Chung Ju-yung centennial

Hyundai Group Founder Chung Ju-yung talks to an employee at a construction site of the Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan in 1983. / Courtesy of FKI Media

Book revisits can-do spirit of pioneering entrepreneur

By Do Je-hae

Park Jung-woong, author of “Hey, Have You Tried It? Chung Ju Yung — the Great Challenger and Master of Crisis,” (FKI Media) / Korea Times photo by Do Je-hae

Hyundai Group Founder Chung Ju-yung (November 1915 ­ March 2001), who rose from poverty to build Korea’s largest business empire, is a pivotal figure in Korea's industrialization and economic development.

The 100th anniversary of his birth has started to invite media attention, particularly after a new book on his life and achievements hit stores last month. The Korea Times sat down with Park Jung-woong, author of “Hey, Have You Tried It ? Chung Ju Yung ­ -- the Great Challenger and Master of Crisis," (FKI Media) on Jan. 27 at a cafe in central Seoul, shortly after the book was published.

Park, chairman and CEO of May Tech International, has special ties to the builder of the Hyundai Empire. Chung served five terms as president of Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) from April 1977 through February 1987. Chung spent much of his FKI tenure with Park, an FKI executive at the time, at his side. Those years were the pinnacle of Chung’s career.

Park's book is written from the perspective of someone who knew and understood Chung on an intimate level. This personal touch sets this book apart from previous publications on Chung. The author’s awe of Chung expressed throughout the book are feelings shared by many Koreans who still look up to the late entrepreneur as an icon of can-do spirit more than a decade after his death.

Chung always encouraged Hyundai workers to focus on the solutions and not the problems.

“Chung believed that doing something difficult was worthwhile. Easy tasks did not interest him,” Park said. “He believed that if one thinks something is impossible, he will not see the road to solutions even if they are out there. But if one has a can-do attitude, he will find solutions to problems that did not seem to be there before.”

Despite his legacy, publications on Chung have been rare. It has been particularly difficult to find books on Chung in English. Park is planning to publish his latest book in English in the near future as one of his projects to commemorate the centennial of Chung’s birth.

Park has been on a personal mission to spread Chung’s spirit and legacy through various lectures and publications.

“I am looking for a publisher for an English version of the book,” Park said in a Korea Times interview. “Chung’s achievements are unreal. That’s what makes his story exciting.”

Chung was born in Tongcheon, Gangwon Province (now a part of North Korea) in 1915 during the Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) to a poor farming family. He ran away from home as a teenager and worked in various jobs, including a construction project in Incheon, before founding the Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., the first of his multinational conglomerate in 1947.

Park believes that many in business and in academia outside Korea will relate to Chung’s unique path to success.

“If this book is published in the English-speaking world, particularly in the U.S., businessmen, scholars and regular readers will find the content very readable because Chung is so different from those who have reached similar success in the Western world.”

Park also has a Chinese edition in mind as a centennial project. “The fervor of Chinese government officials and entrepreneurs is reminiscent of Chung’s spirit at the height of his career and Korea’s industrialization,” Park said. “His story will be a great source of inspiration for China’s business and government sectors.”

Because Chung’s business origins were in construction, he had a special pride in being a “construction man” all his life. He was particularly passionate about the automobile business which he started in 1967. The Hyundai Motor Group is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.

Park’s book contains many of Chung’s insightful quotes about his businesses.

One of them is about his vision and attachment for cars. “Cars are like national flags with wheels,” Chung said. “If we make good cars and export them, they drive around the world, spreading Korea’s technology and level of industrialization.”

The book underlines instances that show Chung’s innovation, creativity and above all, his spirit of challenge against what seem like insurmountable obstacles. These are virtues that Park hopes to impart to readers through his book.

For readers who wish to communicate with the author, write to

jwparkex@chol.net

.