InkBound

CH430 | Heir

The shipping companies’ debts totalled around 8 trillion won.

The creditors had three options to choose from.

The most extreme option was bankruptcy.

After bankruptcy, the creditors would divide the company’s sold assets among themselves. Using this method, they often couldn’t even recover 50% of the principal.

The second option was for the creditors to directly manage the shipping companies.

By increasing the companies’ value, they could sell them for at...

CH429 | Heir

Shortly after the executive meeting, Congressman Choi Jae-seok of the National Economic Party officially announced the primary pledge of his presidential campaign: a 700 trillion won semiconductor city.

“How is the public reacting to the semiconductor city?”

“Not just the media, but even real-time search trends and social media are buzzing with discussions about the semiconductor complex. Land prices in Gyeonggi Province have reportedly started to fluctuate as well,” came ...

CH428 | Heir

Myeong-dong had changed a lot since the last time I visited.

As it had firmly established itself as a tourist hotspot, foreign visitors filled every street. High-rise buildings and luxury boutiques gave the district an even more upscale image.

And the man who ruled over this Myeong-dong was none other than Lee Young-han.

He was effectively the boss of Korea’s private loan industry—the undisputed master of Myeong-dong.

But the reason he held that position was becaus...

CH502 | GSI

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, USA.

Seok-won sat in the wide, comfortable seat of a Gulfstream IV private jet, waiting on the apron for takeoff clearance. He held his phone to his ear, speaking with Landon in New York.

[Congratulations. As of yesterday’s closing price, Yahoo Japan’s stock has surpassed sixty million yen per share.]

“That’s excellent news.”

[Back in January, when it first broke ten million yen per share, I had a feel...

CH501 | GSI

A few days later, Arlington, Texas.

The midday sun shone warmly over the vast field of the Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers. Inside a skybox overlooking the stadium, the room buzzed with people.

Even though the season had yet to begin, the crowd had gathered for one reason: today, the Texas Rangers were officially changing ownership.

Having flown in by private jet from New York the day before, Seok-won stood off to the side as Texas governor and Rangers co-ow...

CH500 | GSI

Manhattan, New York.

Under a clear, cloudless sky, the midday sunlight struck the glass windows of the towering One New York Plaza building by the ferry terminal, making them sparkle.

Seok-won, who had arrived in New York the day before, stood in front of the wide floor-to-ceiling window that stretched across one side of his private office, both hands tucked into his trouser pockets, gazing down at the scene beneath him.

The sight of ships, large and small, ...

CH427 | Heir

The core of the presidential address was this:

Regardless of the truth behind the suspicions, I take full responsibility for causing social unrest.

As a citizen, not as president, I will face the judgment of the law fairly.

It was an announcement no one had expected.

Vice Chairman Han stared blankly at the TV, his mouth hanging open like a fool.

“The president has just declared his resignation. This is the first time in the constitutional history of South Korea...

CH426 | Heir

We were taught that when you make a mistake, you apologize.

But in politics, there’s a saying that a politician must never apologize—and this time, it proved to be true.

“Following the presidential address, the approval rating has plummeted to 18%!”

“So apologizing actually caused the approval rating to collapse.”

“By admitting fault, even supporters are beginning to turn away.”

Vice Chairman Han, seemingly unable to believe the outcome, stared at...

CH425 | Heir

With the emergence of comprehensive cable news channels, Korea suddenly had a wide variety of news outlets.

The major terrestrial broadcasters and news specialty channels, which had once dominated the news market, now had to compete with cable networks, which made them hunt for increasingly sensational stories.

Was that the reason?

The first outlet to report the information we released was a cable network, and Vice Chairman Han even watched the news again in Captain Kang�...

CH424 | Heir

Currently, the Hyundai Group owns two construction companies.

One is Hyundai Construction, which belongs directly to the Hyundai Motor Group, and the other is Hyundai Development, owned by the late Chairman Jang Young-joo’s younger brother.

“Do you think Chairman Jang can persuade the Hyundai family? Rumor has it that their relationship hasn’t been good since the Prince’s Rebellion.”

“If it’s a family matter, of course, he might not want to meet. But for a b...

CH423 | Heir

Unable to fight off the drowsiness, I dozed off for a while.

