Chapter 290
Hyunwoo started off with a brief introduction.
“As you lead a life, there are tis when you have to deal with a matter with sympathy. But we have to keep our public and private matters separate in handling today’s agenda. So, please express your opinion, not bound by any personal considerations or sympathy.”
Then he turned over the mike to the disciplinary committee mbers.
Initially, everybody was hesitant to speak. After all, Jaegyong Kang and Sungrak Soh, who had the least experience working with Sonjong began to speak.
“I think anyone can make a mistake. And if we don’t pay close attention, we can make mistakes often. The thing is how we make big mistakes.”
“I’m of the sa opinion. There are mistakes you can make, and you should never make. Though we’re now talking about the mistake that we made already, we suffered a big loss because of it. Accordingly, we will leave a bad precedent if we give it a pass this ti.”
Though they didn’t ntion any specific disciplinary action, they seed to argue that they wanted a heavy punishnt.
Only then did other mbers of the committee begin to opine.
Everybody presented a similar opinion. As most of them were close to Sonjong, they cautiously presented their opinion, but they agreed that they should not leave a ‘bad precedent, though it was regrettable to punish her.’
Sonjong was sitting quietly. Given her detached look, she was clearly ready to accept any punishnt.
The eting didn’t last long as they reached a consensus easily.
“I think the most appropriate level of disciplinary action should be taken against the planning departnt as a whole, not its director alone.”
“I think it is appropriate to issue a strong warning to the planning departnt.”
After agreeing on the level of disciplinary action among themselves, they now looked at Hyunwoo, who had to make the final decision.
He was lowering his head while the eting was going on. He was reviewing a personal file folder before him.
When the eting was over, he distributed a copy of that to the mbers.
With a curious look, they looked at the file, and hardened their faces in no ti.
Only then did Hyunwoo take the mike.
“The director of the planning team was not a founding mber of KOVE DREAM, but I think she is. She joined KOVE in the early days and made KOVE what it is today.”
That was an undeniable fact. When Juhwan was having a hard ti handling trading papers, she appeared like a cot and handled them quickly.
Without her joining KOVE, Juwhan would have been dealing with office work, not warehouse stuff. Basically Juwhan was in his elent when he worked out in the field.
“If you look at the file, it shows her brilliant performances since her first day at KOVE. I really appreciate her imnse help....”
Everybody just looked at her personal file without saying anything.
Hyunwoo continued, “Of course, I’m beholden to everybody here. Without your help, I would not have seen the creation of KOVE DREAM. You folks did all your best to make KOVE what it is today.”
Then he appreciated them by calling each of the directors one by one.
“I know more than anybody else how hard you worked for KOVE. And I’m not the type of person who can punish you just because you made one mistake.”
He then emphasized the importance of valuable human resources.
“The purpose of disciplinary action should not be just to punish the person involved. We should make sure he or she should not make the sa mistake. As for the case this ti, I don’t think we need any heavy punishnt to achieve the purpose of the punishnt.”
All the committee mbers refrained from responding.
Hyunwoo continued, “Let close the case by issuing a asure of caution to the director of the planning departnt. This is the sa level of disciplinary action taken on similar cases before.”
A asure of caution was a light punishnt that could not be called punishnt at all. The only downside was when the person involved should be competing with others to get promoted, his or her record of that might put them at a disadvantage.
All the mbers nodded their heads without objecting to Hyunwoo’s decision.
But Sonjong dissented, “Still, you can’t give a pass.”
Everybody stopped talking and looked at her.
“In fact, I’ve looked back at myself a lot on the occasion of this. For example, I wondered if the position I have now is the right fit for . I think a practical, not managerial position, better fits .”
Everybody opened their eyes wider with surprise. It looked as if she would relinquish her position.
Their expectation was right.
“I would like to be relieved of my position as the director of the planning departnt and go back to the rank-and-file position.”
“No, I can’t allow that,” said Hyunwoo.
But Sonjong’s adamant.
“In fact, I’ve felt a great burden because of my title. I’ve neglected my household work because of my job here. Please allow to handle office work as an ordinary employee.”
Everybody made a blank expression at her bombshell announcent. How could a ranking officer like her ask for a demotion?
