APR Kim Byeong-hoon: "10 Years of 14-Hour Daily Immersion Created a Breakthrough for Success"

Kim Byung-hoon, CEO of APR, advises junior entrepreneurs at the Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition: "Endure with your own balance game." At the demo day of the 2025 Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition, Kim Byung-hoon, CEO of APR, shared the secrets to success with junior entrepreneurs, leaving a profound impression. CEO Kim, who leads the top market capitalization company in Korea's beauty industry, garnered significant attention by revealing his unique psychological mechanism, an 'unofficial balance game,' which helped him overcome extreme hardships in the early stages of his startup. He confessed, "I endured by believing in a virtual promise with a deity that if I worked 14 hours every day for 10 years, I would be given 1 trillion won." He explained that this personal 'balance game' ultimately brought about the same effect, regardless of whether the promise was real or not. CEO Kim asserted that while his success is not the only answer, there are certainly clear methods for business success. The 'Business Success Method A' he presented consists of three core elements. First, it's **'seeing it through to the end.'** The key is to find a breakthrough without giving up and 'MAKE IT HAPPEN.' Unwavering persistence and belief, even amidst numerous difficulties such as item failure, team member departures, and investment failures, prevent an end to success. He emphasized that business is a realm of conviction, not science, and that strong self-belief is necessary—a conviction that one and their organization can succeed even when everyone else says no. Second, it's **'growth.'** The CEO's growth directly leads to the organization's growth. He stressed that while working with talent more capable than oneself is important, the CEO's own competence and growth are the most crucial factors in determining the business's direction. He added that it's not merely about accumulating time in a career, but how fiercely one has engaged that determines their true skill. Third, it's **'luck.'** He defined business luck as 'benefactors,' prioritizing the importance of people above all else. He stated that while capital or items can be supplemented or changed, it is ultimately people who execute everything. He advised that benefactors are not one-sided but an interaction where people complement each other, and the effort and growth towards this ultimately lead to good relationships. CEO Kim, who established APR in 2014 after numerous trials and errors since his first startup in 2011, has achieved unbroken quarterly revenue growth for 11 years. He revealed that despite achieving landmark accomplishments such as being selected as a unicorn company in 2023 and direct listing on KOSPI last year, he is still preparing for the next decade with an 'underdog spirit.' He encouraged his junior colleagues by quoting Chung Ju-yung, the founder, who said, "'If there is no path, find one; if you find none, create one.'" Meanwhile, Chung Chang-kyung (Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition) is a practical startup support program that carries on the entrepreneurial spirit of founder Asan Chung Ju-yung. Since its inception in 2012, it has contributed to the development of the domestic startup ecosystem by fostering numerous promising startups, including Myrealtrip and Classum.