EBS 'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door' to feature Hyundai's first car designer Park Jong-seo on the 14th at 9:55 PM

[EBS Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door]

"Picking up trash others threw away to study... even bread to give to a sparrow felt wasteful" From a poor international student to a key player in the 'National Car Myth'! The life reversal story of 'H Company Legend' Park Jong-seo!

- 'TV Designer -> First Executive Car Designer' Park Jong-seo, breaking through traditional powerhouse Italy to write a new history for K-car design! What was the thrilling turning point that overturned expectations?! - 'H Company's 1st Designer' Park Jong-seo, a 'VVIP' sitting right next to the Chairman, but..."Never brought performance bonuses home?!" Seo Jang-hoon: "Where did that money go..." Eye tremors!

'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door' looks into the secret to success and the extraordinary wealth philosophy of Park Jong-seo, a key figure in the birth of South Korea's national cars. The turbulent story from being a TV designer to H Company's first car designer, and finally becoming the first to rise to an executive position, will be revealed.

On the EBS program 'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door' broadcasting on the 14th (today) at 9:55 PM, South Korea's first-generation car designer Park Jong-seo will appear. Having worked as a car designer at H Company for 25 years, Park Jong-seo is the protagonist who opened the era of K-car design by creating numerous hit models we know, such as Scoupe, Tiburon, Santa, Ssona, and Abandeung. He is also a major contributor who wrote the history of H Company alongside successive chairmen, receiving deep trust from the late Chairman Chung Ju-yung, the late Chairman Chung Se-yung, and Chairman Chung Mong-koo.

Park Jong-seo's design career began as a TV designer for a home appliance company. Then, he hit a turning point in his life when he was scouted by the late Chairman Chung Se-yung, who saw an article about him in a famous magazine, leading him to join H Company as its first car designer at the age of 33. Later, at the recommendation of the late Chairman Chung Se-yung, he went to study abroad at the Royal College of Art in the UK, but the journey toward his dream was not easy. Due to tight living expenses, instead of the school cafeteria, he had to make do with instant bread while sitting on a bench. Park Jong-seo recalls those times, saying, "I felt it was even wasteful to tear off a piece of bread for a sparrow that flew in after smelling it." Even his confession that "I picked up trash that other students used and threw away to draw car blueprints" adds a touching element to the story of finding possibility amidst scarcity.

The anecdote regarding the battle of the century, where they defeated the Italian team—a powerhouse in car design—provides intense gratification. The Scoupe, released in 1990, was the first car completed through the strength of the purely domestic designer team led by Park Jong-seo. At that time, to develop a car for export to the United States, H Company created a competitive structure between an Italian team led by a world-class car design master and Park Jong-seo's team. After a breathtaking evaluation by the American staff, Park Jong-seo's team overturned everyone's expectations and seized a thrilling victory. This was a historic moment that proved the potential of South Korean car design against a world-class design powerhouse. The secret of what decisive move Park Jong-seo's team made to turn the tide will be revealed on the broadcast.

Meanwhile, Park Jong-seo is the protagonist who led the independence of South Korean car design by breaking away from overseas dependence, and he even set a record by becoming the first car designer to rise to an executive position. At H Company's internal year-end events, he received special treatment, such as sitting at the table right next to the Chairman. However, behind the brilliant success, an unexpected twist was hidden. Park Jong-seo surprises everyone by revealing, "I have never brought the performance bonuses I received from the company home." At this unexpected confession, Seo Jang-hoon and Jang Ye-won cannot hide their embarrassment, asking, "Then where did that money go..." The story of where the performance bonuses of Park Jong-seo, who received the full trust of successive chairmen, actually went, and the behind-the-scenes stories of his success that he reveals candidly, can be seen on EBS 'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door' on Wednesday, October 14, at 9:55 PM.

Read the original (Korean)