The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 27: A Proposal from the Political World (3)

Ji Jeongseok, whom I met in front of the convenience store, was wearing a worn-out gray jumper and black jeans.

He said it was because he didn’t have time to change clothes, and it made sense since he had been immersed in reporting all day.

I mocked him with a bit of scorn.

"Why did you come to Yeouido?"

"I met with a source."

"For what reason?"

"It’s about the civilian surveillance case."

Ji Jeongseok was fearless.

He had started his career at Daeseong Ilbo, but was fired after posting blog articles that criticized the company and his colleagues.

Under the title “Reporters Colluding with Power and Capital,” Ji Jeongseok exposed the culture of being treated at golf courses in detail. He claimed that newspapers held golf tournaments for sponsors and advertisers, and reporters acted as sycophants pouring drinks and pleasing them.

He enhanced the credibility of his posts by uploading pixelated photos and including portions of recorded conversations.

That’s how the terms ‘parasite’ or ‘scum reporter’ started being used for journalists.

As a result, Ji Jeongseok became ostracized and was driven out of his workplace.

He was now continuing his career at a weekly magazine called 'Issue Factory.'

"You really go looking for trouble."

"This happened in the Office of Public Ethics Support. Do you know what the foreign press is calling it? Korea’s Watergate scandal."

"You okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, aren’t you afraid of getting stabbed while walking alone at night?"

"Then I’ll become a hero."

Back in school, I always had this question in mind.

This guy who had so many grievances against society—what would he grow up to be?

He ended up becoming a reporter.

And a real fierce one at that.

"Did you get anything out of the source?"

"I’ve earned their trust after persuading them for six months. But they’re still a public official, so they haven’t made a decision yet."

"That won’t be easy. You can’t exactly support your source financially."

"I have other sources too, so it’ll break soon. Once one person opens their mouth, everything will collapse like dominoes."

From the time he talked back to that Dokka drill instructor, from when he protested against class president Oh Man-seok.

I always thought he had guts, but I never imagined he’d fight against power with his life on the line.

"A protruding nail gets hammered down. That’s what Yeonhwa told me."

"You’ve already been hammered plenty. Aren’t you scared?"

"Let’s sit and talk. Beer?"

"Sounds good."

Ji Jeongseok sat down at the table in front of the convenience store, and I went inside, bought some beer and dried snacks, then came back out.

"Why did you want to see me?"

"Did Yeo Deok-su show up at the Total Alumni Reunion?"

"Yeah. I even said hello briefly."

"That senior sure has a big heart. Getting spied on and still in a good mood. Guess it's because they’re in the same party."

"They spied on the ruling party too?"

"What’s come out so far is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s a fact that they didn’t discriminate between the ruling and opposition parties."

Ji Jeongseok was practically my political adviser. Talking to him gave me some idea of how the political scene was moving.

"I met Senior Ik Je-hoon at the reunion. He asked me to contribute to a public project."

"That senior has been corrupted by performance-based thinking. A politician should shed tears for the people, but he cries because he’s sad himself."

"What are you talking about?"

"He blew it all with flashy administrative performance. He cried saying the citizens didn’t recognize his efforts. Someone like that can’t become a great politician."

Ji Jeongseok drank his beer with a bitter expression.

"You had a reason for asking to see me, didn’t you?"

"I met a source nearby. I just thought of you and dropped by. Also curious about the Total Alumni Reunion."

"Did you hear Oh Man-seok became a prosecutor?"

"That ape bastard?"

"Yeah."

Ji Jeongseok opened his mouth wide, as if he couldn’t believe it.

"He’s working at the Central District Prosecutors’ Office."

"That’s like handing a sword to a madman. Still as arrogant as ever?"

"He threatened me, basically said he wouldn’t leave me alone. That was the nuance."

"That crazy bastard!"

Ji Jeongseok was furious.

"That bastard won’t change. How’s Seok-gu? He must’ve been completely deflated."

"He froze up as soon as he saw Man-seok. Must’ve triggered some trauma."

"That’s natural if he went out tense and ran into Oh Man-seok."

"Still, he was happy to meet an executive from a first-tier construction company."

"It’ll probably help with business. I just hope he doesn’t get tainted."

I agreed with that sentiment.

Yang Seok-gu had gotten rich quickly, so there was a high chance he’d become even more greedy.

"I’m giving him warnings, but yeah, I am worried."

“He’s someone who holds a grudge about money. Greed always brings trouble. I should meet him and give him a warning.”

“Does Hyeon Se-ung know?”

“Of course. Did he show up too?”

“He said he’s working as a lawyer. We didn’t talk for long.”

“A lawyer? That’s unexpected.”

He was a friend who never missed being top of the class, so when he entered Hanguk University’s law school, I thought he’d become a judge.

But instead of a judge or a prosecutor, he became a lawyer.

“I don’t know what field he’s in, but it’s definitely not what we expected.”

“He’s a thoughtful guy, so I’m curious why he made that choice.”

“Are you not getting married?”

“What, so I can make someone a widow? I’m just going to live as a lone wolf.”

“You weren’t joking?”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

Ji Jeongseok had once said he would live alone because he didn’t know when he might die.

I thought he was joking, but I guess he wasn’t.

“It’s not the military regime anymore.”

“If I had a wife and kid, I feel like I’d start censoring myself. I don’t want to live like that. More than anything, I don’t want to be tied down to one woman.”

“Anyway, you’re not normal.”

As I chatted with Ji Jeongseok, we each emptied three cans of beer.

It was time to part ways.

Ji Jeongseok asked,

“Are you certain about going into politics?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not joining the ruling party, are you?”

In a previous life, I used to think about setting the conservatives straight.

My dream was to build a party like the conservative parties in Europe.

