I Became Park Jeong-ui’s Nephew - Chapter 157



Only Krnovel

He became Park Jeong-ui’s nephew. – (157)

“Did your father come back?”

“Yeah~ Ugh~.”

This is an ordinary home in Busan. A worker who returned home after a day’s work glanced at his son’s face.

It’s clearly a welcome face, but I have to say that I’m too tired to even greet you.

The son, who had that much insight, lightened the mood by rubbing his father’s shoulder.

Only then did the father’s face loosen up, and he seemed a little sorry for having passed over his son’s greeting, and showed a light attitude.

“Did you study hard today?”

“So-so.”

“What are you going to do, you punk? What are you going to eat and live on later?”

“I can work hard like Dad. Hehe~.”

“Studying is the easiest thing. If you don’t want to suffer like your dad, study hard.”

“Yes~.”

Just when I thought the rich man was finally having a conversation, the hostess brought out dinner.

Isn’t it a normal daily routine and happiness to sit together and eat dinner with family like this? The father, who was a little tired from fatigue, gained the drive to live tomorrow.

“Honey, are you going to work tomorrow?”

“Of course I should.”

“Minho’s family next door said they’re going on strike tomorrow. Don’t you notice?”

But here the landlady brought up a sensitive issue.

In Korean society, if you work hard, you can somehow make a living. Compared to 10 years ago, your salary has increased by 50%, so your living standards have improved a lot.

But why do workers go on strike?

At one time, I worked 70 hours a week, but now it has been reduced to 58 hours, and working conditions have also improved somewhat.

But it was just as hard, so the father told his son not to think about working hard and to study hard to become successful.

But do other fathers think the same way?

In the United States, the number of universities increased explosively in the 1960s, and the college enrollment rate exceeded 30%.

However, Korea is controlling the number of university students, saying it is preventing indiscriminate proliferation of universities, and is nurturing elites centered on aviation, science, and medicine.

The college enrollment rate is 11%, less than half of that in the United States.

What would workers think in this atmosphere?

My child also has no choice but to get a job and work, but I would like him to work more comfortably than me.

So, we keep making demands on companies.

I want to reduce my working hours to 52 hours a week and get paid 40,000 won a month.

“When I say yes, yes, it crawls all the way up to my head.”

“Are you planning to ruin the competitiveness of manufacturing?”

But the political world does not view this trend favorably.

Why did manufacturing collapse in the United States in the 1970s?

One of the reasons is the increase in foreign trade.

For example, how will an increase in income affect employment?

As imports increase, employment in that industry decreases for the following reasons:

‣ Imports increase -> Consumers have more choices, so they don’t necessarily have to buy products made by domestic companies -> Companies need to develop technology and increase competitiveness -> Companies that fail to do this lay off workers to secure productivity.

This is why increasing income leads to higher unemployment,

Then, if we increase exports instead of imports, will corporate employment increase? If we import parts from overseas to make products, we will end up standing still even if we export.

This is why corporate employment rates actually decrease when foreign trade volume increases.

America is now caught in this vicious cycle.

Both imports and exports have increased significantly, but Korea and Japan have no wage competitiveness, and above all, the technological prowess of both countries has improved to the point where it threatens the United States.

This is why American companies have laid off 2 million workers in the last 5 years,

In contrast, Korea and Japan have corporate layoff rates of around 3%.

This side also has a lot of imports and exports, but compared to the US, it is a drop in the bucket.

In addition, since labor costs are lower than in the US and technological prowess has improved significantly, it is gaining an advantage in the US market.

However, Korea and Japan also need to come to their senses, as if they raise wages here any further, they will lose their international competitiveness.

Can’t you see how the American manufacturing industry, with its high imports and exports and low labor cost competitiveness, is collapsing?

But workers don’t think about things like this.

“Exports have increased? So, doesn’t that mean companies can give us more money?”

“That’s right. I want to make my monthly salary over 40,000 won this time.”

It is human nature to want to work less and get paid more.

But that is just a personal greed, and the company is currently maintaining a precarious state.

If workers go on strike, Korean and Japanese manufacturing will go straight to hell, which is why companies promise lifetime employment.

“We don’t fire people like in the US, we go all the way no matter what.”

“Workers must share their fate with companies.”

This is the slogan that Japanese companies use.

Unlike American companies, we will never lay off employees, so be satisfied with a reasonable level and work hard.

Japan is holding on because it is doing so well and because it has the competitiveness to produce most parts domestically.

But what about Korea?

The number of reactionaries who threaten to go on strike without any warning is increasing.

Is beating them up government violence or is it the legitimate exercise of public power?

The workers are also watching each other right now. It doesn’t matter who goes on strike or not, but should I be dragged in there too?

But the scene creates that kind of atmosphere.

“We’re going to go on strike and raise our wages to 40,000 won, and you’re just going to sit there and take it?!!”

“You too, fight together!! Those who do not join the strike will be considered enemies!!”

The instigators who are pushing for solidarity responsibility,

What choice do the workers have to make here? Most of them joined the strike, but there were also many who chose to stick to their convictions.

