{"id":19404,"date":"2023-06-01T14:02:29","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T05:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/?p=19404"},"modified":"2023-07-11T17:02:30","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T08:02:30","slug":"30-years-in-sinyongsan-a-chat-with-gil-jong-gwan-the-owner-of-delta-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/30-years-in-sinyongsan-a-chat-with-gil-jong-gwan-the-owner-of-delta-store\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Years in Sinyongsan: a Chat with Gil Jong-Gwan, the Owner of Delta Store"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-post-series-box series-403 wp-post-series-box--expandable\">\n\t\t\t<input id=\"collapsible-series-40369e62d5946578\" class=\"wp-post-series-box__toggle_checkbox\" type=\"checkbox\">\n\t\n\t<label\n\t\tclass=\"wp-post-series-box__label\"\n\t\t\t\t\tfor=\"collapsible-series-40369e62d5946578\"\n\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t<p class=\"wp-post-series-box__name wp-post-series-name\">\n\t\t\tThis is post 5 of 8 in the series <em>&ldquo;100 Hangang-daero&rdquo;<\/em>\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/label>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-post-series-box__posts\">\n\t\t\t<ol>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/interview-with-chef-nam\/\">Interview with Chef Nam Joon-young Who Launched Hieutu, Gege, and Keebo<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/from-pho-to-hamburger-p\/\">From pho to hamburger, Park Jae-hyun, CEO of MIMIOK and Sinyongsan\u2019s Midas touch<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/interview-with-linda-lee\/\">Interview with Linda Lee, CEO of Approach, an English-style brunch place<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/meet-jeong-jaebeom-own\/\">Meet Jeong Jae-beom, owner of Yongsan-based Namyeongdon, one of Seoul&#8217;s top 3 meat restaurants<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><span class=\"wp-post-series-box__current\">30 Years in Sinyongsan: a Chat with Gil Jong-Gwan, the Owner of Delta Store<\/span><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/meet-kim-ji-hoon-the-pioneer-of-ojeje\/\">Meet Kim Ji-hoon, the Pioneer of \u2018Ojeje\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/amorepacific-meeting-seungmok-lee-and-jongwon-kim-of-travertine\/\">Meeting Seungmok Lee and Jongwon Kim of &#8216;Travertine&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/amorepacific-meeting-seongja-moon-and-seongchun-son-the-owners-of-sungkwang-restaurant\/\">Meeting Seongja Moon and Seongchun Son, the owners of &#8216;Sungkwang Restaurant&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ol>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"contViewArea\">\n<div class=\"txtBox side en\" id=\"cnt_view_desc\">\n<p class=\"txt\" id=\"cntsDescVal\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\"> body {font-family: NanumGothic, \"Malgun Gothic\", Dotum;} .responsive_imgarea {margin: 0 auto;} .responsive_column_wrap {max-width: 900px;margin: 0 auto !important;} .responsive_column_wrap.full_wrap{max-width:100%;} .responsive_txt {color:#555;font-size: 17px !important;margin: 0 50px;} .responsive_txt.tit{font-size:34px !important; color:#8c5a37;font-weight:600;line-height:1.1;}  .responsive_txt.left_border_box{padding-left:20px;border-left: 2px solid #ccc;font-size:18px !important;color:#444;font-weight:500;line-height: 1.5 !important;} .responsive_txt.outter_box{padding: 0 9px 9px 0;border-right:1px solid #8c5a37;border-bottom:1px solid #8c5a37;} .responsive_txt.outter_box .inner_box{padding:35px 35px;border:1px solid #8c5a37;} .responsive_txt.outter_box .inner_box .tit{font-size:22px !important;color:#8c5a37;} .responsive_txt.outter_box .inner_box p{color:#8c5a37;line-height:1.5 !important;} .responsive_column_wrap.full_wrap{max-width:100%;padding: 50px 0;background:#f2f2f2;} .responsive_column_wrap.full_wrap .responsive_txt{max-width:790px;margin:0px auto;padding: 0 20px;line-height: 1.5 !important;color:#888;} .img_box img {width: 100%;} .img_box>div {margin: 0 auto;} .img_box>div>p {margin-top: 12px;color: #888 !important;font-size: 12px !important;text-align: center !important;line-height: 1.5 !important;} .pd4{padding:4px 0;} .fw500{font-weight:500;} @media (max-width:768px) { .responsive_txt {margin: 0;} } @media (max-width:500px) { }<\/style>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> Across the street from Amorepacific is a small shop with a captivating green signboard, and people can\u2019t seem to stay away from it. It is none other than Delta Store, celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 10, 2023. Even after 30 years and five rel\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddbc\ud835\uddba\ud835\uddcd\ud835\uddc2\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddc7s, Delta&nbsp;Store continues to diligently serve the Sinyongsan area, thanks to its dedicated owner, Mr. Gil Jong-gwan. