Chapter 258

Jinhoo Kang’s announcement that he would build an electric vehicle industrial complex in Asia, not in Korea, caused a huge stir.

Self-driving electric vehicles are the key industry of the future. Therefore, the whole world was paying attention to this investment plan.

Attracting industrial complexes is not only a job, but also a huge help to technology development.

Automobiles are associated with numerous parts makers. Since it is not possible to procure all of the parts within the industrial complex, we must eventually cooperate with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is a good opportunity for developing countries to grow the parts industry and embrace advanced technology.

As soon as the announcement was over, people in charge of investment attraction from Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia entered Korea one after another.

“Vietnamese workers earn less than 30 percent of the average wage in Korea, but they are proud of their high level of education and hard work. In addition, I think that the linkage effect is great as Seosung Electronics factories are already in operation in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.”

“Indonesia has a domestic market of over 200 million people and is growing faster than any other country in the world.”

“Thailand is reviewing various tax benefits as well as free land provision and surrounding infrastructure construction.”

“The Malaysian government is ready to provide all support to attract electric vehicle industrial complexes.”

The ASEAN countries heralded a sparking war over the invitation. Everyone expressed their desire to bring the electric vehicle industrial complex to their home country no matter what.

On the other hand, local governments, who were inflated with the dream of attracting an industrial complex, were engulfed in shock. Local residents who were hoping to attract them and young people looking for jobs were extremely angry.

Industrial complexes are the last hope to revive the local economy. But now that hope seems to have disappeared.

If the human mind gives and takes away, you will be more angry. However, in this case, the giver did not take it back, the giver had the heart to give and the receiver wanted to receive it, but out of the blue, someone else came up and told him not to give it.

In this way, high-tech industrial parks and tens of thousands of jobs that will truly lead the future have been blown abroad!

-Eunseongcha union and the two major labor unions are expelling industrial complexes abroad?

-Crazy hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

– You were planning to ruin Korea.

– That’s why there are no jobs in Korea! What the hell is the government doing?

-Aren’t you supposed to do something without looking at the two major trade unions?

-If the New Politics Party doesn’t do it right this time, let’s vote for the Liberal People’s Party in the next general election!

-Anyway, the Liberal People’s Party… … .

As public opinion swelled, the two major trade unions took a step back, saying that they could consider abolishing the solidarity wage system, but the Eunseong Automobile Union insisted that Eunsung Motors should withdraw from investment in the electric vehicle industrial complex. He also declared that he would continue the struggle until the end if he did not break the business agreement with OTK.

The general uprising, which was scheduled for the weekend, was decided to proceed as it is. It means that he will nail him to prevent him from changing his words or making another attempt.

This act of taking advantage of the vested interests of the union has provoked even greater opposition.

– Do your work.

-People are lining up to work for an annual salary of 40 million won. Does it make sense to kick out the factory?

– What the hell are you planning to do?

– This is not the case here! Let’s go to Gwanghwamun and protest!


– That’s right! If the Eunseong Tea Union and the two major trade unions are in a general uprising, let’s also raise the people!

-Let’s gather at Gwanghwamun with candles!

– Let’s win jobs with the hands of the people!”

– Gwanghwamun Candlelight Demonstration Kazua!

* * *

A small rally of the KCTU was also held in front of the Seoseong Group’s Gangnam office building.

Chairman Im Jin-yong looked down at it and said.

“The country is making a lot of noise again because of you. The media is rioting, and public opinion is rioting.”

Taek-gyu looked at me with a sympathetic expression.

“I saw on the news yesterday that Senator Gensei was accusing you of cultivating social conflicts and causing non-no-no conflicts.”

Why are you Gensei to me?

I sighed and said.

“Well, social conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

The easiest way to avoid conflict is to do nothing. In general, social conflicts rarely occur in dictatorships.

Have you seen North Koreans protesting against the supreme dignity or the policy of the Workers’ Party of Korea?

If you think about it, conflict is normal in a democratic society. Saying not to cause conflict is equivalent to acknowledging the vested interests.

Conflicts occur even if the movement for independence against the Japanese imperialists or the democracy movement against the dictatorship.

If you want to run a ride-sharing service, you will have to bump into taxi drivers, and if you want to build a university dormitory, you have no choice but to bump into studio operators.

Taek-gyu, who heard my story, nodded eagerly.

“That is why you sternly rebuked the opposition, saying that if the opposition parties oppose your policy, it would incite national conflict.”



If you want the politicians to have one voice, you should have a one-party system like North Korea, not a multi-party system. And the person who said that, caused a great social conflict due to corruption and went to the detention center.

The important thing is to rationally reconcile the conflict. Aren’t you paying taxes to politicians to do that?

But why is everyone just playing?

“After seeing the protests, Chairman Chan-Young Han must also have a headache.”

Taegyu said.

“Come to think of it, the union of Seoseong Group does not oppose it.”

Chairman Im Jin-yong smiled instead of answering.

Seoseong Group has adhered to the non-union management in the past. Of course it’s illegal. It has already been judged by the courts several times, and as the times have changed, union establishment is now permitted.

However, the enrollment rate is low. As the wages and benefits are the highest in Korea, the employees don’t seem to have any complaints.