From time to time, I could hear Captain Kang and Vice Chairman Han cheering, which told me that the National Economy Party candidate had won in a contested district.

Still, a single seat here or there would not affect the overall outcome.

So I continued sleeping until the ballot counting was finished, only opening my eyes in the morning.

“Yaaawn… So, are the results out now?”

“Chairman! It�...

CH422 | Heir

March had come.

As the weather eased, people bustled about.

At Taewoo Group, no one was busier than Vice Chairman Han.

“We got another call from the Blue House chief of staff yesterday. They check in at least once a week, asking how the negotiations over the real estate PF are progressing.”

“The election is just around the corner. What do they expect us to do now? Just stall them.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing. I told them American financial fi...

CH421 | Heir

The next day.

Representative Choi Jaeseok held a press conference and officially announced three policies.

Saemangeum, Busan New Port, and real estate PF.

With a massive policy package worth 50 trillion won, Korea was thrown into turmoil. Everywhere people went, conversations revolved around the National Economy Party.

“There’s a saying that if you want to win an election, you can’t miss the front page of the newspaper.”

“Until the general election...

CH473 | GSI

“The NewWave export orders have increased by 60% compared to the previous quarter.”

Sunlight poured through the large glass windows, filling the CEO’s office, as Seok-won leaned back into the plush leather sofa and set down his warm coffee cup.

He then turned his gaze to Executive Director Yoon Ki-hoon, seated to his right, and spoke.

“Given how quickly the order volume has been increased again, it seems MP3 players are very popular in the U.S.”

“They perfe...

CH472 | GSI

Under a cloudless, clear sky, Seok-won stood at one corner of the vast Seoul Airport apron.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses, he exuded an air of complete ease, flanked by his entourage.

In contrast, the personnel from the Defense Science Research Institute were visibly tense, anxiously checking the time again and again as they waited for the transport plane scheduled to arrive today.

After some time had passed,

Han Ji-sung, standing ...

CH471 | GSI

“Are you talking about the Proton rocket that Russia uses as a space launch vehicle?”

“That’s correct.”

Unlike Seok-won, who remained unnervingly calm, Director Son Sang-bong couldn’t hide his astonishment.

The Proton was an enormous rocket, capable of producing a staggering 1,061 tons of thrust from six clustered engines, capable of sending over six tons of cargo beyond Earth’s atmosphere. It was no wonder Son Sang-bong was taken aback.

With a look of ut...

CH470 | GSI

Outside, darkness had settled deep and heavy, while the grand strains of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” filled the spacious living room, emanating from a high-end tube amplifier and speakers.

Seok-won leaned back into the plush leather sofa, eyes closed, immersing himself in the powerful performance.

At home, he was dressed comfortably in lightweight trousers and a thin sweater.

He held a glass of deep red wine in one hand, swirling it slowly in rhythm with the ...

CH469 | GSI

This morning, prosecutors conducted a sudden search and seizure of the residence and offices of Igor Kolesnikov, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States Executive Committee, on charges of tax evasion, money laundering, and illegal foreign currency transfers. Kolesnikov, who is also the major shareholder of oil companies Sibneft and Logovaz, as well as Aeroflot Airlines, is…

Alexei Smirnov, chairman of Sibneft mentioned in the news, grimaced and spat out th...

CH468 | GSI

“All the reclaimed land you see here, stretching all the way to that combined-cycle power plant in the distance, is what we won in the latest auction,” explained Jung Gyu-cheol, president of Bluehole Construction.

Listening, Seok-won removed his sunglasses and surveyed the vast expanse, now overrun with weeds and reeds.

“In total, it’s 3.73 million pyeong. The government designated it for farmland, but they never built the irrigation infrastructure. Not a single crop has e...

CH467 | GSI

October 29, 1998 — Illinois, USA.

The sweltering summer had passed, and a cool autumn breeze swept through the air.

At the opening ceremony of a new soup kitchen established by a local charity, the clear, resonant voice of Barack Obama—Illinois state senator and a board member of the organization—echoed across the venue.

“Today, we are honored to introduce a donor who made this new soup kitchen possible. He is a young entrepreneur from South Korea an...