On the upcoming episode of EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighboring Millionaire' airing on the 6th, Kwon Dong-chil, who dedicated his life to shoes, will share his journey of perseverance and determination. Known for shaking up the industry with innovative footwear, he has produced over 100 million pairs of shoes over 38 years with his domestic brand, achieving an astounding annual revenue of up to 300 billion won. Furthermore, he has exported outdoor shoes globally, becoming the top-selling Asian brand.
His company, renowned for outdoor footwear, also supplies 500,000 to 600,000 pairs annually to the military, police, firefighters, and correctional officers, earning the title of 'patriotic shoemaker'. He proudly states, "Most uniformed personnel wear our shoes," showcasing his unique sense of duty and pride.
The episode will also reveal, for the first time, the manufacturing process of the latest military combat boots, a core component of South Korea's military strength. Kwon Dong-chil revolutionized the notoriously 'heavy and stiff' combat boots by reducing their weight by about 200g and incorporating perfect waterproofing, first developed in 2004. This earned him the symbolic title of 'Father of Combat Boots', with 2400 pairs produced daily and 150,000 annually, meaning 2 out of 10 soldiers wear his boots.
Despite these impressive figures, the profit story is quite different. When Seo Jang-hoon comments, "Supplying 150,000 pairs annually must be quite profitable," Kwon firmly states, "We don't make money from combat boots." It turns out he has been forgoing about 50 million won in annual profits to insist on using high-cost waterproof materials. The episode will also unveil the evolving world of combat boots, including the 2025 model with zippers and cold-weather boots with small batteries.
Additionally, the episode will feature Kwon Dong-chil's extraordinary collection of inventions, capturing attention with shoes inspired by bear paw structures for non-slip ice walking and goose feet for walking on water. He confidently states, "I dislike being similar to others. That's why I've developed so many world-first shoes," while humorously admitting, "My employees often thought I was crazy," eliciting both laughter and amazement.
Amidst this, Kwon reveals a shocking incident where he scrapped an ambitious project worth billions just before its launch, due to the notorious escapee Shin Chang-won, causing a stir on set.
'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighboring Millionaire' airs on the 6th at 9:55 PM.
Reporter Se-yoon Jung, Ten Asia yoon@tenasia.co.kr