"I Never Went to College"... 1992-born Dain Kim, the Woman Behind a 100 Billion Won Fashion Success Story, Reveals Her 6 Billion Won Han River-View Apartment

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[The Financial News] The success story of Dain Kim, CEO of DEINET and founder of the fashion brand Matin Kim, which generates annual sales of 100 billion won, has been revealed.
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In KBS2's Boss in the Mirror, which aired on the 19th, viewers heard the story of Kim, who entered the fashion industry as a high school graduate with no formal training, built a 100 billion won success story, and later launched a new brand.
During the program, Kim said she started working at age 23 and looked back on how she began her clothing business by sourcing products in Dongdaemun. She recalled, "At first, I went there with just 60,000 won and knew nothing. People at the market scolded me a lot, asking, 'Do you think this is a department store?'"
She bought two jumpers for her first attempt, but sales were weak and she eventually lost all the money she had. Kim said, "I had no money left, so I sat in a 24-hour cafe until the first train started running and wrote, 'I will succeed.'"
Kim, who restarted with 300,000 won borrowed from her mother, said, "I started again with that money, and after that I never asked anyone for help again." She added, "By the time I stepped down, sales were around 100 billion won," drawing surprise.
After selling out two coats and laying the foundation for her business, she founded Matin Kim, a brand beloved by young consumers, recorded annual sales of 100 billion won, and stepped down as CEO in 2023.
Then, in 2024, she launched her second brand, DEINET, and reached 10 billion won in sales within two years.
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When asked whether she had studied fashion design in college, Kim replied, "I didn't even go to college." She also teared up when asked whether she had her own path as someone who built a company with major sales at a young age, recalling the difficulties and pressure she faced as a non-major.
The broadcast also drew attention by revealing Kim's 56-pyeong luxury apartment in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul. The apartment is known to be home to celebrities such as Son Heung-min, BTS, Taeyeon, and Kim Jae-joong.
Kim said she bought the apartment two years ago and described it as "a dream home." Her Han River-view apartment, reportedly worth around 6 billion won, also stood out for its luxurious interior, including chairs priced at up to 10 million won per set.
Kim said, "It looks glamorous on the outside, but behind the scenes it's extremely difficult and exhausting." She added, "Because fashion trends change so quickly, keeping up with them is the hardest part." Explaining why she launched a second brand, she said, "I was wary of becoming too comfortable. I wanted to go back to my original mindset and challenge myself again." She added, "I want to become a leader driving K-Fashion in the future."
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Ga-eul Reporter