Rags To Riches: 18-Year-Old Foreign Bride Makes Bank As A CEO In South Korea

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At the age of 18, Duong Thi Thanh Nhi left her home country to marry a Korean man nearly twice her age. She hoped that this advantageous marriage would mark the beginning of a new, prosperous life in South Korea.

It all started eight years ago when she received the results of her university entrance exams. To Duong, who was a fan of Korean music and entertainment, Korea seemed like a place where all her dreams would come true. She wanted to leave Vietnam to go to school and make a life for herself in Korea, but she needed help getting started.

Through her uncle’s matchmaking, Duong met a man named Lee Yoo Sung, who was 34 years old at the time, 16 years her senior. She agreed to marry Lee, but only if he provided financial assistance to her family in Vietnam and supported her education. Lee agreed, and the two tied the knot–much to the dismay of Duong’s father, friends, and teachers.

Duong’s father tried to convince Duong to stay in Vietnam, fearing that she would face hardship in Korea, but she had made up her mind. She told him, “This is my life, so please let me have the right to make my own choice.” Unfortunately, her father was right. At first, Duong’s life in Korea was far from a fairytale.

Duong became pregnant, which brought on terrible morning sickness and caused her to drop from 46 kg (101 lbs) to 39 kg (85 lbs). Korean food didn’t agree with her, and she didn’t want to spend extra money on Vietnamese food. She couldn’t go to school or work at the time and was entirely dependent on her husband, who only had a modest income. Lee couldn’t send money to her family as promised, and his mother was against it. She wanted the couple to keep his money for themselves, thinking of their future.

It was overwhelming. Being a mother at such a young age and so far from home left me lost and depressed.

— Duong Thi Thanh Nhi

Even so, Duong was determined to achieve the life she’d dreamed of. She worked at a convenience store for a time, but soon realized that she needed a better plan. “If I continue to rely on physical work,” she thought. “my life will be the same for the next 10 or 20 years.”

So, Duong began selling cosmetics online while also working at a cosmetics and pharmaceutical company to learn more about the industry. It turns out, Duong wasn’t good at sales; she was great. In just two months, her sales generated $5.73 million in revenue, and her monthly salary jumped from ₩1.6 million won (about $1,123 USD) to ₩3.4 million won (about $2,387 USD).

After two years of building connections and gaining experience, Duong left to start her own business. She started by buying grocery store products and calling distribution companies to get better prices for them. She also aimed to send 100 messages each day to retailers of cosmetics as well as spa owners, seeking agents there.

Of course, even the best networking can only get an entrepreneur so far. Duong needed a niche to capitalize on, and she found it: a growing demand for Korean beauty products in Vietnam. By 2021, Duong was making five times her husband’s salary and was celebrated as a self-made CEO.

That wasn’t the end of Duong’s success. After becoming a CEO, she signed with an entertainment agency and began to appear on reality shows. She also made her acting debut. This year, she starred in Cheongchun Blues, a short series about a Vietnamese exchange student living in Korea.

At 18, I dreamed of becoming an actress. It was only a dream then as life was full of challenges and struggles. I never imagined that this impossible dream would come true.

— Duong Thi Thanh Nhi

Today, Duong’s life looks much different than it did when she first arrived in Korea, and not just because of her wealth. Her bond with her husband–who helped her fill out applications for her first cosmetics job–and his family grew stronger.

After ten years of being his wife, marrying him was my best decision ever. He is a devoted husband, a loving father and a caring son. I can proudly say I have a perfect marriage.

— Duong Thi Thanh Nhi

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