Born in 1924 and continuing his legacy until 2003, Sungwhan Suh was a man who started a family business and established Korea’s leading domestic cosmetics brand as a formidable presence in the global market. For Sungwhan Suh (art name Jangwon), who dedicated his life to cosmetics, this business was synonymous with all the joys and sorrows of life itself. Throughout his life, Jangwon never once wavered from the cosmetics industry. In March 1986, a journalist asked Jangwon whether the Pacific Group should venture into new fields beyond cosmetics. With a resolute gaze and an air of gentle firmness, Jangwon waved his hands and replied, “I believe the cosmetic business is my calling.”

Although Pacific did explore ventures into finance, electronics, and metals, its foundation always lay in the desire to enhance beauty. ‘Beauty and Health.’ Everything Jangwon built with unwavering sincerity aligned with the essence of beauty, and the world he created was marked by steady and careful progress. He was never one to seek overnight success or chase fleeting ideals. Instead, he took pride in advancing step by step, believing that reckless investments might jeopardize not only his heartfelt dedication to cosmetics but also the livelihoods of the diligent workers who moved Pacific forward. As a leader who nurtured the company with zeal and a pioneering spirit, Jangwon remained keenly attuned to developments in various fields. Yet, he always tended to the deeply rooted value at the core of his being—cosmetics.

However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Pacific. Although the company grew steadily, small troubles began to accumulate in the corners of the business that escaped attention. These issues weren’t immediately disruptive, but over time, the dust collected in the shadows, eventually spreading across Pacific’s sunny landscape by 1991. The situation came to a head when union members on strike at the Suwon Factory occupied the company’s headquarters and began a sit-in protest.

Adding to the crisis, the company’s management situation worsened daily. If opening an umbrella in the rain led to a typhoon that destroyed the umbrella, and wearing a raincoat meant facing downpours that obscured all vision, this was the overwhelming situation facing Jangwon. Desperately seeking a breakthrough, Jangwon reflected on the fragmented memories of over 40 years in the cosmetics business during this dark period, when production and logistics had come to a complete halt, and even the company’s customers lost trust and turned away. He recalled the scent of camellias wafting from his mother’s kitchen, the days spent cycling around in search of raw ingredients for cosmetics, and his determination to create world-class cosmetics during his time at France’s Coty. As tears welled up, he drew strength from these memories.

At the end of the crisis, Jangwon and his son Kyungbae Suh, then Manager of the business development department, sat down over green tea to discuss Pacific’s future and how to alleviate the suffocating pain of their predicament. Looking into his father’s eyes, the son asked, “What would we do if we had the chance to go back to the drawing board and do everything all over again? What could we improve on?” In a calm voice, his father replied, “If I had another life and I could do it all over again, making cosmetic was my dream and my life itself. My life wouldn’t mean anything without cosmetics.” 

Father and son realized that the strength to rescue Pacific from this crisis lay in returning to their roots and embracing the very foundation of their business—cosmetics. Jangwon made the monumental decision to sell Pacific Securities, a subsidiary larger than its parent company at the time, and resolutely returned to his original path. “If I had a thousand lives, cosmetics should have them all.” This was the unwavering determination of Jangwon, whose sharp insight recognized that only by returning the company to its roots could it overcome the crisis.

Everyone faces moments in life where they must make significant decisions. Whether one is nine years old or a four-year-old, making decisions can be challenging. In the most critical moment for Pacific Group, founder Sungwhan Suh(art name Jangwon) calmly assessed what needed to be protected in order to summon the courage for his decision. Despite opposition to selling Pacific Securities, Jangwon’s decision to proceed was the challenge of a lifetime.

What enabled Jangwon to make such a profound decision was likely his courage to reflect on the past and his original passion for cosmetics that had brought him to where he was. The ability to confidently say, “Because it’s what I love most.” What will you protect and hold onto when faced with choices entailing definitive pros and cons? Reflect on what will anchor your wavering heart. Holding onto that one thing might just make all your big and small decisions a little easier.