VANK is releasing a new video highlighting the life and legacy of Dr. Il-han New (1895–1971), an entrepreneur and independence activist who devoted his success to Korea’s independence and the public good.
VANK said Sept. 1, 2026, that it had produced a 5-minute, 48-second video titled Il-han New: The Entrepreneur and Independence Activist Who Awakened the Heart of His Nation. Produced in English and Korean, the video will be distributed through YouTube, Instagram and other social media platforms.
New achieved success in the United States after founding La Choy Food Products, which commercialized bean sprouts. He returned to Korea in 1926 and established Yuhan Corporation in Seoul’s Jongno district.
After seeing his fellow Koreans suffer from tuberculosis and other diseases, New devoted himself to expanding access to medicines, guided by his belief that “only a healthy people can regain a lost nation.”
His commitment to Korea’s independence extended beyond his business activities. In 1945, at the age of 50, New volunteered for the NAPKO Project, a secret U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) operation aimed at infiltrating the Korean Peninsula. He received military training as the leader of Team A under the code name “A.”
After Korea’s liberation, New introduced principles of honest tax payment, transparent accounting and professional management. When he died in 1971, he donated his entire fortune to a public-interest fund dedicated to education and social welfare.
VANK Director Park Gi-tae described New as “a true giant who returned everything he gained through his success to his country and society.” Park also called him “the eternal honorary deputy prime minister of Korea’s economy” and a model of “K-entrepreneurship” for the world to learn from.
Kim Han-il, president of the San Francisco & Bay Area Korea Center, described New as “a great hero of the Korean independence movement in the United States” and expressed hope that the video would resonate with Korean Americans and people around the world.