Episode 32: Equipment Development
Yoo Joon-tae was renowned for his integrity and honesty. The most famous anecdote related to his character was none other than the fake red pepper powder incident.
In the summer of 1958, newly appointed regimental commander Yoo Joon-tae witnessed an unexpected sight while patrolling the unit. Pickled cabbages were being thrown into the scraps bin behind the mess hall.
Given the era when Korea was poorer than Bangladesh, it was abnormal to see any leftovers in the scraps bin. Alarmed, Yoo Joon-tae immediately summoned the personnel officer.
“Why aren’t the soldiers eating kimchi properly?”
“Well… it’s…”
The personnel officer, flustered by Yoo Joon-tae’s rebuke, couldn’t give a proper answer.
Sensing there was more to the story, Yoo Joon-tae called the soldiers to find out the reason, but no clear answer was given. Yoo Joon-tae then made a solemn vow.
“Answer honestly, I will guarantee your anonymity. No one will face any repercussions for this.”
Only then did one soldier, after cautiously looking around, confess the truth.
“Commander, the kimchi in the mess hall isn’t spicy. It tastes bad and doesn’t digest well. We know it’s forbidden for soldiers to complain, but something is definitely wrong.”
Yoo Joon-tae, sensing something was up, ordered a check on the kimchi’s condition by searching the mess hall storage. The problem lay in the red pepper powder.
While the color seemed authentic, it lacked the distinct spiciness of red pepper powder. After tasting it himself, Yoo Joon-tae hurriedly ordered.
“Mix this in a water bucket.”
When the red pepper powder was mixed in water, the shocking truth was revealed. A red liquid emerged with substances resembling rice bran floating on the surface.
What was supplied as red pepper powder was actually sawdust dyed red. Realizing the situation, Yoo Joon-tae became furious.
“Whoever mixed this trash into the soldiers’ food, find them and bring them to the disciplinary committee immediately!”
However, Yoo Joon-tae’s demand wasn’t easily met. The issue was a deeply entangled corruption case involving higher-ups.
Despite being urged to overlook it by the logistics officer and the commander’s office, Yoo Joon-tae remained steadfast.
“Now that I’m here, I can’t tolerate such corruption in military supplies. No matter what anyone says, I will uncover the culprits and punish them!”
Understanding the soldiers’ hardships better than anyone, Yoo Joon-tae couldn’t tolerate such a situation.
When Yoo Joon-tae didn’t back down, the supplier came to see him separately.
“Commander, please let it slide just this once. If you cover for me, I can also help you. Isn’t that how the world works?”
As expected, the apple box he brought was filled with money.
But instead of accepting the money, Yoo Joon-tae pointed a gun at his head and shouted.
“Shut up. If this were wartime, you’d be shot on the spot! Get out with this dirty money before I lose my patience!”
The startled supplier fled immediately. Yoo Joon-tae then decided to find a supplier who could deliver genuine red pepper powder. Supplying red pepper powder for kimchi for 3,000 soldiers was no easy task.
But Yoo Joon-tae was a man of tenacity. After thorough searching, he was able to contract a new supplier. On the day the genuine red pepper powder kimchi was distributed, the soldiers cheered.
Though Yoo Joon-tae became famous for this incident, it also blocked his path to promotion. He ended up being sidelined due to being marked by higher-ups.
But one never knows what life holds. Shortly after he decided to retire, the regime changed dramatically. The new president was his mentor from the Military Academy.
The new president’s trust in Yoo Joon-tae was absolute.
“Comrade, I want you to take charge of the steel business. There’s no one I trust more for this task.”
The president decided to entrust the steel business to Yoo Joon-tae, having observed his unwavering integrity and refusal to compromise with the world’s injustices. Despite numerous conspiracies and crises, Yoo Joon-tae’s steadfastness shone through each time.
It was revealed that even during his time as a general, he didn’t keep an orderly, and in his youth, he refused to touch public funds even when his child was dying due to the inability to afford milk. Such stories deeply moved even those auditing him.
