If It's Blu-ray, I'm All In!

If you're going to follow, then come and try! If the result is Blu-ray, I'm all in! That was Yoo Jae-won's new strategy to prepare for the 21st century.

It was an undeniable fact that LCD had become the mainstream in the display device sector. Even with the technological acceleration he himself had triggered creating unpredictable variables, displays remained an exception. No matter how much acceleration occurred, it was unlikely that OLED or glasses-free holographic display devices would suddenly emerge. Therefore, building the factory in advance carried no burden at all.

The timing was remarkably fortuitous. The government was proceeding with the early repayment of its IMF loans. While he disliked the very idea of early repayment, the arrival of unexpected additional funds was an indisputable fact. At a scale of three billion dollars, the money was perfect for establishing a new LCD factory.

"An LCD factory... May I ask what scale you have in mind?" Choi Kang-wook asked cautiously.

Large-scale factory expansion always carried risk. If the new plant failed to deliver returns, the losses would be catastrophic.

"A facility capable of mass-producing more than thirty thousand 32-inch TV LCD panels per day."

In his heart he wanted to begin with 42-inch large mother glass from the start, but the technology and processes were not yet ready, making it impossible.

"TV panels, then?"

"Correct. Unlike monitors, extreme resolution isn't necessary. 720P will suffice. And depending on yield rates, we should produce panels in a variety of sizes."

They would fabricate the mother glass at 32 inches. Panels without defective pixels would ship as-is. Those with defects could be cut down to 24-inch or 27-inch sizes. In any case, maximizing usable product from each sheet would lower the price consumers ultimately paid.

"I want at least five million households to watch the 2002 World Cup in HD."

Choi Kang-wook's jaw dropped at Yoo Jae-won's concrete target.

"Chairman, you intend to turn the World Cup HD relay from a mere test broadcast into the true beginning of practical HD broadcasting. The HD broadcasting technology research team will need to redouble their efforts."

As expected, Choi Kang-wook had read his mind perfectly.

"Oh! Exactly right."

HD broadcasting did not end with ready televisions. The broadcasting system itself was crucial. Editing, relay, and transmission all required upgrades to HD standards. The problem was that professional broadcast equipment carried astronomical price tags. At the current stage, HD-capable cameras and editing systems were expensive but available. Transmission systems, however, did not yet exist. Digital signal transmission required decisions on frequencies and codecs that had not been made.

Interestingly, research into HD broadcasting had already been underway at Daeho Electronics, which had collapsed early. No concrete results had emerged yet, but the research team's capabilities exceeded expectations. Internal assessment concluded that with proper direction they would produce excellent outcomes, and Yoo Jae-won agreed.

When it came to setting direction, who better than Yoo Jae-won? Having decided to intervene directly, he planned to eliminate the entire debate between American and European styles. He would simply establish the video codec and transmission protocols he had created as the standard for both Korea and the United States.

ID Group already held a major stake and participated actively in MPEG, the specialized video standardization body. MPEG, stunned by the Android video and audio codecs, had reached out first. Yoo Jae-won had gladly joined. Although MPEG handled standardization, it previously lacked enforcement power and had been poorly regarded. After ID Group's participation, technical support, and the Android operating system's active adoption of MPEG standards, the organization's presence had grown dramatically. Naturally, the codec technologies it standardized had also improved markedly.

The recently announced MPEG-2 Part 10 and MPEG-4 Part incorporated substantial ID Group codec technology. The latest codec, MPEG-4, was optimized for streaming transmission with superior compression rates, rivaling the H.264 used for ultra-high-definition video in the 21st century.

The codec Yoo Jae-won was pushing as the foundation for HD digital broadcasting was H.264. Even at identical bitrates, image quality varied dramatically by codec. Future broadcasts would be on an entirely different level from the so-called fake HD of the past.

"For the 2002 World Cup we'll deliver HD, and by the 2006 World Cup we'll popularize full HDTV. All led by ID Electronics."

"Yes, Chairman."

Choi Kang-wook felt a surge of renewed emotion. It was only natural. His memories of the day color TV broadcasting began remained vivid. December 1, 1980. His family had no color television, so he had watched one on display at an electronics showroom in town. Only in the late 1980s and early 1990s had TVs become common in Korean homes. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would help lead not only next-generation LCD displays but HD broadcasting itself. The fact that he now occupied a position where he was responsible for it all exceeded anything he had ever imagined.

"Then where would be the best location for the new factory?"

"Daejeon."

"Daejeon, as expected."

The ID Display factory was already located in Daejeon. With plenty of vacant land available, constructing another plant right beside it posed no problem. The LCD factory acquired from Ilsung was also relatively close, in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, allowing easy integration. Producing ten thousand large panels daily with the new factory alone would be difficult, but mobilizing the Asan plant would make the target achievable. HD televisions could then be supplied at far lower prices, allowing both ID Group and Korea to lead the HD era.

