The Square of Remembrance

The scene at Gwanghwamun during the fundraising frenzy looked quite different from what Yoo Jae-won remembered. Come to think of it, the square itself had only been built around 2008. Right now, it was nothing more than a busy road where cars sped past without pause. Gwanghwamun Square had truly begun to assert its presence during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. That was when the culture of street cheering first emerged, and afterward, as the square's symbolic meaning was reexamined, discussions about creating an actual public plaza began in earnest.

Since then, countless events that defined the twenty-first century had unfolded at Gwanghwamun Square. Not everything had been positive, of course, but the good far outweighed the bad. That was why today's finale event for fundraising on behalf of the victims of Japanese colonial rule, while smaller in scale than some of the major gatherings that would take place here in the future, carried undeniable meaning.

The announcer's clear, resonant voice rang out as the figure appeared on the massive electronic display. A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd gathered in front of the stage. Even though it was winter, hundreds of people had shown up to support the event, filling every seat. The sky seemed to be helping too—the weather had warmed, and there was no wind at all. The temperature was still below freezing, but without any breeze the wind chill wasn't bad. On top of that, the invited singers were pouring their hearts into their performances, heating up the atmosphere so much that some people were actually sweating.

The event was nearing its conclusion.

At the announcer's words, Yoo Jae-won, who had been waiting backstage, stepped up onto the platform.

Originally, this fundraising drive had been planned to last only one month. But the public's enthusiasm had been so overwhelming that it was extended by another month, finally coming to an end today. Thanks to that, an astonishing sum of roughly 12.1 billion won had been raised. Or to be more precise, nearly 12.1 billion won.

In the twenty-first century, whenever a major national disaster struck and a relief campaign was launched, it was common to surpass 10 billion won. But that was only possible because the country's economy had grown tremendously and civic participation had become deeply rooted. For 1994—when awareness was still low and many people were still struggling—to exceed 10 billion won carried profound significance.

Of course, corporate donations made up a substantial portion. Looking at the companies that participated, there was the Mirae Group, TG, Busan Group, and Yukyeong Group, along with Sejin Computer Land. Even Ilsung Group hadn't been able to ignore the cause and had contributed. Every major conglomerate except for the Roto Group—which had extremely close ties to Japan—had joined the effort.

That said, the size of each company's donation didn't strictly follow their ranking in the business world. In terms of actual amount, the Busan Group had given the most, followed by the Yukyeong Group. Third place had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gone to an unexpected contender: Sejin Electronics Land. All four were groups with very close relationships to Yoo Jae-won.

It made sense. The Busan Group was led by Park Sang-kwon, who could be considered Yoo Jae-won's benefactor. While their main business had once been beer, they were now aggressively expanding into grain processing and heavy industry.

The Yukyeong Group was similar. It had all started when Yoo Jae-won created a chicken recipe simply because he wanted to eat it, which became the foundation for Yukyeong Chicken. Now, Yukyeong Chicken franchises could be found almost anywhere in Korea. Their sweet yangnyeom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chicken and savory soy sauce chicken had completely conquered the market. These days, when people thought of chicken, most pictured Yukyeong Chicken rather than KFC's crispy chicken.

Having established a nationwide distribution network through Yukyeong Chicken, the group had leveraged it to build a successful delivery and logistics business. Recently, they had even expanded into animal feed production, processing the feathers and bones left over from processing raw chickens into feed for aquaculture farms.

TG was much the same. President Lee Yong-kwon of TG was slightly behind the other two in donation size, but in terms of business synergy, TG was the closest to the ID Group. The Egg series and Shell Book went without saying, and in the mobile telecommunications sector, they were essentially true partners.

Sejin Electronics Land had the least direct connection to Yoo Jae-won. He had simply invested a bit out of nostalgia for his previous life. Yet the timing had aligned perfectly with the Kookmin PC project, leading to explosive growth. Following Yoo Jae-won's advice, they hadn't recklessly opened too many directly-managed stores that occupied entire buildings. Instead, they had aggressively established large dealerships that took up whole first floors in major cities across the country.

