My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 526

#The Standard of Apology

Park Tae-geun became the president. From his perspective, he wanted to cry, but he couldn’t refuse. Realistically, it was the only option.

“Bringing someone from the outside now is meaningless.”

After cutting off all the people related to the former president, Joo Si-pan, there were no superiors left. Even if they brought someone from the outside now, they wouldn’t understand the company’s operations. What would be the point?

“And even if they bring in a scapegoat from the outside now, people won’t be fooled by such a shallow method.”

“A scapegoat… It’s been a while since I’ve heard that title.”

Chairman Bae Deok-gi smiled bitterly. He never thought it would come to needing a scapegoat.

“These days, they often say ‘puppet.’ The important thing isn’t the title.”

The public isn’t naive enough to be fooled by that, and you can easily access someone’s career online. Would they not know that someone with no prior connection is suddenly brought in as a scapegoat?

“Moreover, this isn’t a situation where problems will be solved by someone taking the blame.”

A scapegoat strategy can only be used when the person takes the blame and the problem is resolved. But that’s not the case now. The one taking the blame is Edian, not the president.

“If someone starts to agitate that the scapegoat is also a victim, things will get complicated.”

“Hmm…”

“And frankly, they are victims. You wouldn’t send someone with a bright future as a scapegoat, would you?”

“That’s right.”

Clearly, they would send someone who is already marked for disposal, someone useless.

“That’s true.”

“In Park Tae-geun’s case, he has worked there for a long time, so people won’t doubt his sincerity.”

“Sincerity…”

“Sincerity is the priority when apologizing.”

You have to at least make people believe that you are genuinely apologizing for it to be effective. But most corporate apologies are mechanical and superficial.

“Companies just throw out an apology and think they’ve done enough.”

“Why do you think they do that?”

“They don’t want to take responsibility.”

Due to the nature of corporations, someone has to take responsibility and leave. But those in the corporate hierarchy who should take responsibility don’t want to.

“So, realistically, a completely irrelevant person takes the blame.”

At least an executive or the president should lose their head for people to feel satisfied, but they only cut off a few managers and throw out a single apology. People can’t help but see it as avoiding responsibility.

“The heads have already been cut off, and they are being held accountable, so the next step is normalization.”

And they need to place someone who will do the work even while being criticized. From Park Tae-geun’s perspective, who was already being criticized, the job itself might change, but the criticism won’t suddenly increase exponentially.

Because Edian is already taking the blame.

“A delicate issue.”

Chairman Bae Deok-gi smiled bitterly. He had made all sorts of mistakes and apologized while running the company, but this was the first time he had encountered such a complex process.

“The important thing is that after Park Tae-geun becomes the CEO, he needs to bring the company back on track.”

“As you said, we are suing the former president, Joo Si-pan, and Joo Il-gun. And people are criticizing them. But sales are still not increasing.”

“That’s probably because people have already started to become desensitized.”

The desensitization that Park Do-joon warned about in the early stages of the incident. That point has already begun. Desensitization doesn’t just happen when something is used for a long time or not used for a long time. It simply happens naturally from the moment you think, ‘I don’t like this.’

“Latecomers like Edian are inevitably in a 100% disadvantageous position.”

“So, what should we do about that? Should we go visit the comfort women grandmothers [Korean women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II] and apologize?”

“That’s the last resort, and it’s not really effective. People know it’s a show.”

“Ugh, that’s right.”

“So, we need to take the employees hostage.”

“What?”

Bae Deok-gi’s eyes widened at those words. It was an absurd statement.

“Take the employees hostage? What do you mean? Threaten them to shut down the business?”

“It’s similar, but different.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You meet with labor unions often, don’t you?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

There are few people as closely and antagonistically related to labor unions as the chairman of a large corporation. Laborers are both partners and adversaries in a delicate relationship.

“But do you know what the characteristics of those laborers are? No, let me correct that. Do you know what the characteristics of labor committee members are?”

“They’re aggressive?”

Park Do-joon shook his head at that.

“I thought you would say that.”

“How so?”

“Because you only think from the employer’s perspective.”

“Ahem, I see. So, what else do you think?”

“They’re men.”

“Huh? Men?”

Chairman Bae Deok-gi tilted his head for a moment, as if he didn’t understand those words. Then he nodded.

“Men. Yes, they’re men.”

There are definitely women among the union members and laborers. But for some reason, almost all labor committee members are men, and the higher the position, the more likely they are to be men.

“Even in companies where women are the majority, the labor union leaders are men.”

In fact, there are businesses where women are inevitably the majority. Cosmetics is one of them. But in most companies, the labor union leader is a man.

“Edian doesn’t have a labor union.”

