Wednesday.
Outside the bustling Taewoo Group headquarters.
I watched the scene from the window of my office while talking with the Chief of Planning.
"Everything seems well-prepared."
"Yesterday morning, we released the information to all media outlets. News stories are pouring out, reporting that top financial executives from around the world are visiting Korea and signing agreements with Taewoo Securities. Of course, some outlets haven't published anything yet, possibly because they don't fully trust our information."
If they didn't trust it, we just needed to show them.
I turned from the window and walked toward the door.
"The event is about to start. The host can't be late after inviting the guests. Let's go."
"We'll bring in the journalists and begin the ceremony," said the Chief of Planning.
While the planning chief prepared the event, I moved to the reception area.
There, Warren Buffett, the sage of Omaha, was quietly grabbing a bite to eat.
"How do you like Korean hamburgers?"
"They taste great. Maybe because it's the same brand, it suits my taste perfectly."
Warren Buffett, owner of tens of trillions of won in assets.
Yet he always maintained the habit of personally picking up a simple breakfast from a hamburger chain.
"Looks like the market isn't doing well today. I can tell from the fact that you're having the cheapest burger set."
"Ha ha, I suppose the rumors reached you, Chairman Kim. The Lehman crisis has thrown the market into chaos. How could I justify ordering something expensive?"
A multitrillionaire and a three-dollar hamburger.
And on good market days, he would order a menu with bacon and eggs. On bad days, he would settle for a simple sausage burger without eggs.
It wasn't particularly surprising.
Few people in finance didn't have their own routines, and superstition ran rampant in that world.
"I apologize for inviting you to Korea at such a busy time."
"Apologize for what? My being here doesn't change anything, does it? And how could I pass up the chance to hear advice from someone with the sharpest eyes on Wall Street?"
The sharpest eyes? Was he talking about me?
If anyone else had said it, I might have accepted the compliment. But hearing it from Warren Buffett, I quickly waved my hand.
"How could I possibly give advice? I'm merely sharing my thoughts."
"Ha ha. Even George of Quantum Fund praised you highly. It almost seems like he believes in you on a religious level. So you are more than qualified to give me advice."
For the first time in a while, my face flushed.
Hearing praise from one of the most famous men on Wall Street was sweet beyond words.
But there was no time to linger.
"Chairman, everything is ready. The other guests are leaving their hotels and heading to the venue."
"Has it come to that time already? I'll go ahead and get the atmosphere started."
"This old man hasn't finished breakfast yet, so he'll arrive a little later."
I moved toward the event hall.
The ceremony had already begun, and Chairman Han was leading the event on my behalf.
He was sweating lightly, probably from the barrage of questions he'd faced earlier, and the moment he saw me, he raised his voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a message from Kim Minjae, Chairman of Taewoo Group."
Chairman Han handed the microphone to me.
It was part of the planned schedule, so I naturally took it and began delivering the words I had prepared.
"Today's event marks a step toward making Korea the financial hub of Asia. Korea sits at the center of the continent and holds the potential to become the core of Asian finance. By fostering innovative financial technologies and a transparent regulatory environment, we aim to build a Korea that leads the world's advanced financial markets."
Even though I read the script in full, the response was lukewarm.
Perhaps abstract words alone weren't enough to move people.
Then it was time to show, not just say.
"Now, we will welcome the leaders who are shaping the global financial market. First, George, CEO of Quantum Fund."
George was fairly well-known in Korea.
As he appeared, reporters furiously tapped their keyboards and clicked their cameras.
[Wow! Why didn't I know George was visiting Korea in person?]
[Where have I seen that guy before? Who is he?]
[What kind of reporter doesn't know the hedge fund legend who beat a nation? This is why you can't rely on interns for anything.]
Murmurs rose from various corners.
Among finance journalists, George was famous.
His symbolism as someone who had defeated a nation made reporters rush to write breaking news.
"Next, we have Chairman Dimon, leading the FinTech Bank and CITI Group."
Dimon had flown to Korea just for today.
He was such a familiar presence that I sometimes forgot his stature, but he had become one of the most influential figures in global finance.
[CITI's head came to Korea too? Taewoo Group really pulled out all the stops.]
[Even so, seeing the former head of the world's top financial group in Korea—maybe this financial hub project is finally kicking off.]
[Wall Street's in chaos right now, but how did they manage to bring all these people to Korea?]
The murmur among the reporters grew louder.
But it was still too early for real astonishment.
The main act always appeared last.
"Finally, we welcome Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway."
[Woooah!]
The reporters finally erupted in astonishment.
Earlier, they had whispered and murmured while the previous speakers appeared, but now, faced with Buffett himself, they couldn't even form words—the cheers came out instinctively.
Buffett's fame spoke for itself.
