E-Land Group, one of Korea’s leading retail and fashion conglomerates, is something of a quiet warrior.
The company was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Park Song-soo, 56. It started out as an independent fashion outlet called England, in a tiny 6.6-square-meter (71-square-foot) store near Ewha Womans University. Park bought apparel at Dongdaemun Market every morning and put it on display.
News spread in the neighborhood about Park’s trendy taste, and soon Park was franchising and opening more stores. Though he had no experience managing a company, Park had read up on economic and business, kept inside due to a muscle condition. One of several requirements for all E-Land Group employees is to read the same books Park did. He is a fervent Christian, and all employees are also required to participate in a Bible study every Monday morning.
In 1986, Park registered E-Land as a corporation, and at the turn of the 1990s, he expanded into children’s wear, jewelry and women’s casual clothes. More.