Preface for the English Edition • viii Editorial Note • xiv Prologue • 02 | Chapter 1 | My Hometown, My Parents • 05 My hometown, Tongcheon • 06 My childhood and leaving my hometown • 13 | Chapter 2 | The Birth of Hyundai • 19 From dock worker to rice shop owner • 20 An auto-repair shop, a fire, and Ado Service again • 25 Blessing in disguise at the Holdong Mine • 31 Postliberation in Donam-dong • 32 Hyundai Auto Service Center, Hyundai Construction, and the Korean War • 36 The ordeal of Goryeong Bridge • 49 Goryeong Bridge, a blessing in disguise • 54 Success is all about timing and decision-making • 59 Shin-yung, my brother • 65 | Chapter 3 | My Construction Business • 71 Construction, the key to modernization • 72 Going overseas • 75 Building the Soyang River Dam • 81 The Gyeongbu Expressway: Korea’s main artery • 90 I am a builder • 101 | Chapter 4 | The Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Shipbuilding • 105 The Hyundai Motor Company gets its start • 106 Our first car • 112 Dreaming of a shipyard • 128 In search of credit • 132 Someone crazier than me • 141 Leaving a mark in shipbuilding • 144 To laugh or cry? • 148 The oil shock of 1973 • 152 | Chapter 5 | Drama in the Middle East and the Milestone Year, 1980 • 157 My near-death experience • 158 To the Middle East we go • 163 High drama in Jubail • 165 Hurdle, after hurdle, after hurdle • 171 Mock us if you will • 177 The “thinking bulldozer” • 183 Giving back to society through the Asan Foundation • 185 Korea’s business leader • 190 A difficult late 1970s • 197 Hyundai Heavy Industries under siege • 200 A dark period • 206 | Chapter 6 | The 1988 Olympics and Korea’s Fifth Republic • 209 President Park Chung-hee and Korea’s bid for the 1988 Olympics • 210 Going all out in Baden-Baden • 214 Two years and two months: serving on the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee • 225 Reclaiming land for a small nation • 231 The bombing in Rangoon • 240 Growing pains • 244 | Chapter 7 | Mt. Geumgang and Siberia • 251 The evolution of the Mt. Geumgang project • 252 Meeting Gorbachev • 261 Claiming a stake in Siberia • 264 | Chapter 8 | Loving My Country, Loving the People • 271 Human capital above all else • 272 Hyundai is wealthy, not I • 274 Businesses contribute to their nation • 278 The bigger the better • 283 When will the private sector lead the economy? • 288 Fundamentals over frippery • 292 | Chapter 9 | My Philosophy, the Spirit of Hyundai • 295 The Hyundai spirit • 296 No more corruption, please • 298 Money and wealth are not the same • 301 Frugality and honesty lead to wealth • 303 Positive thinking is the road to happiness • 308 The conditions for happiness • 313 An ordinary wife • 316 For the nation • 321 Epilogue • 326 Appendix A: Photos of Chung Ju-yung with Family • 329 Appendix B: Chronology • 337 Notes • 353