From Humble Beginnings to 'School Tycoon': Chairman Yuk Gwang-sim Appears on 'Neighboring Millionaire'

Chairman Yuk Gwang-sim, who established Korea's largest hotel school and became a millionaire, is set to appear on the EBS variety show 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighboring Millionaire'.

The episode, airing on the 12th, will delve into the life journey of Chairman Yuk, who currently operates four educational institutions, including the prominent hotel school and middle/high schools in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province. The show will reveal how she built her empire from scratch to become known as the 'School Tycoon'.

Opening with the striking statement, "My goal was buildings. I ended up buying them one by one, next to each other," Chairman Yuk invites MCs Seo Jang-hoon and Jang Ye-won to a Japanese restaurant located within one of her properties. This very restaurant serves as a practical training ground for her hotel school students, who prepare and sell the dishes.

Seo Jang-hoon, boasting his discerning palate honed by his athlete's upbringing, declared, "I'm not a food expert, but as a former athlete, I've eaten a lot of good food since I was young. My taste is truly… spoiled. I'll taste it once and give a proper evaluation." Jang Ye-won humorously agreed, nodding, "It's fortunate you know that." His honest assessment of the students' sushi will be revealed in the broadcast.

Chairman Yuk, who cultivates talent across 10 departments including Hotel Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, surprised viewers by mentioning a tuition fee of a staggering '6 billion won' (approximately $4.4 million USD). She revealed that this was the price of the building she first purchased in 2003, at the young age of 37.

When asked if she was born into wealth, Chairman Yuk shared, "I was born in a remote mountain village, just an ordinary country boy who dreamed of being a 'goat rancher'." Her journey from penniless beginnings to acquiring hotels valued at 65 billion won (approximately $48 million USD) for educational purposes, along with her indomitable spirit and dedication to education, will be fully unveiled.

Korean netizens are buzzing about the upcoming appearance, with comments like 'So inspiring to see someone succeed from nothing!', 'A 6 billion won building purchase at 37 is incredible!', and 'It's admirable how she's creating educational spaces for students.'