Humble Beginnings

1968

In late-1900s South Korea, poverty made even a fried egg a rare treat. Yongsu, the eldest of four, grew up near the DMZ with a disabled father and American soldiers on the streets. At 14, he left school to support his family, falling in with tough crowds. Fights left his knuckles battered flat and cigarette burns marked his arms—scars of survival.

Coming to the States

1986

After their mother died, Yongsu watched his siblings leave home for better lives abroad. Determined to hold onto what was left, he was the last to go—arriving in San Jose with little more than a backpack. He spoke no English but took any job he could find: cleaning buildings at night, hauling garbage, welding and grinding metal by day. Exhausted but persistent, he worked to survive, send money home, and find his place in a city that barely noticed him.

First Store

1995

When his sister called, Kevin moved across the country to Richmond, Virginia, making it his new home. With only a bike and backpack, he started selling novelty goods at local flea markets, but quickly found his passion in sneakers. Success followed—he traded up from a bike to a car, then a van, and finally opened his first retail shop: The Source House of Shoes in Tappahannock, VA. It was a turning point. Soon, his siblings joined him, and they expanded to a second location.

First Sneaker Premier was Born

2014

By 2014, after nearly a decade building his first business, the debt was overwhelming. He had sacrificed time with family, missed graduation ceremonies and birthdays, chasing the American dream to provide—but it wasn’t enough. Letting go felt like failure, but he knew it wasn’t. At his lowest, friends introduced him to the buy/sell/trade space. It moved faster, offered more flexibility, and—most importantly—a way forward. With almost nothing left, he let go of his first venture—not out of defeat, but the promise of something better for his family. Then he took one last shot: partnering with Marcus Kelley to open his first Sneaker P store in Colonial Heights, VA. To this day, Kevin still says that he couldn't have done it without Marcus who stuck with him through it all.

Losing it All Again?

2016

But the climb wasn’t steady. Financially drained, buried in debt and struggling to keep the Virginia stores afloat. A new store in Maryland brought a flicker of hope, but it wasn’t enough. So, with his family beside him, he packed up and moved to a bigger city with bigger opportunity. That move was to Baltimore—and it’s where everything finally started to turn around.

Finding Home in Baltimore

2019

Baltimore became the place where their mission truly took root and grew into something meaningful. Sneaker Premier began partnering with Floyd Merriweather to provide clean shoes for disadvantaged kids and the homeless in East Baltimore. Friendships with local artists blossomed, leading to pop-up events that brought the community together. For the first time, they felt truly at home—building more than a business, but a movement grounded in care and connection.

Moving Forward

2025

After years of struggle, the work finally paid off—they had enough time and people to build what once felt impossible: a website. The team grew, and so did their commitment to giving back through community cleanups, donation drives, and partnerships with local organizations. They perfected their craft, found their rhythm, and began creating a new generation of service—collaborating with local artists and visionaries to give back to the city that gave them a second chance. For Kevin, it’s always been bigger than business: “Never admit that you can’t—then you’ve already accepted failure.”