My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 424

“Huh.”

Park Do-joon frowned at the terse reply. “Myanmar is right next to Thailand, after all.”

“What about his friend?”

“According to our investigation, they were kidnapped together. We haven’t had any contact since.”

“Is his friend also Korean?”

“No, he’s Taiwanese.”

Yoon Tae-min stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.

‘Kidnapped…’

Park Do-joon pondered the information. A memory flickered at the edge of his mind. ‘It wasn’t supposed to be this case that was happening now, though.’

‘Come to think of it, that’s not my case either.’

To be precise, it was a case he couldn’t officially handle. Because it wasn’t a Korean national involved, but a Taiwanese one. The infamous Taiwanese employment kidnapping case.

In Korea, there’s a common urban legend:

‘Don’t go to strange companies. You’ll get your organs harvested.’

There was even a viral post about someone who was saved when a taxi driver, upon being given the address for an interview, warned, ‘There’s nothing there. It’s a scam!’

Of course, being on the internet, you can’t believe everything. But in Taiwan, these scams are a grim reality.

Taiwan faces economic challenges with limited job opportunities compared to its population, and a relatively high cost of living.

The reason is that Taiwan’s labor costs are higher than mainland China’s, leading to a significant influx of workers from across the strait.

Korea, despite being geographically close, is recognized as a separate country, resulting in complex immigration procedures like passports and visas. However, Taiwan, through agreements with China, has relatively easy travel between the two.

Consequently, a large number of Chinese citizens migrate to Taiwan seeking employment, which, unfortunately, suppresses wage growth for local workers.

In fact, some Korean politicians, when warned by scholars about Korea’s dangerously low birth rate, made insensitive remarks like, ‘If there aren’t enough people, we can just bring them from China.’ Taiwan, on the other hand, has an abundance of available workers, yet still experiences a massive influx from China.

The problem is that while Chinese workers are often content with simply earning money and returning home, it’s nearly impossible for Taiwanese locals to sustain a living with the wages offered.

“So many people relocate to other countries or leave altogether.”

“Well, that’s true.”

In Korea, when people think of Chinatown, they usually picture Chinese immigrants. But originally, Chinatowns were established by Taiwanese people. Now, Taiwanese Chinatowns and Chinese Chinatowns are distinct and separate.

The Chinatown in Incheon is predominantly Taiwanese, while the one in Sillim is largely Chinese.

“So, I guess they went abroad to work.”

‘Hmm.’

If Park Do-joon’s memory served him correctly, the organ trafficking organizations involved in those cases often lured victims with promises of overseas employment.

A simple but effective plan to harvest organs outside of mainland China, where such activities are heavily restricted.

“So, whose son is it?”

“Pardon?”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rarely gets involved in criminal cases, especially when the kidnapping didn’t occur within Korea.”

The victim voluntarily went to Thailand and was subsequently kidnapped and went missing there.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rarely intervenes in the numerous kidnapping cases of Koreans that occur overseas each year.

“You don’t take it in a good way, do you?”

“It’s hard to view the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ actions favorably, given their predictable behavior.”

Park Do-joon shrugged.

“In general, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs respects the local investigative authority and doesn’t interfere with the investigation.”

“Hahaha!”

Yoon Tae-min couldn’t deny the truth, so he offered an awkward laugh.

“To be honest… yes, that’s right. He’s someone’s son.”

“I guess that person is still worried about his son, even though they don’t have a good relationship.”

At that moment, Yoon Tae-min’s eyes narrowed subtly.

“Do you perhaps know who it is?”

“No.”

“Then how… did you know?”

“You said he was the son of a high-ranking official, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“If they had a good relationship, he would have been placed in a leading company in Korea. Moreover, you mentioned his workplace was Taiwan, and Taiwan is an IT powerhouse. It’s not easy to establish yourself in Taiwan with mediocre skills. Isn’t that right?”

Yoon Tae-min nodded in agreement.

Indeed, many Koreans tend to underestimate Taiwan, but in the IT sector, Taiwan is on par with or even slightly ahead of Korea.

“Moreover, as I said before, a huge amount of talent is flowing into Taiwan. There’s no reason to hire Koreans when they have access to that talent pool. Their labor costs are also lower. That means you have to possess exceptional skills to stand out. But why wouldn’t he work in Korea? That’s all I thought.”

“Just because of that?”

Yoon Tae-min looked suspicious when Park Do-joon said he had inferred the strained relationship based on the kidnapped person’s skills. But Park Do-joon was focusing on a more fundamental aspect.

“It’s not just about skill. It’s about reality, human greed, and opportunity. With that level of skill, he could have worked at a large company with his father’s backing, earning 300 to 400 million won a year [approximately $250,000 to $330,000 USD]. Moreover, it doesn’t seem like he has any glaring flaws. But he gave up all that and went to Taiwan, where his father’s influence doesn’t reach, while accepting a much lower wage? The only logical explanation is that he has a very bad relationship with his father.”

“You were amazing last time, but you’re even more impressive this time.”

Yoon Tae-min had no choice but to concede.

‘I might not be able to solve this case without him.’

“That’s right. He’s the son of a high-ranking official, or rather, let me tell you the truth. He’s the son of Lee Eok-ho, the former leader of the New People’s Party.”

