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CH166 | GSI
🕑 Added 2025-02-25 03:40:01 +0000 UTCJune 29, 1995.
The scorching midsummer sun blazed down on the heart of Seoul.
Barricades had been set up around the Sampoong Department Store, which had remained an abandoned eyesore ever since operations ceased due to concerns over structural collapse. The atmosphere was tense, with police officers stationed around the area to maintain control.
Today was the scheduled demolition of Sampoong Department Store—once the epitome of luxury shopping in Korea—using an explosive demolition method.
To prevent any potential accidents, nearby residents had been evacuated to safe locations, and surrounding traffic had been restricted.
The city of Seoul and the police had urged the public to stay away from the site, but the spectacle of a controlled demolition was a rare sight in Korea. Moreover, the department store had been a landmark representing Gangnam, drawing massive crowds eager to witness its final moments.
Beep! Beep!
"You there! It’s dangerous—step back beyond the safety line!"
"Geez, you’re being so strict. The department store’s across the street! This should be fine, right?"
An elderly man, seemingly out with his grandson to watch the event, grumbled as a police officer blew his whistle and waved him back.
"It’s still not allowed! Please move further back!"
"Ah, you’re too rigid."
Muttering under his breath, the old man reluctantly took his grandson’s hand and stepped back behind the yellow safety line.
As onlookers swarmed the area, street vendors appeared out of nowhere as if by magic, setting up makeshift stalls to sell food and trinkets.
"Cold cola! Refreshing soda!"
"Get your fans here! Stay cool with a fan!"
Amid the lively hawking, a young boy, around elementary school age, caught sight of a cotton candy cart and tugged at his mother’s hand.
"Mom, I want cotton candy!"
"Too many sweets will rot your teeth."
"But I really, really want it! Please, please buy me one!"
As the boy continued to whine, his mother let out a sigh and walked over to the cart, pulling out her wallet.
"You’re so stubborn. Who did you inherit that from? Sir, how much for one?"
"Thank you, ma’am! Just 500 won."
"Here you go."
The vendor took the coins, tucked them into his apron, and grinned as he looked at the boy.
"Which one do you want? Pick one!"
There were cotton candies in various colors—pink, blue, and white.
The boy examined the fluffy treats, his eyes darting between them as if deciding which one would be the softest to touch. Then, stretching out his finger, he pointed excitedly.
"That one! The white one, please!"
"Got it."
The vendor quickly grabbed the cotton candy and handed it over. The boy beamed as he took it, his smile widening in delight.
As the crowd continued to swell, a man in a blue suit and dark Ray-Ban sunglasses approached the barricade—Seok-won.
"Stop! Stop!"
A young conscripted police officer standing at the front raised his baton and signaled for him to halt.
"You can’t go any further."
Seok-won stopped in his tracks and calmly responded.
"I’m an authorized personnel."
"Excuse me?"
The officer eyed him suspiciously, scanning him from head to toe.
"May I see your ID?"
Just as Seok-won reached into his inner pocket to retrieve his employee badge, a voice called out urgently from behind the officer.
"Director! You’re here!"
Looking up, he saw Choi Jang-yeol, the executive director of Mido Department Store, hurrying toward him with another employee in tow.
"I should have been here to greet you in advance—my apologies."
Choi Jang-yeol bowed his head slightly, looking flustered.
"It’s fine. I know you’re busy as it is. I feel bad for causing extra trouble by coming here unannounced."
"Not at all, sir."
Choi Jang-yeol, sweating inwardly, quickly waved his hands as he studied Seok-won’s expression.
“There are only twenty minutes left until the scheduled detonation. Let’s head inside first.”
“Let’s do that.”
With a short reply, Seok-won strode past the barricade.
Seeing the executive director of Mido Department Store personally greeting him with such deference, the conscripted police officer tactfully lifted the yellow barricade tape.
As he watched Seok-won walk toward the large command tent set up inside, the officer muttered to himself.
“He doesn’t even look that old, but the guy’s acting like he’s some big shot. Must be a third-generation chaebol or something.”
Still glancing curiously at Seok-won, he quickly snapped back to his duty when he noticed a bystander trying to slip past the barricade.
