▲ CEO Jeon Sung-sil

Jeon Sung-sil, CEO of Lumigarnet, is the one who first opened a nail shop in Korea in 1996. Back then it was socially regarded as a luxury to care nail but he boldly promoted nail as one of the main beauty care areas and services. Today, he is running 200 directly managed stores of Lumigarnet nationwide. <Power Korea> met CEO Jeon Sung-sil and heard his story. 

Pioneering
Lumigarnet is the largest hand and foot skin care specialist in Korea and also the importer of the products of O.P.I, MAVALA, TWEEZERMAN, Esteem, Credo and AKILEINE. Headquartered in the US, O.P.I, in particular, boasts more than 400 color lines that are used in many nail shops across the world. Apart from expertise in nail, Lumigarnet is running a nail academy in an effort to foster talented future nail artists. 

Jeon made the name Lumigarnet by combining the words luminous and garnet to mean a refreshment of body and mind. Jeon gave up studies at the age of 23 and went to Brazil to find who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. He spent 3 months living in the Amazon like a hunter and unfortunately lost one his fingers by a crocodile while canoeing on a river. He was delivered to the hospital and was surprised to see many patients who lost bigger parts of their bodies. “I just felt thankful for losing only one finger” says him in retrospect. 

The incident raised an interest in nail and he carried out a survey of women on the street. The result told that the market would be worth more than 3 trillion won. He then opened SASSI in Apgujeong-dong. Unlike what the survey told, not many customers turned up and he closed the shop in 6 months. But he took courage one more time and knocked on the door of Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong and got a small space right next to the elevator on the second floor. Business flourished and he expanded branch to Hyundai, AK and Shinsegae as well as Australia, Indonesia, China and the US. 

Unique benefit of nail art
According to Jeon, nail art has its unique psychology of beauty: it is ‘you’ who first recognize its beauty and be satisfied rather than others to see it and feel it first like hair, makeup and dress up;he adds that watching the process of nail art itself is the process of being satisfied. 

“Like your home is happy and joyful when your wife is happy and satisfied, nail creates just the same energy like this. And this energy not only affects home but our society in broad sense” says Jeon. He takes the example of the ‘lipstick effect’ (sales figure goes up in economic slowdown) being turned into the ‘manicure effect’, the spinoff term used from 7 to 8 years ago from Harvard University students. 

He also points out that massaging the hands and feet can promote blood circulation due to increase of hemoglobin. “It is regretful that some seem to use chemical substances or value the look more than the quality on nail art. This is the reason why we use ‘OPI Hand & Foot Pro Spa’ for naturalness and healthiness.”

Argo Tea
Argo Tea is regarded as Starbucks in the tea industry in the US. It was first opened in Chicago in 2003 and Jeon opened the first Korean flagship in the O.P.I nail shop in Daechi-dong. 

Tea somewhat gives an impression like ‘old’ and ‘boring’ but Argo Tea broke this prejudice by introducing trendy tea lines customized for young generations. ‘Cocktail Tea’ with toppings is a good example. No artificial substances or colorings are used but only the natural ingredients in order to create impressions of ‘wellbeing’ and ‘trendy’. 

“I’m planning to open 7 stores this year including Apgujeong and Galleria Daejeon. I’d live to mention that we have an exclusive right in Asia and will introduce Koreanized drinks in addition to the existing tea lines of Argo Tea to create a new trend. We are highly expecting to attract young professional girls to this new wellbeing tea house.”

Social contributions
With a good will to make social contributions based on the spirit of Christianity, Jeon established the Lumigarnet Octo Foundation in 2009. 

“A good company knows how to return their profits to society. I myself was born to a poor family and I know very well how hard for a poor student to study abroad. The foundation targets to make donations worth 10 billion won to students in need.”

Not only this, Jeon donated 1,500 books to Korea Theological Seminary and a contribution to opening the History Museum to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the university; in recognition and gratitude, he received an appreciation plaque. 

As for the year 2019, the Lumigarnet Octo Foundation is set to train single mothers with hand and foot care skills so that they can be financially independent and share their roles in our society with pride.