It was definitely strange that Taesan Group had been pushed down below 20th place, while Iljin and Jungsan were competing for 2nd and 3rd.
Above all, in the era he had lived in, there was no group called Taesan.
Which meant it had ultimately failed to survive and disappeared…
Kim Seon-mi answered as if it were no big deal.
“That’s all because of the IMF.”
On November 21, 1997, Korea had no choice but to receive a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to a foreign exchange shortage.
The IMF demanded intense restructuring, causing countless companies to collapse.
Taesan Group also had to endure a difficult period.
They had to hand over construction and electronics, the main pillars of the group, to their creditors one after another.
However, conversely, it was a golden opportunity for the surviving companies to acquire lucrative businesses at cheap prices.
Iljin Group merged with another automobile company, and Jungsan Group merged with a shipbuilding company, actually increasing their size.
Someone else’s crisis had been their opportunity.
Min-jun nodded and asked.
“So that’s what happened.
But Nurse Kim Seon-mi, how do you know so much about the group’s situation?
Do they train the employees separately?”
“It’s not that.
I just dabble in stocks, so I know a bit more.
You can’t tell anyone else.”
“Is that something to hide?”
“Not exactly, but people tend to look at you strangely if you invest in stocks.”
Min-jun couldn’t understand Kim Seon-mi’s words.
In the USA, investing was a very natural act, and since it was a positive way for companies to raise investment funds, the government even encouraged it.
However, in Korea, people who invested in stocks or real estate were often viewed as speculators or greedy housewives.
It was just that Philip, who had only lived in the USA, didn’t know this, unlike Min-jun.
Fortunately, since Min-jun was conversing to gather information rather than to argue, he didn’t mention the matter any further and asked about various other things he was curious about.
While receiving rehabilitation treatment, Min-jun absorbed the knowledge necessary to live his new life through his conversations with Kim Seon-mi.
That didn’t mean he relied entirely on Kim Seon-mi’s words.
Once his cast was removed and he could move freely, he asked for a laptop and searched for information.
As expected, the Republic of Korea was an IT powerhouse.
Min-jun, who had grown up in the USA, found Google more comfortable, but Naver had a vastly larger amount of diverse information, at least when it came to Korea.
The advertising copy telling people to ask it anything wasn’t a complete lie.
Thanks to that, he was also able to learn a bit more about his parents.