Investors all over the world followed him or treated him as a role model.
Here stood the living textbook of value investing, so it was no wonder the journalists reacted with awe.
The financial executives gave brief greetings.
Soon after, the event shifted into a roundtable-style discussion.
George and Dimon led the conversation, highlighting several reasons why Korea was suitable as Asia's financial hub.
[I want to know why Korea is fit to be a financial hub!]
[Please tell us the purpose of your visit to Korea.]
[Could you comment on the impact of the Lehman Brothers collapse on Korea?]
Questions kept pouring in from the reporters.
Dimon answered most of them, while Buffett had remained quietly observant—until, near the end of the session, he finally took the microphone.
"Korea is an exceptionally attractive country. That's why we plan to open Berkshire Hathaway's Asia branch here."
"So, you're joining the plan to make Korea the financial hub of Asia?"
"Yes. We also plan to invest in several Korean companies."
The reporters' expressions changed.
They were now waiting like predators, eyes sharp for an exclusive scoop.
"Could you tell us which companies you plan to invest in?"
"First, we plan to invest in Taewoo Group—Taewoo Securities, Taewoo Motors, and Taewoo IT. These companies have excellent intrinsic value and possess limitless growth potential. We also plan to invest in Korea's steel companies and component manufacturers."
What more could one need?
Buffett had just announced that Berkshire Hathaway would open a branch in Korea.
By now, the news was surely breaking across online media.
Once it hit the main news broadcasts, the public's doubts would vanish.
The event had concluded.
I exchanged greetings with George and Dimon.
Given how urgent the situation on Wall Street was, they couldn't stay long and had to return to the U.S.
"Chairman, we've brought Mr. Warren Buffett to the Taewoo Hotel. We increased security personnel twentyfold and strictly blocked access from the press and the public."
"Good work. We have a lunch appointment tomorrow, so make sure nothing happens in the meantime."
Buffett hadn't returned to the U.S. today.
Even though Lehman Brothers had collapsed and Wall Street was in chaos, he remained calm.
If anyone else acted so relaxed, it might seem arrogant—but this was Warren Buffett. It felt like he was simply waiting for the right moment.
"How did people respond to the event?"
"It's been absolute chaos. The main news covered it in depth, and from online news portals to print newspapers, articles are pouring out."
"Now that the media is moving, public opinion will start to shift."
"We analyzed reactions across multiple communities using big data, and approval is rising dramatically. And the longer it goes, the more support grows."
Cheon Min-jung had even developed a big data analysis algorithm for us.
Thanks to her, Taewoo Group could track trends in real time and gauge public opinion faster than anyone, without conducting separate surveys.
"This should ease the government's burden significantly."
"I expect the Blue House to issue an official statement within this week."
"It's also possible that the People's Economic Party will act before the Blue House."
Before I could finish speaking, the planning director checked the news and promptly reported back.
"They've decided, as a party line, that the People's Economic Party will support the financial hub project."
"Impressive. They clearly understood that whoever seizes the issue first gains the advantage."
"It's better that they moved before the Blue House. Had they acted after the Blue House's announcement, it might've looked like they were just following the government. By moving first, they avoid that burden."
Of course, the Blue House had already officially announced the financial hub project.
But few people trusted that announcement, so in effect, it was as if no official statement had been made.
Now that the project had become feasible, the party that acted first could claim the spotlight.
"The Blue House must be fuming."
"What's there to be upset about? Their approval ratings, which had been steadily declining, might now see a slight rebound. Shouldn't they be pleased?"
"That's true. From the government's perspective, which desperately needs a turnaround, this will clearly act as a huge windfall."
As I was discussing this with the planning director, my phone rang.
Few people knew this number—it was the newly added number of the Chief of Staff.
"This is Kim Min-jae."
[Chairman Kim! That event was excellent. The VIP was very satisfied as well.]
"Thank you. It was an event we managed to pull off using all of Taewoo Group's resources."
[It was excellent. Everything was perfect, but there's just one small regret. Had there been a bit more coordination with the Blue House, we could have attended the event too. It seems a little too focused on Taewoo Group.]
What kind of nonsense is that?
I was speechless. After organizing a major event that could boost the government's approval ratings, they were complaining that they weren't the center of attention.
"It couldn't be helped. The financial executives didn't like being directly associated with the government. If I'd forced it, the event itself might have been canceled."
[It's just a minor gripe. Ahem. Soon, the development permit for the KEPCO site will be issued. The opposition won't be able to interfere any longer. And one last thing—please coordinate a bit more with the Blue House in the future.]
"I'll do my best."
I said a curt acknowledgment. There was no need to make a fuss.
If they were to blatantly demand something from Taewoo Group, I wouldn't have held back. But for now, it was within tolerable bounds, so I let it slide.