Dear Comrade

＜ Chapter 26. North Korea (2) ＞

Chapter 26. North Korea (2)

When I sat down in a chair and closed my eyes, it became clear that I could reach my hometown, which I could not go to now, even though it was just a short distance away from the truce line.

However, when Chairman Wang, who is famous for his fiery personality, sat at the table without knowing his speed, he seemed even more helpless when he stood still without saying anything.

I wonder how much anxiety in their hearts would be like that, lest they know if they would rather be angry, but in the atmosphere where one of them had to take off their clothes, they were looking at each other in silence.

Fortunately, Chairman Moon-Young Jung sent them away.

“I hate to see you. Get out.”

“Chairman… I know you’re offended… but the Blue House has already photographed us. There is no shame, but if you are a business person in Korea, this is really unavoidable…”

“That’s the sound I hate the most… What can’t you do? have you tried it? Come on out! tt…”

As the presidents left with a sigh of relief, only Chairman Moon-Young Jung was left in the spacious conference room.

130 billion in additional tax.

Income tax, corporate tax, gift tax…

Although the title was glamorous, the reality was rightly pointed out by the bosses who left the conference room saying that they should just walk away and save me.

It was clear that this was a targeted tax investigation by the current administration, which was wary of Jung Moon-young, who was rumored to be slowly jumping into politics (in fact, it was not a complete rumor), that is, retaliation or treason.

Literally, it is ‘stamped’.

“Whoa….it hurts to be bullied by union gangsters, but this…”

– This is the Republic of Korea, Chairman Chung. Business is second-class, politics is fourth-class, fourth-class! No, maybe it’s a 5th or 6th grade. uhh…

The self-help words I heard from a business person I knew across the bridge (of course, this friend was also a chaebol) had never been as realistic as today.

I even thought of holding a press conference and fighting with all the people involved in a deadly fight as a way of appealing to public opinion, but it was unclear whether the people would take the side of the modern group.

Read at readwn.com

No, rather, if it is revealed that the tax investigation was conducted for political purposes, the crime may be aggravated and only one’s head may be further broken.

After all, if the people had been on the side of Chairman Chung Moon-young in the first place, he would have jumped into politics sooner rather than in business.

“I’m going to run a business in this country like this, this… the country isn’t what it used to be…”

At one time, he was the protagonist of the myth of economic growth in Korea, the miracle of the Han River.

It was the mythical manager, ‘giant’ and ‘Chairman Wang’ Jung Moon-young, who was called as a symbol of toughness to make it happen.

However, it has been a long time since people began to see him with cold eyes since it became known little by little that the blood and tears of modern group workers were behind his myth.

When Chairman Jung was frustrated at the thought that there was no answer no matter how far he went, the phone rang through the line of the secretary’s office.

“Something?”

– Chairman, I have something to tell you from the Overseas Strategy Office. I just got a call from the Japanese branch, and the news that someone with information about the president’s father has contacted me…

“……What did you just say?”

As soon as the word ‘father’ came out through the phone line, the voice of Chairman Jung Moon-young, who had been blunt until recently, changed completely.

Read at readwn.com

No, why is the news of my father, who must have passed away now, come from here?

However, as a businessman who had gone through everything before and after childbirth, he soon regained his composure and asked calmly.

“Have you checked the authenticity? I am not idle enough to deal directly with the thugs who are doing nothing to rip off some money for nothing!”

– That’s… It’s said that he lived with the president in his hometown. If you give me the name ‘Ae-ok’, you will remember me…

“…………”

This time, the eyes were not wide open.

As soon as he heard the word ‘Aeok’, Jung Moon-young immediately got up from his seat, picked up the receiver, and asked in a trembling voice.

“Hey, is it Aegok? Did you really say that?”

– Yes, yes… Yes, but… Are you an acquaintance of the president?

The ‘Ae-ok’ in question was not a person.

It was the name of the cow next door in Tongcheon, Gangwon-do, where Jung Moon-young lived when he was young.

I still remember the cow who made the first maintenance shop open for Mun-yeong Jeong, who stole money from her father, who stole the money from her father, and the cow that became the beginning of the modern group, and her neighbor, “Ae-oki,” driving her comrade to a river near the village to drink water. It was clear in his mind.

