I was planning to go with just Taekgyu, but Hyun-joo noona also chimed in that she would come along too, having heard about it. Then, Henry quickly jumped in, saying he’d drive.
“I’ll be your escort.”
“……”
Anyone could see he was trying to escort Hyun-joo noona.
We waited for noona to come downstairs in the lobby. Henry, who was smoothing his collar a...
It was the tenth day of the full-scale strike.
As the strike dragged on, the union was also feeling significant pressure. According to the principle of ‘no work, no pay,’ wages are not paid during a strike.
Because of this, last year and the year before, the Eunsung Motors union had engaged in a new concept of rotational strikes to minimize wage losses. This method involved pa...
The most important aspect of political fund transfers: Secrecy
Both the giver and the receiver faced significant risks, which meant that only perfectly laundered funds could be used.
Companies typically funneled slush funds into political contributions or used financial hubs like Myeong-dong to launder money before transferring it.
"In South Korea, any attempt to launder mo...
I had never once raised my voice at my grandfather since the day I was born.
As a very young child, I had thrown tantrums while crying, but even then, I never shouted.
That was why, when I finally raised my voice, my grandfather was so taken aback that his hands trembled.
“What is it you want to say? Don’t get worked up. Speak slowly.”
“It’s not just a wave...
George hadn’t come to see me for nothing.
He had an offer—to devour Thailand together.
"Even if we do nothing, Thailand’s real estate and financial bubbles are bound to burst. If someone’s going to feast on the wreckage, shouldn’t it be us?"
I leaned back, considering his words.
"SAVE Investments will drop $15 billion bomb on Thailand."
George grinne...
Donghae Group’s Headquarters
A sleek black Mercedes-Benz sedan glided smoothly to a stop in front of Donghae Group’s towering headquarters.
As soon as the car came to a halt, Han Ji-sung stepped out from the passenger seat and swiftly opened the rear door before stepping aside.
Emerging from the vehicle, Seok-won stretched out his long legs, his presenc...
Summoned urgently, Woo Ho-geun hurriedly stepped out of the elevator with Manager Oh Sang-hyun, making his way toward the chairman’s office with brisk strides.
“So, you’re saying that during a parliamentary questioning session, a first-term lawmaker from the New Era People’s Council raised suspicions about Donghae Mutual Credit Union’s illegal loans?”
His face twisted ...
The outdoor parking lot at the Hangang riverside park, shrouded in deep darkness, was completely empty except for a single old Sonata standing alone.
Lee Cheol-gyun, sitting alone in the driver’s seat with the engine off and the window slightly rolled down, was smoking a cigarette when he noticed the bright headlights of a car entering the parking lot.
Under the moonlight, the c...
“Hum hum hum~”
Kim Min-sik hummed as he prepared to leave, while his secretaries watched him nervously.
The employees’ sudden apology and Kim Min-sik’s subsequent outburst had created a somber atmosphere in the bank, but he seemed to have forgotten about it, humming cheerfully and muttering,
“Another productive day.”
He smiled at his secretaries.
...
Being the Head of Planning was an incredibly demanding position.
With every project across all subsidiaries under my oversight, my days were a constant whirlwind of responsibilities.
Before I knew it, 1996 had come to an end, and 1997 had begun.
And now, there were only a few months left before the foreign exchange crisis hit.
So, I welcomed the new year of 1997 not ...
With the IT expansion in full swing, we began recruiting new IT specialists, led by the Planning Office.
"Bring all the résumés directly to me."
"Do you mean even the first screening? We’re bound to get a flood of applicants, including unqualified ones. Wouldn't it be better if we filtered based on minimum qualifications first?"
The Planning Director voiced his concern....
The first half of 1996 had already passed.
The Ford-Taewoo-Shanghai Automotive joint venture had been officially established.
To begin complete vehicle production in China, Taewoo Auto was shipping large quantities of molds and parts to the country.
While Taewoo Group was thriving, South Korea’s economic situation was worsening.
Signs of an impending foreign exchan...
With the extraordinary general shareholders' meeting confirmed, both sides took a brief pause. As the Mido Department Store stock hovered around 70,000 won per share in a temporary lull, a sudden surge sent the stock skyrocketing, forming a massive bullish candle.
The securities firm’s trading floor erupted in excitement.
“Look at that trading volume! I shouldn’t have sold...
A few hours later
Woo Ho-geun sat across from Kwon Seung-seop, the president of Donghae Mutual Credit Union, in a private room at a high-end Japanese restaurant in Seoul.
An elaborate spread of fresh sashimi and exquisite dishes filled the table, yet neither of them had touched much of the food.
Having been summoned without explanation, Kwon Seung-seop had ...
Crash!
“Shit! Shit!”
Blinded by rage, Woo Ho-geun swung a golf club wildly, spewing curses as he smashed everything in his private office.
A computer monitor shattered and crashed onto the floor. Expensive vases, decorative pieces, and glass cabinets were reduced to fragments, scattering across the room.
