Leaving the Beloved Office (2 years), Seoul National University Entrance (8 years), Seoul (29 years) #1

This weekend, I am facing a drastic change in my life.

Today marks the last day at the office I have used for two years. It is also my last day at Seoul National University Entrance, where I’ve been since 2016. I have moved my next office (and home) to Songdo, Incheon, leaving Seoul where I lived since 1995 for 29 years. My heart has been a bit unsettled lately, and writing this down, I realize it’s reasonable given the significant changes ahead.

Over these two years here, there have been many events, both good and sad. I feel a dual sense of relief and regret. At one point, this large office was filled with 50 team members, and now, as we are about to leave, most are abroad, and only about five remain working here. What comes to mind the most are the colleagues who are still here and those who have left.

When finding this spacious office, speed was a top priority. The first year after I left my previous company and before getting this office, things went according to plan in important ways. Despite tough market conditions, I was highly confident as I achieved quick results as I had calculated, pushing myself to the limit.

Now, two years later, a lot has changed within me. If the first year was a novice CEO’s luck, the last two years have been a time of trial and error, pain, and enlightenment. It also allowed me to explore how to manage a large organization that suits me, having previously achieved results with a small team. I’ve learned what I need to do to pursue my desired goals, with whom, and in which country. There were always missing pieces in understanding what steps and processes were necessary to achieve my goals, but now they are clear. Moreover, the difficulties in this process have become clearer, making the overcoming process not easy.

If the first ten years of starting a business in my sophomore year of high school were about exploring how to make good products and work effectively, the past three years have felt like a tutorial on how to lead a company as its CEO.

Initially, the purpose was to reflect on the two years spent in this office, but as I wrote, I wanted to also address what Seoul National University Entrance and Seoul meant to me.