"In that case, our long-term personnel recruitment plans will need significant adjustment as well," Choi Kang-wook continued.

Previously, Yoo Jae-won had decided to introduce a five-day workweek in Korea starting in the second quarter of 2000. Choi Kang-wook had therefore surveyed the resulting increase in workforce demand and planned to report on it today. Yoo Jae-won's sudden proposal for a new LCD panel factory had changed the equation.

"True. But it's not immediate."

Fortunately, even the most advanced LCD panel factory could not be built ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠overnight, so there was no need to revise the numbers right away.

"Correct. For the second half we've therefore targeted seven thousand new hires through public recruitment."

Seven thousand people represented an enormous scale in a hiring market frozen solid by the IMF crisis. Even at the 1996 bubble peak before the IMF, the combined public recruitment of Mirae, Ilsung, and Daeho had totaled around ten thousand. Compared to the era when conglomerates recruited over ten thousand collectively, the number seemed modest, yet a single company hiring seven thousand alone was unprecedented.

"Hmm? That's somewhat lower than I expected."

Upon hearing seven thousand, Yoo Jae-won tilted his head. Converting Korea's work culture to a five-day week created additional manpower demand equal to sixteen percent of total personnel. Adding together all ID Group subsidiaries and the newly integrated companies easily exceeded one hundred thousand employees. ID Electronics formed the largest portion, followed by Display, Technology, and Investment. Interestingly, though not publicly known, the accounting and finance division responsible for ID Group operations numbered in the thousands and was housed within the Global Headquarters building. At Choi Kang-wook's suggestion, overall group accounting had been centralized at the Seoul office, a policy still in effect. As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ID Group had grown enormously, the volume of accounting data had exploded, necessitating massive expansion of the finance and accounting teams. Additionally, the blue-chip companies acquired through the White Tiger Fund had their management exercised by ID Group and had also adopted the five-day workweek. For these reasons, ID Group's direct employment in Korea alone comfortably surpassed one hundred thousand. Sixteen percent of that figure meant sixteen thousand additional workers, yet Choi Kang-wook had proposed only seven thousand, a significant deviation from expectations.

"As you know, Chairman, manpower does not produce immediate results simply by being added. Moreover, personnel adjustments within the organizations integrated into ID Electronics are still underway, and the companies acquired through the White Tiger Fund may generate surplus staff during stabilization. Reassigning existing personnel is far more efficient than new hiring."

Choi Kang-wook's words represented sound orthodoxy. Yoo Jae-won pondered briefly, then nodded. Korea was not an environment where regular employees could be dismissed as easily as in America.

"Then we have no choice."

"Thank you for your understanding. I'll send the detailed materials now."

With a soft ding, the document titled Personnel Recruitment Plan arrived. Yoo Jae-won approved it immediately and left it open to review after the video meeting with Choi Kang-wook concluded.

"How should we structure the recruitment method? Should we use the existing system as-is?" Choi Kang-wook's questions continued.

This would be ID Group's first public recruitment. Previously they had followed a completely American style: non-regular, non-public hiring with many special appointments. Named developers in Yoo Jae-won's memory, such as Lee Chan-soo, Woo Won-sik, Kim Hyeong-jip, and Kim Taek-soo, had been hired with a single interview. General developers not on his list underwent testing, not ordinary exams in Korean, English, and mathematics, but programming capability assessments. These were not offline tests. Setting up testing centers and proctoring was inconvenient, so ID Group had long ago built an online system.

Passing the test did not mean immediate regular employment. Candidates entered a waiting pool. When a department requested additional staff and management approved based on company capacity, registered passers received interview notices. The number invited was roughly three times the required headcount. Selection followed score ranking. While life itself was not determined by test scores, they remained the biggest factor in employment. At least ID Group ignored academic background. Since the first test used absolute evaluation, ties were common and resolved by random lottery.

Thanks to this system, even though the company's own test was the most difficult hurdle, applicants found it easier than other corporations. Regular conglomerates required academic pedigree as a baseline, plus TOEIC English scores that grew stricter each year, often demanding additional certifications and volunteer work. ID Group's interviews were also simple. At least three people from the requesting department, including the team leader and members, attended to ask practical, job-related questions in a real-world interview format. There was zero pressure. Yoo Jae-won hated pressure interviews with a passion.

In his previous life, he had barely regained his senses during military service and only began serious job hunting after discharge. Having wasted his socially formative middle and high school years, even simple conversation had been difficult. Under pressure interviews he could barely speak. Traveling far only to fail created deep resentment toward the company. Pressure interviews supposedly tested adaptability, self-control, quick thinking, and situational response, yet they had somehow become arenas where interviewers toyed with applicants. He had never understood it. Therefore, Yoo Jae-won had completely removed the word "pressure" from ID Group's interview process. Instead, the people who would actually work with the candidates evaluated them through job-related questions.

