Here is a Youtube channel named “Techmong.” It is a combination of his favorite field, “tech,” and the character, “Cocomong,” which he looks like. The operator of this channel is Jang Won-Jae (School of Mechanical Engineering, 07), one of the Pusan National University (PNU) alumni. After working for five years at Hyundai Motor Company’s purchasing headquarters, he quit and became a tech content creator on YouTube and blog. His YouTube channel, Techmong, which mainly covers IT and tech topics, boasts a subscriber count of 730,000.

“Channel PNU” invited Techmong as the guest for “Hyowon人(in)side,” the feature where PNU alumni tell their stories of paving their own paths. Throughout the interview, he shared candid stories about his decision to major in mechanical engineering, considering his family’s circumstances in his early 20s, his resignation from his job, and the reality of being an influencer. “Channel PNU” met him in a video call on March 6th.

Q. Please introduce yourself.

A. I entered the School of Mechanical Engineering at PNU in 2007. After graduating, I’ve been running a YouTube channel, “Techmong,” focused on tech and IT for about six years. As this interview is for my junior colleagues, I’ll answer you straight without any moderation.

Q. You have over 700,000 subscribers on your channel, “Techmong.” How did you start on YouTube, and what kind of content do you mainly cover?

A. I started running my YouTube channel when I had been working at Hyundai Motor Company for three to four years. I used to write posts on my blog regarding tech and information but soon felt there were limitations to conveying information to audiences through text alone. That’s why I started running a blog and a YouTube channel to provide information through text and videos together. After leaving the company, I focused solely on running my YouTube channel. The topics on my channel include IT, information and guidance on electronics and smartphones, which are technical knowledge for everyday life.

Q. You graduated from the School of Mechanical Engineering at PNU. Was there a reason why you chose that major? 

A. To be honest, it was for financial reasons. I heard it was favored in the job market (laughs). At that time, the economic situation of my home wasn’t that great. As I liked computers, I considered majoring in computer science. However, I chose to major in mechanical engineering because I thought it would be better for getting a job and making money. And I still think it was a good decision.

Q. How was your life at PNU?

A. I think I was a student who didn’t like attending classes. Honestly, I skipped some classes just because I didn’t want to attend. Moreover, although few students took a leave of absence then, I took it for about a year and a half. There were a lot of objections around me. However, I believed that extracurricular activities were more important than attending classes, so I found a source of enjoyment in those activities. I participated in various activities while attending school and taking my leave of absence, which involved me in about 10 different activities. I was, then, more passionate about those activities than academics.

Q. Was there a memorable episode while attending school?

A. It was during Prof. Lee Si-Bok’s class. I was assigned to do presentations in all presentation classes. I had confidence that I could speak better than others and persuade people more effectively. I only worked hard on presentations while almost giving up all the other lectures I was in. Prof. Lee, who taught one of the main subjects in mechanical engineering, praised me greatly after watching my presentation. He said, “I’ve never seen anyone present so well. You are just a sophomore, but you can go to a company and present right away.”

I think Prof. Lee helped me when I was considering even dropping out of school. Thanks to his words, I thought, “Although I’m not good at majoring in mechanical engineering courses because they are too difficult for me, it seems like I’m good at saying things in front of audiences.” As I started participating in extracurricular activities from then, I think that Prof. Lee made me actively engage in activities by praising me.

Q. It must have been hard to decide to quit your job to become a YouTuber or an influencer. What made you decide to do so then?

A. I was quite envious of others when working at Hyundai Motor Company and even now. During my college years, I couldn’t receive any financial support and had to take out loans to pay for tuition. Many of my friends, on the other hand, received allowances from their parents. And even after starting my job at Hyundai, I noticed that many of my colleagues had financially stable backgrounds. While I struggled to pay off my student loans for a year, others freely spent money pleasing themselves, making me feel distant from them. 

So, I felt like I couldn’t surpass them no matter how hard I worked there. I also thought I would keep feeling jealous of them. I realized that I needed to go out there and do something I could do, whether it would lead to success or not. I decided to quit the job and try something else after saving up enough money to live without working for about one to two years. I planned to get a job at another company if it didn’t work.

Q. Did you leave your job fully prepared?

A. Leaving a job without adequate preparation can be risky. One could be in extreme situations if things don’t go as planned. So, I started investing some time into preparation before quitting. Eventually, I left my job after stabilizing my blog and YouTube channel to some extent. Looking back, however, I was hasty as I quit my job when my YouTube subscribers were only around 20 to 30 thousand, which is quite low. It was a risky decision.

