The Dignity of the Chaebol

“Why do I feel like Deputy Manager Jeong has been siding with Manager Mang all along? Is it just me, or is that really what’s happening?”

In the end, Deputy Manager Jeong chuckled and playfully asked Manager Kim Won-ho.

“Is it wrong for me to side with the manager?”

“Ah? Ah? Look at this, look at this. You’re right, you are siding with him.”

“Well, he’s my team manager. Isn’t it natural for me to side with the manager?”

“Wow… so this is how it’s going, huh?”

“What do you mean by that? I’m just surprised.”

“Surprised? Surprised by what?”

“I didn’t expect Manager Mang to solve Jun-young’s issue so easily. Honestly, I didn’t even think we’d be able to keep Jun-young. The moment I spoke with Manager Oh, I had a gut feeling that there was no way. But Manager Mang made it look so easy, even though, as you said, using the power of his background, he solved it effortlessly.”

Manager Kim Won-ho pointed at Deputy Manager Jeong a few times, almost as if to emphasize his point.

“Look at this… I thought you were smart, but you’re totally off the mark.”

“Off the mark? What do you mean?”

“It’s not about him.”

“Not about him? What do you mean?”

“Don’t you get it after watching him for the last six months? Don’t follow Manager Mang’s line.”

Hearing this, Deputy Manager Jeong let out an incredulous laugh and took another drag from his cigarette.

“Getting on Manager Mang’s bad side won’t do any good, but getting too close to him is even more dangerous. There are a lot of eyes on the company. Plus, Manager Mang will probably move somewhere else in about six months.”

“But then why do you keep saying the Personnel Department will only be around for a year? Have you heard something?”

“Heard? What would I have heard? I’m just saying that’s how it usually goes, so I think Manager Mang will do the same.”

“Usually? Didn’t the Executive Director at headquarters stay in the Strategy Planning team for over two years? That’s what I heard.”

Quickly changing the subject, Manager Kim Won-ho said, “Does that really matter right now? Anyway, Deputy Manager Jeong, you should keep a close eye on this. To me, this seems like a new trick.”

“Maybe it is, maybe it’s not.”

“What?”

Deputy Manager Jeong had a personal promise with Manager Mang, so he couldn’t be as candid in front of Manager Kim as he used to be.

“Alright, let’s give it a few more days. I’ll keep an eye on things, and if I notice anything unusual, I’ll report it to you immediately.”

“You’re doing a great job.”

“It’s nothing. No trouble, really. I’m fine.”

“No trouble? Even I, who am just watching from the side, feel like I’m about to lose my temper sometimes. Anyway, he’s the president’s son. It’s never good to get on his bad side, so let’s stay as soft as possible… you know what I mean?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Let’s hold on a little longer. He’ll be gone soon.”

***
Do you have any feelings for me?

As expected, today I woke up in Jeong Hoon’s body once again.

Today, I woke up on my own without the help of an alarm clock, but unlike yesterday and the day before, I managed to sleep soundly without waking up in the middle of the night.

Thanks to Deputy Manager Jeong, I think I’ll be able to start reading the newspaper in the mornings from now on.

Three different newspapers, wrapped in white plastic, were placed in front of the door.

Following what Deputy Manager Jeong taught me, I made a cup of coffee, then diluted it with hot water as much as possible. I sipped on it slowly while reading the newspapers, checking the world’s events.

The world is loud.

The newspapers were so filled with astonishing news from not just Korea but all over the world, it was hard to find even the usual advertisements.

There was a news story about how South Korea, which had been lagging behind for over 30 years, had begun to catch up with Japan in terms of individual national income.

Looking at that news, I couldn’t help but wonder whether this world I was experiencing through my grandson, Jeong Hoon’s body, was really the reality.

Although it had great potential, China had already become the world’s second-largest economic power after the U.S., and wars occurring in various places were threatening the global cost of living and the lives of ordinary people.

The country’s politics were unstable, and it felt like the economy had reached its limits.

Reading those news stories, I couldn’t erase the regret that, despite my reputation, I had been a small and insufficient businessman.

Back when I was connected to the regime, I should have chosen information technology over aviation.

I should have focused more on semiconductors instead of construction.

It feels like it was just yesterday to me, but it was actually 30 years ago by this world’s timeline.

At that time, I never imagined Korea would become such a powerful cultural, semiconductor, and information technology powerhouse.

That was my inadequacy.

It turns out that the chairman’s choice and gamble were right after all, not mine.

Maybe the reason Jeong Hoon is so deep in trouble right now isn’t because of him, but because of my mistakes.

My lack of foresight in future business and my failure to properly take care of my children.

In the past few days, I’ve been diligently learning how to use a smartphone through Deputy Manager Jeong.

Now, I can handle the basics.

Through SNS and KakaoTalk, I was able to check all the conversations Jeong Hoon had with his equally troublesome friends, and I deleted and blocked the contacts that seemed utterly useless.

Through the conversations with Jeong Tae, I was able to infer the relationship between Jeong Hoon and Jeong Tae.

Fortunately, their relationship didn’t seem bad at all.

In the conversations, mostly consisting of light jokes, I also got the impression that Jeong Tae takes surprisingly good care of Jeong Hoon.

There was much more to read in the family group chat, which includes not only Jeong Tae but also their parents.

Twice a month, on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings, it seems the whole family gathers at the family home for a meal.

