Kim Gap-gyu was the large landowner owning the land of over 40 gyeols in Chungju. In particular, he was the landowner with the most lands in Chungju-eup. Chungju-eup was the center of waterway traffic and overland traffic in Namhan river basin and the place with the advanced market economy. His land was mainly located on fertile areas along hew river.
He directly managed 3 gyeols, 85 bus and 8 soks, 10% of his land, and made 92 tenant farmers cultivate 36 gyeols. 61 bus and 7 soks, 90% of his land. His tenant farmers comprised the low ratio of poor farmers and relatively high ratio of rich and middle-class farmers. In particular, the ratio of rich farmers with over 1 gyeol was almost 3 times as high as that in the whole region of Chungju-gun. His tenant farmers were engaged in farming in relatively stable condition in Chungju-gun.
Such management by a landowner was took over by his descendants. His land was changed to the industrial capital in accordance with the change of the times. His son, Kim No-jin, invested some of assets to business. Kim No-jin left Chungju and set up his base in Cheongju where the provincial government office was located later. He owned 108 ,Jeongbos living in Bongjeong, Cheongju-eup in 1930s.
The economic base of Kim Gap-gyu was related to the land which he inherited as the descendant of decent family. Munjeonggong branch of Andong Kim Clan was famous as the decent family since the generation of Kim Sang-heon and became the family in power exerting the power around the Office of Border Defense in the 19th century. The properties inherited from the ancestors in power would be the economic base of Kim Gap-gyu.
A woman in Kim Gap-gyu family became the wife of King Hyeongjong, Queen Hyohyeon, vhile Andong Kim Clan was in power. While Queen Hyohyeon passed away only 2 years after being the queen without children and couldn't deliver great power to her clan, the honor as the clan which had the queen would be enormous. His family moved to Chungju between late 18th century and early 19th century while his family expanded the houses to the areas with farmland.
It is estimated that the public service of Kim Gap-gyu might had great influence on the expansion of land. In that period, the public service was the only means to accumulate properties. Even after Andong Kim Clan lost its power, his public service was not ceased. It might be because he was related to Yeoheung Min Clan, the new family in power, by marriage. He married the second daughter of Min Du-ho. Thus, his wife was the sister of Min Yeong-jun, the man in power at that time, and his daughter married Min Hong-gi, the son of Min Byeong-seok. Such marital relationship with men in power at that time might had significant impact on the public service of Kim Gap-gyu and his expansion of economic base.
Kim Gap-gyu started the public service from when Joseon society was rapidly changing since the opening of the port until Korcan Empire period. His period was when the national fortune gradually declined. Thus, it might not be easy for him to deploy his capability. He went to Chungju after stopping his public service during .Japanese colonial period. His behiavor was in contrast with the fact that Min Yeong-jun and Min Byeong-seok received noble titles, who were related to him by marriage.
The base of Kim Gap-gyu was very stable in Chungju. He was included in the large landowners as the landowner who worked as the public officer in the central government. In other words, he had the most land in Chungju downtown and lived in the tile-roofed house with 20 kans(kan is the unit for the space enclosed by four pillars.) on the big land in Dongnyang-myeon. He had no difficulty in communication because he was the large landowner and most his relatives in Min clan who were related to him by marriage were in the highest class.