So far, ’70 won for a small plate’ has been a regular snack that has been discussed countless times in many autobiography and interviews, so much that I immediately think of Jung Moon-young, but in many interviews, the name of the cow next door was never mentioned.

However, when he heard the name that had only existed in his own memory over the phone line of the secretary’s office, President Jung Moon-young was stunned.

‘Is this a sign of something? As the time for this Jung Moon-young’s death draws near, is the sky giving him a present to smell the soil of his hometown for the last time?’

“…I’ll call them right away and make an appointment. I will see for myself.”

The secretary’s office, bewildered by the unexpected voice of the president, immediately started work like a dog on fire.

The unidentified opponent was very cheeky and requested that Chairman Chung come to Tokyo, Japan, rather than that he was coming to Korea, but that was not important to Jung Moon-young now.

Private planes were prepared and relatively insignificant schedules were canceled.

And it was only two days after the phone call that Chairman Jung Moon-young arrived in Tokyo, the meeting place.

“Hello, Chairman Jung. It is an honor to meet you. I’m Heo Young-Jun, a no-nonsense businessman.”

“…Did you say you knew about my father?”

Jung Moon-young looked up and down at the bald man in front of him with a face that he was unsure about something.

Although he was well dressed in a fairly expensive suit, he wondered if he had suffered from something that looked like a scammer.

The meeting place was a cafe located on the first floor of a hotel in Tokyo.

The bald man, presumed to be a Zainichi Korean, who he saw at the cafe of Jeong Moon-young, who brought only a few assistants with him because he flew in a hurry, recognized him from the very beginning and, surprisingly, spoke to him in Korean.

“Yes, ah, but I am a mere keeper. Those who said they would like to see the President are waiting for you upstairs in the hotel, not here.”

‘What else is this masterpiece?’

Jung Moon-young, who thought that things were going strangely, frowned.

The fact that he misses his hometown in the north is well-known externally, so there were many third-rate scammers who pretended to be from his hometown and approached him for money.

In the past, the secretariat line would have sent me away at once, but this time I thought it was real and flew all the way to Tokyo, but when this bald head with a Yakuza smell kept talking, the hot-blooded Jung Moon-young became even more annoyed.

‘If this guy plays with this Jung Mun-young, I’ll blow his ears off the spot.’

“Let’s go. But I hope it wasn’t in vain.”

“Hehe. How dare I dare to taunt the Chairman of the Hyundai Group? He is a person who is reluctant to be noticed, so I apologize in advance.”

Then they got on the elevator and went up to the top floor of the hotel.

And when Chairman Moon-Young Jung’s party and Young-Jun Heo arrived in front of the suite guarded by naughty men in suits, there was a bit of a quarrel.

“I’m sorry, but the aides are not allowed in. The person inside wants you to have a private conversation with President Jung.”

“what? Hey, who is our president right now… You’re saying you’re sending in the president alone with people with uncertain status like you?”

Just as the aides were about to provoke with an absurd expression, one of the men in suits standing on the alert gave an impression and threw a word.

“Comrades over there, I don’t know how precious a person called the president is, but the person inside is also a very high person. So, if you’re going to meet me, meet me or just shut up.”

“what? What did you say now?”

“Stop it! I’ll go in by myself, so wait here.”

As the situation was about to get rough, Chairman Jung Moon-young first waved his hand to stop the aides, and they became bewildered and each spoke a word.

“No, Chairman. If the guys inside have some bad intentions to kidnap the president…”

“Then you mean to come all the way here and return empty-handed? Whether a snake comes out or a tiger comes out, we have to touch it.”

“Still…”

“And I’m afraid those friends will eat me? I have all my thoughts, so I don’t have to take care of a child. And since I’m over 70 and I’ve seen all kinds of stars, how much more do I have to suffer if I’m harmed?”

“……”

Indeed, it was the guts of Chairman Wang, the founder of a modern group that is said to be the best company in Korea.

Even the men in suits who wore impressions looked at Chairman Jung Moon-young anew with a surprised expression this time.

