Die koei en sy gewete

In Noord-Korea, het Chung Ju Yung (toe 17 jaar oud) een van sy pa se koeie verkoop, die geld gesteel en na Suid-Korea gevlug.

Hy het 'n besigheid begin, naamlik HYUNDAI, Suid-Korea se grootste konglomeraat, met meer as 50 maatskappye, wat alles van karre en rekenaarskyfies tot skepe en staal vervaardig het.

Chung het gesê dat hy in Suid-Korea "sy hele lewe geleef het met die opregtheid en ywer van 'n koei". Die koei wat hy van sy pa gesteel het, het egter altyd op sy gewete gelê. Alhoewel sy pa gesterf het, het hy steeds bly wonder hoe hy kan opmaak vir die stelery.

Noord-Korea het op daardie stadium 'n verskriklike hongersnood ervaar, maar 'n wrede Kommunistiese regering is in beheer. Die grens tussen Suid- en Noord-Korea is die strengste ter wêreld bewaak, met byna twee miljoen troepe aan beide kante.

Selfs die vorige predsident van die VSA, Jimmy Carter, moes Noord-Korea via Beijing binnegaan toe hy gereis het om die gewese president van Noord-Korea te ontmoet.

Chung Ju Yung, 82, die stigter van die reuse Hyundai-groep, was die eerste Suid-Koreaanse burger wat toegelaat is om die grens na Noord-Korea oor te steek, met geen regeringsamptenare wat hom vergesel het nie. Suid-Korea se rykste man is toegelaat om 500 beeste op vragmotors in Noord-Korea in te neem om die verhongerde mense te help.

"Ek keer nou terug om die skuld te vergoed wat ek my pa aangedoen het," het hy gesê. "Ek hoop hierdie besoek sal 'n hoeksteen van vrede en versoening tussen ons twee strydende Koreaanse nasies lê."

[Japansending: Januarie/Februarie 2012]

[Lees HIER oor hierdie merkwaardige man.]

Chung Ju Yung and the Rise of Hyundai

American business folklore is awash with the adventures of successful entrepreneurs. Still, most of these stories are about Americans, neglecting important and courageous entrepreneurs from other countries. 

Made in Korea recounts the story of how Chung Ju Yung rose from poverty to build one of the world's largest and most successful building empires - Hyundai - through a combination of creative thinking, tenacity, timing, political skills, and a business strategy that few competitors ever understood. 

Chung entered the shipbuilding business with no experience and went on to create the world's largest shipyard. He began making automobiles when foreign experts unanimously predicted he would fail, and he started a global construction company that has built some of today's greatest architectural wonders. He even convinced the International Olympic Committee to select South Korea over Japan as the site for the highly successful 1988 Olympics. 

Unlike most CEO's of major firms, Chung has always preferred the company of his workers to that of the global executive elite. Hard work, creativity and a capacity to never give up - this is the essence of Chung's life. In each of his ventures, he exhibited a sheer determination to succeed, regardless of the obstacles, and he worked tirelessly to instil this drive in all of his employees. Even today, in the midst of Korea's worst economic crisis in over four decades, Chung's company is busy implementing plans to emerge as an even stronger contender in the world economy. Illustrated with 32 pages of colour photographs not previously seen in the West, including photos of Chung's recent historic visit to North Korea in 1998, Made in Korea takes stock of Chung's entire life, highlighting both his contributions to society and the lessons his work can teach to aspiring entrepreneurs.

[Read more]