Perhaps it was my fate. I came to study brewery in college, and entered Samhak Soju based in Mokpo, a prominent brewery at that time, with recommendation from my college. There began the inseparable bond between liquor and me.
For 10 years, I devoted myself to developing new products, while making utmost efforts to make truly worthy liquor. After obtaining first-class brew master certificate, I worked hard day and night as a factory manager, taking pride in the thought that I am the number one in brewing skills.I was leading a happy, contented life with top-class benefit package from the company, when I suddenly thought to myself: is it really good liquor that only caters to the taste of liquor lovers?
I came to a conclusion that without research into the roots of folk liquor, which was at that time looked down upon as ``bootleg’’ wine, all the work would just end up being an imitation of others’ liquor. Home-brewed liquor, which has lasted for such a long time transcending generations, was the true liquor of the Korean people with our spirit. So I set the goal of studying folk liquor, and went at it.
From the early 1980s, against the opposition from the company, I toured libraries in every nook and cranny of the nation and collected materials. When I had time, I traveled to wherever they said was special folk liquor, whether it was a mountainous backlands or a small island. I persuaded the elderly women who wouldn’t tell me how to make the liquor _ saying it was a secret formula coming down a long way from their ancestors _ to share the secret with me. While I searched throughout the whole country like this, I squandered all my family property and was absent from the office quite often. My obstinacy continued despite the several times of warning and advice from my wife and superiors at work who said I should get my feet back on the ground. I finally quit the job and went to Cheju Island alone, trying making about 200 kinds of folk liquor, of which recipes I had collected by then, by myself. As failure repeated upon failure, I even made up my mind to give up on life several times.
But whenever such a thought came to me, I girded myself again, thinking “There is no difficulty I cannot get over if I have the courage to kill myself.” So I published two books, “Our Liquor to Be Re-found’’ and ``Our Liquor, Ripened on Our Soil,” based on my research results. At last, the government came to recognize our people’s own heritage, and as part of its efforts to recover our own culture, a move to research and re-discover folk liquor began. Thanks to the move, I was designated as the Intangible Cultural Property in 1988 for Leegangju, and Master in 1996. Woongjin Publishing, meanwhile, published a book titled ``There Is Liquor in That House,” perhaps in recognition of my tenacious efforts to walk the single path. In 1995, KBS TV aired a documentary based on the book. When I quit the company to obtain a license for Leegangju and ground my own company, there were numerous co-workers and relatives who tried to dissuade me, saying brewing skills and management are different things. It was especially hard to face the opposition from my parents and other elderly relatives, who scolded me saying, “You should remain a first-class brew master instead of quitting a good job for liquor-selling business.”
But with my firm determination to walk my own path and with unshakable belief in the “can do” spirit, I overcame all those difficulties. Now I boast of the number one taste of my folk liquor and the record-setting sales volume and export sales. With this pride and achievement in my heart, my company is now gearing up for producing fruit wine, with the construction of the second factory.
The breakthrough for today’s Leegangju was made possible through the combination of the secret formula of brewing traditional Leegangju, which was passed down for six generations, and the brewery skills I studied. We make Leegangju by distilling Soju in a traditional way and mixing it with pear, ginger, curcuma tuber and cinnamon, along with Hanbong honey. Leegangju was introduced by Yukdang Choi Nam-son as one of the three famous Korean liquors, and was also mentioned in the scripts for the traditional Bongsan Mask Dance. When the King Kojong signed a treaty of commerce with the United States during the late Joseon Kingdom period, and recently when the South and North Korea held Red Cross talks, Leegangju was on the table as a representative liquor of the nation. It was also honored with the Tin Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit and a presidential commendation award. In 2004, after awarded with Best-5 Award, Leegangju bottles were selected to be sent out as President Roh Moo-hyun’s New Year presents.
Looking back on the past, I think a series of difficulties was overcome with perseverance and patience to finally bear invaluable fruits. I am extremely grateful for and indebted to my wife and daughters who have endured pain with me. I promise that I will cultivate my remaining life with deep affection and trust.
As an incumbent president of the Korean Masters’ Association, I will do my best to cultivate folk liquor more, taking pride in ours being the world’s best and in re-creating the Korean taste that can appeal to the world. With all my might, I will strive to make Leegangju the world’s finest liquor so that people around the world prop it up as the best product without any reservation. For this purpose, I will continue to further develop new Leegangju products for export, including the Japanese Leegangju, which is currently being exported to Japan.
I will also turn the Museum of Brewing History, built alongside the second factory with about 1,300 pieces of brewing tools and folk liquor research materials, into a live place for education where the next generation can learn our liquor’s history and spirit with pride and confidence. I will also contribute to building a developed nation in which our posterity can live happily, with a helping mindset to bring light where it is dark and bring joy where sadness prevails. With skilled and more improved management of Jeonju Leegangju, we will give back the corporate profit to the society.
I wish my last dream _ to establish a special college and scholarship foundation specializing in brewery studies _ would be realized in the near future. When it comes to be realized and Korea becomes the mecca of brewery of the world, I’d like to smile and say that “I have come this far, now it is your turn’’ to those who come after us and give it all over to them.
I sincerely hope that the lonely single-path life lived by my nine-lives will have become paved the way for more useful, enjoyable road everyone can join and walk together with brisk steps
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