"Our kimbap on the golf course lawn... I thought, 'Wow, there's a world like this.'"

"Youngja's Udon Kimbap" in Euljiro, Seoul, is constantly bustling with customers throughout the day. Kimbap costs 3,500 won, tteokbokki costs 5,500 won, and tteok mandu guk (rice cake soup) costs 7,000 won. With affordable prices and a hearty and delicious meal, it's already become a popular choice among Euljiro office workers as a "value-for-money restaurant."

For 20 years, she's been serving customers nonstop from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Yet, Choi Young-ja, owner of Youngja's Udon Kimbap, always has a bright smile on her face.



Mr. Choi said on the 8th, "This store is like a family. More than half of the customers are regulars, and there are a lot of good customers," and added with a smile, "I treat them comfortably, give them more if they ask for more, and just give them service, so I think regulars naturally gather."

To reduce the burden of rising labor costs, Mr. Choi, who arrives at the restaurant every morning to prepare food, is constantly urged by those around him to raise prices. But he waved them off. His first thought was, "If I were a customer, would I be able to eat at this price?"

This bright and positive business philosophy, maintained throughout his career, led to an unexpected opportunity. Unbeknownst to Choi, a regular customer recommended his store to the district office as a "good-price store." The store, which was registered this way, later caught the eye of KB Financial Group officials and was even selected as a "heart store." KB Heart Store is a small business support program where KB identifies excellent good-price stores nationwide and provides them with 300,000 won per month for three years, along with promotional video production and opportunities to participate in various events.

Since being selected as a "Mind Store," Choi's most memorable moment was last year when he entered a golf tournament hosted by KB. KB offers Mind Store businesses priority access to its events. KB not only waives the entry fee but also subsidizes a small portion of operating expenses.

He recalled, “I was really busy making kimbap for four days in a row during the competition, but I didn’t even realize how hard it was because it was such a fun new experience.” He continued, “When I had some free time, I went out to the lawn to look around the competition venue, and I was so proud to see the guests sitting around eating kimbap. I thought, ‘Wow, there’s a world like this.’”

Mr. Choi beamed, expressing his desire to participate again this year. He said, "The staff generously provided everything I needed throughout the event, which made it easy to work comfortably. I hope this kind of atmosphere continues in the future."

Reporter Kim Jeong-woo