This video features an interview with Yevato Kim, a Korean-American who has lived in Vietnam for 15 years. The interview covers his life journey, including his reasons for leaving the US (family struggles and the Lehman Brothers collapse), his experiences building and losing a successful hagwon (private tutoring school) business, his marriages and family life in Vietnam, cultural identity, and his reflections on life in Vietnam versus Los Angeles. The interview also touches upon his plans to create a dating/marriage app connecting foreign men with Vietnamese women.
Challenges and Success in Vietnam: Yevato Kim recounts significant financial success and subsequent failure in the Vietnamese hagwon business, highlighting the volatility of entrepreneurship and the impact of geopolitical events (e.g., THAAD missile deployment). He also shares his experience paying off significant debt through relentless work in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Marriage and Family: The interview reveals insights into Kim's two marriages, emphasizing the importance of a stable family life and the role of his current wife in providing structure and support. He discusses the challenges and rewards of intercultural marriage and parenthood.
Cultural Identity: Kim discusses his complex cultural identity as a Korean-American living in Vietnam, his feelings of belonging in Vietnam, and his comparisons of life in Vietnam to his upbringing in Los Angeles.
Future Plans: Kim reveals his plans to develop a dating and marriage app specifically designed to facilitate relationships between foreign men and Vietnamese women, acknowledging both the potential benefits and risks of such an endeavor.
Vietnam vs. LA: The video contrasts the cost of living, safety, and overall lifestyle in Vietnam and Los Angeles, with Kim expressing a clear preference for the safety and lower cost of living in Vietnam.
After the success of his hagwon, Yevato Kim's business faced increased competition from Koreans who relocated from China due to the THAAD missile deployment. This, combined with high rent and the changing economic climate, led to his hagwon's failure, resulting in significant debt.
Yevato Kim's initial success stemmed from his experience in the American education system and his ability to deliver genuine SAT preparation, unlike many competitors who were less experienced or qualified. His timing was also crucial, entering the market when fewer competitors existed.
Yevato Kim's primary concerns about his planned dating app include potential accusations of facilitating sex tourism and the possibility of attracting unscrupulous individuals, undermining the app's goal of facilitating genuine marriages. He also worries about alienating Vietnamese men.
Yevato Kim contrasts his upbringing in the Orange County suburbs, where he felt isolated and uncomfortable with his identity as an Asian-American, with his life in Da Nang. He finds Da Nang stimulating, with a more engaging environment and a stronger sense of belonging. He also notes the significant differences in cost of living and safety between the two locations.
