Chapter 91

EP 15 - An Extra in the Political Arena (5)

Xiaoming sat in front of the TV, dazed.

- "An unprecedented situation has occurred where seven of the National Party's highest committee members have been simultaneously indicted by the prosecution. Some are saying that Won Ok-bun is using the prosecution for improper intervention, oh, this, this, it's breaking news. A sex video of National Party Policy Committee Chairman Jang Jun-seok has been leaked online..."

"Brother."

A hand landed on his chin, then his shoulder.

"Snap out of it."

"......Hojung."

"We're not completely screwed, are we?"

Lee Ho-jung gritted her teeth.

"Are you going to sit here in a daze?!"

"......What should we do then?"

"Victim cosplay...!"

* * *

「General Citizen: Everyone, who should I vote for? I've been living without caring about politics all my life, but I've started watching the news recently. I don't really understand what's going on...」

「Victory Moon: Wake up」

「General Citizen: Huh?」

「Victory Moon: If you don't want to get your head bashed in, you should run for election under Han Seung-moon.」

「Righteous Villain: Even if you do, you can't change the constitution now, idiot.」

「Selective Hipster: I thought the National Party would soar alone, but they've plummeted to the depths in no time. Honestly, it's a bit heartbreaking.」

「Righteous Villain: Have you seen those politicians who quit politics and debuted as AV actors? The old guys can really get it up, lol.」

「Forum Collapse: Kim Jo-in might have some reason to feel wronged, as the real estate bubble burst in 2022 wasn't all his fault. Honestly, everyone knew it would burst eventually. He made a choice for the country while leading a free market economy. Why is everyone so angry?」

「Southern Justice: My father committed suicide back then, you bastards.」

「Forum Collapse: You're just cursing and being a brat, you loser.」

「Southern Justice: It was better for the country to be destroyed and the ants killed. Kim Jo-in deserves to be stoned to death. Don't talk about economics if you don't understand it.」

「Cat Slave: It's a bit scary to use the internet after the scandal... I wish people would be a bit more considerate... Let's be considerate of each other as much as we are struggling...^^」

「Righteous Villain: You can say that because your family hasn't been destroyed yet.」

「General Citizen: Everyone, so who should I vote for...?」

「Forum Collapse: Honestly, I'm a bit for Han Seung-moon. The young guy is too reckless. Won Ok-bun would be a decent president, I think. I believe Han Seung-moon is the one who poured acid on Seol Jin-woon.」

「Cat Slave: What a crazy guy.」

「Righteous Villain: Laughs. Are you dissing Han Seung-moon here???」

「Inishine: Honestly, I support Han Seung-moon, but I'm cutting ties with the National Party this time. It's just a bunch of corrupt politicians, economic criminals, and drug addicts. How can I vote for them?」

「Cherry Blossom Battalion Leader: The National Party is just a party of scoundrels trying to sell Han Seung-moon's name. The major players who managed their weaknesses were already in the National Assembly, and the less major ones stayed in the Democratic and Republican parties. The only ones left in the National Party were minor has-beens who were pushed out of the central political scene. How could anything not go wrong?」

「General Citizen: So should I vote for Won Ok-bun...? But didn't Han Seung-moon say that Won Ok-bun was the one who messed up the defense?」

「Extreme Conservative: Han Seung-moon is a damn genius. Look at him sitting alone for hours at the highest committee meeting. Isn't he demonstrating that he's the only one left in the party who's still intact?」

「Dornrghrjf: I'm a 20-year-old Seoul native and a Seoul university student. Some ignorant left-wing students and Jeolla-do people, please don't call Cha Jae-kyun a puppet. Won Ok-bun is the real deal. Everyone has been afraid of the left and just complained, but has there ever been a president who truly fought against the communists? Everyone just pretended to be patriotic. Won Ok-bun is the true patriot who handled the North Korean nuclear issue and eliminated the Kim clan. This is a country. If you elect the left-wing Han Seung-moon, who is blinded by power and only sees others' faults, the country will return to a left-wing paradise!」

「Hello Law: I'm in my 50s. My nursing home peers all like Han Seung-moon.」

「Ajo Pia: Mint chocolate is delicious.」

「Jeong Seok-gwan: Han Seung-moon's efforts are commendable, but he lacks the ability to judge people. I'll reluctantly vote for number 1, but it's his own fault, so don't blame me.」

「Hello Law: They all gathered like a pack of dogs during the party merger. What are you talking about Han Seung-moon's lack of judgment?」

「Mountain Butterfly: Sadly, our country is not a place where politicians come forward to make things better. It was like that in the past and it's still like that now. And I don't think there's much difference between Won Ok-bun and Han Seung-moon. Won Ok-bun is a dictator who will use any means to gain power, and Han Seung-moon is an opportunist who cleverly incites the people to gain power. In this situation, the wise choice would be to avoid change. Even if Han Seung-moon comes to power, given the current paralysis in policy implementation, Won Ok-bun seems to be the only answer. And to begin with, a provincial politician like Jeju Governor Cheong Jung-yeop should not have run for president. I don't discriminate against Jeju residents, but 40 million people will certainly discriminate against a Jeju native.」

「Extreme Conservative: Can't you see that Han Seung-moon's lackey Yang Pan-seok is trying to crawl out? When the Jeolla-do regime comes to power, the idiots will quickly come to their senses.」

「Minglan Bibimbap: Won Ok-bun has really shown her strength. She's sent the National Party leadership packing.」

「Selective Hipster: This general election is really ambiguous. I don't want to vote for Won Ok-bun because of Han Seung-moon, but there's no one else to vote for. It feels like going to a 63 Building buffet and only finding tteokguk.」

「Gangnam Leftist: That's why I'm not voting.」

「General Citizen: Seriously, who are you telling me to vote for?」

*

I convened an emergency meeting of the National Party as the floor leader. Now, including myself and Kim Jo-in, eight of the highest committee members must gather.

