Third-Generation Chaebol

Everyone was focused on Representative Yang Il-seop.

They were curious about the perfect move to crush Taewoo Telecom in one go.

"Do you know the two things you must never mess with in Korea?"

"Real estate and education, right?"

"Exactly. Especially education—if you handle it poorly, you'll stir up a hornet's nest of angry parents. Everyone knows how intense Korean parents can be."

"That may be true, but why would parents collectively protest against Taewoo Telecom?"

Representative Yang clicked his tongue, frustrated by the naivety of those outside the political sphere.

"If something disrupts their children's studies, of course, parents will protest. Look at Taewoo Telecom. They let people watch movies for free, make gaming more accessible, and even offer music streaming. If kids are busy playing, when will they study?"

"Oh! So that's how it connects! This is why people need to learn politics. We never even considered such a tactic."

"In politics, you naturally learn how to spot your opponent's weaknesses. By the time you've served three terms as a lawmaker, you can see weaknesses at a glance. Hahaha!"

Yang Il-seop burst into laughter, but the others remained deep in thought.

"To mobilize parents on a large scale, we need a trigger, don't we?"

"A few broadcasts attacking the issue should do the trick. If we highlight the dangers of gaming addiction, it serves a public interest, so no TV station would refuse to air it."

"Ah! That could work. Gaming addiction has already been a hot issue lately."

"Our department has also received reports on the dangers of gaming addiction."

The plan was becoming more concrete, and everyone began brainstorming ideas.

"What if we link all crimes to gaming? Most games are about fighting and destruction, right? We could claim that violent crimes like robbery and murder are caused by gaming."

"But wouldn't attacking games too aggressively harm the gaming industry? Our telecom company just decided to launch an esports team."

"Don't worry about that. The number-one company in any industry always takes the brunt of the criticism. Let Taewoo Telecom take all the heat, and once they've been thoroughly vilified, we can step in and reassure the gaming industry."

Everyone nodded at Yang Il-seop's words.

They had decided to use this opportunity to completely crush Taewoo Telecom, which dared to stand against the telecom cartel.

* * *

A crisis meeting was called.

Parents had begun staging protests in front of Taewoo Telecom.

Soon, multiple broadcasters started airing reports about gaming addiction, and Taewoo Telecom became the primary target.

"Why has gaming addiction suddenly become such a big issue?"

"Several news outlets are reporting on the connection between gaming and crime. There are also rumors spreading that students who subscribe to Taewoo Telecom neglect their studies."

"What about our market share?"

"It's holding steady for now, but if this atmosphere continues, a decline is inevitable. If parents across the country start speaking out, we'll be in serious trouble."

Taewoo Telecom had targeted a younger audience, offering services for gaming, music, and movies.

They had assumed that parents would subscribe to whatever their children wanted—after all, parents can't refuse their kids.

But I was short-sighted.

No, it was more than that—the attacks from rival telecom companies had been brutal, exploiting this vulnerability.

"We must act before we start losing subscribers. Emphasize that Taewoo Telecom does not interfere with students' studies."

"That won't be easy. The number-one reason people subscribe to Taewoo Telecom is for gaming. No matter how we explain it, the argument won't hold."

"We need a strong move to shift public opinion… Hmm. Let's start providing educational broadcasts."

"You mean like EBS? Are you suggesting Taewoo Telecom should offer educational programming?"

The reason parents protested was their children's academic performance.

If that was the case, the solution was simple—provide a service that would help with their studies and resolve their complaints.

"We need to offer educational content that EBS cannot. We should sign contracts with famous lecturers and provide online courses."

"I've heard that top instructors charge tens of billions of won."

Tens of billions was a bargain.

In just a few years, the price of a star instructor's contract would rise to hundreds of billions.

"Sign contracts with the most renowned instructors for each subject. If they ask for 1 billion won, give them 1 billion. If they ask for 2 billion, give them 2 billion. No matter what, bring them on board. Tell them we'll even cover any penalty fees they might incur."

"Won't private academies object to losing their instructors?"

"We'll allow them to continue teaching at their academies. They'll just sign exclusive contracts with us for online lectures. That way, the academies won't strongly oppose it."

"With those conditions, the instructors would be satisfied too. It gives them an opportunity to earn additional income beyond their academy work."

"That extra income will soon surpass their primary income."

The era of online lectures had not yet begun.

Thanks to the attacks from rival telecom companies, I was about to take the lead in the online education market as well.

* * *

I was waiting for a private academy instructor.

It was Kang Min, the most popular math lecturer. Taewoo Telecom had tried several times to recruit him, but he had always refused.

"Sorry for being late. There were many students asking questions, so I got held up."

