Legend that started with 4,200 won...Hair master Lee Sang-il said, "All property will be returned to society, leaving only funeral expenses."
Apr 10, 2025
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The EBS and E-channel co-production 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighborhood Millionaires', which first aired on the 9th, featured Lee Sang-il, a first-generation Korean male hair designer, and delivered the turbulent life history until he rose to his current position.
Lee Sang-il, who came to Seoul in the countryside with a dream of becoming a fashion designer, accidentally learned the concept of 'male hairdresser' through a translation of a foreign fashion magazine. The 4,200 won, which was the magazine translation fee at the time, became the amount of money that changed his life. "'My success began with that 4,200 won.'" He recklessly went to Paris to study abroad and returned home after building his skills abroad.
After completing the French National School of Beauty in 1981, he became the first male hair designer in Korea, opened a luxury hair shop named 'Hair News' and set an extraordinary price at the time of 15,000 won for a cut. However, customers risked an open run to go through his hands, and his technology captivated top stars such as stars of the time, Jang Mi-hee, Kim Wan-sun, and the late Shin Sung-il.
In particular, Lee Sang-il is also the founder of the legend 'Twinshair Style', which was presented at the late Andre Kim fashion show. "Cut your hair like a sculpture to the shape of your face," he said. "It's unacceptable to raise the price without any problems."
Lee Sang-il emphasized that he focused on 'what makes customers beautiful' rather than social success. "Money and fame have never been the goal. When I focused only on customer satisfaction, money and success followed like my shadow," he said.
The most shocking remark he made was 'deny inheritance'. "I will not hand over my property to my child. He surprised Seo Jang-hoon and Jonathan by saying, "I will return all my property to society, leaving only funeral expenses."
"Real wealth comes not from money, but from the mind," he says. "Success comes from patience rather than greed. If you put your heart into your work, you can be any multi-millionaire," he said.
Meanwhile, "Seo Jang-hoon's Neighborhood Millionaires" airs every Wednesday night at 9:55 p.m.
mj.cho@sportschosun.com
