Chapter 83

EP 14 - Clams are originally for fools to eat (2)

- Kim Jo-in, the leader of the Nationalist Party, expressed significant concerns about the legitimacy of the Won Ok-bun administration during the emergency highest council meeting of the Nationalist Party. He also stated that he expects sincere actions from the presidential candidates in the upcoming party convention in five days. So, what do you think, Professor?

- Well, what I mean is, even though Governor Cheong Jung-yeop has been virtually confirmed as the presidential candidate, the party is still emphasizing the position of vetting candidates? There will likely be quite a bit of difficult communication between Representative Kim Jo-in and Governor Cheong Jung-yeop. It's like a general declaring war without the king's permission, isn't it?

- Is there a split in the Nationalist Party leadership?

- I see it that way.

- Yes, I understand. By the way, Representative Han Seung-moon did not attend this highest council meeting, right?

- Yes... In fact, he has not had any influence on the Nationalist Party's policies, not just this highest council meeting. The Nationalist Party, up until the recent merger of the two major parties, was quite aggressive.

- Although it was overshadowed by the government affairs, there was also a judicial crisis. It was a serious case that even led to a special prosecutor for treason. Anyway, the Nationalist Party was probably centered around people who supported Representative Han Seung-moon at that time.

- The Nationalist Party started with Han Seung-moon, and its driving force was also Han Seung-moon. But Han Seung-moon is not actually doing politics within the party. There are various speculations. Is it due to a lack of experience? Is he staying behind as a behind-the-scenes coordinator? Or does he have a connection with Won Ok-bun?

"Brother."

Yang Il-ho, who was driving, asked.

"Why aren't you doing politics, brother?"

"Me? I just came from doing politics."

I had just finished a public meal at the discount corner of a neighborhood supermarket, and eating gukbap in front of the camera was the core of politics. Yang Il-ho laughed awkwardly when I tilted my head.

"No, I mean national politics..."

"......"

Smiling and remaining silent, Yang Il-ho cautiously turned the steering wheel and asked me, clearly very curious.

"If I were you, I would have grabbed the nomination rights first, then made people loyal to me run for office nationwide, and after winning with my support, I would have taken over the National Assembly."

"......"

Unlike Yang Il-ho's hopes, because I had let go of the Nationalist Party's policies, the party leader was an economic bureaucrat who barely knew me, and the only people I had in the National Assembly were Lee Ho-jeong and Yang Il-ho.

He smacked his lips.

"Umm. I'm not just talking nonsense. Just look at your popularity."

"Is that so?"

"Just, a bit. I've been really curious. You've always seemed to avoid giving the Nationalist Party a boost. Or, more accurately, you've tried not to get too involved..."

I didn't answer. Yang Il-ho laughed awkwardly.

"If it's hard to talk about, you don't have to answer."

I didn't answer.

The car sped silently on the empty military road, and a few tanks passed in the distance. Only the sound of the radio echoed.

- In fact, the actions of Representative Han Seung-moon, you know?

- I know.

- Honestly, I don't know what he's thinking.

* * *

"Understanding the inner thoughts of Han Seung-moon is really difficult."

Clank, Minister Yoo Jae-kyung put down his coffee cup a bit roughly. His disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes were noticeable. To Kim Doo-sik, he looked like he could collapse on the street at any moment. The company that pushed someone to this state was undoubtedly one of the worst, but unfortunately, he was a civil servant of the Republic of Korea, and more specifically, the Minister of Strategy and Finance.

"Judging by my appearance, you can see that with my capabilities, I can barely stop GS Group's Cheon Geun-soon from going wild."

"That's how it looks."

"Moreover, I have to deal with the economic crisis."

"You have done a lot."

"Furthermore, the eccentric Han Seung-moon is waiting for an opportunity to strike. Some say that Representative Han lacks experience and therefore does not show up in national politics, but I have seen him send dozens of MPs packing in one go, and drive the monsters to the north, leading to the fall of Kaesong. He is a person with both decisiveness and agility."

"I also think he is not an ordinary person."

"He is the same age as my son, which makes him even more frightening."

"......"

