It was back in March, with the warmth of spring already in the air, that we came up with the idea of publishing this special series, “K-water Connects to Daejeon through Perseverance”. We decided to start by interviewing some of the former K-water employees who wrote the first chapter of K-water’s history and hear what they had to tell us about the relocation of K-water’s headquarters to Daejeon. We were excited to travel back in time and listen to off-the-record, behind the scenes moments about one of the greatest milestones in K-water’s history - as if diving into the sea, searching for treasure troves.

In their later years, they gladly agreed to meet with us for the interview and greeted us with open arms. Our first interview was with Soon-won Kim in Daejeon on April 17. Next, we interviewed Dong-gwan Park in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do and then Jeong-gil Gang in Seoul. They had, indeed, a seemingly endless repertoire of stories, memories and mixed feelings to share. Their eyes were twinkling like stars when they were reminiscing about the glorious moments of their lives, and they were elated with a sense of pride when they were reeling off stories about their contribution to the growth of K-water on the path to its 50th year.

A question suddenly popped up in my mind. What would it be like to work for the same company and in the same field in his entire life? What would he be left with after all those years of having walked a single path? It was pride for Soon-won Kim, steadiness for Dong-gwan Park and a sense of self-fulfillment for Jeong-gil Gang. What they have learned or earned after all those years was not an eye-opening, novel revelation of life’s secret lessons. What they have left to treasure in life are small resolutions they renewed and reminded themselves of every day, as well as an undeterred sense of self-trust.

Part 4 centers on interviews with these former employees of K-water. Discover hidden yet valuable connections between K-water’s past and future in the heartfelt stories they share.

The First Open Recruitment Process: Competition among the Cream of the Crop
They were the cream of the crop. 80% of the new employees recruited through the first open recruitment process were graduates of the College of Engineering of Seoul National University and some had years of experiences. Back then, we did all the planning and designing. Private companies came to learn from us.

What did your family say when you told them about moving to Daejeon?
We lived in Shindang-dong, Seoul and I had a wife and two kids. I didn’t ask them for their opinion. I told them I had to move Daejeon and I did. Well, the company is moving. What can I do? My wife and I became a weekend-couple.

You offered your home as collateral and took out a loan to make the downpayment for the new K-water building in Daejeon. It is quite unthinkable for today’s K-water employees.
The company did not have enough money for the downpayment and they asked me if I could get the money somehow. I was the manager of the General Administration Department and also the manager of the Internal Control Department. Looking back, we were rather obsessed with being responsible and loyal employees. If it was part of my job, I just did it no matter what. I had to figure out a way to get the money and I did. I took out a loan on my house in Shindang-dong as collateral.

You said you didn’t tell your wife about the loan.
I didn’t because it was my mission. She found out about it later, though. I left the General Administration Department and moved to another. They forgot to pay the interest for a few months after I left, and the bank sent a reminder notice to my home. She called me at work and I explained about the loan. She got so mad.

Back then, I was told you worked overtime until late at night on a daily basis, Is it true?
We were young and passionate and worked hard as if our job was a religious mission to accomplish. More often than not, we worked until after midnight. None of us even thought of counting how many hours we worked a day. We were totally absorbed in what we were doing at work like it was our calling.

The sacrifices you made all those years laid the foundation for K-water to grow to be where it is today.
It is very nice of you to say that. When we were young, working hard was one of the most desired and highly-praised merits in Korea. Looking back, I didn’t try to find meaning in all the tasks I was assigned. Instead, I just embraced them and did my best to get the job done.

Of all the things we did at K-water, what are you most proud of?
When the site of the new Daejeon head office building was being prepared, I planted all the trees on the premise of the building. Looking at the trees that have grown so tall and watching K-water employees taking a rest in the shade makes me feel happy and proud.

How do you think K-water has been doing since you retired?
They are doing great! I think they are rather moving way ahead. They are exploring and developing overseas markets to stay in synch with global trends. I feel proud to see what they have achieved and how well they are doing.

Soon after the interview started, “pride”quickly emerged as the key word that Kim stressed in association with K-water.
K-water was established with the awareness that managing water was becoming increasingly important. Since it was created out of the national need of water management, I was always proud to be a member of K-water. I still feel proud that I was an employee of K-water and the sense of pride continues to live on, today and probably for the rest of my life.

