Corporate Villain
Copyright© 2025 by K.W
Chapter 36
The numerous titles created by Daeyoung’s subsidiaries.
Notably, there’s the global top business division title created by Daeyoung Electronics for smartphones and semiconductors.
And riding on the wave of Hallyu, or rather at the forefront of creating it, there’s the Asian top business division title of Daeyoung Planning, related to international events, advertising, film, and video production.
Kang Moon-jung had lunch with Kim Dae-yoon, the president of Daeyoung Planning, on the bridge laid by her father, Chairman Kang Man-ho.
“PPL-related video list?”
It was when a puzzled expression appeared on President Kim Dae-yoon’s face.
“Yes. Among Daeyoung’s subsidiaries, which business division do you think could invest the most in PPL planning? Wouldn’t it be our distribution side?”
It wasn’t a wrong statement.
Within the group itself, distribution indeed has the most foundations for collaboration with planning.
But why would distribution, which had always outsourced its promotions to its own PR team and external planning companies, suddenly make such a proposal?
President Kim Dae-yoon’s thoughts began to deepen.
At the center of his thoughts was the inevitable question: had Kang Moon-jung, the executive director, finally started to expand her influence in the succession structure? And was this clashing with the current line he held with Kang Young-jin?
However, while looking at President Kim Dae-yoon, Kang Moon-jung, with a dignified smile, had a completely different calculation running through her head.
The presidents of Daeyoung’s subsidiaries.
They were beings with no influence whatsoever in the competition for succession.
What power or ability could they possibly have over the succession decision?
They merely believe themselves to possess some ability, a bit of power.
And the one who fostered such baseless belief, such illusion among the executives, was none other than Kang Young-jin.
Kang Moon-jung had lived nearly 20 of her 34 years in close connection with Daeyoung’s succession.
For her, reading such a situation was no trouble at all.
Right now, Kang Young-jin isn’t pulling the subsidiary presidents to his side to bolster his position in the succession race.
He’s simply securing field experts in advance to compensate for his lack of skills, should the succession fall in his favor.
That’s the way to understand it.
Because succession, even once confirmed, can always be overturned.
Once he’s confirmed as the successor, either at the group’s headquarters or in electronics, he must prove how well he can maneuver the subsidiaries from the heart of Daeyoung.
For that reason, Kang Young-jin is currently putting the subsidiary presidents through the wringer, not because they have any influence or power over the succession decision, but because he needs to establish relationships with them.
In that sense, Kang Moon-jung had deliberately cut off relations with the subsidiary presidents.
The moment the succession is confirmed in her favor, those presidents who had supported Vice President Kang Young-jin would inevitably be struck by fear.
By simply cutting off one or two of Kang Young-jin’s closest allies, that fear would soon turn into absolute loyalty towards Kang Moon-jung.
Kang Moon-jung, who had been dining at the breakfast table in Pyeongchang-dong since she began eating with a spoon on her own.
To her, this level of corporate politics was nothing.
Knowing the physiology of corporate politics all too well, Kang Moon-jung had deliberately played the role of Daeyoung’s politically inept princess until now. Would the foolish President Kim Dae-yoon even realize that?
A position built not on skill but on favor must continually update new favors for the other party to maintain its place.
To Kang Moon-jung, the current subsidiary presidents were not worth the effort.
Above all, she did not want to become like Kang Young-jin, who was desperately trying to curry favor with the subsidiary presidents.
Who would benefit the most from her doing so?
The subsidiary presidents themselves.
Supporting the subsidiary presidents in such a way was neither right for Daeyoung Group nor for the authority of the owner’s family.
“If I ask you for this in the chairman’s absence, it might take too long to get what I want.”
Whether Chairman Kang Man-ho was present or not, Kang Moon-jung’s actions were unflinching.
“What, what do you mean...”
“I’m currently showing consideration towards you.”
At that moment, Chairman Kang Man-ho’s eyes narrowed.
Consideration?
What did Moon-jung mean by using the word ‘consideration’ towards President Kim?
“The upcoming advertising requests from our distribution side will certainly boost sales from a planning perspective. However, considering the relationship with Vice President Kang Young-jin, there will have to be some limitations from your personal standpoint, Mr. President.”
“···!”
This woman, Kang Moon-jung.
How can she speak of such matters so nonchalantly in front of the Chairman?
President Kim Dae-yoon felt a cold sweat trickling down his spine.
“But if I make such a request in the presence of the Chairman, wouldn’t it completely eliminate any grounds you might have for refusal, Mr. President? It would create a clear justification for not being able to refuse Vice President Kang Young-jin’s requests in the Chairman’s presence.”
Only then did Chairman Kang Man-ho, realizing his cunning daughter’s meticulous calculations, burst into uncontrollable laughter.
As the lazy Susan turned, Kang Moon-jung picked up a piece of tofu, placing it onto her plate, and said,
“I’m short on time right now, Mr. President. The PPL-related video list I requested. It would be great if I could get it by today, is that possible?”
“···Yes, I’ll pull it up as soon as I return and send it to you immediately.”
It was late, but President Kim Dae-yoon finally realized.
Executive Kang Moon-jung, who brought up such sensitive topics without a hint of hesitation.
And the Chairman, who, in front of such matters, burst out laughing even more.
Instinctively, President Kim Dae-yoon realized that he had been standing in the wrong line all this time.
“Hey, Uncle. It’s me.”
After lunch, on her way back to the distribution headquarters, Kang Moon-jung called her uncle, An Cheol-hyun, the owner of Han Shin Newspaper.
“I think we need to rush out a special feature article.”
-A special feature? What about?
“The main framework will be titled ‘The Sudden Decline in Sales of Domestic Duty-Free Shops,’ and within it, we need an article about the withdrawal of Draff’s duty-free shop from the airport, which was the second in Asia to enter Korea.”
-Ha, ha, ha, ha ... Why, what did they do to make our Moon-jung go to such lengths to need an article like that?
“That’s just it. There’s a limit to playing fox, but they’re getting too bold, thinking they can climb over our heads because we’ve been indulgent. It’s time to firmly correct their behavior.”
-Is it urgent?
“The sooner, the better.”
-Alright, got it. This is going to be costly, you know?
“Charge it to the distribution side. I’ll make sure we pack it with ads.”
The destructive power of an article crafted as a special feature by the most influential newspaper was immense.
Within just two hours of the Han Shin Newspaper’s special feature hitting the internet, a call request came in from Draff’s CEO on the other side of the globe.
But Kang Moon-jung refused.
“I’m off work and not at my desk right now, tell them to put in the request again at 9 AM Korea time tomorrow.”
“But Director, this matter is...”
“I’ve said before, if it’s not ‘extremely important,’ I don’t look at work-related matters after hours.”
“ ... Yes, I understand. I’ll pass that along.”
The next morning.
Upon arriving at work, Kang Moon-jung received a report that there was a call request from Jean Dimitri, the CEO of Draft.
She hung her jacket in one corner of her office and walked to the window with a cup of coffee in hand.
Holding the coffee cup in one hand, she pressed the call button on her smartphone with the other.
“Madam, it’s morning in Korea now, isn’t it?”
The haughty and almost arrogantly proud voice of Jean Dimitri was humbly speaking in English.
After taking a sip of her coffee, Kang Moon-jung slowly swallowed and began the conversation.
“Did you try to contact me yesterday? I’m sorry. It was a call from Draft, and I missed it.”
“No, it’s my fault. I only thought about our time here and forgot to consider the time in Korea.”