Choi Won Jun displays a photo of President Ho Chi Minh in his restaurant.
A restaurant in HCM City owned by Choi Won Jun has impressed diners with a photo of President Ho Chi Minh displayed inside. The South Korean owner shares that he loves Vietnamese people and culture and deeply admires President Ho Chi Minh.
South Korean owner speaks Vietnamese
After 6 pm, the Korean restaurant on Phan Van Tri Street, Go Vap District, HCM City, fills up with customers. The restaurant owner, Choi Won Jun, warmly greets guests with a smile, hands them the menu, and offers dish recommendations. Many diners are pleasantly surprised by Won Jun's fluent Vietnamese. Some express their delight upon seeing a photo of President Ho Chi Minh hanging in the restaurant.
"He is a national hero of Vietnam. I love Vietnam, so President Ho Chi Minh is also my hero," Choi Won Jun explains.
Choi Won Jun chats with his customers.
The 33-year-old South Korean businessman shares his passion for history and enjoys learning about global leaders.
"2014 I visited Hanoi and President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. Seeing historical documents and images of his contributions moved me deeply," he recalls. "I admire him and strive to follow his noble qualities to grow into a stronger and more mature individual."
The more he learned about President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam, the more he fell in love with the country.
Won Jun studied in Vietnam for a period but later returned to South Korea for military service and work.
"I spent six years working in management positions in South Korea. Despite the high salary and excellent benefits, I felt empty and lonely after work. I constantly reminisced about my time in Vietnam, where friendships form easily, even between strangers," he recounts.
Won Jun shares that many workers at his construction site in South Korea were Vietnamese labourers seeking better job opportunities abroad. With his self-taught Vietnamese skills, he conversed with a Vietnamese worker.
"She was facing immense hardship, working in South Korea to support her three small children back home. After listening to her story for hours, I was moved to tears. Admiring her strength and perseverance, I felt a strong urge to return to Vietnam and start a new chapter in my life," Won Jun reveals.
Starting a business in Vietnam
In mid-2024, he decided to leave his role as a real estate project manager in South Korea to pursue his entrepreneurial dream in Vietnam.
The former manager confesses that it took him a long time to persuade his parents, settle everything, and finally leave his homeland. Before launching his restaurant, he spent several months immersing himself in Vietnamese culture, cuisine, and cooking techniques.
"Being a foreigner, I encountered numerous challenges in understanding and completing legal procedures. Finding a suitable location, sourcing ingredients, and calculating costs were all significant hurdles. I thought I understood Vietnamese culture well, but reality proved different.
After opening his restaurant, he took on various tasks, from waiting tables and handling payments to washing dishes.
"I only sleep a few hours a day. Even though I have staff working in the restaurant, I still oversee every detail to ensure the best service quality," he shares.
At times, exhaustion made me consider giving up. Fortunately, my family's encouragement and support helped me push forward," Won Jun admits.
Customer traffic was low during the first days, so he personally handed out flyers to promote his business.
"A Vietnamese security guard helped me distribute flyers and became one of my first customers. I was deeply touched and grateful. I even kept the receipt from his meal that day as a keepsake. Working with Vietnamese customers is also enjoyable because I can chat with them as if we are old friends," he says.
After every meal, the South Korean owner personally visits each table to ask for feedback. Thanks to his friendly nature and meticulous approach, Won Jun has successfully built a loyal customer base, welcoming around 200 guests daily.