Among affordable Kookmin PCs, theirs boasted the best value for money. By advertising that they had received investment from Yoo Jae-won, Sejin Electronics Land had completely dominated the low-end market. Even more surprising was that the military-style culture that had once given Sejin its notorious reputation had now completely disappeared.

President Lee Sung-soo had connected with Yoo Jae-won the latest among them, yet he had become the most fervent disciple. He tried to emulate everything Yoo Jae-won did. As a result, Sejin Electronics Land had adopted the ID Group's corporate culture almost verbatim. Although Sejin was fundamentally a traditional retail business, somehow they had managed to implement the corporate culture of Silicon Valley IT venture companies. And that gamble had paid off handsomely.

One of the ID Group's signature policies was offering exceptional compensation to key talent while also sharing the fruits of the company's growth with all employees. By providing special care for core personnel while ensuring that ordinary employees didn't feel left out, the company maximized overall efficiency.

Sejin Electronics Land had followed suit, giving massive bonuses to salespeople who exceeded targets, employees praised for exceptional customer service, and those who proposed efficient inventory management methods. The remaining average employees also received bonuses proportional to the company's growth, so even those without standout abilities worked diligently. Thanks to this virtuous cycle, President Lee Sung-soo worked even harder to follow Yoo Jae-won's methods. If there were a cult that worshipped Yoo Jae-won, Lee Sung-soo would undoubtedly be its most devoted follower.

Whoa!

While Yoo Jae-won was momentarily lost in thought, the young male announcer must have skillfully hyped up the crowd with his excellent delivery, because a massive cheer erupted from the audience. They even began asking him questions.

It was an unexpected question not on the schedule, but it posed no problem for Yoo Jae-won.

"I was genuinely surprised when I saw the numbers," he said, taking the microphone. The words flowed naturally. "However, I don't feel even the slightest regret. On the contrary, I'm delighted that the amount far exceeded what I expected. It means that many people share in the sorrow of the victims of Japanese colonial rule and feel the same anger toward Japan, which has remained silent and even tried to cover it up all this time."

Because he had maintained consistent interest in this issue, he was able to speak so fluently. Had he only jumped on the bandwagon for profit or atmosphere, he would have been at a loss for words when faced with such a sudden question.

"What is regrettable is that although the victims' voices have existed for a long time, we are only now paying attention. I believe this is because a cartel of silence has been operating powerfully. The media, which should have been conveying the victims' stories, remained silent. The political world, which should have represented them, found such voices inconvenient and chose silence as well. So why did the media and politicians stay quiet? Because those who have never reflected on their pro-Japanese and traitorous actions still hold positions of power in our society."

The announcer who had asked the question looked visibly flustered. He clearly hadn't expected Yoo Jae-won to answer so directly. Hundreds of attendees were present, along with numerous media outlets covering the event. KBS was even broadcasting it live. He hadn't anticipated such an open attack on the media, politicians, and even the established elite.

But Yoo Jae-won wasn't finished yet.

"That is why I am grateful to the judges who were recently impeached. Because they acted exactly as they always had, the stories of the victims of Japanese colonial rule became widely known, and we were able to achieve these results. Those who have been reexamined in light of past events must have been quite shocked by this development."

Apparently receiving some kind of signal from above, the announcer tried to cut Yoo Jae-won off. Since he had already said nearly everything he wanted to say, Yoo Jae-won felt refreshed and allowed the program to move on to the next segment.

It was time to hand over a large plaque bearing the exact amount raised to the representative of the victims of Japanese colonial rule. The moment Yoo Jae-won physically handed over the plaque, the amount written on it was instantly deposited into the fundraising account under Choi Kang-wook's direction. As a result, the numbers on the electronic display changed immediately. The 12 billion figure instantly doubled to 24 billion won.

"Finally, there is one proposal I would like to make."

The announcer jumped in surprise at Yoo Jae-won's words but couldn't refuse. Although it was a weekday daytime broadcast, it had already achieved peak topicality. The ripple effect of Yoo Jae-won's statements was impossible to calculate, but since the broadcast was already a success, the on-site PD seemed to have adopted a "whatever happens, happens" attitude. On a personal level, he also seemed to envy Yoo Jae-won for being able to speak his mind so candidly about sensitive issues in a public forum.

