Side Effects: You've Worked Hard, Now Depart!
Side Effect: You've worked hard, now leave! Upon arriving at San Francisco International Airport and settling into a seat in the VIP lounge while the plane was being prepared, Yoo Jae-won recalled an old advertising copy that had been deeply buried in his memories. There was no phrase that resonated more with him, who had been glued to his computer until just before departure.
Projects delayed by the aftermath of 9/11 were pouring out all at once for IDDC 2002, reaching a point where one body was simply not enough. It wasn't just Yoo Jae-won's ID Group; other companies were in similar situations, so from the end of May, products bearing the title of new releases flooded the market. Of course, no matter how fiercely competitors sharpened their knives and released new products, nothing came close to the overwhelming quality of ID Group's offerings. After all, the only smartphones that had even begun to catch up with the Android Phone, now nearly two years since its release, were Apple's iPhone series. Even if the hardware was assembled from parts sourced here and there, the mobile operating system had been the problem.
At this IDDC 2002, they were preparing innovative new products that would surpass the existing Android Phone, so the gap would only widen further. In any case, everything ID Group had prepared internally was perfect, except for a few items. That was why, right up until arriving at the airport, what grated on Yoo Jae-won's nerves were other companies' software products. Specifically, the one titled Flash.
Just hearing the name made it sound like a movie or game title, but its true identity was an internet plugin that enabled videos, animations, and games to be provided on the web. It was first developed and announced by a six-person venture company called FutureWave, which Macromedia acquired and released at the end of last month. At first glance, the concept sounded like an incredibly useful plugin. But what Yoo Jae-won called problematic software was the fact that Flash was a completely non-standard plugin. It was useful for dynamic design, streaming videos without encoding, and playing vector animations. Instead, its security was close to disastrous, and it devoured computer resources on a massive scale. It was especially the worst in mobile environments. The computational load required to run the Flash plugin was high, and naturally, higher computation led to greater battery consumption.
"Do I have to look at an internet polluted by Flash again?"
Disliking Flash, he had packed a large amount of new technology into HTML 2.0 and upheld web standards at the ID Group level. But not all internet companies followed web standards. Even though the Android operating system provided the top-tier AVC codec for free, digital camera companies, video editing software companies, the Free Software Foundation, and others pushed their own codecs. Yoo Jae-won had not expected so many people to learn nothing from the downfall of independent graphics libraries like 3DFX and High Octane. At the same time, it was an era that loved independence, and it also meant there were countless people dreaming of becoming the next Android company.
The problem was that Yoo Jae-won had yet to decide how to handle the hot potato that was the Flash plugin. Just as every video codec being supported in HTML 2.0 was bound to happen, Flash had appeared. It seemed fine not to support it in the ID web browser, which boasted overwhelming market share, but if Flash's destructive power was similar to before his regression, the ID web browser's market share might actually decline. Moreover, with so many people sharpening their knives against ID Group, excluding Flash would clearly lead to accusations of violating fair trade or abusing monopoly power. The answer lay in releasing the next-generation HTML 3.0 that would render Flash useless, but a concrete schedule had yet to emerge. It had been pushed down ID Group's release priority list, and with the explosive growth of the internet, so many companies had vested interests in standardization that things were going off the rails.
"Whew. Let's stop here."
Yoo Jae-won, whose thoughts had been racing endlessly over just Flash, shook his head vigorously and hit the brakes. Having an exceptionally sharp mind was a blessing, but if he let his guard down even for a moment, thoughts would chain together endlessly like this.
"Chairman, it's time."
Right on cue, Kim Dae-seok announced it was time to move. Yoo Jae-won immediately rose from his seat. At the same time, he took out his Android Phone and informed Tiffany of his departure. Though Tiffany was extremely busy, her reply came instantly. Yoo Jae-won, who usually enjoyed having time alone like an ordinary couple, had not cooled toward Tiffany, so after exchanging affectionate messages for quite a while, he was finally able to board ID Group's private jet.
-We welcome Chairman Yoo Jae-won aboard. Today's flight destination is Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the flight will take 11 hours and 30 minutes. We will do our utmost to ensure your comfort.
Even though it was a private jet, everything had been done. Just before departure, the captain's welcome and briefing came through. As the captain said, this flight would go directly to Pyongyang without stopping in South Korea. It was not that a direct route between the United States and North Korea had been established; it was a special privilege granted to Yoo Jae-won. Shortly after, ID Group's private jet, which had departed San Francisco Airport, set its nose toward Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and accelerated.
-We will soon enter North Korean airspace.
-The North Korean Air Force is scrambling fighter jets for escort.