“Sir! You can’t go in there!”
“Oh, come on! What’s the harm in just watching?”
“I said no! Step back!”
Amid the noisy commotion, Choi Jang-yeol, walking beside Seok-won, took a safety helmet from a staff member and handed it over.
“It might be uncomfortable, but for safety reasons, please wear this.”
“Of course.”
Without any sign of annoyance, Seok-won took the helmet and put it on.
Seeing this, Choi Jang-yeol felt slightly relieved.
He had heard all sorts of rumors about Seok-won but had never interacted with him directly. Now that he had, he realized that, contrary to his worries, Seok-won wasn’t fussy or difficult but rather had an easygoing personality.
Still, that didn’t mean he could afford to let his guard down. At the end of the day, Seok-won was a direct heir to the company and could dismiss someone with a single word if he wanted to.
A man like this—easygoing yet immensely capable—is far more dangerous.
Even if he had been just a regular employee, Seok-won’s results alone would have drawn massive attention. But considering he was also the second son of Chairman Park Tae-hong, there was no need to say more.
If Chairman Park hadn’t already set up the succession for his eldest son, many high-ranking executives would’ve been lining up behind the second son instead.
That was how impressive Seok-won’s skills and achievements were.
As Seok-won stepped into the command center, which had been set up under a large tent, Min Pil-gi, the company president, spotted him first. He was wearing a yellow safety helmet and speaking with a fire department official.
“Welcome,” Min greeted him, walking over with a warm smile.
Seok-won exchanged a firm handshake and responded with a lighthearted grin.
“I hope I’m not causing too much trouble by being here.”
“Haha, not at all.”
Min Pil-gi let out a hearty laugh and treated Seok-won with familiarity.
While it was widely accepted that the group's successor would be the eldest son, President Park Jin-hyung, that didn’t mean Seok-won would be left empty-handed.
On the contrary, he had proven his capabilities in the securities sector, and many expected that he would eventually take control of Daheung Securities and several other subsidiaries, splitting off from the group to establish his own business empire.
If that were to happen, it would likely trigger a major reshuffling of high-ranking executives, leading to significant shifts in positions. Anticipating this, Min Pil-gi was eager to establish a good rapport with Seok-won in advance.
Following Min’s lead, Seok-won exchanged brief greetings with senior officials from the police and fire departments before taking off his sunglasses and looking up at the towering Sampoong Department Store building.
Not long ago, it had been a bustling landmark of Gangnam, one of the most visited places in the city. Its massive concrete structures were connected by sky bridges, giving it an imposing and grand appearance.
A large promotional banner for the summer clearance sale still clung to the building’s façade, a remnant of its abrupt shutdown and forced closure.
That building collapsed and buried people beneath it...
A distant look crossed Seok-won’s face as he frowned.
The catastrophic disaster had left an unforgettable scar on the nation, causing unimaginable grief and suffering. Knowing that the source of such a tragedy would be permanently erased after today filled him with a deep sense of relief.
At the same time, he silently prayed that the demolition would be completed safely without any accidents.
As Seok-won stared at the department store building with mixed emotions, Min Pil-gi spoke up beside him.
“It’s incredible, isn’t it? A building that massive will be gone in the blink of an eye.”
“It really is,” Seok-won replied, pushing aside his lingering thoughts. “They’re using TNT for the detonation, right?”
“Yes,” Min confirmed. “They drilled over a thousand holes throughout the structure and placed a total of 230 kilograms of TNT. It was such a complex and delicate task that it took a full three days just to install the explosives.”
“With a job like that, even the slightest mistake could lead to a major disaster, so I’m sure they had to be extremely meticulous.”
“Exactly.”
“The explosive force from 230 kilograms of TNT must be tremendous,” Seok-won mused. “I assume extensive simulations were run beforehand to ensure the building collapses in the intended direction?”
Min Pil-gi nodded confidently.
“Of course. We paid a considerable amount to bring in an American demolition company to handle the job, so you can rest assured—it’s in expert hands.”
Now that he thought about it, Seok-won noticed that among the workers in safety helmets, quite a few were foreign engineers.
