Politicians and startups had a surprising number of similarities.
To succeed, both needed investors to fund them.
If a startup succeeded, its investors would demand equity in return for their investment.
In contrast, politicians didn't pay back with shares—they repaid their debts by sharing their influence.
But there was a key difference.
While startup investments were voluntary, politicians leveraged their political parties to force investments.
No matter how much money an investor poured in, they could never rise above the party itself.
This often created a strange dynamic where the investors—the ones providing the funds—ended up in a subordinate position.
"We need to cultivate politicians who don't follow the traditional political playbook."
"That's an incredibly risky idea. Politicians will do anything for their own success. They're the kind of people who betray those who helped them without a second thought."
"I know that. That's exactly why I cut off our political donations—to sever ties with the existing political establishment."
The planning director blinked in surprise.
It was contradictory to stop funding politicians while also planning to cultivate them.
"If we start training politicians, we'll inevitably become entangled in politics. Haven't you been working hard to distance yourself from that world? And when has getting involved in politics ever ended well for a corporation?"
"Just look at Hyundai Group. The moment a company meddles in politics, it invites political retaliation."
"Then why?"
"I have no intention of becoming president like Hyundai Group's leader did. And I'm not trying to use politics to gain business advantages or suppress our rivals."
"Then why cultivate politicians at all?"
"To prevent Taewoo Group from being unfairly targeted. We need a force that ensures the political world can't treat us as an easy target."
Politics was ultimately a numbers game.
The major parties always divided the electorate, and whichever side controlled more votes wielded greater power.
I wanted to break free from this stagnant political system.
Not to reform Korean politics—
But to ensure that Taewoo Group would no longer suffer from political retaliation.
"You know better than anyone that to avoid political backlash, we need to maintain good relationships with both major parties. If we side with one, it might benefit us in the short term, but when power shifts, we'll suffer even greater consequences."
"That's exactly why I want to cut ties with both major parties. If we control a political faction with at least 20 lawmakers, we could block political retaliation from within the National Assembly."
A negotiation bloc.
In Korea, any party with at least 20 National Assembly members was considered a negotiation bloc, granting it influence in legislative proceedings.
Twenty members might not seem like much, but in a country where the two major parties dominated, forming such a bloc was no easy task.
"Do you really think that's possible? The major parties have split before, but they always reunite in the end."
"We could recruit 20 lawmakers, but they'd still risk being absorbed back into the larger parties. Unless the political landscape shifts dramatically, this plan is nearly impossible."
"Are you saying a major political upheaval is coming? Or do you believe the illegal election funds scandal has already fractured the political scene?"
"Not quite. Once the general election season starts, the illegal funds scandal will be buried. That's how it always goes—people forget things quickly when they become routine."
Dark money flowing into elections was nothing new.
And when something becomes familiar, people stop paying attention.
"Then what do you think will shake up the political landscape?"
"The newly elected president seems to be disliked by both the ruling and opposition parties. A major incident is bound to happen. When that time comes, we need to take advantage of the situation and elect people unentangled with the two major parties as lawmakers."
"Do you really think something like that will happen?"
It will. Without a doubt.
A historic impeachment is coming next year.
As the process unfolds, the public will grow disillusioned with politics and start yearning for change.
What better opportunity could there be?
If we could place at least 20 lawmakers in the National Assembly, we would no longer be dragged around by the major parties.
"It's inevitable. But 20 lawmakers might not be enough. To hold the casting vote, we'd need around 30 for stability."
"The more, the better. But electing 30 lawmakers is no small feat."
"That's a problem for later. For now, can we find 30 well-known figures who could realistically run for office?"
"If Taewoo Group gets involved, it's possible. But if we handpick the candidates, word will leak that we're interfering in politics."
"Just compile a list for me. We'll support them through channels entirely unrelated to Taewoo Group."
"Understood. I'll narrow it down to about 50 candidates and report back by the end of the week."
This was the perfect opportunity to free ourselves from political influence.
If we missed this chance, it would cost even more time and money in the future.
We had to seize this moment and establish safeguards to ensure Taewoo Group would never again become a political target.
As the sun set and the workday ended, I grabbed my bag, ready to leave.
Just as I was heading out, my phone rang—an all-too-familiar number.
"David! What brings you here at this hour?"
[I'm in Korea! I'm at Captain Kang's office right now. Do you have time to meet?]
"David's in Korea? I'll make time no matter what. I'm heading to Kang's office right now."
