▲ Janghyun Engineering / CEO Lee Young-tae

(PowerKorea) The pandemic has brought luck to some sectors and unluck to many sectors. E-commerce platforms including food apps are enjoying an unprecedented boom with surging online and mobile orders while tourism and offline stores hit hard. Somewhat seemed disadvantaged construction sector also is rather enjoying a boom thanks to high expectations of government-led business stimulating measures. 

Lee Young-tae, CEO of Janghyun Engineering, is one of the builders who are screaming happily as the orders keep pouring in. He jumped in the construction industry in his mid 20s in 1992 and has endured many trials and errors including the bankrupt with 7 million won ($623,608) debt in 1997. 

But his diligence, hard work and competitive spirit made him stronger in failure and he created more than 2 billion won ($1.7 million) sales last year. This is partly due to his heavy equipment rental business alongside civil engineering as the traditional ownership economy is shifting rapidly to rental economy.

Lee is a man of good heart. He has donated 100,000 won every month to Jinjeop town hall to use for residents in need ever since he settled his business. Last April, he sent 200 boxes of ramen worth 5 million won to neighbors in need. When winter comes, he donates heat-related products to the needy. He is a member of the local society Didimdol (steppingstone in Korean) that give scholarship to 2 students every month.

“How to spend is as important as how to earn. I believe corporate social responsibility might have started from this idea. And I will keep doing what I have been doing both in work and in helping people in need” says Lee.

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