The Dignity of the Chaebol

And then…

“This, this… What an absurd fool!”

My heart, which had been bracing itself for yet another death just moments ago, completely cleared away at the sight of the photo album. It was filled with obscene videos so unbearable that I could hardly keep my eyes open to look at them.

“This… what in the world…?”

My hands were trembling.

My heart was pounding like it was about to explode—for the first time in a very long while.

How on earth did Hong Joon raise… such a monstrous person?

His bed partners weren’t just one or two.

All these encounters with so many women… Why? Why on earth would he leave behind such detailed records of them?

The entire album was filled with those kinds of videos.

There wasn’t a single family photo, nor even a picture where his face was fully visible.

“Ha…”

Truly, a monster was born from my blood.

In the end, I left the bedroom and went downstairs to the first-floor living room.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep unless I got drunk, so I figured I’d look for some strong alcohol.

Fortunately, this guy seemed to have good taste. I spotted a whiskey I used to enjoy in my lifetime sitting in the living room display cabinet.

I poured myself a full glass and downed half of it in one go.

It had been a long time since I felt that fiery sensation running down my esophagus, only to rise back up again.

I finished the remaining half in a single gulp and poured myself another glass.

As I was pouring the drink, a memory suddenly surfaced—Assistant Manager Jung’s words to me before I left work.

“Please go home for the day, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tomorrow?

What if I borrow the strength of this alcohol to close my eyes, only to wake up tomorrow morning in this same state—in Jung Hoon’s body?

And what if this situation doesn’t change, and I remain like this permanently? What am I supposed to do then?

Once again, Assistant Manager Jung’s voice echoed in my ears.

Since the liquor had hit me hard and fast, the intoxication came quickly as well.

“I hope the version of you I saw today is the real you, sir.”

Me too, I hope so too.

I hope my grandson treats the people at the company as I’d wish for him to. I hope he works hard to assist his father and brother for the sake of the company.

Am I getting drunk?

Suddenly, the thought of wanting to live crept up on me.

Even in this world I hardly understand, I started feeling like it’d be nice to live just a little longer. That desire, my sincere wish, slowly surfaced along with the effects of the alcohol.

I want to live.

Just a little longer.

I want to live a little longer to see how Jeongyeop is living. I want to see my friend Taesan in his old age and, if possible, share a drink with him.

I want to live.

Just a little longer.

I want to live just a little longer… to restore the wreck that my life and the Jaekyung Group have become, and put it back on the path to greatness.

***

It was a restless night, caught between the wish for everything to end and the sincere desire to keep living.

I don’t know how many times I woke up just as I was about to fall asleep, only to doze off again and wake up startled.

It was a little after 7 a.m.

The phone rang.

It was Assistant Manager Jung.

“Hello?”

―Sir, this is Jung speaking.

“Yes.”

―”Are you okay? I was worried, so I thought I’d give you a call before heading to work.”

I was still in Jung Hoon’s body.

“Well… yes. I’m not sure if this is okay or not, but it’s the same as yesterday.”

―”It seemed like you were sleeping. I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning.”

“No, no. It wouldn’t make sense to accept an apology from someone who’s worried about me instead of thanking them. Actually, this is perfect timing. I meant to ask yesterday, but I left in such a rush—what time do we start work?”

―”We start at 9 a.m. But, sir, if it’s alright, may I come pick you up at your house?”

“Pick me up? Why?”

―”There’s something I really want to show you. Honestly, I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”

“Why not?”

―”Could I explain when we meet? You left your car at the office yesterday, didn’t you? I know you have other cars, but just for today, let me take you to work. I have something I need to show you and something important to tell you.”

“If you’re offering, I’d appreciate that. Alright, let’s do that. I’ll take my time getting ready, so you can take your time too.”

―”I’ve already finished getting ready. I’ll head over now.”

Should I go out and wait for him?

It was almost 8 a.m. when the doorbell rang.

I let Assistant Manager Jung inside, but there wasn’t much I could offer him.

In fact, it ended up being me who got treated instead.

“There’s a coffee machine here. And plenty of capsules. Would you like some coffee?”

