Chapter 71 – Wealthy Coal Mine Town, Moeundong Village (1)

Two weeks later, Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo’s office.

“What is the matter, Professor?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked, sounding curious.

“Sit down for now.”

“Yes.”

“Mmh, our hospital is gaining a lot of fame due to Miss Monroe’s incident last time. Many reporters visited yesterday as well.”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo spoke with a bright face.

“Reporters?”

“Yes. Not to mention domestic reporters, even foreign correspondents visited and asked in detail about you.”

“Even though two weeks have already passed?”

“Yes. Is identifying cryptococcosis any ordinary feat? By treating Miss Monroe’s illness this time, it seems research in this field will progress even more actively. Didn’t it serve as an opportunity to widely publicize the danger of fungi to the entire world?”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo showed a pleased smile.

“It is nothing special, but it is quite burdensome.”

Looking embarrassed, Kim Ji-hyuk lowered his head.

“Nothing special? This is an incident worthy of creating a sensation in the medical community. The medical circles in America, Europe, and especially Sweden are showing extraordinary interest in this. The hospital is bustling these days!”

“Oh dear, I wonder if this might actually cause trouble for the hospital.”

Kim Ji-hyuk with a flushed face did not know what to do.

“No way! Rather, thanks to that, support from our government is likely to increase. Anyway, Gyeongmudae seems to be quite encouraged by this incident as well. They said His Excellency was highly satisfied.”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo waved his hand back and forth.

“Is that so? That is a relief.”

“Of course. You put those famous American doctors in their place, so how great is that? You elevated our nation’s prestige.”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo laughed heartily.

“You flatter me. By the way, what did you call me for?”

“Mmh, I called because I have a request for you, Dr. Kim Ji-hyuk.”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo spoke with a slightly serious expression.

“Please speak comfortably.”

“It is a somewhat difficult request… It is not easy to bring up.”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo hesitated in his speech.

“It is alright, Professor! Please speak comfortably.”

“Alright, alright. Since it is ultimately a matter for our hospital, I will speak comfortably. Actually…”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo parted his lips with difficulty.

A moment later.

“Moeundong? Are you sending me on dispatch there?”

“Yes. If you do not feel up to it, you may refuse.”

‘Moeundong Village… I think I visited Moeundong Village once for travel during my medical school days. Wasn’t it a mountain village where just a few houses were gathered close together? The one with the pretty murals?’

“No, it is not that, but I would like to hear the reason why you are suddenly trying to dispatch me.”

“Yes. I will tell you. A fairly large coal mine called the Okdong Mining Office was established there early this year, you see?”

“Ah, yes.”

“But they say it is a place overflowing with black bonanza, so people flocked there in droves.”

‘Really? I think there were only about ten houses when I went traveling…’

“I see.”

“The president of the Okdong Mining Office there has a close relationship with our hospital director. There are many people and since it is a coalfield, there are various accidents, but it seems they do not have a doctor.”

“Ah, so you want me?”

“Yes. I hesitated a bit since Yun-seok is also going to America, but the Okdong Mining Office promised full investment in our hospital. They said they would spare no support so we can acquire not only medical equipment but also additional doctors and nurses. That is why, although it is a difficult request, I wanted to ask your thoughts.”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo carefully asked for Kim Ji-hyuk’s opinion.

“About how long would I need to stay there?”

“Mmh, I do not think you will need to be there for very long. Since a medical system is not established right now, just come back up once some sort of system is in place. I do not know about the past, but due to the hospital’s circumstances, we cannot leave the position of a veteran surgeon like you vacant for long.”

“Oh, you flatter me too much.”

“No. Isn’t our National Medical Center run by your strength rather than mine now? Anyway, at most, about three months should do. I also told the hospital director that any longer than that is not acceptable.”

“Excellent! It would be good to go with the mindset of resting a bit while breathing clean air!”

“Yes. You have done nothing but suffer day and night all this time, so consider it a vacation after a long while and go. By the time you return, our hospital will have transformed into something even more modern.”

“Yes. I will look forward to it.”

“Ah! When you go to Moeundong, there will be a nurse named Park In-seon at the clinic. She is a nurse with whom I share a deep connection.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes. Even during the last war, she used to travel around battlefields and devotedly nurse soldiers. Since she is an assertive nurse with not only skills but also a strong sense of responsibility, she will be of great help.”

“Understood.”

In that way, Kim Ji-hyuk was dispatched to work in Moeundong, Gangwon Province.

A few days later, the doctors’ office.

“Kim Ji-hyuk, are you really going to Moeundong?”

“Huhuhu, yes. That is how it turned out.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow, right away.”

“That fast?”

Kim Yun-seok asked in surprise.

“That is how it is. Anyway, is your preparation for studying in America going well?”

“Yeah. So-so. It turns out it is not just about boarding a boat to America. Why is it so complicated? There seem to be dozens, hundreds of documents. It will take about a month just to go through the procedures.”

Kim Yun-seok grumbled.

“At any rate, prepare well and go. Treating Marilyn Monroe is one thing, but you must make sure to clarify the relation regarding the promissory note Sam Walton wrote!”

“Come on, what is the big deal about a measly few hundred dollars?”

At that, Kim Yun-seok reacted unenthusiastically.

‘Grandfather! Please just listen to me. That is not just a few hundred dollars! It could turn into trillions or tens of trillions of won! So you must absolutely not neglect it!’

