The Dignity of the Chaebol

“Grateful and at the same time regretful? I’d appreciate it if you could elaborate a bit more.”

“Literally, he’s an indispensable employee. He works so hard, to the point where you’d wonder why he’s pushing himself so much. But I said I’m regretful because, since he’s so competent, so reliable, and never changes his expression no matter what task you give him, always doing it without complaints… because of that, I’ve found myself, even though I know I shouldn’t, continuing to delegate tasks only to him.”

I could understand that.

“And he’s an employee who puts his heart into everything he does.”

“What kind of heart are you referring to?”

“He’s never wasteful with company supplies, even the smallest things. You can tell just by looking at his travel expenses. When he goes on business trips, you can tell that he’s really just there to work. Ah, I shouldn’t be saying this in front of you…”

“No, it’s fine. You mean he’s a bit of a stickler, right?”

“Yes?”

“Who goes on a business trip and only works? You’re supposed to enjoy some good food with company money, stay in nice places, and have some fun.”

“Ha, ha… no, that’s not what I meant.”

“Of course, that’s how it is. If there’s no fun, how can you handle the grind of company life? You just do it in a way that doesn’t raise suspicion. The higher-ups turn a blind eye when necessary. Anyway, this employee, who’s so indispensable, wants to quit—why can’t you, as his direct supervisor, keep him?”

Manager Oh responded to that.

“Just as much as he was sincere about the company, I also had a lot of personal feelings toward him. We’ve had a lot of drinks together, and I know about his family situation as well.”

I signaled for him to continue.

“I’ve convinced him several times already. I’ve managed to calm him down, saying that people’s lives are all the same in the end. But if I’m being honest, it was a situation that could have exploded at any time. Last year, when his older brother took out a loan through him to start a business and it failed, I managed to calm him down then as well. But now, looking back, maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t stopped him.”

“Does that mean you believe there’s nothing more you can do for him?”

“Yes, it’s embarrassing to admit, but that’s the truth. If there were issues with his work or his relationships with colleagues, then maybe I could help. But in this case, I believe the company can’t really do anything to assist him.”

“I see…”

“He’s never worn new school uniforms.”

“…What?”

“Three years of middle school and three years of high school. He always wore his older brother’s hand-me-down uniforms.”

“Hmm…”

“It wasn’t just the uniforms. Everything—he wore and used whatever his brother had. His older brother, being the eldest, always got new things, and the youngest sister, being a girl, got the new things. It seems like he’s always been the second son in a family where everything had to be handed down. He’s the type of person who picks up on things quickly. He doesn’t seem like it, but once you get closer to him, you can see that he’s quite obsessed with his own things.”

“That’s exactly what he said during our consultation earlier.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he’s very attached to himself, and also feels sorry for himself.”

“That’s right. It’s understandable that he’d feel that way.”

“Based on what you’ve said, it’s clear that you think he’s a good employee, right?”

Manager Oh replied with certainty, his eyes wide open, without any doubt.

“Of course. What’s the point of saying it in words? If you look at the entire sales department, our team’s performance is the highest.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that.”

“More than 30% of our sales team’s performance was driven by him. It’s not an exaggeration to say that. For people like us in sales, you can’t prove your ability just by being a good person or having good character. It’s all about performance. Performance speaks for itself. His personal performance is among the top ranks, and his contribution to the team’s performance is number one. What more do you need me to say?”

“Yet, Manager Oh, you weren’t able to keep such a valuable employee?”

“Ha… if I could keep him, believe me, I’d do anything. I’d even chain him up if I had to.”

“But in the end, you couldn’t keep him, could you?”

“……”

“I’m thinking of transferring this department head to another department. I just wanted to meet briefly to get your understanding on this.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, it seems like your hands are tied anyway, aren’t they?”

“Well…”

“Since he’s already planning to resign, I thought I’d try suggesting a transfer to another department. It’s no longer something you need to be involved in, right?”

