"Construction on the Yongin fab currently under way has reached forty percent. With the rate of progress running above expectations, it looks as though the fab will be finished about three months ahead of target and the line can be brought into operation. We also plan to move shortly on the design and site acquisition for the third fab."

Seong-ho Kim heard the report and looked satisfied.

"Better than expected."

Seong-ho Kim closed the progress report he had been reading and said,

"What you must keep in mind is that every worker on the construction site has to be a Korean national."

At the instruction the executives went tense and began writing it down in the notebooks they had brought.

Whether they were involved in building the fab or not, every one of them looked the same — plainly determined not to miss a word Seong-ho Kim said.

Seong-ho Kim looked at their faces and went on.

"Keep in mind that we're not simply building a factory. Don't forget that stimulating domestic demand and securing jobs are part of our mission too. We're not in the semiconductor business only so that we ourselves may eat well and live well. It has to be done with the pride of knowing it's for the Republic of Korea."

Admiration showed on the executives' faces.

Out of what Seong-ho Kim said — that this should be approached not as a tradesman out to make money but with the country in view — a feeling welled up in them that was hard to put into words.

"And safety has to come first while the factory is being built. If you push everything through as fast as possible and there's an accident, it's all worth nothing. I don't want the blood of construction workers carved into an Ilhyeon Electronics factory. I want a clean factory, with nobody killed and nobody so much as injured."

Seong-ho Kim looked straight at the man in charge of building the new fab.

"I'm not pleased or delighted that construction is running ahead of schedule. Build it within the time expected,…