The presidential election was now less than a month away.
For a presidential candidate, every single day at this point carried the weight of an entire year.
To gain even one more voter’s support, schedules were planned and executed with precision—down to the very second.
Governor Choi Jae-seok was no exception to this relentless pace.
That was why he had agreed to a meeting at dawn, and even then, it could only be squeezed into the short window of a car ride.
There was a strict hierarchy even in the Financial Hub Tower.
The very top — the 70th floor — was used as a grand conference hall.
In reality, the 69th floor was the highest one available for regular office use.
One might assume that Taewoo Securities should naturally occupy the 69th floor.
But in fact, Taewoo Securities used the lowest twenty floors, aside from the retail space.
There was no need for the owner to claim the highest office, after all.
...
Chun Min-jung had already perfected the remote meeting system.
She even took out her laptop and gave me a demonstration. Aside from a minor image quality issue, there was nothing left to improve.
“You’re telling me you made this for remote work?”
“Actually, I made it for employees who leave work on time. At 6 p.m., all the office power gets cut off, so they have no choice but to head home. But if they still have work to finish, they need a way to communicate from ...
Trump’s arrival didn’t stir much reaction in the event hall.
It would only be a few years later, after he became president, that he would be treated as a state guest. For now, Trump was nothing more than a successful real estate mogul.
“Thank you so much for coming all the way to Korea.”
“My friend invited me, so of course I had to come. Besides, this is the company chaired by my strong supporter.”
My grandfather and Trump were more than just friends.
It had been a week since I began Taewoo Group’s internal culture reform.
There had been quite a bit of opposition, mostly from the executives, though no one voiced it openly.
After all, no one could outright oppose a policy made by the leader of Taewoo Group.
That didn’t mean I had forced every executive to hold their tongue.
Contract-based executives certainly kept a closer eye on my reactions, but those with exceptional skills could jump ship to another compa...
Today, I came to Gangnam to see the nearly completed new headquarters.
The exterior was already more than 90% finished, and work was underway on the top floor along with the interior fit-out.
The planning director and I stood there for a long time, gazing up at the building.
Seeing the new headquarters, which signaled the fresh start of Taewoo Group, I felt a surge of pride I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“Director, how much longer until it’s fully compl...
Seo Jeongjun, the CEO, returned to Korea just 20 days after leaving for Denmark.
It had been a business trip to Denmark with more than 20 people, including Dr. Kim Jangwoo and the dedicated AI team.
Upon his return, CEO Seo came to see me first.
Just by looking at his face, I could tell the trip had achieved its intended goal.
“It seems things went well. I can’t help but notice you’re smiling, CEO Seo.”
“We signed a contract giving Centurion an 8% shar...
The general election had been expected to lean heavily in favor of the ruling party.
With the government’s term nearing its end, the administration and ruling party had joined forces for the campaign, making a landslide victory seem inevitable.
However, the results told a different story.
Ruling Party: 119 seats
National's (People’s) Economic Party: 92 seats
Opposition Party: 75 seats
Out of the 300 seats up for grabs, the ruling party had failed to secur...
The next day.
No matter how tired I was, my eyes would always open at 5 a.m.
I was about to finish waking myself up with a splash of lukewarm water when an unexpected but welcome guest arrived.
“Dimon! You’re still in Korea?”
“Well, since I came all the way to Korea, shouldn’t I at least meet with the Chairman before heading back to the U.S.?”
We’d briefly exchanged greetings at yesterday’s completion ceremony.
But since there were so many p...
2025-08-17 12:42:14 +0000 UTC View PostA few days later.
I called Manager Han, who had just returned from business in the U.S., to Captain Kang’s restaurant.
After eating only greasy American food for days, Manager Han’s eyes lit up when he saw the Korean set meal, and he hurriedly shoveled food into his mouth.
“There are so many Korean restaurants in America—why are you eating like you haven’t eaten in days?”
“The Korean restaurants in America tailor their food to suit American tastes, so...
Chesapeake Energy Headquarters
I visited the building in my capacity as Chairman of the Taewoo Group.
