IT powerhouse.
A phrase often used to describe South Korea.
But South Korea was a country full of regulations and restrictions, making it extremely difficult for fledgling IT companies to survive.
Fantasy TV was no exception.
At launch, it held a market share far exceeding YouTube.
Yet, due to exorbitant network fees and discriminatory policies against domestic companies, it struggled in the red and eventually lost users as its market share plummeted.
However, CEO Kim Ik-su was unaware of this bleak future.
He was still filled with hopeful anticipation.
"I understand your concerns well. But development is already more than 50% complete, and I'm confident that once we launch, we'll attract a huge number of users."
"I agree with you on that point. But a video platform business cannot survive on the domestic market alone."
"So, Vice Chairman, are you suggesting that I should give up the video platform business? Or are you proposing that we build it together with Taewoo Group?"
His voice rose with emotion.
Understanding his feelings, I answered calmly, soothingly.
"Both. I intend to acquire your company and business. And along with myself and others, I want to create a video platform targeting the global market—something done right."
"You mean selling my company to Taewoo Group and becoming one of your employees?"
"I'll pay you 5 billion won for the acquisition. And you won't be an employee of Taewoo Group. Several companies will join forces to create a joint venture video platform company, and I want to recommend you as its manager."
For Kim Ik-su, this was a difficult proposal to accept.
To give up a service not even launched yet...
But since I was offering a hefty 5 billion won, his expression shifted by the second.
"Offering 5 billion won to acquire the company and business—does that mean you believe it has potential for success?"
"It's hard to succeed in the Korean market, but with strong push on the global stage, it could become a major success."
"Though it feels disrespectful to say this, I can't help but wonder if this is an attempt to steal our company's technology."
I had expected this.
Anyone in Korea's startup scene would have heard countless stories of large corporations' heavy-handedness.
And likely seen many cases where technology or patents were taken from startups.
Even before meeting Kim Ik-su, I anticipated this conversation and prepared accordingly.
"Please ask Chun Min-jung to come in."
I called the secretary to summon Chun Min-jung.
She entered the vice chairman's office, carrying her laptop bag.
"Did you call me?"
"Ms. Chun Min-jung, please show CEO Kim Ik-su the video platform site our IT department has been developing."
"Understood."
Chun Min-jung took a seat next to CEO Kim and opened her laptop.
After clicking through a few icons, a video platform site appeared—one that looked very familiar to me.
"This is a real-time video-sharing site. We've enabled pre-roll advertisements at the start of videos, created a tiered system based on subscriber count, and added real-time skip functionality. Playback speed control—ranging from 0.5x to 2x—is also fully implemented."
"H-how is this possible? This site is far more polished than the one we're developing at my company!"
Kim Ik-su was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth.
Was this how someone reacted upon discovering a new world?
To him, it might have truly felt like that.
After all, this was a rough replica of the video platform I had used in my previous life before returning.
"As you can see, CEO Kim, we don't particularly need your company's technology. What we need is someone who can help build a platform capable of succeeding on the global stage—with us."
"…But it looks like you've already built everything. I don't see where I'd even fit in."
"We're still in the process of improving it. And there's still a lot that's missing."
It was, in truth, nothing more than a shell—a well-crafted imitation.
Thanks to Chun Min-jung's exceptional skills, we had managed to impress CEO Kim, but…
Upon closer inspection, the site was full of gaps. Launching it as a fully functioning platform would require a lot more people and effort.
"Whew… My head is spinning. Accepting your offer comes with a lot of uneasiness. But if I turn it down, I don't think I can compete with the platform Taewoo Group is building…"
"What's there to be uneasy about? Take the 5 billion won, and join us. Every employee at your company will also receive industry-leading compensation and treatment."
Kim Ik-su clutched his head, agonizing over the decision.
It wasn't until he yanked out a handful of hair that he finally opened his mouth.
"Can you just tell me one thing? You said Taewoo Group is partnering with several companies to launch this video platform. Could you tell me who those companies are?"
"I can tell you, but I'll need your confidentiality. For now, the plan is for Taewoo Group to join hands with Google, Amazon, and Apple."
"Google, Amazon, and Apple?! I accept your proposal. I have no desire to compete with global giants like them."
He immediately grabbed my hand in agreement.
At that, the Planning Office chief handed over a contract prepared by the legal team. Without a moment's hesitation, Kim Ik-su placed his seal on the document.
"The details will be worked out by our teams. I'll send someone over tomorrow to begin that process."
"Thank you for the excellent offer."
"If you can't beat them, join them."
It was a famous quote by a soccer player.
And CEO Kim Ik-su had chosen to follow that wisdom.
I watched him leave the vice chairman's office with a smile. Once he stepped out, Chun Min-jung quietly approached me and spoke in a low voice.
