Some of the retired executives gathered on last Saturday. It was a periodical meeting and this time we chose an outdoor sports of mountain climbing. They were ex-colleagues who used to work with me at Kia Motors' International Business Division when I was the head and COO of the division. As they all already left the company and each one of them is living on his own way of life, now the relationship between me and each one of them would naturally be not the one with a tension and burden of jobs of the old days. Now the relationship should be somewhat tension-free, a genuine fellowship.
It was after I retired from the office of COO of Kia Motors in January 2002 and I was just enjoying my retired life like most of retired people do in Korea which was what I had been looking forward to when coincidentally I received personal invitations by Mr.Albert Kreber and Mr. Milco de Vries to visit their country, the Netherlands and also by Mr. Panos Davaris to his beautiful country Greece by the Mediterranean Sea.
Mr. Kreber and I had known each other for over 20 years since he joined Hyundai Dutch Distributor in Holland as managing director in early 1980's and Mr. Davaris since my first visit to his office in 1993 who is the owner of Hyundai/Kia exclusive distributorship in Greece since early 1990's. These gentlemen are literally great businessmen and also entrepreneurs. I always admired their passion and entrepreneurship not to mention their excellant performance as result of their hardworks year after year.
펼쳐두기..
When I was going back home in a car on the last day of my Kia days on January 11, 2002, I was rewinding the memories tapes of my past thirty three years. Then my mobile phone rang and I took it. It was from Mr. Davaris. He said to me that he just had happened to be aware of my retirement and he would like to invite me to his country because every time I made a visit to his country I just moved from the airport to a hotel and to his office and facilities and then back to the airport for a next destination. He also told me that I deserve his hospitality because I had devoted my life to Korea automotive industry and building a ground of today's Hyundai for over 25 years and now had a plenty of free time. He also told me he wanted to share several days with me for a commemoration of my retirement. I just told him I appreciate his warm words.
About a month later, Mr. de Vries called me to say he would like to invite me to the Tulip country, the Netherlands. He had not been with Hyundai in early days of Hyundai Motor Holland. However, since he knew that Mr.Kreber and I were (still we are) close friends, I guess that he wanted to do something nice for me and his ex-boss Mr. Kreber.
I was really overwhelmed by their friendship but I politely declined their invitation with thanks because I did not want to make any trouble to them with their precious time and money. Two months later or so, I was invited again by these gentlemen. This time I felt it was not just a simbolic gesture of courtesy but they really meant it and understood they wanted to express their appreciation for our friendship over the years. They even said they would pay for airtickets and the accommodations. Eventually I could not say no to them and finally accepted and took the trip to the Netherlands and Greece at the end of May, 2002. Both the Netherlands and Greece are the countries where I had many unforgetable memories since 1970's, and actually the trip was going to be without any burden or stress on business matters. I travelled to the countries for one week and I enjoyed the peaceful time in a long time.
However, right after my tirp to Europe, a ridiculous and absurd thing happened; the head of the Europe regional office and the head of UK Kia Motors were dismissed. I was not sure whether it was because they did not report my trip to their boss at Seoul Heaquarters - why should it matters to them- or something else. This incident made me feel I was totally betrayed by my successor who had been so polite and loyal to me for several years. I had spent months of time in agonies of pain with resentment against him and a few other ex-colleagues who surely involved in this and I suffered from the insomnia for months.
Until now, I have not ever heard any excuses or appologies on the incident from the executives who, I think, must be involved in the reporting line to the top management and no one have not even mentioned the issue in front of me so far. After this incident, the guys who had been in touch with me suddenly stopped contacting me.
The gentlemen who showed me such a great friendship by inviting me had never be in need of my personal help. They just wanted to express their appreciations for the days we had worked together for the same goal. If they were ever expecting any return from their invitation, they would not have invited a retired guy who had no authorities.
I am very proud of having such wonderful friends in the world. We are still keeping in touch by email from time to time. Thank you Panos, Milco and Bert. I appreciate.
Sometimes these sour momories bring me the doubtful thoughts about what the colleagues at work mean. Nevertheless, I still hope that I can keep good relationship a genuine fellowship with those who participated in today's gathering.