Later, Yoo Joon-tae served as the chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries and then entered politics.
Serving three terms, he held positions as party leader and prime minister, enjoying nearly all the honors one could as a human being. Thus, Yoo Joon-tae became a model and object of envy for future businessmen.
But he was always a soldier at heart. Though he returned to civilian life after discharge, Yoo Joon-tae cherished the military where he had devoted his youthful passion.
Recalling past memories, he had a wistful expression.
“So, you were in the 25th Division, huh? That brings back memories. How’s the kimchi there? Still good?”
“Of course. It’s all thanks to you, Commander. Even now, it’s famous for having the best kimchi.”
“That’s a relief.”
Yoo Joon-tae felt a sense of pride. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie with Lee Chang-jin. But business is business.
With a warm expression, Yoo Joon-tae quickly reverted to a serious demeanor.
“Ahem, let’s get to the main point. Can you really solve the dryer issue?”
“Yes, that’s right. In fact, there’s a way to increase work efficiency several times without using cranes.”
“Really? Explain in more detail.”
“Instead of cranes, we can use hydraulic cylinders. Isn’t it cumbersome to hoist every time during cable drying? Repeatedly bolting and unbolting, lifting the casing top with a crane each time is inefficient. If the lifting angle twists and overload occurs, the crane’s overload protection and hoisting devices can easily break. Instead, attaching a hydraulic cylinder to the container and lifting it semi-automatically as needed will greatly improve work efficiency.”
In short, it was about installing large hydraulic cylinders to adjust the height automatically when needed, instead of bolting and lifting the cover with cranes each time, which was too inefficient.
“Ho, that’s a good idea. That would simplify the work a lot.”
It was an idea Yoo Joon-tae hadn’t thought of. However, good ideas often face various challenges in actual implementation. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Yoo Joon-tae raised a question.
“Hmm, but there’s an issue. How will you solve the problem of container sealing? To achieve vacuum conditions with a vacuum pump, won’t you need additional measures?”
For someone who wasn’t an engineering graduate, it was a sharp question. Lee Chang-jin had already thought about it. Smiling confidently, he answered.
“We just need to ensure proper sealing. For high-temperature use, we can use graphite gaskets and synthetic rubber packing for double sealing. If leakage is still an issue, we can increase the hydraulic pump capacity. Since the purpose is drying, we don’t need a perfect vacuum, do we? Is there ever a perfect vacuum, anyway? As long as the vacuum pressure is enough to dry the cables, it’s sufficient.”
In a dictionary sense, a vacuum refers to an empty space with nothing in it. In the context of fieldwork, it means a gas present at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.
At atmospheric pressure, the distance between molecules is about 30Å (angstroms) and the molecular diameter is about 3Å. So, if it’s filled to 1/1,000,000th of the atmospheric pressure volume, there’s no problem for industrial use. Listening attentively, Yoo Joon-tae stroked his chin.
“Technically, your explanation makes sense. But is it really feasible to manufacture it? Realistically speaking.”
“You won’t know until you try, will you? Of course, it might fail. I’ve heard that Anyang Steel has a support system for small and medium-sized enterprises. If you request equipment development support using that system, I’ll personally manufacture it.”
“Haha. Do you think it’s that easy?”
At Lee Chang-jin’s bold request, Manager Eom, who was next to him, blushed slightly. Even he rarely demanded anything so boldly from President Yoo.
However, Yoo Joon-tae seemed pleased and burst into laughter.
As a former soldier, he liked straightforwardness.
“Fair enough. So, how much do you estimate the development cost to be?”
“I’ve heard that up to 10 million won per case can be supported. Since things have come this far, let’s go all out and max it out.”
“Ten million won for equipment development is quite a high cost. Isn’t that too expensive?”