The two, who were competing for 4th and 5th place in the presidential approval ratings, were having a secret meeting at a Korean restaurant. Specifically, Yoo Jae-kyung had called Kim Doo-sik, and Kim Doo-sik had come to hear the matter.

Of course, Yoo Jae-kyung used the bureaucratic style of speaking in circles, and Kim Doo-sik, a stubborn military man who had clashed with his superiors like eating three meals a day, so the conversation was not a pleasant one.

"Do you know GS Group's CEO, Cheon Geun-soon?"

"Ah, yes. The one who brought in container ships from Russia during the Gangwon retreat..."

"He is a vicious speculator."

"Really?"

"A product of capitalism, the, best of the... Ah, damn."

The Minister of Strategy and Finance and the CEO of GS Group are engaged in a fierce battle. As a result, the usually composed Yoo Jae-kyung was half-broken. He was worried about Han Seung-moon and had to deal with the bombshell, Cheon Geun-soon.

Yoo Jae-kyung lamented the severity of the Korean economy and criticized the evil intentions of Cheon Geun-soon, who was trying to take advantage of the situation.

"The Korean economy is on the verge of collapse, or rather, it has already collapsed. With rice being sold on online auctions, we need to guard against variables and expansion and restore the economy under state control. We don't have the capacity to consider the whims of money-hungry people."

"I see."

"But who put a knife in that crazy woman's mouth? Who gave GS Group the majority of the stone material and the permit to produce awakening agents? How can I guess what Representative Han is thinking?"

"Probably not."

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung clenched his teeth, his gaunt face washing over with anger.

"Meanwhile, Cheong Jung-yeop is causing chaos, and I have to deal with the Federation of Korean Industries. I'm worried that Cheon Geun-soon might take advantage of this situation and act on Representative Han's orders. I'm on edge, and I have to save the Korean economy, which is on the brink of collapse."

"Such is the case."

"If I make a mistake, I'll be out. Ministers are expendable. Damn..."

Kim Doo-sik silently sipped his mugwort tea and looked at Minister Yoo Jae-kyung, who seemed to be on the verge of collapse from anxiety.

"Are you okay?"

"......Ah, I'm sorry. I haven't been sleeping well."

"How long have you not slept-"

Yoo Jae-kyung, holding his aching head, answered with six fingers.

"Such is the case."

"Minister Kim Doo-sik."

"Speak."

"Please lend me a hand."

"Why should I do that?"

Kim Doo-sik asked expressionlessly as usual, and Minister Yoo Jae-kyung's eyes, though tired, were still sharp.

"Do you know what we have in common?"

"Your constant questioning is quite tiring."

"We are not politicians, and we have our own domains."

This economic bureaucrat and military man were, in name and reality, the leaders of the Republic of Korea.

Army General Kim Doo-sik was the person who established the remarkable defense line in Chungcheong. During the Government Affairs incident, he salvaged the collapsed Seoul defense line (more than half of the national army), minimized the damage, and immediately set up a defense line in Chungcheong to stop the southward advance of the monsters.

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung, who was a budget director (a position that doesn't fit the term "ordinary") when the gate first opened, was recognized for his abilities and became the chief commander of the national administration by the consensus of the Sejong City bureau chiefs. He has been in this position ever since.

Thus, they were representatives of the military and the civil service.

"We are classified as key figures in the Won Ok-bun cabinet, and our names are also on the presidential survey."

Yoo Jae-kyung, without a doubt, was effectively serving as the Prime Minister, overseeing the cabinet administration, and Kim Doo-sik, during the salvage of the Chungcheong defense line, became a case of a colonel taking full authority with the help of Won Ok-bun.

Thus, both are classified as part of the Won Ok-bun faction.

Yoo Jae-kyung kept emphasizing these commonalities, and Kim Doo-sik, as usual, calmly summarized Yoo Jae-kyung's words.

He didn't like beating around the bush.

"Yes. We have expertise in our respective fields, and that's why we have our positions in the current system. Listening to you, it seems we are in similar positions."

Interpretation: So, what do you want, kid?

Yoo Jae-kyung put on a serious face.

"That's just a secondary point. The biggest commonality is something else."

"......What is it?"

"We are not living alone."

