» The Youngest Son of Sunyang
The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 275
[275] Filial Sons... 3
"...This is nothing short of a travesty. It has been confirmed that the recent art smuggling incident involved the organized mobilization of even consulate staff. This starkly reveals the lax state of discipline within this administration's public offices.
Our opposition party demands the immediate dismissal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and furthermore, an official apology from the President, who holds the power of appointment.
Moreover, we will propose a special prosecutor investigation to thoroughly examine this case..."
Though neither Sunyang nor his grandmother's name had yet been mentioned, the opposition party spokesperson, as if to display their resolve for a decisive battle, clenched his fist and proceeded with the press conference in a booming voice.
The evening news also led with the art smuggling incident, aiding the opposition party in their attack on Cheongwadae.
"By now, my elder brothers must be trembling with fear, wouldn't they?"
"Are you sure this is alright? Wouldn't it be better to perhaps go abroad with Mother for a while?"
"Have I committed a crime? Why should I run?"
Father simply laughed it off, unconcerned.
"But... isn't it a pity about Grandfather's house?"
"My uncles probably think of that house as some kind of symbol. Because they regarded Grandfather as merely the group chairman, rather than their parent. That's why they considered the house to be the main headquarters of Sunyang Group. But to me, it's just a place. A place I shared with Grandfather. What was important was Grandfather, not the location itself."
"Not calculated by its value, then? Hehe."
"If Grandfather's grave were to be moved to the Sunyang Art Museum instead, and the museum given to me, then I would truly have considered it."
Suddenly, Father cleared his throat.
It was something even he hadn't anticipated. A distant grave.
Since it was the Sunyang Museum where Grandfather's history began, he must have thought that place was acceptable.
"A grandson is better than a son. This is suddenly making me feel ashamed..."
"There's no need for that. As I mentioned, a place is an extremely subjective thing. Doesn't the world also consider Gunsan the most suitable place?"
"If you think that way, I'll feel less ashamed. Anyway... what do you plan to do now? With the opposition party making such noise and even a confession from a Foreign Ministry official, it seems a special prosecutor investigation will be hard to avoid, wouldn't it?"
"How to stop it is my uncles' concern. It doesn't matter to me whether Grandmother is a key witness or a suspect in this case. As long as she can't even dream of returning home for a few years, that's enough."
"I'll say it again, Grandmother..."
"Yes. That won't happen. Don't worry."
I reassured my worried father.
Even if it weren't for me, the situation would only escalate.
There's an easiest way to calm this situation, but as always, the reason the commotion only grows is that they resort to illicit methods.
Isn't it the habit of the wealthy to use a shovel to block what could have been blocked with a hoe, when trying to protect Grandmother?
***
"Form the special prosecutor investigation with the people on this list. And the name Sunyang Arts Foundation must not be mentioned."
"Especially, my mother's name must absolutely be prevented from surfacing."
The floor leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties accepted the list presented by the two sons of Sunyang Group.
"Over the years, regardless of ruling or opposition, how much cooperation has our Sunyang Group provided? This time, both parties must work together to help our group."
At Vice Chairman Jin Donggi's blatant boasting, the opposition party floor leader wore an awkward expression, while the ruling party floor leader's face brightened.
"Allow me to state our position first."
The ruling party floor leader opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs to be dismissed, the Consul General of New York to be dismissed, and the involved staff to face legal action. A direct apology from the President is out of the question. This means the opposition party must cease its attacks on Cheongwadae. And... a responsible apology statement from the Sunyang Arts Foundation. This is our stance."
Anyone who wasn't a fool knew that the place most fearing this fallout was Sunyang Group. The ruling party had calculated that they could only proceed with favorable negotiations by using Sunyang as leverage.
"Are you kidding me...! Diplomatic resources were mobilized for art smuggling. What is our country, some backward African nation? Are we Colombian drug dealers? They commit such an outrageous act, and Cheongwadae just slips away? That's preposterous!"
"Watch your words. The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is someone your party recommended. Wasn't that minister appointed because of your threats to boycott the confirmation hearing if three of your recommended figures weren't included in the cabinet?!"