Kang Min entered the café.

I had watched him arrive from the window, stepping out of a luxury foreign car worth billions of won.

"I haven't been here long myself. Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Kim Min-jae, Director of Planning at Taewoo Group."

"There's no need for introductions from someone as well-known as you. Who wouldn't recognize the crown prince of Taewoo Group? Someone like me needs a business card, not you. I'm Kang Min, a math instructor at an academy."

"To the students, you're probably more famous than I am. I've heard that some students even travel from the provinces just to attend your lectures."

I, too, remembered Kang Min's name.

He would later become a pioneer in online education and eventually establish his own online lecture company.

"I've received offers from Taewoo Telecom to sign a contract. But I want to focus on the students who enrolled at my academy. They trust only me. If I start splitting my attention elsewhere, they'll feel betrayed."

"How about this? Continue teaching at your academy as usual. We'll simply record your lectures and provide them online."

Kang Min's main concern was time.

Balancing both academy lectures and online lectures would be difficult, which is why he had rejected our offer.

But if we recorded his academy lectures, he wouldn't have to prepare for two separate sessions.

"It's not a bad offer, but wouldn't my academy students feel cheated? They pay high tuition fees, and some of them even camped out overnight at the start of the semester just to register for my classes."

"Taewoo will fully reimburse their tuition. If they get to attend your academy lectures for free, wouldn't that ease their concerns?"

"You're very persistent. But I don't think it'll be possible this year. If you make the same offer next year, I'll consider it more seriously."

Is this what makes a star instructor?

Kang Min was incredibly responsible, and I had no choice but to dig deeper into his background.

After reviewing all the details—including special notes—I finally figured out how to persuade him.

"A lot of students are giving up on math. I've heard that you're exceptional at helping those students get back on track. Right now, you're saving about a hundred students at your academy, but if you move online, you could help tens of thousands."

"..."

Kang Min loved math.

He wanted his students to love it as much as he did.

He found fulfillment in helping struggling students discover the joy of math.

"And students who can't afford academy tuition will still be able to take your classes through online lectures."

"Public service programs like that are what EBS is for."

The moment he mentioned EBS, I knew I had touched on something important.

His concerns about EBS were clearly outlined in his profile.

[Special Note: Received an offer from EBs but declined due to family opposition.]

Public service and profitability rarely go hand in hand.

Kang Min wanted as many students as possible to take his classes, and he had probably considered accepting the EBS offer.

But since EBS had strict budget limitations, he had no choice but to stay at the academy.

"We're aiming to fill the gaps that EBS cannot. EBS has limited funds, but Taewoo Group has no such restrictions."

"I don't understand why Taewoo Group is interested in education broadcasting."

"Think of it as a corporate social responsibility initiative. The higher the education level of Korean students, the better employees we'll be able to recruit in the future."

Kang Min fell into deep thought.

He didn't speak again until he had finished his cup of coffee.

"Then can you promise that my lectures will be provided for free? If so, I'll accept your offer."

"Anyone subscribed to Taewoo Telecom will have free access to your lectures. Does that condition satisfy you?"

"Is there no way for students who aren't Taewoo subscribers to watch as well?"

"The cost of a Taewoo subscription is less than 10% of academy tuition. I'm afraid that condition would be difficult. However, we will provide free Taewoo subscriptions to 2,000 underprivileged households."

Kang Min hesitated again.

But his decision didn't take long.

He reached out his hand toward me.

"I accept the terms. I don't know much about online lectures, but I'll do my best to teach effectively."

"Thank you for making a great decision. The Taewoo Group legal team will visit you soon, and we'll also coordinate with your academy at a corporate level."

"That would be very helpful. I appreciate it."

At last, we had successfully secured top instructors for all subjects.

Taewoo Telecom's IT department had already completed preparations for the online lecture platform. All that remained was to record the instructors' lectures, and the service would be ready to launch.

* * *

One month later.

The online lecture service officially began.

A large-scale TV advertising campaign was launched, and as soon as the lectures started, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

"Director! The parents who were protesting in front of Taewoo Telecom have all left."

"Already?"

"Most of them live in Seoul. Naturally, they're familiar with the names of the instructors in our program."

"They say no one gathers information faster than parents when it comes to education. Seems that's true."

The lectures of star instructors, which normally cost hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of won.

Now, parents could get those same lectures online for just a fraction of the cost. There was no reason for them to oppose the service anymore.

"And our subscriber count is rising rapidly, especially in the greater Seoul area."

"Looks like the names of our instructors carry weight throughout the region."

I should send a thank-you note to our competitors.

Thanks to them, not only had we solidified our position as the number one telecom company, but we had also secured a new cash cow in the form of online education.