The presidential inauguration held in the front yard of the National Assembly was more solemn than any before.
Because it was a new president’s ceremony carried out with a dark shadow settled over the entire nation, the mood couldn’t help but be subdued.
Aware of this mood, the new President Dae-sang Kim mentioned the economy most of all at the inauguration, saying the first priority of governance was the economy, and the second was the economy too.
Stabilizing the exchange rate that had climbed to 2,000 won and opening the doors of shuttered workplaces to rebuild households was the reason he’d become president, Dae-sang Kim said over and over.
He emphasized that to achieve these goals of governance, all the people of the Republic of Korea had to become of one mind.
And after saying that businesspeople, first of all, had to set an example, he announced that a meeting with the five great groups, presided over by the Prime Minister, was scheduled.
He also showed his eagerness to produce meaningful results here and make a clean start for the new government.
The press wrote articles capturing President Dae-sang Kim’s intent, and people fixed their attention on the meeting of the Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and officials of the five great groups—the first button fastened in the government’s operation.
Byeong-jin, driving the car toward the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry located in Jung-gu, asked Seong-ho,
“Is it really all right for you to go?”
“If I said it wasn’t, would you turn the car around?”
“That’s not it…”
Byeong-jin hesitated a moment and said in a low voice,
“It’s just that I’m worried.”
“About what?”
“Just… I’ve got the thought that maybe you’re being made the target.”
Byeong-jin continued, gripping the wheel and looking at the car ahead.
“It’s a meeting the president mentioned even at his inauguration. ‘Discussion forum’ sounds nice, but honestly, isn’t it a situation where we have to fit ourselves into a frame the government’s set up? And the Chairman doesn’t want to do that… so isn’t he sending you in his place to indirectly show that we don’t want to do things the government’s way—that’s what I’m saying.”
“Is that your thought? Or most people’s thought?”
“Huh?”
Byeong-jin, gripping the wheel, turned his head to look at Seong-ho.
Seong-ho spoke while looking at the windshield.
“Well, whether it’s your thought or someone else’s, if that’s what they think, it’s a good thing for me.”
“A good thing?”
“Doesn’t it mean they’re looking at me with pity? People worrying about me and feeling sorry for me is a good thing.”
“So you’re saying it’s not so?”
“Of course it’s not.”
Seong-ho turned to look at Byeong-jin in the driver’s seat and smiled.
“I’m formally going in the Chairman’s place, and I have something to do at that gathering.”
“Something to do?”
“Don’t tell me you think I’m bringing that along for nothing?”
Seong-ho pointed a finger at the back seat and said.
There, Byeong-jin’s and Seong-ho’s document bags were placed.
Byeong-jin glanced at the document bag Seong-ho had pointed to through the rearview mirror.
“I’m going in order to put that on the table, so there’s no need to feel so sorry for me.”
“That’s…”
Byeong-jin looked at the document bag once more through the rearview mirror.
Inside that document bag were the materials negative to the Doa Motors acquisition that the Ilhyeon Group Restructuring Headquarters staff had fiercely gathered all this while.
And if he put those on the table, no one would be able to blame or pressure the Ilhyeon Group for giving up the Doa Motors acquisition.
Not knowing Seong-ho’s intent, Byeong-jin shook his head for a moment, and thus the car carrying Seong-ho and Byeong-jin arrived at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“Who’s that?”
“No idea? Who is it?”
The reporters gathered at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry looked curiously at Seong-ho and Byeong-jin, who’d gotten out of the stopped car.
Because to their eyes—gathered to take photos since the people of the five great business groups were meeting today—Seong-ho and Byeong-jin were unfamiliar figures.
Just then, from among the crowd of photographers, the voice of someone who’d recognized Seong-ho was heard.
“Isn’t that President Seong-ho Kim, head of the Ilhyeon Group’s Restructuring Headquarters?”
“President Seong-ho Kim?”
“That Ilhyeon Group chairman’s youngest son-in-law?”
“Right, right. That’s him. That’s the guy from when he got hit with eggs last time.”
“Hurry, shoot. Hurry, shoot.”
Once they realized who’d gotten out of the car, the photographers’ flashes burst in an instant.
They pressed their shutters relentlessly to capture in their cameras the sight of Seong-ho going in through the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry doors, and only when Seong-ho had gone inside and was no longer visible did they lower their cameras.
Having lowered their cameras, the photographers let the flashes cool, wound their film, and talked about the Seong-ho who’d just gone in.
“The Ilhyeon Group sent its Restructuring Headquarters head?”
