Jinhyuk Park was well aware of how dangerous it was to mess with the union.
However, just because it was dangerous did not mean he could simply ignore it and move on. If he did not pull it out by the roots now, Suman Park might use it as a foothold for a comeback once he finished serving his sentence.
“If the company starts investigating the backgrounds of union members, it could be seen as surveillance and come back to haunt us later. Therefore, please make it so that those who have left the union provide information naturally.”
“Those who left the union?”
“If Suman Park privatized the union by turning it into his own support group, there must be people who hold a grudge against him. We just need to get them to reveal the union’s corruption.”
Jinhyuk thought back to the days of Yujeonggeol.
During his time working part-time jobs and at companies before his current employment, many things occurred that would be incomprehensible to a third party’s common sense. Rumors of people paying money to get job placements and the collusion between high-ranking executives and union officials were so widespread that they even reached the ears of a part-timer like himself.
If that was the case in the places he had worked, he believed there would be even worse corruption in a union privatized by Suman Park.
“You mean we should make them come to us on their own.”
“Exactly. You can cover dung, but you can’t hide the smell. And you can smell it without even seeing it. People who hate filthy things—if you give them an opportunity, they will seek us out and tell us where the dung is. Then, all we have to do is lift the newspaper that was covering it. We don’t need to go around poking here and there to find out where it might be hidden.”
Hisoo Hyun finally felt relieved after hearing Jinhyuk’s words.
If they conducted surveillance to find corruption, it could become a problem even after the corruption was uncovered. The moment the idea that ‘I might be next’ became embedded in people’s minds, the company would be viewed as a place that monitored its employees.
However, if they proceeded as Jinhyuk suggested, they could transform their image into an entity that rooted out corruption. While unions and management often fought relentlessly to secure their own interests, legitimacy would be granted to management’s actions if they were based on the pretext of eliminating corruption.
Hisoo Hyun nodded at Jinhyuk’s words. He stated that he would establish a plan in consultation with Junwoo Kim and then left Jinhyuk’s office.
***
As soon as the notice was released that DS Telecom would be holding an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to appoint the next CEO, talk began to pour out from various places.
In particular, at DS Pharmaceutical, an unsettled atmosphere began to circulate as news spread that Jinhyuk was moving positions just as the company was gaining momentum and charging forward.
“Executive Director, wouldn’t it be better if you were promoted to President of DS Pharmaceutical instead?”
A group including Dayong Kyung, Sajeongman, and presidents of other subsidiaries rushed into the conference room to persuade Jinhyuk against moving to DS Telecom.
“If I were to become the President of DS Pharmaceutical, what would you do, President Kyung?”
“I… if you were to take the position, I would naturally have to step down.”
Despite saying he would give up his position, there was no trace of regret on Dayong Kyung’s face. Rather, he looked as if he truly wished for Jinhyuk to continue leading DS Pharmaceutical. Jinhyuk felt even more trust in Dayong Kyung because of that expression.
“DS Pharmaceutical is preparing for a major leap forward. By acquiring Novo, we have gained new drug development technology, and through Biologics, we have secured global production capacity. At a time like this, you cannot leave your post, President Kyung.”
Dayong Kyung’s face flushed slightly at Jinhyuk’s words. He seemed to be in high spirits after being highly evaluated in front of the other presidents.
“It’s not that I don’t want to stay and continue working in the pharmaceutical field as it moves forward. But… I believe you all know where I am ultimately headed.”
Everyone in the room nodded at Jinhyuk’s words.
Jinhyuk was different from an ordinary salaryman who joined through open recruitment and worked for a single company. He was a member of the group’s owner family and the person closest to the position of the next chairman. His place was not at DS Pharmaceutical, but at the highest point of DS Headquarters.
“There is something I must do at DS Telecom. And after going there, I will move positions once again. I trust that everyone here understands why I keep moving like this. Please support me from behind as I walk my path. If you do not forget the time we worked together and struggled to save DS Pharmaceutical and its subsidiaries, I will not forget you either.”
The presidents were deeply moved by Jinhyuk’s words.
