Ohsung Group was once the signature company of Korea. Although there were several companies that were as large as Ohsung, they didn’t surpass Ohsung in terms of the company value and image.
But it was no more.
The most prestigious company that represented Korea was STM. STM provided the core technology of Toughtex to Samryong Motors. Jihwa Solar Cell was also developed and produced by STM.
Accordingly, nobody could talk about Korea’s signature company without mentioning STM.
The next prestigious company after STM was Samryong Motors.
In terms of the sales volume, Samryong Motors surpassed STM. It was the world’s largest carmaker, mass-producing electric cars.
Though there were lots of cars powered by gasoline sold now, carmakers could no longer rely on the internal combustion engines run by gasoline.
Accordingly, many car makers in Europe and America had to give up their majority shareholder’s position to introduce Toughtex engines for survival.
Ani & Funny was also Korea’s most prominent animation company.
Though it had only 900 employees in Korea, the total workforce was 20,000 when the staff of its overseas branches in China, India and Vietnam was combined.
Hyunwoo spent a large share of his revenues on education and research. About 80% of the kindergartens across the country were run by Dalnim Kindergarten, and Haenim School, an alternative high school, branched out as many as 150 alternative schools with 50,000 students around the country.
Sinsung University opened a variety of departments including science, music, cuisine, and cosmetics, with its students reaching over 100,000. When those overseas students from China, Vietnam, and other countries were combined, the students attending Sinsung University numbered over one million worldwide.
STM Research Center had over 3,000 Ph. D holders, in addition to its overseas research centers.
Hyunwoo’s goal was not just investment alone. That was part of his final goal.
Sinsung University and STM Research Center produced more than one thousand patents, utility models and creative works every year. And Hyunwoo actively helped aspirant entrepreneurs start venture businesses.
There were more than 100 venture companies founded by STM Research Center, and 70% of them were ready to compete in the markets with their innovative products.
As for KOVE DREAM Hyunwoo didn’t intervene in its management from the beginning.
And when its member countries were financially stable enough, he lowered his stakes in those companies below 40% so as to hand his large shareholder’s status back to them.
Such mid-sized companies numbered over 3000, which grew as the pillars of the Korean economy today.
Hyunwoo also had a large number of companies abroad including Bengala in Bangladesh.
Bengala signed contracts with not only Bangladesh but also Thailand, Vietnam, and India and planted commercial mangroves along their coasts.
Mangroves produced not only coconuts but also natural rubber.
Mangroves planted like that now numbered more than 10 billion trees around the world. Each mangrove generated 100 dollars per year, and net profits were four dollars.
As Hyunwoo owned STM, Samryong Motors and Ani & Funny, Bengala’s revenues didn’t mean anything special to him.
But the host countries with the mangrove forests paid lots of attention to this new business. For example, Bangladesh’s GNP soared five times as high, thanks to the sales profits of its massive mangrove forests.
In Bangladesh, Hyunwoo was recognized as a national hero, with statues of him set up in more than 100 places.
Thanks to Hyunwoo’s mangrove business, Korea and Bangladesh forged a good relationship.
That’s why Hyunwoo had to visit Bangladesh once a year for various events.
This year, too, he and Yu Zuung were invited to the festival of Gorban, the biggest holiday in Bangladesh. Both of them enjoyed the festival and took time out to visit the mangrove forest and go fishing.
Domestically, there was also a growing interest in the Solgae Project.
The previous regime was very actively involved in it, but it invested only 5 trillion won.
Though 5 trillion won was not a small amount, it was not sufficient at all.
As evidenced recently in its fantastic performance in the Russian civil war, the Solar Project had a very powerful performance that could crush the Russian army.
Hyunwoo refocused on this project.
In particular, he directed a new research project called Solgae 2 Project.
The typical Solgae is Solgae 523 model equipped with heat-seeking missiles. It looked like a hang glider, with its wings 3m wide and its length 4m long.
Given its size, it was very light. Including the heat-seeking missiles loaded underneath, it weighed 92 kg and 70 kg without the missiles.
But there were shortcomings, too.
The biggest weakness was its slow speed. No matter how fast it flew, it couldn’t fly over 400km/h. When confronted with a strong wind, it might be swept away.
Another drawback was that it was susceptible to outside shock. If a bomb dropped amid a Solgae squadron in the sky, it could destroy several Solgae instantly.
Solgae 2 Project was intended to find the method to correct such shortcomings and improve.
While he was encouraging the Solgae research team, he got a call from the president.
This was a second call from him.
I shouldn’t get too close to the politicians like this…
But the president gave him unexpected news, which Hyunwoo was earnestly waiting for.
“They started a coup in North Korea. Top leader Kim Jungun was shot to death and the Defense Minister Youngchong Hwang assumed power.”
“Ah, finally they made it!…”
“We held an emergency meeting on this. I think we might need the Solgae Project once more. Can you attend our meeting?”
“Sure, let me come right away.”
He headed to his own helicopter to attend the meeting at the Blue House.
Then, he got another call.
“Hello, it’s been a while. My name is Cholgyu Lee. I met you some time ago. Do you remember me?”
How could Hyunwoo forget Cholgyu who saved his parents?
“Of course, I do.”
“I think you have heard the news by now. Our Revolution has succeeded. But this is the most important moment for us. Please help a new North Korea!”
Hyunwoo nodded his head.
“Got it, let me help you as much as possible.”
After the call, he headed for the Blue House.
All the ministers already gathered there. He noticed former president Wonju Ha there.
President Chung briefly explained about the situation.
“This project has been in the works during the previous regime, so I invited the former president like this.”
As the situation was very fluid in North Korea, the meeting proceeded quickly.
The core agenda was how to deal with the request of the new North Korean regime for economic aid.
There was some opposition to the aid, but when Mr. Ha and Hyunwoo voiced their deep support of the effort, they were all persuaded.
President Chung gave a quick instruction.
“What they want right now is food and energy. Please provide the North Korean regime as much assistance as they want. But we have to attach some conditions. And hold a working-level meeting with them on economic cooperation as soon as possible…”
The core condition that the South put forward was the promotion of inter-Korean exchanges.
The first step in that direction was to have a inter-Korean working-level meeting to jointly develop the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in the truce line. The DMZ would house the joint venture companies of the two Koreas.
And then there would be massive exchanges of both Koreas at the civilian level with all the roads in the land, in the air and in the sea open.
If such massive inter-Korean exchanges continued, the two Koreas that remained divided for more than 70 years would be able to be reunited as one, and that would lay the foundation for unification someday.