“You’re going to make coffee with that?”

“Yes, it’s the same brand as the one in the break room at work. Come here, I’ll show you how to use it.”

After learning how to use the coffee machine from him, we each carried our cups and settled on the sofa.

“I couldn’t sleep at all last night, sir,” he began.

“Me neither. I can’t even count how many times I woke up.”

―”Shouldn’t you see a doctor? I don’t know much, but memory loss is probably related to the brain. It’s not something you should leave unattended.”

“I’ll handle that after observing the situation a bit more. By the way, what’s that?”

At some point, a book had been placed on the living room table. Its cover featured Chairman Jung Joo-hyung, who had been a tremendous help to our Jaekyung Group due to our shared origins in the same region.

“It’s Jung Joo-hyung’s autobiography. My father is a huge fan of Chairman Jung. This book belongs to him, but I’ve read it several times myself.”

“…?”

“My father used to work in the automotive division there, rising to the position of HR manager. Unfortunately, he retired a few years ago without achieving his dream of becoming an executive.”

“Ah, I see. But why bring this book here?”

“I thought it might be good for you to read it, sir.”

“For me?”

Assistant Manager Jung awkwardly brushed the book’s cover, then pushed it toward me.

“Yesterday was a personally humiliating day for me. I made a choice that, as a salaried employee, I should never have made.”

“I don’t know what you mean. What choice did you make?”

I feigned ignorance, intending to brush the matter aside since I wasn’t entirely innocent myself.

Assistant Manager Jung smiled faintly and let out a deep breath.

“My father is a fan of Chairman Jung Joo-hyung, but I’m a die-hard fan of our Jaekyung Group’s founder, Chairman Sohn Jung-gil.”

“A die-hard fan? What does that mean?”

“It means I’m a true fan. One of the reasons I chose Jaekyung Textile was probably because of my admiration for Chairman Sohn Jung-gil.”

“…?”

“Believe it or not, I was accepted into not only Jaekyung Textile but also Seonkyung, Woosung, and Gyelim—four of the biggest companies in the country at the time. Of course, if I hadn’t gotten into Jaekyung, I would’ve chosen one of the others. But I was fortunate to be accepted at Jaekyung, and since I had all four offers, I could choose Jaekyung without hesitation or second thoughts.”

“That’s… because of Chairman Sohn Jung-gil?”

“Not exactly, but I think it had some influence. Even though Jaekyung isn’t what it used to be, before the IMF crisis, Jaekyung Group had the strength to climb to 6th place in the business rankings. And Jaekyung Textiles, no matter what anyone says, is the foundation of Jaekyung Group. Unless the employee benefits were significantly different, which they weren’t, there was no reason to hesitate. Jaekyung offered the best conditions in the textiles sector.”

“Hm…”

“Would you consider reading this book?”

Even at that point, I couldn’t understand why Assistant Manager Jung brought Chairman Jung’s autobiography and was insisting I read it.

“It’s not my grandfather’s autobiography or anything, so why would I bother reading the autobiography of another company’s founder?”

There might be reasons to read it, sure.

But personally, I already knew quite a bit about Chairman Jung.

Did I really need to read something like this?

“This book has a lot of content about Jaekyung Group and Chairman Sohn Jung-gil.”

“In Chairman Jung’s autobiography?”

“Yes. Didn’t I mention I’ve marked a few pages? All those sections are about Jaekyung Group and Chairman Sohn Jung-gil.”

Why would Chairman Jung include anything about me in his autobiography?

“As I said yesterday, I sincerely hope that the version of you I’m seeing now is the real you.”

This guy—he’s serious.

“Anyway, you’re my direct supervisor, and while I don’t know how long we’ll work together, during that time, I want to be a subordinate who’s helpful to you. I want that to be my true self, too.”

“…”

“If you read the parts I’ve marked… even if you return to your original self, I hope it might help in some way. I’m sure some parts will be uncomfortable to read, especially sections about the current chairman or similar topics. But I’ve marked only the parts where Chairman Jung mentions Chairman Sohn Jung-gil and Jaekyung Group. Don’t let the other parts bother you—just give it a read.”

I opened one of the marked sections right there.