When delivering the second briefing, a slight tremor could be heard in the captain's voice. It was understandable. The pilot flying ID Group's private jet was American. Moreover, until a few years ago, he had been a bomber pilot in the U.S. Air Force. For him to fly under MiG escort was an unfamiliar experience. Yoo Jae-won felt the same. As they entered North Korean airspace, the MiGs approached right up close, as if beginning their escort mission. Then, they waggled their wings slightly to express welcome before proudly taking up formation on both sides.
This special service was not just for Yoo Jae-won. North Korea had obtained the 2002 World Cup opening ceremony and opening match by other means. Back when the World Cup bidding was in full swing, inter-Korean relations had not been as thawed as they were now. However, a consensus had formed that it was better to co-host with South Korea than to let Japan win the bid, which allowed South Korea to secure the first World Cup of the 21st century that had nearly gone to Japan. Furthermore, as the number of assigned matches increased during World Cup preparations and the number of stadiums grew to two, North Korea's role became somewhat larger. At the time of the bidding, North Korea had planned to use only Rungrado Stadium, but South Korea's IMF crisis caused setbacks in the soccer stadium construction plans. On the other hand, North Korea's economic situation was stable. Inter-Korean economic cooperation was running smoothly, and with the swift declaration of the end of the war and the halt of the nuclear development program, there were no U.S. sanctions. In short, the economic growth rate was now hitting the 4% range. While 4% was far from sufficient for a developing country like North Korea, compared to the negative growth before the regression, it was truly a heaven-and-earth transformation.
In addition, as light-water reactors began full operation, electricity became abundant. Thus, North Korea's Kim Jong-il decided to use the 2002 World Cup to heavily promote the regime. The timing was perfect. Russia had collapsed, and China, after making a fuss about reform and opening, had taken a hit from the United States. While Cuba was maintaining its position among communist countries, its economic situation was not as good as North Korea's. Unlike the Olympics, the World Cup opening ceremony was an event that was hard to make impactful, but it was clear that heads of state from various countries would gather. In particular, the 2002 World Cup opening match featured France, the previous tournament's champion, making it perfect for capturing the world's attention.
Meanwhile, Yoo Jae-won felt a slight aversion because North Korea's intentions were too blatant. The fact that the Arduous March had disappeared in North Korea was not because North Korea had done well, but because Yoo Jae-won had personally created the only possible route. The fact that the MiG-29s visible beyond the private jet's window could fly well was also thanks to the lifting of U.S. economic sanctions, unlike before the regression. Thinking that they were taking credit for it and overreaching, leading to something like the Kwangmyongsong Plan, crossed Yoo Jae-won's mind. In the meantime, the private jet carrying Yoo Jae-won arrived at Pyongyang Airport. As expected, a lavish ceremonial event had been prepared at the airport. There was no honor guard inspection, but the rest was treatment close to that of a state guest. Yoo Jae-won's presence was no different even in North Korea. Moreover, while preparing for the World Cup in North Korea, they had benefited greatly from ID Group. Various materials needed for the opening ceremony preparations had also been supported with ID Group's help, and the same was true for software. Not only that, but the largest factory in the Kaesong Industrial Complex was ID Electronics' TV and Xbox factory. The North Korean side had apparently hoped for a high-tech product factory such as computers or smartphones to be built, and their disappointment at it being a TV and game console factory was obvious. However, as the Xbox game console achieved unprecedented global success and the production line expanded significantly, and after it was confirmed that the TVs were large LCD TVs rather than CRTs, all complaints disappeared completely. The number of employed workers also increased from hundreds to thousands, and the amount of money circulating in the Kaesong Industrial Complex each month grew as well. Furthermore, with the listing of ID Technology, North Korea could not have been unaware of the enormous funds that had accumulated for Yoo Jae-won. It was only natural that the desire of North Korea's leadership to strengthen relations with Yoo Jae-won and increase investment was expressed through the lavish ceremony at the airport.
"We sincerely welcome Chairman Yoo Jae-won's visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
A child in a Korean Children's Union uniform delivered a loud greeting and handed over a large bouquet of flowers. However, one child showed clear signs of embarrassment. There were two honor guards, a boy and a girl, but the person to receive the flowers was only Yoo Jae-won. They had apparently prepared two, expecting Tiffany to come with him. They had been notified in advance about Tiffany's absence from the opening ceremony, but everyone was so frantically busy that the message had not reached the site.
"Oh my, preparing two for me. My joy is doubled. Thank you so much."
