Tycoon with inherited wealth treats employees like slaves

Tycoon with inherited wealth treats employees like slaves. April. 09, 2016 07:15. by 정성희기자 shchung@donga.com.

Chung Il-sun, president and CEO of Hyundai BNG Steel Co., has come under public criticism after a nearly 100-page manual for his chauffeur was disclosed on the Internet. According to the manual, Chung’s chauffeur is required to complete preliminary washing of the boss’s sportswear within one hour and fold his inner wear in the military way. These are not supposed to be chauffeurs’ jobs. Every time his chauffeurs failed to do the jobs by the book, they had to submit a written statement and accept a salary cut. It was not a chauffeur manual but a slave contract.

Chung’s chauffeurs said that it was part of their everyday life to be beaten by their boss. Considering boxing is one of Chung’s hobbies, one might think that he treated his chauffeurs like human sandbags. He stopped beating up his chauffeurs after his violence was reported by the media but continued to verbally abuse and humiliate them. His chauffeurs had to write letters of apologies for failing to unplug Chung’s mobile phone after recharging was finished or to keep his water bottle in an ice box. It is said that money talks, but it is deplorable to see his low quality as a human.

The chauffeurs say that they have to ignore traffic signals and rules when their boss orders them to speed up. The manual instructs them in words highlighted in red to “put priority on arriving at the destination, ignoring signals, lanes, speed cameras and bus-only lanes as long as it is safe when [Chung] asks to drive faster.” Probably, the fine must have been paid by company funds, while the drivers received penalty points.

Chung was born with a silver spoon in his mouth as a grandson of the late Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung. The junior Chung’s deviation is a clear case showing what would happen when immaturity combines with pariah capitalism. In a speech marking his company’s 50th founding anniversary, Chung said he had realized that the company’s core was its “customers.” How can a person who does not treat his employees with respect treat customers as partners?