Chapter 104: That Time I Built a Car Assembly Plant in South America (5)

TL: Skye

Libertad's afternoon sunlight came pouring through the window of the small conference room.

Steam rose from the two cups of coffee sitting on the table.

The aroma was good, but there was no time to drink.

That wasn't what was urgent right now.

"So, how about we do it this way?"

I looked President No Jaemin straight in the eye as I spoke.

"Mr. President, your greatest concerns are that San Marcos becomes a competitor once it receives the technology transfer, and that domestic jobs flow overseas. Correct?"

"...I'll admit the concerns are there."

No Jaemin nodded.

He acknowledged it frankly.

It seemed he'd decided there was no longer any point in talking around it.

"Then allow me to put those concerns to rest."

"How?"

"San Marcos is a country that lacks a great deal. We're only in our third year of compulsory education, which means that even with a technology transfer, full-scale production would take another ten years. And I don't believe Korea's auto industry is going to stand still during that time."

That's right.

Honestly, I wasn't after anything grand.

I was thinking low-cost passenger cars our people could actually drive around in and trucks with decent bang for the buck; developing luxury vehicles like the Gen*sis never once crossed my mind.

If I had to name a role model, something like India's Tata Motors Group, maybe?

"If that still leaves you uneasy, then for the next twenty years, every vehicle produced in San Marcos will carry the Hyunhwa brand. It'll wear the Hyunhwa logo and sell through Hyunhwa's distribution network."

"......"

A condition designed to placate Vice Chairman Jeong Taeho.

Naturally, No Jaemin's expression didn't change much.

But that was fine.

Because I had something else ready.

"And I'll create jobs in Korea."

"...Jobs?"

"Yes. I intend to put a subway in Libertad."

No Jaemin's eyes shifted, just barely.

"Libertad's population has passed eight million. And in spite of that, there is no public transit within the city whatsoever. Buses are pitifully short in supply as well. A subway, in particular, is desperately needed. Originally I was leaning toward cheap Chinese equipment, but if you'd like, I can steer it to Korea."

"C-can you decide a matter like that on your own?"

"Hm? Does a president not have that much authority?"

"...Isn't it obvious that he doesn't?"

"......"

Apparently the Korean presidency is a post that comes with a lot of constraints.

'Well, it's a developed country.'

Unlike a developing country like ours, their system would be far more tightly woven.

As I was nodding along to that thought, he asked.

"What's the scale?"

"We're planning roughly seventy kilometers of total track, Lines 1 through 3. Design, construction, rolling stock, signaling systems, all of it goes to Korea."

No Jaemin straightened in his seat.

Seventy kilometers of subway.

Korean firms doing the construction, Korean-made rolling stock delivered, Korean-style signaling installed.

A project worth several billion dollars at minimum.

Which would mean a great many jobs in Korea's construction and rail industries.

And of course, it was also true that Libertad badly needed a subway.

"I'm envisioning a structure in which Hyunhwa Construction builds and Hyunhwa Rotem supplies the rolling stock. Operational consulting would go to the Korea Railroad Corporation. And naturally, we intend to pay appropriately for all of it."

"......"

The mood in the room had definitely changed.

A calculating light had come up in No Jaemin's eyes.

But not yet. The knockout blow was still to come.

"And this one will take a considerable amount of time, but... when we eventually launch a high-speed rail project, I'll designate Korea as our preferred negotiating partner. That won't be small either, and if things go well, the first shovel could go into the ground before your term is up. Though it would be better for you to make the announcement first, of course."

No Jaemin's face went rigid.

"......"

Korea had been pushing to export the KTX abroad for a long time.

But blocked by China's low-price offensive, Japan's Shinkansen, and France's TGV, it had landed exactly one contract, and that one for a mere seven cars.

And now.

San Marcos was saying it would adopt Korean high-speed rail on a large scale.

Extended into a nationwide network, that was a project worth tens of billions of dollars.

A scale that could fairly be called the largest overseas order in the history of Korea's rail industry.

