Governor Choi's press conference had concluded.
Despite being called on short notice, the venue was packed with reporters.
It was a clear sign of how much attention the People's Economic Party, which had just won the local elections, was drawing.
This wasn't a press conference that would end with mere attention.
Governor Choi spoke sincerely about evacuating Korean residents in Japan, and even Han, who had been observing the conference with me, was visibly impressed.
"Governor Choi is truly a remarkable figure. He can move people with his words. He's already topping the portal site's trending searches, and the social media response has been intense."
"Intense reactions aren't always good. The more divisive a topic, the hotter the responses tend to be."
"Half the public agrees with Governor Choi, while the other half thinks the reaction is overblown. And supporters of the major parties are expressing particularly harsh criticism."
This press conference was a pivotal moment in Choi's political career.
He had never been at the center of an issue like this before, which only intensified the reactions.
"Now that Governor Choi has set things in motion, it's Taewoo Group's turn to take the baton."
"Are you really planning to appear personally at the press conference, Chairman? Wouldn't it be better if I or the Vice Chairman represented the company? Public criticism might be directed at you."
"If I don't go myself, the impact won't be as strong. The greater the impact, the more powerful our exoneration will be."
"That would be true if another quake occurs, but if nothing happens, our credibility could take a serious hit."
There was no risk of losing credibility.
I already knew that a stronger earthquake would hit three days later.
"Shouldn't the reporters be arriving about now?"
"They've started arriving from Yeouido. We should be able to start the press conference in about ten minutes."
"Then it's time to head down."
After a bit of preparation, I descended to the press conference hall.
By then, the reporters had filled the company lobby. I gave my outfit a final check and stepped up onto the podium.
"Good afternoon. I am Kim Min-jae, Chairman of Taewoo Group."
I gave a brief bow.
It had been a long time since I had held a press conference in my own name, and the reporters were clicking their cameras incessantly. Every word I spoke would be instantly streamed as breaking news online.
"The purpose of today's press conference is to address the recent earthquake in Japan. Taewoo Group has developed an artificial intelligence system to predict natural disasters. This system was created through the combined expertise of Taewoo Construction, Taewoo IT, and IIT specialists."
I introduced the AI system abruptly.
Some reporters seemed to think the press conference was just a promotional event for the AI system, and their reactions cooled slightly.
But my next words would completely shift their attention.
"According to this natural disaster prediction AI, there is a very high probability of a major earthquake in Japan. Should a quake of magnitude 9 occur, the damage will be enormous. Therefore, Japanese residents of Korean nationality must be evacuated immediately."
The chairman of Taewoo Group—head of the top-ranked conglomerate in Korea—had just stated his certainty about a Japanese earthquake.
What was the reporters' reaction? Hands shot up everywhere, and the clatter of laptop keys multiplied as journalists typed furiously, eager to report every detail.
"Taewoo Group has secured transportation, including airplanes and large buses, at the company level, and we will now assist in evacuating Korean residents in Japan. We ask for the cooperation of the Japanese government and businesses and request the declaration of temporary holidays to ensure the safety of our citizens."
It was an absurd statement.
For the chairman of a single company to request the Japanese government to declare a temporary holiday was more than overstepping—it was audacious.
But I didn't stop there. I pushed even further.
"Even if the Japanese government or businesses do not declare a holiday, all Korean residents must evacuate immediately. Should Taewoo Group's prediction be wrong, Taewoo Group will take full responsibility."
Taewoo Group would assume all responsibility.
At the very least, this meant covering vacation expenses. At the most, it implied compensation if employees had to leave work or the company suffered financial losses.
At least 12,000 Koreans lived in Japan's Tohoku region. Taking responsibility for all of them meant deploying hundreds of billions of won.
The reporters instantly understood that a single statement from me could cost Taewoo Group hundreds of billions of won.
"Finally, to reiterate, Taewoo Group predicts a major earthquake in Japan and will support the evacuation of both Korean residents and the general population."
I had finished my main statement.
Now came the question-and-answer session with the reporters.
Nearly every journalist raised their hand at once, vying for the chance to speak. I selected a reporter sitting in the front row.
"Yoo Dong-su from Jo Guk Daily. Neither the Japanese government nor meteorological agencies worldwide have issued warnings about a major earthquake in Japan. Do you believe Taewoo Group's AI system is superior to all the global meteorological systems?"
"I believe Taewoo Group's AI system is more advanced and reliable than any other. Moreover, this conclusion is not based solely on AI—it incorporates the insights of many experts within Taewoo Group."
As I answered, I immediately selected the next reporter. Adjusting his glasses slightly, he asked a sharp, probing question.
