Centuries ago, we sought light. From bonfires to candles, from candles to incandescent bulbs, and from incandescent bulbs to LEDs. The light created by humans came in a wide variety. Just as there was a diverse range of light, we turned on lighting suited to the occasion and spent just the right amount of warm time within that light. Ilkwang Electric Bulb Industry, which started as a small electrical shop in Daegu's Seomun Market in 1960 and had been manufacturing incandescent bulbs for over half a century since 1962, changed its name to 'Ilkwang' in 1986. In 2013, marking its 50th anniversary, the company took a leap forward as a lighting fixture manufacturer under the brand name 'IK Ilkwang Electric Bulb.' Although IK Ilkwang Electric Bulb ceased incandescent bulb production in October 2022, it has secured orders for the next five years. Just as we can never forget the time spent in a certain light, IK Ilkwang Electric Bulb maintains the essence of creating the light source known as the 'bulb' while evolving into a lighting fixture company that truly understands light sources.

We recently successfully concluded our participation in the '2023 Seoul Living Design Fair.' The Seoul Living Design Fair has long held special significance for Ilkwang Lighting. What were the key highlights of this year's event?

Kim Si-yeon (Marketing Team Leader): Since we have been participating in the Seoul Living Design Fair since 2016, before I joined the company, this marks our eighth year. For Ilkwang Lighting, the Seoul Living Design Fair serves as a channel for communicating with consumers and is a key event we consider when formulating our annual plans. This year, we plan to strategically promote the keyword "Portable, " so we focused on introducing portable products at the fair. We decided to enter the portable market quite some time ago, and because we view the concept from Ilkwang Lighting's unique perspective, we were able to present our products after conducting numerous experiments from the planning stage using materials and manufacturing methods that meet global standards. While there are a few other important products, starting with the Seoul Living Design Fair, we are concentrating on leaving a strong impression on the lighting fixture market this year with at least one keyword: "IK Ilkwang Lighting's Snowman Portable."

IK is the brand name adopted by Ilkwang Lighting as it rebranded itself as a lighting fixture company, and it is also the name of a lighting fixture series. As a lighting company, the 'Snowman' is the representative product that cemented the IK series in the public consciousness.

The Kim Si -yeon Snowman was launched in December 2021. It was the product we used as the foundation and stepping stone for the next step when we first started planning IK. We received an immediate response as soon as it was released. The 'Acorn' and 'Frog' products served as a build-up for the creation of the Snowman. While the main material for Acorn and Frog is aluminum, we planned to try making glass products afterward. Unlike Acorn and Frog, which gather light and let it fall downwards, the Snowman works by spreading light in all directions. The design, engineering, and manufacturing processes are also quite complex. My brother-in-law, Design Team Leader Kwon Soon-man, had already been handling the project exceptionally well, and I consistently provided feedback regarding the product's structure and materials to connect with marketing for the Snowman.

As such, Ilkwang Electric is evolving from a company that represents Korea's light bulb industry into a lighting fixture manufacturer. Its origins lie in an electrical shop established in Daegu's Seomun Market by the late Chairman Kim Man-gyu and his wife—who were the parents of CEO Kim Hong-do and the grandparents of Team Leader Kim Si-yeon.

Kim Hong-do (Representative): It was my mother who first started the electrical shop. She married into a poor rural family in Daegu when she was twenty-one, and she realized that doing just a little farming wasn't enough to raise my older sister, me, and my youngest sibling. She grew bean sprouts herself and sold them while traveling about 10 kilometers around Seomun Market. She felt that things couldn't continue like this and decided to start a business in earnest at Seomun Market. That is how she opened and operated the electrical shop there. That was in 1960. My mother had excellent business acumen. Not only was she good at displaying products, but because she sold them while carrying my younger sibling on her back, passersby felt pity and bought everything from her shop, even if it was just a single item. After running the business alone for about ten months, my father also quit his job and joined her to work. It was during that time that light bulbs were the items my mother added to the shop.

It was in 1962 that Ilkwang Electric Light Bulb Industry, a full-scale light bulb business and company, was started.

