Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

The final interview for the accounting staff position had begun.

Gun-Ho asked all three candidates to come to the meeting room altogether. Three job applicants seemed to be quite nervous. They sat at the table facing Gun-Ho.

“I’ve reviewed your applications. You are all highly qualified, and I am in a very difficult position because I have to select only one of you.”

Gun-Ho tried to make the applicants feel comfortable and ease their tension. He didn’t even ask about their certificates or academics degree because those things were already shown in their resumes.

“How long have you worked for your previous employer?”

“What was the nature of your job?”

Gun-Ho asked the candidates mostly about their work experience. Since the job posting required work experience to be able to apply for the position, the applicants with work experience were not very young people.

After the interview was over, Manager Kang handed out an envelope to each interviewee with 50,000 won in it to help with their transportation expense. This was their final interview. After the first interview was done, they were given an envelope with 30,000 won in it.

A lady applicant in a black two-piece business suit said,

“The president is very young. He seems to be easygoing as well.”

Manager Kang smiled in response to her comment.

Another final interview ensued for the secretary position. Three lady candidates entered the interview room. They were all younger and prettier than the ones for the accounting staff position. Gun-Ho began to talk with a smile,

“All of you have a high score in TOEIC; they were exceeding 950. Two of you graduated at Daewon Foreign Language High School and studied further abroad. One of you went to high school in another country. I am in a very difficult position to select only one of you since you are all highly qualified people.”

The three candidates looked at Gun-Ho’s face; they all looked nervous and anxious.

“Can each of you say this in English? ‘Our company is manufacturing extruded products with urethane synthetic rubber.’”

Each candidate spoke the same sentence that Gun-Ho gave in English. They all had a nice voice.

Gun-Ho looked at each of the candidates to see who had a positive facial expression when they spoke in English.

“Thank you for coming today. I hope I can see you soon.”

Gun-Ho said with a smile. The ladies gave him a 90-degree bow before leaving the office. Manager Seong-Il Kang distributed the envelope with 50,000 won in it to these interviewees as well.

Gun-Ho asked for Manager Seong-Il Kang.

“I’ve made my decision. Please send the job offer letter to them.”

“Who did you select, sir?”

“For the accounting staff position, we will offer the job to the second candidate who had a six-year work experience at an electronics company and who also had a tax accountant license.”

“You made an excellent choice, sir. I think that person will fit the position as well.”

“For the secretary position, we will hire the first candidate who graduated from Daewon Foreign Language High School and who studied abroad. She is living in the Hyundai condo in Apgujeong Town, which is close to our company. I like her voice; it’s very sweet.”

“Yes, sir. I will send out the offer letter to those two people.”

“Today is Wednesday, right? Ask them to start working next Monday. Give the accounting staff a manager position. That person has six years of work experience with a tax accountant license, and his position with his previous employer was a manager as well.”

“Yes, sir. Do you think this will bother Ms. Ji-Young Jeong? She might think it’s not fair if we give the manager position to the new employee?”

“She should be fine. The new employee is four years older than her. Moreover, that person has a tax accountant license. She will understand.”

“Okay, sir. I will proceed as you instructed.”

Gun-Ho had lunch with Manager Kang, Ms. Ji-Young Jeong, and Team Leader Jeong-Soo Nam that day.

“I was told that you have two children, Mr. Jeong-Soo Nam.”

“That’s right. I have two daughters. My first kid is in junior high, and the second is a sixth-grader in elementary school.”

“They are three years apart? They probably get along fine then.”

“Well, not really. They fight all the time. It’s their routine.”

“What about your spouse? Is she working as well?”

“She used to. Since my second child was injured, she stays at home now and spends more time with her.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that. Was it serious?”

“She fell while playing somewhere high. It took several months to completely heal. My wife used to work at an insurance company, and she didn’t like her job. She said she doesn’t have the right aptitude for it. She is now actively participating in our residential community. She is working as a managing member of the community.”

“Managing member of the community?”

Manager Kang responded to Gun-Ho’s surprise instead.

“Many women now take the position as a managing member of their residential community these days. It is sort of competitive to get the position.”

“Really? I thought a senior male member of the community usually takes that kind of position.”

“It used to be, but not anymore.”

“Oh, by the way, how is Manager Jong-Suk Park doing?”

“He is doing great. He has a girlfriend now. He is very busy.”

“Oh, I see. What is his girlfriend doing for a living?”

Ms. Ji-Young Jeong asked; she looked curious.

“She is working at a research center in an electronics company in Cheonan City. They met at the Polytechnics College. They are both taking evening classes provided to working adults.”

Team Leader Jeong said,

“Manager Park is manly and easygoing. When I was doing military service at Army Special Warfare Command, I had never lost to anybody in an arm wrestling, but Manager Park beat me. I’ve never seen a man with that strong arm, not to mention his skills.”

“That’s why he is the manager of the technical department.”

“Oh, that’s why… hahaha.”

After lunch and after he came back to his office, Gun-Ho had the coffee that Ms. Ji-Young Jeong prepared for him. He was dozing off in his office when he heard someone knocking on the door.

“Umm, sir. Someone is here to see you.”

“Who is it?”

“He said he is from BM Entertainment Management.”

“Oh, that’s right. Please let him through.”

The dandy looking man—the manager of BM Entertainment Management—came into Gun-Ho’s office. He was not alone, but he was with a man who looked like he was in his late 20s, and he had his hair dyed in yellow. The new guy was tall, and he was wearing an earring on his left ear.

“Hello, it’s really good to see you again, sir, since we met in Shanghai.”

“Please have a seat. What brought you here to see me?”

“Oh, this man here is the leader of the popular group, Bomb. His name is Seong-Hoon.”

BM Entertainment’s manager introduced the man with yellow hair to Gun-Ho.

“Oh, I see.”

Gun-Ho looked at this Seong-Hoon person. He seemed that he was wearing a subtle make-up. He had a very pretty face like a girl, but he was not Gun-Ho’s type.

‘That sh*tty man is wearing a makeup.’