“World Cup, huh…”
President Jo Dae-ho blinked and then clapped his hands lightly.
“Not a bad idea. We’re not an official sponsor, so we don’t have advertising opportunities. But with all the foreign journalists flocking here during the World Cup season, if we play our cards right, we could see a massive advertising effect.”
“If we play our cards right! Isn’t that a bit meaningless? Anything done well is good, World Cup or not. The question is, what does ‘doing well’ actually mean? Isn’t that the real issue?”
Oh Se-hyun still looked unconvinced.
“There is a way to do it well.”
Both of their eyes turned to me.
“Let’s host a big event.”
“An event?”
“Yes. Every time our national team wins a match, we raffle off 100 new cars.”
“What?”
“We’ll select from those who watched the match live at the stadium. Using seat numbers…”
“Hold on a second. Giving away 100 cars is a bit much. For events tied to major issues like this, 10 cars is usually enough.”
President Jo jumped in surprise.
It’s a bit excessive for an event. Launching a new car already requires a significant investment. You have to pour money into all the TV stations, newspapers, and even the internet.
You’d also need to request special articles and cover the skyrocketing fees for models.
“Do you really think it will end with just 100 cars?”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Do you think it will end with just one win?”
“The goal is to reach the round of 16, right? So, I think we can expect at least one win.”
Oh Se-hyun spoke with a lack of confidence.
“I’m thinking even bigger. If we reach the quarterfinals, we give away 500 cars, and if we make it to the semifinals, 1,000 cars.”
The mention of the quarterfinals and semifinals made both of them chuckle.
Especially President Jo, who didn’t even try to hide his mocking expression.
“If we really make it to the semifinals and give away 1,000 cars, that would be amazing. A thousand compact cars at ten million won each would cost a billion won. Advertising our new car during such a miraculous moment would have an incredible effect. But giving away 100 cars for one win isn’t much different in impact from giving away 10.”
“Isn’t there a chance to hope for that miraculous moment? Every win by the national team multiplies the advertising effect of the new car.”
President Jo didn’t oppose my idea any further. After all, expecting just one win seemed reasonable, and the potential ten billion won effect was worth it.
“Any other ideas?”
He probably asked without much expectation, but there was still one more crucial point to make.
“There’s one more thing. Among the players, there’s someone named Park Ji-sung.”
“Who?”
“He’s a player who was selected from a Japanese pro team. Sign a contract with him. And also with Coach Hiddink.”
Their faces remained tense.
“If you don’t like the new car, just say so. Are you planning to ruin it with marketing?”
President Jo, who had served my grandfather, Chairman Jin, all his life, couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh to me. But he nodded at Oh Se-hyun, who was expressing what he wanted to say.
It was clear they shared the same sentiment.
“Despite that, I feel like we should do as you say… This is really…”
“Excuse me, Mr. Oh, what do you mean all of a sudden…?”
“I’ve been listening to this guy’s outrageous ideas for ten years. But… the results have always been good. So now, no matter how outrageous it sounds, I just go with it. What else can I do? The results speak for themselves.”
Watching Oh Se-hyun smile, President Jo looked even more bewildered.
“This time won’t be an exception. The bigger the issue, the more accurate this guy’s predictions are. So, President Jo, you should trust him too.”
President Jo sighed deeply, finding Oh Se-hyun’s words even more unbelievable than mine.
“By the way, sign Coach Hiddink for a year and Park Ji-sung for a long-term contract of over five years. Pay them top-tier model fees.”
“Well… if your stubbornness is anything like your grandfather’s, I doubt I can change your mind… I just hope your instincts are as good as his.”
“I’m confident. By the end of the World Cup, both of them will become national treasures. I’m even planning to push for an advertising contract with Sunyang Life.”
“Don’t worry. This guy’s intuition is something even Chairman Jin can’t match.”
Watching Oh Se-hyun chuckle, President Jo bowed his head deeply.
As digital satellite broadcasting and HD broadcasting were beginning to take off, the national team led by Hiddink showed less than stellar results in their training matches against South American and European teams.
President Jo didn’t say much. He seemed to think I might abandon the promotional strategy since there was still time.
But I had already lost interest in the World Cup. Knowing the outcome takes away the excitement.
And now, annoyingly, I’m being pestered by something I find uninteresting.
“Uncle, forget about the mayoral race and aim for the general election in two years.”
“No, the timing for the general election is tricky. A month in politics is like a year for ordinary people. In two years, my presence will have faded.”
Mayor Choi Chang-je kept wiping the sweat from his forehead as he pleaded with me.
Since Oh Se-hyun had already turned him down, I was his only hope.
Moreover, my grandfather’s warning had taken effect, so no one was willing to become Mayor Choi’s financial backer.
“Before that, can you even secure a nomination?”
He couldn’t answer easily when I asked the most crucial question.
