'Toilet King' Park Hyun-soon revealed his tumultuous life story, from being a 'troublemaker' facing expulsion to a 'penniless' young man with a salary of 0 won, and finally to a '100 billion won' entrepreneur who conquered not only the country but also the continent.
On the 24th, EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighboring Millionaire' (hereafter 'Neighboring Millionaire') showcased the special life journey of Park Hyun-soon, who 'earned 100 billion won from toilets and saved the country 20 trillion won'.
In his childhood, he was a troublemaker who frequently ran away from home and even received a notice of impending expulsion. After struggling to complete a two-year college, he joined a trading company at the age of 22 under the condition of '0 won salary'. He took on menial tasks like cleaning and, despite bad weather, sincerely visited clients, successfully securing a large contract worth the price of an apartment in just six months.
Afterward, as orders flooded in, he achieved an annual revenue of 3 billion won, equivalent to the price of 100 apartments in Gangnam at the time. In 1986, at the age of 26, he founded a toilet company and miraculously achieved 10 billion won in sales within 5-6 years, riding the wave of the apartment construction boom.
In 'Neighboring Millionaire', it was revealed that Park Hyun-soon was a hidden hero who developed the country's first '6-liter water-saving toilet' in 1994, saving the government 20 trillion won.
He received a patent for his innovative technology that reduced water usage to less than half of that of conventional toilets, but he boldly shared his technology for the sake of national water resource conservation rather than personal gain, earning praise from the world.
In 2006, he entered the Chinese market, captivating local consumers with beautifully patterned bathroom designs. His unique premium strategy led to a tremendous success with annual sales reaching 40 billion won, quickly capturing the continent. He is currently continuously challenging himself by introducing 3.5-liter water-saving toilets and smart toilets.
Park Hyun-soon invested 20 billion won to establish a 'Toilet Kingdom' on the site of a closed factory, which serves not just as an exhibition space but also for public purposes such as local events and experiential activities. He expressed his heartfelt wish, saying, "If I wanted to make more money, there would be no reason to create this place. I hope many people find inspiration and energy here."
Currently, Park Hyun-soon's total assets amount to approximately '100 billion won'. However, he stated, "I may not mind 1 billion or 2 billion, but anything over 10 billion is not mine. It's for everyone to share," revealing his grand philosophy.
He also has two sons and one daughter, and he left a strong message to his children, saying, "Support will only be until you finish your studies," and "Don't think about inheriting my wealth," which caught attention.
Meanwhile, on this broadcast, Park Hyun-soon's family story was revealed, and a sudden 'matchmaking' took place. When Park introduced his eldest son, Jang Ye-won showed curiosity, saying, "Coincidentally, I'm 4 years older than him." Seo Jang-hoon, who was next to him, immediately switched to matchmaking mode, actively suggesting, "Is your eldest son married? How about this daughter-in-law?" making the scene burst into laughter.
Next week, the episode featuring 'A Couple Who Earns 1.2 Billion Won a Day Delivering Flowers', Yoon Gong-soon and Noh Young-joo, will be broadcast.
EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighboring Millionaire' airs every Wednesday at 9:55 PM.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
