The Soviet Opening and the Looming Shadow
The fall of the number one company in Korean history. Thus, the year 1985 came to a close, leaving behind an absolutely absurd series of events. Then came 1986.
Kim Nam-ik of Daeyoung, along with Kim Jeong-tae and the remnants of Kim Nam-ik’s family who had survived the chaebol war, all headed for Vietnam. They carried their "personal assets" with them. Originally, Kim Nam-ik’s plan had been to receive massive alimony settlements from rival chaebols and then embezzle that money to turn it into personal wealth. However, with the corporate entity of Daeyoung Group effectively erased, the money they could take was strictly limited to personal assets.
Yet, those personal assets were pitifully small compared to what he had originally envisioned. Because the stocks had become nothing more than scraps of paper. Most of a chaebol’s wealth consisted of shares in listed companies. But with Daeyoung Group completely ruined, those stocks were worth less than toilet paper. Furthermore, their real estate holdings took a fatal hit. As the true nature of Daeyoung Group’s crimes was exposed, people dared not buy the properties held by the family. Because the moment they bought them, JD would surely fly into a rage.
In the end, Kim Nam-ik had no choice but to hand over his and his family’s real estate to JD at a rock-bottom price, and in exchange, his family was allowed to cross safely into Vietnam. Of course, there were some family members who chose not to follow Kim Nam-ik, but for the most part, they followed him. After all, it would be hard to receive decent treatment if they stayed in Korea.
'If things had gone as planned, I would have shaken up the Vietnamese economy with my massive capital...'
In economy class on the airplane—because he had to save every penny for his comeback in Vietnam, Kim Nam-ik couldn't even afford first class—he clenched his fist, his hand missing two fingers, and trembled. He had thought he could easily take over a place like Vietnam. But now, the situation had changed. With his current assets, he was barely more than a local Vietnamese tycoon.
'Even if it's the same "chaebol" title, the scale is just too different...'
Even in the 2010s, the money one would spend on a domestic trip could fund a stay in a 5-star hotel in Vietnam for the entire duration. What would it be like in the 80s? In the end, having gone from a Korean chaebol to a Vietnamese tycoon, Kim Nam-ik’s heart felt like it was burning as he had to plant his roots all over again.
'Damn it... Chairman Choi, I will never forget this humiliation.'
Kim Nam-ik had thought about using his past success to make a comeback in Vietnam, but the cold, hard numbers told him it wouldn't be easy. The gap between YK Group—no, Yoon-gi’s assets—and Kim Nam-ik’s assets was now so vast that a comparison itself was an insult.
Yoon-gi was truly enjoying a peaceful moment. January of 1986. The chaebols had lost most of their cash, and with their leaders all in prison, they were busy fighting among themselves. They would all be released in August via the Liberation Day special pardon, but their release wouldn't settle the chaos within their companies. The person who had been the temporary leader for eight months and the one returning from prison would begin a bloody battle.
In the end, YK had effectively become the number one company in the country. And it was a private company at that! Of course, it wasn't number one in terms of revenue. But in terms of net profit and practical capability, it had already become the top company. That was why Yoon-gi could be at peace. Of course, that was only if he had the heart to be.
“Ah, damn it.”
At the mention of the military, Yoon-gi let out a bitter remark without realizing it. It was understandable, as the military was a terror that was truly approaching in reality. Even the chairman of the nation’s number one company couldn't withstand the fear of enlistment. Moreover, the absurd reality of being in his second life in the military was enough to make Yoon-gi want to escape reality.
“I’ll just... think about the military stuff when the time comes...”
It wasn't just any military, but the military of the 80s. The fact that he had to go through it twice darkened Yoon-gi’s eyes. Even Choi Deok-bae, realizing he shouldn't carelessly bring up the military in front of Yoon-gi, quickly changed the subject.
“The Soviet opening. I’ve shown you that I’ve been thinking about the Soviet Union quite a bit, haven't I?”
Hearing Yoon-gi’s words, Choi Deok-bae wore a momentarily bewildered expression. Seeing Choi Deok-bae’s reaction, Yoon-gi also looked puzzled.
“Why? Is something strange?”
“Pardon?”
The conversation between Yoon-gi and Choi Deok-bae began to drift apart.
“That’s obviously because the Soviet Union is opening its market...”
As Choi Deok-bae fell silent, Yoon-gi felt a sense of unease.
“Why? Did something go wrong?”
“We won't be able to enjoy the first-mover advantage. The Soviet Union is still communist, so the company that enters first will definitely have the edge. But because we don't know the exact date, I’ve been on pins and needles. I have to keep my promise to Secretary Kang, too.”
“And I have to stop Chernobyl. I don't know exactly when Chernobyl will happen, but if the network I’ve painstakingly built collapses due to the Chernobyl incident while we’ve already entered the Soviet Union, it’ll all be for nothing. It doesn't matter if the Soviet Union turns into Russia, but I must prevent my network from collapsing at all costs.”
