8,000 રૂપિયાથી શરૂઆત કરીને 970 કરોડના સામ્રાજ્યનું નિર્માણ કરનાર 'ચોખાના રાજા' લી નંગ-ગુની પ્રેરણાદાયી ગાથા!

EBS's 'My Neighbor, Millionaire' (hereinafter referred to as 'Neighbor Millionaire') program, aired on the 19th, featured the extraordinary life story of Lee Neung-gu, the oldest millionaire to appear on the show to date.

Born in the 1940s to a poor farming family and now in his 80s, Chairman Lee Neung-gu has dedicated 50 years to the 'rice product' industry, earning numerous awards, commendations, and even two presidential medals for his achievements.

His daughter, who works as an accountant in the US and has now joined her father's company, shared her pride, saying, "My father loves developing products so much that new ones appear every time he wakes up."

Notably, Chairman Lee developed groundbreaking patents, including a machine for sujebi (hand-pulled dough soup) that preserved texture, a steamer that increased garaetteok (rice cake) production from 60kg daily to 60kg in just 3 minutes, and the 'alcohol immersion method' that significantly extended the shelf life of rice cakes. What's even more remarkable is that he made these transformative patents available to the market. In 1986, when surplus rice was abundant, he was called upon by the government to develop Korea's first-ever rice noodles using government rice.

Products touched by Chairman Lee's innovation, numbering over 400, now grace Korean dining tables.

However, Lee's life wasn't always smooth sailing. After losing his first child to meningitis at age 28, he moved to the city with only 8,000 won, the price of a sack of rice at the time. He spent even that on transportation, leaving him penniless. He started selling rice cakes after working as a deliveryman.

He recalled the desperate days of wandering the streets looking for sales channels, saying, "I was so nervous that I would sweat profusely even in minus 20-degree weather, and my hands would crack and bleed."

His turning point came when he opened a supermarket in the developing affluent apartment complexes of Gangnam.

"Rice cakes were 400 won for 400g, and wheat cakes were 400 won for 3kg. People consume well if it's good and tastes delicious, just like now," he explained his business philosophy.

But after success came another crisis. At 57, after an accident involving his wife, he suffered a stroke while calculating her 800,000 won medical bills.

He recalled, "The doctor said I had at most 3 years to live. My mouth was crooked, and I was drooling..."

Having overcome this crisis too, Chairman Lee now produces enough products for 400,000 people daily from his facilities in Paju (2,000 pyeong) and Cheongyang (30,000 pyeong).

Despite his success, his home is surprisingly humble, aside from its large size. A milk bag hanging by the door, a framed $2 bill symbolizing good luck, and walls full of family photos reveal his life philosophy.

He emphasized, "Money, no matter how much you have, should be used for necessities. If you become complacent just because you have it... that doesn't suit our nature."

When asked by host Seo Jang-hoon if he had received acquisition offers from other companies, Chairman Lee replied with firm conviction and pride, "We have no debt. One should not be greedy in the food business."

Korean netizens were deeply impressed by Chairman Lee's journey from poverty to immense success through sheer hard work and innovation. Many praised his unwavering business ethics and humility, stating, "He is the true definition of a self-made millionaire!" and "His story is more valuable than any amount of money."