When I arrived at Captain Kang's office, David greeted me in a Hawaiian shirt.
"Heading straight to vacation?"
"Just wanted to see the boss's face before I jet off to a resort. Already sent my luggage ahead."
I felt a pang of jealousy.
While I was drowning in work without a single day off, someone else was off to a tropical paradise.
But looking at David's tanned and exhausted face, I figured that pushing him any harder might actually ruin his health.
"You've worked hard. Make sure you don't drink on your vacation, okay?"
"Of course. I'm sick to death of alcohol."
"But you didn't fly all the way to Korea just to report your vacation plans. What's going on?"
"I have a few things to report. First, it seems that Delphine of the Arnault family is planning to settle down in Korea permanently."
Delphine Arnault settling in Korea?
That was unexpected.
"Not China, but Korea? I understand that we're collaborating with the Arnault family, but they could easily send just their designers instead."
"I'm not sure of the exact reason either. There is some talk about using Korea as a foothold for expansion into East Asia, but even I think China would be a much better option."
"There must be another reason. Well, whatever it is, it's not a bad thing for Taewoo Group. We can use it to promote the idea that the Arnault family is paying serious attention to Korea."
Maintaining good relations with the Arnault family could only be beneficial.
Especially if we kept a strong connection with Delphine, the heiress of the family—this could lead to new business opportunities.
"The next report is about India. The drama Hur Jun, which is currently airing, is gaining massive popularity. Several Indian broadcasters are now requesting more Korean dramas for syndication."
"Then we should definitely accommodate those requests. Focus on exporting dramas that were major hits in Korea."
This was around the time the Korean Wave (Hallyu) was just beginning.
Right now, it was nothing more than a gentle breeze. But in ten years, Korean culture would be beloved worldwide.
And India was a key market.
A positive perception of Korea in India would make it easier to attract IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) graduates in the future.
"Since we're expanding Korean dramas and films to India, why not push into the U.S. and European markets as well? We can use OTT platforms."
"Already?"
"Why not? Is there a reason we shouldn't?"
I almost blurted out my surprise.
OTT-produced Korean dramas and films wouldn't gain major traction for another 15 years.
But thinking it over—there was no reason it couldn't be done now.
"You're right. There's no reason not to. Secure the rights to popular Korean dramas and films, distribute them overseas, and even start producing original content."
"That would require a massive production budget."
"Even then, it would still cost less than making a typical U.S. or U.K. drama."
"True, but there's one problem—American audiences aren't very receptive to foreign-language content. Even with dubbing, it often feels unnatural."
The U.S. was known as one of the most open and diverse countries in the world.
Yet in some ways, it was also highly closed-off—especially in the arts and entertainment sector.
Many American audiences were reluctant to watch non-English content.
"If the quality is good enough, language barriers won't matter. Bring in the most famous Korean directors and actors—offer them double the usual industry rate if necessary. Budget is no object."
"If money isn't an issue, then nothing is impossible. I'll get on it immediately."
"I feel like I'm giving too much work to someone who's supposed to be on vacation."
"It only takes a few phone calls. Don't worry. Now, I'd better get going—I'll handle all these tasks while heading to the airport!"
David's Hawaiian shirt fluttered as he left the office.
I had also finished my business and was about to head home when Captain Kang cautiously approached me.
"Sir, I'm not sure if I should bring this up, but there's something you need to know."
"Why so formal between us? Just speak freely."
"Per your orders, we've been closely monitoring key personnel and their families."
The term "close monitoring" was a polite way of saying surveillance—or even spying.
Since security was everything when it came to new technology, we monitored not only the people directly involved but also their families 24/7.
"Did you witness any suspicious attempts at leaking technology?"
"No, it's not that. Actually, while monitoring Chun Min-jung's younger brother, we saw something… disturbing. Let me show you the footage."
Captain Kang opened his laptop and played a video.
A high school classroom appeared on the screen, showing Chun Min-jung's younger brother sitting among his friends.
"Looks like a normal high school scene. What's the issue?"
"I'll fast-forward a bit. Pay attention to what happens during lunch break."
The video skipped ahead to lunchtime.
A group of four or five delinquent-looking students surrounded Chun Min-jung's younger brother.
Thwack!
One of them suddenly smacked him across the head.
They didn't stop there.
One of them spat into his lunch tray while the others laughed.
"Those insane bastards!
I couldn't hold back my rage.
Chun Min-jung was arguably the most important person for Taewoo Group's future.
And someone dared to mess with her family?
TL/n -
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