Chapter 14

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Hyunwoo broadly smiled as if he had met his savior.

Thanks a million!

Thanks to the production team members’ help, he could quickly finish counting the stock. Also, Hyunwoo would have plenty of available free time.
Hyunwoo took them to a nearby vending machine.

Would you like a cold soft drink?


Oh, I think we should treat you…


It doesn’t matter who buys.

They moved under the shade of a tree to chat. Fortunately, Hyunwoo could get some various useful tips. Though he couldn’t make use of the tips immediately, he thought he could act tactfully thanks to the tips.

Take care, then!

Even though he went back to the office, Hyunwoo couldn’t concentrate on trade studies because of constant request for small errands.
So, he had to move around constantly like a pinwheel while he was in the office.
Even when he had some spare moments, it wasn’t easy for him to learn customs clearance because he couldn’t understand it due to his lack of basic knowledge of the field.
He asked some senior team members about it but didn’t get much help. Because the company assigned customs clearance-related work to the customs broker, there was nobody in the office with any practical knowledge of customs clearance. Though Min Suji and Oh Sangho were well versed in the theory of customs clearance, they didn’t know much about it in practice.
In particular, Min made some sort of crying expression whenever he asked.

Sorry, Hyunwoo. I feel like I learned about trade in college in vain.

Looking at Hyunwoo, a self-satisfied smile appeared on Yonggu’s face.
‘Hahaha…I guess he’s beginning to get really nervous.

Yonggu was curious what would happen to him one month later.
‘Wait a little more. Let me give you a big humiliation.’
However, Hyunwoo wasn’t as worried as Yonggu had expected, for he had reliable helper Jang Dukwoo who he could turn to.

Hey, Dukwoo, are you available this evening?

Hyunwoo had been tormenting Dukwoo for more than a week without any letup even on weekends. Still, Jang had no complaints at all. Rather, he was thankful to Hyunwoo.

Thanks to you, I can meet Nami so often like this. Without you, I couldn’t meet her even once a week. It’s so difficult to see her face!


Yea, I think I am, so just be thankful to Hyunwoo,
Yu Nami said, bursting out laughing.
Hearing what they were talking about, Hyunwoo felt that both of them were serious about it.

What can I do for you, sir?
Dukwoo asked.
Hyunwoo was thankful to Dukwoo and thought that he would pay him back someday by any means.

Ah, customs clearance processing? What are the products of export and import?


The exports are furniture and office products, while the imports are raw material.


Are they trading with T/T or L/C?


I hear L/C.


Oh, that’s simple because it doesn’t need any quarantine or certification of requirements. All they have to do is just unload the products for clearance processing.

Dukwoo explained it away so easily.
It was a very easy topic to Dukwoo, but a layman like Hyunwoo couldn’t understand it at all.
With a broad smile, Dukwoo opened a notebook.

It’s really easy. Look, it’s the exporter’s job to ship the products to the port of Busan. Then, the company is only responsible for what happens after that.


Got it.


If you receive shipping documents from the bank, you submit a declaration of imports, and once accepted, you just go to the shipping company with the bill of landing(B/L) to claim the products. That’s it. How about that? It’s very easy, right?


How can I declare imports?


Through the Unipass website of the Customs Service.

Hyunwoo felt it was easy after hearing Dukwoo’s explanation. It wasn’t that different from claiming packages from a parcel package delivery company.
However, he would feel something different when he actually did it.

What about the exports?


Well, as far as the exports are concerned, the customs broker’s job is simple enough.

Dukwoo explained it to Hyunwoo by drawing some pictures on the notebook.
This time, Dukwoo mentioned Unipass. The more Hyunwoo heard him, the more he felt that Unipass was a treasure box.
Parting with Dukwoo, Hyunwoo turned on the computer as soon as he went back home.

Customs Service’s Unipass?

He googled it and had access to the Unipass site. Then, a series of jobs processed by the customs office were displayed in a row, including export and import clearance processes.
However, he couldn’t get specific information, which was available only to the members whose certificate code was verified.
Unipass contained a lot more information than just customs clearance.
Hyunwoo began studying about the kind of clearance items that were available without a certificate verification code.
He intensively studied Unipass even in the office, but he had no access to the most important screen, which was how to compile a declaration of imports. He absolutely needed the company’s certificate verification code to get access to that.

Assistant manager Yonggu!

