Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province.
After making a left turn at the intersection and driving a little further, a luxurious neighborhood of single-family homes appeared, nestled along the base of Jeobal Mountain.
Among the rows of modern upscale houses, one stood out more than the rest.
This particular residence, adorned with traditional Korean-style roof tiles on the front gate and porch, was the private home of Kim Jae-chun, the 15th President-elect of South Korea.
Two years prior, he had moved from his long-time residence in Donggyo-dong, Seoul, and built this new home in Ilsan.
The grand estate combined two residential lots into one, with a spacious courtyard in the center and the main and annex buildings on either side. The tall ceilings and imposing architecture gave it a distinctly majestic appearance.
Since the election, security had been significantly heightened. Guard posts were now set up not only at the residence itself but also at the entrance of the surrounding streets, manned by armed presidential security officers and police.
As the Mercedes carrying Seok-won approached the gate, a short-haired bodyguard in a long coat raised his arm to block their path.
The car came to a stop, and the bodyguard approached the driver's side, scanning the interior sharply before asking,
"What brings you here?"
From the passenger seat, Han Ji-sung answered with a friendly smile.
"This is President Park Seok-won of Daeheung Venture Capital. He's here to meet with the
President-elect."
He handed over the IDs for all three passengers, which the bodyguard examined thoroughly.
After slightly bowing his head to check Seok-won's face in the back seat, and confirming it matched the information he'd received, the bodyguard returned the IDs without further questioning.
Then, addressing Ju Geun-seong, who was driving, he said,
"You can't drive all the way to the main house. Please park behind the guard post and walk up from there."
"Understood."
As the bodyguard stepped aside to let them through, Ju Geun-seong turned the wheel and parked the car behind the checkpoint as instructed.
Han Ji-sung stepped out first and opened the rear door for Seok-won.
The bitter winter wind brushed past them as they stepped out. Ahead, the residence gate—its roof tiles dusted with snow—remained firmly closed, guarded by four security officers.
Just as Seok-won was about to take his first step, a smaller side gate opened, and a young man emerged.
One glance at his face revealed that he was one of the aides working under Secretary General
Woo Chun-il.
Recognizing Seok-won immediately, the young man hurried over, bowed respectfully, then
spoke.
"Welcome, sir. The President-elect is expecting you. Please follow me inside."
Seok-won gave a slight nod and followed the aide toward the residence, accompanied by his
personal secretary, Han Ji-sung.
Once they passed through the main gate and entered the courtyard, two trees came into view— crape myrtles and elegant golden cypresses—planted on either side. They were known to be among President-elect Kim Jae-chun's favorites.
Though not particularly large, the well-maintained garden was neatly trimmed. Crossing it, they entered the main building, where the first thing that stood out was a large brown leather sofa, spacious enough to seat a dozen people comfortably.
Already seated on the sofa was Secretary General Woo Chun-il, who stood up with a smile as he spotted Seok-won.
"You're here. We've been expecting you."
Seok-won offered a polite bow and shook the hand Woo Chun-il extended.
"I heard you've been appointed as Chief Presidential Secretary. Congratulations."
"Hahaha. Thank you."
The Chief Presidential Secretary, who worked closely with the President, was the second-most powerful figure in the administration—responsible for leading and overseeing the entire Blue House secretariat.
"I'll go upstairs to bring down the President-elect. Please take a seat and wait for a moment."
"Of course."
As Woo Chun-il ascended to the second floor where the President-elect and his wife lived, Seok-won took a seat on the sofa.
The aide who had led them in quietly ushered Han Ji-sung out to give them privacy for their upcoming conversation.
After a short wait, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room.
President-elect Kim Jae-chun descended the stairs with Woo Chun-il. He wore beige slacks and a matching cardigan. His face lit up with genuine delight when he spotted Seok-won.
"President Park! It's been a long time."
"Congratulations on your election, sir."
"Hahaha. It's all thanks to your help."
Grinning broadly, Kim Jae-chun warmly clasped Seok-won's hand as the latter bowed
respectfully.
"I believe this victory is the result of your long years of dedication to democracy."
"Haha. You're too kind."
Though Seok-won had provided consistent financial support for the campaign over the years, he refrained from taking any credit, maintaining a respectful distance. This humility didn't go unnoticed—Kim Jae-chun looked at him with clear satisfaction.
With a friendly pat on Seok-won's shoulder, he added,
"I had them prepare yellow corvina stew today—my favorite. It's spicy and perfect for winter. I hope you'll enjoy it."
"Just hearing about it is enough to make my mouth water."
"Come now, let's go eat."
When Kim Jae-chun walked over and slid open a folding door at one side of the living room, a dining room connected to the kitchen was revealed.
A long dining table covered with a spotless white cloth was already set with an array of side
dishes.
"Let's all sit."
As Kim Jae-chun took the center seat, Seok-won and Secretary General Woo Chun-il sat on either side, facing one another.
Soon, a middle-aged housekeeper wearing an apron brought over bowls of yellow corvina stew, still gently simmering, and placed them in front of the three men.
"Try it and see how it tastes."
Encouraged by Kim Jae-chun, Seok-won raised his spoon and first took a sip of the rich red
broth.
At the flavor that filled his mouth, Seok-won widened his eyes slightly and looked at Kim Jaechun in admiration.
"There's not the slightest fishy taste, and the seasoning is perfect. I feel like I could polish off two bowls of rice with just this stew."
"Hahaha, right? It's one of those dishes I always crave when I lose my appetite in winter."
Woo Chun-il chimed in, clearly no stranger to the dish himself, as he casually scooped another bite.
"In my opinion, there's nothing better than this for a hangover."
"Exactly. That spicy broth really clears your head."
Seeing that both men were thoroughly enjoying it, Kim Jae-chun let out a hearty laugh.