The pharmaceutical wing had once been nothing more than a marginal part of DS Group. They had lived through years where they failed to generate proper profits, and it wouldn’t have been strange for the company to be sold off at any moment. In fact, in the case of DS Biologics, the sell-off process had progressed significantly.
However, during the one year spent with Jinhyuk, the pharmaceutical wing had transformed into a major pillar of DS. Even as other subsidiaries struggled to avoid falling into the red, it showed growth rates in the hundreds of percent and successfully finalized a large-scale M&A while showing an operating profit of over 1 trillion won. Now, the pharmaceutical wing was no longer a neglected affiliate of DS Group.
And now, Jinhyuk, who was moving toward becoming the next chairman, was asking for their help. It meant that if Jinhyuk became the chairman of DS Group, their names could be recorded on the list of meritorious officials. The presidents of the pharmaceutical wing all swore an oath of loyalty to Jinhyuk and agreed to help him on his path.
Jinhyuk stood up and shook hands with each president of the pharmaceutical subsidiaries. At the end, he gave Dayong Kyung a deep hug, physically expressing his gratitude for the man’s support. Dayong Kyung, who had already been full of trust in Jinhyuk, was even more deeply impressed by the gesture.
Give your best when winning someone over, and treat them with sincerity after they are won. Jinhyuk treated the presidents with sincerity, and they decided to follow him.
When Jinhyuk left the conference room after finishing with the presidents, Junwoo Kim, who had been waiting outside, approached him.
“Executive Director, please take a look at this.”
Jinhyuk did not stop walking toward his office as he took the tablet Junwoo Kim handed him. He looked at the headline on the screen.
[DS Telecom Union Issues Statement of Opposition]
Jinhyuk handed the tablet back to Junwoo Kim without even reading the content of the article.
“They moved first, just as expected.”
“Yes. The union gathered reporters and issued a statement saying they can no longer stand by and watch the owner family participate in management.”
“So? They want to bring in a professional manager?”
“Yes. They are opposing the Board of Directors’ resolution.”
“Interesting. This is exactly how they should act.”
Jinhyuk entered his office and sat in his chair. Junwoo Kim, who had followed him inside, continued his report.
“Currently, investment and financial firms of DS Telecom are all welcoming your appointment. However, due to the union’s current reaction, voices of dissatisfaction are emerging among minority shareholders.”
“How much did the stock price drop?”
“The KOSPI as a whole has fallen by nearly 30% compared to the beginning of the year, so DS Telecom could not avoid that damage. It has dropped about 35% as of yesterday’s market close.”
“Right. They don’t think about the composite stock price index falling; they only think about their own stocks dropping. That is the characteristic of minority shareholders. And the union tapped into that well. They don’t seem to be stupid.”
“What should we do? Should we issue a rebuttal statement immediately?”
“No. Don’t issue a rebuttal. Let it burn a little more.”
“You want me to let it burn more than this?”
“Yes. That way, other people will realize that I am moving to DS Telecom. And the more talk there is about me, the better. That way, the effect will be more dramatic when the situation is reversed later.”
When no counter-statement came from Jinhyuk’s side, the union persistently clung to the risks of the owner family. They held press conferences almost every day and drove the atmosphere as if the company had been sacrificed to satisfy the owner family’s greed.
The market, which initially showed no reaction to the union’s opposition, began to take interest as the one-sided claims continued. In particular, the story of Suman Park, who was undergoing trial in the detention center, was highlighted again and circulated in the market. The story of Suman Park was adapted in various ways. The rumors spreading now changed from Suman Park’s personal deviation to the owner family’s wrong judgment.
“‘How long should our country take the owner family’s participation in management for granted?’ Hmm. They’ve framed it well.”
Jinhyuk put down the newspaper he was reading. Junwoo Kim, who was carefully observing Jinhyuk’s complexion to see if his mood had soured, spoke cautiously.
“Should I lodge a protest with the newspaper?”
“Why would you do that? I told you it’s fine. It’s good for me that things are progressing this way, so don’t worry about it too much.”
“Still, I don’t think it’s right for them to talk about you like that.”
Junwoo Kim knew what Jinhyuk was intending. However, knowing it and seeing it directly were two different matters. Reporters roaming in search of interesting issues began to bare their teeth at Jinhyuk, and now they were even pouring out scathing criticism.