"The press reports that immediately after Governor Choi Je-seok of the People's Economy Party held a press conference, Taewoo Group also held one. This raises suspicions that there was prior coordination. Could you clarify the relationship between Taewoo Group and the People's Economy Party?"
"We did not have any prior contact. Governor Choi of the People's Economy Party held his press conference first, which gave me the confidence to step into the press room myself."
How many people would actually believe me?
Even so, I couldn't openly disclose any relationship with the People's Economy Party, so I had no choice but to be evasive.
"Why is Taewoo Group taking such a keen interest in the Japanese earthquake? This appears to be a one-sided situation where Taewoo Group bears the loss. Shareholder backlash is likely, and this could create owner-related risk for the company."
"Normally, I would have preferred to stay out of this, but the event was too significant to remain silent. I am fully aware this places a large burden on Taewoo Group. Therefore, I will take full responsibility for this matter."
"If Taewoo Group's predictions prove incorrect, are you prepared to resign from your position as chairman?"
"If resigning from my post can be considered taking responsibility, then I will do so."
That concluded the final question-and-answer session.
Even though reporters continued raising their hands, I bowed in acknowledgment and stepped down from the podium.
There was no resistance.
Every journalist was buried in their laptops, racing to transmit the scoop as quickly as possible.
I returned to the chairman's office after the press conference.
Han had already compiled the various responses.
"The reaction is even hotter than Governor Choi Je-seok's press conference."
"Are most of the responses negative?"
"That seems to be the case. Many people are saying that Taewoo Group is taking on unnecessary risk because of a young owner. There are also quite a few comments questioning why Taewoo Group is concerned with matters that should be handled by the government."
This was expected.
In Korea, people generally do not like it when corporate owners take the spotlight. In the U.S., there are cases where owners deliberately stir public attention, but in Korea, conservative and stable owners were preferred.
"We don't need to worry about public opinion. More importantly, have we sent the materials we have to the Japanese and U.S. governments?"
"They were sent, but there's been no notable reaction. The Japanese government, in particular, hasn't even read them."
We didn't have much contact with the Japanese government anyway. They wouldn't appreciate us suddenly stepping in, and might even feel inclined to ignore us.
In reality, their response didn't matter. This was merely a procedural step to secure a measure of credibility.
"And the U.S. government? No reaction at all?"
"There's been some response. Officials from the White House requested additional materials and also inquired about the AI system."
Taewoo IT and Cheon Min-jung had prepared a large amount of material for today.
They had put together convincing data demonstrating that the earthquake had been predicted using artificial intelligence and algorithms.
"Send the related materials over, and coordinate as much as possible with the U.S. media."
"The major U.S. networks have already run breaking news stories about Governor Choi and your press conference. This will likely make the main news today."
"It's been a while since we've appeared on American TV."
"And not just in the U.S.—your face will appear in news coverage all over the world."
It was starting to get noisy, not only at Korean airports but at foreign ones as well.
I wasn't looking for fame, but for this project, it was unavoidable to put my face out there.
"Han, focus solely on the project from now on. The rest will be handled by myself and the planning office."
"I was planning to go to Tokyo soon to oversee the situation personally."
"You'll stay in Korea this week. If anything happens, then you can go to Japan—it won't be too late."
Sending Han to Japan now would be too risky.
Though Tokyo was relatively safe, unexpected events could occur, so he had to remain in Korea.
"Understood. We're also securing as many relief supplies as possible using Taewoo Trading and Rocket. We've even signed contracts with Amazon for supplies."
"The planning office will handle the relief supplies from now on. Han, focus only on the finances."
"There's still enough time, so that's fine."
"You'll be very busy soon, so prepare everything in advance."
This was not just talk.
Only 48 hours remained before the earthquake struck.
When that time came, Han would be busier than anyone else.
***
March 11 arrived.
Only two days had passed, but the criticism had been intensifying by the hour.
"A notice has come down from the government. It warns us to refrain from stirring up controversy and makes it clear they won't let this slide."
"They must see us as a nuisance."
"They're ready to move the National Tax Service immediately, even today. The Blue House is openly pressuring us to retract our statements from the press conference."
The planning director's voice was weak, weighed down by the government's strong pressure.
I said nothing in response, not even offering a countermeasure, and simply kept my eyes on the clock.
Seeing my silence, the planning director spoke hesitantly.
"Is there an appointment I don't know about?"
"I just want to look at the clock."
As I stared at it, both my cellphone and office phone began ringing at the same time.
I sensed it immediately. This was the exact moment the Great East Japan Earthquake struck.