When Kang “Kay” Soo-il turned 31, he left a software engineering position at Samsung Electronics, a job he had held for several years, and together with his childhood friend Lily announced that they would both resign and set out to travel the world.
From Corporate Life to Global Travel
Both individuals are South Korean nationals. In early 2018 they exchanged short messages: Kay typed, “I’m quitting my job to travel the world!” and Lily replied, “I’m also quitting my job.” Their decision aligned with a rekindled friendship that originally began in middle school, giving them a personal foundation for the adventure.
Within a few months the pair married, and just a month after their wedding they boarded a flight for Russia. Their itinerary then carried them westward through several European nations before they crossed the Atlantic and traversed the United States, Central America and the southern cone of South America. The entire expedition lasted roughly two years and was financed entirely from personal savings. During that span they spent an extended period in Calgary, Canada, where they observed local farmers expressing pride in the quality of their produce and in the community’s agricultural traditions.
Lily’s family farm specializes in growing deodeok, a mountain-root vegetable that features prominently in Korean cuisine. While abroad she discovered that the ingredient was virtually unavailable in foreign markets, a fact that highlighted the vegetable’s limited export footprint and the region-specific ways it is prepared.
Returning Home to Revive a Family Farm
In 2020 the couple traveled back to Yesan, a rural town situated about two and a half hours north of Seoul, to take over Lily’s family’s third-generation farm. The operation was originally established by her grandmother roughly 45 years earlier, making it a longstanding local enterprise.
The property had previously been known as Ssabdari Deodeok. At the end of 2022 it received a new brand identity called Deodeokmong, which translates to “Dream of Deodeok.” The rebranding effort was supported by a 100 million-won grant from a local government small-business assistance program, the acquisition of modern farming equipment, and the guidance of a design studio that helped craft the visual identity and packaging.
At the outset of the transition the operation discarded nearly half of its harvest because the raw produce lacked sufficient market appeal. Confronted with that loss, they shifted strategy toward creating value-added items such as butter cookies, lattes, and scones that incorporated deodeok as a key flavor component.
Innovation and Market Adaptation
By turning the root vegetable into ready-to-eat products, the venture attracted interest from nearby resorts and secured a pop-up market slot inside the Hyundai Department Store in Seoul. Visitors to the stall praised the combination of a traditional crop with contemporary packaging and taste profiles.
Balancing Family and Farming
The household now includes a five-year-old daughter, and a second child is expected to arrive soon. Kay’s typical day begins at 6 a.m.; he sees his daughter off to kindergarten by 9 a.m. and then returns to the fields and processing areas, working until late afternoon.
When questioned about the difficulties of leaving a corporate career, Kay warned, “Don’t do it! Farming is so difficult that it often feels like a futile endeavor.” He suggested that anyone considering a similar move should spend at least three months living in a countryside setting before committing fully.
He also stressed the value of reading widely, noting that success on the farm requires a solid understanding of both agricultural practices and business strategy.
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