The Chairman’s Son, the Island Shaman
“Mother, Father, Grandmother, our Kang-to Beopsa is here.”
Hearing the word our from Hyung-wook, who was brimming with excitement, he swung open the front door.
“Lee Kang-to.”
Chairman Lee in the living room rose with a delighted look on his face. Song Ji-na and Director Eun, standing beside him, welcomed Kang-to just as warmly.
“That was remarkable.”
The chairman was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Kang-to Beopsa.”
Pride burned bright in Song Ji-na and Director Eun’s eyes as well.
“Director Seo.”
There were guests besides the family. In fact, there were two of them, and when the chairman called out, they emerged from the study.
“This is Seo Ki-baek, senior editor at Dangun Ilbo. Say hello.”
“I’m Lee Kang-to.”
“A pleasure to meet you.”
The senior editor handed over his business card.
“As you can see, our son is rather busy today. So I’ll only give you thirty minutes.”
I found out later that the chairman had planned the interview in advance.
“Father...”
“You may be tired, but answer the interview. I already got Mother and Director Eun’s permission, and... as you said, we’ve done everything necessary to establish the grounds, so it’s time to make it official. That Lee Kang-to is the son of this Lee Tae-seop.”
“......”
“You said you needed photographs too, didn’t you?”
The chairman asked Director Seo.
“Yes, please gather here with your backs to this desk.”
As Seo designated the spot, the cameraman moved to frame the shot.
[Song Ji-na, Lee Tae-seop, Kang-to, Eun Jeong-mi, Hyung-wook, Eun-seo]
They took the first photo with Kang-to standing between Lee Tae-seop and Eun Jeong-mi. The second included the chairman and his wife; the third featured Hyung-wook and Eun-seo; and the final shot was decorated by Song Ji-na’s unmistakably lavish display of affection.
“Father... Mother...?”
“Why? What’s the big deal about taking a family photo?”
“It’s not that, but...”
“Your daughter should be in it too, of course, but today we’ll let it go for now. There will be plenty of chances.”
“Yes...”
“Now then, go with Director Seo and do the interview. If it’s about our family story—or anything you want to say—feel free to say it all.”
“......”
“Go on.”
When Kang-to hesitated, Song Ji-na nudged him from behind.
“Hurry up and go. Your father’s already booked a hotel special.”
Thud.
Hyung-wook’s affectionate smash landed on Kang-to’s back as well.
“Beopsa Lee Kang-to?”
Once they’d moved into the study, Director Seo got things started.
“Yes.”
“The excavation of Dr. Ahn’s remains... you’ve accomplished something extraordinary.”
“......”
“No need to be nervous. The chairman already briefed me, and I’ll only be interviewing Cheonjo Group’s third son, so please relax. Still, as a citizen, I only wanted to express my admiration.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve heard the outline from the chairman. You’re the island village shaman dad, I understand?”
“Yes...”
“Then let’s begin.”
Director Seo pressed the record button.
The subject was Kang-to’s shamanic life. Seo had already done his homework, even researching the fan café. He had apparently called the lighthouse shrine, too, because he seemed to have received testimony from Director Seo there as well.
[Cheonjo Group’s Third Son — Lighthouse Shaman Dad on an Island]
[The Korean shamanic icon who moved even that meticulous BBC documentary team]
[The Korean woman the Queen of England wants to meet]
The scope of the report was set firmly within those lines. They wouldn’t emphasize that he was an illegitimate child; instead, they framed him as the “third son.” Kang-to liked the dignified angle.
“Cheers.”
Song Ji-na lifted her champagne glass. They were in the VVIP room of a luxury hotel lounge.
Clink.
The glasses struck hard enough to seem as if they might shatter. Or perhaps they’d deliberately put real force into it just to make that happen. Today was pure flexing, and it was all for Kang-to.
“But, Mother,”
Director Eun finally spoke when the mood was already soaring.
“What is it?”
“That old People’s Army uniform you asked me to have made last time... did you really send that to Kang-to’s side?”
“......?”
At the question, Kang-to’s instincts tingled.
“You made that, Mother?”
