South Korea, a country that achieved a miracle amid the ruins of war!
With the first generation of entrepreneurs who led the 'Miracle on the Han River'
Let's journey together into the historical moments that created the myth of the Korean economy.

From one of the world's poorest countries to a developed country, from an aid-receiving country to an aid-giving country.
How was South Korea's remarkable economic growth achieved in just 70 years possible? Samsung's Lee Byung-chul, Hyundai's Chung Ju-yung, LG's Koo In-hoe, Daewoo's Kim Woo-choong, POSCO's Park Tae-joon, and Yuhan Corporation's Yoo Il-han.
The 'Miracle on the Han River', created by their entrepreneurial spirit and creative problem-solving skills, was vividly captured from the perspective of teenagers.
For Generation Z, who have not experienced industrialization or the foreign exchange crisis, the 'Miracle of the Han River', which they only saw in textbooks, has been explained in three dimensions.
It not only clearly and in-depthly organizes the economic development process from the Japanese colonial period through the Korean War and the IMF to the present, but also aids understanding with timeline graphics that visualize major events in Korean and world history along with the challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

Especially with the new "Entrepreneurship" subject being introduced to the high school curriculum starting in 2025, this book will be the most interesting introduction to entrepreneurship through real-world examples.
The indomitable spirit of challenge of entrepreneurs who started small businesses like rice shops and lumber stores and built world-class companies today, the problem-solving skills and creativity that turned crises into opportunities, and even the sense of mission for the development of their country and society.
Let's meet the pioneers of the Korean economy, whom our youth dreaming of the future must meet, and learn about the history of Korean economic development achieved through their challenges and innovations.

He reported seeing countless orphans and beggars in Seoul, which had been completely reduced to ashes.

“Will a rose bloom in a trash can?”
It seemed obvious to anyone that Korea would never be able to rise again.
(Omitted) Korea joined the OECD Development Assistance Committee in 2009, becoming the first country in the world to transform from an aid recipient to a donor country.
This is an unprecedented case in the history of international development cooperation and is considered one of the most remarkable success stories worldwide.
Over the years, numerous countries have received aid from international organizations such as the UN, OECD, and Heffer.
But how did Korea, alone, transition from being an aid recipient to a donor? And how did Korea, once one of the world's poorest countries, so quickly grow into a developed nation?
--- From the prologue

When he met his father in Bukgando, Yuil was even more shocked.
My father said some painful words.

“Did you go to study abroad in the US to sell bean sprouts?”
The words of his father, who risked his life fighting for independence in a distant foreign land, and the sight of his compatriots dying from even minor illnesses tore at Yuilhan's heart with pain.

That miserable situation haunted him and tormented him even after he returned to the United States.
Finally, Yuil made a big decision.
'I need to sell my shares in La Choi's company and start a pharmaceutical company.
Let's bring in good medicine from the US at a low price and save our sick compatriots!'
Yuil founded a pharmaceutical company and created 'Ryuhan Corporation' to support the independence movement.
They chose independence activist Seo Jae-pil as president and hired other independence activists as employees, providing them with living expenses and funds.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Only Entrepreneur Who Started a Business for Independence"

In 1952, the factory was completed and the machinery arrived.
Koo Pyeong-hoe, who was good at English, translated the manual, and Koo Ja-kyung, Koo In-hoe's son (later the second chairman of LG Group), was in charge of assembling it.
The machine assembly is finally finished.
“Okay, shall we turn it on now?”
But the machine didn't move at all.
There was tension in the factory.

‘The machine that I spent all my money on is broken…’
Then someone shouted.
"It's the voltage! It's probably because the electricity in Korea is unstable!"
Gu Ja-kyung quickly adjusted the voltage and turned the switch back on.
'Woah~!'
When the machine started spinning, everyone cheered.
We hugged each other and shed tears of joy.
Gu Ja-kyung ate and slept in the factory for several days, learning how to operate the machines.
Finally, a new lid for Lucky Cream was born, and soon after, Korea's first plastic comb was also created.
--- From "Chapter 2: Koo In-hoe, the Pioneer of the Korean Electronics Industry"


Finally, all the equipment was installed, and the staff and onlookers gathered.
It was the moment when Korea's first modern factory began operation.
Everyone held their breath and waited for the white sugar to come out.