"Now then, let's enjoy the meal first."
His tone implied that serious conversation would come after, and he lifted his chopsticks.
Seok-won too picked the tender fish meat from the stew and enjoyed a rare, perfectly suited meal.
It wasn't just polite flattery—he was genuinely impressed by how good it was.
Especially on a cold winter day, as Kim Jae-chun had said, the dish was perfect; the hot, spicy broth went down effortlessly.
The three of them shared a lighthearted dinner in a warm, pleasant atmosphere, exchanging small talk as they ate.
Afterward, they moved back to the living room and settled onto the sofa.
The housekeeper placed coffee cups on the long reception table and quietly left the room. Kim Jae-chun took a sip of coffee and was the first to speak.
"By the way, at the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) Chairman's Luncheon scheduled for next week—Park, Chairman of Daeheung Group, has been invited, correct?"
Woo Chun-il glanced at Seok-won sitting across from him before promptly responding.
"Of course."
"Where's he seated?"
"We've arranged a spot at the head table."
"Since there's much I'd like to discuss with him, make sure his seat is right next to mine."
Woo Chun-il was momentarily surprised but quickly nodded obediently.
"I'll make the adjustment."
Though he didn't show it outwardly, Seok-won was quite taken aback.
The head table was reserved for the most important figures at such events.
By convention, it was where the president sat surrounded by the chairmen of the five major
conglomerates, arranged by rank.
To seat Park Tae-hong, chairman of Daeheung Group—who wasn't even part of the top ten
conglomerates—right beside the president was an extraordinary favor.
"Once this luncheon is over, word will spread like wildfire in the business world that Daeheung Group is cozy with the new administration."
It was reassuring to know the new regime wasn't just taking the help and walking away but was actively showing support for Daeheung Group. Still, Seok-won knew this would stir envy and resentment among others.
Moreover, he worried that any future influence or gains he made during upcoming big business deals would be interpreted as politically driven favoritism.
But then again—
"You can't make soybean paste without braving a few maggots."
Seok-won muttered inwardly with a touch of exasperation.
"What am I supposed to do about it?"
If any problems arose later, he'd deal with them then. A little political consideration was fine, but he had no interest in backroom deals or special favors.
"Even without any preferential treatment, I can achieve what I aim for with my own capabilities. There's no reason to willingly dive into a pit of filth."
Just then, President-elect Kim Jae-chun leaned back against the sofa and began to speak. Seok-won pushed aside his thoughts and listened attentively.
"The reason I asked to see you today wasn't just to thank you for your support during this
election, but also for all you've done for me and the party over the years—both in spirit and
materially. And… there's something I'd like your opinion on."
Sensing they were finally getting to the heart of the matter, Seok-won straightened his posture.
"I may be lacking in many ways, but if I can be of help, I'll answer sincerely to the best of my ability."
"I appreciate that."
Kim Jae-chun smiled faintly, but his face soon turned serious.
"After four attempts, I've finally achieved what I've long wished for—but honestly, instead of joy, I'm filled with concern."
"Is it because of the economic situation?"
Seok-won asked cautiously. Kim Jae-chun let out a deep sigh and slowly nodded, the weight of it all sinking into his expression.
"After receiving reports from the Ministry of Finance and Economy about our foreign currency reserves and the current state of the economy and markets, I was so shocked I couldn't sleep."
Deep furrows had formed between Kim Jae-chun's brows.
"Even after securing the IMF bailout, we're still teetering on the edge of national bankruptcy. It was staggering to learn that."
He looked directly at Seok-won as he continued.
"I heard from Deputy Prime Minister Choi that your help played a major role in getting us
through the worst of it. That was no small thing."
From the side, Secretary General Woo Chun-il chimed in in agreement.
"That's absolutely right. Without President Park's actions, we might have faced an economic disaster too terrible to even imagine."
"Exactly. What you did—that's true patriotism. If that's not patriotism, I don't know what is."
As the two men took turns with their praise, Seok-won responded with an attitude that was
humble, yet firm and confident.
"Fortunately, luck was on our side and we were able to drive off the speculative forces. But if we ever show a gap again, they'll swarm back in like hornets and send the exchange rate soaring. We can't afford to lower our guard."
President-elect Kim Jae-chun nodded with a grim expression.
"You're absolutely right. I've already spoken with the U.S. President and the Japanese Prime
Minister and assured them we'll faithfully adhere to the IMF agreement. I asked for their active support in helping us overcome this foreign exchange crisis."
"That was a wise move."
Still, concern lingered on Kim Jae-chun's face.
"Japan has promised to restrain its financial institutions from withdrawing loans, so at least the exchange rate may stabilize for now. But the bigger problem is the economy, which has been devastated by this crisis."
He let out another heavy sigh as he continued.
"Hundreds of companies have already gone bankrupt, and if we go ahead with the structural
reforms the IMF demands, more will fall. Companies will close, and the streets will flood with the unemployed. It weighs heavily on my heart. I honestly don't know how we're going to get through this mess."
After pouring out his concerns, Kim Jae-chun looked at Seok-won, as if grasping at straws.
"At this rate, it feels like Korea might really collapse. Tell me—how can we revive the
economy?"
"…"
"I know it's a sudden question, but I don't care what kind of idea it is. If there's anything you
think could work, please tell me."
Seok-won hadn't expected a question like this. He was momentarily taken aback. But the
desperation and seriousness in Kim Jae-chun's face made it impossible to dismiss. After a brief moment of contemplation, he finally opened his mouth.
"There is one path. A way to overcome the current hardships and take a huge leap forward in Korea's economic development."
Hearing this, Kim Jae-chun leaned in, urgency in his voice.
"And what is that?"
"Broadband."
"...!"