“I heard there’s someone who’s already leading the polls by a wide margin. Unless something unexpected happens, it doesn’t seem like you have a path to candidacy.”
“Do, Do-jun.”
“Uncle, please listen to me first.”
“Alright.”
Uncle quickly closed his mouth, not wanting to upset his last financial lifeline.
“I’m a known face now. I control Sunyang’s financial affiliates. Betting on a losing gamble puts the company at risk.”
A winner won’t leave a loser’s supporter alone. If I end up in a fierce competition with Uncle, the next mayor of Seoul might pressure me.
Or I might have to reach out first and offer to be a supporter to clear any lingering bad blood.
But for now, it’s best not to get too deeply involved with politicians. My grandfather’s connections are more than enough.
“There’s no chance? You’re mistaken. The atmosphere within the party is different.”
“I have eyes and ears too. With a single phone call, I can get reports on what’s happening in Yeouido. Don’t hold onto false hopes.”
Uncle’s expression turned grim as he bit his lip.
He knows he’s standing on the edge of a cliff.
A cornered rat is dangerous.
“Instead, prepare for the next general election. And don’t think about fighting the party’s favored candidate for Seoul mayor.”
“Are you telling me to suck up to that guy?”
“No. The winds of politics are unpredictable. You should avoid being labeled as someone’s person. And also avoid being labeled as not someone’s person. It’s best to graciously yield the Seoul mayoral candidacy.”
I’m his last financial hope. He knows he can’t do anything without my support, so he couldn’t insist any further.
“I promise. If you gracefully yield the candidacy, I’ll ensure there’s no issue with your campaign funds for the general election in two years. I’ll also guarantee your nomination.”
“Nomination too?”
“Yes. Isn’t it just a matter of a phone call from my grandfather? I’ll make sure to persuade him, so trust me.”
Uncle’s expression brightened a bit.
“It would be great if you could help secure a nomination in our party’s stronghold…”
Instead of saying, “That’s something to decide after assessing your usefulness,” I nodded emphatically.
“Of course.”
To the still-disappointed uncle, I offered a little gift.
“By the way, why don’t you serve as an outside director for Sunyang Life until the general election? I’ll set up an office for you, so you can occasionally come by and provide legal advice.”
If I had asked him to come in every day, he would have refused. A former Seoul mayor has people lining up to pay him a million won a month just to have his name on their board.
Of course, it’s not for free. A former mayor’s network reaches far and wide.
The more financial backers like this, the better, so he accepted my offer with a broad smile.
“Is that okay? Ah, legal advice is something I’m good at. Wasn’t I a prosecutor? Haha.”
I don’t want to see Choi Chang-je’s smiling face after today. His remaining vitality is only valid until I drain the last bit from him.
“Cheering for the success of our Taeguk Warriors.”
HW Motors.
A full-page ad with just this one line on a black background.
On the morning of May 31, the day of the World Cup opening ceremony, this ad covered all the daily newspapers.
If you didn’t look closely, it was hard to notice the faint silhouette of a car on the black background.
It was an ad so simple that no one would think it was for a new car, just a gesture of support for the national team.
After checking all the major newspapers, I felt relieved.
It came out just as I wanted. This ad was merely the starting signal for a series of ads to come.
And on that day, an unexpected event occurred that made it seem not so strange for Korea to reach the semifinals.
In the opening match at Seoul World Cup Stadium, France, the previous World Cup champions, lost 0-1 to Senegal, a tournament newcomer, without their injured star Zinedine Zidane.
At that time, no one expected France to be eliminated in the group stage.
June 4.
Korea’s first match took place at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium.
The ad that morning was slightly different from before.
The black background remained, but the faint silhouette was a bit clearer. It was now obvious to anyone that it was the roofline of a car.
And the clearly printed ad text read:
“Congratulations to the Korean national team on their first World Cup victory.”
“HW Motors shares in this joy.”
“Today, we’re giving away 100 of HW Motors’ new model cars to 100 lucky winners. For more details, please visit our website.”
I immediately tried to access the HW Motors website, but it seemed the server had crashed due to overwhelming traffic.
I scoured the internet again.
Every online community was buzzing about the HW Motors ad.
Was it a prophecy? Or just a gimmick?
Could it be that they meant to print “Congratulations” instead of “We sincerely wish”?
The reaction was as expected, overshadowing all other ads riding the World Cup wave. Competitors’ ads barely made a ripple online.
Sunyang Electronics launched an event promising up to 300,000 won per person if they won their first match.
Daehyun Motors announced a prize event offering 220,000 won to 2,200 customers if they won even one of their three preliminary matches, totaling 500 million won in prizes.
Of course, these events came with complicated terms and conditions.
Only we are giving away 100 cars with no strings attached. And these are cars worth ten million won each.
But don’t be too surprised yet. When the next ad drops, not just Korea, but the whole world will be turned upside down.