A massive banner hung in the middle of the headquarters, and from the entrance, the executives stood in two neat rows to welcome me.
“It’s truly an honor to be able to collaborate with the Taewoo Group.”
“The honor is mine. Your generous welcome leaves me at a loss for how to respond.”
“I’ve heard there’s never been a failed ...
Seok-won, who was sitting in a black leather chair reviewing a report, looked up at the sound of the door opening.
Executive Director Yoon Kihoon, a slim man with gold-rimmed glasses, entered cautiously and approached the desk. He bowed his head respectfully before immediately speaking.
“We just received a call from the creditors' committee.”
Setting down the report he’d been reading, Seok-won gestured with his chin toward the sofa in the center of the president’s...
Three black sedans rolled into the yard of the Manyoung Machinery factory in Pyeongtaek, their engines rumbling heavily.
Sitting comfortably in the plush backseat, Seok-won turned his head toward the window. The sight outside was bleak and desolate.
[Oppose restructuring!]
[Stop layoffs that destroy families immediately!]
[Fight to the death!]
Red-lettered banners were strung up all over the factory buildings.
It was an all-too vivid reflection of the...
The elevator doors slid open with a short chime, and Yu Jong-hoon, deputy editor of the Geumseong Ilbo’s economics department, stepped out.
The stuffy, damp air unique to underground parking lots greeted him immediately. With his hair grown out messily and his tie loosened, Yu ambled along, scanning the rows of tightly packed cars between the thick concrete pillars.
“Where is it…” he muttered under his breath, sounding slightly annoyed as he shoved both hands into his trou...
2025-08-17 12:34:48 +0000 UTC View PostA few days later.
Just past 1 p.m., a large black sedan with heavily tinted windows slowly approached and stopped in front of the entrance to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.
From the back seat, a foreign man in a sharp suit stepped out — it was none other than John Howell, the head of the Korea branch of the Rothschild Fund.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Howell’s face was as rigid as concrete.
The moment he appeared, the reporters, who had been ...
It was the time right after lunch, when drowsiness crept in.
Everyone sat at their desks, struggling to chase away the heavy sluggishness, when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the office. A group of men in black suits strode into the Rothschild Fund’s Korea branch.
“Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office!”
The man with neatly combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses pulled a search warrant from his inner pocket, unfolded it, and announced in a loud, ...
After 15 days, Yong Gi-un arrived at a solitary island in the vast ocean. The island was so far from the mainland that nothing but the sea was visible in every direction.
“Let’s go,” Black Tiger urged.
Yong Gi-un wished he could jump into the sea and swim back to shore. I’ll drag out the construction as long as possible and assess the situation. A project this size will require a lot of manpower. They’ll all be abducted like me, right? I’ll convince them to join me, ...
Inside the Blue House presidential office, with a large glass window overlooking the steep rocky cliffs of Inwangsan, President Kim Jae-chun sat on the sofa, flanked by Chief Secretary Woo Chun-il and Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Cheon Byung-soo. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, as if to signal the president’s displeasure.
President Kim, with a stiff and hardened expression, turned toward Deputy Prime Minister Cheon and spoke sharply.
“Is it true that everything reporte...
Early morning.
Like any other day, Oh Changwon, a manager at a large corporation, left his house and headed toward the subway station. The stairs and the inside of the station bustled with commuters on their way to work and students going to school.
As he looked at the long lines of people, the thought of being tormented by the packed morning subway once again made Oh Changwon sigh unconsciously.
“Ugh.”
Then he remembered that he was nearly out of cigarettes a...
Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul Special City.
In this area, commonly referred to as the Yeouido Securities District, major financial institutions like the Korea Exchange, the Financial Supervisory Service, and the Bank of Korea, as well as large securities firms, investment banks, and asset management companies, were gathered.
True to its nickname as the "Manhattan of Korea," the area was packed with towering skyscrapers, and from early dawn until late at night, people bustle...
2025-08-11 15:06:08 +0000 UTC View Post