“I didn’t make it myself, of course, but I found someone I knew and had it prepared. I heard it was a pain, because they said it couldn’t just be similar—it had to be made from the exact same fabric.”
“......”
“And you gave that to the person who approved this excavation?”
“Yes. It made everything go much more smoothly.”
“Did it?”
“He’s so frugal he even treated gifts like bribes. But because the uniform was made from his late father’s own clothing...”
“See? Didn’t I tell you I knew what I was doing?”
Song Ji-na’s voice carried a little more pride.
“Mother...”
“Wasn’t that a gift carrying the movements of all three generations? My idea, Director Eun’s preparation, and Kang-to’s delivery by courier... old men get weak in the knees for that sort of thing. Besides, he still hadn’t been able to recover his own father’s remains, so he must have been deeply moved.”
“Thanks to you, Mother, I’ve somehow become a helper in Kang-to’s work too.”
“A very important helper.”
Song Ji-na laughed. In that moment, Kang-to saw the true weight of her authority. That single gift held two intentions. One was to make Kang-to’s work succeed. The other was to assign Director Eun a role of her own, strengthening the bond between her and Kang-to.
Ah...
He was speechless for a while.
The chaebol world.
When he was in college, he’d thought it was all just luck. He’d assumed they were simply people who inherited wealth from their elders. But that wasn’t it. Cheonjo Group might not be Korea’s number one conglomerate, but the reason it had grown to this scale was because of the vision and leadership of people like Song Ji-na and Chairman Lee.
“What are you doing? Drink.”
Hyung-wook filled his empty glass.
“Thank you, hyung.”
Kang-to was so polite that
“Ah, how long are you going to keep being so formal? Just call me hyung and drop the honorifics. Honestly, when I was little, I used to go to friends’ houses and get pretty jealous of the guys who would headlock their little brothers and roughhouse with them.”
“Oppa, you tried that on me too. I still have a bruise on my head.”
Eun-seo leaned her head forward.
“Hey, how is that the same? With you, it was totally one-sided!”
Hyung-wook grabbed Eun-seo’s shoulders and shook her. At times like this, even chaebol families looked like ordinary people. After all, chaebols were still human.
“I was jealous of people who had dependable older brothers too.”
Kang-to opened up as well. What he’d envied most when he was alone was a house with lots of siblings.
“See?”
“Alrigh—”
Kang-to cut the honorifics short. Hyung-wook was the one taking the first step, after all. Even if it wasn’t sincere, it was still a welcome change.
“That goes for you too, noona. You’re the best shaman in Korea, but if you’d just act a little cute sometimes, I’d be thrilled. I’m really weak to that sort of thing.”
Eun-seo joined in as well, helping push the mood even higher.
“Thank you, all of you.”
The bonding had been done by the siblings, but it was Chairman Lee who was getting emotional. His cheeks were flushed, and he looked genuinely pleased by the scene. Kang-to felt proud too.
The tower of wealth they’d built together was Cheonjo Group. It didn’t seem right to drop into their lives one day and demand an equal share of everything. If he was going to stand alongside their pride and their shoulders, then he needed something of his own. Now he had it.
“And about the Chilui Island branch school support.”
Director Eun stepped into the warm mood.
“While you were in China for those two days, I finished the arrangements.”
“Really?”
“The branch school support plan we talked about before. You’ll understand once you visit the island.”
“Mother...”
“It wasn’t my own idea, but thank you. I’ve been getting older too, and I guess I’ve become a frog in a well; I never even thought of helping the island school.”
“Oh, my— talking about age in front of your mother-in-law?”
Song Ji-na chided her with affectionate mock severity.
“Mother, I’m at the age for senior discounts too.”
Director Eun shot back with a playful smile. Just as the atmosphere was heating up, Kang-to’s phone rang.
“Looks like you’ve got a call,”
Hyung-wook said, drawing his attention.
“It’s fine.”
“Answer it. The youngest gets the privilege of not being too formal sometimes. Isn’t that right, Director Eun?”
Even Song Ji-na egged him on, so Kang-to answered.
