Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Gun-Ho went to the Intercontinental Hotel to see Professor Wang.

Professor Wang’s room door was slightly opened, showing that he had been expecting Gun-Ho.

“Jien Wang! Long time no see!”

“Oh, Gjien Hao (Gun-Ho Goo)! It’s really good to see you again!”

They hugged each other.

“Hey, President Goo, you seemed to gain some weight. You are probably doing well back in Korea.”

“You look great too. So, you are done with all the official events scheduled?

“I have one more day left.”

“Whoa, what are these?”

There were tons of shopping bags on Professor Wang’s room floor.

“Yeah, I did some shopping this morning for my family and friends in China. Korean products are indeed high-quality products.”

Professor Wang put his thumb up.

“Where is Deputy Mayor Seukang Li?”

“Oh, he is staying next room. He is arranging his shopping bags right now, I guess.”

“Really? I’m so glad to see you both. Let’s go have dinner. It’s almost dinnertime. There are many good restaurants in Starfield COEX Mall around here.”

“Sure. But let’s wait for a moment. I’m expecting someone else.”

“Who is it?”

“He is a friend of mine. I went to Yale University with him. He is Korean. He is on his way here.”

“Really? What is he doing for a living?”

“He is a lawyer. He practices international law mostly. He is also the same age as us.”

Gun-Ho and Professor Wang spent some time in Professor Wang’s room while waiting for the man who Professor Wang was expecting.

Gun-Ho walked to the window and looked down; he could see Bongeunsa.

Professor Wang came to Gun-Ho and asked.

“President Goo, what is that building? It looks like a traditional Korean house. Is it one of the cultural assets?”

Professor Wang was pointing to Bongeunsa.

“No, it’s a Buddhist temple.”

“Buddhist temple?”

“Yes, it is called Bongeunsa. You can visit there when you go jogging in the morning.”

“Oh, can anyone enter?”

“Of course, anyone can enter. It’s free.”

While Gun-Ho and Professor Wang were conversing about the Buddhist temple, a man entered the room. He was a tall and slim good-looking man.

“Hey, Attorney Kim!”

Professor Wang hugged his guest who just came into the room.

“Oh, this is President Goo I told you about on the phone.”

“I’m Young-Jin Kim. Nice to meet you.”

Gun-Ho gave him a handshake. Young-Jin pulled out his business card from the inner pocket of his jacket and gave it to Gun-Ho. Gun-Ho handed his business card to him as well.

“Attorney at Kim&Jeong Law Office?”

Gun-Ho thought that this guy was an attorney working in that famous Kim&Jeong, but he was wondering why Kim&Jeong was a law office, rather than a law company.

“Isn’t Kim&Jeong a law company?”

“Actually, we are more like a partnership.”

Attorney Kim grinned. He looked like someone who grew up in a good affluent family. Attorney Kim looked at Gun-Ho’s business card again.

“I like your business card design. It’s pretty. GH Development Company… is it then a real estate development company?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a small company with only two employees. Haha.”

“You are the CEO of the company.”

Professor Wang cut in on Gun-Ho and Attorney Kim’s conversation.

“Hey, give me your business card to me too. Both of you!”

While Gun-Ho and Attorney Kim were handing their business cards to Professor Wang, Deputy Mayor Seukang Li came into the room.

“Hey, Seukang Li!”

“Oh, Gun-Ho Goo! Good to see you, man.”

They hugged each other.

“I heard you quit your director position and now you are working as a deputy mayor in some city!?”

“Yeah, it’s right next to Shanghai. What about you? How have you been?”

Gun-Ho gave his business card to Seukang Li. Gun-Ho’s business card was written in Korean on the front page and in English on the back of the page.

“Is it a real estate development company? GH Development?”

“That’s right. Bangjisan (a realtor’s office)!”

It seemed that Seukang Li and Attorney Kim had never met each other before. Professor Wang introduced them to each other.

“This man went to Yale University with me, and this guy is the deputy mayor in Kunshan City right next to Shanghai. He is my hometown friend.”

They bowed to each other.

“Let’s go downstairs! We can continue to talk while having dinner.”

The four men walked to the Starfield COEX Mall.

Professor Wang seemed to be envious of Korea’s economic growth. He commented while looking at the commercial stores in the Starfield COEX Mall.

“I’m impressed by Korea’s economic growth. All these commercial stores are sophisticated. I think we, Asia can surely compete with Western countries.”

“China has developed remarkably. China is G-2.”

“China is large in size, but we still have a long way to go to improve ordinary Chinese people’s life. All those Korean people walking on the street right now, they looked wealthy.”

“Oh! There is a restaurant.”

“Its name is weird. It says ‘Porchetta.’

“It sounds like an Italian restaurant. Let’s just have dinner here. We don’t need to go further to look for another one. This one looks good.”

“Italy? Haha. So, I will have an Italian food in Korea, huh?”

Those four men entered the restaurant.

Gun-Ho ordered chicken, knowing it is Chinese people’s favorite meat.

He also ordered Buttered Chicken Rice, Vongole Bread, and Crème Pasta, etc.

“Let’s have some wine.”

“It’s tasty!”

The four men started eating. Professor Wang and Attorney Kim talked to each other in English. Gun-Ho was just listening to them while being impressed by their fluent English even he couldn’t understand a thing. Attorney Kim raised his voice showing off his fluent English knowing that Gun-Ho didn’t speak English. Deputy Mayor Li seemed that he didn’t understand English either.

Attorney Kim then asked some cliché questions to Gun-Ho; he might feel sorry for Gun-Ho.

“So, where do you live, President Goo?”

“I’m living in Dogok Town.”

“Oh, I live close to Dogok Town, in Daechi Town. My parents are living in the same town in a Mido condo. You live in Dogok Town… then do you live in TowerPalace?”

“That’s right. I live in TowerPalace building A.”

“Oh, I see.”

Gun-Ho felt that Attorney Kim was showing a bit more respect to Gun-Ho when he heard that Gun-Ho was a resident of TowerPalace.

While Gun-Ho and Attorney Kim were talking in Korean, Professor Wang felt bored and cut in on their conversation.

“Hey, Gun-Ho! Deputy Mayor Li has no schedule tomorrow. He only attended the event on the first day and he won’t attend the academic conference that is scheduled tomorrow.”

“Oh, really? Then he has his own agenda coming to Korea?”

“He wants to visit a few industrial complexes. So, I was wondering if you know anyone who could help him tomorrow.”

“I can do that.”

“That would be great, but do you have time for it?”

“I will make time for a friend! My friend came all the way to Korea!”

“Thank you, Gun-Ho. I really appreciate that.”

While Gun-Ho and Professor Wang were talking in Chinese, Attorney Kim became quiet. He then talked to Gun-Ho while feeling envious.

“Oh, President Goo, you sound like a native Chinese. When did you learn your Chinese?”

“I just had to learn to survive. Haha. Let’s drink.”

Three different languages were all mixed together at Gun-Ho’s table: Korean, Chinese, and English.

Once they started drinking, Professor Wang and Deputy Mayor Li began to talk in Chinese. When they talked to each other, they spoke a Chinese dialect of the southern area. It was hard for Gun-Ho to understand.

Gun-Ho talked to Attorney Kim in Korean.

“I heard it is hard to get a job in Kim&Jeong, but once you get in, you get a significantly high salary.”

“Whew. Don’t get me started. The work is extremely hard. I usually work until 11 PM or even midnight every single day. That’s normal and expected.”

“Really? There is no easy job, huh?”

“I have a pile of work in my car trunk right now.”

“What kind of work do you do?”

“I have a law license from the USA, so I usually handle international finances and M&A.”

“Oh, I see. Did you go to high school in the U.S.?”

“No, not at all. I was born and raised here in Korea, in Apgujeong Town, Seoul specifically. I went to Seoul National University. I actually went to the U.S. after graduating from college.”

“So you get your master’s degree and Ph.D. from Yale University.”

“I went to Yale Law School and came back to Korea after getting my law license. I sometimes feel difficult to get along with attorneys who studied law in Korea. Haha.”

Attorney Kim lifted up his shiny gold metal frame glasses with his finger and smiled with his white teeth.

Gun-Ho thought that this guy looked like the typical guy who was born and raised in a wealthy family in the famous school district, Gangnam District-8. On top of that, he was smart and good-looking. He was the UmChinAh*.

Note*

UmChinAh – A Korean word. If directly translating it, it is ‘my mother’s friend’s son.’

It indicates a person who seemed to be so perfect that my mom always talks about him who is her friend’s son. And she doesn’t stop there usually, but she compares that guy with me and that makes me feel really bad and stressed.