In recent years, there have been many cases of university students not knowing exactly what their dreams are, resulting in not knowing how to decide their courses. Yet they want to have flexible jobs instead of jobs for life or want to have more than just one job in order to gain more money and security. It would be the same for fellow Gachon University students. In this number 130 Gachonian section, I would like to introduce an alumnus who handles differing areas of expertise. His name is Seong Min Soo from the Department of Construction Engineering and is a pro wrestling analyst and oriental doctor. He also authored a study-book related to high school studies. Let's see through this interview about how he managed to succeed in different areas.

  1. It's not easy to challenge fields that are different from your major. What made you challenge other fields?
  During my years at Gachon University, my generation was called ‘Respond, 1994'. That period was a rather prosperous time when it was relatively easy to get a job, but when it became time for me to graduate from school the IMF crisis happened and it got very hard to find a job. I spent nine semesters in university and still didn't know which route I should take related to my Construction Engineering major. So I just studied English hard and luckily found a job in Samsung SDS. But I had difficulties taking care of computer work and thought that I must do what I am good at, but I stayed and worked in that company for two years. I found lot of trouble with my parents at that time, too. I kept searching for what I could do best and eventually I found work as an SBS Sports analyst covering wrestling and martial arts. I wrote many columns but it was just like a part-time job. Being a doctor was a spreading trend in Korea so I looked for routes associated with medicine and became an oriental doctor.

  2. It would be very difficult to become a specialist in one area, how did you manage to accumulate professionalism in sports areas?
  For now, it is my nature to go forward with what I like, not backing down. One of my interests was sports and I did whatever I could to work hard and steadily in that area, not caring about what other people would say about me. So I don't think about areas that don't interest me. Anyway, I think it was possible for me make an effort in medicine studies because I didn't care about my former educational backgrounds. At first I just studied in order to make money to raise my child, but now money is not important for me. I am running a blog at the moment that gives useful information about health, and I have over 500 people visiting my blog every day. I feel really great in helping other people by sharing useful information with people.

  3. What's your most memorable recollection from when you were a university student?
  At that time, Kyungwon University was like a vocational school for me. The seniors used to have control of younger students but I never felt I was much older than other students; instead I got along well with them. I used to be, in good words: freewheeling, and in bad words: a badass. I remember once that I suggested to a professor to require dozens of letters of self-instruction for our first report.

  4. Please suggest some ways about how to maintain one's health in daily life.
  Raising a computer monitor can be a good idea to relax your shoulder and backbones since most university students study in front of a computer and get a pain in their back or shoulder. Try to refrain from using smart phones while lying down, instead try to straighten your back. You will feel much more comfortable. And if you feel depressed or frustrated, breathe deeply. It is also called an 'autonomic nerve control'. It is a very useful technique to control your mind.

  5. Due to the six pocket, preventitive medicine's value is getting higher and higher these days. Are there any methods that can prevent other diseases in Oriental Medicine that we can practice in daily life? 
  Nothing special, at a large scale. Just wash your hands as many times as you can and take care of your health control. Also, when you are stressed, it is very important to reduce it as fast as possible. There is nothing more fatal than stress for our bodies. So as I said earlier, try stress-reduction by breathing steadily and deeply, or enjoying playing sports.

  6. Can you share any secrets so we can live dearly like you?
  I am basically a character who doesn’t want to lose, so I don't do things I think I might lose. For example, I don't play golf since I am not really good at it. On the other hand, I try to do what I can do best and keep looking for the best ways to achieve victory. However, it might look cool-headed for other people but this tendency has made me come to this place.

  7. You have succeeded in many areas of expertise. Are there any objectives or goals you still want to challenge or any deficient things you want to change? 
  If I can change anything, I would like to change my childhood. I had a lot of trouble with my parents and got a lot of trauma at that time. Right now, I want to do my best to constantly help other people to be safely cured. Helping others and satisfying them is my first duty.

  8. You said that you didn't want to make children take paths or courses that are difficult and complicated. What have you learned or felt about complicated paths?
  Saying that, I felt the irrationality of South Korean society was unfair. During my school life at Gachon University, there were many injustices in my Department. I have come up with an expectation for children not to get frustrated this way and grow firmly so they can solve this problem. In that case, child’s life-track needs to be helped by adults.

  9. You accomplished many other things. Lastly, please give some advice to Gachon University students or other adolescents who don't know which path they should take!
  My creed is, 'I can trust myself’. To survive in this competitive and rough society you will have to stay firm and have faith in yourself, otherwise you will be crushed by the great current of society. So I want to tell students to have faith in themselves and keep looking for what you truly wish to do. However, in recent years South Korea has very quickly become more of an aging society so it might be hard for young people to achieve their goals. It might be a solution to go to other countries and experience various things to achieve one's dream, but you will have to trust yourself and be prepared for migration. As I said, doing what you like is really important. One of my junior colleagues is from the Department of Japanese Language and Literature. One day he started to learn about pro-wrestling and he loved doing it and now he is smoothly making his own way in his career. If there is something you want to do, try it and if you fail don't give up. Keep searching for other activities. Or choose one person as a mentor through Facebook or another SNS. Make them your role model and practice their routes. Or if studying is boring, say, English, watch your favorite English dramas or movies several times. At first, you may be anxious about what to do for the future, but you can make it. Keep looking for a color that suits you then you will make it possible for you to realize your dream.

  While listening to his stories and life, I felt him as a man of dignity who went through hell and high water. What are your opinions, fellow Gachon University students? Do you want to do more active work in various areas than in just one stable office or occupation? Well, it depends on your mental attitude. If you can achieve your dream and be satisfied with it, one or more than one major won't be that important. As it says in the interview, keep trying this and that to search for your own color. When you finally find out what you really want to do, stick to it and search for it like what Seong Min Soo has done.