WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
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◈ Second Life of the Trade King ◈
Chapter 14: Preparations for the Future (2)
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“Excellent. It’s an excellent decision.”
More than excellent, it was a decision exciting enough to make my hands shake.
But Kevin Matthews, ever the diplomat, soon returned to a composed expression and began writing on a notepad.
“Let’s be clear about this. The Australian Department of Trade will send two things. First, a formal statement supporting the opening of the Korean market. It will say that the first instance of direct trade outside the Agricultural and Fishery Products Marketing Corporation’s monopoly has taken place, and that the Australian government welcomes it. Second, it will begin the process of registering Yeongdo Trading as a priority cooperation channel for entering the Korean market. That will take some time, though. It needs headquarters’ approval.”
“How long will it take?”
“The official statement will be sent this week. The priority cooperation channel registration should take about a month. But Mr. Kim, there’s one thing you should understand clearly. In the statement I send, David Jo’s name will come before Yeongdo Trading’s.”
I tilted my head at the unexpected remark, and Kevin explained.
“Pacific Grain Lines’ Korea branch created this example of opening the Korean market, and its branch manager made a decisive contribution to Australia’s export policy toward Korea. That’s how we’ll frame it. Then, from headquarters’ perspective, removing David Jo in a regular personnel rotation would directly go against Australian government policy. Just as you planned from the beginning.”
Kevin had caught every crucial point I had raised without missing a thing.
Was this how the mind of a diplomat in their fifth year worked?
“Thank you.”
Kevin looked straight into my smiling eyes and spoke firmly.
“But don’t get the wrong idea.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t think I’m helping you out of pure goodwill. I’ve been a trade officer in Korea for a long time, and I knew that every time Australian grain entered Korea, prices were squeezed by the Agricultural and Fishery Products Marketing Corporation’s monopoly structure. Then you showed up and persuaded me.”
“So you’re saying I can’t afford to make a mistake?”
“That’s right. I was persuaded by your logic and decided to move this forward. If something goes wrong, I’ll be the one losing face.”
I could guess why Kevin was saying this, and I smiled to myself.
If Yeongdo Trading was registered as a priority cooperation channel, whose achievement would it be?
Kevin’s, of course.
Kevin would be able to report back home that the Australian Department of Trade had taken the first step in opening Korea’s feed market.
That was why Kevin was warning me not to ruin things after all this effort.
“Yes. I’ll keep it in mind.”
We rose and shook hands.
Just before I left the office, Kevin added one last comment.
“Mr. Kim, that Korean company that used its influence at headquarters to stop you. You said it had monopolized Busan Port for over five years, right? Unfortunately for them, they’ve shot themselves in the foot. Once the Australian government officially starts supporting the opening of the Korean market, the whole structure that let them monopolize things while inflating prices for five years will be shaken. They tried to take you down and ended up digging their own grave.”
“I guess I’m going to be pretty unpopular.”
“Hahaha. You don’t seem too concerned. I think I’ve found a good partner.”
After parting with Kevin and leaving the annex, evening had already settled over the diplomatic quarter.
I got into my car and started for Busan.
I had driven five hours from Busan to Seoul, but I did not feel tired in the least. I had results to show for it.
I reached Busan well after midnight.
The moment I entered my room above the shop, I collapsed onto the bed without even properly taking off my clothes.
I did not have the strength to shower.
The instant I closed my eyes, I fell asleep as though my consciousness had snapped off.
I did not wake until late the next morning.
For the first time in days, I had a morning with no schedule at all.
After washing up slowly and going downstairs, I found my father reading the newspaper at the counter.
“...You’re up. I heard you come in at dawn yesterday. Why are you working yourself so hard?”
“I went to Seoul, but it worked out.”
My father’s bluntness in not asking for details was more comfortable, if anything.
Over the following days, news began arriving one piece at a time.
The first call came from David Jo.
“Mr. Kim, Trade Officer Kevin Matthews sent an official statement to headquarters. It says the Australian Department of Trade supports the opening of the Korean market. What on earth did you do?”
“I just... persuaded them as best I could.”
“What? You persuaded them?”
“Let’s wait and see what happens.”
Then, three days later, David Jo’s second call settled everything.
“They reached a decision on the personnel rotation. I’ve been confirmed to remain as head of the Korea branch.”
My hand clenched into a fist without my realizing it.
“The Australian Department of Trade’s assessment of me as the Korea branch manager who created an example of opening the Korean market was decisive. From headquarters’ perspective, removing that kind of manager in a regular personnel rotation would mean going against Australian government policy. Thanks to that, the personnel matter has been completely buried. And headquarters has also started the registration process to make Yeongdo Trading a priority cooperation channel.”
“...That’s truly a relief. I mean it.”
“I’m the one who should be relieved, Mr. Kim. I nearly got pulled out of Busan this time, but you stopped it. ...Honestly, I can’t believe it. I’ve met many Koreans, but I’ve never met anyone who handles things as boldly as you do.”
“I was lucky. In any case, it worked out.”
After hanging up, I felt a weight lift from deep in my chest.
When I called Mr. Park and told him the news, a hearty laugh burst from the other end of the line.
