Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Divide-and-Conquer GOAT
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Divide-and-Conquer GOAT.
New York, Ed Sullivan Theater.
Late afternoon.
The studio for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was buzzing with excitement before the broadcast began.
The stage featured a backdrop of New York's glittering city lights, with host Stephen Colbert's dark wooden desk at the center.
On his desk sat a blue mug emblazoned with the The Late Show logo.
Opposite the desk was a plush blue sofa, angled slightly.
It was the seat for guests.
The cheers and applause from the audience filled the studio.
Host Stephen Colbert sat at the desk with a jovial smile.
His signature glasses perched on his face, and he was dressed in a dark suit.
"Alright, it's time to welcome our very special guest for tonight!"
Colbert's voice echoed through the studio.
"Everyone knows who this is! America's hero! The man who created the Berkeley Miracle!"
He gestured toward the guest seat.
"Ji-hoon Kim!"
Amid thunderous applause, Ji-hoon sat on the blue sofa, flashing a bright smile and waving to the audience.
His face was filled more with smiles than tension.
The studio atmosphere was relaxed.
Colbert looked at Ji-hoon with his trademark humorous expression and spoke.
"Ji-hoon, thank you so much for joining us on the show."
His eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Honestly, I never imagined Berkeley's hero would appear on a show like this. I heard you're running a restaurant—must be too busy making money. I have to ask what on earth brought you here!"
The audience burst into laughter at Colbert's joke.
Ji-hoon responded to the quip with a relaxed smile.
"Haha, well."
Ji-hoon shrugged and said,
"The people who invited me surely know why I came."
Colbert roared with laughter at Ji-hoon's witty retort.
What nonsense is this? You called me here.
That was what Ji-hoon meant, and Colbert got it, cracking up.
The audience filled the studio with cheerful laughter as well.
Colbert stopped laughing and took a sip from his mug.
He looked back at Ji-hoon, his expression turning slightly serious.
"Haha, alright, enough jokes. So many Americans are grateful to you."
Warm applause erupted from the audience once more.
"And at the same time, they're curious why you're here today."
Colbert displayed a photo of Ji-hoon on the studio's large screen.
It was a picture of him serving food directly to kids in the cafeteria.
"You've performed heroic acts, received the Presidential Medal, and now you're the successful owner of 'Babsang.' So why suddenly start a food company called 'Hansang'?"
Colbert's question pierced the studio.
Ji-hoon glanced around at the audience for a moment.
Then he adjusted his mic, looked at Colbert, and spoke.
"Stephen. What do you think of our kids' school lunches?"
The room fell silent.
"Honestly, I was shocked. It was heartbreaking to see our children—the future of America—eating that garbage every day."
Ji-hoon's voice grew low.
"So I made a decision. I wanted to give kids who need to grow up eating healthy food at least a better option. That's why I started 'Hansang'."
Colbert made an exaggerated shocked face.
"That American school lunches are subpar... well, it's a famous joke. But 'garbage' food?"
He looked at Ji-hoon and said,
"Ji-hoon, are you saying America is feeding its kids trash right now?"
A light murmur rippled through the audience.
Ji-hoon let out a disbelieving chuckle at Colbert's words.
"Isn't it? Stephen, take a look at this first."
Ji-hoon signaled to the production crew.
A photo Ji-hoon had prepared appeared on the large studio screen.
"What is this?"
The screen showed a plastic tray with a few potato chips and some slightly melted cheese on top.
It looked like someone else's leftover nacho crumbs.
The screen changed.
This time, it was a single slice of pizza that looked hard just from appearance, barely coated in dark red sauce.
The screen changed again.
"A scrap of bread, one boiled sausage, and a few fruit cocktail pieces."
Ji-hoon's voice resounded through the studio.
"Will kids feel full eating this? Not to mention staying healthy."
Ji-hoon stared straight at Colbert and said,
"Stephen. If this isn't trash, then what is it?"
Ji-hoon's sharp question sliced through the studio's silence.
The audience, cameramen—everyone focused on Stephen Colbert's mouth.
Colbert stared at the惨 photos of school lunches on the screen with a stiff expression for a moment.
He let out a long sigh, adjusted his glasses, and spoke.
"Hm..."
He chose his words carefully.
"I can't call it a great meal."
Colbert nodded and asked,
"But Ji-hoon, American kids aren't familiar with Korean food. Will they even like this unfamiliar stuff?"
Ji-hoon smiled as if he'd been waiting.
"Stephen, when I did the lunches, most kids ate it deliciously. And Korean food is healthy. What about American lunches? A slice of pizza, a burger patty. Just fats and carbs. But Korean food is different. It's rice, soup, and various 'side dishes.' It has everything kids need to grow."
Ji-hoon cleared his throat briefly.
"Proteins for growth, good carbs for energy, and above all, a variety of vegetable side dishes rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. And the most important part: 'fermented foods.'"
Ji-hoon stared straight into the camera.
"Koreans eat fermented foods like kimchi, doenjang, and gochujang every day. These keep the gut healthy and boost immunity. Is there anything better for growing kids? Korean food doesn't make kids fat. It makes them healthier and stronger."
