The story of Park Jong-seo, South Korea's first-generation automobile designer, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and retired at 57, yet went on to invest 10 billion won of his personal funds to nurture junior talent, was revealed on EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighborhood Millionaire.'

[From TV Designer to 'People's Car' Designer]

Park Jong-seo worked at Company H for 25 years, developing various automobiles known as the nation's people's cars. He began his career as a TV designer at a home appliance company, but a work featured in a magazine caught the attention of the late Chairman Chung Se-young, and at 33 he became Company H's first automobile designer. He later majored in automotive design at the Royal College of Art in the UK, continuing to pursue his dream while studying abroad.

Representative models he worked on include the Tiburon, Santa F-, Scoupe, and Avant-. The Tiburon, embodying the curved beauty of a shark, was completed after overcoming internal opposition within the company, while the Santa F- reflected trends in the global market. The Scoupe was born after competing with an Italian team and choosing a simple design, and the Avant- gained popularity overseas for its distinctive lamp design.

Regarding the Avant-'s lamps, Park Jong-seo explained, "I intended them to look like the eyes of a fox when seen by a car following from behind."

[Bonuses Went to Employees... He Drives a 26-Year-Old Car]

Park Jong-seo led the independence of the automotive design field and became the first automobile designer to become an executive. He stated, "There were times I received bonuses of hundreds of millions of won, but I shared all of it with the employees who suffered alongside me." He himself still drives a 26-year-old car.

[Retired at 57 Due to a Brain Tumor... New Challenge at a 'Car Factory']

However, after experiencing symptoms of losing sensation in his face, Park Jong-seo was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery, but lost sensation on one side of his face and his hearing, retiring at 57.

Even after retirement, he did not stop taking on challenges. He established a 'car factory' where students can experience everything from the basics to the practical side of automotive design, and is devoted to training the next generation of designers.

Park Jong-seo said, "The power of design makes a country wealthy," adding, "I hope many designers will emerge who can lift up South Korea, building on the foundation of the cars I created."

Meanwhile, EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighborhood Millionaire' airs every Wednesday at 9:55 p.m. and is available afterward on OTT platforms such as Netflix and Wavve.