"Vice Chairman, do we really need to partner with those global companies? I'm not an expert in management, but I do know that it means Taewoo Group's stake in the project will be reduced."
"To dominate the global market, you need as many allies as possible."
Though I said that, the truth was…
Google, Amazon, Apple—I owned nearly a majority stake, or more, in all of them.
On the surface, it looked like a joint venture with global tech giants. But in reality, it was no different from transferring something from my right hand to my left.
"So you're saying that having more allies is more important than holding a bigger share?"
"Exactly. The video platform will face a lot of resistance. We need strong allies to withstand that when the time comes."
"Oh! And there's one more thing. We've successfully developed a Go deep learning algorithm. It's still in training, but with a few more version upgrades, I believe it could reach the level of a professional Go player."
A professional-level Go player?
Even Chun Min-jung was underestimating the potential of deep learning AI.
It wouldn't just match professional players—it could surpass them.
"If you need a Go professional to assist in your research, let me know anytime."
"We'll be testing it on online Go platforms, so we don't need any help just yet."
"Then it won't be long before an anonymous Go genius starts making waves online."
"Oh—and while I was working on the video platform, I thought of a few algorithms and built them. One is a recommendation algorithm that matches users with videos suited to their tastes. The other is a basic filter to detect and restrict adult content."
That was just the kind of person Chun Min-jung was.
She would casually create algorithms in a day that teams of specialists would take months to develop.
How could I not treasure her? How could I not go out of my way to put on a show for her younger brother?
"You must be swamped with the AI research. When did you even find time to make those algorithms? Don't tell me you've been skipping sleep again?"
"I made it during my break. Creating algorithms helps me clear my mind and actually feels relaxing."
I remembered reading a similar interview once.
A Seoul National University medical student said he solved math problems during his breaks to unwind.
Chun Min-jung was the same type—only instead of math problems, she crafted algorithms.
"How's Min-woo doing at school? If anything similar happens again, don't hesitate to tell me. The group will fully support him."
"There haven't been any issues lately. Especially after being selected as a Taewoo Group scholarship recipient, the school is giving him special attention and care."
Both Chun Min-jung and her brother Chun Min-woo…
It was strange how that family kept clashing with children of prosecutors.
Min-jung had been bullied by a prosecutor's son, and so had Min-woo.
Would the prosecution come after Min-jung on a large scale someday?
"I'm glad to hear that. I'll be heading to the U.S. soon for a business trip, so let's plan a brainstorming session when I get back."
"I'll build up a bunch of ideas and develop some new algorithms while you're gone."
She spoke with such pure enthusiasm.
And she looked so radiant while doing so.
Her ideas and algorithms were worth more than the revenue of most business divisions.
*
I arrived in the U.S. to coincide with the Super Bowl.
Instead of getting a hotel, I unpacked at the SAVE Investment Company.
They had everything—from a shower room to a proper bed—so there was no inconvenience whatsoever.
"Boss! Want a beer?"
David, freshly back from vacation, plopped down next to me with a beer and popcorn in hand.
His skin had turned a healthy bronze—clearly the result of some enjoyable time in the sun.
"On a day like this, of course we have to have beer."
"I didn't expect you to be into the Super Bowl, Boss. I heard American football isn't that popular in Korea. But I guess since you went to college in the States, you're into it?"
"Honestly, I'm not really interested. I don't know the rules, I don't know the players' names… I can't even name any teams."
"Then why did you ask me to watch the Super Bowl with you? If it weren't for you, I'd be at the stadium right now! I worked so hard to get those tickets!"
There wasn't any special reason behind it.
I just didn't want to see a guy who'd already come back from vacation also enjoying the Super Bowl live in person.
Smirking playfully, I downed a can of beer in one go.
"Jet lag's hitting me. I'll lie down for a bit—wake me up when the halftime show starts."
"The halftime show is fun even if you don't understand football."
I reclined my chair as far back as it would go and closed my eyes.
The rhythmic crunching of popcorn lulled me gradually to sleep.
"Boss! The halftime show's starting! Whoa—Janet Jackson and Justin performing together?! That's like you and Steve giving a joint speech at an Apple developer conference—basically once in a lifetime!"
"Now that's one hell of a comparison."
The Super Bowl halftime show was the dream stage—every artist's fantasy.
That's why organizers could bring in the biggest names without paying them a cent.
And now, two of the top Billboard artists were performing together, creating a flawless show in perfect harmony.
At least, they had been… until now.
"Whoa! What the hell was that?! Boss, did you see that?! That was insane!"
David was practically yelling in shock—something massive had just happened.
And it had happened in the middle of the Super Bowl halftime show, watched live by over 100 million people.