He drank cold green tea while sharpening his tired eyes and looked at Kim Doo-sik.

"How many people are we responsible for?"

"......"

"Many, right?"

"Many."

"But we can be purged at any time due to the interests of the political sphere. However, aren't we the ones doing the actual work? Why do we have to live so insecurely? Why do we have to worry and neglect our duties?"

"Isn't the legislature's oversight of the cabinet part of democracy?"

"This is not oversight but exploitation."

The Republic of Korea is not a country where the separation of powers is strictly maintained.

To be precise, the political sphere sometimes adheres to the separation of powers and sometimes does not.

"I can't handle this. I don't know when or how I might die. We need to prevent the political sphere from affecting people like us on the front lines."

"......"

"Just let us focus on saving the Korean economy and national defense. Why should we be unable to do our jobs in this situation because we are running errands for the political sphere?"

Yoo Jae-kyung's tightrope walking and sycophancy to Won Ok-bun were voluntary, but Kim Doo-sik also empathized with his earnest appeal.

After all, he had also told Han Seung-moon something similar, asking him not to interfere with the military.

So, he answered Yoo Jae-kyung,

"Indeed, I agree with what you're saying-"

"General."

Before he could finish, Yoo Jae-kyung firmly grabbed Kim Doo-sik's hand with both of his.

"Let's leave Won Ok-bun and join Han Seung-moon. Us."

Kim Doo-sik, who had just been saying he couldn't trust Han Seung-moon, was taken aback and looked at Yoo Jae-kyung.

"Minister, what do you mean?"

"I have a certain idea. If we continue like this, we will both be out."

"Really?"

"We will sink together if we cling to Won Ok-bun."

The momentum of the conversation had completely shifted to Yoo Jae-kyung.

"If we are swayed by the political sphere, the country will waver. It might have been fine in normal times, but now, we are indispensable. We need to be pillars in our respective fields to maintain order in the civil service and the military. Constant replacements will ultimately shake the roots of the nation."

Interpretation: Let's join hands and secure our positions!

"......"

"General, our responsibility is to the entire civil service and the national army. Saying we should not waver is not for our own benefit but for the positions we hold and the people those positions are responsible for."

If he were not a strong person, he would not have reached this position. Yoo Jae-kyung, now with red-rimmed eyes, firmly held Kim Doo-sik's hand with both of his.

"General."

"Ah, no, right now...!"

"We are people who take responsibility."

Yoo Jae-kyung bowed deeply, to the point where it was embarrassing to watch. The seasoned bureaucrat pressed his forehead to the table with a thud.

"Please lend me your support when I take action soon."

"Minister Yoo! Get up!"

"Will you help me?"

"Minister...!"

Yoo Jae-kyung continued with a slightly trembling voice.

"The responsibility on our shoulders is not light."

And Yoo Jae-kyung thought to himself,

'Mijoo, this is how your father lives.'

The responsibility was not the same, but ultimately, it was responsibility that made middle-aged men bow their heads.

*

"The responsibility is really heavy."

Seol Jin-woon sat across from me, stirring a piece of raw fish gloomily. And this was at my house.

The reason I was listening to the story of this 20-year-old sword master at my dining table was due to my aunt's past remarks.

In the stories of Yeo Do-yeon, which she revealed in the hospital, Seol Jin-woon's name often appeared. My aunt had decided to bring him over and feed him at least once.

It was more out of a strict sense of debt than generous rural hospitality, but personally, I didn't distinguish between the two in my aunt's character. She was a rather twisted person, so her expressions might be a bit immature.

Regardless, the fact that the kid was being treated to a generous serving of raw fish at my house remained unchanged. Of course, this was a highly political thought. Ultimately, the conclusion was more important than the reason.

And the reason I was having such trivial thoughts was because the kid's words were making me uncomfortable.

"......From the DDP camp to Seoul. I killed a few to save many. Even if I rise higher, I don't think I'll be able to do better things."

"......"

"......Yes. To be frank, I lack confidence, I'm scared, and I'm so tired that I don't want to do it anymore."

The reason Seol Jin-woon refused the position of vice president of the Awakened Association was the same as why I avoided actively intervening in the general election and taking power.