“It’s not just formal technical support; considering it as a replacement for actual equipment, it’s not expensive. If the dryer becomes practical and replaces existing equipment, it will save labor costs and maintenance costs for auxiliary facilities. In fact, if it turns out as expected, it will significantly improve production efficiency. Moreover, from my perspective, I’m losing the opportunity cost of crane maintenance, am I not?”
“Haha, your words are like a flowing river. Alright, then provide two units as development prototypes. If both units show satisfactory results, I’ll order five more.”
Then, Lee Chang-jin made another request.
“Then, please pay 20% of our material purchase cost in advance and 75% as a middle payment upon delivery. I’d appreciate it if the remaining balance could be paid after performance testing is completed. We are a small to medium-sized enterprise, so it’s difficult to purchase raw materials and produce on credit.”
“Hey, isn’t that a bit… too much?”
Next to them, Manager Eom seemed worried about upsetting Yoo Joon-tae. But Yoo Joon-tae nodded as if it were only natural.
“If the equipment development is done properly, I see no reason not to do so. The payment will be made immediately after the internal review.”
One of the secretaries, unable to hold back, spoke to Yoo Joon-tae.
“President, but… the overall cost will be considerable.”
“So what? Isn’t it only natural to get paid for your work? Securing a development contract and getting an advance payment is a natural business practice.”
Hearing this, the employees became speechless.
Seeing this, Lee Chang-jin felt suddenly cheerful.
“Thank you. As expected, you are generous as rumored.”
With a hearty laugh, Yoo Joon-tae spoke with a smiling face.
“I’m trusting in your technical skills and potential. I’m taking a chance. But if the results don’t meet expectations, you should be prepared. You understand what I mean, right?”
It was a chilling statement not to be taken lightly. Yoo Joon-tae was a man of his word.
Given Yoo Joon-tae’s powerful influence in both the military and political-economic circles, if he decided to put pressure on Lee Chang-jin, who had just started his business, there would be no way for him to withstand it.
However, Lee Chang-jin remained calm.
“Of course. But we also have some conditions.”
“What are they?”
“If we deliver the goods within the contract period, please pay in cash instead of a six-month promissory note. Also, if a properly functioning prototype is produced, please ensure that Anyang Steel and our company jointly hold the utility model rights and technical production patents for the vacuum drying equipment. If you promise that, I’ll follow you.”
It was a precaution to prevent a large company like Anyang Steel from taking away the technology. Small companies like Daese Group couldn’t protect their patent rights effectively, so they sought legal protection by partnering with a government-invested organization like Anyang Steel.
Holding a technology patent could greatly aid in securing government contracts and tenders, providing numerous benefits.
Understanding Lee Chang-jin’s intent, Yoo Joon-tae looked intrigued.
“Negotiating over something that hasn’t even been produced yet? Really?”
“Yes. If it succeeds, it will be the world’s first… wouldn’t you want to secure that title? I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request.”
“Manager Eom, what do you think of Lee’s proposal?”
Manager Eom, adjusting his posture, replied methodically.
“It seems like a beneficial proposal for us as well. If we have the record of developing a technical patent in collaboration with a small to medium-sized enterprise, it will help our company’s promotion. It will also be advantageous in receiving high evaluations from the government. Being selected as an excellent company means a two-year exemption from audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection, which is beneficial in many ways.”
“Then the discussion is over. Fine, if you bring a completed prototype within the deadline, I’ll grant your requests. I promise on my name and honor. Do you need a written agreement?”
“No, that’s more than enough.”
Yoo Joon-tae was a man who kept his promises when he staked his honor on them.
For Lee Chang-jin, such a promise was more than sufficient.
“I’ll trust you then. The deadline is six months. You must bring meaningful results within that time.”
Once Yoo Joon-tae made a decision, his actions were swift. He instructed Manager Eom to place the order, and as soon as the internal review was completed, he immediately transferred the money to the bank account.
Having secured the contract, Lee Chang-jin’s next destination was President Kim Chul-ho in Guro.
- To be continued in Episode 33 -
