Second-Generation Heir

One session at 'COMEUP 2025' held at COEX, Seoul, offered a deeper resonance than usual. Instead of familiar entrepreneurs, two students, 3rd-year student Gu Yeon-hoo from Apgujeong Middle School and 1st-year student Yu Ji-a from Munyeong Girls' Middle School, took the stage. They candidly shared stories of their parents' daily lives, who drive Korea's startup ecosystem, and their own dreams that blossomed from within those lives. For Gu Yeon-hoo, work is a boundless flow of life. His parents, an IT expert and an investor, always work – whether on the golf course, in the car, or at home. Even family time is a continuation of work, but Yeon-hoo learns 'respect' instead of resentment from it. His words, "I want to be like them," contained the seed of a young entrepreneur who wishes to emulate his parents' passion for finding joy in work itself. Gu Yeon-hoo's home, where a large desk replaces the TV in the living room, serves as a family meeting room where the latest IT news is discussed, and arriving at events via Tesla's autonomous driving is a daily routine that becomes a creative learning ground. His dream, for which he applied to the KAIST IP Young Entrepreneur Education Center, is clear. His confession, "I want to be an entrepreneur," was the result of the curiosity and passion inherited from his parents. Yu Ji-a, on the other hand, had a slightly different perspective. Her father's words, "I'll work until I die," meant 'happiness' and 'busyness' simultaneously to her. Her father, too busy to even attend her elementary school graduation, and his struggles with fatigue from overseas business trips, showed Yu Ji-a the realistic weight of entrepreneurship. Her vague fear of entrepreneurship, expressed with "I prefer stability," might be a daughter's deep understanding, having perceived the hidden sense of loss and hardship her father endured. However, the feeling of 'coolness' she felt when her father praised his employees or when he received the Edison Award in the US, was respect and pride that transcended all the hardship. The two students were absorbing their parents' lives in different ways. One directly inherited their parents' passion and sought their own path, while the other, understanding the toil behind that passion, supported their parents' happiness. To the final question, 'What treasure did your parents gain by working so busily?', Gu Yeon-hoo replied, "This moment," emphasizing the sum of all experiences, while Yu Ji-a answered, "Happiness," pointing to the meaning of life found within work. The two words, "I love you," conveyed to their parents on stage, were a heartfelt message representing the strong family love and deep mutual understanding that blossomed amidst their busy daily lives. From their parents' busy, sometimes difficult lives, they were learning the value of happiness in work.