Chapter 187

Chapter 187

After arriving at Incheon Airport, CEO Han Taesung, Executive Director Baek Seonghan, and I parted ways with the TF team and headed straight to Hanshin Media.

There were still a lot of things we needed to organize before reporting to Chairwoman Han Myunghee tomorrow.

By the time we arrived at the CEO’s office at Hanshin Media, CEO Kim Eunkyung was already there waiting for us.

“I heard the contract was successfully finalized. Congratulations, CEO Han.”

“What’s there to congratulate me about now? Hahaha.”

Han Taesung smiled.

“Still, I’m sorry for making you come in on the weekend instead of letting you rest.”

“Not at all.”

“You’re the one who must be exhausted after such a long trip, yet you haven’t even had a chance to rest properly.”

“No, I slept the whole way on the plane.”

“If anything, I feel refreshed.”

As the two exchanged a few words, Kim Eunkyung’s gaze naturally shifted toward me.

“Oh, by the way.”

“Director Min, did you go on a sales trip while you were over there?”

“I heard you picked up some new work.”

She had been receiving updates from Baek Seonghan, so she already knew about the Network Flex deal.

“I guess I somehow ended up doing sales too.”

I smiled awkwardly.

Then Han Taesung quickly changed the subject, sounding impatient.

“All right, we can talk about that later.”

“Once I meet Chairwoman Han tomorrow, we’re going to get into the specific details of the OTT platform business.”

“If you mean the materials and presentation for the OTT platform business, Director Min has already prepared everything.”

Kim Eunkyung answered calmly.

“I already looked through all of that.”

Han Taesung shook his head.

“What I’m talking about is restructuring Hanshin Media around the OTT platform business.”

“Restructuring?”

Kim Eunkyung blinked in surprise.

“Of course, once the OTT platform business begins in earnest, I expected restructuring would eventually be unavoidable.”

“But isn’t this a little too soon?”

“Shouldn’t Hanshin Media absorb Big Picture first and then...”

“Ah, about that.”

Han Taesung cut in.

“We’ve decided not to absorb Big Picture.”

“More precisely, we’ll acquire part of it, but leave it operating as an independent business.”

Kim Eunkyung tilted her head again, visibly confused by yet another unexpected development.

Han Taesung explained the conversation we had in San Francisco.

“So what you mean is that instead of fully absorbing Big Picture into Hanshin Media, you want to keep it as a label company.”

Han Taesung nodded.

Kim Eunkyung continued.

“Then how exactly are you planning to restructure Hanshin Media?”

Originally, the plan had been for Hanshin Media to acquire Big Picture and then place the existing Hanshin Media staff beneath Big Picture’s people.

But if that wasn’t happening anymore...

Kim Eunkyung looked as though she couldn’t quite picture the new structure.

“For now, out of the three cable channels Hanshin Media currently operates, I’m thinking of keeping only the fishing channel and transferring the other two to Hanshin Distribution.”

Hanshin Media was currently divided into four major groups.

The Broadcasting Business Team, which managed its cable channels.

The Mega Cinema Theater Business Team, which supervised Mega Cinema.

The Content Business Team, which contained film investment, distribution, marketing, and global/import functions.

And finally, the Management Support and Strategic Business Team, which handled strategy, finance and accounting, HR, and general affairs.

As for the cable channels, Hanshin Media owned three.

A fishing channel.

A beauty channel centered on fashion and cosmetics.

And a children’s animation channel that imported and aired both domestic and overseas animation.

Yet Han Taesung was now saying he intended to sell all but one.

“Hanshin Distribution has been trying to expand into home shopping anyway.”

“They already asked whether they could lease one of our channels.”

“So I’m thinking that instead of leasing it, we might as well sell the channels outright for a reasonable price.”

Han Taesung and I had already discussed this back in San Francisco.

At first, he had thought leasing the channels and collecting fees would be more profitable than selling them completely.

But from what I remembered before my regression, the home-shopping industry entered a steep decline in the 2020s.

I didn’t know every detail, but the main causes had been the rise of online shopping malls and mobile-centered social commerce, along with soaring broadcasting carriage fees.

If Hanshin Distribution eventually abandoned its home-shopping business after the industry declined, the channel business would simply fall back into the red.

In a situation like that, it was better to sell while the channels could still command a good price, just as we had done with Mega Cinema.

Fortunately, before I even had to convince him, Han Taesung had already decided it would be better to clean up unnecessary businesses.

So we had concluded that the channels should be sold.

Kim Eunkyung remained thoughtful for a moment before slowly nodding.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“If we’re planning an OTT platform business anyway, wired cable channels won’t have much value for us.”

“But if that happens, the Broadcasting Business Team will shrink dramatically.”

“Ah, that’s why I’m thinking of eliminating the Broadcasting Business Team entirely.”

“Completely?”

Han Taesung explained that the existing Content Business Team would be elevated into the Content Business Division.

Under it would be a Visual Content Business Department and an OTT Platform Business Department.

“And the remaining channel will be managed by the Visual Content Business Department.”

The Visual Content Business Department would mainly oversee outsourced production for domestic films and dramas.

But in reality, it would function more as a management unit.

The actual productions would be handled by Big Picture.

On top of that, it would also manage the remaining cable channel.

Meanwhile, the OTT Platform Business Department would be divided primarily into import and distribution, publicity and marketing, and a platform technology team.

“The films and dramas produced through the Visual Content Business Department will then flow into the OTT platform.”