No Jaemin's lips trembled faintly. This went beyond simple economic gain; it was a tantalizing offer, one that could become the single most brilliant achievement of his term.

I looked at No Jaemin.

"Permit one automotive technology transfer, and you walk away with two things, a subway and a high-speed railway. The jobs created will overwhelmingly outnumber the jobs leaving Korea."

Silence settled over the room, and I drove in the final nail.

"As a Korean, it pains me to say it, but if you refuse these terms, I'll have no choice but to knock on China's door. I'm responsible for a country too, after all."

Honestly, that was a lie.

No matter how badly I needed the technology.

'Chinese stuff is a bit...'

Which left only Japan, and there was clearly no company out there that would treat San Marcos as enthusiastically as Hyunhwa did.

While I was thinking that, No Jaemin slowly opened his mouth.

"Haaa... There's simply no getting the better of you."

He looked at me.

"Let's put our working teams on it."

Inwardly, I clenched my fist.

Done.

When a president says he'll give something favorable consideration, it means the thing is as good as finished.

"Thank you, Mr. President."

"Don't thank me. This is only the start."

No Jaemin gave a wry smile.

"There'll be a mountain of work waiting for me when I get back."

"Same here."

I lifted my coffee cup and tilted it slightly toward No Jaemin.

No Jaemin raised his as well.

The light clink of porcelain rang through the small conference room.

***

After the summit meeting ended.

In the large conference room on the first floor of the Presidential Palace, the working teams from both sides sat facing each other.

On the San Marcos side, Isabella at the head, with Sophia, Aman, and Resa.

On the Korean side, Chief of Staff Kim Dohyeon at the head, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Industry, and the Chief Trade Negotiator.

From the business delegation, Chairman Jeong Suman, Vice Chairman Jeong Taeho, and Chairman Yang Jeongmo were in attendance.

Before the meeting began.

Chief of Staff Kim Dohyeon relayed the results of the summit meeting to the Korean working team.

Automotive technology transfer approved.

Libertad subway awarded to Korea.

Korean high-speed rail adopted.

The Minister of Industry's eyes went wide.

The Chief Trade Negotiator tilted his head.

Vice Chairman Jeong Taeho said nothing and kept his eyes on the documents.

Only Chairman Jeong Suman wore a satisfied smile.

"To draw up terms that satisfy every party... truly, that is His Excellency."

Jeong Suman murmured it under his breath.

Seated beside him, Jeong Taeho glanced at his father but said nothing.

The subway and the high-speed railway.

Hyunhwa Construction builds, Hyunhwa Rotem supplies the cars.

Viewed at the group level, the scale of it vastly exceeded the price of handing over automotive technology.

Jeong Taeho was a man of numbers, and since he couldn't argue with that arithmetic, he was privately more than satisfied.

The working-level negotiations began soon after.

The detailed provisions for concluding the FTA were taken up one by one.

Tariff reduction schedules.

Item-by-item exemptions.

Rules of origin.

Investment protection clauses.

The basic framework of the subway and high-speed rail projects.

The scope and timeline of the automotive technology transfer.

It was a marathon session that ran past eight hours.

Meals came in twice along the way, and coffee came in more times than anyone could count.

Isabella and Kim Dohyeon clashed the most.

"Let's set the domestic content rate for auto parts at forty percent within five years."

"Out of the question. Factoring in the initial infrastructure shortfall, thirty percent within seven years is our absolute floor."

Isabella's voice was cold, and Chief of Staff Kim pushed his glasses back up as he met it head-on.

A taut tug-of-war with not an inch of give from either side.

Both working teams watched the standoff between the two of them with tense faces.

But the broad framework had already been agreed by the two heads of state.

This was only the work of refining details; the direction was never going to be overturned.

Eleven at night.

At last, the final draft was settled.

***

The next morning.

The central hall of the Presidential Palace.

Two tables had been placed on a dais where the flags of both nations hung side by side.

On the tables lay two documents.

