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"I was just watching the news. They've made the trial public, which is quite unusual."

— Yes. It seems they're determined to completely eradicate him.

"I heard this is the first time since Park Heon-yeong that they've publicly arrested someone and then held a public trial. There's a lot of talk about it in Korea."

In North Korea, purges always happened whenever a new regime came into power.

After the Korean War, Kim Il-sung consolidated his power by systematically eliminating various factions within the North Korean Communist Party.

The purges began with Park Heon-yeong, the leader of the South Korean Labor Party faction.

He was the only one whose arrest and trial were made public, turning him into a public spectacle.

Both China and the Soviet Union tried to stop his execution, but Kim Il-sung ignored their demands and had him taken to a mountain and shot.

After that, neither Kim Il-sung nor Kim Jong-il ever made their purges public.

Now, 50 years later, Choi Ryong-hae has been arrested and is being publicly tried in the same way as Park Heon-yeong.

"Do you plan to make the execution public as well?"

— No. But we plan to execute him in front of all the high-ranking officials. From now on, his photos and records will disappear everywhere.

"That's wise. It's time to move onto the international stage, and this wouldn't be a good look. I've already given the President a rough explanation of the situation."

Jang Seong-taek asked with a subtle curiosity.

— I see. Is there a lot of talk about it in South Korea too?

"It's an unprecedented situation. All the major news outlets are covering it. It's quite comical to see these so-called experts offering their analyses."

— Hahahaha. I can imagine. Who would know the situation in our Republic better than Boss Kim? Maybe even better than my own close aides.

After laughing for a while, Jang Seong-taek stopped and continued.

— Boss Kim, I actually contacted you because of General Kim Jong-il's situation.

I had expected that to come up. With Choi Ryong-hae and his group dealt with, the only remaining problem was Kim Jong-il.

— He wants to go to Switzerland.

"Switzerland?"

— Yes. Considering Jeong-cheol and Jeong-un's schooling and the fact that it would be a good place for him to spend his remaining years quietly. What do you think, Boss Kim?

Switzerland wasn't a bad choice. Come to think of it, Kim Jeong-un studied in Switzerland, didn't he?

"If the Chairman is okay with it, then so be it. Is there anything else I can do?"

— No. This is an issue our Republic needs to handle to the end. It would be strange if you interfered, Boss Kim.

"Do you plan to have the Pyongyang Embassy in Switzerland manage him directly?"

— Yes. I think that would be the safest option.

"Then let's do that."

Since Jang Seong-taek said he would take care of Kim Jong-il directly, I decided not to say anything more.

"Oh, do you know that the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee is holding a meeting today?"

— Yes. Our Republic is also keeping a close eye on it.

"What do you plan to do about China's involvement in this situation?"

— I'd like to hear your opinion on that, Boss Kim.

Jang Seong-taek was being unusually humble. Probably because I had faced a real threat in North Korea.

"Then let's decide after seeing the outcome today. If Hu Jintao wins, we can reopen the border on the condition of an apology and economic support. But if, just if, Jiang Zemin wins… then you should consider extreme measures."

— Extreme measures? Surely…

Jang Seong-taek hesitated, unable to complete his sentence.

"No, I'm not saying you should mobilize the army. That would be crazy. There are many bridges connecting China and North Korea's borders, right? Blow them up."

— What? What did you say?

"It's a way of showing North Korea's determination."

There were several bridges connecting North Korea and China.

— …That's a reckless move.

If those were destroyed, the connection to China would be severed.

To blow it up with North Korea's own hands would be a firm declaration of their will.

"We can trade more with Russia, Japan, and South Korea than with China. China still thinks that North Korea is in their grasp, which is why this is happening."

— Still…

"Don't worry too much. This is just a contingency plan. If Hu Jintao fails to win this time, he has no future. A person who can't use a sword of justification has no right to hold power. Are you that kind of person, Chairman?"

Jang Seong-taek quickly replied after my chilling question.

— No, I am not that kind of person.

"So, if such a thing happens, you need to show a strong stance. Russia and South Korea will back you up."

— …I'll consider it.

Whether it was caution or cowardice, Jang Seong-taek evaded the answer by saying he would consider it.

I didn't press him further and continued with a genial tone.

"Very well. If there's a better way to warn China, then so be it, but for now, that seems like the best option."

— I understand. Choi Ryong-hae will be executed tomorrow. The General will be sent out of the country as soon as preparations are complete. I'll contact you again. Take care until then.

The call with Jang Seong-taek ended.

I put down the satellite phone and smiled.

"Though he has some soft spots, he still managed to come up with the idea of exiling Kim Jong-il overseas."

Manager Ma, who had taken the satellite phone, replied.

"Jang Seong-taek made a wise decision."

"But it's best if we also send someone to monitor Kim Jong-il separately. As soon as we find a suitable residence for Kim Jong-il, buy buildings around the area."

"Yes, Boss. I'll prepare it."

Although the call with Jang Seong-taek was quite long, the TV was still discussing Choi Ryong-hae's purge.

I turned up the volume which I had lowered for the call.

— Choi Ryong-hae's purge was inevitable. Jang Seong-taek isn't of the Baekdu bloodline, unlike Kim Jong-il. He's married into it, but still treated as a branch family, he doesn't have any legitimacy. That's why it wouldn't be surprising if Choi Ryong-hae replaced Jang Seong-taek.

The host asked the representative of the defector organization.

— It sounds like you're saying this isn't the end, is that correct?

