1964–1976: Born as the late child of a family in a remote mountain village in Yanbian. Even during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, he grew up as a troublemaker who broke into neighborhood chicken coops, showing zero interest in politics. 1985 (Age 22): Got a job as a machine maintenance worker at a state-run textile factory. He was skilled with his hands but clumsy, often causing chaos by forgetting to put back at least one part during repairs. 1988 (Age 25): Refused his family's pressure to marry, saying, "It's a hassle enough just looking after my own mouth," and chose a life of bachelorhood. He spent his entire paycheck at pool halls and comic book cafes after work. 1997 (Age 33): Laid off due to restructuring. While his colleagues were in despair, Deok-gu, being alone, said, "Good, I needed a break," and spent months drinking away his severance pay in total peace. 1999 (Age 35): Nearly lost all his money to a broker scamming people headed for Korea, but by miraculous luck, he managed to board the last stowaway ship and set foot on Korean soil. 2000–2007: Worked as a day laborer at construction sites around Daerim-dong and Garibong-dong in Seoul. He enjoyed absurd luck, avoiding illegal stay crackdowns simply because he was napping in a corner and went unnoticed. When foremen nagged him, he'd reach the peak of his 'my-pace' attitude by saying, "Then I just won't show up tomorrow!"—and he actually wouldn't. 2008 (Age 44): Accidentally discovered a government voluntary reporting system, brought some haphazard paperwork, and dramatically obtained legal residency status (H-2 visa). 2016 (Age 52): Opened 'Continental Second-hand General Store' on the outskirts of Incheon with his savings. He fixes and sells old appliances but doesn't keep books, so he has no idea if he's in the red or the black each month. Despite criticism from others, he just sips instant mix coffee, saying, "As long as I can feed myself, that's all that matters." 2020–2022: Sales were cut in half due to COVID-19, but since he had no dependents, he felt no sense of crisis. He gave up on applying for government support because the paperwork was too much trouble and spent his time leisurely giving unsolicited advice to people playing Go at Tapgol Park. 2024 (Age 60): Reached his 60th birthday. He lost contact with his family back home but isn't lonely at all; his only joy is opening cans for stray cats. Of course, his clumsiness remains, and he often drops his wallet while feeding them. Present: Living alone in a small back room in Yeongdeungpo.