As the average life expectancy of Koreans approaches 85 years and many people are expected to live closer to 100 years, more and more people are planning their lives after retirement. Cheong Jae-hong, Director of Hong Jin Archive, is one of them. He is paving his own way of living the second half of his life and making himself a role model. 

Home coming for second chapter of life

Cheong is the one who invented Sunny 10 and Family Juice while working for Hai Tai HTB. He also contributed to introducing cheese and yoghurt foods at Hai Tai Dairies and served the head of its food technology research center. 

On retiring, he went back to his hometown city Daejeon and served the 12th and 13th chairman of Gubong Credit Union. 

He turned the first floor of his building to Gwanjeo Village History Museum that displays archives such as photos. The museum runs The Ace Academy where residents come and learn Japanese, Chinese and English for free. 

It was the year 2000 that Cheong started to teach Japanese for free at Daejeon City Hall. His easy teaching spread fast among learners and he soon added Chinese. This of his good intention and community service attracted a number of broadcasters including KBS, MBC and TJB. 

“I aim to teach 10,000 students. I have now reached around 3,000. So it’s still a long way to go.” says Cheong. 

▲ Hong Jin Archive / Director Cheong Jae-hong

Anmulan Village

Anmulan Village in Heukseok-dong is where Cheong and his former teacher wife live. Here, the couple runs a happy weekend farm, a self-healing cafe, a lotus pond and Hong Jin Archive which are free for residents to come and enjoy. 

Around 30 residents gather together to run the 1,652 square meter vegetable garden. 

Opened in November 2022, Hong Jin Archive displays Cheong’s diary, school records, awards, photos and about 500 letters received from his friends and people around him. The letters include former Daejeon Mayor Yeom Hong-cheol, former Speaker of the National Assembly Kang Chang-hoe and former Seoul Central District Prosecutor Yoo Chang-jong. 

Among the displays include Geumgangsan Plant Survey issued by the Japanese Government-General of Korea, a reduced edition of Dong-A Iibo published 100 years ago, and the autobiography of deceased president Park Chung-hee <Country, Revolution and Me>. 

“I want to return back what I have received from the society. When the time comes that I must return to God, I want to return with a small gift. This is the reason I decided to devote the rest of my life to sharing and service.” said Cheong.