Since the publications related to the 'hidden champion' of Hermann Simon have been translated into Korean, we observed the researches on the firm growth from the perspective of the ‘hidden champion’ in Korea. Nevertheless, those researches showed limitations, such as (1) the lack of case studies, (2) the insufficient attempts to investigate the firm growth in terms of the ‘hidden champion’s distinctive characteristics. (3) over-depencence on the purposive sampling, and (4) the insufficient investigation on firms in regional key industries. To overcome the limitations, we clarify seven distinctive characteristics of the ‘hidden champion’, i.e., (1) globalization in a niche market, (2) overwhelming market dominance based on customer satisfaction and incremental innovation, (3) pursuing sustainable growth, (4) the internalization of core competencies, (5) entrepreneurial leadership, (6) insider collaboration, and (7) family ownership. Our theoretical arguments are supported by analyzing SungWoo Hitech in the southeast region's automotive parts industry in Korea. We extend the ‘hidden champion’ studies by suggesting more detailed aspects of the ‘hidden champion’. We also enhanced the recognition of the ‘hidden champion’s importance in the regional economy and raised the legitimacy of the policy for nurturing ‘hidden champion’.