“Then what about Mega Cinema?”

With the sale complete, the Mega Cinema Theater Business Team had effectively moved under Quantum.

“Even though it’s been sold, we’re currently operating it on consignment.”

“Won’t we still need a department to handle that?”

This time Baek Seonghan answered Kim Eunkyung.

“We’re going to expand the TF team that came with us and create a separate outsourced-management team.”

“Ah...”

Kim Eunkyung nodded in understanding.

Then Han Taesung looked at her.

“And now for the really important part.”

“I want you to come over to Hanshin Media.”

Kim Eunkyung blinked.

“Just me?”

“Director Min too.”

Recently, after the Bang Seongsik incident, most of the executives and employees Bang had planted inside Hanshin Media had either resigned or been dismissed.

That had led to a major personnel reshuffle.

As things stood, Han Taesung didn’t have enough capable people around him to help lead Hanshin Media.

“For now, I’d like CEO Kim to come in as Executive Director of Hanshin Media.”

“And if Director Min comes in as Head of the Content Business Division, I’d feel a lot more secure.”

Kim Eunkyung smirked at his probing tone.

“If I say no, does this whole thing disappear?”

“Huh?”

“Well... ahem.”

Seeing Han Taesung flustered, all of us laughed.

“As for me, I already assumed Big Picture would eventually be absorbed into Hanshin Media.”

“So moving over isn’t a problem.”

Kim Eunkyung’s expression turned serious again.

“But then what happens to Big Picture?”

“Ah...”

Han Taesung’s face darkened.

“That’s the part I’ve been thinking about the most.”

Kim Eunkyung considered it for a moment.

“Then why not bring in a professional manager?”

“I thought about that too.”

“But given the nature of this industry... I don’t think simply hiring a professional manager will solve everything.”

I hesitated briefly before speaking.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that part too.”

“Oh?”

Han Taesung looked at me.

“What do you have in mind?”

Everyone’s attention immediately turned toward me.

“Well...”

“How about making Director Song Jaehyun the CEO?”

At the unexpected name, everyone exchanged quick glances.

“Director Song Jaehyun?”

“Yes.”

“Executive Director Baek will be handling most of the practical work anyway.”

“And of course, I’ll continue paying attention to Big Picture too.”

“So in that case, maybe...”

Kim Eunkyung suddenly seemed to understand.

“Ah.”

“So basically, you want to put Director Song Jaehyun forward as the public face of the company.”

“Yes.”

“Exactly.”

In the entertainment industry, it was common to establish management companies with famous actors as the representative, or production companies with famous directors as the figurehead.

That in itself wasn’t unusual.

The problem was that Han Taesung absolutely hated people occupying positions without doing actual work.

Because I knew that, I couldn’t help watching his reaction.

Sure enough, Han Taesung remained silent for a long time, deep in thought.

Kim Eunkyung and Baek Seonghan also knew his personality, so they carefully watched him before chiming in.

“I actually think it’s a good idea.”

“Director Song Jaehyun is a Palme d’Or winner and a ten-million-admission director.”

“He would become the image of Big Picture.”

“Exactly.”

“And that image could work globally, not just domestically.”

Thanks to Kim Eunkyung and Baek Seonghan’s efforts, Han Taesung’s expression gradually softened.

“All right.”

“For now, let’s consider that option positively.”

“Though we don’t even know whether Director Song will accept.”

“That’s true.”

“We might be celebrating before anything has even happened.”

With that, we finished organizing the overall direction for Hanshin Media.

“One last thing.”

Han Taesung looked toward me.

“When I meet Chairwoman Han tomorrow, I want you there too.”

“Me?”

“You understand the overall OTT platform plan better than I do.”

“You’d be able to explain it much more clearly, wouldn’t you?”

While I hesitated, Kim Eunkyung immediately agreed.

“Yes.”

“I think so too.”

“The person who has been preparing this from the beginning will obviously be able to explain it best.”

“All right.”

“Then I’ll come.”

By the time we left the meeting room, it was already past midnight.

On the taxi ride home, I stared at the city lights outside the window.

It suddenly felt strange to think that only the night before, I had been looking out at San Francisco’s skyline.

Then Baek Seonghan, who was riding with me, glanced over and spoke worriedly.

“By the way...”

“I heard Chairwoman Han Myunghee isn’t an ordinary person.”

“You’ll be okay, right?”

“I’m not sure....”

Han Myunghee was one of the rare women leading a top-seven conglomerate in the Korean economy.

Yet almost nothing was known about her private life.

What little was known was that her husband had died relatively early.

And that when her biological older brother, former Hanshin Group Chairman Han Gicheol, was weakened by chronic illness, she had used that weakness to force him out of the chairmanship and take the position herself.

Even Han Taesung, despite being her half-brother, always reacted to his sister with exasperation.

That alone told me she was no ordinary person.

“What could really happen?”

“The entire arrangement started with the premise that if we sold Mega Cinema for seven hundred billion won, she would support the OTT platform business.”

“That’s true, right?”

Baek Seonghan nodded.

“Anyway, don’t get too nervous tomorrow.”

“Go in there and do what you always do.”

“Got it?”

I nodded instead of answering.

Tomorrow, depending on Chairwoman Han Myunghee’s decision, the landscape of Korea’s entertainment industry could change.

A strange mixture of tension and excitement rose inside me.

Before I knew it, my palms had started to sweat.