[W Frontier] "The Crisis in School Meal Services Turned into Opportunity by a Mother's Heart and Devotion"

2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum 9th Mentor
Interview with Jeong Gi-ok, LSC Food Chairwoman, the First Female Vice President of Seoul Chamber of Commerce

Jung Gi-ok, Chairman of LSC Food, is being interviewed on the 24th at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] It feels like watching a real-life version of 'Reply 1999.' The time is the late 1990s. As lunchbox culture disappeared from elementary, middle, and high schools and group meals became the norm, the life of a full-time housewife changed overnight. From being a 'mom' with two sons to becoming a 'Chief Executive Officer (CEO).' The mother, who was a meal committee member at her younger son's high school, was always worried about the low quality and hygiene of the meals. When the catering company went bankrupt, instead of thinking about making money, she jumped into the catering business on a whim with the sole determination to feed her family herself. This is the story of Jung Ki-ok, founder of LSC Food, which grew into a catering company serving about 30 schools and over 100 public offices and industrial sites in its 21 years of establishment.

The first meeting with Chairwoman Jung took place in a conference room at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), where she serves as a vice chairman of the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Jung is the first woman and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) business owner to be named to the Seoul Chamber’s vice chairman group. Although she runs a company with 40 billion KRW in sales solely from catering and holds a significant position representing hundreds of thousands of businesspeople, she repeatedly waved off the idea of being a successful person during the interview. For Chairwoman Jung, the meaning of success lies elsewhere.

From Housewife to Catering CEO... A Born 人福 Who Turned Crisis into Opportunity

LSC Food, which operates on the basic principle of 'a mother’s heart and sincerity,' quickly gained a reputation as a rising star in the school catering industry. To date, there has not been a single hygiene incident. However, recalling 2006 is like reliving a nightmare. After the CJ food poisoning incident, all school meals were switched to direct management, and their orders suddenly stopped. Facing a life-or-death crisis, Chairwoman Jung established a tightly-knit, family-like organization through a counterintuitive management approach of hiring 100% regular employees without restructuring. She recalled, "Although we faced management difficulties as existing clients switched to direct management, hoping to minimize harm to students who eat while studying, we kept the equipment and persuaded the company’s nutritionists to stay. This later became a reason for better evaluations, and hiring regular employees strengthened relationships with staff, which became the driving force to get us this far."

Her connection with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry marked another turning point. Holding the title of the first female president of the Nowon-gu Chamber of Commerce under the Seoul Chamber for two consecutive terms, serving as vice chairman of the Seoul Chamber, and chairing the SME Committee of the KCCI, her network deepened and broadened.

In early 2018, Chairwoman Jung boldly visited Chung Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group. When she explained the precarious situation of SMEs as large corporations occupy 80% of the 5 trillion KRW catering market, Vice Chairman Chung made a 'win-win decision' by entrusting Shinsegae Food’s business sites to SMEs. After going through the official bidding process, LSC Food won the operation of three business sites and, receiving favorable reviews from E-Mart employees, expanded to 21 sites in about two years. Chairwoman Jung said, "I was honestly afraid to meet a large corporation owner, but I was deeply moved by his consideration for the weak, his humility ingrained in his body, meticulous care, and simple human charm. Thanks to the benefactors I meet during crises, I have many debts of gratitude to repay." She emphasized, "Meeting such wonderful connections itself is a life value that cannot be measured by money. Helping struggling SMEs and small business owners wholeheartedly is something I must do both personally and as a vice chairman of the Chamber."

To juniors hoping to start a business, she advised, "The market is overloaded with startups based solely on items. In the future, entrepreneurs should start businesses with a mindset to solve social problems together, creating social value and economic profit."

Working Mom Jung Ki-ok’s Life... "I Must Be Happy to Make Those Around Me Happy"

LSC Food is well-known as a women-friendly company, with women making up 90% of its approximately 1,000 employees. It generously supports work-life balance with maternity leave, infertility treatment leave, and reduced working hours during childcare periods. It also fully opens its doors to so-called 'career-interrupted women.'

Chairwoman Jung said, "I believe most women in South Korea experience identity confusion living as mothers, wives, workers, daughters, and daughters-in-law. I hope they don’t give up, have courage, and always invest at least 10% in their abilities and talents while finding ways to give back to society." This is a senior’s advice to live a life mindful that 'I must be happy to make those around me happy.' LSC Food is recognized as a company contributing significantly to job creation in an aging society, with 55% of its workforce aged 50 or older and 16% of employees retained beyond the retirement age of 60. It was also selected as a top job creation company by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Chairwoman Jung calls herself a 'secret inspector' who visits business sites during lunch breaks?not to monitor but to communicate with customers to give more. A close acquaintance said her life is 임중도원 (任重道遠)?bearing heavy responsibilities and a long road ahead. She empathizes with the fate of carrying the heavy responsibilities of business, society, and family throughout her life.

Who Is Chairwoman Jung Ki-ok’s Life Mentor? "Park Yong-man, KCCI Chairman Practicing Service and Donation, Awakens My Shortcomings"

Chairwoman Jung has a business leader and life teacher she admires deeply, describing meeting him as 'destiny.' Her mentor is none other than Park Yong-man, former chairman of Doosan Group and current chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The connection was made through the Chamber. In 2015, Park appointed Jung, then serving as Seoul Economic Committee Chair representing 25 districts of Seoul, as vice chairman of the Seoul Chamber. She was the first woman and SME business owner in the Chamber’s history to hold this position. With Park’s help, she broke down the high and thick 'forbidden women' wall.

Chairwoman Jung said, "He is respected as an entrepreneur, but his quiet practice of service and donation awakened my shortcomings." Since meeting Park, she has squeezed time from her busy schedule to seek places desperately needing volunteer help. Following Park’s instruction to provide free meal tickets to delivery drivers near the Chamber headquarters, since winter 2017, LSC Food has been serving a warm meal daily at its cafeteria.

Park’s famous management philosophy of 'warm performance-oriented management' deeply resonated with her. She strives to keep and practice the management style emphasizing communication with people that Park values. Chairwoman Jung said, "A leader should look at members not with cold judgmental eyes but with warm nurturing eyes. I want to emulate Park’s spirit and corporate culture that emphasize people." Park’s management theory?that companies grow through people and, in turn, companies help people grow?always keeps her focused. For the past 20 years, she has woken up at 5 a.m. daily to exercise after a prayer of gratitude, sharing a deep connection with Park as fellow Catholics and mentor-mentee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.