As the will of the employer became firm, the dissatisfaction of the employees quickly subsided.

Of course, Jung Moon-young didn’t make such a drastic decision with complete courage.

From the tone of the men who had just been half-threatening them, he sensed a faint Hamgyeong-do dialect accent, and when his thoughts reached that point, he was crazy about the identity of the person inside.

‘This is probably… Hagi, if you’re from there, it’s natural to avoid attention.’

“Okay then, come inside. President.”

In an unexpected situation, Heo Young-jun, who stole a cold sweat, opened the door, and Jung Moon-young walked proudly into the luxurious suite.

And inside the suite, a middle-aged man in his early 40s was waiting.

As soon as he saw Jung Moon-young entering the room, he shook hands.

“Comrade Chairman Chung. Nice to meet you.”

“…is that person from the north?”

“Hahaha… As someone who has built a big business in someone else’s hands, it’s not normal to have a savvy and smart mind. I am Jang Seong-taek, and I am the head of the organization and guidance department of the Workers’ Party of Korea.”

Jang Seong-taek, the man who spoke up to that point, added a word to Chairman Jung Moon-young as if it was really important.

“I came here today on a special mission from our dear comrade Kim Jong-hwan, who is the sun and supreme leader of the republic.”

The reaction that Jang Seong-taek initially expected from Jung Moon-young was, of course, bewilderment.

I came to Japan to find my father’s grave in my hometown, where I lost contact with him, but I suddenly ran into one of the ‘Northern Reds’, one of the tallest.

However, Jung Moon-young’s face hardened for only the first few seconds, and soon returned to his usual calm expression, and rather opened his mouth to ask.

“Since you’re the chief, I don’t know if there is a prime minister or a minister in the north of me, but you seem like a pretty high-level man.

‘Indeed, it is said that he is a person with thick guts. I can see why the general secretary ordered the new priesthood.’

Jang Seong-taek thought so inwardly, but gave strength to his ship so as not to underestimate the opponent.

Although his opponent is his father, he is also known as the number one leader in the organization of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Considering the purpose of coming here today, you may think that you are in a disadvantaged position, but the Republican side also has something that Chairman Jung Moon-young wants.

If you don’t know what to say, you may be attacked by Hong Gye-seong and the muscular heads of the People’s Army, who are only looking for a way to get rid of disgrace and criticize yourself for having lowered the prestige of the Republic.

“Does this mean that the film director was abducted from North Korea? You have the guts to kidnap people in the middle of Tokyo, not Seoul. I’m sorry, but even if I am abducted, there will be no harm to the Hyundai Group. All my children have grown up and are leading the business well, so now I am waiting for the day I will die. Still, my wish to visit my hometown before I die will come true.”

Jung Moon-young’s reputation as a giant in the Korean business world was intact with the boldness of expressing the daring expression of saying, ‘Did someone like a manager come all the way here to kidnap me?’

But Jang Seong-taek wasn’t a good person either, so he smiled and took some pictures from his arms and put them on the table in front of Jung Moon-young.

“Haha… As you can see from the newspapers in the south these days, our republic doesn’t act like that anymore. First of all, we must show that we did not deceive Chairman Chung. It is a shame of the republic to lie about the face of the party’s representative. Here is a picture.”

Jung Moon-young’s pupils, who picked up the pictures on the table, widened greatly.

The subjects photographed were rural villages that are now almost impossible to find even in Korea.

And the thatched house pictured on one of them was so shabby that no one had maintained it for a long time.

However, the thatched house in the photo (presumed to have been taken recently) was torn down and discolored here and there, but it was clearly a familiar place to him.

this is probably…

“This is the birth song of Chairman Chung. Since I will miss a house I haven’t been to in a long time, I have a special instruction from the general secretary to let me see it through a photo. Now, among the elderly comrades in Tongcheon-gun, there are not many people who remember it, so I had a hard time, but if the general secretary makes a decision, nothing can happen in the Republic.”

“Then… Abaddy…”

When Jung Moon-young’s voice trembled slightly for the first time, Jang Seong-taek shook his head and lowered his voice as if he had no idea.