But now, I’m conflicted.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because of the life you’ve lived. Of course, things are different now.”

“To be honest, I’m still debating. I do want to create a true conservative party.”

“You crazy bastard.”

“Why?”

“In the early 2000s, there was a reform movement in the conservative camp too. And the person who came out of that is the current President. They’re completely bound by vested interests now.”

Ji Jeongseok shook his head and continued speaking.

“What about the Labor and Human Rights Party your brother’s in?”

My eldest brother worked as a level-5 secretary in the Labor and Human Rights Party.

He was the secretary to Seol Yeong-chan, a Member of Parliament representing a district in South Gyeongsang Province, and he was so busy I barely saw him.

“What’s a rookie going to do there? And they won’t accept a successful businessman like me anyway.”

“Well, yeah. In a minority party, unless it’s through proportional representation, it’s hard to get elected.”

“I’ll decide for myself.”

“Think it through. In my experience, it’ll take at least 20 years for conservatism in this country to change.”

“Don’t you think I can do it?”

“You crazy bastard. Just go home and get some sleep.”

Maybe Ji Jeongseok was right.

Even before I returned, conservatism hadn’t changed.

I decided to think it over a bit more.

Hongdae Art Stage.

All 700 seats were filled.

Pink lights spread out in a fan shape from above and below.

On stage, Yeonhwa sang wearing a floral dress.

I sat somewhere in the middle and watched Yeonhwa’s thirtieth concert.

[The Poet Who Reads Romance, Kang Yeonhwa]

That was the phrase sometimes used in media articles before Yeonhwa’s name.

A clear and refined voice, lyrics like beautiful poems, an indie singer who sang of love and partings, and hope in life.

Five years after releasing her first album, Yeonhwa had gained public popularity.

“Encore! Encore!”

When the last song ended, the fans’ cheers continued for a long time.

Yeonhwa expressed her gratitude and sang the final song.

I closed my eyes and listened.

I remembered the young Yeonhwa singing ‘Thinking of Oppa,’ and past memories flashed by.

Her face beaming with joy when she was admitted to the composition department of the Arts High School as if she owned the world, her working hard at a fast-food restaurant in college saying she’d earn her own allowance, and the moment after graduation when she shyly reached out saying she wanted to focus on music.

That clever little kid was already over thirty.

― 33 Beonji, Unauthorized Shantytown

Even though it was hard to climb the hillside road

I liked that the sky was so close

Holding Dad’s hand and looking up at the sky

The stars were dreams

Looking down at the ground

The flowers were hope

The Day Dad Passed Away

Bring him back, bring him back

With tiny fists pounding the ground

I cried as if the sky were collapsing

As I listened to the song, I recalled Yeonhwa’s interview in a women’s magazine.

She said she lost her dad when she was ten, that the world crumbled and it was hard to even breathe, but her second oppa had tightly held her hand.

She wrote this song thinking of her dad and her second oppa. Strictly speaking, her second oppa was Kang Daemyung, but the one Yeonhwa referred to was me.

― The Melodion Oppa Bought Me

When I blow into it and press the keys

An angel comes down and says

Don’t carry your sadness alone

I’ll protect you like sunlight

I’ll comfort you like the wind

You had Dad

You have Oppa

I’m happy

I had heard this song a few times before, but hearing it live made my heart swell.

I thought of my late father, the shantytown where I could see the stars, and the image of Mom struggling came to mind.

The audience was also tearing up.

After the song ended, an announcement came that there would be a photo session and autograph signing.

I stepped outside the concert hall.

It was fulfilling to see the little girl who leaned on me like a father after our dad died, now achieving her dream.

As I got in the car, my mobile phone rang.

It was Ryu Jong-min.

“It’s been a while.”

— How have you been? I’ve seen you in the news. Still busy?

“Same as always. You?”

— Same here.

Ryu Jong-min graduated from the Department of Economics at Gorim University, earned a PhD in Economics in the U.S., and was working as a trade expert at a big corporation.

— Cheonmyeong, I want to see you. Should I visit your office?

“Let’s just get a meal together. I’ll contact you.”

— Sure.

Ryu Jong-min had taken initiative in our volunteer club and we clicked well, so he was my closest friend during our university years.

I was about to head home in the car when Mom texted me to come pick up some food, so I headed to Daebang-dong.

When I got to Mom’s place, the table was piled high with side dish containers.

“Why did you make so much?”

“You’re busy raising On-chan. Bought food isn’t good for your health.”

“How’s Daemyung hyung?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Kang Daemyung came out from the small room.

“Hyung-ah is here. Hehe.”

“Is work okay?”

“Yeah. It’s fun.”

Kang Daemyung had been working at a shoe factory for three years. It was a company that employed over 70% disabled people, and I’d started supporting it with supplies for five years, which led to this connection.

At first, working eight hours a day had been tough for him, but after about a year of adjustment, he was now considered a good worker.

Maybe all the time he spent assembling Academy toys helped.

Mom asked,

“Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“You’ve been working until this hour without eating?”

“I just came back from Yeonhwa’s concert. The seats were packed.”

“The security guard was overwhelmed. So many people coming all the way here.”

“Popularity’s a good thing.”

“Eat up.”

I happily ate the meal Mom had prepared.

“Come eat often. It’s not even that far.”

“Okay. When did big brother stop by?”

“Ten days ago. He said he’s busy preparing for the national audit.”

“Yeouido isn’t that far. He’s being dramatic.”

After finishing the meal, I looked at Mom.

It was time to tell her.

“Mom.”

“What is it?”

“I’m thinking of entering politics.”

Mom’s cheeks turned increasingly red and her eyes widened.

Then came the shouting.

“What are you saying!”

I was stunned.

It was the first time Mom got angry.

Until now, she had never once interfered with what I was doing, so it threw me off.