[Letter of Intent for the Conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of San Marcos]

And beside it, one more.

[Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of San Marcos]

Automobiles, subways, high-speed rail.

All three of them contained in a single document.

Camera flashes went off without pause.

San Marcos State Broadcasting, obviously, plus the press corps that had followed over from Korea, plus a handful of foreign correspondents, all of them packing the central hall.

Yu-jin sat down first and picked up a pen.

No Jaemin took the seat across from him.

The two signed at the same moment.

Setting down their pens, the two leaders rose and shook hands.

Camera flashes erupted like a storm.

A smile spread across Yu-jin's face.

No Jaemin was smiling too.

Chairman Jeong Suman, in attendance, folded his hands neatly and bowed deeply.

Vice Chairman Jeong Taeho was applauding.

Isabella stood below the dais with her arms crossed.

Her face was as blank as ever, but the corners of her mouth had lifted, just the tiniest fraction.

And the news slammed into Korea, across the ocean.

[BREAKING — Korea and San Marcos exchange FTA Letter of Intent. Memorandum of Understanding on auto-subway-high-speed rail industrial cooperation signed at the same time. A new market of ten million. A new engine of growth?]

[Goryeo Daily] Chairman Jeong Suman, after the signing ceremony, "I am grateful to His Excellency."

[Hanminjok] Technology transfer controversy unavoidable... opposition slams rushed deal

Korea's internet was running hot too.

City Inside's San Marcos Gallery.

Better known as San Gallery.

This community, where Korean netizens with an interest in San Marcos gathered, exploded with posts the second the breaking news dropped.

Title: breaking) San Marcos is getting a subway lolol

lolol this is unreal.

└ ah lol the Tortilla Express lol

└ they'll probably name the train the Yu-jin

└ what even is Yujin Choi... first he lays highways, now a subway?

Title: is it actually okay to hand over car tech?

honestly kinda uneasy about this...

└ it's different from China. an island nation of ten million, what competitor lol

└ for real, China was dangerous cause it's 1.4 billion. what threat is San Marcos lol

└ still, tech transfer is a bit...

└ look at the subway + KTX orders we landed, isn't it a net win?

└ we gave one car and got two railways, what's the complaint

Title: Yujin Choi's negotiating is insane

we'll give you an FTA → give us cars too → nope → then we'll give you a subway and KTX → ok

is this diplomacy or a sales floor lolololol

└ MBA guys really are different lol

└ dude gets canned in Silicon Valley, becomes a president, and negotiates like that lol

└ honestly didn't Korea come out ahead here

└ it's win-win. San Marcos needed the subway and high-speed rail anyway and Korea's tech in that field is best in the world.

└ shook, if that's how the president of a country of ten million handles ours...

└ can we trade presidents?

Title: Chairman Jeong Suman "I am grateful to His Excellency." ← what is this lol

who's this Excellency, that a chaebol boss is calling somebody Excellency lol

└ I've seen a pic of Jeong Suman bowing a full ninety degrees to Yujin Choi. it's real

└ a Korean chaebol calling a foreign president Your Excellency lolol

└ rumor is Chairman Jeong Suman thinks Yujin Choi is the reincarnation of That Person

└ ??? who's That Person

└ are we allowed to say it here

└ lolololol

└ ah shit lololol

Title: I'm someone who's been to San Marcos

the roads there are genuinely good, safe, cheap, and the people are friendly. say you're Korean and they roll out the red carpet. and if a subway goes in it'd be seriously nice to live there

└ I wanna emigrate

└ are the tortillas good?

└ yeah the tacos are stupid good

└ heard there's a Korean-only visa

└ Yujin Choi is Korean, that's why Koreans get treated well

That night.

Alone in his office, Yu-jin leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling.

On the desk, the follow-up paperwork for everything agreed today rose like a mountain range. The magic of running a country, where solving one problem spawns two more.

FTA.

Auto plant.

Subway.

High-speed rail.

'...When am I supposed to get all this done.'

Retirement seemed to have moved a little further away again.

*****

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