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div style=\"width:100%; height:1px; background:rgba(0,0,0,0.2);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<div style=\"max-width:600px;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/3fd52dfc-1fed-4c8d-bbb1-e2f81436a6cd.jpg\"> <\/p>\n<p>\u25b2 Mr. Gil Jong-gwan at \u2018Delta Store\u2019 in Sinyongsan \u24d2goldenimageshouse<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt tit\"> #1 From a salesperson to a shop owner, and 30 years later. <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box\"> The shop celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. <br \/> Please tell us about how Delta&nbsp;Store first started.  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> I started my career as a salesperson. At the time, I worked at Seoul Food&#8217;s Koala Bread division. Mass-produced bread was very popular then. As I gained experience, I was assigned to manage the entire Yongsan area, which had around 20-25 clients. One of them was &#8216;Delta corner shop,&#8217; which was located near the back entrance of the LS Building. It was a very small, so-called &#8220;mom-and-pop&#8221; store, but it did well because there were no convenience stores at that time. After managing this area for about three years, the owner approached me and asked if I would like to take over the store because he found it too difficult to continue. He was over 70 years old at the time. I decided to quit my job as a salesperson and moved to Yongsan to take over the store. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> You must have had a great relationship with the previous owner. <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> Of course. He was one of our clients, so it was important for me to maintain a good relationship with him. We met every day, had coffee, and talked about all sorts of things. He had two sons, whom I was also close with, but neither of them wanted to take over his father\u2019s business because it was too much work. (laughs) <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box\"> Did you not have any concerns when you quit your job as a salesperson to start your own business?  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> I would be lying if I said I didn\u2019t. I was twenty eight then, pretty young some would say. My colleagues tried to talk me out of it, saying I\u2019m not old enough to run my own business. But I had witnessed firsthand how the market for mass production bread was becoming smaller and smaller. I didn\u2019t think the future looked bright, not to mention I wasn\u2019t too happy with the money I was making. Doing sales for my own business, running my own business sounded much more fun and profitable. I took over Delta&nbsp;Store with the money I had saved up over the 5 years I was working at the company and with some help from my parents. Looking back, I have no regrets. It was the right decision. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box\"> You witnessed Yongsan change over the past 30 years. <br \/> What was Yongsan like 30 years ago? <\/div>\n<p> F <\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> Back then, Yongsan was a backward area, almost to the extent that you had a hard time believing this was part of Seoul. There were tile-roofed houses that were on the verge of crumbling, and I also lived in a tile-roofed house. I guess being near the U.S. military base made it harder for the area to be developed. There were no tall buildings, and it was definitely not the lively town that it is now. But being a transportation hub, the town eventually began to undergo development, and with big companies like Amorepacific coming to the area, it became more populated. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt tit\"> #2 There was not a day when I closed the store because I was feeling ill.   <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> What has been the hardest part of running the store for 30 years? <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> The hardest part is definitely the fact that I have to tend the shop from early morning until late at night, from 7:30 AM to 10 PM, to be exact. I wake up at 7, arrive here by 7:30, spend the entire day here before going home at 10, and go to bed at 11.  