The deafening sounds of destruction seeped...
As with any negotiation, the side that makes the first move is at a disadvantage.
That’s why we needed to wait—until Taewoo Auto’s sales in China increased.
Two months passed as we held our ground. Then, the planning director walked in with the answer I had been waiting for.
"Taewoo Auto’s sales have surpassed 20,000 units. Around 5,000 cars are being sold each mont...
SAVE Investment was a major shareholder of Ford.
It was in a position to voice its opinions.
Of course, holding a 20% stake wouldn't allow it to control Ford’s management strategy, but if Taewoo Motors achieved significant success in China, the situation could change.
Since I couldn’t explain all of this to my grandfather, I spoke indirectly.
"First, we need to c...
In China, where the fear of famine had not yet disappeared, the government had implemented strict birth control policies.
Of course, those with enough money could afford to pay fines and have multiple children.
However, for high-ranking officials, public scrutiny was a concern, leading to the existence of many hidden children who were never officially registered.
Zheng Hong...
“It’s quiet today.”
Kim said, and Lee, his colleague and fellow graduate, nodded.
“Yeah, usually the president would have gone on a rampage by now.”
Kim shuddered. “He’s getting worse every day. I should just quit.”
“Quit? And do what? There are no jobs out there. Just endure it. It’s hell out there.”
“Sigh, this is driving me crazy.”...
"You said we could block the sale of Daehung Textiles shares until the emergency general meeting. Then what the hell is this?!"
Chairman Woo Yong-gap’s furious roar shook the conference room, making everyone instinctively shrink their shoulders and lower their heads—fearful of catching the fallout.
His flushed face turned sharply toward Jung Chan-won, the company’s legal dir...
Hong Kong Kai Tak International Airport
Despite being ranked among the top 10 busiest airports in the world, Kai Tak International Airport had only one runway. Surrounded by mountains and high-rise buildings, it was infamous among pilots as one of the most challenging airports to land at.
Landing here was so difficult that even veteran pilots w...
Copper, often referred to as "Dr. Copper" for its ability to reflect real-world economic conditions, was one of the most actively traded commodities in the futures market.
Following its aggressive investments in Southeast Asian junk bonds, Peregrine Securities had also poured substantial capital into copper futures in pursuit of higher returns.
‘But their timing couldn’t h...
I headed to a Japanese restaurant in the basement of the Ceylon Hotel with Taek-gyu. Han Chan-young, who had arrived earlier, stood up from his seat to greet us.
“Long time no see.”
Our first and last meeting was during the X-Cop bidding. This is our second time seeing each other.
In the meantime, a lot has changed for both of us. CarOS has become a global company, whil...
“Yes, Minister. I don’t intend to cause any more trouble. Yes, I explained to Daemun Group that this won’t happen again, but they’re still worried. Please reassure them. Yes, I’ll hang up now.”
I ended the call with the Minister and smiled, looking at the headline on the front page of the newspaper.
[Daemun Group, ranked 40th in the business world, files for bankruptcy...
My grandfather accepted my proposal without much difficulty.
It seemed my argument—that we should maximize revenue instead of selling off more subsidiaries—had convinced him.
A few days passed.
A new position was created within the Group’s Strategy Office.
Above the secretary-general, who held a vice-president-level rank, a new position was established—a divi...
There were several reasons why the mobile division had to be sold to Apple.
By collaborating with Apple, we could further increase our market share in the home appliance sector.
It would also help reshape Taewoo Electronics' brand image and secure funds to prepare for the financial crisis that was only a year away.
Despite all these reasons, I didn’t bother explaining the...
Apple had no money at the time.
It was a company drowning in debt, but it possessed something far more valuable than money, and I intended to take it.
“Taewoo Electronics wants to form a perfect partnership with Apple. We propose exchanging 10% of each other’s shares and co-branding future mobile phones with the Taewoo Group logo.”
“Adding another logo isn’t diffi...
As Seok-won stepped out of the elevator, he walked down the plush-carpeted, elegantly decorated hotel corridor under the guidance of Eric Bernas.
Before long, Eric stopped in front of a meeting room at the end of the hallway.
“This is the place,” he said.
Seeing Seok-won give a small nod, Eric lightly knocked on the solid wooden door before opening it.
Upon enter...
One Week Later
Daehung Group Headquarters
Chairman’s Office
Inside the spacious office, Chairman Park Tae-hong sat alone at his mahogany desk, holding a newspaper with both hands as he read an article on the economy section.
[Bribery Scandal at the Financial Supervisory Service Confirmed]
<...
Sunday morning.
Even though it was a holiday, Prosecutor Bae Sang-yoon, the director of the First Investigation Bureau, couldn’t afford to rest at home.
After all, a major corruption scandal had erupted just the day before.
With a haggard face from lack of sleep, Bae Sang-yoon had barely set his briefcase down on his desk when he was summoned to the direc...