone sitting next to them, and they plan things out like this, telling them what time, where, and when to come out? He’s the type of person who never goes out there and never meets with politicians.
So I told him that if he wanted to meet her, he could just go to the herbal medicine shop.”
Kim Seong-jin (1963~), who was an aide to the then presidential candidate, reported this fact, and candidate Roh Moo-hyun parked his car across the street, crossed the crosswalk, opened the door to Namseongdang Pharmacy, and went in.
After meeting for about 50 minutes, candidate Roh Moo-hyun said this to Kim Seong-jin.
“I met a really nice person.
He is a really nice person.
“This is the first time I’ve met a politician and not given him advice.”
I once asked Mr. Kim Jang-ha, "Why didn't you give me some advice? You could have told me about your hopes and dreams."
Then he replied briefly, “What would I say to a 10th-level politician?”
---From "Reasons for Staying Away from Power and Politics"

As I said before, I tried to look at it from North Korea's perspective.
But what I didn't understand was when I visited Kim Il-sung University.
At least, since Kim Il Sung University is the best university in North Korea and one of the top 100 universities in the world, I thought I would see what the faculty was like, what the facilities were like, and at least see the students diligently pursuing their studies. However, as soon as I entered the main building, I was guided to 14 exhibition rooms that showed the story of Chairman Kim Jong Il entering the Department of Political Economy at Kim Il Sung University, his life as a student, his research activities, and his graduation. After that, my visit to Kim Il Sung University was over.
I can't express how sad I am.
I feel a pang of sadness in my heart as I return from this visit without hearing any news from my brother in the North.
Still, we leave Pyongyang after confirming that our brothers and sisters live in the North, not as foreigners from the frozen land.
---From "An Old Man Who Has No Red Complex Despite Being Surveilled"

The branch manager drank the glass himself with a stern face.
The atmosphere suddenly became cold.
The inspectors were muttering.
“So the drinking party was ruined.
But come to think of it, I should have left that place….”
Even while the teacher was telling this story, the atmosphere of drinking continued at the table next to him.
I, sitting across from the teacher, also had a glass of alcohol in front of me.
Like this, Kim Jang-ha was a person who kept to his decision once he made it.
That much self-control was amazing.
No matter how welcome someone is to come and have lunch, they just stop and get up when it's time to work at the pharmacy.
And another thing is that no one has ever seen him angry.
Professor Choi Gwan-gyeong, Kim Jang-ha's oldest friend, said the same thing, as did Lee Yong-baek, the director of Myeongseong Oriental Medicine Clinic.
“I have never seen Mr. Kim Jang-ha get angry.
“It’s madness to not say anything.”
---From "Local Leader Who Rejected the Prosecutor's Bomb Shot"

“I think we need to consider this monk’s story, which doesn’t quite fit the concept of volunteering: doing 10,000 won worth of volunteer work, taking pictures in front of an orphanage, and doing a million won worth of PR, trying to get something back for that service, or volunteering for something in return.”
This is because Kim Jang-ha's life and sharing were carried out by thoroughly rejecting such things.
Kimchi was made by a person who practiced sharing without asking for anything in return, supporting without interference, and giving without expecting or hoping for anything.
---From "The Life of True Bodhisattva"

Instead of giving it all to one place, how about splitting it up into 100 million won each and giving it to 34 places? I don't know.
I wonder if the process of selecting those thirty-four places would have brought about greater controversy and criticism.
I asked Mr. Kim Jang-ha if he had ever heard any slander or false rumors about him.
“I’ve heard that a lot too.
But you know the results.”
-Time proves it, you say?
"yes.
“I didn’t have to try to prove it, make excuses, or get angry, I just had to endure it.”

---From "Slander, Gossip, and Criticism"