CH28 : Jindallae Ironworks

"Bait?"

The word "bait" from Sambok sounded unusual.

"Yeah, we'll throw in a bonus item. How about giving a pair of socks with each uniform? We could say they dry better than Japanese ones."

"Throw in socks?"

"Polytech fabric is extremely dry. In the Vietnamese jungle, it's a hundred times better than cotton socks. Plus, including one pair of socks with the uniform isn't a huge loss."

Is bundling items in military procurement even possible?

It sounded ridiculous, but it wasn't entirely dismissible either.

'Bait... What could be more essential to U.S. soldiers than socks?'

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head.

If I pitched something that was a hit during the Vietnam War, the bait product strategy would succeed!

Yes! Jungle boots! Vietnam-specific jungle boots!

"Jungle boots! Hey, Sambok... you're a genius!"

"Jungle boots? What are you talking about? I'm suggesting socks."

The idea stemmed from Sambok's words.

Although I had thought about supplying jungle boots, I hadn't considered using them strategically for U.S. military procurement.

"No, no, we need to use jungle boots as bait. Then the U.S. soldiers will have to use our products."

"Really? But are there specific jungle boots?"

"Of course. They're designed to dry well and have drainage holes for the Vietnamese jungle!"

"Boots with drainage holes? Oh, come on..."

Sambok laughed incredulously.

I had heard some amusing stories about jungle boots from veterans.

They said the U.S. soldiers suffered greatly due to their boots during the early stages of the Vietnam War.

It wasn't just the humidity and water; the decaying mud in the tropical jungle, festering for decades, would seep into their boots, causing unbearable pain.

Initially, it was just uncomfortable, but after a few days, the rotten mud would cause trench foot so severe that their soles would peel off.

The funny thing was, the Viet Cong, who wore flimsy sandals, had no problem with the rotten mud. As they walked, the mud naturally flowed out due to their weight on the sandals.

Eventually, the U.S. military replaced all their boots with jungle boots.

They used fabric instead of leather for the upper part and added drainage holes to allow the rotten water to flow in and out.

It was better to have drainage than imperfect waterproofing, and it worked well.

The jungle boots evolved, with the front part reinforced with metal plates to protect against the spikes set by the Viet Cong.

Korean soldiers who served in the Vietnam War envied the U.S. jungle boots, but there was an exception.

The Marine Corps, known as the Blue Dragon unit, wore boots as good as the U.S. jungle boots.

The marshy areas of Korea were as harsh as the Vietnamese jungles, so the Marine boots were of superior quality.

We should model our boots after the Marine boots!

"Sambok, you know the shoe district in Euljiro, right? Let's go!"

"Yeah, I know it..."

"Let's go now."

The oldest shoe stores in Korea are mostly in Euljiro.

Even in the 1960s, there should be technicians in Euljiro who had made Marine boots.

---

[Cheongsong Handmade Shoes]

"Sambok, park in front of that store."

"What? Do you know this place?"

"Just a hunch."

"That hunch of yours."

I seemed to recall seeing this store briefly in the 21st century.

It was famous for its handmade hiking boots.

In the 1960s, handmade shoe stores made all kinds of shoes, so they might have Marine boots.

"Hello?"

"Welcome."

"You specialize in hiking boots?"

"Of course, they are in high demand."

I was pleased to see the shoes on the shelf.

Although labelled as hiking boots, they all resembled military boots. It was a time when military culture dominated society.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Woo Chan-soo, president of Daese Industries."

"Oh, I don't have a business card... I'm Im Song-jung."

"And I'm Lee Sam-bok, manager of Daese Industries."

Though a bit awkward, even Sambok exchanged business cards with the shoe store owner.

It's customary to exchange business cards before discussing business to make inquiries easier.

"We supply military boots and are planning a new design."

"A new design?"

"Do you know the boots worn by the Marine Corps?"

"Oh, you mean the hexagonal boots? Yes, customers sometimes ask for hiking boots in that style."

"Hexagonal boots? Are they shaped that way?"

It was the first time I'd heard the term hexagonal boots.

"Ha ha, not hexagonal. The leather used in Marine boots is hexagonal leather, so we call them hexagonal boots."

"What is hexagonal leather?"

"It's leather stripped of its outer layer, using only the inner layer. It's flexible and water-repellent, perfect for shedding mud and water. It's commonly known as suede, but hexagonal leather is the official name."

The expert classification of leather was impressive.

Now I understood why the Marine Corps used hexagonal leather boots. The rough texture allowed them to dry quickly and shed water easily.

It's a breathable material.

"Can I see those hiking boots that resemble hexagonal boots?"

"Yes, I have a pair of hexagonal hiking boots."

The store owner brought out a pair of hexagonal hiking boots.

They were exactly what I was looking for, ankle-high with thick soles and simple patterns for good grip.

"Can you raise the ankle part and cover it with fabric instead of leather?"

"Replace the leather with fabric?"

"Yes, it will dry faster. We're planning to supply them to the Marine Corps as new military boots."

"Interesting. We can do that. If we reinforce the edges with leather, it will retain its shape."

"Please also add tin plates to the toes to protect against spikes."

"Tin plates in the toes?"

The store owner, accustomed to custom requests, started jotting down notes in a notebook. It was fitting for a handmade shoe store.

