Securing a 400 billion won loan from a mainstream bank was no easy feat.
Especially for Taewoo Group, which had a high debt ratio—essentially barring it from further loans. That’s why they had been relying on private loans or borrowing ...
As scheduled, the executive board meeting was convened, and for the first time, I was in attendance.
Since it was my first time, should I start with a polite greeting?
“Good day, everyone. My name is Min-jae Kim, and I am at...
It was almost time to leave work, so I headed to the parking lot.
A former special forces driver, personally recruited by Captain Kang, was waiting for me.
“I need to see Captain Kang. Please take me to his office.”
“I...
As expected, Executive Director Lee had been waiting.
It took at least four hours to travel from Changwon to Seoul.
Yet, less than two hours after the audit team contacted him, he confidently walked into the office.
He went st...
The true owner of Changwon Factory was the loan sharks.
In fact, it wasn’t just Changwon Factory.
To expand its manufacturing facilities, Tae-woo Group had borrowed money from countless sources.
Most of its subsidiari...
The next day.
A new notice appeared on the Taewoo Group Audit Team bulletin board—this time, issued under the name of the Executive Director.
At first, employees approached it cautiously, wondering if it was related to promotions.<...
As the tumultuous year of 1997 drew to a close, news outlets reported on the sale of some of Chunha Trading’s business divisions.
Amidst the collapse of corporate giants, the news of a mid-sized company like Chunha Trading selling off som...
Korea Investment & Securities, Hanna Group, Dongseo Securities, Cheonggu Group.
These were the large corporations that collapsed within just one month of Korea requesting an IMF bailout on November 21st.
The Kore...
The trading floor was always a warzone—dozens of traders shouting into their phones, phones ringing incessantly from all directions.
But today, it was sheer chaos, as if a massive hurricane had torn through a dense forest, leaving the tre...
Tuesday, January 9, 1996
Under a clear blue sky without a single cloud, John Miller entered the anteroom, dressed in a cashmere coat and carrying a leather briefcase in one hand.
The female secretary, who had been se...
January 5, 1996
The sky was overcast from the morning, heavy with clouds, as if another snowfall was imminent.
Seok-won, having had a simple breakfast via room service, now sat on the penthouse living room sofa, sipp...
“Ugh…my head…”
Yoon Seok-hyung woke up with a groan, clutching his aching head. He looked around the unfamiliar room in a daze.
“Where am I? This isn’t my house.”
He remembered drinking too much with Park Jong-bu...
“Yes, yes, I don’t understand why I have to do this. Goodbye.”
I hung up the phone with a disinterested tone, shaking my head. I had been politely answering every call, playing the role of a kind and hardworking self-made entrepreneur...
Tuesday Morning, January 2, 1996.
Snow had been falling steadily since last night, blanketing the city in white.
Inside the CEO’s office of P&P Partners, located in a high-rise overlooking the New York Sto...
As a blonde singer in a backless dress stood before the microphone, serenading the room with a soothing pop song accompanied by a soft piano melody, a waiter arrived with the amuse-bouche.
On a pristine white porcelain plate, a beautifully ...
With only one day left before the arrival of 1996, it was a quiet Saturday.
In the spacious penthouse living room, overlooking a snow-covered Central Park through its floor-to-ceiling windows, Seok-won sat on the sofa with Landon, deep in c...
A large bar in Myeong-dong.
It was a bar that was always packed, even on weekdays.
But tonight, there were only two customers.
One of them was Executive Director Lee Joon-soo, a cousin of the infamous Myeong-dong private loan ...
A $7.5 billion derivatives contract.
Even to George of Quantum Fund, a man who had won against entire nations, this was a tempting prize.
"So, you’re proposing a trade—derivatives for equity. It depends on the company, but for no...
The Kobe Earthquake
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the southern region of Hyogo Prefecture, causing extensive damage that spread as far as Osaka and Tokyo.
In South Korea, news agencies immediately dispatched correspondents to Jap...
“This is a requirement from the FDA. Proof of financial ability to complete the clinical trial to the end is essential….”
To start a clinical trial, secure the necessary budget first and then begin.
The condition set by the F...
Rachel’s sudden proposal left me quite flustered. I never imagined the usually gentle princess would assert herself so strongly.
‘Or perhaps… it’s only natural?’
Thinking carefully, it wasn’t that surprising. For an ide...
7 PM.
As I descended to the Goldman lobby, a lively voice rang out.
“Sean! Over here!”
It was Rachel. Tonight, I had an appointment with David. Since I was briefly passing through New York, we decided to meet in person an...
[This situation—trapped and unable to move in any direction— It’s like being cornered.]
“……”
At Raymond’s words, Gerard couldn’t even offer an excuse. There was no room for rebuttal. This round was a complete defeat...
Dding!
Gerard flinched at the notification that popped up on his smartphone. The sender was none other than Ha Si-heon.
<January 2014 Investment Status>
It was the monthly report promised to investors. A...
Ha Si-heon’s prediction hit the mark once again.
The side effects of OCA became a hot topic. It all began with an article in the Wall Street Times.
An official from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated, “OCA user...
Honestly, it’s annoying. But keeping the public’s interest is also important, so I have to engage to some extent. I was about to casually pick someone to answer a question when… unexpectedly, I saw a familiar face among the questioners.
<...
There was no need to make an appointment.
The company was small, and there wasn’t a designated employee for handling visits, so showing up unannounced was all there was to it.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, well. That’s ...
After Carl left as if he were being chased, I approached Tennessee.
“You should hurry up with the acquisition.”
“Why? Got an urgent expense coming up?”
When I spoke in a playful tone, Tennessee replied in a similarly h...