“I’m going to work tomorrow. What does it matter to me whether we go on strike or not?”

“But Minho’s mom says that if we don’t join the strike, we’ll betray ourselves.”

“What do you mean betrayal!! Don’t talk to Minho’s mom at all. Where did you get the urge to instigate other people’s houses?”

The child who was eating looked between his parents.

It’s true that something big happened, but it didn’t seem like a problem that the child should get involved in, so we just ate quietly.

***

“Tell them to come back to work immediately, because I’ll give them a raise to 38,000 won.”

“But, sir, the workers say they won’t compromise for anything less than 40,000 won.”

“Then we will have to use public power to drive them all out.”

This is the headquarters of Daehan Transportation.

I continued to have marathon meetings with business executives.

It was only a year ago that the monthly salary increased to 37,000 won, but workers are demanding another wage increase. Prices have not increased either.

Prices are tightly controlled by businesses and the government, so what’s the complaint?

That doesn’t mean I’m running the workers and sucking their blood.

I am the largest shareholder of the company, but I haven’t received a single penny in salary for a long time. Just seeing the stock price rise is a huge harvest, so I donate all of my salary.

And when shareholders demanded that the company reorganize its distribution structure around large supermarkets and lay off workers, it refused.

Because of the belief that companies have a duty to employ workers, Japan also followed that policy and brought the unemployment rate down to 3%.

But why do Korean workers do this?

Is it because I’ve been so pushy all this time? It’s true that the Korean economy has swelled like a bubble as both imports and exports have increased, but that’s an illusion that will soon disappear.

The Korean manufacturing industry will continue to be sustained only if we further develop our technological capabilities and maintain wage competitiveness.

Do the workers know how much I struggle to keep manufacturing going?

It’s really hanging on by a thread, and all the strikers are doing is yelling for more money.

I don’t want to work but I want to be paid a lot. Is that the right of workers?

If you insist on that, I’ll just leave. If I change the distribution structure, my wealth will increase by 20%. Why don’t I do that?

The company’s value is also expected to surge by 20%, and the foxes that have been cowering under the tigers are beginning to raise their heads.

“Your Majesty, this time we must show a firm stance.”

“Yes. How much effort has your Majesty put into maintaining 4 million employees? Now that they are complaining, they are crawling up. It is time to swing the hammer.”

“Okay. Fire everyone who participated in the strike. You can beat up anyone who resists.”

“All right.”

My orders were carried out as is.

The company immediately fired the workers who participated in the strike, and the government also mobilized riot police to sweep away the thorns in their eyes.

Officially, 10,000 people were arrested, and those who illegally occupied the factory and even set it on fire were shot dead on the spot.

A suppression operation reminiscent of war,

Korean public opinion was shocked, but I calmly pushed forward with reform.

By laying off 100,000 workers and securing corporate competitiveness, corporate productivity soared by 11% year-on-year.

If you think I’m going to eat all of this, you’re mistaken, I’ve provided benefits to the workers who work silently.

Although we cannot raise salaries, we can pay performance bonuses in proportion to the increase in corporate productivity. This year, we paid a performance bonus of 200,000 won per person.

A bloody banquet prepared by beating 100,000 reactionaries,

How would it feel to be sucking the paychecks of a colleague you worked with a few months ago? I can say for sure that no one was dissatisfied.

After 20 years of playing the good employer, I’m sick and tired of it, but now I’m going to do what I want and set an example, so the labor world is quiet.

***

“Honey, Sanggeun sent this for you to eat. Please listen.”

“Whew~ I don’t have much of an appetite.”

This is Gyeongseong,

Park Sang-ui pushed away the table his wife had lovingly prepared.

It wasn’t because he was getting older and his appetite was declining, but because of an incident that happened not long ago. When his son laid off 100,000 people, the father was shocked.

It’s true that the workers did something wrong, but did they really need to be dealt with so harshly?

I was worried that this karma would come back to me like a boomerang in the future.

“I’m worried about Sanggeun. They say that the more people you kill, the more karma you accumulate… ”

“No, why are you saying that? What did our Sanggeun do so wrong?”

“I know, it was all justified execution with a reason… but Sang-geun has killed too many people so far. That fact doesn’t change.”

It is true that thanks to the son’s firm decision, the country was put right and many people became happy.

Then, can that virtue cover up the evil deeds of the past?

People want to take revenge on even the smallest grudges, and they fight even when they lose money at the gambling table.

What feelings will the families of the workers who were swept away this time have toward their sons?

If such resentment builds up, some madman might point a knife at my son.

It’s true that I’m worried as a mother, but I’ve made up my mind.

“You worry too much for nothing. Sang-geun is currently being guarded by over 3,000 bodyguards at Changgyeonggung Palace. Who would dare approach him?”

“That’s true, but….”

“Stop worrying about useless things and just eat. Hurry up and eat.”

Park Sang-ui, pushed by his wife’s nagging, picked up the spoon.

I spent the day feeling uneasy, unable to tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose.