The Absolute Chaebol of Korea! — Episode 1
Little riches come from hard work.Great wealth is bestowed by the heavens.
But heaven also watches those who strive for great riches and grants them opportunities.Opportunities are never given to those who do not try.They come only to those who work hard, prepare, and take on challenges.
Their efforts are sometimes fierce.Sometimes ruthless.
"What a cruel and ruthless world!"This saying fits the Japanese colonial era better than any other.
"The international situation is even more ruthless!"
These were turbulent times.No one came to help the powerless Joseon.The weak were oppressed and robbed by those who held power.
Joseon was too frail, too incompetent.It was devoured by Japanese imperialism, which had risen through the Meiji Restoration.
"Incompetence is a sin."
The leaders of Joseon were corrupt.Their incompetence invited Japan's invasion.It would not be an exaggeration to say that the new riches of Joseon were bestowed upon them by the damned Emperor of Japan.
"Most of them were pro-Japanese."
They didn't fight for independence.They didn't fund the independence movement.And so, they could greet their country's liberation as rich men.
After liberation, the U.S. military government judged that the abandoned Japanese properties were valuable and useful.
"It was a time of collusion."
Lacking domestic influence, Lee Seung-han relied on pro-Japanese collaborators.Those collaborators, once hated and nearly executed by bamboo spears, extended their hands to him — and he gladly accepted.
And thus, with the blessing of the U.S. military government, the pro-Japanese rich grew wealthier still.Their wealth, ultimately, was granted by foreign powers.
Today's conglomerates are the product of dictators' greed.There are no truly righteous wealthy men left in this land.Perhaps there will never again be one like Gyeongju Choi, the upright rich man of legend.
"I'll become truly rich!"
As rich as the man of Gyeongju, or like Kim Sang-ok, whose name survived only in stories.I'll leave behind both a legacy and a fortune.I'll become a conglomerate so powerful that no one can touch me.
"Yes, it's money."
You can't take it to the afterlife, but while you live, money is everything.Money is power.
To think I realized such an obvious truth only on the verge of death…I was truly a fool.
Truth and justice, righteous action — none of that saved me.
[You are immortal.]
Just before I died, I heard the voice of God.And life was given to me once more.
In this new life, I will become a chaebol with absolute power in Korea.I'll live properly — and luxuriously — with wealth.
However… something feels strange.Everything looks familiar, yet slightly different.
It doesn't feel like reincarnation.It feels like I've fallen into a parallel world, almost identical to the Korean Peninsula during the Japanese colonial period.
Yet, the history here mirrors that of Joseon perfectly.The world that unfolds before me is the same as before.
"Is this real? A parallel world?"
If the past remains unchanged, will the future of Korea follow exactly as I remember it?
Either way, I have been reborn.
March 1, 1925
[You are immortal.]
The moment I sensed death and closed my eyes, a grand, majestic voice echoed.When I opened them again, I saw a light so bright it nearly blinded me.And I knew — I had been reborn.
The light I saw was like the one from my mother's womb —a new life had begun.
"It's reincarnation."
And this time, I retained all the memories of my past life.
"Immortal…"
I still didn't understand what the word truly meant, but it was clear I had been given another chance — a gift that happens only in fiction.
Confused and unable to speak as a newborn, I searched for answers.None came.
[Through continuous agony, the brain's utilization increased by 25% compared to the human average.]
After that mysterious declaration, everything changed.I never forgot a single face.I could memorize entire books after a single glance.
"I learned the Thousand Character Classic at age three!"
I never made mistakes in arithmetic.Was I smarter — or simply more cunning?
[You are immortal.]
That was how God defined me.And though I still didn't know what it truly meant, one thing was certain — I was special.
Rebirth in Miryang
"I am Kim Won-bong from Miryang."
That line from an old movie flashed through my mind when I realized my new hometown was Miryang.But this wasn't the same world — this was Kim Won-mong's Miryang.
This world was slightly different in name, but still Joseon, still under the Empire of Japan.America, Russia, and China existed — so did King Gojong and King Sunjong.Even martyr Yu Gwan-sun still led the March 1st Movement and died in Seodaemun Prison, just as in the history I knew.
So, the flow of history — and perhaps the future of Korea — would likely remain the same.
It was 1925.With all my past memories, I was born as the youngest son of a poor tenant farmer, forced to work the land of a Japanese landlord.
A mere commoner's son.Too poor even to attend elementary school.
But thanks to my eldest brother's persistence, I was given a chance.
"Father, at least let's send the youngest to elementary school."
"Where would we find the money?"
"Cheol is a genius — he memorized the Thousand Character Classic just by watching the lessons!"
"What good is that? The world doesn't change by studying."
"Still, we should try."
Through my brother's insistence, I began attending elementary school.There, every morning, we shouted: "Long live His Majesty, the Heavenly King!"
But for me, school held little value.I had the knowledge of the future — something more precious than gold.
"If rumors spread that I'm a prodigy," I thought, "maybe a wealthy benefactor will sponsor my studies."
But people only came to gawk.
"If a Joseon commoner learns, what good will it do?""He'll just end up serving the Japanese.""It's useless."
They all left.
That day, I realized — depending on others was foolish.
When I was seven, I caught a terrible fever — over 40 degrees.If I had been an ordinary child, my brain would have cooked, and I would have died.As my consciousness faded, I thought, "So this is it. I'm really going to die again."
But then —
[You are immortal. Awake, immortal!]
I heard that divine voice once more.
"Yes… immortal…"
And miraculously, I returned from the brink of death.From that moment, I knew I wouldn't die so easily — perhaps, not at all.
I also discovered something new.
"Is our youngest okay?"
My mother's tearful voice trembled as I woke.
"Uh… Mother…!"
Though I was only seven, I called her with the warmth of a grown man.And what shocked me most — was that I truly felt immortal.
English and Korean are not my first languages, so I'm doing my best to write and share this story with you.Thank you for reading and supporting my work — every comment and encouragement means a lot to me! 🙏....