Episode 101: Fundraising Activities
“Hello?”
“Hello, this is Lee Chang-jin. Is this Reporter Joo?”
“Oh, President Lee Chang-jin! It’s been a while. How have you been?”
Reporter Joo Young-mi’s voice was quite welcoming. She was a close friend of Jin Seon-ah and had conducted several exclusive interviews with Lee Chang-jin, resulting in a rather close relationship between them.
“Ah, Reporter Joo, have you heard about the explosion at Iri Station?”
“Yes, I have. It’s really unfortunate. The damage was too extensive for it to be just a man-made disaster. Some of my relatives were caught up in the accident as well. Fortunately, none of them were seriously injured, but it was a real shock.”
“I was startled too. I never thought such a thing would happen. Actually, I’ve ended up taking on the Iri Station disaster recovery project.”
“Oh, really? The support must still be lacking, so it must be tough. I heard the funding is delayed due to budget disputes at the top.”
Recognizing Lee Chang-jin’s intention immediately, Reporter Joo Young-mi continued, and Lee Chang-jin agreed straightforwardly.
“Yes, the government hasn’t released the disaster relief funds quickly, causing delays in the recovery work. So, I was thinking of raising donations through the media. That’s actually why I contacted you, to ask about that.”
“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea. Broadcasting it would definitely draw more public interest.”
“Yes, so I was wondering if you might know any PDs or reporters in the terrestrial broadcasting stations who could help with this?”
After briefly thinking, Reporter Joo Young-mi replied.
“I do know a famous PD in that field. His name is Oh Young-jun, and he’s been working in the documentary part since the early days of KBN. He’s very interested in social issues, so if he hears about this situation, he might actively get involved.”
“Oh, could you connect me with him? I won’t forget your help.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. If it’s for a good cause, of course, I’ll help. I’ll contact you again once it’s arranged.”
“Thank you.”
Two days later, just 12 hours after the official letter was sent, a KBN filming team was dispatched.
Oh Young-jun PD, who arrived in a 6-seater van, was a man with round horn-rimmed glasses and graying hair. He extended his hand to Lee Chang-jin after getting out with the cameramen.
“I’m Oh Young-jun. I’ve heard a lot about you from Reporter Joo.”
“I’m Lee Chang-jin from Daese Construction. Thank you for coming down here.”
After the introductions, PD Oh quickly got to work.
“Ah, we have a lot of piled-up special shoots recently, so we can’t stay long. If we want to finish shooting by the day after tomorrow, we’re pressed for time. Let’s start by looking around the disaster site.”
“Sure, I’ll guide you.”
Guided by Lee Chang-jin, PD Oh looked around the station area, which looked as if it had been bombed. Despite the efforts, there were still piles of broken aggregates, wood pieces, and bent steel structures. After surveying the site for a while, PD Oh seemed to realize the severity of the situation and his expression turned grave.
“The disaster site is much more serious than I thought. What’s the total damage?”
“Beyond imagination. The station is completely destroyed, with about 60 people dead or missing and around a thousand injured. Over 2,000 houses have been destroyed, and approximately 9,000 people are displaced.”
“9,000 people? The information in the newspapers vastly understated it. What about the financial loss?”
“Even conservatively estimated, it exceeds 10 billion won.”
“Are you saying the higher-ups haven’t done a proper site inspection?”
Chief Seo, standing next to him, responded cynically.
“The government investigation team did come for an inspection. Ah, I mean a show? They wore spotless work clothes and just took photos with the displaced. Their lip service was impressive.”
“Hasn’t any government aid arrived at all?”
“They made a fuss about it. They announced that disaster recovery funds would be released soon and that the state would be responsible for rebuilding collapsed houses and buildings. But none of these promises have been kept.”
“Really, is that all?”
Manager Goo Chang-dong chimed in.
“In fact, it’s better if the high-ranking officials don’t come here. We have to entertain them and report on the situation at the camp, which is also work.”
Lee Chang-jin explained the situation. Every time members of the National Assembly visited, it only delayed work due to the manpower required for their hospitality. It even led to a situation where one member overstayed, resulting in angry displaced people cursing them out. Since then, visits had become less frequent.
Hearing this, PD Oh also couldn’t contain his frustration.
“Are you saying no aid has arrived despite such a dire situation? What are those members of the National Assembly doing? And what about Daewoong Explosives? This disaster happened because of their poor management! They should be rushing to provide recovery funds. This is an insult to the people!”
According to the investigative authorities, the cause was that a Daewoong Explosives transport employee, after drinking, lit a candle to ward off the cold, which then tipped over onto the dynamite.
However, the railway administration was also responsible for not prioritizing the freight train over passenger trains as per the rules, failing to let the train pass in time.
As a result, there were sharp debates in the National Assembly over the extent of responsibility and the amount of national compensation.
“That’s how politics always is, isn’t it? The shrimp gets crushed in the whale fight. The certain thing is that the longer it takes, the more the needed recovery funds will increase.”
Listening carefully to Lee Chang-jin, PD Oh nodded in agreement.
“Understood. I’ll talk to the higher-ups and work on a special report. Leave it to me.”
