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…