America: My Time

Chapter 1242 The Koreans' Compromise

Chapter 1232 The Korean Compromise
"What! Kim Woo-joong, do you know what you're saying? Although we've heard about this before, your decision has shocked us. Do you know how much this will affect South Korea? Do you know how much damage this will cause us? Our hard-earned heavy industry is about to fall into the hands of the Americans!" Upon hearing Kim Woo-joong's words, the South Korean officials were shocked and roared wildly. This was a situation they did not want to see!
“Yes, Mr. Kim, you shouldn’t have made this decision. We know that Daewoo Group is in a difficult situation, but no matter how difficult it is, we cannot sell such a heavy industry to the Americans. That would make us vulnerable to them. This is a national asset!”

Seeing their performance, Kim Woo-jung smiled calmly and said, "I understand your thoughts and feelings. Actually, I don't want to do this either, but I have no choice. Daewoo Group has no choice. At this time, only Mr. John is willing to acquire it. Everyone else is waiting for Daewoo Group to go bankrupt and be liquidated, waiting to plunder Daewoo Group and break it up. If you don't want to see all this happen, then these three companies can be acquired by the government. As long as the government is willing to take over, I can lower the price a bit. After all, I am also a patriot!"

Kim Woo-jung's words left the South Korean officials dumbfounded. What kind of patriot is this? If this bastard is patriotic, he shouldn't be selling these three major companies. Instead, he should sell other less important companies to raise funds to develop these three major companies and preserve South Korea's strength in the heavy industry sector.

"Mr. Kim, you could actually do something different. You could sell the other assets of the Daewoo Group to raise funds to develop heavy industry. This would benefit both you and the country, and we will continue to support you as always!" Good grief, there really is someone who dares to say something like that, treating Kim Woo-jung like a fool.

"It's not that I don't want to do it, but no one in other industries is willing to acquire it, especially during this financial crisis. Right now, the only one willing to make a move is Mr. John, but he only wants to acquire heavy industry companies, not other companies. This would allow him to integrate his investments in South Korea and stop worrying about development. Of course, if you all refuse, there's nothing I can do. Daewoo Group needs to survive, and I can't sacrifice my own interests and take on that huge debt. Besides, you should also think carefully. Mr. John is not someone to be trifled with. Don't forget his other identity: a Wall Street tycoon. Soros alone has already dealt us a heavy blow. If he gets involved, the damage to us is unimaginable."

As soon as Kim Woo-jung finished speaking, the South Korean officials gasped. They knew all too well John's other identity: a Wall Street tycoon. His formidable reputation in the financial world wasn't just for show; it was earned through real battles. If he were to target the South Korean financial market, the consequences would be unimaginable. This was a blatant threat—how dare that bastard Kim Woo-jung utter such words!

Seeing their reactions, Jin Yuzhong sneered inwardly, naturally understanding what they were thinking. He continued, "Gentlemen, this isn't my idea, but Mr. John's warning. This acquisition is a normal business transaction. If you insist on stopping it, he won't be polite, and you'll be responsible for all the consequences. Don't forget what Japan's reaction was like before; they paid a considerable price."

Faced with Kim Woo-jung's threat, the Koreans were helpless. Although they wanted to resist, they simply didn't have the strength. Moreover, Kim Woo-jung was right; the Japanese had indeed compromised. The emergence of 'New Life Bank' was the result of their compromise. Those guys didn't dare to confront John directly and could only compromise.

"Gentlemen, we don't have that much time to discuss or consider. Mr. John has already shown his sincerity. If you refuse, you either acquire these three companies of the Daewoo Group, or you will face Mr. John's wrath. Normal business transactions cannot be obstructed. If you insist on doing this, you will bear all the consequences yourself. If any problems arise, I personally will not bear any consequences, nor will the Daewoo Group bear any consequences. I will present everything to the public in its entirety, and you will bear all the losses!"

