When Evgenii and Oleg Smagin arrived in Korea as exchange students more than a decade ago, they were struck by the country’s intensity. Everything felt fast and ambitious — a place where effort is visibly translated into progress. For the identical twins from Russia who share a passion for cutting-edge technology, Korea offered both excitement and possibility. That first impression, however, would later deepen into something more demanding — and more transformative. Today, the Smagin twins are the authors of "The Korean Dream," a book gaining attention among both foreign residents and Korean readers. Part memoir and part practical guide, the book traces their shared journey from international students to MBA graduates of KAIST, and eventually to professionals working at major Korean corporations such as SK Telecom and JB Financial Group. More than a success story, it offers a rare insider-outsider perspective on what it actually takes for foreigners to build long-term lives in Korea. “Our story really became the foundation of the book,” the brothers said in a joint interview.