Korea was still a conservative country. And just as Yoo Jae-won had said, those who had sold out the nation had formed a powerful establishment. In such a situation, the only people who could freely express their convictions in an open setting without any repercussions were the president himself—or those who had nothing left to lose.

"I believe the reason we couldn't respond quickly to the appeals of the victims of Japanese colonial rule is that we had forgotten about their suffering. Because there are people trying to bury this issue, I think there is a high possibility of a second Ma Tae-sik judge incident occurring. While thinking about how we can ensure we never forget, I came up with the idea of a memorial monument and statue."

In the twenty-first century, it was the Statue of Peace that had revived the fading presence of the victims of Japanese colonial rule. In reality, what disappears from sight tends to be forgotten. But if even a single statue stands along a path people walk every day, it cannot be forgotten. Moreover, every time a new statue was erected, Japan would react with near-hysteria, making it impossible to ignore. It was the same psychological effect as being told not to imagine an elephant.

"I think it would be good to start right here on the streets of Gwanghwamun. As the one making the proposal, I believe I should lead by example. Therefore, I will soon consult with the Seoul city government to purchase a small plot of land—about one or two pyeong—in the Gwanghwamun area and install a memorial monument and statue there."

Although Seoul was famous for its exorbitant land prices, this was no great burden for Yoo Jae-won. However, by taking the lead for the victims of Japanese colonial rule like this, it was obvious that he would earn the deep resentment of the Japanese government. Yoo Jae-won didn't care if the Japanese government hated him. Japan, which had plundered Korea, bore the original sin. The Japanese government that had engaged in concealment and distortion all this time was in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the wrong. Yoo Jae-won stood with a clear conscience under the heavens.

Even if it caused massive interference with his business in Japan, it would be fine. His largest business in Japan was in the financial sector, and Japan had already opened its capital markets. Even if they tried to block direct investment from ID Investment, it would be enough to simply go through channels like Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan. Even Japan couldn't block that much. The area that would suffer would be software, excluding finance.

But even if there were a boycott of ID Group products, he was confident it wouldn't cause significant damage. As for games, Japan was already walking a path separate from global trends, so sales had never been strong to begin with. The phenomenon was so pronounced that the term "Galápagos syndrome" had been coined. On the other hand, companies and schools had no choice but to use the Android operating system or ID Office. That was the terrifying power of monopoly.

Having successfully concluded the event, Yoo Jae-won came down from the stage feeling refreshed. During the previous Statue of Peace fundraising campaign, he had been caught up in some absurd matter and couldn't participate. This time, things had worked out well and he had been able to take the lead. It felt good to have one weight lifted from his heart.

His schedule in Korea continued. He planned to take care of as much business as possible in Korea before returning to the United States to focus entirely on new product development, so he had added almost every possible item to his itinerary. Naturally, a visit to the Blue House to meet President Kim could not be omitted.

It wasn't something Yoo Jae-won had requested. President Kim from the Blue House had reached out first, asking if they could meet, and Yoo Jae-won had immediately accepted. In the impeachment of Ma Tae-sik and the seven other judges, President Kim's role had been quite significant. In the end, the current flow of events was far better than if the first-instance court had simply ruled in favor of compensation. If it had gone all the way to the Supreme Court without impeachment, an irreversible ruling might have been handed down before anyone could do anything about it.

Now that the judges who had manipulated the law to suit their own tastes had been impeached, even if they wanted to play games, they wouldn't be able to. In fact, the effects of the impeachment were already becoming apparent. Ma Tae-sik and the seven other judges had been sued by the victims' association and the National Assembly on charges of judicial corruption. The Prosecutor's Office had immediately assigned the case to the Central Investigation Department 1 of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and begun a swift investigation.

It started with search and seizure warrants. The first target was Ma Tae-sik's office at the Court Administration Office. Under normal circumstances, the courts would have dragged their feet on the warrant request until the early ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠morning hours before rejecting it. They could have fabricated any number of reasons. That way, with only a slight loss of face, they could have preemptively blocked the prosecutors' investigative power from reaching the heart of the judiciary.