At the time Kim Hong-do was just beginning to introduce and sell light bulbs, electricity was starting to be supplied to rural areas. In 1961, he sold an enormous number of light bulbs. Everything he brought to the electrical shop sold out immediately. Back then, there was one leading light bulb factory in the country. He reportedly decided that if he sold them at a more favorable price—lower than what they were selling there—he could sell even more. It was truly a strategy of selling in bulk at low margins. Later, while running the Daegu branch of Pyeonghwa Light Bulbs in Busan, my mother brought in all of their inventory and sold it; however, in those days, you had to pay an advance to purchase goods. One day in 1961, after paying a hefty sum for the goods, Pyeonghwa Light Bulbs went bankrupt. When they visited the company, the president made a proposal. He offered to provide the light bulb manufacturing machinery as payment in kind, asking my father to take over the Busan branch once production began. He asked my father to set up a factory on the condition that he would transfer his light bulb production technology and machinery to him. The president would then sell the goods himself. Essentially, their roles were reversed. So, in September 1962, Ilgwang Electric Light Bulb Industry Company was started after purchasing a thatched house of about 50 pyeong (165㎡) in Naedang-dong and setting up light bulb production facilities.

Daegu is a region particularly specialized in 'root industries' (industries that operate using process technologies such as casting, mold making, welding, surface treatment, and heat treatment, serving as the foundation of all manufacturing). Daegu's core industries—such as machinery, metal, mold making, and electrical work—form the basis of the nation's root industries. I am curious to know what Daegu looked like in the 1960s and 1970s, when Ilkwang Electric Light Industry was growing and developing.

Kim Hong-do: As far as I know, there were three major markets in the country during the 1970s. They were Dongdaemun Market in Seoul, International Market in Busan, and next was Seomun Market in Daegu. The reason Seomun Market was so large is that from the 1960s to the 1980s, most textiles were traded in Daegu. Even if production took place in other regions, everyone came here to buy and sell goods because a textile market had been established in Daegu. From the fourth grade of elementary school, I rode my bicycle around Seomun Market delivering light bulbs, running errands for my parents and earning pocket money. The scene of the market street is still vivid in my memory. Seomun Market was truly remarkable back then. Then, in 1973, Daegu's first industrial complex was established. It is the Daegu 3rd Industrial Complex located in Nowon-dong, Buk-gu. It is the first industrial complex officially created. The electrical shop in Seomun Market continues to operate as before, but when the complex was established, we relocated our first factory in Naedang-dong, which was originally 50 pyeong in size, to a site of 600 pyeong (1,980㎡) after receiving the allocation.

Looking back over the past 60 years, Ilkwang Electric has faced two major crises. The first was in the 1990s, when the late Chairman Kim Man-kyu was in charge. Korea's primary industrial product manufacturing sector, particularly the incandescent light bulb industry, peaked in the 1980s but faced significant difficulties as it transitioned into the 1990s. Just how dramatic was this disparity?

Kim Hong-do: The 1980s and 1990s were truly dramatic eras. The 1980s were a golden age for Ilkwang Electric, marked by rapid growth, while the 1990s were a difficult period due to a confluence of factors. The 1980s were a boom for the domestic industry, not just for Ilkwang Electric, as the export drive policy that had begun in the mid-1960s reached its peak. We also exported heavily to North America during that time. We had a regular client in Canada, and another was Walmart in the United States. Walmart imported a massive amount of Korean light bulbs. In the 1980s, we had previously only dealt with products manufactured by the three major U.S. companies— GE , Philips , and Osram —but we began importing and selling Korean household light bulbs. If American consumers had previously bought household incandescent bulbs for 30 cents, our export price at the time was 7 to 8 cents, so you can imagine how significant the price difference was. There was a time when about 70% of production was entirely exported, with only about 30% sold domestically. This continued for about 7 to 8 years, but the situation deteriorated in the early 1990s when the Chinese market opened up. If we sold light bulbs for 12 to 13 cents, China sold them for 3 to 4 cents, even though there wasn't a significant difference in quality. This impact extended not only to light bulbs but also to clothing and various daily necessities, causing major changes across Korea's export industry. As companies focused on exports shifted everything back to the domestic market, their financial situations inevitably worsened, and that was when the IMF crisis hit.

