The story of Park Chang-deuk, who retired as the head of a funeral home and donated his vast 30,000-pyeong (approx. 99,000 sq. m) of land to become a sanctuary for homeless animals, has deeply resonated with many viewers. His perseverance is truly remarkable, having overcome the failure of his pharmaceutical wholesale business to enter the path of a funeral director at a late age and build the region’s top funeral home. However, the truly astonishing aspect of his life is that instead of enjoying a comfortable life after accumulating significant wealth, he chose to work hard with his own hands to take in stray dogs and racehorses. We will delve into the true meaning of happiness and the turbulent trajectory of life for the “Wangteogol Millionaire” who became a topic of conversation on television. This will be a precious time to deeply realize what true sharing and responsibility mean, going beyond simply peeking into the daily life of a wealthy person. From here, we will meticulously trace every step of Park Chang-deuk’s inspiring journey.
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The Millionaire Next Door: A Complete Guide to Funeral Director Park Chang-deuk and His Animal Farm, Wangteogol
1. The Failure of the Pharmaceutical Wholesale Business and the Challenge of Becoming a Funeral Director
Park Chang-deuk was not originally in the funeral industry; he was a businessman who achieved solid success in the pharmaceutical wholesale business starting from the mid-1980s. At the time, he earned an enormous income of over 10 million won per month and enjoyed a luxurious life without envy. However, things did not go as planned. In 2000, the 21st year of his business, the implementation of the national pharmaceutical separation system caused his business to decline rapidly. He remembers vividly sinking into a deep pit of despair as his income dried up and he was burdened with massive debts. At this point, his wife, wanting to save her husband who had fallen to the bottom of life, was the first to seriously propose a new career path, extending a hand of salvation. At the not-so-young age of 42, he boldly submitted his application to a funeral directing department to find a new profession.
He suffered so much mentally that he could not sleep before enrollment due to the gazes of those around him and the extreme fear of facing death head-on. However, thanks to the warm belief of his wife who silently supported him by his side, he was able to endure his days as a late-blooming university student. Before even graduating, he was suddenly scouted as the general team leader of a large funeral home, where he quickly honed his unique on-site sensibility. His determination to experience the rock bottom of life and devote himself to new studies ultimately threw open the doors of new opportunities. His decisiveness to fearlessly change direction despite the fear of failure offers a significant lesson to us today.
After the failure of his pharmaceutical wholesale business, he entered a funeral directing department at age 42 on his wife’s suggestion, pioneering a new path.
2. A Miraculous Turnaround for a Funeral Home on the Brink of Closure
As Park Chang-deuk was establishing himself as a successful general team leader, a phone call that would completely shake his life came in as if destined. The mysterious call, which didn’t even display a caller ID, was a radical proposal asking if he would consider acquiring a shabby funeral home on the verge of closing. Surprisingly, rumors had been circulating that this funeral home was a place where both the previous founder and the representative had passed away at the young age of 57. Coincidentally, Park Chang-deuk was also 57 years old at the time, so his acquaintances naturally strongly advised against the acquisition. However, he demonstrated a unique insight to find opportunity in danger that others avoided, ultimately deciding to proceed with the acquisition.
The situation of the acquired funeral home was far more serious than expected, with sales hovering at the bottom of the region. However, once he introduced his decades of know-how from the sales field and a thorough management system, a surprising change occurred as if by magic. In just two years of taking over operations, he completely recovered the plummeting sales, and by the third year, he firmly established it as the number one funeral home in the region. Combining his practical skills as a funeral director with excellent business acumen, he grew into a figure recognized in the local business community. The biggest secret to his success was his sincere attitude in comforting bereaved families in a space that deals with death and sorrow.
He acquired a funeral home on the brink of closure with a curse from previous owners and raised it to the number one in regional sales within three years.
3. Post-Retirement Life: Donating 30,000 Pyeong of Land to Animals
After successfully concluding his management of the funeral home and retiring, Park Chang-deuk currently owns a massive private property of approximately 30,000 pyeong. However, instead of filling that vast land with a luxurious mansion or income-generating real estate, he generously donated a whopping 7,000 pyeong as a sanctuary for animals. After this fact was revealed on television, viewers have praised him highly, calling him the “Wangteogol Millionaire.” Currently, he lives in harmony with six pets, silently embracing countless lives that were used and discarded by humans when they were no longer needed. Although it is not operated under the official name of an animal shelter, it is unprecedented for an individual to provide such a huge space out of his own pocket.
