Nonetheless, his staff and/or subordinates have not understood his persistent character and his deep ideal, that is, why he has adopted Saturday Management. As for his men, it was and is a problematic and touchy issue. It cannot be a voluntary program but a compulsory doctrine as a categorical imperative.
On the other side, as for him, it was and is one of his precious principles to achieve his ultimate goal, the better and brighter future. He has still kept it in mind as one of his best policies. Presumably, he will maintain it to the end of his life. Indeed, it will not be changed until he feels tired as an old man.
At his unchanged attitude, however, his men have felt dissatisfied consistently that:
“It is an old and odd thinking. So it is an unwelcome policy.”
Despite their dissatisfaction, they, as his salary men, have no choice but to follow him to save their lives and support their families. Even at the present, they have grudgingly acquiesced in his compulsive demand as a commanding order. For such a reason they call his proud policy the ‘Saturday Management’ at his back cynically. So the management has become his trademark as if it were his quits and quotes at all times. Tracing back to such a strong and stern character in him he must have been influenced his father deeply and broadly.
Like the catchphrase, ‘New thinking & new possibilities’, the father was possessed of brain as well as brawn. And he is said to have been capable and full of ambition, pushed by tireless vigor and wild valor. Born and bred by him, the son, the incumbent owner of Hyundai, resembles him. In this point, the father was the son’s idol as well as his role-model. For such a reason, the son might have adopted ‘Saturday Management Policy’ as hard-and-fast rules. (The picture below was the photo of his father, Cheong Ju-young (鄭周永) and his wife in their prime. Source: news.donga.com, Chosun.com)
In actuality, Cheong, Ju-young was extremely industrious and hyperactive. Further, he was a tough, energetic, and ruthless man. Those around him would have said about him in an unfeigned manner to reporters:
“In a word, he was a he-man with a large frame. Origin of a destitute family, he was hardly educated. He barely finished the grammar school. And it was his last scholar career. In early days he merely lived off by eating little rice ball and pigswill in a lath-and-plaster shed. So he felt the pinch of poverty. For the reason, he came to be industrious to push aside the poverty. Covered with the hungry spirit, his daily-life was scheduled to rise early around four o’clock. He breakfasted at five, attended the office at six, and read newspapers there over a cup of coffee before seven. Then he started work at seven o’clock in the morning. Customarily it repeated itself and did not change throughout his life. It was all the same as always between at home and abroad.”
Besides, he was a far-outer with a bright spark and creative mind. Whenever he was confronted with challenges or obstacles he never despaired. Correct, he was never depressed with the rubber even if he was empty-handed. Further, he did never back down. He simply thought that:
“If anybody can do,
I can do it, too.”
And it was a can-do spirit. And it was the bump of wit for him.
With the can-do spirit and the bump, he laid aside every hindrance and tore the vitals out of a subject. Then he made a summary job. And then he came to think out the bizarre but makeshift idea by milking his brain. With the idea he pushed it down to the end unhesitatingly. In the end, he fixed the problem with untiring efforts and took his duty full-heartedly. In this way, he, with consummate skill, did what he believed as if he had been a neat worker. In this point, his case was quite similar to that of Heracles.