“We’ve also taken every precaution in case of any unforeseen incidents,” Min continued. “Residents within a 500-meter radius have been fully evacuated, and we’ve boarded up all windows with wooden panels to prevent any damage from the shockwave. On top of that, we have ten ambulances on standby.”
Following Min’s gesture, Seok-won turned to see a row of ten ambulances parked along the cordoned-off street, each marked with the Red Cross emblem.
Nearby, a group of doctors and nurses in white coats had gathered, seemingly as eager as everyone else to witness the demolition.
With recent large-scale disasters still fresh in people’s minds, it was evident that significant effort had gone into safety measures. Seok-won gave a small nod of approval, reassured by the thorough preparations.
Just then, Choi Jang-yeol, the executive director, interjected.
“It’s almost time for the detonation.”
Min Pil-gi glanced at his wristwatch, rolling up his sleeve to check the time.
“Already?”
Min Pil-gi gestured toward the interior of the tent, staying close to Seok-won.
“There’s a designated seat inside for you. Let’s head in.”
As they walked side by side into the tent, Min pointed to a middle-aged Caucasian man standing with his arms crossed.
“This is Mr. Weigel, the demolition supervisor.”
The man had broad shoulders and sun-darkened skin, giving him a rugged, experienced look. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was a seasoned veteran in the field.
Seok-won extended his hand first.
“I’m looking forward to an impressive show.”
Weigel, wearing a safety helmet, jeans, and a black shirt, flashed a confident grin, revealing white teeth.
“You’re about to witness something spectacular.”
His assured demeanor left no room for doubt about the success of the operation.
With the detonation time approaching, there wasn’t much opportunity for further conversation. Wrapping up their brief exchange, Seok-won took a seat in a prepared folding chair alongside Min Pil-gi.
A quick glance at his wristwatch showed that it was five minutes to noon.
Moments later, a loud siren blared, followed by a warning announcement.
WEEEOOOO!
[Attention: The building will be demolished in five minutes. Please evacuate to a safe zone immediately. This is a final warning. The controlled demolition of the department store will begin soon…]
As the siren and repeated warnings echoed through the area, the once noisy crowd of onlookers fell silent. A palpable sense of tension filled the air.
Even the police officers manning the barricades turned their bodies toward the department store, staring at the eerie, looming structure.
[All personnel have cleared the site.]
“Roger.”
Weigel, communicating via radio with the on-site team leader, unlocked the safety mechanism connected to the detonator. Just as he was about to press the switch, he glanced over at Seok-won.
At that moment, Seok-won also turned his head, and their eyes met. With a grin, Weigel gestured toward the detonation switch on the small control table.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
"Are you sure?"
"Haha! Of course. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime thrill."
Without hesitation, Seok-won nodded, and Weigel’s grin widened.
"All you have to do is press this switch with force."
Seok-won briefly lifted his gaze to the towering Sampoong Department Store in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and then firmly pressed the button with his thumb.
For a fleeting moment, silence hung in the air. Then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOOM!
Blinding flashes of light erupted, followed by deafening explosions that shook the earth.
Precisely placed TNT charges ignited in perfect sequence, and in less than ten seconds, the massive five-story department store crumbled as if swallowed by a raging tide.
A colossal cloud of dust and smoke billowed into the sky, blanketing the surroundings in a thick haze.
The breathtaking sight left the gathered spectators utterly speechless.
But as the dust settled, revealing that the building had collapsed cleanly in place without causing unintended damage, an eruption of cheers and applause filled the air. Relief and excitement surged through the crowd.
"That was absolutely incredible!"
“Did you hear that just now? That BOOM sound!!”
“They brought down that massive building all at once—unbelievable!”
Even inside the tent where officials had gathered, applause and words of admiration erupted.
“Good!”
Weigel flashed a thumbs-up and playfully winked. Seok-won chuckled and nodded in return.
As he watched the waiting fire trucks move in to spray water over the area, clearing the thick dust that blanketed the surroundings, Seok-won finally felt the weight that had been pressing down on his chest completely lift.
A sense of relief, as if a heavy stone had been removed from his heart, washed over him.