“That is not just a measly few hundred dollars, okay? So you have to make it clear. Got it?”

“Okay, okay, I got it. I will do it properly, alright?”

“Keep it in mind! Once you arrive in America, meet Sam Walton, and handle it, make sure to send a letter!”

“I said I got it! By the way, will you be alright going to such a rough mountain village?”

“I will take care of that myself, so do not worry.”

“Yeah. Since you are such a smart guy, you will manage fine. Anyway, please take good care of Mi-ju while I am in America. How nice would it have been if we could go together.”

Kim Yun-seok’s eyes dimmed, looking regretful.

‘Don’t worry about Grandmother! Since I will be taking good care (?) of her!’

“Do not worry about that, and if you go to America and fool around, you will be in trouble, got it?”

“Are you crazy? Don’t you know that I am completely devoted?”

At that, Kim Yun-seok flared up.

“Yeah, I know! Learn a lot in America. The future of South Korea’s medical community depends on your hands.”

“Gasp, that is a bit excessive, isn’t it? Anyway, I will learn a lot and return. Hmm, then is today my last day with you? By the time you return to the hospital, I will not be here.”

“Does it turn out that way? At any rate, let us each do our best. For the future of this country.”

“Huhuhu, we should. It is a temporary parting, but stay healthy and take care, my friend!”

“You too!”

Hug—

In that way, leaving behind a warm embrace, Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok met their temporary parting.

* * *

Entrance of Moeundong Village.

‘Wow! They call this place Moeundong Kim Satgat Village??’

The entrance of Moeundong Village, reached in an exhausted state after changing bumpy unpaved-road buses three times.

The Moeundong of the 21st century and the Moeundong of the 20th century were too different.

Unlike the underdeveloped mural village of the 21st century where ten houses were huddled together, the Moeundong of seventy years ago was far more prosperous and vibrant.

In 1954, everything in South Korea was poor.

Infrastructure had been largely destroyed due to the war. Among them, the most important elements of South Korea’s reconstruction were electricity and railways.

In particular, Korea relied on thermal power generation for most of its electricity production, so the coal industry must have been a major industrial sector for the Syngman Rhee government at the time.

If we look a bit into the coal industry of 1954,

A coal mining development boom was swept across the entire nation, to the extent that there were about thirty coal mines in Gangwon Province, thirteen in Gyeongsang Province, and even ten in Chungcheong Province alone.

One of them was Moeundong, where Kim Ji-hyuk was dispatched.

Moeundong, a mountain village nestled at the foot of Mount Manggyeongdae, 1,087 meters above sea level. As the fact that high-quality coal was abundantly buried there came to light, a large coalfield called the Okdong Mining Office was established.

With the opening of the Okdong Mining Office, the production of black gold—that is, coal—was so abundant that it enjoyed such a boom that they said even the dogs passing by on the streets carried paper bills in their mouths.

Wanderers and miners numbering over two thousand, along with their families, bustled in this place, from which the ‘Star Briquettes’ produced by the miners spread nationwide.

Houses were built on the extremely narrow slopes, and it had grown into a village so large that not only restaurants and bars but also billiard halls and even a theater were established here. Since Yeongwol, which was a relatively large town, had no theater, people walked all the way up this 4km slope just to watch a movie here.

Rather, it seemed as if the Moeundong of 1954 was far more developed than the Moeundong of 2024, as if time had run backward.

In that way, Kim Ji-hyuk slung his bag over his shoulder and entered the entrance of Moeundong, and while looking around the vibrant (?) surroundings of the village, which were not quite like Seoul, he turned his steps into a conspicuous small corner store.

“Is anyone here?”

Drrr, Kim Ji-hyuk opened the sliding door of the small corner store and stepped inside.

“Welcome.”

The proprietress opened the door and peeked her face out.

“By any chance, cola… Ah, there is no way they sell cola.”

“We have cola!”

As soon as Kim Ji-hyuk’s words fell, the proprietress pointed toward the shelf with a chin gesture.

‘Heh, to think they would sell cola in a place like this?’

Looking up at the shelf following the proprietress’s gaze, the famous Coke bottle, boasting its curvaceous figure, was placed on the shelf.

“What are you doing? If you want to drink it, bring a bottle.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

Kim Ji-hyuk quickly picked up a Coke bottle from the shelf.

“Ma’am, do you happen to know where the clinic is? Looking at the map, it does not seem far from here?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked the proprietress while spreading open the map.

“If it is the clinic… By any chance, are you the new doctor at the clinic?”

“Ah, yes. That is correct.”

“Really? Are you truly a doctor?”

The proprietress sprang up from her seat like a coiled spring. Unlike before, she had a broad smile on her face.

“Yes. That is right. I am the doctor appointed to the clinic here.”

“It really is him!”

The proprietress opened the door and came outside with a glad expression.

‘There is no need to come out all this way…’

“You could have just explained the location.”

“How could I do that? When a doctor has arrived!”

The woman came outside and stared intently at Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Yes. I am on my way to the clinic now…”

“Do not worry at all. The clinic is close from here. Go a little that way and it will appear.”

The woman was still scanning Kim Ji-hyuk’s body.

‘How am I supposed to know if she guides me so abstractly? Did I ask for no reason? I should have just looked at the map and found it.’

The woman’s gaze was burdensome to Kim Ji-hyuk.