Park Do-joon knew Lee Eok-ho. In fact, he couldn’t *not* know him. He wasn’t currently the leader, but he had been the head of the New People’s Party and a constant presence on television, even touted as a potential presidential candidate.

Even now, Lee Eok-ho remained a key figure in the New People’s Party and a name frequently mentioned in discussions about future presidential contenders.

‘That kind of person has a bad relationship with his child?’

Park Do-joon had never heard such a rumor, so he asked for confirmation.

“Do they really have a bad relationship?”

“His son is a member of the Future Party.”

“They’re practically sworn enemies.”

That wasn’t an exaggeration. The New People’s Party and the Future Party weren’t just rivals; they were ideological adversaries.

The son of the former leader of the New People’s Party being a member of the Future Party was akin to a Korean version of Romeo and Juliet.

Except that Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy was caused by external forces, while this situation stemmed from each individual’s conscious choice, lacking even the element of tragic coercion.

“Yes, they are politically diametrically opposed.”

“Well, political discussions can ruin a family if you’re not careful.”

If the father is an active politician, especially one from an opposing party, it would be surprising if he had a good relationship with his child.

“Lee Sang-won, the son of Lee Eok-ho, even belonged to the Future Party and actively campaigned for their candidates. Even in his father’s constituency.”

“Really?”

“Yes, their relationship completely fractured because of that. After that incident, Lee Sang-won severed ties with Lee Eok-ho and moved to Taiwan.”

It was as if his son had stood on the campaign trail and declared, ‘Don’t vote for my father.’ It was inevitable that their relationship would collapse.

“Ah, of course, it’s not that Lee Eok-ho is a bad person. I mean, it’s not like he committed violence or anything…”

“I know. In fact, political leanings are more dependent on individual tendencies than you might think. There are many cases where family upbringing can’t bridge the divide.”

Usually, children inherit their parents’ values, but there are numerous instances where their ideologies clash for various reasons.

It’s not that one side is inherently wrong, but their fundamental beliefs simply don’t align.

“There’s even a satirical theory about that called the ‘Bicep Ideology Theory.'”

“Bicep Ideology Theory?”

“Yes, well, it’s a joke. Didn’t it appear on TV before? The incident where someone nonsensically claimed that people with large biceps support a certain political party.”

“Huh? Ah, you mean that incident.”

“Yes, that reporter was completely idiotic.”

The actual name of the “Bicep Ideology Theory”… or rather, the paper that was distorted in that way, was ‘A Study on the Correlation between Muscle Mass and Personal Interests.’

The paper explored the psychological analysis that individuals with higher muscle mass tend to be more focused on personal interests or rights, while those with lower muscle mass are relatively less concerned with them.

To be precise, it was a psychological analysis suggesting that the more an individual is invested in themselves, the stronger the tendency to prioritize their personal well-being, leading to a proactive approach to health, including exercise and muscle building.

In simpler terms, it wasn’t that having more muscle caused self-interest, but that self-interest manifested in protecting personal interests like health.

“I remember it too. That reporter was completely talking nonsense.”

“That’s right. The author of the original paper even protested to the broadcasting station. The Korean media was quite embarrassed at the time. I heard they call it the Bicep Ideology Theory.”

“Hahaha.”

“Anyway, personal beliefs are not something that can be changed simply by telling someone to change them.”

The problem was that Lee Eok-ho was the leader of the New People’s Party. If it were just a normal political disagreement between father and son, it wouldn’t be an issue. But Lee Eok-ho tried to reform Lee Sang-won’s ideology to avoid embarrassment, and Lee Sang-won fiercely resisted.

“So, he went to Taiwan because of that?”

“Yes, he cut ties and left.”

“But no parent can bear the thought of their child going missing.”

Regardless of their ideological differences, even if they argued frequently, they are still parent and child, bound by a natural connection.

Therefore, Lee Eok-ho would want to find Lee Sang-won at any cost.

‘I didn’t encounter this kind of situation before I regressed. Or should I say I wasn’t aware of it?’

No matter how influential he is as the leader of a political party, he can’t mobilize the entire country to search for his missing son. Furthermore, he wouldn’t openly spread rumors about his son’s disappearance.

‘Did he come back? No. I don’t remember him returning. Rather, Lee Eok-ho… come to think of it, Lee Eok-ho is going to announce his retirement from politics soon, right?’

He remembered it because it wasn’t a crime. Lee Eok-ho announces his retirement from politics for some reason and disappears from the public eye.

‘I see. Was it because of this incident?’

Perhaps he couldn’t find his child and developed a sense of disillusionment with politics, which he had considered his life’s purpose, blaming himself for everything.

‘Well, that’s understandable.’

What is politics, after all? Ultimately, it’s a social contract designed for people to live well. But when the contract itself becomes the goal, and even a child severs family ties because of it, it’s enough to trigger political disillusionment, potentially leading to the child’s demise.

Even if he was the leader who once represented one of the major political parties in the country.

‘I still don’t understand… Ah, is that it?’

If his memory was accurate, the criminal organizations operating in Southeast Asia released their captives upon receiving payment. Of course, the ransom was never cheap.