My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 524

With not just one or two competing products, but dozens, even hundreds, would people really choose a product that feels somehow… unsettling?

“In that situation, no matter how much money you pour into changing the image, it will have little effect once you’re already labeled as something to avoid.”

Jeong Iyeon, who was listening nearby, nodded.

“I get it. It’s like ‘believe and skip,’ right?”

“Believe and skip?”

“It means ‘believe and skip it.’ If something becomes a problem, that company gets flagged. So, you just exclude that company from your considerations from the start.”

“Exactly. It’s about individuals making decisions on whether to buy, but it’s also a group mentality.”

Once an image of ‘believe and skip’ is established, the opposite of the desirable ‘believe and buy’ reputation, it becomes a firm conviction that you can’t trust that company’s products. The problem is, there’s often no real basis for it.

Once that ‘believe and skip’ image takes hold, no matter how good or cheap the product is, the company is stuck with the reputation of being one to ‘believe and skip.’

“I never thought of it that way.”

An Beomsang said with a shocked expression.

“Of course. It’s the complete opposite of advertising.”

The problem is that even within the realm of promotion, the psychology at play is completely reversed. So, from the perspective of someone focused solely on promotion, there’s no way to understand how to solve this.

They’re both long and run on rails, but a train and a subway are completely different things. Similarly, these areas look similar but are completely different problems.

“Then what should we do?”

Park Taegeun asked, his voice trembling. If all the methods they had considered were meaningless and, worse, close to self-destruction, then the company was doomed. And if the company fails, it’s hard to find a new job.

“It’s simple. Just give the people what they want.”

“What is that?”

“Justice.”

“Justice? As I said before, we are a company. Not a state, a social organization, or a law enforcement agency.”

“The people don’t necessarily distinguish between those.”

The people’s criteria are based on common sense, not affiliation. And if something deviates from that common sense, they reject it.

“So, you have to give them justice.”

“How?”

“The first thing to do is…”

Park Dojun paused for a moment, then smiled and said,

“Start by promoting it in the media.”

Unbelievably, everyone had failed to understand the fact that they needed to promote their actions, in a way that was different from their previous promotional efforts.

“Iyeon, it’s your time to step up, hehehe.”

Park Dojun, through Jeong Iyeon, or rather, through Moonlight Law Firm, formally filed a criminal complaint against the president, the company, and the designer who were the origin of this incident. Of course, that was something the company should have done anyway. But at first, Edian and An Beomsang didn’t understand why they had to pay a lawyer to file a complaint.

But Park Dojun pushed it through. Then, in the name of Moonlight Law Firm, he placed full-page ads in every major media outlet.

-This is Moonlight Law Firm, which will be in charge of Edian’s legal representation. We have filed a criminal complaint on behalf of Edian against Mr. Joo, the final decision-maker in this Rising Sun flag incident, An Green Media, which produced the Rising Sun flag design, and designer Mr. Joo.

The progress of the case will be continuously disclosed to the media.

“Oppa [Korean term for older brother or male friend], I did as you told me, but is this meaningful?”

Jeong Iyeon asked, tilting her head. It was a different method than before, but that was precisely why she didn’t understand its purpose.

“Ah, that? It’s to show people how seriously we’re taking the situation.”

“But this is a very legally dangerous situation. You know that, right?”

“I know. I know that if we mess up, it could be considered defamation by stating a fact.”

Although the names of the individuals are missing from the media releases, if they try to sue, they likely can, since the position of former president of Edian is specified.

“They probably will sue. That’s what I’m aiming for.”

“What?”

“I told you, what people want is justice.”

“You did.”

“But looking at the way companies have been doing things, they’ve been too busy hiding the guys who cause trouble. Why do you think that is?”

“Uh, I don’t know?”

“They think it’ll be forgotten that way.”

Of course, causing an accident could be a genuine mistake. But there are clearly individuals who cause accidents with obvious intent or for criminal purposes. But strangely, the company doesn’t say anything about them. Rather, even if the company issues an apology and the representative comes out and bows, they don’t announce anything about the individuals responsible.

“That’s definitely strange. It can’t be that all the guys who caused the accidents are the chairman’s sons.”

“That’s right. It usually ends with dismissal.”

In fact, that’s common. Of course, if the accident was caused by a mistake, that’s an appropriate punishment.

“But this isn’t that.”

They openly deceived the people and provoked Hyunseong Group into a fight.

“So, we have no reason to protect their identity.”

“Revenge—it’s not just for that reason, is it?”

“Of course not. As I said before, companies have been hiding the guys who caused the damage.”

But the problem is how the public perceives this. What people want is justice or revenge. But the company remains silent.

