Since ancient times, medicinal herbs have been used as a natural way to treat diseases and enhance general wellbeing. In South Korea alone, several helpful natural herbs are recorded in Donguibogam, the Korean traditional medicine book compiled during the Joseon Dynasty era. Due to contemporary science developments, however, pharmaceutical drugs have become the natural choice as remedies. Nevertheless, there has been a special effort to continue the practice of traditional medicinal herbology. Yu Min Lee, an Ewha alumna, has settled herself as the general manager of Jirisan Chung Gang Won, a family-owned traditional brand that sells teas made with Korean herbs.
Jirisan Chung Gang Won is located in a village near the Jirisan Cheonwangbong Peak, the highest peak of the second-tallest mountain in South Korea, Jirisan. The business produces herbal teas that are freshly grown on the mountain. There are five types of tea that are sold at Jirisan Chung Gang Won, each representing five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each of them possesses a different energy and tea-making procedures. For instance, the tea that represents wood is made with goji berries. The berries, which are grown on Jirisan, are steamed and dried nine times.
“Nine is known to be the most extreme number of yang [a heat energy in the Eastern philosophy of yin and yang],” Lee said. “In other words, nine is the hottest number.”
At Jirisan Chung Gang Won, Lee is responsible for several tasks and duties including marketing, distribution, and new product development. She is also the creator of Magonae Kombucha, a fermented soft drink made with goji berries as well.
“The ultimate goal of this new drink is to promote age diversity in the market,” Lee explained. “We wanted the younger generation to consume our good medicinal herbs in an easier way.”
Kombucha is a traditional fermented drink that is often flavored with fruits and common herbs such as peppermint. As a result, using natural Korean ingredients – the goji berries – was a whole new approach to flavoring the drink.
In the early stage, Lee went through ups and downs to find the perfect ratio between goji berries and other ingredients. After discovering the right proportion, she had to decide which channels to advertise the drinks by contacting various news outlets with updates about the product launch. She has also been continuing her efforts to promote the drink by way of several expos and trade fairs.
Although Lee must endure a hectic schedule at Jirisan Chung Gang Won, there is a core value that keeps her and the people there motivated. Following her mother’s long-held desire, Jirisan Chung Gang Won’s ultimate goal is to become a healing center. This vision, which was kept firm from the beginning of the brand, aims to fully represent the beauty of Korea’s traditional medicine.
“Selling tea is a means to share our vision, with the healing center as the place to put our philosophy into action,” Lee expressed. “And our ultimate goal is to spread the wonders of Korean natural herbs to people across the globe.”
On a personal level, Lee takes great satisfaction from working at Jirisan Chung Gang Won. She reminisced about a time when she was conducting a singing bowl meditation with a visitor. After falling into a deep sleep along with occasional bouts of snoring, the visitor awoke and thanked her for such a good sleep, which the visitor had not taken for a long time.
“It was truly a meaningful experience because it is not an easy job to change a single person,” Lee said. “I think it is moments like these that make me think what I do is of real importance.”
Her strong drive towards positive change is also what made Lee decide to study at the Division of Communication & Media. She thought learning about advertisement would provide her with a powerful tool to influence people.
During her time at Ewha, Lee did almost every activity that she could participate in. Among others, she was in a student-run video production club called Camcool, a reporter at Ewha Today, and a student ambassador for advertising the very first Samsung phone Anycall.
All of these experiences helped her with her current responsibilities at Jirisan Chung Gang Won, and she cherishes her time at Ewha.
Lee urged Ewha students to look at things from a broader perspective.
“You never know what future lies ahead of you, so try not to limit yourself to certain things,” Lee advised. “Instead, try to experience more while taking a step back and thinking about what is best for you.”