Recalling an entrepreneur of dreams and passion

In the sweltering summer of 1980, a reporter found solace in the cool mountain village of Pyeongchang, located in Gangwon Province. From his residence overlooking the expressway leading to the East Coast, he reminisced about a visit to a cement manufacturing plant in nearby Okkye, made nearly five decades prior. Accompanied by Chung In-yung, the chairman of Hyundai International, the reporter was part of a delegation tasked with exploring heavy industries for the country.

Chung, a legendary figure in Korea's industrialization history, had summoned the reporter to join him on the journey. At the time, many of the reporter's colleagues were constrained to the basement of the chairman's home, as their main office building in Seoul and the large machinery plant in Changwon had been seized by the military government in 1980. Overwhelmed by the turmoil, Chung remained composed, calmly perusing a newspaper. He was known to be an avid reader, often perusing publications like The Korea Times.

Chung, who had earlier been a reporter himself, had been instrumental in shaping Korea's industrial landscape. His determination to build heavy industries in his nation had left an indelible mark on the nation's history. This encounter, half a century later, served as a poignant reminder of the passion and vigor of an entrepreneur who dared to dream.