The Prince’s Rebellion.

An intriguing subtitle summarizing the content caught my eye—it was titled The Prince’s Rebellion.

And, to my surprise, the story of Jaekyung Group after I closed my eyes was beginning.

―”Every business leader must take this as a cautionary tale.”

The section started with a very thought-provoking line.

Summarizing the content written there, it went something like this:

At the time, according to Chairman Jung, Jaekyung Group had the potential to overcome the IMF crisis effectively.

Most of Jaekyung’s business sectors, except for a few like construction and food, were export-oriented rather than import-dependent. Chairman Jung believed that with a strong leader holding the reins, Jaekyung could have turned the crisis into an opportunity.

―”When examining the domestic companies that declared bankruptcy at the time, it’s clear that companies relying on importing raw materials for domestic consumption, such as construction and food industries, faced the most collapses, unlike export-oriented businesses.”

This was written in Chairman Jung’s autobiography.

―”In that sense, Jaekyung stands out as a truly regrettable company. While Jaekyung had a strong focus on aviation and construction, its roots were in textiles and fabrics. Given that China hadn’t yet fully emerged as the world’s factory at the time, the domestic textiles industry could have seen IMF as an opportunity, not a crisis.”

Exactly.

Every crisis is, in the end, just the flip side of an opportunity.

And the foreign exchange crisis at that time would undoubtedly have been an opportunity for export-oriented Jaekyung Textiles.

―Back then, when Korea’s textile industry hadn’t yet reached global prominence, the foreign exchange crisis was, at least for the textile sector, a unique opportunity to establish Korea as the heart of manufacturing. This is evident from the current state, where many domestic textile companies that started by exporting inexpensive clothing and shoes have grown into global giants, not just in Korea but across Asia and worldwide. And Jaekyung was better equipped than any other company to seize that opportunity. Yet, after Chairman Sohn Jung-gil’s passing, the disagreement between his two sons over the direction of the group’s management led to the loss of a golden opportunity to secure immense foreign capital.

This was the very part that made me uneasy until the final moment I closed my eyes.

Unlike the second son, Hong-jun, who was always strategic and calculating, the eldest son, Hong-myung, would have no strong foothold after my death.

―If only Chairman Sohn Jung-gil had lived for ten more years, and had been at the helm during the IMF crisis instead of the late Chairman Sohn Hong-myung, who took over Jaekyung’s leadership, then perhaps Korea’s economy would be at least 30 years ahead of where it stands today.

I closed Chairman Jung’s autobiography on that note.

Taking my coffee cup, I stepped out onto the veranda.

Assistant Manager Jung didn’t follow me.

“…”

My thoughts began swirling again.

Hong-jun was always quick-witted and calculating.

That’s why, when it came to choosing a spouse, he married without hesitation the younger daughter of the chairman of Bugyeong Group, a prominent family with a strong foothold in the chemicals industry, just as I had arranged.

In contrast, the eldest, Hong-myung, wasn’t particularly stubborn, but he refused to heed my advice when it came to selecting a spouse.

He once brought home the daughter of a school administrator—a girl with no family background to speak of—claiming they were dating.

At that moment, as a father, I wanted to teach Hong-myung how to win.

Even if the opponent was me, I wanted him to hold firm to his desires and claim what he truly wanted.

I wanted to see courage—the courage to defy his father’s will.

I wanted to see conviction—the determination to stand by his beliefs.

And, in the end, Hong-myung didn’t disappoint me.

He showed me that side of himself.

It felt like I lost, yet won at the same time.

It felt like defeat, but not failure—instead, it was a victory.

Though the marriage was clearly unbalanced and from a family that couldn’t contribute to Jaekyung in any business sense, I decided to trust Hong-myung.

I believed that if he could defy my will, he wouldn’t waver before anyone else.

In contrast, Hong-jun’s in-laws were undoubtedly a significant advantage for him in many ways.

Bugyeong Group, led by the family’s patriarch, was expanding its business into areas Jaekyung hadn’t touched, such as chemicals and telecommunications. They also had a solid network in political circles, making Hong-jun’s wife’s family a formidable ally.