“At best, they spread rumors that those responsible were fired through unofficial channels.”

“That’s true.”

“The problem is that no one believes it.”

Not everyone can access those unofficial channels, and since it’s an unofficial channel, most people don’t believe it’s true.

“That’s what companies are mistaken about. They think that even if they apologize, it won’t be accepted anyway. So, let’s ignore it. But the subject of the apology is different, the target is different, and the content is different—they forget all that.”

“It’s complicated.”

“You don’t have to think complicatedly. Think simply. Who hasn’t lived in Korean society? Honestly, people can make mistakes. Companies can also make mistakes.”

People know that. And what people want is reflection.

“But the act of hiding the person in charge doesn’t give people any sense of reflection at all.”

“It makes reflection feel like it’s not reflection?”

“You don’t have to go far. Just look at Japan.”

They already apologized and reflected. They announced something called the Kono Statement [a statement acknowledging the coercion of comfort women during World War II] in the name of the Prime Minister. If Japan had succeeded and stayed still, maybe all the problems would have ended there.

“But the Japanese government and politicians aren’t like that.”

Dokdo [a group of islets in the Sea of Japan, disputed between Korea and Japan] is Japanese territory. There were no comfort women [women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II]. It was not forced conscription or slavery, but voluntary participation and service.

No one believes words that are different from front to back.

“The people aren’t stupid enough not to know that companies are talking nonsense and hiding the person in charge in the hope of being forgotten.”

As a result, people can only see it as concealing the incident rather than reflecting on it.

“Is that so? But why did you file a complaint through our Moonlight? It’s natural not to care who you file a complaint through, or rather, there’s nothing our Moonlight Law Firm can do?”

Whether an individual files a complaint, a company files a complaint, or a law firm files a complaint, in the end, the complainant can’t do anything beyond initiating the process. Because it’s not the lawyer who investigates, but the police and prosecutors.

“I know. But if Edian announces it through the media, people will probably think it’s a lie.”

“A lie? The complaint?”

“To be exact, they’ll think that even if they file a complaint, they can withdraw it and reinstate them when things calm down. Hasn’t that happened once or twice?”

“That’s true.”

Jeong Iyeon nodded as if she understood.

“But you’ve hired a lawyer. And Moonlight Law Firm is definitely not a cheap law firm, right?”

“No, it’s not.”

No matter how small the case, Edian is a company, and Moonlight Law Firm is a huge law firm that holds significant influence in Korea. They would never take on a job at a cheap price.

“That’s the key. They filed a complaint with money. Bearing the loss is, in a way, a sign of sincerity.”

“Aha!”

I take a loss and cut ties with them. That’s like telling the outside world that the severance is sincere. If I don’t take a loss and pretend not to know, I can reinstate them later when the situation is resolved.

“Didn’t something happen recently with a PD [production director] who manipulated a broadcast?”

“Ah, that PD who was reinstated?”

“Yeah, what’s the atmosphere like among the people?”

“It’s like he took all the blame.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

A PD manipulated the rankings on a ranking program on a broadcasting station for money. The people who benefited from the manipulated rankings were able to debut, and the group that debuted through the program was very popular, so it became controversial, and the group was eventually disbanded.

“But that person, who even received a prison sentence, was reinstated to his original company. Do you think that’s possible?”

“Of course it’s impossible. There was probably a ‘You take the blame’ deal.”

An individual PD manipulates the broadcast? No matter how strong the PD’s power is, that’s impossible. And it’s not good for the PD either.

“Moreover, it was the broadcasting station that reported it.”

The broadcasting station reported it for corruption and manipulation and sent him to jail, but as soon as he was released, he was reinstated to the same broadcasting station?

If you don’t know that there was another contract behind it, you’re an idiot.

“It’s the same with that.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

“So, the first thing is to show that you’ve drawn a clear line.”

Hiring a lawyer to send them to jail for sure with tens of millions of won. What could be more appealing to the people than that?

“That’s true. But that’s not enough, is it?”

“It’s not enough. But the other side will complete the next puzzle.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Moonlight filed a criminal complaint. But if you file a complaint through Moonlight Law Firm, will it end with just a criminal complaint?”

“Of course not.”

A criminal complaint is just a process to gain a favorable position when filing a civil lawsuit. Lawyers know that they can’t do anything other than write the complaint in a criminal complaint.

“But wouldn’t the other side know that?”

Park Dojun smiled.

“We have to have a dogfight, and people will believe us. And we can’t start a dogfight.”

“We can’t start it?”

“Yeah, no matter what we do, we’re in a bad light. So, we have to get someone else to start it.”

Park Dojun raised his coffee cup and said,

“They’re probably preparing right now. Hehehe!”