"What's the point of digging up old stories now? Managing ministers is clearly the President's job...!"
Though they seemed to be growling and fighting amongst themselves, a scared dog only barks, it doesn't bite. They were waiting for their master to rush out and stop them.
Jin Younggi and Jin Donggi merely watched the two politicians' bickering for a while. Broadly speaking, both the ruling and opposition parties were in cahoots.
The two floor leaders surely knew that this fight would end once they inflicted a few scratches and secured plenty of spoils. It was impossible that they didn't know.
To those two, Sunyang was a shared prey.
"Let's be reasonable. Stop this transparent bickering and agree quickly. We don't care about the President or the Minister. And a responsible apology from the Sunyang Arts Foundation? Don't even dream of it. We'll wrap this up with a few thieving employees serving time. Understand?"
As Jin Younggi slammed his hand on the table and yelled, the two floor leaders fell silent.
"Since it's already happened, we're saying let's end it here. If the opposition party intends to escalate this further, we won't stand idly by. We have plenty of things to muddy the waters with, and many opportunities to overturn the political situation at once. You all know which side the media will take, don't you?"
Jin Donggi subtly added.
Jin Yoonki, the youngest son of this family, held an immense amount of material to muddy the waters. If a major entertainment scandal were to break out for just one week, Yeouido would disappear from the news, and wasn't it Sunyang's hand that held the collars of congressmen, regardless of party affiliation?
"And Cheongwadae shouldn't be sitting idly by either. Couldn't this issue be escalated further in the United States? As for what their media talks about, as long as our media doesn't parrot it, the domestic public will have no way of knowing, so that's fine..."
Jin Donggi glared at the ruling party floor leader as he spoke. His gaze held a hidden pressure, demanding that the message be accurately conveyed to Cheongwadae.
"Though the political burden will be great, please exert some influence to ensure this issue is no longer brought up in Washington. It's not a diplomatic issue; couldn't it just be focused on as a matter of individual criminals? If you need our help, just say so. We will assist actively."
However, as the two congressmen merely exchanged glances and avoided an immediate answer, Jin Younggi, who had been holding back, finally exploded.
"Is it because there are still four years left?"
"Pardon? What do you mean by that...?"
"Isn't it that with four years still remaining until the general election, preserving your seats isn't an issue?"
"Vice Chairman, you misunderstand. We are also trying to resolve this issue amicably..."
The opposition party floor leader spoke in a placating manner, but Jin Younggi, who had burst out, could not be stopped.
"Fine. Do as you please. Summon Cheongwadae, summon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Summon the Sunyang Arts Foundation, and if you want, expose my mother's name too. But be prepared to wallow in the mud together."
Jin Younggi rose abruptly from his seat.
"Rather than thinking four years ahead, your priority should be to compile a list of those who will be stripped of their parliamentary seats and prepare for next year's by-elections. I'm not just saying this, so keep it in mind."
Even without prior coordination, their roles were clearly divided. As the 'bad cop' Jin Younggi stomped out, the 'good cop' Jin Donggi spoke calmly.
"My apologies for this. You know our elder brother's impatient nature well, don't you? And he doesn't hold grudges. He'll get over it."
However, his demeanor was not much different from his elder brother's.
"After looking around, it seems there are quite a few congressmen who committed illegal acts in this election. Especially a considerable number from the opposition party... The prosecutors are just waiting for an opportunity. Let's not provoke the prosecutors needlessly and end this quietly."
It was a clear threat to mobilize prosecutors connected to Sunyang.
"In the latter half of this year, we will double the number of public recruitment hires for Sunyang Group. And we'll build factories in your constituencies, sirs. Go down to your constituencies in advance and boast about it. If it's an achievement of attracting Sunyang Group investment, the local residents will surely be pleased."
The eyes of the two floor leaders met. They played their last card, which they had prepared.
"To block the arrows aimed at Sunyang Group, extraordinary measures are also needed."
"Extraordinary?"
"Yes. Dismantle the Sunyang Arts Foundation."
"What?!"