That Tuesday evening also happens to be when someone comes to clean the house I’m currently staying in. It’s Jeong Hoon’s mother, Jang Hye-ran, who sends someone to clean here.

Hong Jun rarely participates in those conversations, but Jang Hye-ran often posts pictures of pretty food, flowers, and beautiful backgrounds whenever she gets a chance.

The responses to those pictures are mostly from Jeong Tae’s wife, Won Soo-kyung, and Jeong Hoon. It was crucial information to me that Jeong Hoon uses informal language with everyone except his father, Hong Jun, and that he seems quite close to his sister-in-law, Won Soo-kyung.

At this point, I felt I had enough information about the surroundings.

Now, I need to focus on Jeong Hoon himself.

It’s time for me to study this unfamiliar person, Jeong Hoon, whom I had no knowledge of when I closed my eyes, and who didn’t even exist back then.

It was difficult.

Clearly, there was a limit to what I could achieve just through Deputy Manager Jeong.

According to him, until I entered Jeong Hoon’s body, he, as well as everyone in the company, hardly ever communicated with him.

He didn’t even respond to greetings, apparently.

It wasn’t surprising.

When someone considers their colleagues as slaves and stores their names in their phone like that, there’s nothing shocking about it.

But I couldn’t exactly ask Jeong Tae, Hong Jun, or Jang Hye-ran about what kind of person Jeong Hoon was.

There must be another way, a better way.

For now, I’ll start by going to work.

“Good morning, Manager.”

“Yes, good morning, Deputy Manager Jeong. The thing I asked you about yesterday…”

“It’s on your desk, Manager. I also sent you the original files via messenger, just in case. You know how to check the messenger now, right?”

“Yes, I’ll ask if I get stuck.”

“Got it.”

“When we have a meeting later, make sure to call me too.”

“Yes!”

I checked the resignation forms and the applicants’ resumes that had been submitted to the HR department one by one.

Surprisingly, the average educational background of employees from the Sales Department who wanted to resign was a four-year university from Seoul.

Among them was a candidate who had majored in psychology at Yonsei University.

The situation in other departments was even more striking.

“Deputy Manager Jeong.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“Is TOEIC an English exam, like TOEFL?”

“Yes, that’s right. But how do you know about TOEFL, Manager?”

“I think I’ve heard of it somewhere.”

After confirming that TOEIC was indeed an English proficiency test, I asked again about the score of 900.

“990 is the highest score.”

“So, a score of 900 means it’s above 90 out of 100, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Is this exam widely recognized?”

“Currently, it’s definitely one of the standard measures to evaluate job seekers’ efforts.”

Looking at the resumes I had, there were quite a few with scores around 905, 920, and even 940. Were all the English prodigies in Korea heading to this company, Jaegyeongmojik?

“That can’t be true. No way.”

Of course, I know I’m not one of them.

But isn’t it strange?

Back in the early 90s, there were hardly any sales staff with a degree from a four-year university in Seoul.

Even back then, departments like General Affairs, HR, and Strategic Planning emphasized basic educational background, but it wasn’t like we had so many high-scoring English test takers.

It could be that times have changed, but it raises the question of whether it’s really right to hire new employees based on these standards, especially when so many employees are resigning early.

Moreover, the reasons for resignation listed on the forms didn’t make sense to me either.

The job doesn’t suit them.

They feel there are too few opportunities for self-development.

The compensation doesn’t match the workload the company demands…

Ha, it really feels like I’ve entered a completely different world.

The corporate culture that asks for resignation reasons from employees is hard to adjust to, and I’m also having trouble adjusting to their mindset that the compensation isn’t enough, even though it’s blunt but ultimately honest.

Most of all, if the company is requesting this kind of information, why aren’t they using it to improve the issues employees feel dissatisfied with?

If they hadn’t asked for these reasons from resigning employees, I’d have understood. But the fact that they ask for it shows an intention to identify problems and improve by understanding the dissatisfaction and regrets employees experience while working here.

After going over all the materials Deputy Manager Jeong had organized, it was already nearly 11 a.m.

Was there no morning meeting today?

I snapped back to attention and glanced around to find that Deputy Manager Jeong was not at his desk.

“Where did Deputy Manager Jeong go?”

“He was called to a meeting by the department head.”

Looking over at the HRD team, I noticed that Manager Park Jong-geun was also not at his desk.

“Then Hong, the junior staff member.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“Can you do me a favor? Could you find the resumes of employees who have been with the company for more than two years?”

“All of them?”

“Yes, all of them. From every department.”

“…”

“Is that too many? Will it take a long time?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Just then, Deputy Manager Jeong returned to his desk after finishing the meeting with the department head.

“Why are you looking for the resumes of employees with more than two years of service?”

I was relieved. It had only been a few days, but I felt much more at ease now that Deputy Manager Jeong was back.

“When I looked at the resignation forms and their entry resumes, I noticed a common trend. That means there will be a clear pattern among employees who have been with the company for more than two years, right?”

It was something so obvious, but why was he looking so surprised?

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no. Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“……”

“Come on, it’s unbelievable that a deputy manager in the HRM team, which handles hiring and employment within a company, is worried about the increasing number of early resignations but hasn’t even considered such a simple suspicion.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Why is he apologizing now?

It’s ironic that I’m pointing out issues with Deputy Manager Jeong’s work while being in Jeong Hoon’s body.

“Please prepare the resumes of employees with between 2 and 3 years of service.”