Yoo Jae-won gladly accepted the bouquet from the awkward child as well. In his heart, he wanted to give them pocket money right away, but there were too many eyes watching. From Chosun Central Television, which had come out from North Korea, to reporters for documentary filming, and foreign filming crews camped out at the airport. Seeing the child beaming with a smile after receiving the flowers seemed enough.
After finishing the lavish welcoming ceremony at the airport, Yoo Jae-won immediately began his schedule. It was a visit to Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. It was to inspect the preparations for the opening ceremony together with the South and North organizing committee chairmen. It was the most grand and splendidly decorated among all previous World Cup opening ceremonies, with the theme being cutting-edge IT technology. It even carried the subtitle "A World Cup Where the Whole World Comes Together Through IT Technology." Naturally, almost all the items chosen to showcase South Korea's IT technology were ID Group products, so Yoo Jae-won joined in the final inspection as well. However, he was not actually doing the work. It was by no means a schedule that deviated greatly from Yoo Jae-won's purpose for coming to South Korea, which was that since he had worked hard, he would now rest to his heart's content. The practical work had already been handled by Vice Chairman Choi Kang-wook and other South Korean ID Group employees, so he was touring the stadium the day before D-Day. As a bonus, he planned to watch the final rehearsal of tomorrow's opening event and check the preparation status. The result was complete satisfaction. Vice Chairman Choi Kang-wook's meticulousness, which had been there from the beginning, was as renowned as ever, and North Korea, which evoked an image of orderly precision in large-scale events, was exactly that. The synergy effect with the trump card(?) prepared by ID Group also exceeded expectations. Yoo Jae-won was very much looking forward to the world's reaction tomorrow.
The next day. Evening, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium.
-In three minutes, the spectacular opening ceremony of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Inter Korea will begin.
The announcer prepared by the North Korean side announced the start of the event in a booming voice while preserving North Korea's unique accent. It was the enormous Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, with a maximum capacity of 150,000. When the 1988 Seoul Olympics were confirmed, North Korea planned the World Festival of Youth and Students as a countermeasure, and the stadium prepared for that was this Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. It was just like how, when South Korea built the 63 Building, construction began on the Ryugyong Hotel. Normally, it was used for North Korean Workers' Party events or mass games, but since natural grass had been laid, there was no problem holding soccer matches. Today, the stadium was full, but half of them, 75,000 people, had gathered for the mass games to be performed at the opening ceremony, and the actual paying spectators were the remaining 70,000 or so.
-President Kim Dae-jung and his spouse, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, and National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il are entering.
As the announcer said, President Kim Dae-jung and his wife appeared first in the VIP box, followed by President Blatter, and finally Chairman Kim Jong-il. Along with them, FIFA's flag entered the stadium first, followed by the Taegeukgi and the North Korean flag. People in the VIP seats, including Yoo Jae-won, also stood up and applauded in welcome.
"I heard Chairman Yoo Jae-won gave the idea?"
President Kim Dae-jung only shook hands with the other VIPs and passed by, but when he came to Yoo Jae-won, he added a word.
"Ah, yes!"
"Haha. President Jeon Jae-jun of the Korea Football Association was full of praise. I'm looking forward to it as well."
"Of course! You'll be quite surprised by the visual shock."
At first, he had only given short answers, but at President Kim Dae-jung's continued comment, Yoo Jae-won was able to show a confident appearance. In reality, the technological prowess ID Group had invested in the opening ceremony was second to none anywhere in the world. Soon after, he also shook hands with FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Chairman Kim Jong-il. However, unlike with President Kim Dae-jung, he did not exchange any particular words with the two.
-We declare the opening of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Inter Korea!
After the VIPs entered, it was immediately followed by the opening declaration. Since it was a joint South-North hosting, it was in the form of President Kim Dae-jung and Chairman Kim Jong-il standing side by side and shouting simultaneously. With the declaration, the official opening ceremony began. A resonance like a giant ship's horn was the signal. At that resonance, brilliant lights burst from the opposite stands, which had been dyed in monochrome. What North Korea prided itself on was the mass games where tens of thousands of people moved in perfect synchronization like gears. Naturally, mass games could not be missing from the World Cup opening ceremony jointly hosted by South and North. But this time, it was different from ordinary mass games. It was that the mass game participants had been given two new weapons they had never had before. One was a light stick with built-in Bluetooth for central control, and the other was an Android Pad. When the 75,000 people filling one side of Rungrado Stadium unfolded their Android Pads all at once, a giant screen spanning hundreds of meters was created. On it, the official logo of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Inter Korea was spread out enormously. This alone caused tremendous cheers to erupt spontaneously from the spectator stands.