September 20th, 2018 10:00

  Seoul Kangnam-ku some cafe.

  Director Oh Jin-ho of the Korean electricity power corporation Seoul branch showed an especially relaxed attitude towards the man sitting across from him, even smiling a bit and started the conversation with a boastful tone.

  “Department Head Kang, this thing is……” Director Oh Jin-ho brought out a small USB drive from his suit pocket and leaned back. Department Head Kang Chul-joong seemed to be dissatisfied with his attitude and put out his right hand and signaled to hand the USB drive over.

  “I almost got myself killed getting this. I can’t hand it over that easily……”


  “Director Oh, are you trying to make a deal with me?”


  “My……what do you mean? I just wanted to make sure about the promise we made last time.”


  “I told you that would depend on the value of the information you provide didn’t I?”


  Director Oh Jin-ho, who saw Department head Kang Chul-joong’s face, judged that he would have nothing to gain from going any further, and whispered as he handed the USB drive.

  “This is the information the Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae coaxed out and the movement of shares after September of 2015. I’m sure you will see when you get a chance to take a look, but all seven directors over the past two years had a rise in stock holdings that reach 0.01% of shares. Also, there is proof Executive Director Yoo Gi-tae received 0.02% of the shares from Rhodeycall for free in August of 2016.”


  “Is that all?”


  When Department head Kang showed a disinterested reaction contrary to his expectation, Director Oh Jin-ho moved to the seat next to him and took a look at his surroundings and whispered, “You know the Senior Secretary of Civil Affairs Oh Man-han? That man’s family, in-laws, etc., his entire family has received 0.1% of the shares in total from Rhodeycall. It adds up to about 38 million dollars based on the current market value.”


  Department Head Kang Chul-joong, who did not show any interest in the matter, seemed to have felt some excitement when he heard 38 million dollars and furrowed his brows. Director Oh Jin-ho seemed to have thought this was his chance and leaned even closer towards him and handed another USB drive.

  “With this, you are guaranteed a special promotion.”


  “What is this?”


  “This is all the evidence related to ex-Senior Secretary of Civil Affairs Oh Man-han and his families I mentioned.”


  Department Head Kang Chul-joong snatched the USB from the Director’s hand and stood up.

  “Was that a sufficient amount of help Department Head Kang, sir?”


  “I am reasonably satisfied.”


  “Then you will overlook the case from last time, right?”


  “Sure. We will consider it to be wiped as promised.”


  “Oh god, thank you.”


  Department Head Kang Chul-joong stopped in his tracks turned around and said a few final words before leaving the cafe. “Director Oh, live an honest life now, if another incident like this happens, we will meet in the interrogation room in the Secret Bureau of Corruption Investigation rather than a cafe.”


  Director Oh, who watched Department Head Kang Chul-joong speaking rudely even to the last moment, promised to himself to never see the tick-like man again.

  * * *

  May 12th, 1943 17:00 Japanese Imperial era

  Kyung Sung Jongro-ku a street somewhere.

  Jong-gu was from Kangwon-do Chuncheon and was the eldest of three brothers and four sisters and began working for his parents by the time he could walk. When Jong-gu turned 15, he decided there was no hope left in his hometown and recklessly took his two younger brothers to Seoul with a note saying they would go earn money. However, since they didn’t know anyone or have any money, it took five years of homelessness and hard work before they could find a small room in the Jongo-ku area and work as porters and live off their daily earnings.

  One day, Jong-gu and his younger brother Jong-sik were working delivering 40 kilograms of lumber 10 kilometers on foot to the Oh-jin store then going home. The brothers, who earned four hwan in total, were humming a tune and walked into the larger street in Jong-ro when they saw a poster on an old disheveled wall.

  “Jong-sik?”


  “What’s up, bro?”


  “That……”


  Jong-sik slowly read the poster Jong-ku pointed to.

  “Looking for people to work! Any healthy man over the age of 15 can apply.”


  A company called the National People’s Prosperity Cooperative was looking for people to work in the coal mines in Japan. The upfront payment of 10 hwan and a monthly payment of five won stood out to them. Even if they worked as a porter all day long, they could only make three or four hwan each day and that was only when the brothers worked together. If they didn’t spend any of the money and saved it for an entire month, then it would amount to 100 hwan. But to be paid daily five hwan, that was 10 times their usual pay, and also to provide food and lodging……

  Jong-sik asked his brother Jong-gu, who was staring at the wall.

  “Big bro, are you going to do that?”


  “They will pay upfront 10 hwan, and they will pay five hwan monthly.”


  “But you have to go to Japan to do that.”


  Jong-gu patted his brother Jong-sik’s head and spoke in a determined tone.

  “Jong-sik? You go back home tomorrow. I will work hard in Japan and come back in a few years after making a bunch of money, so we can take good care of our parents. Okay?”


  “No! If you’re going I am going too! I can apply too you know?”


  “Mining work will not be easy. You should just go back home.”


  “I don’t want to. Didn’t you hear me?”


  Jong-gu thought his younger brother nagging him to come along was cute and took him to the riceball restaurant across the street and bought the cheapest corn riceball and handed it to him.