Naturally, applicants received appropriate interview fees. In hindsight it had been an excellent decision. As the saying went, personnel matters were everything, and ID Group had not experienced a single significant HR incident to date.

"For large-scale recruitment, using the existing method as-is would be difficult, correct?"

"Of course. We anticipate a competition ratio of at least one hundred to one."

One hundred to one meant seven hundred thousand applicants.

"Surely not. Not all seven thousand positions are office jobs."

At least sixty percent of this recruitment would be production positions. Office roles preferred by college graduates accounted for only thirty percent. When a company expanded, the greatest manpower demand inevitably arose on the production lines.

"Yes! That figure of one hundred to one already accounts for everything. ID Group's excellent treatment is well established, and other companies are postponing or shrinking their recruitment, causing applicants to flock here. The same applies to production positions. Restructuring did not affect only office workers. The blue-collar workers released into the market have created saturation there as well."

"Then we'll maintain the existing method only for development positions and recruit the rest through standard procedures."

"Understood."

"Also, from ID Electronics, select the personnel who participated in the game console business and those who designed notebook computer motherboards and send them to San Francisco."

Game console experience? A question mark floated across Choi Kang-wook's face. He wondered whether such people even existed within the company. But Yoo Jae-won remembered that in the early 1990s both Mirae Electronics and Ilsung Electronics had aggressively pursued game console businesses. Although they had simply imported and distributed Japanese consoles, those employees were likely still with the company. Their experience would be actively utilized for the Xbox project, which was why he was calling them to San Francisco. The addition of notebook motherboard designers made sense because the Xbox board architecture was not significantly different from a notebook board.

"Yes, Chairman."

Choi Kang-wook nodded at the explanation and prepared to conclude the video meeting.

"Ah, one more thing. Are you still overworking yourself these days?"

"No, sir."

"Then why do you seem to have more wrinkles than before?"

At Yoo Jae-won's question, Choi Kang-wook looked puzzled for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. Yoo Jae-won's sharp observation had not missed the deepened forehead wrinkles or the dark circles forming beneath his eyes.

"Well, the thing is..."

An awkward expression crossed Choi Kang-wook's face. The widespread adoption of the five-day workweek across ID Group's Korean subsidiaries had been heavily influenced by Jeon Myeong-heon. Yoo Jae-won had instructed even the contract executives, who enjoyed flexible schedules, not to overdo it. As Yoo Jae-won's expression began to harden, Choi Kang-wook offered his excuse.

"We're currently planning for our second child..."

"Ah."

Yoo Jae-won, who wanted to work with good people like Choi Kang-wook for many years to come, had wanted to tell him not to overwork himself. But this was not a matter of overworking or not. At the same time, he wondered whether he should prepare nourishing foods like red ginseng or cornelian cherry, but that seemed excessive. With both men feeling awkward, the video meeting ended.

A few days later.

In the meantime, a group of people arrived in San Francisco. It was Oh Jung-geun and five others. Oh Jung-geun, who had just cleared immigration, wore an expression full of bewilderment. From his perspective, his situation had changed in the blink of an eye.

When the IMF crisis had first erupted, the collapse of Ilsung Electronics, the nation's largest electronics company, had been unimaginable. Yet the unimaginable had happened. The once rock-solid Ilsung Electronics had crumbled overnight. It was precisely the time when his children were entering university and household expenses had surged, so the future had looked pitch black. Just as he thought everything was over, a miracle occurred. The entire Ilsung Electronics was acquired by the global IT powerhouse ID Group. At the speed of lightning roasting beans, Mirae Electronics and Daeho Electronics were integrated, giving birth to the mega electronics corporation known as ID Electronics.

Amid the upheaval, Oh Jung-geun's position had been as precarious as a gourd floating on a stormy sea. He had barely preserved his aptitude as video business team leader and received a posting in the marketing department's video division. Although his rank had dropped compared to his Ilsung days, the fact that his income had not decreased was a tremendous relief. Moreover, ID Group's bonus system was far superior. Oh Jung-geun had renewed his determination and was steadily getting a feel for his new responsibilities.

Then came the sudden summons from the vice chairman. When asked whether he had experience with game consoles at Ilsung, he had nodded. As a result, his transfer to San Francisco was decided. Five others were in similar situations, and since Oh Jung-geun held the highest rank among them, he had become the group leader.

"Um, Team Leader Oh, where are we supposed to go now?"

At his team member's question, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Oh Jung-geun felt troubled.

"Ah, well..."

The only instruction he had received was that a pickup would be waiting upon arrival. Then a gasp escaped him involuntarily.

"Team Leader Oh Jung-geun?"

It was Kim Dae-seok! None other than Kim Dae-seok, Chief of Staff of ID Group's secretariat, was walking toward him with a warm smile.