(Samsung Special) Perfect Spot for the Great Entrepreneur

A four-hour driving from Seoul took me to the birthhouse of Ho-Am, which was busy with the preparation for the town to be newly dressed up at his 100th birth anniversary.

A road to the town was also named “Ho-Am Road”.

His birthhouse was quietly settled into the remote village of Jeonggokmyeon in Gyeongsangnam-do, a province in the southeast of Korean peninsula.

The village is named “Dam-An Town” after its beautiful arrangement of mud walls in each house. Even the mountains surrounding the town looked like a series of walls in the village.

“The hill at the back of the town is called Nojeokbong, which has been named after its shape in resemblance of a full stock of grain stalks,” said a woman who runs a small snack bar called “Wealthy Store” in front of the so-called “Fortune Town”.

Soon after I stepped into the village entrance, several traditional houses with a lofty gate away back were spread before my eyes. 

Ho-Am’s birthhouse was a well-situated house with a tiled roof at the end of Nojeokbong.

I pushed the gate to walk into the house and then my eyes met with the grand view of An-chae or the Inner Building and Sarang-chae or the men's quarter.

Ho-Am was born in the room on the right side of An-chae, according to a house manager.

He added that a boy Ho-Am hit the road every morning to the traditional private school located along with the trail tailing off into the small hill.

Several visitors were wishing for happiness and fortune in front of “Turtle Rock” standing at the right side of An-chae.

From the view of traditional Korean-style topography, the house is located onto one of the best places with the energy from a blue dragon which Nojeokbong symbolizes.

It is said that Ho-am and his offspring received a great benefit from the energy of house in terms of geographical features.

Furthermore, the house topographically looks as if the dragon blocked the springwater, which means that a brand new energy keeps popping up.

His birthhouse gives off stronger energy in that the North River within 5-kilometer distance flows backward to the house.

The straight styled house also has a southwestern exposure with warm sunlight.
 
It is a perfect example of baesanimsu style, a condition for the best site of house with a mountain back and water ahead.

A so-called “Fortune Rock” nearby the house adds the wealthy energy in the town. The rock is also called as Sot Rock, which was named after its similar shape to Sot, the lid of traditional Korean pot for rice-cooking.

According to the legend involved with the rock, a monk prophesied sitting on this rock that the great billionaires would live within 8-kilometer diameter from Sot rock.

Oddly enough, the town produced three founders of Korea’s top conglomerates – Byunchull Lee of Samsung, Inhwoe Koo of LG and Hongje Cho of Hyosung and their birthhouses are all located within 8-kilometer distance as the crow flies.

In addition, they are alumni of Jisu middle school. Jisu means knowing the wisdom of water.

What is more striking is that all the three founders named their companies with Sung - meaning a star - into.

Samsung means three stars and Hyosung represents a morning star.

LG was originally called Kumsung with the meaning of gold star.

Suddenly it dawned on me that there might be an auspicious energy to be a rich in the town and that it might be possible to be one of starts in business once I received such energy.

However, I reminded myself that Ho-Am was not just another guy with luck or fortunate background, but his fortune and accomplishment are resulted from endless efforts to pursue the better future after the tour of Ho-Am museum in Gyeonggido.

Ho-Am made a ground work for Korean economy’s star Samsung by improving his ability in the face of limitless thoughts and challenges, just like his motto said to him: Action comes along accomplishment and roads end with steps. 

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