The film crew stayed for three days, conducting detailed interviews. They thoroughly surveyed the disaster area, gaining an in-depth understanding of the damages and local conditions. On the day they parted, Lee Chang-jin said,
“I hope the special report comes out soon.”
“Don’t worry about that. I have some influence in this field. Plus, there’s a shortage of human documentaries these days, so it’ll easily pass the review. It won’t take long to air.”
As PD Oh assured, the special report on the Iri Station accident aired a few days later.
People gathered in amazement as they watched TV.
“Wow, isn’t that our area?”
“No way!”
“Stop lying. How could our village be on TV?”
“Have we really been deceived all this time? Look, it’s our village, right?”
“Oh my, it’s true. When did they film this?”
The TV broadcast showed interviews with locals and a documentary about the disaster area. As the camera circled around the station area and captured Lee Chang-jin, people’s attention turned to him.
“President Lee looks great on screen, doesn’t he?”
“Hey, Chang-dong, you’re on too. Look at the size of your head, it fills the screen!”
“Oh, really! When did they film me?”
The broadcast had an effect, and aid poured in from all over.
However, not all aid was helpful.
While some were useful, others were just trash.
“They must think this place was bombed. What’s with the gas masks? And why send bread that expired a month ago? Look at this mold. Do they think we’re beggars?”
Despite the outpouring of support, half of it was useless junk.
Seeing Manager Goo Chang-dong’s frustration, Lee Chang-jin smiled and calmed him down.
“Just accept everything for now. They sent it with good intentions, so rejecting it would hurt their feelings.”
“Yes, I understand. I was just venting.”
“By the way, how much in donations have we received so far?”
“About 50 million won, and it’s increasing daily. We’ve received almost 10 million won in the last three days alone.”
“That’s quite a lot. KBN said they’d make a three-part series, so this isn’t the end.”
With the funds secured, Lee Chang-jin decided to start visible projects before seeking further support.
“Let’s start with temporary shelters for the displaced and building recovery projects. We’ll also clear the roads and work with KEPCO to restore transmission and distribution.”
Manager Goo Chang-dong expressed concern.
“Won’t that be too large-scale for us to handle?”
“We have to make it work. Don’t think of this as simple volunteering, but as actual housing construction. Gaining construction experience will be advantageous for overseas expansion. Think of this as practical training.”
“Restoration work along with transmission and distribution projects… is that feasible?”
In response to Advisor Hong’s concern, Lee Chang-jin shook his head.
“Even if not everything, the crucial parts are possible. We should prioritize areas with high population density and shorter distribution networks. Contact KEPCO and request technical support. Replace all broken or toppled poles and proceed with the wiring work. We’ll replace all existing wooden poles with concrete poles. Chief Seo! There shouldn’t be any problem producing the poles, right?”
“Of course not. I was an ace at Mirae Construction. This is a piece of cake.”
With Chief Seo’s confident statement, Lee Chang-jin continued.
“Great. Chief Seo, please handle the production. Manager Goo, you’ll oversee the pilling work.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
Transporting the concrete poles to the site, the team first installed thick plates to prevent ground subsidence and spaced them out. Connecting the auger crane and compressor, the workers prepared to drive the poles with a winch-mounted hammer. Manager Goo gave the cue.
“Alignment check complete, starting drilling.”
With the signal from a helmeted worker, the hammer on the pilling machine struck the pole with a thud.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!!
With a noise like a machine gun, the ground was drilled. With a 16-ton load, the heavy pole was firmly embedded in the ground.
After the first step, they installed insulators and wires.
During the work, Lee Chang-jin meticulously checked the installation status.
“Manager Goo, what’s the progress?”
“Hmm… about 120 poles, 50 to 100 meters each… It should take roughly three days.”
“That’s faster than I expected. I didn’t think it would be this quick… Have we received consent from all the landowners for the pole installations?”
“Yes, I’ve confirmed each one.”
“Double-check to ensure we haven’t missed any. Future issues might arise. Maintain safety distances and work carefully.”
“Yes, got it.”
Lee Chang-jin cleared the debris and installed temporary buildings made from modified containers.
Meanwhile, revisiting the site, PD Oh was amazed at the transformation.
“Wow, this place has completely changed!”
In just a month, much of the debris had been cleared, and the station area looked different. With just poles and temporary buildings set up, it seemed like a different village.
Lee Chang-jin smiled and said,
“This is just the beginning. We’ll pave new roads and redesign the station area. Ah, PD Oh, the last documentary was impressive. The editing was superb.”
“Thank you. Actually, I should be the one grateful. The viewership response was excellent.”
Oh Young-jun PD, who visited Iksan, looked much more polished.
Perhaps because such real-life documentaries were rare, the broadcast achieved a peak viewership of 30%, an unprecedented rating for a documentary. The higher-ups hurriedly planned additional primetime slots.
“The director also ordered to enhance the realism and increase the length of the footage. So, we brought three more cameras this time.”
“That’s good news.”
With the second broadcast, interest in the issue skyrocketed. When news spread that a small company called Daese Construction was struggling to recover while government support was lacking, there was widespread criticism of the political realm’s inaction.
- To be continued in Episode 102 -
