After building delays, struggling to find the right spot and a pandemic, a dream is finally coming true for one Wagga businessman.
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Yongken Park is opening up Corea, his Korean restaurant and BBQ, next week on Baylis Street. But, it has not been an easy journey.
Mr Park went to school in Sydney as a teenager, but he needed to go back home when the Korean financial crisis hit.
"I went to university in Korea, did all my study, and worked there," he said.
"But, I missed Australia. I missed the laidback attitude and how the people were so nice. When I was in Korea, it was too busy, so I decided let's try to come back to Australia because I thought 'I miss that place'.
"So, then I came to Wagga in 2009."
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But, when he arrived, his degree as a hospital scientist was not recognised in Australia, so Mr Park found himself starting again at the bottom.
He began working at the pathology lab at Wagga Base Hospital but soon began to formulate an idea to bring a taste of Korea to the new city he had made his home.
It all kicked off after Mr Park participated in Fusion 2017 as a Korean food vendor.
"It was was massive. It was so popular," he said.
"I always thought that this town didn't have any Korean food, so I always thought it would be great."
Mr Park then started working at festivals and events. Then, he took a massive leap of faith and quit his job to pursue what he wanted.
"I tried to find a place to rent, but it was hard, so then I went to Korea to get a bit of experience doing kitchen stuff and cooking," he said.
"I spent three months there and came back, and I was so excited that I could open.
"But, I still couldn't find a place. I was looking at one place, but the fit-out was not right. I almost took that one, but I was hesitating, and COVID-19 started."
As the pandemic forced many businesses to shut or temporarily close, Mr Park decided to bide his time.
Finally, he found what he thought was the perfect spot on Baylis Street and signed a contract in March.
But, Mr Park said there were a few more hurdles for him to get over.
"Because Wagga is getting bigger and all the houses are being built, I couldn't find a builder," he said.
"It took me a while to set up. Even just finding someone to do the ventilation system for the BBQ was hard."
Mr Park will fling open the doors of his Korean eatery on July 9, and he cannot wait.
"I am so excited, but I am so nervous too," he said.
"I have been waiting for a long time to do this. It's Wagga's first Korean BBQ restaurant, and of course, we have the fried chicken too.
"I cannot wait to show Wagga what Korean food is all about. It's a dream come true."
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