This time was different. The search and seizure warrant was issued promptly. As soon as the warrant came through, the prosecutors, accompanied by investigators, went straight to the Court Administration Office and completely ransacked Ma Tae-sik's office. There were voices among the judges complaining that they, who had only worked diligently, were being collectively condemned because of the misconduct of a few. But not a single judge dared to say such things openly.

Anyone could see that this incident was the judges' fault. Having witnessed the media and the National Assembly united in stripping the problematic judges of their qualifications as legal professionals, they had no choice but to tread carefully. Only the Constitutional Court's ruling remained, but given the atmosphere, it was clear it would be approved as quickly as possible. If it were overturned and sent back, it would be tantamount to ignoring the National Assembly and the public, and it looked as though crowds would gather in front of the court just like in 1987.

Moreover, although the impeachment had proceeded swiftly, there were no procedural flaws whatsoever, so approval was inevitable. In this situation, even if the compensation lawsuit for victims of Japanese colonial rule went all the way to the Supreme Court, there was no chance of a ruling that catered to the tastes of a small minority.

In any case, the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office had drawn its sword, and the Supreme Court was busy trying to protect itself. Since no one was stepping forward to protect the impeached judges, their future was as clear as day.

That didn't mean there were no people opposing this incident entirely. The Japanese government, the plaintiff, and Mitsubishi, the representative war criminal corporation, were in an absolute uproar. Far-right Japanese politicians were spouting nonsense, and some were even threatening to withdraw from the Korean market, claiming that anti-Japanese sentiment was making normal business impossible. The Japanese government itself had even stated that it would reconsider its investments in Korea.

Fortunately, almost no one paid any attention to such talk. Back when economic growth was the supreme priority, people would have made a fuss about foreign capital leaving. But thanks to the ID Group, such complaints had almost disappeared. Even if every Japanese company pulled out, it was being said that Korea's economic growth rate in 1994 would easily exceed 8 or 9 percent.

The word "almost" implied that a few such people still remained. A handful of media outlets that didn't realize the world had changed, along with a small number of outdated politicians, were still around. Yoo Jae-won simply brushed off such nonsense.

Inside the car heading to the Blue House.

"What do you think President Kim will want to talk about?" Yoo Jae-won asked Choi Kang-wook.

He wasn't asking for the correct answer. He was simply bored of sitting in silence. Using the Shell Book was fun for a day or two, but he had grown tired of it. The early LCD had issues with color accuracy and ghosting, and most critically, it couldn't connect to the internet—let alone make calls—while moving. The power consumption of the CPU, VGA, and hard disk was also high, so the battery drained in no time. A project to solve these shortcomings was underway, but no one knew when it would bear fruit.

"Since the other party is the Blue House, our information reports have been thorough, so we don't have any separately collected intelligence. However, if I were to guess, it will likely be about follow-up measures regarding the judges' impeachment, discussions about the summit meeting in May, or perhaps seeking advice on the FTA."

Although Yoo Jae-won had asked out of boredom, Choi Kang-wook had synthesized everything he knew to provide the best possible answer. The judges' impeachment was something President Kim had also supported, so that was plausible. A North-South summit might sound out of place to those unfamiliar with the situation, but it was well-known in Yeouido that Yoo Jae-won had designed Jeon Myeong-heon's visit to North Korea, which had led to the summit. In particular, the idea of sending a herd of cattle had become known as Yoo Jae-won's brainchild, earning him praise for operating on a completely different level whether in business or politics. While the cattle idea had actually come from Jeon Myeong-heon, so the praise was a bit embarrassing, it wasn't strange for President Kim to ask Yoo Jae-won about North Korean affairs.

"That makes sense, doesn't it?" Yoo Jae-won agreed with Choi Kang-wook's prediction.

However, when they arrived at the Blue House and actually met with President Kim, their predictions turned out to be completely off the mark.

The topic President Kim brought up was neither the judges' case nor anything about North Korea. It was about joining the OECD.