"We also received reports through the Board of Audit and Inspection. The disclosed assets of the foundation were not much at all. Aren't artworks and real estate all it has, anyway? Have Sunyang Group purchase the real estate at a bargain price, return that money to society, and donate the artworks to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art."
"Hey!"
Jin Donggi shouted, but the ruling party floor leader didn't even bat an eye.
"Anyway, that the genuine pieces have all been sold off... That's an open secret in the industry, isn't it? We're telling you to take care of that. If the Board of Audit and Inspection investigates each and every artwork, Madam Lee Pilok, the foundation's chairwoman, cannot be protected. Do you not understand what I mean?"
This wasn't about covering up the current incident, but the goodwill of covering up crimes already committed. The government also didn't want this matter to spread any further.
Jin Donggi realized he had no choice.
With the government stepping forward to erase his mother's crimes, there was no need to cling to a mere few tens of billions in real estate.
"Alright. We will review it positively at the group level. However, you must give us ample time to sort things out."
This meant he was asking for time to siphon off any valuable assets that might still be hidden.
The ruling party floor leader nodded his head.
"Naturally. But please ensure everything is cleanly erased so there are no more whispers."
"Instead, it must be definite. Sunyang's name..."
"It ends with a single announcement of the foundation's dissolution. I promise you."
Jin Donggi received a firm answer and stood up.
"I've placed a small gift in the trunks of your cars. Consider it a special party contribution and use it without burden."
The emphasis on the word 'party contribution' indicated that they shouldn't just pocket it themselves. Instead, it also meant there was enough to be shared among all.
A smile appeared on the lips of both floor leaders.
However, Jin Donggi, who was leaving first, felt utterly wretched.
Isn't this exactly what Jin Dojun wanted? That bastard had erased every trace of his paternal grandmother from Korea.
***
The opposition party, which had been so vociferous, fell silent once the special prosecutor investigation began.
The media also left a final comment, stating they expected a fair investigation, and refrained from using the words "artwork" or "painting."
Instead, the issue of relocating the administrative capital became the biggest topic in political circles and the media, and the Sunyang Arts Foundation smuggling incident seemed to be quietly buried.
The announcement of the foundation's dissolution and its return to society also briefly appeared in the media before disappearing.
Of course, that was only how it appeared from the outside.
Internally, the group had long since been thrown into utter chaos.
"We expected the credit rating to drop. But isn't this too severe?
The 'Big Three' international credit rating agencies—Moody's, Fitch, and S&P—which are considered the standard for global credit ratings, collectively announced a downgrade for all Sunyang Group affiliates.
Sunyang Electronics, the only domestic company with an A+ rating, fell to A, and all other affiliates were rated BBB, not even A-.
The overseas insurance industry treated the entire Sunyang Group as BBB- or lower, and raised all insurance premiums.
"What on earth is the cause? Why are these bastards suddenly so eager to devour us?"
"Well..."
"Why aren't you speaking up quickly?"
"The fact that $1.8 billion was paid out because of that painting incident has spread through the industry. Because the amount was so large, three or four global insurance companies reportedly diversified their risk. And those bastards raised Sunyang's secondary insurance rates, so there's nothing we can do..."
Vice Chairman Jin Younggi clutched his head.
Marine insurance for exports was a drop in the ocean. The bulk of the insurance premiums came from mandatory insurance for all overseas businesses.
There wasn't just one or two small or large essential insurances tailored to the circumstances of each country. And Jin Donggi's situation was even worse than his own.
When bidding for overseas construction contracts, they had to submit estimates, even if it meant cutting a single dollar, but with insurance premiums skyrocketing, they had lost that much competitiveness.
Jin Younggi gritted his teeth.
He had even postponed the legal procedures to reclaim his mother's shares.
This current administration had, for some reason, failed to bridge the gap. Perhaps due to its image as the 'President of the Common People,' there was absolutely no overt favoritism.
All matters requiring the administration's assistance were postponed, and they were biding their time.
"Dojun, that bastard..."
Thinking about the money Jin Younggi had lost because of that guy, he felt his rage wouldn't subside even if he ground him into powder and drank him.