Maintaining fences and tidying up sleeping areas so that animals abandoned by the world can run freely has become a precious daily routine for the retired couple. Not everyone with substantial assets can practice such sharing, which makes his actions evoke even greater emotion. While people around him ask why he doesn’t use the vast land commercially, he answers that the healing provided by animals is greater. His philosophy of using his remaining life to give back to society and interact with vulnerable lives makes us rethink the true value of wealth. His peaceful and warm daily life unfolding in the great nature of 30,000 pyeong provides healing and solace to many.
After retirement, he provided 7,000 pyeong of his 30,000-pyeong land free of charge as a sanctuary for homeless animals.
4. The Dramatic Transformation of Peanut, a Stray Dog from a Puppy Mill
Among the animals Park Chang-deuk cares for with utmost tenderness, the one with the most heartbreaking story is a Welsh Corgi named “Peanut.” Peanut was a child who lived miserably in an illegal puppy mill operated out of human selfishness, was rescued, and then wandered through the cold iron bars of a stray dog shelter. When she first arrived at Wangteogol, she was extremely afraid of human touch and did nothing but avoid approaching. She was a pitiful creature so deeply wounded that she couldn’t even put food in her mouth when offered delicious treats right in front of her nose, paralyzed by anxiety. Park Chang-deuk did not force Peanut, but slowly opened her heart by watching from a distance and waiting.
Every day, he called her name with a warm gaze and gave her the assurance that she was safe, and eventually, she began to lower her guard little by little. Currently, she gets along easily with other animals and has regained a bright and healthy demeanor, running around the yard energetically. What stands out is not just bringing in a pitiful animal to feed, but the careful care that soothes even her personality and past wounds. Peanut’s beaming smile proves how great the sincere love bestowed by the Park Chang-deuk couple is. It is the most beautiful example of how a wounded soul can be healed under warm care.
Peanut, a stray dog rescued from a puppy mill who had closed her heart, regained her bright demeanor through devoted care.
5. A Special Animal Family Including Meerkats and Racehorses
The sanctuary of the Wangteogol Millionaire is home to animals with very unique and special backgrounds that are not commonly seen. A meerkat named “Mong” also became a new family member here after losing its place to go when a children’s animal experience facility closed due to poor management. Meerkats have very demanding living conditions and require a lot of care, making it difficult to find a suitable adopter, which had pushed this unfortunate animal to the brink of euthanasia. Additionally, “Bada,” a racehorse that once powerfully ran the circuit, was nearly destined for a miserable end due to poor performance. There are also various animals with different stories, including “Dooly,” a horse that lost its home due to the closure of the experience park, and “Dol-kong,” an 11-year-old miniature horse.
Park Chang-deuk expressed regret that horses, which can live from 20 to as long as 45 years, are discarded too easily according to human needs. He said he felt deep anger at the cruel reality of eliminating horses that still have plenty of life left just because their racing performance was poor. Animals that come here enjoy the right to receive warm protection until they peacefully end their lives, regardless of age or species. It is astonishing to see him perfectly care for such a variety of large and special animals, even though he is not a former zookeeper. A respect and sense of responsibility for life, which cannot be bought with money, envelops the entirety of Wangteogol in warmth.
He takes in and responsibly cares for meerkats and horses abandoned due to the closure of experience parks and the elimination of racehorses.
6. A Dedicated Animal Kitchen and a Life of Extraordinary Devotion
The couple’s living space features a separate animal-only kitchen, completely distinct from the kitchen used by humans, which amazes onlookers. While the couple’s own meals might be simple, they meticulously prepare the meals for their six animals to a high-end hotel standard without missing a single day. Every morning at 6 AM and before sunset, they prepare customized diets twice a day, considering each animal’s different dietary preferences. They cook according to the animals’ physical condition, ranging from fruits like apples and fresh carrots to special nutritional foods like mealworms and soft boiled pork. The sight of Park Chang-deuk personally measuring the temperature of the food and meticulously checking its freshness evokes a true parental heart.
This dedicated lifestyle is not something possible just because one has money; it is impossible without pure love for animals and a spirit of sacrifice. His retirement life, where he boldly stepped down from his position as a successful funeral home head to devote his whole body to caring for animals, serves as a model for many. Park Chang-deuk has stated that he plans to fill his remaining journey with happiness at Wangteogol alongside these animals. We should emulate his courageous way of life, choosing peace of mind and sharing life over material abundance. We sincerely hope that this broadcast will lead to a further spread of social interest and responsibility towards stray and eliminated animals.
He operates a dedicated animal kitchen that is even more thorough than the human kitchen, meticulously preparing customized meals twice a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
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