“I knew Chairman Tak-hyeon Lee wouldn’t come, of course, but even so, isn’t Head Seong-ho Kim a bit much? They should have at least sent Vice-Chairman Mun-jong Lee.”
“The ranks really don’t match. The other four groups all sent vice-chairman-class group power-holders, but the Ilhyeon Group sent Head Seong-ho Kim, who’s just barely pinned on a new president’s badge—you can tell how trivially the Ilhyeon Group regards this meeting.”
The photographers recalled the people who’d gone in ahead of Seong-ho and spoke of the considerable gap between Seong-ho and those earlier figures.
But not everyone thought the same.
“President Seong-ho Kim isn’t an ordinary president, though.”
“Not an ordinary president?”
“Right. What’s the Ilhyeon Group’s situation now? The Restructuring Headquarters is a structure that sits above all the other affiliates. It’s in a position directly under the chairman, receiving Chairman Lee’s instructions and controlling the affiliates. On top of that, Head Kim is Chairman Lee’s son-in-law… it’s more accurate to see him as standing on the same line as Vice-Chairman Mun-jong Lee. He’s not a new president—he’s a vice-chairman-class president.”
“Vice-chairman class…”
At the words “vice-chairman class,” the photographers’ voices died down.
And from among them, a line like a finishing blow faintly flowed out.
“If he came to a gathering of vice-chairman-class people, then he’s vice-chairman class.”
Perhaps because those words held considerable persuasiveness, the photographers present nodded without a word.
And writing the word “vice-chairman class” into the caption of Seong-ho’s photo to be sent to the front desk, they went into the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building.
The first event of the discussion forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry was taking photos.
The Deputy Prime Minister and the representatives of the five great business groups exchanged brief greetings, then moved beneath the banner.
And they stood in a row and took photos under a banner reading “Businesspersons’ Discussion Forum for Overcoming the Economic Crisis.”
“Everyone gather together, please. Sunwoo Group’s Vice-Chairman, please step one pace forward. You need to align your shoulders. Look at the camera. We’re shooting. One, two, three.”
With the new Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy at the center, two stood on the left and three on the right.
Following the press officer’s directions, sometimes they took photos with hands raised, and in some situations they took photos with hands clasped crosswise.
The officer asked for various poses from the Deputy Prime Minister and the others, and following that, each media outlet’s photographers and camera reporters captured the six people.
When the posing under the banner ended, the officer said to the Deputy Prime Minister,
“Next we’ll shoot a scene of you talking at the table.”
“How many more times do we have to shoot?”
The Deputy Prime Minister relaxed the facial muscles he’d been forcing into an expression and said.
The press officer talked briefly with the media-outlet photographers and broadcast reporters standing beside him, then answered,
“It seems we’ll have to shoot two or so photos to distribute to the newspapers, a few cuts of footage for the news, and photos for the official gazette too. It looks like it’ll wrap up if we go about an hour more.”
The Deputy Prime Minister nodded at the officer’s answer, turned to the five-great-group representatives, and said,
“Bear with it a bit longer, however uncomfortable. It’s this government’s first event, so we’re putting a lot of care into it.”
“It’s a matter His Excellency the President personally mentioned at the inauguration, so we can’t be neglectful. We’re fine, so shoot plenty.”
“Of course. It’s precisely to do this that the Chairman sent me, so you may shoot to your heart’s content.”
At the Deputy Prime Minister’s words, the vice-chairmen of each group all offered their own replies that it was fine.
The Deputy Prime Minister smiled slightly, saying that was a relief, and looked at Seong-ho, standing at the very end.
Because while the other vice-chairmen all offered words that it was fine, Seong-ho alone only stood quietly, gazing off into the distance.
Unlike the other vice-chairmen, the Deputy Prime Minister leaned his head toward the notably young Seong-ho and asked,
“You’ve come from the Ilhyeon Group?”
“Yes.”
Seong-ho, who’d been gazing off into the distance, withdrew his gaze and answered the Deputy Prime Minister’s question.
The Deputy Prime Minister studied Seong-ho carefully and asked further,
“Could it be there’s something not to your liking, for the one who’s come from the Ilhyeon Group? Since you say nothing, the thought occurred to me you might be uncomfortable.”
The Deputy Prime Minister looked at Seong-ho with a face asking why there was no answer.
The other groups’ vice-chairmen present all gathered their gazes onto Seong-ho too.
Because, as the Deputy Prime Minister said, seeing him give no reaction at all, this present manner felt as though he had some complaint.
Seong-ho swept his eyes for a moment over the gazes gathered on him and said to the Deputy Prime Minister,
“I came prepared, anticipating that we’d discuss important matters today, but it doesn’t seem to be so, so I was flustered for a moment and couldn’t answer. That’s the reason, so please understand.”