“Let’s use this opportunity to decide which places we will maintain good relations with.”
“Pardon?”
“What are reporters? They are wild dogs roaming in search of an issue. But there are various types of wild dogs. There are those who are greedy enough to eat something even if they know it’ll make them sick because of the rot, while there are others who won’t touch anything that might cause trouble. They are divided like that.”
Jinhyuk tapped the newspaper in front of him as he spoke.
“How many of our company’s advertisements are published in these guys’ newspapers and online editions? And yet they bite me? What does that mean? It means they jump at a visible issue even if they know it will cause trouble. They only look at the present without thinking about the future. There is no need to continue working with these kinds of people. Eventually, there will be a time when we need to join hands with the media to proceed with work, and if we join hands with these types then, we don’t know what kind of disaster we might face. So, compile a list by filtering for those who approach things cautiously to see if it’s something that will cause trouble or not.”
Junwoo Kim could not hide his amazement at Jinhyuk, who was using even this situation as a foothold for future work. He knew that what chaebols hated most was being the subject of gossip. Even if it was for something good, their image would suffer significant damage if their name was brought up in a negative light. Not only would it be a minus when managing the company, but there was also a risk of being targeted by partners when conducting business later. Therefore, he knew it was common practice to try to block or erase articles when bad stories spread.
But the Jinhyuk in front of him did not care at all.
“Are there ten days left until the general meeting?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then it’s about time to start. What about what I told President Hyun? Is there anyone biting?”
“There hasn’t been much of a reaction yet. According to our private investigation, the person currently serving as the union chairman has amassed considerable wealth, but there have been no tips about this. Could it be that the other union members don’t know?”
“Look, Secretary Kim. You said this is your first time in company life, right?”
“Yes. Serving you is my first.”
“Then you might not know, but rumors circulating within a company are far beyond what you imagine. No matter how well I hide my assets, everyone down to the person who only knows my face enough to say hello would know about it. But a union leader possessing a significant amount of wealth? There is no way they don’t know. Someone knows, and there will be someone who knows in detail how he acquired such wealth.”
“Then what should we do? Should we go out and look for them?”
“No. Wait.”
“There isn’t much time left, so we need to receive the tip now to investigate and hit the media. If time continues to pass like this, I don’t think we’ll be able to use it at the meeting.”
Once they received a tip, they could not just recklessly leak the fact to the media. Time was needed to verify the accuracy of the tip, and time was also needed for the media to take that source and verify it again. If so, they might not be able to reveal the fact that the union was Suman Park’s puppet union before the meeting began.
“There is news that the wavering minority shareholders are already going to file for an injunction regarding the appointment of the CEO.”
“They really are doing everything.”
“If this happens, even if you are appointed as CEO, people will keep talking. And even if we reveal the union’s wrongdoing after the appointment… if people lose interest, I think you might feel uncomfortable in your future movements.”
Jinhyuk nodded at Junwoo Kim’s words. Just as he said, there was a right time for everything. If things were left like this, strength could be added to the union’s claims. If stories like the uniquely Korean ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ began to spread, the situation could worsen uncontrollably.
However, Jinhyuk was still overflowing with composure.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t think I’d be able to take down the union with a tip before the extraordinary general meeting anyway.”
“Pardon? Then do you have another idea to overcome the current situation?”
“Of course. Did you think I wouldn’t have anticipated that? In any case, they cannot block me from becoming CEO in a vote at the general meeting.”
Jinhyuk leaned back in his chair and spoke to Junwoo Kim, who still did not understand his words.
“We just need to change the atmosphere.”
“Well, yes, that is true.”
What Jinhyuk said was obvious. But it was because that obvious thing was so difficult to do that Junwoo had been worried, yet Jinhyuk was talking about it as if it were nothing.
“We just need to appease the parts that the minority shareholders are dissatisfied with. First, have an article published with a promise to place advertisements in media outlets that haven’t covered my story.”
“What kind of article do you mean?”
“Have them make an article with a very pretty graph showing the stock price trends since I began participating in management. You know what I mean, right?”
Only after hearing Jinhyuk’s words did Junwoo Kim realize what he was planning to do.
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