"One more thing. Could you add drainage holes near the stitching on the sides so water can flow in and out?"

"Excuse me? Instead of waterproofing, you want drainage holes?"

According to experienced soldiers, waterproofing was useless in the Vietnamese jungle.

It was more effective to poke drainage holes with an awl, and that's what I trusted.

"How much would it cost per pair?"

"Well, it's quite labour-intensive, so about 10,000 won."

10,000 won, fitting for handmade shoes.

In this era, 10,000 won was about two-thirds of a skilled worker's monthly salary, equivalent to roughly 37 dollars.

"What if we ordered a thousand pairs, or even ten thousand pairs? How much would the cost drop?"

"Wow! That many?"

"We're supplying the military, remember."

"For that quantity, it could drop to 5,000 won per pair."

"Please make a few sample pairs. We plan to attempt procurement."

"Sure, come back in three days."

"Thank you."

I paid for the shoes in advance and left the store.

If we supply about 100,000 pairs, the cost could drop to 2,500 won, roughly 10 dollars.

We could supply them for 30 dollars each?

Just triple the cost.

"If we supply 100,000 pairs, we can set the cost at around 2,500 won. That should be enough, right?"

Hey, Sambok calculated similarly.

"Yes, about 100,000 pairs. Let's place an order here first after getting the samples, and then consider other subcontractors based on capacity."

We'll have more than enough to sell.

U.S. soldiers won't be able to do without them once they try them.

"Subcontract? Aren't you setting up a boot factory?"

"Boots aren't a long-term business. As you said, they're just bait for uniform procurement."

"Now, the issue is how to get these into the hands of U.S. procurement officers. Do you know any American companies we could try?"

"No, I don't."

Using Van Flint was an option, but I shook my head. I needed to reserve the big guns for bigger stakes.

If I involved him for something like this, it would limit my influence.

I needed to achieve this on my own to negotiate with Van Flint on equal terms.

"Don't you know anyone? You seemed to be in touch with the U.S. Embassy before."

This guy was sharp.

"That person is unrelated. Just leave it to me. You handle the boot samples. Also, get the old team leaders to select the uniform fabric and arrange sewing factories in Dongdaemun."

"There's a lot to do."

"Reassign the old team leaders, one for boots and one for sewing. You can't do it all alone."

"Got it. What about you? Are you going back to Ulsan?"

"No, I'm heading to Busan."

"Busan? Why suddenly Busan?"

Sambok tilted his head in confusion, but I just smiled.

"To get something we must take to Vietnam from Busan Port."

"Oh, really? Then you better hurry."

"I'll go right away. Thanks for your help."

"Going now? You're quick."

"I'll be back in a week. Have the samples ready by then, okay?"

"Yes, boss."

Though I claimed there was something to bring, in truth, there was someone I had to meet before going to Vietnam.

Afraid of altering the future, I had avoided going near Busan. But now, my father would have settled in Jeonpo-dong.

'Father, wait for me. Your son is coming.'

A chance to change my father's life had come.

I headed straight for Busan.

I wasn't afraid of the butterfly effect.

I would change everything.

Especially for my parents' lives.

---

Jeonpo-dong Ironworks Alley, Busan.

Rows of ironworks lined the two-lane road, a familiar sight.

It was hard to take the first step.

"Just the same. Then and now... No, this is earlier than my time."

The faces of the ironworks men, much younger than I remembered, were diligently working.

[Jindallae Ironworks]

A sign painted in pink was visible.

The clean sign indicated it hadn't been long since it opened.

Sizzle. Sizzle.

My father was welding.

'He's here... thank goodness.'

I started to cry.

I wanted to run and hug him immediately.

I had to calm down for a long time.

I watched from nearby until he finished working.

He hadn't started from scratch.

It was true that he began the ironworks during the Vietnam dispatch.

He always regretted not seizing the opportunity back then.

"Hey, looking at the welding sparks like that will ruin your eyes. Your eyes are already red."

"It's not the sparks, just some dust in my eyes."

"What are you looking for?"

"The name of this ironwork Jindallae Ironworks?"

I said something to check the timing.

If it was before he got married, I would have to come back later.

"My wife loves azaleas."

'Phew... thank goodness.'

I didn't even know exactly when my parents got married.

It was enough that they were both here.

"You seem young but already married."

"Young in age, but experienced. We can make anything you need. Welding products, machine repairs, simple ironworks."

My father suddenly boasted about his skills.

He must have thought I was a customer.

"If you're good at welding, I'd like to order a container."

"A container?"

"We call those big iron boxes used for shipping goods 'containers.'"

"Oh, for loading cargo. We can definitely make those."

"Could you modify it to be used as a house when unloaded at the port?"

"Using it as a house? Well... if the customer wants, we can do anything."

That's my father. Always confident in his skills.

"Great to hear. I'm Woo Chan-soo, president of Daese Industries."

I handed him my business card and extended my hand for a handshake.

"Kim... Kim Chun-seok."

"Wanna make some money with me, Mr. Kim?"

"Excuse me?"

My father, taken aback, awkwardly shook my hand.

From inside the ironworks, a young face peeked out curiously – my mother.

"Oh dear, my eyes keep getting dust in them..."