“Well, that’s true. Yes. That’s right. Honestly, I’d be grateful if the HR department could assist with that.”

It was sincere.

“What power does a sales department manager have in making a department transfer? Of course, Deputy Manager Cha is well-suited for the sales work and is good at it, but in this situation, my honest feeling is that I just want to prevent him from heading into an unknown situation. I’ve heard he’s received a few offers. He said he’s thinking about taking a break, cooling off, and then trying to re-enter the job market. But that’s easier said than done. The reality isn’t so kind.”

“Right. There’s definitely a big difference between changing jobs while still being employed at the company and doing so when not employed.”

“Exactly. But the point is, Manager Cha isn’t someone looking for a job change. He just wants to escape everything for a while and avoid facing reality.”

“That’s what I thought too, so I’m looking into other options. I’d like to know if I have your consent to proceed with this?”

“Of course. I don’t have the right to interfere in that.”

“I understand. Thank you for taking the time. If he insists on quitting, there’s nothing I can do, but I’ll still try to look out for him.”

“Thank you for your help.”

***

The day I was heading to meet the HR director, Deputy Manager Jeong was watching me with anxious eyes.

I could feel his gaze, but I pretended not to notice and went to find the HR director.

HRD’s Manager Park Jong-geun was already there, speaking with the director.

“Oh? Manager Son, what brings you here?”

The HR director, clearly surprised that I had come to see him, stood up and walked toward me.

“It seems like you were talking, so I’ll come back later.”

“No, it’s fine. We’re almost done here.”

It didn’t seem like they were almost done, though.

“Manager Park, I’ll think about it for a bit, but let’s put that on hold for now.”

The director seemed to be trying to send Manager Park away.

“But director, this is something that absolutely needs to be done.”

“Ah, come on. Let’s talk about it in a bit. It doesn’t seem like an urgent matter. What’s the rush?”

“It’s urgent, director.”

The director seemed to be no different from a deputy director in terms of authority.

Was it because I’m Jeong-hoon?

Because I’m the chairman’s son.

“Director.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“I’m really fine. I just needed to confirm something, so I came by. Since Manager Park was speaking first, I’ll come back later.”

“No, no, Manager Park.”

The HR director widened his eyes slightly toward Manager Park, signaling him not to make things more difficult.

Despite this, Manager Park hesitated.

So I spoke up.

“Then I’ll just check this one thing and leave.”

In the end, the HR director couldn’t overrule either my or Manager Park’s stance.

“The Saint-Ouen branch in Paris—”

The HR director wasn’t the only one who seemed surprised; Manager Park also appeared taken aback.

It was as if they were thinking, Are you seriously talking about work right now?

“Yes, we do have it.”

“How is the overseas branch dispatch process handled?”

“Dispatch?”

“Are the postings made through regular applications, or do they send requests for personnel when needed?”

“It’s both. Each dispatch lasts two years, and three people are sent each year. It aligns with the rotation of staff who are already working there. However, in cases of personal issues or problems, early returns do happen. When that occurs, we either draft new personnel or give priority to those on standby.”

“Even if there’s no immediate vacancy, could the headquarters send someone as part of a training program?”

“Hmm… That hasn’t happened before.”

“I have someone I’d like to send. Could you look into creating a spot?”

At that, Manager Park’s eyebrows visibly twitched.

Manager Park Jong-geun.

Perhaps he’s the one with some sense?

“Someone you’d like to send? Is this person one of our company employees?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask who it is?”

“It’s Cha Youngjun, a deputy manager from the Sales Team 2. Do you know him?”

“Cha Youngjun? Oh… yes, I do. He’s excellent at his job.”

“Deputy Manager Cha has expressed his desire to resign for personal reasons. But from what I can tell, he’s an invaluable asset to the company, and his reasons for leaving have nothing to do with work. It seems like a waste.”

“Oh, I see.”

As the HR director nodded more eagerly, the lines on Manager Park’s brow deepened.