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> You are also open on Saturdays. Do you ever want to just take a day off and rest? <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> At least I get Sundays off. I know some shop owners who don\u2019t even get a single day off. I open the store even when I\u2019m feeling a little under the weather. Thankfully, I was never too sick, so there has not been one day when I had to close the shop because I was feeling ill. What I learned as a shop owner is that customers don\u2019t come if you don\u2019t stick to your business hours. If someone comes only to discover that the shop is closed, there is a very good chance that she won\u2019t come back again, which is why I try my best to be punctual when it comes to business hours. I don\u2019t want my customers coming here on a fool\u2019s errand. <br \/> That is also why I open the shop on Saturdays. I have some regulars who come only on Saturdays. It\u2019s like our unspoken promise. Unless you keep those unspoken promises, customers will find elsewhere to buy the things they need. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<div style=\"max-width:600px;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/554ea19d-2fb6-4fb6-acef-d64cdc2831cc.jpg\"> <\/p>\n<p>\u25b2 Ledgers all the way from 1993. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> What is a typical day like at the shop?  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> As soon as I come in to work, I organize the products and welcome customers. One thing I never forget to do is keep up with sports-related news. Since the shop sells Sports Toto, I believe it\u2019s one of my jobs to have some knowledge about sports just in case customers ask about it. I check the game schedules daily, and find out who\u2019s playing and who\u2019s not due to injuries. I also watch a lot of games, both Korean and international. Thanks to that, I\u2019m quite familiar with both Korean and NBA players. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> We heard that the shop relocated quite a number of times.  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> Five times, to be exact. I was asked to vacate the shop when I initially took it over because the building was old and had to be remodeled. The owner of the building told me he would let me know when the remodeling was done, but with convenience stores. So, I had to relocate. I had run the shop for three years at the new l\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddbc\ud835\uddba\ud835\uddcd\ud835\uddc2\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddc7 when I had to relocate again to this area near Amorepacific due to redevelopment. After that, the building owner changed, and the shop ended up in its current l\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddbc\ud835\uddba\ud835\uddcd\ud835\uddc2\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddc7. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<div style=\"max-width:600px;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/0caa6946-feea-4795-8b86-cefd89cbe9b3.jpg\"> <\/p>\n<p>\u25b2 Delta&nbsp;Store has been through five rel\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddbc\ud835\uddba\ud835\uddcd\ud835\uddc2\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddc7s. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box\"> You must have faced a lot of difficulties with all the rel\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddbc\ud835\uddba\ud835\uddcd\ud835\uddc2\ud835\uddc8\ud835\uddc7s. <br \/> How do you deal with struggles?  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> Nothing in particular. I think all I can do is just run my business as I have been doing and keep the doors open for my customers.  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> Tell us about some of the best-sellers of Delta Store.  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> When I initially started, beverages and cigarettes were our best sellers. Then, with all the other convenience stores opening nearby, the shop faced some struggles. In 2002, \u2018Lotto\u2019 came out, which turned out to be a game changer. With prize money exceeding 40 billion won, there were days when I didn\u2019t even have time to eat because people were lining up to buy lottery tickets. In 2006, I started selling Sports Toto tickets, which sports enthusiasts love. So now, our best sellers are cigarettes, Lotto, and Toto. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<div style=\"max-width:600px;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/8cb9fb13-f5f8-4209-97ac-2c7fcf626ebd.jpg\"> <\/p>\n<p>\u25b2 Delta Store\u2019s best sellers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt tit\"> #3 Happiness to me is living a \u2018normal\u2019 life. <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box\"> Running a shop for 30 years must have been challenging, <br \/> to say the least. How did you stay motivated? <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> \u2018Family,\u2019 more than anything. I have three children, and thanks to Delta Store, I was able to support them financially, sending all of them to college and marrying off my son. But I owe everything to my wife\u2019s dedication. There wouldn\u2019t be a Delta&nbsp;Store had it not been for my wife, who never forgot to pack me lunch and dinner and raised the three children while I was busy tending the shop every day. What helped me stay motivated was the thought that I had to provide for my family. