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