Food firm founders live long

By Park Si-soo

It seems that corporate founders of food companies live longer than anyone else. The question for consumers, of course, is whether the longevity of food czars has anything to do with eating or not eating the products that come out of their factories.

The death of Pulmuone founder Won Kyeong-sun earlier this month garnered significant attention from the news-reading public. Not only because the company’s a well-known brand on grocery shelves, but for the fact that Won managed to live until 100.

Won died of natural causes, the company said, not suffering from any particular type of medical condition. He was eating normally and needed no help in following his daily exercise routines just a couple of days before his death.

While death is rarely a cause of celebration if the person is at least halfway decent, some might wish they would go as peacefully and healthy as Won did when their time is up.

Korea’s lifespan is measured at 77.3 for men and 84 for women. However, the country has only two centenarians per 100,000 people, representing one of the lowest levels among the developed nations in the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD). France tops the list with 36 over-100 people among 100,000.

Life-threatening diseases like cancer and pneumonia are a great concern in Korea, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the developed world among people over the age of 60.

While it’s easy to imagine why wealthier people live longer than low-incomers, the founders of the country’s biggest food companies for some reason seem to live significantly longer than their wealthy corporate brethren.

Lee Byung-chull, founder of the Samsung Group, global technology giant and Korea’s undisputed corporate kingpin, lived until 77. Chung Ju-young, founder of the Hyundai industrial empire, died at the age of 86.

Compare them to Chung Chai-won, chairman of Chung’s Food, is still actively engaged in management and even research and development (R&D) activities at the age of 96.

``Chung is well known as a bookworm,” said one industry person. ``He enjoys reading latest papers regarding food business written both in Korean and English. He also frequently calls in researchers to his house for discussions and idea-sharing. He walks regularly and enjoys baths in warm water, but he doesn’t have any quirky health-related habits other than that.’’

Honorary Chairman Jeon Chung-yoon of Samyang Foods is 94. It was not until last year that he stepped down from the management helm. Like Chung, Jeong loves to read books and is known as an avid hiker frequently seen at a company-owned ranch in the mountainous Gangwon Province.

Sempio Foods Company Chairman Park Seung-bok recently turned 91, but remains assertive, hollering to executives once a month at their regular meetings. Apparently for food royals, 90 is the new 70.

“The door of Park’s office is always open, which means he is ready to listen to the voices of employees and reflect them in his decision,” a Sempio official said.

Traditional liquor manufacturer Kooksoondang Brewery’s Chairman Bae Sang-myeon, 89, also remains active in dealing with corporate affairs.

Among those in the 80s are Chairman Yoon Byeong-duk, 86, of Korea Yakult; Honorary Chairman Ham Tae-ho, 83, of Ottogi; and Chairman Shin Choon-ho of Nongshim.