You took over the business in late 1998. I heard that at the time, facing the imminent threat of collapse, you took a week to think it over and then settled things with your parents. What was that decision?

At the time, I was thirty-four years old and had taken over a city bus company in Daegu , where I was serving as the president for five years. One day, after I had turned around a company that had ranked last in profitability among the city's 30 or so bus operators in just three years and stabilized every indicator of overall return on investment at the top, my father called me over and spoke to me. He said that he thought the company would have to close down, but he would entrust it to me if I, his eldest son, took on the responsibility. I had gained confidence in managing a business after reviving a company on the brink of bankruptcy, and above all, Ilkwang Electric was a company I knew. It was a company I had watched my father run firsthand since I was a child. Indeed, starting from the time the IMF crisis hit, I worried that Ilkwang Electric might also face significant repercussions. Self-made individuals are incredibly stubborn, and my father was no exception. So, I took exactly one week to think it over and spoke to my father. I told him that I would take charge. However, I told him that he must completely step away from the business. That way, I would be able to run the company according to my own convictions. Upon hearing my words, my father readily accepted immediately. I joined Ilkwang Electric and operated the business for exactly one year. Breaking away from the existing IEC standards for the household incandescent bulb invented by Edison, I created Ilkwang Electric’s own bulbs with a slightly smaller diameter. Because the size was smaller, we could load 100,000 bulbs onto a 5-ton truck compared to the previous 80,000. As the warehouse size was reduced, the usable space in the store also decreased. In this way, I worked hard to manufacture and sell light bulbs while attempting these new changes.

Team Leader Kim Si-yeon, you have likely witnessed your father running his business from the closest perspective since childhood. As someone currently working in brand marketing, is there anything about your father from that time that particularly resonates with you?

Kim Si-yeon: To be honest, I didn't see my father very often. He was so busy when his business was in full swing. If I had to choose what particularly resonated with me about him back then, it would be his diligence. Having heard about the limitations of the era as well as the social crises and just how difficult things were, I think I vaguely felt that even doing just half of what he did would allow one to achieve a certain level of success.

Another crisis struck Ilkwang Electric, which had been on a roll. It was the international community's 'resolution to phase out incandescent light bulbs' in 2007. You say you didn't take that matter particularly shocking, given that you anticipated everything would become difficult?

First of all, a businessman cannot succeed without facing crises. Opportunities arise only when there is turmoil. One must always be prepared. I really enjoy observing. While running Ilkwang Electric, I traveled frequently to the United States and Japan to experience advanced civilizations. You have to see and experience the leader in a field firsthand to know where you stand. In 1896, I visited Toshiba , the company that produced Japan's first incandescent light bulbs . At the time, Toshiba was the undisputed king of the light bulb industry, dominating the Southeast Asian market. I toured the factory and observed their production and quality control firsthand. I examined where Ilkwang Electric, the company I now manage, stands and where and how it should move forward. Ultimately, I concluded that exports were the only path. The path to mass production lies in "volume production," and otherwise, there are limits to generating profits. Even with light bulbs, one must advance by creating high-quality products. Through such volume production, I eventually began continuously producing new products. Following the international community's resolution to phase out incandescent light bulbs, the government announced a ban on household incandescent bulbs starting in 2014. During that time, we shifted our company's core products from household bulbs to decorative bulbs. Household bulbs previously accounted for 70% of our sales, but we reduced that figure to 30%. We also believed that diversifying the designs and performance of our glass bulbs within the decorative category would open up various opportunities. I believe the reason Ilkwang Bulb was able to survive until the very end was ultimately because we created differentiated products that other companies did not. I never made bulbs exactly the same. I believe that even if they do not generate immediate profit, there must be products unique to Ilkwang Bulb. One of my mottos is that a company will never go bankrupt as long as it possesses just about 20 products with its own originality.

I was impressed by Ilkwang Bulb's ambition in a light bulb market that has shrunk with the emergence of LED lighting in the 2000s. You stated that you will continue to maintain the unchanging essence of Ilkwang Bulb, which deals in incandescent bulbs. Above all, I feel your love for light bulbs is extraordinary. What is the reason you believe incandescent bulbs will be sustainable?

