#Founder Story
2017.01.04
Chapter 10. Beautiful dedication
Founder Suh Sung-whan's life story
One day in 1979, the founder of Amorepacific Suh Sungwhan (pen name Jangwon) called an urgent meeting to discuss about a new business project. He said to the attending executives,
"I want to start a tea business. Green tea to be specific. I know better than anyone that the tea business is not going to generate revenue immediately. For a while, it will only make loss. But, if we succeed in this project, Pacific will become a company loved by all people."
So, how come he pinned his dream on green tea? When he was travelling in France in 1960, Suh Sungwhan was deeply touched and inspired by the nature in Grasse. Since then, whenever he had a chance to visit another country, he visited plantations and botanical gardens there. He was envious. He wished to do the same in K Korea. He wanted to devote himself to the creation of a beautiful space where humans could interact with nature and plants. That was a long-held dream he had cherished in his heart. He always regretted that Korea did not have its own unique tea culture, unlike other countries around the world.
While exploring ways to start the project, Suh Sungwhan met Huh In-ok In-ok who was then working as a teacher at Jeju Agricultural School. The two immediately realized that they shared the same passion for plants. They had a deep and long conversation. They talked about all kinds of plants from tea to special purpose crops and through this fruitful conversation, Suh Sungwhan was significantly influenced by Huh and his dream for tea business got more concrete.
Now, Suh Sungwhan was more motivated than ever to start the green tea business, and he began taking necessary actions. The first thing he had to do was to organize a dedicated team. He put Suh Hwang-won who had studied agricultural chemistry in charge of the business, and then contacted Huh In-ok who had just returned from Japan after finishing his studies there and became a professor at Jeju Agricultural University. Finally, Amorepacific's green tea business project was launched at the southwestern area of Mount Halla. That was the beginning of Dosoon tea farm.
In the beginning, it was just a barren land full of rocks and gravel and turning it into an arable land seemed never possible at first glance. The workers had to break the ground three meters deep, smash rocks and remove them one by one manually to install a water tank in order to channel drinking water from a distant area. They also frequently went to the chicken farm during summer days to gain chicken droppings which served as excellent compost. After all those efforts, it was an ineffable joy for them to finally plant the very first seedling in the well-fertilized land.
"I want to start a tea business. Green tea to be specific. I know better than anyone that the tea business is not going to generate revenue immediately. For a while, it will only make loss. But, if we succeed in this project, Pacific will become a company loved by all people."
So, how come he pinned his dream on green tea? When he was travelling in France in 1960, Suh Sungwhan was deeply touched and inspired by the nature in Grasse. Since then, whenever he had a chance to visit another country, he visited plantations and botanical gardens there. He was envious. He wished to do the same in K Korea. He wanted to devote himself to the creation of a beautiful space where humans could interact with nature and plants. That was a long-held dream he had cherished in his heart. He always regretted that Korea did not have its own unique tea culture, unlike other countries around the world.
While exploring ways to start the project, Suh Sungwhan met Huh In-ok In-ok who was then working as a teacher at Jeju Agricultural School. The two immediately realized that they shared the same passion for plants. They had a deep and long conversation. They talked about all kinds of plants from tea to special purpose crops and through this fruitful conversation, Suh Sungwhan was significantly influenced by Huh and his dream for tea business got more concrete.
Now, Suh Sungwhan was more motivated than ever to start the green tea business, and he began taking necessary actions. The first thing he had to do was to organize a dedicated team. He put Suh Hwang-won who had studied agricultural chemistry in charge of the business, and then contacted Huh In-ok who had just returned from Japan after finishing his studies there and became a professor at Jeju Agricultural University. Finally, Amorepacific's green tea business project was launched at the southwestern area of Mount Halla. That was the beginning of Dosoon tea farm.
In the beginning, it was just a barren land full of rocks and gravel and turning it into an arable land seemed never possible at first glance. The workers had to break the ground three meters deep, smash rocks and remove them one by one manually to install a water tank in order to channel drinking water from a distant area. They also frequently went to the chicken farm during summer days to gain chicken droppings which served as excellent compost. After all those efforts, it was an ineffable joy for them to finally plant the very first seedling in the well-fertilized land.
Another big crisis while establishing the tea farm was reclamation of Seogwang tea field. The area was the barren land in Jeju known simply as "Gotjawal." Its surrounding environment was in much worse condition than before. Workers had to light candles because there was no electricity and raise pigs to get the manure for compost. But, after such considerable efforts, Pacific was able to harvest the very first tea leaves from the tea field that the company had cultivated on its own.
Green tea business was a cultural project led by Suh Shugwhan's strong belief and determination. The business was not aimed to make profit. It was the "tradition" he wanted to revive and Korean "culture" he wanted to develop for the next generations.
While staying in Hawaii for the rest of his life since the late 2000, Suh took a tour of the pineapple museum. There, he made a plan to build a tea museum on the tea fields of Jeju where visitors could experience tea culture and relax for a while by drinking tea.
Suh Kyungbae, second son of Suh Sungwhan, understood his sick father's cherished wish and wanted to make it come true for his father who had grown green tea business with such unswerving passion for a long time. That was how the OSULLOC Tea Museum came to be built at Seogwang-ri, Andeok-myeon, Namjeju-gun and introduced to the world in September 2001, realizing Suh Sungwhan's long time wish.
Green tea business was a cultural project led by Suh Shugwhan's strong belief and determination. The business was not aimed to make profit. It was the "tradition" he wanted to revive and Korean "culture" he wanted to develop for the next generations.
While staying in Hawaii for the rest of his life since the late 2000, Suh took a tour of the pineapple museum. There, he made a plan to build a tea museum on the tea fields of Jeju where visitors could experience tea culture and relax for a while by drinking tea.
Suh Kyungbae, second son of Suh Sungwhan, understood his sick father's cherished wish and wanted to make it come true for his father who had grown green tea business with such unswerving passion for a long time. That was how the OSULLOC Tea Museum came to be built at Seogwang-ri, Andeok-myeon, Namjeju-gun and introduced to the world in September 2001, realizing Suh Sungwhan's long time wish.
On January 9, 2003, Suh Sungwhan passed away, heading for a long journey to meet with his mother who he had missed so much, leaving his last word to take care of others in need.
His phrase, "Cosmetics would still be my purpose, even in another life" echoes his declarations, that "I will devote my life to creating a more beautiful world even in another life." Perhaps Suh Sungwhan might be living in some other life, doing the same work to make that world more beautiful as well.
His phrase, "Cosmetics would still be my purpose, even in another life" echoes his declarations, that "I will devote my life to creating a more beautiful world even in another life." Perhaps Suh Sungwhan might be living in some other life, doing the same work to make that world more beautiful as well.
* This column is extracted from the critical biography of the founder Cosmetics would still be my purpose, even in another life.
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