What did your family say when you told them about moving to Daejeon?
There were five of us in my family. They were shocked at first. They said, “We like living in Seoul. How can we leave Seoul for a rural place like that?”After all, my wife agreed to move because she knew K-water was such a prestigious organization to work for.

What if K-water moved to Daegu instead of Daejeon?
I guess I would have stayed in Seoul(smile).

You said K-water’s relocation to Daejeon did the city good.
Well, back then, K-water employees were the big shots in downtown Daejeon. Those dining at fancy restaurants, drinking at luxury bars, and making their presence known were likely K-water employees, as few locals could afford such a lifestyle. Banks were busy trying to make connections with K-water. Obviously, the presence of K-water boosted the local economy of Daejeon.

You are 91 years old. What is your secret to staying healthy?
I try to be grateful for everything in all circumstances. Otherwise, it is hard to keep a peaceful mind and I quickly lose a sense of stability, which is bad for your health. I always worked hard with an undoubted sense of pride while I was with K-water. I guess it also helped me stay healthy and it still does, even after I retired. The profound sense of pride is so deeply rooted in my mind that it continues to have a positive impact on my life.

How do you think K-water has been doing since you retired?
I think K-water has been doing well, making timely decisions and remaining stable without being swayed by short-lived crazes. K-water has a track record of successes over the years, and it certainly helps develop the ability to see things from a flexible and balanced perspective.

If you could go back in time and be in your 30s again, what would you do differently?
I dreamed with K-water. K-water was always part of my dream. I was happy with my job and was excited to go to work. From the time I joined K-water in 1967 until my retirement, I was fully dedicated to the company and never considered any other path. If I could turn back the clock, I would still choose to work for K-water because it fills me with pride.

Any words of advice for K-water employees?
Be honest and do your best. You will be a role model for others and they will trust you and respect you. If you want to get something done, you need to be able to work with others and work out a consensus. As long as you are honest, give your best in everything you do and remain thankful in all circumstances - you will eventually achieve your goals.

You thought you were going to work on a deep-sea fishing vessel?
Well, no one had ever heard of the word “water resources”back then. So, from the name of the company, Korea Water Resources Corporation (commonly known as K-water now), I thought it was dealing with fishery resources or marine resources. That’s why I thought I was going to work on a fishing vessel.

You said you often enjoyed eating dinner with coworkers after work. What were some of your favorite places to eat?
As soon as we finished work, we headed straight to Hongmyeong Shopping Mall in Eunhaeng-dong because there were a lot of nice places to eat. We ate at Taehwajang most of the time and Wangbiseong was one of our favorite restaurants. Sometimes, we went to Mirak near the former Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Government building and Goryeohoegwan in Sunhwa-dong.

K-water employees were not interested in saving money because the company provided free housing in the “Baekjodae”apartment complex.
Since we already had a home, although we didn’t own it, we didn’t have to save money to buy a house. So we had extra money to spend and we spent it rather recklessly. But in the 1980s, a new trend began to sweep across the Korean society and people started saving money and building assets. Fortunately, in time, K-water started to provide a housing loan for its employees and a growing number of K-water employees took the loan to buy their own house.

You made the list of ‘People Who Move Korea’. Would you like to tell us more about it?
The book was published by The JoongAng Daily. Although my name was put on the list, it actually means K-water was listed. I want you to know that what K-water is doing is so important to Korea.

How do you think K-water has been doing since you retired?
It’s been 20 years since I left K-water and obviously, K-water has been growing at an increasing rate since then. Well, I guess K-water is doing just fine without me(smile). I worried for nothing. I really appreciate what you all have done to get K-water where it stands today. I am truly proud of all the achievements that all of you at K-water have made so far. Thank you, really.

Do you think K-water’s corporate culture has changed a lot?
Judging from the monthly newsletter, I can tell things have changed a lot. For example, seniors and heads of departments were always in the center of the front row in all of the photos in those days, but now junior employees are in the spotlight in most of the photos. To me, all of them look so lovely and I feel proud just looking at them.

Any words of advice for K-water employees?
Please don’t stress out and don’t stress others out. We are only human. It is also important that you are proud of what you do and believe that you are doing something good. I really hope you make K-water even greater.