— Yes. That's right. Eventually, they'll execute Kim Jong-il. They engage in brutal purges, and yet they pretend to be a normal country. It's ridiculous, no matter who takes power, North Korea won't change.

— But aren't they currently trying to improve relations not only with South Korea through inter-Korean economic cooperation but also with Russia and Japan?

The defector organization representative slammed his hand on the table at the host's question.

— It's all a show, a show! Jang Seong-taek is no different from Kim Jong-il. He's someone who can break promises at any time, just like Kim Jong-il did. He's untrustworthy!

The announcer seemed embarrassed by the overly strong statement.

The announcer looked at the camera and said quickly.

— The statement you just heard is the personal opinion of the representative and has nothing to do with our broadcast.

— You're all being deceived!

— Yes, yes. We've talked about this purge with the representative of the defector refugee alliance.

The announcer quickly ended the interview with him. I turned off the TV and laughed loudly.

"He's not wrong but he doesn't know the full story and is just skimming the surface so there are a lot of errors."

I got up and wiped the smile off my face.

* * *

"Welcome. I don't think we've met before."

When I arrived at a traditional Korean house on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province, a woman I had never seen before reached out her hand to me first.

She looked exactly like her pictures. The woman before me was the wife of Chairman Choi Woo-sik of KS Group.

"Hello. I'm Kim Mu-hyeok."

After a light handshake, I sat down.

"I didn't expect the Director to want to see me first."

She nodded with a bright smile on her face.

She sat across from me and spoke in a friendly manner.

"I wanted to meet you at least once. Are you comfortable? But… Are you married?"

I laughed while shaking my head. Every adult I met asked me that same question, so I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I haven't met anyone who's caught my eye yet."

"You're handsome, tall, and well-built… I wonder who will take the richest man in Korea. Should I introduce you to someone nice?"

"It's okay. I'd prefer a natural encounter. Let's stop with the small talk and get to the reason you wanted to meet."

When I brought the superficial conversation back on course, she sighed, seemingly disappointed.

"You are as impatient as I have heard."

In the meantime, a woman who looked like a waitress came in, put down the teacups that had been prepared beforehand, and went out.

She picked up a teacup, smelled the aroma, and closed her eyes.

"As you know, I am rather busy. If there is nothing more to say, I will get up."

"Why are you so impatient? Wait a minute."

"Then please state your business."

She hesitated before finally opening her mouth.

"I have to take over the KS Group."

"…Are you out of your mind?"

As soon as I spoke, I regretted it. I meant to think it, not say it.

Just as I thought, the woman before me glared at me.

"What did you say?"

"I apologize. I said what was on my mind because I heard something I didn't expect. So, you're saying you're going to kick out Chairman Choi Woo-sik and take his place?"

She glared at me, sighed, and shook her head.

"No. I just need to take the group away from the Choi family."

"But isn't your son a Choi? He'll end up inheriting it."

"..."

"I don't understand the reason. And I don't know if I can even take over KS Group's management rights from Chairman Choi Woo-sik."

I continued, pretending not to know anything, and the woman's eyes became fierce again.

"I already know everything. I know you can move the Sovereign Fund. If my shares under a borrowed name join forces with the Sovereign Fund, it'll be enough to take over the management rights."

"Even if that were possible, what reason would I have to help you? Aren't we strangers?"

"Can't we join forces if we have the same goal? I have quite a bit of a friendship with your predecessors. I went to Myeong-dong with my father a few times as a child."

Her father was a powerful figure in the military regime during the military dictatorship era.

KS Group was able to become one of the top 10 companies in the business world because the powerful people supported it.

If that wasn't the case, it wouldn't have been able to grow so fast.

"Really? That's the first time I've heard that."

"The Myeong-dong Chairman really liked me. I haven't seen him since my father retired, though."

My grandfather's face flashed through my mind.

But even if she was close with my grandfather, that's not a reason for me to join hands with her.

"My grandfather is my grandfather, and I am me. So, what do you mean when you say our goals are the same?"

"I heard he rejected your proposal this time. So I heard he's going to proceed with the project with Korea Telecom."

As she said, Korea Telecom was chosen as the exclusive distributor of iPhones in the country.

"Well, that was planned all along for Korea Telecom to distribute. The offer to Chairman Choi Woo-sik was just out of courtesy. It was because KS Group acted as a white knight and protected the management rights, so I offered it to them first. In reality, Apple's requirements were absurd for a number one company to accept."

I answered as if it was nothing special, and she put her cup down and looked directly at me.

"Still, isn't it better for Apple and you if you chose number one instead of number two? And… I heard that you bought a factory to manufacture mobile devices. I'll help you with that."

"You are going to help me with that?"

"Yes. I heard that you offered to acquire the factory owned by KS Teletech. Even though he rejected it."

There was no way Choi Woo-sik told his wife everything.

It seemed that someone among Choi Woo-sik's secretaries was her informant.

"You seem more interested in company affairs than I thought."

"You told him that I'm secretly increasing my shares, didn't you?"

Ah, that was why she wanted to meet me. I chuckled awkwardly and she continued.

"Because of that, I don't have any time left. I have to move before Choi Woo-sik does. I'll do whatever you want. So, please delegate your shares and the shares of the Sovereign Fund to me."

It was a rather tempting offer, because I needed a production factory owned by KS Teletech.

It was a necessary step for the manufacturing of iPhones in Korea.

I thought for a moment and slowly opened my mouth.