TITANIC ~ A Yoonmin Story

It's Been 84 Years...

"It's been eighty four years..."

"It's been eighty four years... and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in."

Jimin holds up his hand for silence when one of the men who had just recently discovered the drowned ship tried to interrupt him. 

"Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams. And it was. It really was..."

゛・。☆。・゛★゛・。☆。・゛★゛・。☆。・゛★゛・。☆。・゛★゛・。

The white superstructure of the Titanic gleamed as it rises monotonously beyond the rail. Crewmen move across the deck, in awe of the awesome scale of the ship. 

It was almost noon in Busan on April 10, 1912. A crowd of hundreds blackens the pier next to the Titanic like ants on a sticky sweet. 

Horse-drawn vehicles, motorcars and lorries move slowly through the large crowd. The atmosphere is one of excitement and general giddiness. People embrace in tearful farewells, or wave and shout bon voyage wishes to their friends and relatives on the decks above.

A white Renault, leading a silver-grey Daimler-Benz, pushes through the crowd leaving a wake in the press of people. Around the handsome cars people are streaming to board the ship, jostling with hustling seamen and stokers, porters, and barking Hanjin officals. 

When the Renault pulls to a stop and the liveried driver scurries to open the door for a young man dressed in a stunning white and purple outfit, with a shiny tall top hat. The man is twenty years old and beautiful, regal of bearing, with piercing eyes.

The young man looks up at the ship, taking it in with cool appraisal.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the Maurentania."

A personal valet opens the door on the other side of the car for Park Pilwoo, the forty-three year old heir to the elder Park's fourtune. Pilwoo is handsome, arrogant and rich beyond meaning.

"You can be blase about some things, Jimin, but not about Titanic. It's over a hundred feet longer than Maurentania, and far more luxurious. It has squash courts, a Parisian cafe... even Turkish baths."

Pilwoo turns and holds out his hand to Jimin's mother, Park Mijeong, who descends from the touring car behind him. Mijeong is a forty-ish society empress, from one of the most prominent Korean families. She is intimidating woman, and rules her household with iron will.

"Our son is much too hard to impress, Mijeong." Jimin's father nods towards a puddle, "Mind your step."

Mijeong gazes up at the massive vessel. "So this is the ship they say is unsinkable."

"It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship." Pilwoo speaks with the pride of a host providing a special experience.

This entire entourage of rich Koreans is impeccably turned out, a quintessential example of the Korean upper class, complete with servants. Pilwoo's Valet, Kim Namjoon, is a tall and impassive, dour as an undertaker. Behind him emerge two maids, personal servants to Mijeong and Jimin. 

A Hanjin Porter scurries towards them, harried by last minute loading.

"Sir, you'll have to check your baggage through the main terminal, round that way-"

Pilwoo nonchalantly hands the man 7725.24 Won. The porter's eyes dilate. 

"I put my faith in you, good sir." Pilwoo indicates towards Jinsang. "See my man."