That was unthinkable and nonsensical.
But Hyunwoo thought differently because he was well aware of her family situation.
Sonjong was from a rich family. Her husband was a college professor making a decent inco, so she didn’t need to covet a high salary.
Still, Hyunwoo couldn’t think of her request for demoting her to a lower position.
Actually, he wanted to promote her to a more responsible position.
“I know you’re having a hard ti, but...” said Hyunwoo, trying to change her mind.
But she was not persuaded.
After all, Hyunwoo said with a sigh,
“Okay, then. I respect your decision, but on one condition. You should not do any damage to the company by relinquishing your position. So, try to find a replacent before you do. Got it?”
When Sonjong didn’t say anything, Hyunwoo quickly concluded the eting.
“Okay, let wrap up the eting then.”
After the eting, Hyunwoo went back to his office.
Sitting on the sofa, he was sorting out his complicated thoughts.
‘Certainly, the opportunity will co along. The opportunity of driving out the corrupt politicians. I should seize it well.’
Suddenly, he cast a glance at the TV set on the opposite wall.
The TV was on all the ti in his office, and the channel was fixed on Yonhap News, so he could take a look at it anyti he turned back.
There was shocking news that attracted Hyunwoo’s attention instantly.
Hyunwoo quickly picked up a remote control and raised the TV volu.
According to the report, the police, when tipped off by an anonymous informant, was in hiding near a country gas station and ambushed the gasoline tank truck that arrived at the station and supplied gasoline. When the police checked the tank, it was full of fake gasoline.
Not only that gas station but also other stations in Kumsan County in Chungnam Province and Jangsu County in Chonbuk Province were also supplied with fake gasoline.
What was surprising was that these gas stations were directly run by Singyong Co.
In other words, Singyong Co. was supplying fake gasoline at the head office level.
The news shocked the people. The police started an investigation of the driver of the truck, the man responsible for supplying illegal fake gasoline as well as the owners of the gas stations, and the press reported about the public response.
However, all the persons under investigation said they were not aware of the fake gasoline, arguing that there was no reason for them to sell fake gasoline.
Hyunwoo also thought there was sothing strange about it. There was no reason for a large company like Singyong to sell fake gasoline because of the big risk factor when uncovered.
But the general people didn’t think deeply.
“There must be more fake gasoline hidden sowhere .”
“Poor consurs!”
“Those guys involved, ranging from its president down to the lower managers, should be sent to prison!”
The news about Singyoung’s fake gasoline led to a sharp decline in its sales. Custors stopped using Singyong’s gas stations.
The bigger problem was this kind of sales reduction was not just a temporary issue. Ohsung Group and Bando Oil joined hands on the occasion of Singyoung’s crisis to aggressively eat away at Singyoung’s dominance in the market.
Even Hyunwoo was shocked to learn about their collaboration.
Ohsung was supposed to offer Bando Oil 30% of the Super Green sales right, while Bando Oil decided to hand over its gas stations to Ohsung.
Because of this situation, Singyoung was in a very dangerous crisis. It was faced with another problem.
Singyoung focused on oil refinery and communications.
Even its communications business didn’t go well recently as a result of Ohsung Group’s aggressive marketing strategy.
Its entertainnt business was also in the red.
But the biggest problem was its involvent in the malpractices of overseas resources diplomacy.
Though the president and big shot politicians strongly backed Singyoung, the press relentlessly dug out the corruption of resources diplomacy involving Singyoung Co.
In particular, when Singyoung’s fake gasoline was uncovered, the press focused on its illegal involvent in the resources diplomacy, calling for the governnt investigation of its sole right to develop oilfields in Vietnam.
But the governnt kept silent. When asked by the press, governnt officials made excuses by saying that it had happened during the previous governnt.
After all, only Singyoung Co. was in a serious financial crisis.
So people already began to talk about the possibility of Singyoung’s bankruptcy. So foreign credit rating agency was predicting it.
Several days later, the governnt took out a knife.
There was a report that the Prosecutors’ Office decided to summon Munsik Choi, CEO of Singyoung Co. in connection with the controversial resources diplomacy. Munsik was already forbidden from leaving the country.
And there was even more shocking news several days later after that.
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