Q. You used to be an office worker and now are an influencer. What has changed compared to before?

A. Honestly, there isn’t much difference between then and now. I’ve always believed that I should give my best in whatever I do. In fact, I was recognized for my work at the company, even while running the blog and YouTube channel. And I actively sought out tasks although they weren’t assigned to me. I always made efforts to do more if I had some time. That mindset hasn’t changed whether I was in the company or now. It’s best to act according to one’s own judgment, regardless of the environment.

Q. I heard that you put a lot of effort into creating your videos. Is there a key point that you consider important during the process of planning, shooting, and editing them?

A. Planning is the most important. To plan a product, I spend from a day to over a week. When planning, I focus on delving into even seemingly unnecessary details that are often questioned, such as “Do I really need to analyze this?” and “Why would I have to know?” The goal of my channel is to turn “Would I have to know?” into “WOW.” I think this makes my channel different from the others. This also makes my videos take more time to make them and attract less viewers. I sometimes feel disappointed about that, but I keep analyzing deeply and planning as I think this aspect is the strength of my channel.

Q. There’s a saying that we live in an era where there’s progress every other day. Dealing with tech-related content must require a lot of time studying. Do you face any difficulties keeping up with trends?

A. Fortunately, I am a fast learner. On the other hand, I don’t think that I should follow the trend. Rather, expressing my thoughts about a product can also become a trend. Also, I don’t have to cover things just because others are doing so. Then exploring topics that others do not cover can be a good strategy. For instance, there are a few reviewers on electronics from Samsung after the release of Samsung Galaxy 24, but I’ve been consistently covering them. Ultimately, you can consider trends, but you don’t have to follow them obsessively, which makes you work for this for a long time.

Q. Being a YouTuber or an influencer exposes yourself to the public eye. Isn’t it challenging?

A. There are many aspiring YouTubers and influencers. However, I wouldn’t recommend it as this is quite stressful. Wherever you work, it’s necessary to encounter those with different opinions and thoughts. But especially as a YouTuber, I am exposed to many people with varying opinions all at once. Some of them are very harsh with their words. Even if a hundred people praise you, the stress of one person criticizing you can keep you up at night. You can become so stressed, forgetting a hundred advocates. Generally, people can’t handle this kind of stress. Therefore, I want the aspiring ones to know that there are not only pros but also cons to being an influencer.

Q. Do you have any aspirations you’d like to pursue through the YouTube channel or sub-channels?

A. Yes, I do. Currently, I focus on IT and electronics, but my ultimate goal is to become an “inspiration.” In the future, I aim to inspire people’s lives, making them think, “Living like that or having that mindset would be helpful.” Actually, I’ve been uploading videos toward that aim and have recorded videos about employment rates and social issues. I plan to deal with a wider range of topics to diversify my content.

Q. Do you have any life goals you want to achieve as you move forward?

A. Initially, my life goal was to just become someone who inspires others through content. From now on, I hope that the path I walk, the actions I’ve taken, and the words I’ve spoken can inspire people even more. I’ve had many difficult times, been covered in the news, and faced criticism from thousands. It was incredibly challenging at the time, but I managed to overcome it by staying true to myself. Looking back, those moments have become valuable experiences, showing me how much I lacked then. Therefore, my goal now is to become someone who creates content that gives courage, hope, information, and inspiration to viewers. That’s the lofty goal that ties together all my activities.

Q. Finally, do you have any words for the juniors who will read this interview?

A. There’s something I want to say that relates to both the direction of my channel and to juniors. When I took a leave of absence, I was into a game named “World of Warcraft (WOW).” I played it when I had a hard time even after entering the company, spending nearly 1,500 hours playing it. I felt like I was wasting my life at that time. I felt the same thing when I left the school and was involved in club activities while my friends started their careers. Sometimes, I felt disappointed seeing those who took the credit after enjoying themselves while I took charge of all the group projects.

However, all those experiences and every little thing that happened eventually contributed to shaping who I am today as “Techmong.” I found that each of those moments held their significance. Many students these days find themselves questioning, “Is this the right time to do this?” or “Will this be helpful?” But I believe all those experiences will ultimately benefit you somehow. So, don’t beat yourself up too much. Every action and every concern you have will eventually bear fruit. I wanted to share this message with my juniors and everyone reading this article.

Reporter Jo Seung-Wan

Translated by Lee Soo-Hyun