“You little punk! You really pulled it off! David Jo isn’t leaving, and Yeongdo Trading has connected all the way to the Australian government, is that it? Good grief, I’ve never seen a startup in Yeongdo District pull off something like this!”
The news also reached President Park Jong-ho at Jagalchi Market and President Lee Jeong-hwan in Bujeon-dong. Within days, everyone connected to Yeongdo Trading shared the joy of getting through another major hurdle together.
Mr. Park let one more thing slip.
“And I heard that Daeseong Fisheries & Produce’s statement to headquarters got turned into scrap paper. That big company tried throwing its weight around to crush one little startup and only embarrassed itself. The whole of Yeongdo is buzzing about it.”
That large company had tried to press down on tiny Yeongdo Trading and ended up losing face instead.
Just as Kevin had said, they had shot themselves in the foot.
Once that hurdle was completely behind me, I finally had room to breathe for the first time in days.
That evening, a college classmate contacted me.
With graduation approaching, they suggested we meet up for the first time in a while.
After sunset, I headed to a regular pork belly place near Yeongdo Bridge.
The cramped restaurant was already full of thick smoke and lively noise. My fourth-year classmates from Pusan National University’s Department of Trade were gathered around a grill, waving at me.
“Hey, Kim Hyun-woo! You’re late!”
“Sorry, sorry.”
The moment I sat down, someone handed me a glass of soju.
Pork belly sizzled golden on the grill, and everyone’s faces were already red from drink.
They all acted as though they knew me well, but in truth, their faces felt unfamiliar.
More than thirty years had passed, after all.
Even the casual arms slung around shoulders and light taps on my arm made me flinch for a moment, though I tried my best to act natural.
In any case, as fourth-years with graduation just ahead, the conversation naturally turned to careers.
“Hey, Tae-seok, where did you end up?”
“I got into Woojin. Training starts next month.”
“Oh, jackpot. What’s the starting salary?”
“They say if you join a trading company, you might even get posted overseas. The allowances are great.”
“I’m seriously jealous. I still haven’t figured out where I’m going.”
The one who had landed a job at a major company talked excitedly, while the ones who had not decided yet only downed soju.
I sat among them, listening as I drank.
It felt strange.
In the memories of my past life, drinking with friends felt like something from the distant past.
Ever since I became Glencore’s vice president in Singapore, gatherings like this had disappeared long ago.
Yet here I was, twenty-six again, sitting in the middle of these fresh-faced young people.
It was familiar yet unfamiliar, and somehow warm.
“Hey, that ad is on again.”
Someone pointed at the television hanging on one wall of the restaurant.
Hodori was on the screen, smiling brightly as it rolled a hoop. It was an advertisement announcing that only two hundred days remained until the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Next came a notice recruiting Olympic volunteers, followed by a campaign video encouraging people to welcome foreign visitors.
“Wow, only two hundred days left already. Seoul’s going to be completely crazy during the Olympics.”
“Busan has events too, doesn’t it? Yacht races at Su-yeong Bay.”
“Really? Then Busan will be crawling with blonds too.”
“We’ll start work right around when the Olympics end. Great timing.”
They talked excitedly.
Both the television screen and the faces watching it were full of anticipation.
I watched the screen for a moment.
1988.
The Three-Lows boom was supporting Korea’s economy, and the whole country was excited for the great festival called the Olympics.
It was an era when everyone believed without a doubt that tomorrow would be better than today.
A true age of opportunity was just beginning, and I stood right in the middle of it.
“What about you, Hyun-woo?”
Tae-seok suddenly asked.
“Where are you going? You haven’t picked a company yet, right?”
“I’m going into business.”
“Business? Ah, you mean taking over your family’s shop?”
“No. I started a trading company.”
The table fell quiet for a moment before everyone burst into laughter.
“Hey, what’s Kim Hyun-woo talking about?”
“A trading company? Where would you get the money to start a company?”
“Mr. President, have a drink! Oh, President Kim!”
They giggled and playfully urged drinks on me.
No one took seriously my claim that I had started a trading company.
Of course they would dismiss it as bragging. A twenty-six-year-old classmate about to graduate claiming to be the president of a trading company was hard to believe.
In the middle of it all, Man-ho, who was sitting farther away, asked a question.
“But what kind of trade do you do?”
As I considered how to explain, I spotted a massive cargo ship entering Busan Port in the distance.
With a faint smile, I pointed to that huge, ponderous vessel.
“See that?”
“Hm?”
Everyone turned to look at the enormous ship coming into port.
“I’m starting with ship provisioning for ships like that. It’s been pretty profitable.”
“Really? Have you actually done it?”
Tae-seok asked as though unable to believe it, and I nodded.
“Of course I have. And another one is coming in soon.”
“When?”
“In a week.”
After answering, I casually looked toward the television.
A respectable-looking middle-aged man continued the commentary.
“With the launch of a new administration and the Seoul Olympics approaching, expectations for our economy are higher than ever. In addition, as the trade surplus grows, the government is considering plans to gradually open the import market that has remained restricted until now. Import liberalization is expected to expand across various categories, including agricultural and fisheries products...”
How many people truly understood the meaning behind those words?
My grip tightened around my glass of soju.
Footnotes:
The Three-Lows boom refers to Korea’s late-1980s economic boom, associated with low oil prices, low interest rates, and a low U.S. dollar.
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