But then the machine started rattling and black liquid started pouring out. (Omitted) After three days of not being able to solve the problem, one of the welders said,
“You need to put in just the right amount of ingredients, but aren’t you putting in too much?”
An employee who had learned sugar manufacturing techniques in Japan responded curtly when he heard that.
“What do you know….
“Don’t interfere.”
But Lee Byung-chul tried to solve the problem by keeping all possibilities open.
Taking the welder's advice into account, we decided to try again with a slightly reduced amount of raw material.
Then something amazing happened! The rattling machine became quiet, and white sugar poured out.
All the employees on site cheered and cheered.
Lee Byung-chul named this white sugar 'Baekseol'.

--- From "Chapter 3: The Entrepreneurial Master Who Wrote the Semiconductor Myth, Lee Byung-chul"

But Chung Ju-young was rejected wherever he went.
Because Korea was a poor country, no one lent money.
“How can a developing country like Korea build ships weighing hundreds of thousands of tons and build a shipyard?”
Still, he did not give up and went to England.
There, I had a difficult time meeting Charles Longbottom, chairman of the famous shipbuilding company A&P Appledore.
(syncopation)
Chung Ju-young was worried.
'Is this how it all ends?' At that moment, I remembered the 500 won bill in my pants pocket.
There was a turtle ship drawn on that bill.
Chung Ju-young took out a bill and placed it on the table.

“Look at this carefully, Mr. Chairman.
This is Korean banknote.
If you look here, there is a ship made of iron called the turtle ship.
Although Britain's history of shipbuilding dates back to the 1800s, Korea created this turtle ship in the 1500s, 300 years before Britain.
Korea won the war against Japan with this turtle ship.
“If you look at the turtle ship, wouldn’t you be able to see Korea’s potential?”
--- From "Chapter 4: Chung Ju-young, the Entrepreneur Who Created Something from Nothing"

On June 8, 1973, the long-awaited moment finally arrived.
It was the first ignition ceremony to put a spark into the furnace.
Originally, experienced Japanese technicians were supposed to perform the first operation.
However, Park Tae-jun made a special request to Nippon Steel Chairman Inayama.
“Please allow us Koreans to make the first move.” (Omitted)
That night, no one could sleep because of worry and excitement.

'Will the molten iron really come out well?'
I stayed up all night waiting for the molten iron to be extracted from the blast furnace.

7:30 a.m., June 9, 1973.
'Kukukung, bang!'
There was a brief silence followed by a loud noise.
Immediately afterwards, a torrent of molten iron, as red as lava, gushed out! (Omitted) The first molten iron that burst forth that day wasn't just iron.
It contained the fervent dream of Koreans to leap from an agricultural nation to an industrial nation.
--- From "Chapter 5: Park Tae-jun, the Iron Man who started the Korean Industrial Revolution"

“Mr. Chairman, why Africa of all places?
“There are very few companies that have gone to Africa, even in developed countries.”
When Kim Woo-joong decided to advance to Africa, many voices of concern were raised.
At that time, Kim Woo-joong answered like this.
“That’s it.
We have to do what people in developed countries cannot do.
“We have to find a place where we can win.”
Kim Woo-joong had already thoroughly analyzed the global market.
Developed countries are already dominated by large corporations.
Japanese companies first established themselves in Southeast Asia.
But what about Africa? It was still an uncharted land, unexplored by anyone!
In the 1970s, Africa was a region that companies were reluctant to enter due to its tropical climate and desert environment.
But it looked different in Kim Woo-joong's eyes.

'Now is the chance.
If we go first and win the hearts and minds of Africans, we can make this huge market ours!'

--- From "Chapter 6: Kim Woo-joong, the Industrial Warrior Who Commanded the World"