At Ji-hoon's praise for Korean food, Colbert thought for a moment before bringing up a practical issue.
"But the poor quality of school lunches is a 'budget' problem."
He turned slightly toward the audience.
"Not every school, not every state, has overflowing budgets. Defense, healthcare, infrastructure... There are so many places in this country that need funding first."
His voice carried realistic anguish.
"Of course, our kids' lunches matter. I'm a dad too. But realistically, providing meals to thousands of kids within a fixed budget... it's unavoidable, Ji-hoon."
Colbert shrugged, gesturing that it was a complex, tough issue.
Ji-hoon shook his head at Colbert's realistic excuse.
"Stephen. Then, what is America's real future?"
Colbert couldn't answer the rhetorical question.
Ji-hoon answered instead.
"I think it's the kids. The generations growing up now. Investing budgets elsewhere when kids aren't growing healthy? I believe we should cut those budgets if needed and invest in kids first."
Strength entered Ji-hoon's voice.
"High obesity rates and adult diseases. If kids aren't healthy now, it'll just repeat a vicious cycle of massive healthcare costs later."
Ji-hoon looked straight at the camera—no, at viewers across America—and said,
"American Express surveyed 2,200 Americans aged 18 and up for 'America's New Core Values.' 85% said the most important value to them is 'health.' America's core values may have been individualism, freedom, equal opportunity until now. But now, especially for younger generations, that value is shifting to 'health.'"
Ji-hoon spoke with emotional appeal, backed by objective data.
"In Korea where I lived, there's a saying: Parents starve themselves but feed their kids until they're full. Why do we earn money? To keep our families from going hungry. No matter how capitalist America is, I believe the core value for Americans is 'family.'"
Ji-hoon caught his breath.
"Korea, a much smaller country than America, invests in its kids like this. Why can't America? Is it a poor country? Let me show you."
At Ji-hoon's signal, the large studio screen changed again.
The screen split exactly in half.
Left: The pathetic American school lunch photo from before. Right: A warm Korean school lunch with rice, soup, abundant meat sides, and fresh vegetable dishes.
And at the bottom of the screen, a caption appeared.
(Same lunch cost: $4)
"......!"
Gasps of astonishment from the audience
Gasps of astonishment erupted from the audience.
Even Colbert alternated between the two photos, speechless.
"Surprised, right?"
"Look at this. Which side is the choice for our kids' future?"
Ji-hoon continued.
"I think today is a time to reflect on America's core values. Mark Chairman, an investor in our 'Hansang,' said this to me."
"I've made more dollars than I can count from finance and real estate investments. But eating Korean food, I thought: Our kids need this filling, healthy food too. That's the real investment to make America strong again. I'm okay taking a loss. Because my loss means America gets healthier."
As Ji-hoon's words ended, the studio fell into a brief silence.
Colbert suppressed swelling emotion and adjusted his glasses.
The audience—and all Americans watching TV—were deeply moved by the hero's sincere cry.
Divide-and-Conquer GOAT.
Analyzing Ji-hoon's words, it was shocking beyond belief.
Comparisons and divide-and-conquer tactics.
A time-honored Korean cultural tradition.
In truth, protecting children is a natural and sacred value in any country.
But Ji-hoon had latched onto 'school lunches' as the issue, unleashing comparisons and division.
His words ignited the hearts of countless Americans watching the broadcast—especially parents with kids.
Their anger boiled over.
Damn it! Our kids are eating that trash right now!
A pride attack based on facts.
American pride hit rock bottom.
The moment patriotism began to melt away.
On top of that, his image as a 'warm hero' deeply concerned for America's future and children.
And he perfectly drew attention to his company 'Hansang' as the only solution to all this.
It was a legendary broadcast.
The studio, unaware of Ji-hoon's meticulous calculations, was simply swept up in感動 soup over his seemingly sincere speech.
As Ji-hoon's words ended.
The studio emerged from the感動 frenzy into a heavy silence.
The audience held their breath, watching the two men.
Finally, Stephen Colbert spoke.
It wasn't his usual witty expression.
It was a face genuinely moved and pierced deeply by something.
He adjusted his glasses and looked at Ji-hoon for a moment.
"Ji-hoon..."
His voice was slightly hoarse.
"As a father of one... right now, I feel so ashamed."
He looked at the camera—no, at viewers across America.
"We've always talked about budgets and practical issues. But... as you said, we've forgotten the most important value. Rich or poor, every parent in this country just wants to feed their kids full and healthy. We've forgotten that basic value. Ji-hoon, today you reminded us all of it. Thank you... so much."
The studio was bathed in warm emotion at Colbert's sincere confession.
Ji-hoon nodded softly at Colbert.
And once more, he spoke to the countless viewers beyond the camera.
"I just hope all the children in this country can eat warm, healthy meals. I sincerely hope all kids grow up healthy."
As his words ended, the studio filled with the loudest, hottest applause ever.
It was a heartfelt expression of respect and gratitude for the one man who moved American hearts.