Chairman Im Jin-yong sat down again. The Suseong Group’s due diligence team is already conducting field investigations on ASEAN countries wishing to attract them.

On the desk, data analyzing domestic local governments and data analyzing ASEAN countries were neatly laid out.

Me and Taek-gyu sat across from each other and looked through the materials.

“We directly employ 15,000 people to produce at least 200,000 cars per year. It is incredible that there are not one, but two of these industrial complexes. If SMEs were excluded from the industrial complex, the number of employees could be reduced and there would have been less opposition from the two major trade unions.”

“As you know, our house used to be a supplier.”

DHK Engineering was a small company supplying to tertiary vendors.

Although it was destroyed due to the abuse of Eunsung Motors, it was the 3rd-tier vendor that received the delivery of goods and received the most of the actual abuse.

When a large company slaps a unit price on a primary vendor, the primary vendor does the same to the secondary vendor, and the secondary vendor does the same to the tertiary vendor. Gabjil is coming down like a downgrade.

So far, the economy has been doing well. But in the future, this is likely not to be the case.

It’s just that people don’t feel it, but there’s a drastic change happening across the industry right now.

Instead of a complex engine and transmission, electric vehicles use a motor and a battery. This alone reduces the number of parts to less than half. This means that more than half of the suppliers that make parts now are closed, which could lead to massive unemployment.

Therefore, it is necessary to hasten the transition to future cars as soon as possible and to enhance the competitiveness of the parts industry. And more factories and more jobs should be created.



It’s not just patriotism that I decided to build a factory in Korea.

Korea has the advantages of a high-quality labor force, a domestic market of more than 50 million, a purchasing power of a national income of USD 30,000, and being close to large markets such as China, Russia, Japan, and ASEAN.

It is truly an optimal location. But there is only one problem: unions.

Chairman Im Jin-yong asked.

“What would you do if you were opposed to the end?”

I shrugged.

“Then I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Here’s what I can do. The choice should be left to the people.

* * *

In the past, when workers’ rights were weak, the people supported the Eunseong Tea Union. They believed that their efforts were improving poor working conditions.

Strangely, however, as the unions of large conglomerates gained more, the polarization of jobs became more and more severe, and every strike killed only subcontractors and non-regular workers.

In retrospect, this was normal. A union is an organization created to represent the interests of its members. Therefore, there was no reason to worry about the situation of other workers.

At that time, the people gave a stinging gaze to the union of large corporations for taking care of their rice bowls.

In this situation, when Jin-hoo Kang came forward and said that he would create jobs that implement the solidarity wage system as a part of reducing job polarization, all the people cheered. Even the young conservatives who cursed Kang Jin-hoo applauded.

Due to technological advances and declining growth rates, domestic manufacturing jobs were on the decline. Would it even be said that Korean youths are unemployed even with the highest specs since Dangun?

Under these circumstances, the electric vehicle industrial complex was nothing more than a raindrop in the drought. However, tens of thousands of jobs were blown abroad due to the protection of the established union’s vested interests, and the public’s anger exploded.

In fact, the two major trade unions seem to represent the entire labor community, but the actual membership rate is only 10 percent. In other words, only one in ten workers is affiliated with it.

However, as they opposed it, the remaining 90% of the workers suffered harm. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) unions, paying attention, one by one announced their withdrawal from the two major labor unions.

Needless to say, the solidarity pay system may be a downward leveling for large corporations, but an upward leveling for other workers. There is no reason to oppose the increase of these jobs.(Read more @ wuxiax.com)

The two major trade unions predicted that the number of participants in the general uprising could be up to 300,000. However, as public opinion deteriorated, even unrelated industrial unions withdrew with various excuses, so the actual number of participants was less than 10,000.

A podium and speakers were installed on one side of Gwanghwamun Square. Workers in red headbands and vests sat down. It was difficult to fill one side of the square, let alone fill the entire Gwanghwamun area.

Instead, other people started flocking to the other side. These are the people who gathered after seeing the announcement of the candlelight vigil posted on social media and portal sites.

Unlike the general union assembly organized by the executive branch, the number was small as the members gathered sporadically.

Members of the two major trade unions stood on the podium one after another and condemned OTK Company, Suseong Group, and Eunsung Cha Group.

The head of the state choir union shouted his throat burst.

He “opposes the solidarity wage system, which worsens working conditions and destroys industrial relations!”

“I am against it! I am against it!”

“CEO Kang Jin-hoo should immediately apologize for the act of destroying the union!”

“Apologize! Apologize!”

But as the sun began to set, a murmur spread among the members. Candles were flickering in all directions, east, west, north and south.

“Stop sabotaging trade unions! him, and… … .”

He couldn’t speak any more.

At some point, the number of candlelight vigils increased to the extent that they filled the entire Gwanghwamun Square as well as both lanes and surrounding areas.

It looks like a candle surrounded the members.

As time passed, the voices from different places began to merge. It turned into a huge shout in an instant.

“I approve of the electric vehicle industrial complex!”

“I am in favor of the solidarity wage system!”

“We agree!”

“People agree!”

“I agree! I agree!”

A shout shook the entire Gwanghwamun area.

Union Chairman Joo Seong-moo said nothing and bowed his head.

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