Kim Hong-do: Humanity is the history of fire. We are a human race with a history spanning 1.5 million years, beginning with the bonfire. That DNA will remain unchanged over time. In the 1800s, Edison created the incandescent light bulb, which best interpreted the bonfire, and I guarantee that there will be no product that can interpret the bonfire better than that. The incandescent bulb is a manufactured product created in the 1800s that is still in use today, preserving its original form. As an icon of industrial society, the incandescent bulb cannot disappear. Think of candles. If you go to a high-end restaurant, they still light candles to illuminate the tables. They cannot disappear. In the past, there was a wide variety of light bulbs, including incandescent, halogen, explosion-proof, and discharge bulbs. However, now they have all been integrated into LEDs. The light has become the same. The diversity of light has vanished. I often compare LED bulbs and incandescent bulbs to artificial and real flowers. Real flowers require careful handling and can be inconvenient, but artificial flowers lack fragrance. High-end restaurants still use incandescent bulbs today. Food looks most appetizing under the light of a 60W incandescent bulb. Although Ilkwang Bulb ceased production of incandescent bulbs in October 2022, it has secured a supply for the next five years. Mountainous regions like the Himalayas present many problems with using LEDs. The voltage is unbalanced, and the frequencies do not match. Under such conditions, only incandescent bulbs provide light. It may be slightly dimmer, but there is no flickering or shaking.

Team Leader Kim Si-yeon joined the company in late 2020. I heard that she was called upon by her father, CEO Kim Hong-do. This reminds me of the time about 20 years ago when CEO Kim Hong-do held the survival of his business in his hands. I am curious about the decisive factor that led her to join Ilkwang Electric and start working in marketing.

Kim Si-yeon: Previously, I was working in the marketing team of a construction company. I was keenly aware of the downturn in the light bulb industry and heard that the company's sales were plummeting. I believed that marketing was the primary weakness of Ilkwang Lighting. The company lacked a marketing department or organization. For our generation today, no matter how good a product is, it is meaningless if it cannot be effectively communicated. I believe that depending on how valuablely it is delivered, not only can its value be upgraded, but the profitability also changes. I concluded that I needed to step in to fill the void—planning products needed by the market and effectively communicating their value—in order for the company's business and operations to function smoothly.

I understand that you attempted various marketing strategies after joining Ilkwang Electric. Immediately after joining, what did you think was the most necessary brand marketing for Ilkwang Electric?

Kim Si- yeon: Some of the products we were actively selling at the time were actually items that Ilkwang Lighting wanted to make. We produced products without sufficient research into consumer needs. Of course, both my father and Ilkwang Lighting share a deep affection for light bulbs, but that is why we focused on an internal perspective rather than an external one—that is, products that concentrated solely on the bulb itself. Initially, my approach was to blindly pack up and travel across the country to introduce Ilkwang Lighting to consumers. Our existing clients were light bulb retailers, so they couldn't handle the volume. We visited lighting fixture retailers throughout Seoul, but most of them didn't respond well. Realizing that we couldn't continue like this, we quickly shifted our marketing strategy within two to three months. That was to sell Ilkwang Lighting's lighting fixtures to high-end retailers. We defined "high-end" as places where brands clearly held higher value than ours were present, and we successfully placed our products in stores featuring expensive furniture and lighting. The point that most lighting companies in Korea—with the exception of a few brands—cannot overcome is precisely the inability to get their products into high-end retailers. As a latecomer to the lighting fixture market, we thought of a point of contact where we could inform consumers that IK is a brand with original designs and sell through distributors of original products. This allowed us to promote our products with greater value.

Now that two years have passed since you joined, what changes do you think have occurred in consumers' perspectives on the Ilkwang Lighting brand?

Kim Si-yeon: First of all, the reason we were able to introduce IK to the public in such a short period of time is likely due to the foundation Ilkwang Lighting has built over a long period. Where else would you find a light bulb company that consistently participates in the Seoul Design Living Fair eight times? I think the keyword 'Ilkwang Lighting' was already established in the public consciousness. It was perceived as a light bulb company with a somewhat unique design. Then, as we introduced a wide range of designer lighting fixtures within two years, I think the consumer perception of Ilkwang Lighting rapidly shifted.