Yonggu raised his head. Min, who was right next to his desk and learning about accounting from Yonggu, looked at Hyunwoo.

I think I need the company’s certificate verification code to process customs clearance. I need to join Unipass.


Ah, Unipass. We’re already a member of it. Let me give you the company code so that you can get access.

Hyunwoo gained access to Unipass with the company code Yonggu gave him. After that, he could see all the stuff about the exports and imports.
In addition to that, he felt that it wasn’t that difficult to compile a declaration of imports when he checked out the samples of the previous commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of landing, etc.
That was really a marvelous experience to him. Hyunwoo had no knowledge of trade at first, but he began to feel that it was so easy. If offered a piece of paper, he felt that he could compile an appropriate import declaration immediately.

What are you doing, Hyunwoo? Just wrap it up quickly so that we can go out for dinner.


What? Already?

Astonished a bit, Hyunwoo looked at his watch. The work day was already over. Because he had been studying customs, he hadn’t known the time.
Hyunwoo was excited to learn about customs. He just wanted to forget about dinner and continue to study all night.
However, it was the first get-together dinner since he got hired, so he couldn’t make an excuse to avoid it.

Haha, we can expect assistant manager Yonggu’s display of extraordinary talent at dinner, right?
one team member said.

Can you name anything that you aren’t good at, sir?
another one asked.
While heading to the dinner place, they were talking about Yonggu.
Though he was the core member in the office, he seemed to be much more in demand at the dining-together place. In particular, the team manager had even greater expectations of him.

I really want to see your extraordinary talent show. Hey, new hires, just see and learn well.


Yes, sir.

Hyunwoo held a lot of expectations as well.
Come to think of it, Yonggu had been cheerful since an early age. When he mingled with friends, he usually took the initiative by controlling the atmosphere, and he was very good at talking too. He hated Hyunwoo, but he was popular among his friends.
However, Hyunwoo was as good as him. Rather, Hyunwoo was ahead of him all the time. It was Hyunwoo who brightened up the atmosphere, and he had a larger following among their friends than Yonggu.
Hyunwoo giggled by himself and thought, Hummm..shall I show off my talent in a long time?
The atmosphere of the get-together dinner of the purchasing team was good. Though Oh got easily drunk, nobody forced drinks on him, so there was no problem.
Except for Oh, everybody liked alcohol. Min Suji moved here and there around the table to fill the team members’ cups with alcohol, greeting each of them.
Hyunwoo couldn’t sit still, so he went around the table and filled everyone’s cup, starting with the team manager.
When he sat down in his seat, Yonggu held out a cup for him and said,
Let me fill it for you, Hyunwoo.


Thanks.

Hyunwoo held the cup with both hands, but Yonggu took the cup back and said,

Dude, I’m your assistant manager at the office, but once I get out of the office, you’re just my friend.


Still…

Hyunwoo was a bit hesitant. In some respect, this dinner was an extension of office work, and there were other team members there.
The team members took Yonggu’s side, and even the manager sided with him.

Of course, is there anything more important than friends in this world? You look great, Yonggu!


Just do as our assistant manager wises, Hyunwoo. I would like to call you hyungnim(elder brother) outside the office. So, please treat me as a dongsaeng (younger brother),
Lee Kangho, the youngest team member, said. Though he was two years younger than Hyunwoo, he was still a superior at the office because he had been hired earlier than him.

Hey, hold the cup with one hand, man. My hand aches!

Yonggu prodded him once more.
Only then did Hyunwoo hold the cup with one hand. Though he felt a bit puzzled, he didn’t feel so bad.

Sorry I walked over you at the office. You must have felt offended, but just try to understand. As you know, that happens in any workplace,
Yonggu said.

Thanks for your remarks,
Hyunwoo asked.

You don’t have to say ‘thanks’ between friends. Let’s get along,
Yonggu said.
However, Hyunwoo took Yonggu’s remarks with a grain of salt. If Yonggu was really sincere about his words, he wouldn’t have treated Hyunwoo badly like that.
It wasn’t a matter of overwork or not. The way Yonggu looked at and talked to Hyunwoo was far from friendly. Though nobody noticed it, Hyunwoo alone could.
In other words, Yonggu’s words and attitude toward Hyunwoo were fake.
All Hyunwoo could do at the moment was just pretend to be grateful to him.

Okay, let’s get along well.

With a broad smile, Hyunwoo emptied the cup with Yonggu.