Insil Lee as a Pharmacist

After the graduation from Kyeongsung Pharmaceutical College, Mr. Insil Lee gained practical medical knowledge and diverse experiences from clinical field at the auxiliary clinics of Kyeongsung Imperial University. Through such process, he keenly realized again the importance and necessity of a infusion solution which was the Essential and basic medicine. Such realization later became the momentum to establish the Dai Han Pharm. Co., Ltd. to manufacture the first infusion solution in Korea.

Mr. Insil Lee joined Kumkang Pharmaceuticals after working in the auxiliary clinics of Kyeongsung Imperial University and devoted himself for the study on various raw material compositions of drugs. As a result, he succeeded in the synthesis of the first domestic API, salvarsan. After packing the composite with subdivided ampules, it was introduced with the product name of 'Zenvarsan'.

Insil Lee as a Entrepreneur

After greeting the National Independence during his service in Kumkang Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Insil Lee believed that the distribution of treatment medicine to keep national health was his royal calling. Accordingly, in October 14, 1945, he built a production facility for the injectable solutions at 97 Myongdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul. Under the establishment philosophy to ‘Build a Welfare State through Improvement in National Health', he started 'Joseon Drug Chemical Industry' which was the predecessor of present Dai Han Pharm. Co., Ltd.

Later after the establishment of Korean government in 1948, he changed the company name from Joseon Drug Chemical Industry to Dai Han Drug Chemical Industry and put a great effort to spread his early dream. However, he confronted various difficulties and suffered a pain of his fellow workers' departure who had shared the same intention. Yet, Mr. Insil Lee kept stabilizing the company while devoting himself more for the company's work. His effort again confronted desperation because of the tragic Korean War in June 25, 1950.

Mr. Insil Lee settled down in Gunsan to refuge from the war. He restarted his business at Yeonghwa-dong, Gunsan, which had been interrupted out of the Korean War. This was the beginning of 17 years of Gunsan era.

Pioneer Insil Lee

Mr. Insil Lee reerected his desire and decided to manufacture infusion of his long dream. Since the Korean War, the most urgent drug was the infusion which was the basic and essential drug.

Although he was determined to manufacture infusion, it was not easy to make infusion solution under the war-ravaged pharmaceutical business environment. It was an impossible dream to find glass bottles for special materials such as glass containers for infusion solution at the scarce time of general glass bottle.

But he was determined to start from scratch and at last, succeeded in the production of the first infusion by a direct production of glass bottles through the establishment of Korea Special Glassblower Industry.

After successfully producing infusion, Mr. Insil Lee led the history of infusion by succeeding in the production of 'Inveton', an invert sugar infusion containing glucose and fructose that supply sugar that also secured a stable supply of ingredients that were mostly dependent upon imported materials. Later, he added products of Hartmann's solution, 5% Glucose injection, and Sterile Normal Saline Injection, and distilled water for injection.

Insil Lee as a Person of Integrity

His managerial philosophy can be summarized into ‘Leading by Example' and' Love'.

His life of leading by example from his youth continued even after the establishment of Joseon Drug Chemical Industry. His appearance of working together with his employees with no authoritative way but kind smile and his unchanging attitude of self responsibility have been succeeded until today and sublimated to a company culture but also a managerial philosophy of Dai Han Pharm. Co., Ltd.

His life in Gunsan out of the Korean War entered a stable phase but he set up plans to return to Seoul for the future and began preparation. From controlling everything in Gunsan, he shifted into a dualized system of having the sales headquarters in Seoul and the production plant in Gunsan.

He reorganized the marketing organization and prepared a site for the company in Suyu-ri, Seoul. He directed the preparation of transferring the plant while traveling from Seoul to Gunsan. He endured without showing his fatigue while his body and mind began exhausted from heavy workload. Unfortunately, he left us in 1963. Such sudden departure was so much regret. The news about his death was much more devastating for he was a true person of pharmaceutics who chose a rough path by himself challenged for his lifetime, overcame difficulties and hardship, and kept his will only for the national health in his entire life even under such condition that people believed everything was impossible out of wasteland.

Reflecting his life, he chose a rough journey for the national health of which he desired so much along with the achievement of the first API synthesis for the production of infusion. He is indeed a true person of pharmaceutics who insisted and kept such path for his short lifespan.