Preface for the English Editionㆍ viii Editorial Noteㆍ xiv Prologueㆍ 02 | Chapter 1 | My Hometown, My Parentsㆍ 05 My hometown, Tongcheonㆍ 06 My childhood and leaving my hometownㆍ 13 | Chapter 2 | The Birth of Hyundaiㆍ 19 From dock worker to rice shop ownerㆍ 20 An auto-repair shop, a fire, and Ado Service againㆍ 25 Blessing in disguise at the Holdong Mineㆍ 31 Postliberation in Donam-dongㆍ 32 Hyundai Auto Service Center, Hyundai Construction, and the Korean Warㆍ 36 The ordeal of Goryeong Bridgeㆍ 49 Goryeong Bridge, a blessing in disguiseㆍ 54 Success is all about timing and decision-makingㆍ 59 Shin-yung, my brotherㆍ 65 | Chapter 3 | My Construction Businessㆍ 71 Construction, the key to modernizationㆍ 72 Going overseasㆍ 75 Building the Soyang River Damㆍ 81 The Gyeongbu Expressway: Korea’s main arteryㆍ 90 I am a builderㆍ 101 | Chapter 4 | The Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Shipbuildingㆍ 105 The Hyundai Motor Company gets its startㆍ 106 Our first carㆍ 112 Dreaming of a shipyardㆍ 128 In search of creditㆍ 132 Someone crazier than meㆍ 141 Leaving a mark in shipbuildingㆍ 144 To laugh or cry?ㆍ 148 The oil shock of 1973ㆍ 152 | Chapter 5 | Drama in the Middle East and the Milestone Year, 1980ㆍ 157 My near-death experienceㆍ 158 To the Middle East we goㆍ 163 High drama in Jubailㆍ 165 Hurdle, after hurdle, after hurdleㆍ 171 Mock us if you willㆍ 177 The “thinking bulldozer”ㆍ 183 Giving back to society through the Asan Foundationㆍ 185 Korea’s business leaderㆍ 190 A difficult late 1970sㆍ 197 Hyundai Heavy Industries under siegeㆍ 200 A dark periodㆍ 206 | Chapter 6 | The 1988 Olympics and Korea’s Fifth Republicㆍ 209 President Park Chung-hee and Korea’s bid for the 1988 Olympicsㆍ 210 Going all out in Baden-Badenㆍ 214 Two years and two months: serving on the Korean Sport & Olympic Committeeㆍ 225 Reclaiming land for a small nationㆍ 231 The bombing in Rangoonㆍ 240 Growing painsㆍ 244 | Chapter 7 | Mt. Geumgang and Siberiaㆍ 251 The evolution of the Mt. Geumgang projectㆍ 252 Meeting Gorbachevㆍ 261 Claiming a stake in Siberiaㆍ 264 | Chapter 8 | Loving My Country, Loving the Peopleㆍ 271 Human capital above all elseㆍ 272 Hyundai is wealthy, not Iㆍ 274 Businesses contribute to their nationㆍ 278 The bigger the betterㆍ 283 When will the private sector lead the economy?ㆍ 288 Fundamentals over fripperyㆍ 292 | Chapter 9 | My Philosophy, the Spirit of Hyundaiㆍ 295 The Hyundai spiritㆍ 296 No more corruption, pleaseㆍ 298 Money and wealth are not the sameㆍ 301 Frugality and honesty lead to wealthㆍ 303 Positive thinking is the road to happinessㆍ 308 The conditions for happinessㆍ 313 An ordinary wifeㆍ 316 For the nationㆍ 321 Epilogueㆍ 326 Appendix A: Photos of Chung Ju-yung with Familyㆍ 329 Appendix B: Chronologyㆍ 337 Notesㆍ 353

My father’s autobiography was originally published in 1997. The book has been the standard reference for his life story ever since. It seemed only natural that an English edition would follow. Initially, however, I was hesitant about having the book translated because I was not sure a translation could do justice to the author’s inimitable style of writing which so accurately conveyed the way he thought and acted. It has been many years in the making, but there is now a translation that I dare say does at least partial justice to the original and that I am happy and honored to preface. My father was a nation-builder, figuratively and literally. He built so much of the infrastructure and landmarks in Korea that we still use and see around us today. He was a businessman who built one of the most successful companies in the world. He established schools, hospitals and the largest philanthropic organization in Korea. He brought the 1988 Seoul Olympics to Korea. He was a leader of inter-Korean reconciliation, undertaking daring initiatives that thawed the once frozen relationship. […] The Korea where he grew up was still a colony of Imperial Japan. He was 30 years old when the country became independent. Even after independence, South Korea was a small war-torn country on the frontline of the Cold War gone hot. Its geopolitics was matched by economic as well as political underdevelopment. The country seemed to hold little promise. However, my father had trust in himself and in the Korean people who he said are “sincere, virtuous, and kind in the pursuit of excellence.” This book chronicles my father’s struggles as he faced the challenges of being on the frontlines of South Korea’s budding, fragile economy. Today, South Korea is the seventh country in the world with a population of more than 50 million to reach USD 30,000 per capita income level. Its per capita income in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms is similar to Japan’s. That my father and others of his generation were somehow able to hew to the principles of liberal democracy and free market economy and lead us to where we are today is a true testament to their character and the enormity of their achievements. […] My father lived a full life. As he looked back on his life in his later years, he said, “As a businessman and a hard working laborer born of this land, I feel an infinite sense of pride that I have contributed my share to this country’s breakthrough…. I believe that 90 percent of my life has been full of joy and meaning. I have truly lived well.” I miss his wisdom, his exuberant optimism, and his ability to rise to any occasion. Most of all, I miss him as only an adoring son can. Preface by Chung Mong Joon