“He died. It seems that he didn’t live long because his eldest son disappeared and the shock was great. The president’s cousins and nephews are still alive and living in the village, so we can arrange a reunion if you wish.”

“……”

Jung Mun-young’s face turned red, not saying anything with her mouth shut.

Thinking rationally, he was in his seventies and he didn’t think that his father would be alive, but when he came to know that fact in front of his eyes, Jung Moon-young, who was like an iron man, couldn’t help but shed tears.

However, he quickly wiped away his tears and spoke to Jang Seong-taek in a calmer voice.

“There is no way I can do this for free… it is because I want something. What does Director Jang want from me?”

“As you may have heard, the Republic is undergoing a revolution these days under the leadership of the new General Secretary. Dollars are circulated in the market, state-owned investment companies are established, and they are busy creating conditions for American companies to enter and do business. But the problem is…”

Jang Seong-taek paused for a moment, looked at Jung Moon-young, and spoke again with a serious voice.

“It’s not like everyone is stinky. At least as much as our comrade general secretary wants. I’ll tell you straight up. Comrade General Secretary wants Comrade Chung Moon-young and the modern group led by Comrade Chairman Chung Moon-young to make a major investment in our republic. And for that investment, I am willing to provide many things that Comrade Chung wants.”

“Invest…”

Jeong Mun-young, who had been thinking about the word investment, as if contemplating his words, was suddenly returning from an old man longing for his hometown to a calculating businessman.

Jung Moon-young, who came to hear the news of his hometown, closed his eyes for a moment at the business proposal that he suddenly encountered and fell into thought.

It’s like a proposition at night, but as an entrepreneur, you have to keep your eyes open and your antenna upright at all times.

‘I heard from various places that the drum is going unusually fast, but… I was still in a lot of pain because of his tax collection, so maybe this is a revelation that can open up a new opportunity for Jung Moon-young, no, for the modern group. . First, we need to know how much the general secretary will give us.’

“Well. As Jang knows, we cannot do business with North Korea recklessly at a time when the National Treasury Act is being widely opened. I need the consent of the politicians, but I have a bad relationship with the people in the Blue House these days, so…”

“Don’t worry about that. This is a special message only to Comrade Chung, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Jopyeong-tong have already begun the process of improving inter-Korean relations. Sooner or later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also be talking about it.”

Jang Seong-taek made it seem like he knew that the story would come out, and he told it without a big deal.

Eventually, he began to unpack the presents he had prepared one by one, as if he was worried that Jung Moon-young would express his displeasure.

“Comrade General Secretary promised a number of perks if the modern group invests in the republic. First of all, I will drive all of the Gulf War reconstruction project that has just ended in the modern era, and give preference to modernity by making a special exception in terms of tax. As you can see, I won quite a few projects with the blood of Republic warriors.”

“Hmm… I’ve heard that story from other people as well.”

“I will establish a consortium with Korea National Oil Corporation, the state-owned company of the Republic, and British Petroleum, to participate in the oil field development project in Donghan Bay. Of course, in the beginning, it should start with the person learning the technology, but think of the modern group as having accomplished the feat of making a car with the hands of the Korean people and digging the oil to run the car. Isn’t this a great feat, both as a capitalist people and as a people of our country?”

“You mean the oil business?”

At those words, Jung Mun-young blinked her eyes and sat down.

During the oil shock, when sandstorms in Saudi Arabia paved the road, I couldn’t help but feel how much wealth his oil created and how many entrepreneurs cried and laughed because of the black water.

He was now really taking this matter seriously.

But there were still things to check.

“There is one thing I want to ask Manager Jang, but…”

“You are free to ask any questions, Comrade Chung.”

“…just by the way, is there a union in North Korea? unions.”

“Ah… I know what you’re talking about. But don’t worry.”

To Jung Moon-young’s question, who looked like he was very tired, Jang Sung-taek answered with a smile as if not to worry.

“If you don’t know about it elsewhere, there is no such thing as a labor union under our great Workers’ Party of Korea. Do you understand, Comrade Chairman? ha ha ha .”