“It’s still in the early stages.”

Labor unions don’t suddenly form and demand money as soon as a company starts. If the company goes bankrupt, the workers will have nowhere to go.

In Edian’s case, it’s just starting, and it’s not a very large factory, so there’s no labor union yet.

“And Edian is a company where women are the majority. So, we’re going to create a labor union. A female-led one.”

Chairman Bae Deok-gi’s face turned sour at those words.

“I don’t really like labor unions.”

“There’s no medicine in the world that tastes good. Isn’t it said that the more bitter the medicine, the better it is?”

If you only want to eat sweets, you can eat only sweets until you die.

“And realistically, do you think you can stop a labor union from being formed?”

“It’s impossible.”

Bae Deok-gi sighed deeply. It’s impossible to stop a labor union from forming in a company the size of Hyunseong Group. No matter how small Edian is among the affiliates, it’s natural that a labor union will be formed sooner or later.

“Sometimes, it’s better to get beaten first.”

“Yes. But what does the labor union have to do with this?”

“Fill the labor union with only women.”

“What?”

“Do you know why there are so few female labor union leaders?”

“Why?”

“They are relatively less aggressive, and there are clear limitations when showing extreme methods.”

The most common thing labor unions do when announcing a strong struggle is shaving their heads, but women extremely dislike that. Men are willing to fight to the death, but women don’t really like extreme struggles.

“It’s common knowledge that women’s strength lies in their ability to empathize with others, not in their fighting spirit.”

“Empathy? Does that have anything to do with this?”

“Yes, cosmetics companies are female-dominated. And the victims are women, and the main consumers of cosmetics are also women.”

Park Do-joon smiled and said.

“If you can control it while staying within reasonable limits, a turnaround might be possible. Hehehe.”

“A labor union… Huh, me, a labor union…”

Park Tae-geun said, as if he was dumbfounded.

“You have to do it.”

“I know. I used to be just an employee myself.”

He had achieved an impressive success, rising to the position of president, but he was still just an ordinary employee and had been a member of a labor union. But he never thought he would be creating one himself.

“But, are these recommendation lists… correct?”

“I made them with great care, you know?”

“This?”

Park Tae-geun rolled his eyes at those words. Seeing the meaning in that gaze, Park Do-joon chuckled.

“Why? Does it seem like a bomb?”

“To be honest… yes.”

Park Tae-geun hesitated before cautiously admitting it. He fully understood why Park Do-joon had come here.

“Isn’t she a bomb? This girl…”

Girl. It’s fair to describe her that way. 28 years old. Not the typical age to be a labor union leader. The type who couldn’t get a job after graduating from college and drifted around before getting a job at a cosmetics company.

“That’s why she’s useful.”

“Did you… check her career?”

“Yes, I did. A resume isn’t everything.”

“Knowing that, why would you recommend someone like this…?”

She graduated from a local university and doesn’t have a decent career until she’s 28 years old. But she’s quite attractive.

“There’s a reason for everything. The same goes for this girl.”

Why couldn’t a woman like this get a job? In a realistic situation where appearance accounts for more than half of the market, she’s not unattractive enough to be unemployed.

The reason was simple. She was an active participant in radical social movements.

She openly posted about it on social media, so in this day and age, would companies that check everything want to take in a bomb?

“But she gave up and came here, didn’t she?”

After wasting several years like that, she deleted all her social media and erased her social movement history before getting a job here.

“So, isn’t she a bomb?”

“Everyone can be a bomb. The question is whether we can control them or not. That’s what the Japanese oxygen torpedo was like.”

The Japanese oxygen torpedo was recognized as the strongest weapon during World War II. But at the same time, it was also recognized as the worst weapon.

Was it because the Allied forces didn’t have the technology to make the oxygen torpedo? No. The reason they didn’t make it was because it was difficult to control.

Due to its characteristic of exploding from small impacts or heat, it wasn’t a good weapon for naval life, where it would be handled roughly.

“Japan used it because they didn’t care who died when it exploded, so they only looked at the explosive power.”

“Is this girl like that?”

“Yes, this type often has a ‘reality check.'”

Park Do-joon tapped her resume and said.

“She graduated from a local university and can participate in social movements. But by the time she’s 28, she needs to have established herself to some extent within the organization. But social movement organizations are often political.”

They talk about acting for society, but in reality, they often serve as the foundation for upper-level members.

“People from prestigious universities or those belonging to the privileged class use the achievements of lower-level members as a basis to jump into politics.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes, that’s where the problem arises.”

So, what happens to the existing organization?

Some enter the politician’s organization. Some are given positions in subordinate political groups.

“But most are abandoned.”