At this point, Kim Woo-joong didn't want to get entangled with these guys anymore. He stated his thoughts directly, his attitude incredibly firm, leaving no room for compromise. Either the Korean government would acquire the three major companies of the Daewoo Group, or John would take over. There was no way he would try to stop them without taking responsibility. Having finally seen John, a 'white knight,' give the Daewoo Group hope of turning things around, Kim Woo-joong naturally wouldn't give up. He would be a fool to do so. He wouldn't compromise on this matter!
"Alright, since Daewoo Group is in such dire straits, we have no choice but to accept your proposal. We're struggling ourselves and don't have the funds to help Daewoo Group. If you're willing to make the deal, then go ahead." At this point, no one dared to object. If it caused even greater turmoil, the consequences wouldn't just be Daewoo Group's losses, but the losses of the entire nation. If something went wrong, that bastard Kim Woo-jung would shift all the blame onto them, and they would have to take the fall and bear all the responsibility. "Thank you all for your understanding. If I could, I wouldn't want to see this happen, but I have no choice. When John came to me, I knew I had no power to resist this acquisition. Refusing would only plunge Daewoo Group into a desperate situation, or even worse, cause a greater disaster for South Korea. I'm not doing this just for myself; it's also a sacrifice for the country!"

Upon hearing Kim Woo-jung's words, the South Korean officials were utterly disgusted. How dare this bastard say such a thing? Yet, they were powerless to retaliate. Kim Woo-jung's sacrifice had indeed prevented South Korea from being targeted by John. Although he had ulterior motives, he had undeniably made a small contribution to their cause!
"Alright, let's not delay. You can make all the decisions yourself. As long as you can keep Mr. John calm and prevent Hurricane Investment and Standard Chartered Bank from getting involved in this attack, that will be the best support you can give us. We will also do our best to support the development of Daewoo Group in the future. However, you'd better communicate with other consortia before the transaction to avoid catching them off guard."

At this moment, the officials made a demand: Kim Woo-joong had to face the other South Korean conglomerates. After all, such a major matter couldn't be left unexplained, nor could he shift all the blame onto the government. Since Daewoo Group wanted to sell, and Kim Woo-joong wanted to sell these three major companies, then he himself would have to face the accusations from the other South Korean conglomerates!
Under these circumstances, the other conglomerates in South Korea were unwilling to see John continue to acquire South Korean assets. Rather than having these guys question him, he preferred to let Kim Woo-jung deal with them!

Kim Woo-jung nodded and said, "No problem, I will negotiate with them. And if they are unwilling to accept, they can acquire these three companies of the Daewoo Group. I personally have no problem with that. If they have such an idea, I can step in and explain to Mr. John to defuse his anger!"

That's just nonsense. At this point, the South Korean conglomerates are already struggling to survive. Where would they find the funds to acquire Kim Woo-jung's Daewoo Group? If they had those funds, things wouldn't be like this now.

However, since Kim Woo-chung has already made such a statement, even if some people have some ideas, they dare not act rashly. The power John holds is not something they can compare to, and if they really anger John, they cannot withstand his wrath. Don't be fooled by what Kim Woo-chung says. If they really wanted to acquire these three companies of the Daewoo Group, the result would not be like this now. That bastard Kim Woo-chung would definitely go back on his word.

It was precisely because Kim Woo-jung knew the situation of other chaebols that he dared to make such remarks and act so boldly. If other chaebols had such acquisition capabilities, this bastard would never have done it, but these South Korean officials couldn't voice their opposition and could only swallow this disgusting outcome. At this moment, these South Korean officials had a very negative impression of Kim Woo-jung and the Daewoo Group; if they could, they wouldn't want to see this bastard Kim Woo-jung!

Although they thought this way, they couldn't show it on the surface. In fact, they couldn't help but consider acquiring Kim Woo-jung and the Daewoo Group. If the acquisition succeeded, Kim Woo-jung and the Daewoo Group would have ample funds, which would be a significant help to them. If they could get Kim Woo-jung and the Daewoo Group to repay their loans early, their financial burden would be reduced. But would that bastard agree?
They had this thought in mind, but no one was willing to speak up. No one wanted to offend Kim Woo-jung. After all, Kim Woo-jung's strength and influence were still there. If they really offended this guy to death, it would not be a good thing for them. It might even make them a target of their opponents and cause them unnecessary setbacks. At this time, no one wanted to face targeting from the enemy, so they all remained silent!

(End of this chapter)