“Beopsa Lee Kang-to.”
“Minister?”
Kang-to moved toward the window. It was former Minister Kim.
“Where are you right now? The real star of the show has disappeared, so...”
“The star of the show is Dr. Ahn.”
“I’m a bit embarrassed, to be honest. I’m the one soaking up all the credit.”
“You’ve earned it.”
“You’re not on the island, are you?”
“I’m at my parents’ house. They said they were treating us today.”
“Ah, Chairman Lee of Cheonjo?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I’m at the presidential office right now.”
“What?”
Kang-to nearly jumped. He knew there had been many guests at the repatriation ceremony for the remains. But the presidential office?
“After the event, I was invited to the presidential office, you see. Since this isn’t an ordinary matter, the president himself asked to hear some of the behind-the-scenes story...”
“I see.”
“And if I’m telling that story, then it has to be about Beopsa Lee Kang-to. So... I ended up telling them all about your achievements, along with the news that this man’s son was recovered.”
“......”
“You warned me about this, but I’m still the same. Science or not science—what does that matter? It’s not as if we did anything shameful to find Dr. Ahn’s remains. We put our hearts and souls into it.”
“That’s true, but...”
“The president was so shocked that he looked up the BBC documentary in front of me. Beopsa Kang-to’s shamanic gongsu, which is causing a sensation in Britain. No matter who you are, once you’ve seen that, you’ve got no choice but to believe.”
“......”
“I’ve done politics myself, and honestly, our politicians are far too two-faced. As far as I know, there are countless politicians who seek out the insight of highly respected monks, and their wives are no different—they’re forever visiting fortune-tellers said to be gifted. I’m not saying methodology doesn’t matter, or that we should only look at results, but there are more than a few things even all the AI in the world can’t solve. If shamanism can overcome that, then it deserves recognition.”
“......”
“I’ve gotten a bit carried away and gone on a tangent.”
“It’s fine.”
“Actually, the president is right here in front of me.”
“What?”
At that, Kang-to stiffened. Hyung-wook came over.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, hyung, wait a second.”
Taking a breath, Kang-to listened carefully to the call.
“Beopsa Lee Kang-to? This is President Jeong Deok-jae.”
The president’s voice flowed through the speaker.
“Mr. President...”
“......?”
At Kang-to’s one word, Hyung-wook’s eyes widened. The president?
“First, on behalf of the nation, I’d like to express my deep gratitude for recovering Dr. Ahn’s remains.”
“Yes.”
“And yet you were so humble as to leave all the credit behind?”
“It all began with Minister Kim, and that beginning mattered as much as the result itself.”
“I agree. I’ve been reminded, once again, of Minister Kim’s diplomatic abilities. Without his connections, securing China’s cooperation would have been impossible.”
“That’s right.”
“Still, it was Beopsa Kang-to who carried out China’s terms. I heard you even made them agree to allow only a single location?”
“That was because Dr. Ahn’s longing to set foot on the soil of his homeland was greater than mine. That’s why I was able to receive his spirit.”
“Of everything I’ve heard, that part alone makes me envious. The spirits of our fallen patriots... I’d like to meet them myself someday.”
“......”
“In any case, that’s why I’m calling. I’d like you to come to the presidential office in the near future and have a meal with us. As president, what kind of man would I be if I couldn’t even treat such a righteous hero to a proper meal?”
“......”
“Beopsa.”
“If you’d allow it... I’m sorry, but could you invite my whole team as well? Again, this wasn’t something I did alone.”
“Just as I heard, you’re a man with both zeal and the trust of others. Very well, I’ll do that.”
“Thank you.”
“Then I’ll have my secretariat make the arrangements and put Minister Kim back on.”
The voice from the phone shifted from the president back to Minister Kim.
“Beopsa Lee Kang-to.”
“Seeing your face, Minister, I’ll accept the meal.”
“Of course you should. If you hadn’t, I’d have had no face left to show.”
“Then...”
“No, wait just a moment.”
“Do you have something else to say?”
“Actually, the president has prepared a very special gift for you, Beopsa.”
“......?”
A special gift?
Not dinner?