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> When are you the happiest?  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> These days, happiness to me isn\u2019t anything fancy. It\u2019s being able to live a normal life. Driving out to the suburbs with my family on the weekends, eating out occasionally\u2026 just those everyday moments. For my birthday this year, my kids had this cake made, with the message \u2018You are the lottery of our family.\u2019 Seeing that made me so happy. I am grateful that we are all healthy, and I\u2019m grateful for having such amazing kids, which is why I try my best to spend as much time with my family as possible when I\u2019m not working. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<div style=\"max-width:390px;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/259c28c5-b14c-4cc5-95f5-cbc98e071f6c.jpg\"> <\/p>\n<p>\u25b2 The birthday cake prepared by the family with a heart-warming message. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box\"> A lot of Amorepacific employees are regulars at the shop. <br \/>  Does anyone come to your mind?  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> There are some who have been coming to our store since the company\u2019s Taepyeongyang years. They usually come to buy cigarettes, and because I have known them for years, I find what they are looking for even without them asking. Sometimes, some of them leave the cigarette they bought on the counter, forgetting to take it with them. I remember to put it on the side and give it to them when they next come.  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> What does Amorepacific mean to you?  <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> Simply put, my \u2018neighbor.\u2019 When the company temporarily relocated to Euljiro, I couldn\u2019t wait for it to relocate back to Yongsan, so I was very glad when it finally did. I don\u2019t believe this shop would have survived had it not been for Amorepacific, and by that I mean its employees, clients and partners who come from other areas for meetings, and even visitors who come to this area because Amorepacific has somewhat revitalized the town. So yes, Amorepacific is a neighbor I\u2019m grateful to have. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt left_border_box pd4\"> What are your plans for the future? <\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"> I relocated to where the shop is now last year, and if I have to relocate again, I probably will have to close the shop permanently. If that\u2019s not the case, I would like to keep running the shop here for another 10 years, as the guardian angel of Sinyongsan. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap\">\n<div class=\"img_box\">\n<div style=\"max-width:600px;\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/44b33606-5ad7-44cf-954d-bd49232f6b60.jpg\"> <\/p>\n<p> \u25b2 Gil Jong-gwan, owner of \u2018Delta Store\u2019 in Sinyongsan, at his shop. \u24d2goldenimageshouse<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive_column_wrap full_wrap\">\n<div class=\"responsive_txt\"><span class=\"fw500\" style=\"margin: 15px 0px 0px;\">Interview<\/span>&nbsp;Shin Hye-won<br \/><span class=\"fw500\" style=\"margin: 15px 0px 0px;\">Photos<\/span>&nbsp;Goldenimageshouse<br \/><span class=\"fw500\" style=\"margin: 15px 0px 0px;\">Planning<\/span>&nbsp;Communications team, Amorepacific<br \/><span class=\"fw500\" style=\"margin: 15px 0px 0px;\">All interviews and manuscripts are copyrighted by News Square.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is post 5 of 8 in the series &ldquo;100 Hangang-daero&rdquo; Interview with Chef Nam Joon-young Who Launched Hieutu, Gege, and Keebo From pho to hamburger, Park Jae-hyun, CEO of MIMIOK and Sinyongsan\u2019s Midas touch Interview with Linda Lee, CEO of Approach, an English-style brunch place Meet Jeong Jae-beom, owner of Yongsan-based Namyeongdon, one of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":19405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"post_list_apon":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,14],"tags":[],"post_series":[136],"class_list":["post-19404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brand","category-press","post_series-136"],"aioseo_notices":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/06\/82963fed-4aa9-440d-bdd2-e9a2d51d9e89.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19404"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19992,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19404\/revisions\/19992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19404"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.stories.amorepacific.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_series?post=19404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}