I think there is a common thread between CEO Kim Hong-do's attitude of willingly embracing the changing times and Marketing Team Leader Kim Si-yeon's approach of contemplating the precise changes necessary for both the brand and the company. It is a perspective that can turn a crisis into an opportunity; what does 'change' mean to both of you?

Companies must always maintain a stance capable of confronting change and be prepared to embrace it. Times change, and companies must keep up. We are no longer in an era where products are manufactured and sold solely based on the concept of "making a perfect product before launching it," as was the case in the past. We must align with the changes that the times value most. Owners and executives are those who closely observe the subtle inflection points of the changing megatrend curve and seek out global trends. The reason Ilkwang Electric has been able to endure for so long is precisely because it has consistently observed these subtle inflection points, rather than focusing on the major changes visible to others.

From a marketing perspective, I believe we need to observe who needs what kind of lighting and carefully consider how materials, sizes, and functions must be differentiated to lead to purchases. I also believe that for a company to change in line with these observations, the members building it must change as well. To achieve this, I realized I had to put in 200% or 300% effort to demonstrate that change first. I believe that only by enduring that level of patience and hard work can the changes required to create products that truly realize customer value follow.

It seems the reason Ilkwang Electric has maintained its legacy and been loved by many for so long lies in the fact that it undergoes continuous change without losing its essence. Pursuing 'essence' and 'innovation,' 'maintenance' and 'change'—perhaps two extremes simultaneously—must be an even more difficult task. What kind of brand and company does Ilkwang Electric hope to remain?

Kim Si-yeon: I am still contemplating this. In line with the earlier point that we must change, I believe that products or services lose their meaning without planning. We need to continue creating lighting fixtures that embody new concepts. Of course, they must be innovative products based on customer value. With this in mind, if I were to formulate a specific proposition, I am also constantly thinking about exactly what kind of lighting that would entail. I want to establish a grand proposition for the lighting products IK creates and move forward with that vision, and I believe that if we do, we will surely remain a strong brand.

Having run various businesses and witnessed the rise and fall of Ilkwang Electric for a long time, I have consistently said that for a brand to survive, it must go to the extremes. For instance, digital and analog are the two extremes. Every year, we are transitioning from analog to digital and into the smart era at an unpredictable speed. However, a nostalgia for analog still remains within us. Even though the Alpha generation has emerged and we live in an era where everyone watches YouTube, we still seek to go to more primitive places to enjoy camping. No matter how much we develop, humans were born from nature and have lived in nature. I believe Ilkwang Electric's products should be like that. Analog must be imbued in Ilkwang Electric's products. We must change to keep up with the times, but maintain the analog essence that Ilkwang Electric possesses. I have held onto this direction unwavering.

Maker's Pick

IK Ilkwang Lighting, much loved by customers 3

Snowman 15 Portable Stand

Ilkwang Bulb’s first wireless light, the Snowman Portable, began development with a few simple keywords, such as "Could we make a Snowman without cords, in a compact size and with slightly cuter proportions?" and was first unveiled at the Seoul Living Design Fair 'IK Pavilion' on February 22, 2023. It fully embodies the three core values of wireless lighting in terms of design, price, and functionality: IK’s unique original design, a smaller and cuter appearance than existing products, a reasonable price that makes it an easy gift, and performance that allows for up to 170 hours of use—more than a week—anywhere indoors or outdoors on a single charge.

Classic light bulb

The Classic Bulb Series features the familiar shape of standard incandescent bulbs, such as the ST64 and G80, but incorporates transparent glass that exposes the delicate filament, creating a cozier and warmer mood than any other bulb. Although the brightness and lumens are relatively lower compared to incandescent bulbs, they remain highly popular in establishments like cafes and restaurants that require a dark and natural atmosphere.

Snowman 22 Table Stand

Since its launch in late 2021, the Snowman series has become the signature product of Ilkwang Lighting's lighting brand, 'IK'. The 22cm glass sphere, resembling a flat snowman, is crafted using a hand-blowing method to add a natural charm that mechanical precision cannot replicate. The series consists of three colors—butter, peach, and white—and their beautiful colors stand out even in the dark. Finely processed steel is connected to the glass sphere to create a stable structure with a substantial material feel.