“I’m considering offering him the dispatch role to retain him. Would it be possible to create a position for him there? I’d appreciate it if you could help.”

The HR director started nodding even more enthusiastically.

“Oh, of course, if it’s for something like that, I’ll look into it. Let’s see… Yes, that’s right. Cha Youngjun, I believe, has received the Employee of the Month award twice already.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“For someone as talented as that, and since you personally think he’s worth keeping, of course, I’ll look into it. No, I’ll make it happen. I’ll speak with the executive managing the branch and try to arrange a position.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed slightly in gratitude and was about to leave when—

“It’s an HR decision that goes against the company’s principles.”

“…?”

It was Manager Park Jong-geun.

When I turned around, the HR director was glaring at Manager Park as if he wanted to devour him for saying such a thing.

Still, Manager Park didn’t flinch as he addressed me directly.

“I also worked in HRM up until my promotion to manager. Recruitment and transfers fall squarely within the HRM domain. However, the overseas branch transfer you’re suggesting is an entirely different matter.”

“Tsk, Manager Park.”

“Director, if something’s wrong, it’s wrong.”

This was entertaining.

Turns out Manager Park has a surprising amount of backbone.

“Recruiting talented individuals is crucial, but so is nurturing and retaining them—that’s also a core HR responsibility. However, upholding the company’s principles is equally important. If the HR department, which is supposed to uphold and educate employees about those principles, disregards them just to retain one talented individual, it undermines the integrity of the system.”

“Tsk, tsk… What’s gotten into you today? You’re usually not like this.”

I wanted to let this play out a little longer, but it seemed like it might escalate, so I stepped in.

“Principles are important, of course. But in a situation like this, what principle is it exactly that we need to uphold?”

Manager Park responded without hesitation.

“First and foremost, the overseas branch assignment positions are highly competitive. Every year, many employees eagerly await openings for these assignments.”

That was likely true.

“But placing someone in such a coveted role just because they caught your eye, skipping all standard HR procedures, simply doesn’t make sense.”

“The person I’m recommending for the overseas assignment isn’t someone who’s caught my eye.”

“…?”

“I met this employee for the first time today. It was also today that I confirmed their positive reputation and excellent performance.”

“Then that makes it even more problematic. Assigning such a high-demand position based solely on others’ opinions and without personally knowing the employee could set a precedent for similar situations in the future.”

I liked this guy.

He was logical and stood firm on his beliefs, even with the director beside him and me, the chairman’s son, in front of him.

“If similar situations arise, and the individuals in question are worth sending, wouldn’t it make sense to send them too? Especially if they express interest in the role.”

“Excuse me?”

“Why is that a problem?”

“Of course, it’s a problem. How could it not be? Our company offers exceptionally generous benefits for overseas assignments, even when compared to other corporations. While many companies have scaled back expatriate perks in recent years, we still provide full support for international school tuition for employees’ children, language courses for spouses, housing assistance, and living expenses. These are premium roles. Adopting a mindset of sending employees whenever similar cases arise is a highly risky approach.”

“When did I ever say we should send everyone who wants to go? I clearly stated that I was referring to similar cases.”

At my words, Manager Park looked like he wanted to respond but frowned and stopped himself.

“Employee of the Month. Winning that twice—not just recognized within their team but company-wide—should make them worthy of an overseas assignment. Even if no opening exists, isn’t it worth creating one for such an employee? And if anyone has an issue with that, tell them to win the Employee of the Month award twice themselves. If necessary, I’ll personally ask my brother, the senior executive at HQ—or even my father, the chairman—for their spot. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

“If that’s how you frame it, I have nothing more to say. But I do have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

“The employee you want to send is from the Sales Team 2, correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Do they meet the language requirements?”

Language…

Fair point.

It’s a prerequisite for an overseas assignment.

“What language proficiency is necessary?”

“For the Saint-Ouen branch, employees need at least basic English proficiency, even if fluency in French isn’t required.”

“And this language requirement—does it stop at just foreign languages like French or English?”