Free Web NovelThough its condition was poor, calling it trash was a bit much. Watching Kim Byungwoo define the Ryugyong Hotel with such a crude word, I let out a small chuckle.
Kim Byungwoo didn’t care and kept talking.
“It’s a building that should be demolished immediately. Even if it were completed, an accident would be inevitable. If the Ryugyong Hotel were to collapse, it would be a catastrophic disaster.”
At his words, I pictured the scene in my head. If a structure over a hundred meters tall collapsed...
If something like that happened in Pyongyang, the largest city in North Korea, the damage would be beyond imagination.
“To be honest, I was shocked while gathering materials on the Ryugyong Hotel. The design was flawed from the very beginning. The plans were recklessly drawn up solely to shorten the construction period. As a result, the building’s functionality was completely ignored, and the design focused only on making it tall.”
“It was flawed from the start? A French construction firm wouldn’t work that sloppily.”
“Of course the French firm opposed it at first. But I heard the North Korean government wanted the building finished quickly and repeatedly demanded unreasonable design changes. The French side modified the design as requested to get paid—but in the end, they were discarded.”
It seemed the Ryugyong Hotel was in worse shape than I’d expected.
A mischievous thought crossed my mind. With a faint smile, I asked Kim Byungwoo,
“What if Joongwoo Construction had to build it? Do you think it could be done?”
Kim Byungwoo flinched and looked at Lee Sanggeun.
But Lee Sanggeun showed no change in expression and simply listened to the conversation between Kim Byungwoo and me.
In truth, Kim Byungwoo had no influence whatsoever within Joongwoo Construction.
They shared the name Joongwoo, but they were practically separate companies.
When Lee Sanggeun said nothing, Kim Byungwoo turned back to me and asked,
“Are you saying Joongwoo Construction would be the one to build the Ryugyong Hotel?”
“That seems to be the case.”
“......I’m against it.”
This was the first time Kim Byungwoo had opposed my opinion since taking charge of the Joongwoo Group.
Swallowing dryly, he spoke carefully.
“As I said earlier, this is a poisoned chalice. It’s a project that brings no benefit to the Joongwoo Construction name. If we take it on, we’ll become a laughingstock among construction companies worldwide.”
“And what if we still have to build it? Because of a promise I made with Jang Songthaek—what if it absolutely has to be done? Let’s not consider profit or loss for now.”
He’d kept saying negative things, but if we ultimately had to take it on, I was curious how Kim Byungwoo would react.
“What I’m talking about now isn’t business—it’s politics. We have to complete it and hand it over to the North Korean government.”
“In that case, I recommend demolishing the existing Ryugyong Hotel and building a new structure on that site.”
As expected, Kim Byungwoo was thinking the same thing as I was.
“A new building... We can’t even receive construction payments from the North Korean government. For something that could be finished just by completing the exterior and interior of the existing structure—to start construction over from scratch? Who’s going to bear the construction costs?”
“Sir. Construction costs are important, but the brand value of Joongwoo Construction is even more important. If that were to collapse, the image Joongwoo Construction has only just begun to recover would fall straight into the abyss.”
“You’re saying we should bear construction costs of unknown scale just for the sake of image?”
I glared at him sharply, but Kim Byungwoo nodded without hesitation.
“Yes. In the long term, that’s the right choice. Joongwoo Group collapsed once before. Only now are we recovering that trust. Even so, there are still quite a few people who look at Joongwoo with suspicion. That’s all the more reason we must protect our image. If the Joongwoo name is attached to it, then even at a great loss, it has to be built properly.”
As Kim Byungwoo said, Joongwoo Group had truly collapsed during the foreign exchange crisis.
The public cursed Joongwoo Group for accelerating Korea’s financial crisis, and the political world joined in, pointing fingers.
At that time, Dreamhigh stepped in as a savior, and Joongwoo Group survived.
Even so, the group’s tarnished image had yet to fully recover.
Becoming the main sponsor of Leeds United and exposing the Joongwoo brand on their uniforms had improved its image in Europe, but domestically, many still viewed it with suspicion.
Having lived through that once, Chairman Kim Byungwoo put the group’s image first.
“To earn trust, we must build it properly—even if it means taking a loss...”
“That’s right.”
Kim Byungwoo didn’t back down to the end and pushed his opinion through. Only then did a clear smile spread across my face.
This was exactly why I’d entrusted Joongwoo to Kim Byungwoo.
“Very well. I also believe that if we’re going to do it, we should do it properly. Chairman Kim’s thinking aligns with mine.”
“Thank you.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kim Byungwoo dipped his head slightly.
“The Ryugyong Hotel, which currently stands as an eyesore in Pyongyang, will be demolished. And in its place, a super-tall building constructed by Joongwoo Construction will rise. Technology has advanced since then, so we can build it taller and safer.”
“Yes, that’s correct. If we start from scratch, we can build it properly. I’m confident that Joongwoo Construction’s construction capabilities don’t fall behind any company in the world.”
Kim Byungwoo spoke with eyes shining with confidence.
I already knew the construction capabilities of Daehyeon Construction and Joongwoo Construction. There was no need to say more.
Nodding lightly, I spoke.
“For now, Daehyeon Group and Joongwoo Group should prepare in advance. That’s why I’m telling you ahead of time. Don’t tell anyone yet—move in absolute secrecy.”
“Understood.”
“Chairman Song and Chairman Kim, you may head out first. I have something to discuss separately with Chairman Lee.”
After sending Song Chanwoo and Kim Byungwoo away, only Lee Sanggeun and I remained in the study.
I pressed the bell beside me and called Manager Ma.
When Manager Ma entered, I gave him instructions.