Seong-ho apologized to the Deputy Prime Minister and said to the press officer and media photographers,
“I’m fine, so you may continue.”
When Seong-ho said it was fine, the press officer went to continue.
“Then we’ll move on to the next.”
“Wait. You came to discuss important matters, you said?”
The Deputy Prime Minister stopped the press officer, who’d been about to say to get back into position and take photos, and asked Seong-ho,
“What important matter did you come to discuss?”
The Deputy Prime Minister wore a displeased expression.
Because on top of Seong-ho’s reaction being slow, it had sounded to his ears as if the very act they were doing now was unnecessary.
Seong-ho apologized once more at the Deputy Prime Minister’s expression.
“I’m sorry. This is my first time at a gathering like this, so my reactions were slow. From now on I’ll stay alert and follow along well, so you may proceed.”
Even at Seong-ho’s apology, Deputy Prime Minister Jang-chul Hwang’s displeased expression didn’t fade.
The grudge-holding Jang-chul Hwang wouldn’t let go of Seong-ho’s slip and kept pressuring him.
“All right, so let’s hear the important matter. I’m curious just what important matter the Ilhyeon Group means to discuss, so I can’t shoot any more photos. It seems we’ll have to hear it out before moving on.”
Jang-chul Hwang raised a hand and gestured toward Seong-ho.
“So go on, let’s have it. Just what important matter you mean to discuss.”
It was a manner that said he had no intention of proceeding unless Seong-ho spoke.
The press officer, too, at the new Deputy Prime Minister’s manner, let out a small sigh and gestured to the photographers and camera reporters to set down their cameras for a moment.
And approaching the reporters, he asked that this present scene not be captured in the newspapers and broadcasts.
The reporters gave the officer an understanding glance.
Because to their eyes—having covered the government coming and going for a long time—Jang-chul Hwang’s manner wasn’t something they were feeling for the first time.
They thought it a typical new Deputy Prime Minister’s business-world-taming display, with Seong-ho, the youngest among the five-great-group people, made the target and taking the new Deputy Prime Minister’s arrows.
Seong-ho looked around at the gazes of the people watching him and wore a burdened expression.
“Deputy Prime Minister. Couldn’t we discuss the matter separately later, after the reporters have all left? It doesn’t seem a good thing to bring up in a gathering where everyone’s assembled.”
“Ha ha.”
Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Jang-chul Hwang looked around at the other groups’ representatives standing in a row and wore an incredulous expression.
“To hear him, you’d think he really means to discuss something important. Sunwoo Vice-Chairman. Isn’t that right?”
The Sunwoo Group vice-chairman, singled out by Deputy Prime Minister Hwang, laughed awkwardly and nodded.
And he looked at Seong-ho with a pitying gaze.
Because once you became Deputy Prime Minister Hwang’s target, escaping was impossible, so a conclusion had to come one way or another, and the direction it concluded in would, he thought, be a bad direction for Seong-ho.
Jang-chul Hwang turned his gaze from the Sunwoo vice-chairman back to Seong-ho and asked again,
“Now, speak. Just what important matter did you come to this gathering to discuss, that your mind is off elsewhere?”
At Jang-chul Hwang pressuring him this far, Seong-ho hesitated a moment and let out a deep sigh.
“Hoo. All right. Since you tell me to speak, I’ll do so.”
Seong-ho looked at Deputy Prime Minister Jang-chul Hwang with a hardened face and said,
“The Ilhyeon Group plans not to participate in the Doa Motors bidding.”
“What?”
Deputy Prime Minister Jang-chul Hwang, doubting whether he’d heard correctly, asked Seong-ho again,
“You won’t do what?”
Seong-ho raised his head slightly, looked toward the reporters, and said in a clear voice,
“The Ilhyeon Group plans not to participate in the Doa Motors bidding. I attended today’s gathering to tell you this.”
“What do you… why are you saying you won’t participate in the bidding?”
Flash. Flash.
The cameras that had been lowered were raised again and burst their flashes toward Vice-Chairman Jang-chul Hwang and Head Seong-ho Kim.
The broadcast cameras, too, had somehow gone up onto the camera reporters’ shoulders, and with the lights atop the cameras illuminating the front, they captured Seong-ho and Jang-chul Hwang.
But among those captured by the cameras, everyone except Seong-ho couldn’t spare a thought for the barrage of flashes and the running cameras.
Because they’d been struck with shock, as if hit over the head, by Seong-ho’s shocking words.
At a gathering assembled to fasten the government’s first button, before even taking a seat, Seong-ho had thrown a bomb.
(End of Chapter 125)