Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Gun-Ho was heading to Gimpo International Airport to catch the flight for Japan.

On the way to the airport in his car, Gun-Ho opened Paxnet with his smartphone to check the stock market. A Electronics’ stock price increased by 12.5% as its trading volume burst out increasing as well. Its stock price didn’t seem to skyrocket rapidly as many small company’s stocks would, but it was steadily increasing. And the price was already higher than the price that Gun-Ho had purchased them for.

As getting into the flight, Gun-Ho picked up an economic newspaper. He then started reading the newspaper as soon as he settled in his business seat. There was a news article about A Electronics’ stock whose price substantially increased very recently.

[A Electronics’ stock price is on the rise. The recent increase in its stock price could be attributed to the increase in their export to international markets such as Europe, and Central and South America. Especially, the company is currently taking center stage in these markets because it is overtaking its competitors, not just other Korean companies, but also Japanese companies such as Hitachi, Toshiba, Fujitsu, etc.

Stock market experts are not sure when this price increase would stop, but since the price is already high enough, they do not recommend investors to make an investment without going through careful consideration.]

Gun-Ho snorted with laughter as he was reading through the news article.

“Expanding their markets to Europe, and Central and South America? Ha! Wrong, you stupid news reporters. There is another reason for it. Duh!”

Gun-Ho finally met Mori Aikko in New Otani Hotel. The suite room that Gun-Ho reserved for them had a view of Japan’s State Guest House. Mori Aikko looked even prettier than before, maybe because she was financially doing better, or because she had been known to the public now and treated as a celebrity. Anyhow, she looked gorgeous and sophisticated.

“Oppa.”

Mori Aikko didn’t seem to feel shy even though it had been a while since they saw each other. She jumped into Gun-Ho’s arms without hesitation.

“How have you been?” said Gun-Ho as he was holding Mori Aikko. He then pressed his lips against hers.

“Wasn’t it hard to shoot the movie?”

“It was doable. When a night shooting was scheduled, I felt like this is hard work because I couldn’t sleep. Other than that, it was good.”

“Your next movie is a historical movie, right? It will probably be harder than the previous one. It can take even hours to receive makeup.”

“That is fine with me. But, I was told that once the weather becomes warm, it will be hard.”

“Hmm, I guess that’s probably because of the costume that you should wear. Traditional outfits are usually composed of multiple layers.”

As Gun-Ho was explaining things to Mori Aikko, he was also undressing her by one layer after another.

An hour later, Gun-Ho and Mori Aikko were laying down on the bed side by side with their underwear only.

Mori Aikko said, “Mama San asked me to stay in Tokyo with her for a long time. And, she wants to pass on her private bar to me once she retires. But, I want to move back to Otaru City.”

“You are still thinking about Otaru City?”

“Well, I understand why you are saying that. I am like the flower petals of Azami that have to travel in the direction where the wind is blowing.”

“Azami?”

“Yeah, Azami. You don’t know Azami, oppa?”

Mori Aikko searched Azami with her smartphone and showed a picture of Azami. It was a thistle.

Gun-Ho thought that he saw the flower before in Korea.

Gun-Ho spent the day with Mori Aikko by going to a movie theater, shopping, and etc. They went to a nightclub at night as well. They had a good time dancing together. Gun-Ho wanted to stay with Mori Aikko in Tokyo for a few days more, but he also wanted to check A Electronics’ stock movement as well. He decided to stay one more night in Tokyo before going back to Korea.

The day when Gun-Ho traveled back to Korea from Tokyo, A Electronics’ stock price dropped for a few hours, and then it started going up again.

“Someone is still buying the stock. I wonder who keeps buying this stock until now. There was no public announcement that could affect its stock price… It is certainly not an institutional investor or an individual… Maybe someone is purchasing this stock by borrowing many people’s names.”

A Electronics’ stock price was now 230,000 won per share.

“230,000 won? Wow. The price certainly increased a lot. What would this make the company worth? The total number of this company’s issued stocks is 68 million…. Whoa! Its market capitalization is now 15 trillion and 65 million won! It’s about the same figure as the company’s annual sales revenue.”

Tomorrow would be the fifth day since Gun-Ho purchased A Electronics’ stock. Since Gun-Ho now possessed 7% of A Electronics’ stock, he had to report it to the Financial Services Commission and Stock Exchange. He also would have to explain the purpose of holding that much ownership interest in A Electronics.

Pursuant to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, anyone who owned a company’s shares of 5% or more had to report it within 5 days.

Gun-Ho indicated that his purpose of possessing A Electronics’ stock was for mere investment, not for participating in the management or anything else. As Gun-Ho’s investment in A Electronics’ stock was made open to the public, Gun-Ho received a call from A Electronics Group’s CEO Park.

“Mr. Chairman’s capacity with investment funds is beyond my expectation.”

Gun-Ho quickly cooked up an excuse, “Those funds are not all mine, of course. Four people, who are deemed as the members of a group of big players in Gangnam District, got together and bought the stock. As you know, people like them do not want to disclose their identities.”

“A group of 4 big players in Gangnam District?”

Gun-Ho obviously improvised it. He just made up as if there was a group of big players in Gangnam District who were loaded with a lot of cash.

“You didn’t know? There are 4 members in the group, including Chairman Lee from Cheongdam Town. You probably haven’t heard about him, but in the old days, he was a very well-known figure in the hard money industry.”

“I had… no idea about people like them. Well, congratulations anyway.”

After getting off the phone with CEO Park, Gun-Ho snorted with laughter.

“CEO Park is the brain in A Electronics’ Group. He is the CEO of its planning and coordination department. Well, he doesn’t seem to be that smart though. He doesn’t even realize that I—a former factory worker—just made up that group thing.”

The announcement day was getting closer when Gongmyeong Party Leader Jin-Woo Lee was supposed to declare his intention to run for President. Gun-Ho thought that the opposing party to Gongmyeong Party had a mighty candidate who would probably win over Party Leader Jin-Woo Lee. Gun-Ho thought that it would be a smart move for Party Leader Jin-Woo Lee to consider running for President maybe next time. However, 2 days before Party Leader Jin-Woo Lee made his declaration, the opposing party’s candidate’s vulnerable point surfaced.

The media stated that he “had once received a bribe from K Construction’s president before he had left for America. The amount of the bribe was 200 million won.”

The candidate immediately denied the accusation.

As K Construction’s president fled overseas to avoid any possible investigation on him, Gongmyeong Party didn’t miss the opportunity to taint that opposing party’s candidate. They ferociously attacked the candidate. Even though that candidate consistently denied the accusation, his supporters started leaving him one by one.

Gun-Ho laughed as he was reading the news.

‘Of course. It was a smart move for Gongmyeon Party to damage the opposing party’s candidate before its candidate made his declaration.’

It was the day when Party Leader Jin-Woo Lee would give a special lecture in Gwangju City. Many news reporters attended his lecture.

[I am ready to devote myself to our country with clean politics. To be honest with you, we currently do not have any trustworthy politicians in this country. They often accept bribes and deny them later. I am willing to run for President if my country and people need me.]