“Manager, I’m thinking of having a drink. Please bring some whiskey and suitable snacks.”
“Understood.”
After Manager Ma left, I stood up.
I took a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the display cabinet and returned to my seat.
“I asked you to stay because it’s been a while since I had a drink with Chairman Lee and wanted to talk comfortably. Is your schedule alright?”
“Yes. I canceled all my appointments to come here.”
I said we’d talk comfortably, but he looked more tense instead.
I didn’t point it out. Instead, I opened the whiskey, poured a moderate amount into two glasses, and slid one toward Lee Sanggeun.
“Please try it. It’s quite a good bottle.”
Lee Sanggeun took the glass and had a sip.
After a moment, he nodded and set the glass down.
“As you said, it seems to be a fine whiskey.”
“It’s a Macallan 1946 vintage. Unlike other Macallans, it has a rather intense aroma and flavor, so I enjoy drinking it.”
Smiling gently, I lifted my glass. As I swirled it slightly, the rich, heavy scent unique to Macallan washed over me.
After savoring the aroma for a moment, I brought the glass to my lips and took a sip.
Lee Sanggeun didn’t say a word until I set my glass down.
“How has Joongwoo Construction been lately? I heard you personally went into Afghanistan. It takes some nerve to visit a dangerous place like that.”
Afghanistan had stabilized quite a bit, but sporadic terrorist attacks still occurred.
“I visited Kabul. Our employees are working there, so I felt it was only right to visit personally and check on things. I believe that’s my responsibility as the one in charge. I was surprised that security was better than I’d expected.”
“It’s hard for the Taliban or other terrorist groups to enter Kabul, after all. So how was Afghanistan, seeing it firsthand?”
Lee Sanggeun talked at length about the conditions in Kabul—what he’d seen and experienced himself. freewebnovel.cσ๓
I listened attentively, nodding or taking sips from my glass.
By the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° time his story ended, Manager Ma entered with a plate of fruit.
“Manager, please have a seat as well.”
Manager Ma sat down, and I resumed the conversation with Lee Sanggeun.
“So you stayed only in Kabul?”
“Yes. I didn’t have the time or circumstances to visit other regions.”
“I see.”
I turned to Manager Ma and asked,
“Manager, how is the situation in Afghanistan right now?”
“The Afghan government has regained control over most regions. Black Bear is also training the Afghan regular army, and...”
Manager Ma reported on the situation in Afghanistan.
“Good. It seems Massoud is handling things properly.”
Ahmad Shah Massoud appeared to have fully consolidated power and was making rather radical moves.
“At this rate, we may be able to start mining development faster than expected. For now, let’s keep an eye on Afghanistan.”
Reconstruction projects were important, but Afghanistan’s vast underground resources were even more so.
Afghanistan was filled with untapped, high-quality mines that had never been properly developed.
We wrapped up the Afghanistan discussion there and returned to the main topic.
“Chairman Lee. I mentioned it briefly earlier, but Joongwoo Construction needs to rebuild the Ryugyong Hotel. Think of it as a completely new structure that just happens to share the name.”
“Then we’ll have to start with architectural design.”
“Who do you think we should entrust the design to? Since it’ll become a landmark of Pyongyang, it might be best to commission a well-known architect. What do you think?”
At my question, Lee Sanggeun nodded as if he shared the same thoughts.
“I agree. Even if we handle the construction, it would be better to leave the architectural design to someone else. Our design capabilities are still lacking.”
“Then do you have an architect you’d recommend?”
“Are you familiar with a British architect named Norman Foster?”
“Norman Foster? I’ve never heard of him.”
“He’s the architect who designed the HSBC Building in Hong Kong.”
At his words, I recalled the HSBC building I’d seen in Hong Kong.
“HSBC... It was nice how natural light flowed in.”
“He’s also designed many other major buildings, and in 1998 he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, often called the Nobel Prize of architecture.”
“He sounds quite capable. But has he ever designed a super-tall skyscraper?”
“That, I’m not sure about. I don’t know every building he’s designed. But among the architects I know, he’s the best.”
For Lee Sanggeun to say that, his skill must be unquestionable.
Norman Foster... I should meet him.
“Very well. I’ll try meeting him myself and ask him to take on the design.”
“His schedule may be packed, but if we can secure him, he’d be the best. Still, it would be good to have more candidates, so I’ll look into other architects as well.”
“That would be good. Also, create a dedicated task force for the Ryugyong Hotel project and prepare thoroughly. Preselect the managers and technicians to be dispatched to Pyongyang as well. The moment economic sanctions on North Korea are lifted, we need to be ready to deploy immediately. Laborers will be provided locally by North Korea.”
“Understood. I’ll launch a TF team with that in mind.”
Beyond that, I explained to Lee Sanggeun how we would develop Nampo City.
The plan existed in my head, but the person who would turn it into reality was Lee Sanggeun, sitting right in front of me.
I laid out the blueprint, and he would consult with experts to build the city I envisioned.
* * *
The South Korean government and the North Korean government quickly coordinated the schedule for Jang Songthaek’s visit to Seoul.
Both the South Korean president and the North Korean leader had already made up their minds, but behind-the-scenes negotiations among working-level officials faced considerable difficulties.
Although Jang Songthaek had visited South Korea once before, his standing now was completely different from back then.
In the end, however, all schedules were agreed upon, and Yoon Changho personally announced a statement at the press conference hall on the second floor of Cheong Wa Dae’s Chunchugwan.
—Esteemed citizens, this is Yoon Changho.
On television, Yoon Changho calmly read through the statement.
He informed the public that Jang Songthaek would visit Seoul to hold a summit meeting.
With about a month left until the National Assembly elections, a nuclear bomb had just been dropped on the political arena.