  “You’re not going to eat?”


  “I’m fine, you should eat.”


  “You’re not some strongman you know? Here! Eat this.”


  Jong-sik split the corn riceball in half and handed the larger one in his right hand. Jong-gu who saw what his brother did, took the smaller one in the left and took a bite.

  “It’s good right?”


  “Yeah.”


  Something seemed to have pleased the Jong-gu brothers and they headed to their hut under the Cheong-gye bridge as they laughed the whole way.

  * * *

  May 13th, 1943 08:00 Japanese Imperial era.

  Kyungsung Jongro-ku National People’s Prosperity Cooperative.

  In front of the National People’s Prosperity Cooperative’s entrance were various men of all ages waiting for the doors to open despite it being so early in the morning. The Jong-gu brothers were also waiting for the doors to open among the large crowd. An hour later, the doors opened and the crowd immediately swarmed towards it. The first floor of the National People’s Prosperity Cooperative had multiple windows like a bank. The Jong-gu brothers went up to the third window when it was their turn.

  “Name?”


  “It’s Lee Jong-gu. This is my brother Lee Jong-sik.”


  “Are you both signing up?”


  “Yes!”


  “Are you two orphans?”


  A man in his 30s with a greasy combed over hair in the third window, stared at the two brothers and asked.

  “No. Both of our parents are in Chuncheon.”


  “Do they know you are here?”


  “No. They know we are in Kyungseong, but they don’t know we work here.”


  “All right. Here are two application forms so write them up and submit them.”


  “Yes, thank you.”


  After 10 minutes, the Jong-gu brothers completed the application forms and submitted them to the employee in window number three, heard explanations about the job, and left. As they left, a man in a neat suit walked in. The man walked past the windows and headed to the second floor through the stairs. It was the owner of the National People’s Prosperity Cooperative, Lee Bok-duk.

  When he entered the Executive’s office, a woman in her early 20s working as an accountant and secretary brought out tea, and Lee Bok-duk massaged her thighs and spoke in an arrogant tone.

  “Tell Department Head Kim to come in.”


  The secretary wanted to resist, but she didn’t want to incur the wrath of the executive, so she couldn’t say anything and spoke in a shy tone with her blushed face from shame.

  “Yes, sir.”


  A moment later a burly man walked into the executive’s office.

  “Did you ask for me, sir?”


  “Department Head Kim, what’s the status of recruiting men for the Japanese mines?”


  “Yes, I wrote the part about paying 10 hwan upfront as you have instructed, and there are even more people compared to the shipbuilding factory.”


  “Hu hu hu, this is why we must use our heads, isn’t that so Department Head Kim?”


  “You’re right, sir.”


  “How many people do you think we will recruit by tomorrow?”


  “I think we will easily meet more than our goal of 5,000 people.”


  Lee Bok-duk put his feet on the table and was immersed in thought.

  ‘Since we were promised to get 30 hwan per person from the Japanese companies, that would be 150,000 hwan for 5,000 people,” he thought.

  Lee Bok-duk finished his quick calculations for money, put one cigarette in his mouth, lit it, and ordered Department Head Kim, “Do your best to pick orphans or those without immediate families around and send them off by the end of this month, without any issues.”


  “No need to worry sir, I will take care of it.”


  Lee Bok-duk inherited the title of Baron in March of 1931 from his father Lee Gyu-jun and formed intimate relations with Japanese corporations during his studying abroad in Japan. After he founded the National People’s Prosperity Cooperative in December of 1942, he began making a fortune supplying human resources for Japanese companies that needed employees. However, the reality of this venture was using sweet lies that convinced people there was an opportunity to make money, but he was selling them to Japanese corporations as forced labor.

  * * *

  June 1st, 1943, 17:00 Japanese Imperial era.

  Incheon port docks.

  ,000 or so young Josun workers got onboard a large ship and waved at their families who came to see them off at the docks and those who came to see their fathers, brothers, and sons off waved back as well.

  On this day, those who were heading off to the mines and workplaces imagined making enough money for five years and returning home to suppress their sadness.

  “Take care of your mother for me okay? Daddy will come back soon, okay?”


  A man in his 40s shouted at a child who was waving his hands with his mother. The child also put his hands together and shouted back.

  “Dad, don’t worry. I will take care of mom. So come back home safe.”


  The mother, who heard her son shout, wiped her tears with a white handkerchief. The heads of families in Josun overcame their pain of saying goodbye with the thought of their families who were under the Japanese oppression and suffering from hunger. A moment later, the ship with 5,000 Josun laborers aboard began to make its departure.

  “Big bro, I wish our parents had come by to say goodbye.” Jong-sik, who was waving at people he didn’t know as he saw the peer moving further away muttered to himself.

  “Jong-sik, let’s think about the day when we return home later, way later and bear it.”


  “Then we could buy our parents a small plot of land? Right?”


  Jong-gu patted Jong-sik’s head and said loudly as he saw the blue ocean.

  “Of course. When we do, we will be able to farm in our land at home so we will not have to worry about a thing.”