Choi Deok-bae was speaking in a somewhat self-deprecating tone, unlike his usual self.
“I have to try as hard as I can. And, this is just a secondary reason, but I can't feed my future children radioactive powdered milk, can I?”
After the 1986 Chernobyl incident, domestic dairy companies bought massive amounts of radioactive foreign dairy products. From raw milk to finished goods. And they sold them straight to the domestic market. While in the 2010s, there is talk of "avoiding Japanese food" due to the Fukushima incident, it meant that Korea had already suffered a similar fate at the hands of domestic companies in the mid-80s. Yoon-gi, having read a column criticizing this fact during his days as a laborer, wanted to prevent the Chernobyl incident if possible. Chernobyl, remembered as the worst radioactive accident in human history until Fukushima exploded. However, Choi Deok-bae was skeptical about the fact that Yoon-gi could stop it.
“Why are you like this? Your tension is so different from usual.”
To Yoon-gi’s question, which made him feel slightly anxious, Choi Deok-bae sighed and replied.
“Different, you say?”
Choi Deok-bae nodded.
“Oh, fuck.”
For the first time in a long while, Yoon-gi let out a curse without realizing it. He had been so sure that the Soviet Union would open up in '86 that he had built his plans around it, but the actual opening was in the 90s? It was an absurd time gap.
“...Is it really the 90s?”
“Really?”
“Seriously?”
When Yoon-gi pulled a jujube from his pocket, Choi Deok-bae shouted urgently. At Choi Deok-bae’s desperate cry, Yoon-gi, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, threw his body backward.
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
Because Yoon-gi was tall, the back of his head hit the wall, and thanks to that, Yoon-gi regained his senses.
“Ah... seriously... this is a situation I never even imagined...”
Although there was still a sense of exhaustion in his voice, Yoon-gi quickly began to grasp the situation.
“So you mean the opening the Soviet Union is doing in '86 is the opening of information to the public, and the actual market opening is in '90?”
“I remember reading in a newspaper during my laborer days that there was content about the Soviet opening in '86.”
“What was it?”
For a moment, an expression of intense disgust appeared on Yoon-gi’s face and then vanished.
“It would be stranger not to believe it.”
“Ugh... in the end, it’s my mistake. But, by any chance, do you know when Chernobyl happens?”
“No, fuck?”
Yoon-gi jumped up from the bed without realizing it. What are the odds of Yoon-gi cursing twice in one day? But Yoon-gi was that desperate. The future plans he had currently set up were based on the condition of preventing the Chernobyl incident. The Soviet Union needed to transition to a capitalist system naturally; if it collapsed with the Chernobyl incident as the starting point, it clearly wouldn't be very helpful when confronting China later.
Burst-!
Yoon-gi’s door opened, and Yoon-gi immediately headed for the study in his grandfather’s house. But just then, a news report playing on the TV that his father, Choi Cheol-ho, was watching in the living room stopped Yoon-gi in his tracks.
The "opening that Yoon-gi knew about" had taken place. That meant there wasn't much time left until Chernobyl.
'I have to move faster.'
As he was about to head to the entrance again, the announcer’s additional words caught Yoon-gi.
[...Furthermore, General Secretary Gorbachev has permitted foreign investment in Soviet industry...]
Yoon-gi wasn't the only one watching this news. Yoon-gi, who had returned to his room, immediately asked Choi Deok-bae.
“Didn't you say the market would open in '90?”
To be precise, Gorbachev permitted foreign investment in Soviet industry in 1987. Due to various butterfly effects, this was being implemented now, in January of '86.
“Anyway, from our perspective, it’s a stroke of extreme luck. At the earliest, two months until the Chernobyl incident; at the latest, four months. We have to find a way to resolve it by then.”
Yoon-gi nodded and replied.
“I need to re-verify JD’s permission.”
The phrase "establishing diplomatic relations." From the 60s to the 90s, this was a phrase people heard quite often. However, in the 2000s, it was rarely heard. Because in the 2010s, the only countries the Republic of Korea hadn't established diplomatic relations with were Syria and Cuba, so there was virtually nowhere left to establish them. On the other hand, in the 80s and 90s, the phrase "establishing diplomatic relations" came up frequently. In original history, the Republic of Korea and the Soviet Union officially established diplomatic relations in 1990. But now, it was '86. Although private exchange was fully possible even without establishing diplomatic relations, considering the relationship with the Soviet Union, there was clearly a need to receive JD’s permission once again.
“...So, this time, YK intends to enter the Soviet Union. Your Excellency, can you grant us permission?”
Although JD had promised to do so in the past, he couldn't readily say, "Go ahead and do it." Because the current U.S.-Soviet trade dispute was at an incredible level.
“Hmm... that is...”
As JD agonized and couldn't answer, Choi Ki-hyun conveyed what he had heard from Yoon-gi.
“Actually, Mr. Guster said that if he couldn't get your permission, he would set up a corporation in the United States and enter the Soviet Union.”