It has been six hours since I called the journalists.

"......"

No one showed up.

I sat silently, waiting for others to arrive. The clock showed that six hours had passed, and seven out of the eight seats in the highest committee room were still empty.

Every time I sighed, the camera flashes went off, updating the internet news.

I carefully retraced Won Ok-bun's machinations.

When Won Ok-bun opened the cabinet, seven of the National Party's highest committee members, including Kim Jo-in, were taken down.

It was precise sniping.

Five were taken down for sex tapes, bribery recordings, covering up their children's drug use, and murder conspiracy charges.

And Kim Jo-in, who was exposed for bursting the real estate bubble a few years ago, faced assassination threats from the public. While he stabilized the housing market, he was the main culprit behind the destruction of homeowners' wealth. I remember quite a few people committed suicide.

The charges were different, but the conclusion was the same.

None of them could continue in politics in this country.

And everyone could feel who was behind it, even without any official announcement.

In this way, Won Ok-bun proved her power through this show of force. Cleverly, she did not target me, minimizing public backlash.

She had only cut off the limbs.

"Phew......"

In this situation, who would be crazy enough to come to a highest committee meeting I convened? They couldn't show their faces.

I waited endlessly, but no one appeared, and I had to sit alone, enduring the camera flashes.

"......Phew."

It was all part of the plan.

I was sitting here to completely remove the Kim Jo-in faction from the party.

Now that their political lives were effectively over, I had to maintain the position of a victim. I was indeed a victim, but I had to be even more of a victim.

Therefore, I sat alone for a full eight hours among the empty chairs, looking thoroughly betrayed and abandoned.

"......"

It was a kind of political show.

I sat motionless for eight hours, even though I knew no one would come.

In fact, political performance is a long-standing tradition in South Korea. Haven't our politicians always been prone to kneeling and begging for mercy?

From light bows to heavy hunger strikes.

Some perform 3 steps 1 bow as an apology, some kneel and offer a referendum, and some shout apologies to their daughters.

Why do politicians keep repeating these ridiculous acts?

Because they work when used well.

That's how.

No matter how much the news analyzes the National Party's highest committee members' sex tapes and criminal records, the anchors often remind the public that "Meanwhile, Han Seung-moon is still holding his position," reinforcing the image of Han Seung-moon as a victim.

Of course.

I wasn't just aiming to play the victim.

At this highest committee meeting, I was waiting for someone else.

"......"

The Jeju Governor, indicted for violating the National Security Law.

Another aide under Yang Pan-seok's orders.

Cheong Jung-yeop.

*

"You seem to be very instinctive in politics. You really didn't tell him, did you?"

[Of course not.]

"But how did you lay out the mat so beautifully? Haha!"

Cheong Jung-yeop, sitting in the back seat of the Equus, laughed heartily into the phone. It was his trademark, loved by his supporters.

"You're really perceptive. Haha!"

[Why are you laughing so much? It's like a rotten tooth has been pulled.]

"A bit of an old, rotten tooth..."

No one was unaware that he was talking about Kim Jo-in.

While his words were smooth, this was the fundamental reason Cheong Jung-yeop had agreed to Yang Pan-seok's plan.

The expulsion of Kim Jo-in. Through this, the control of the National Party's next leadership.

How was this possible in the face of Won Ok-bun's indiscriminate crackdown? This was due to the political characteristics of Jeju Island.

"Anyway, I'll go home with peace of mind. It's been fun to be back in the central political scene after a long time."

[Yeah. I heard you're getting good food from the conglomerates?]

"They're all our islanders now, aren't they?"

Jeju Island has a somewhat closed political landscape.

Specifically, the governor has strong authority. The fact that local government heads are appointed by the governor, not elected, is a clear indication of this. The governor also has control over the autonomous police, which is as strong as a presidential decree.

Cheong Jung-yeop, a seven-year governor, had perfectly taken control of the Jeju political scene after the scandal, bringing in the Federation of Korean Industries.

In other words, if Won Ok-bun wanted to control the National Party, it was more efficient to remove the Kim Jo-in faction rather than the firmly established Cheong Jung-yeop.

Also, people within the prosecution, under Yang Pan-seok's orders, secretly carried out this covert operation.

Of course, it was a very close, difficult, and subtle maneuver, but,

"Fortunately, everything went well."

They successfully expelled Kim Jo-in and drained Won Ok-bun's power.

[Yeah, you're out now.]

"Really, how can you say such things to me?"

[Just tend to your garden in Jeju. I'll finish up in the central political scene.]

"Your confidence is so strong, I might have to call you 'Your Excellency' soon?"

Cheong Jung-yeop's laughter hid a knife. Yang Pan-seok responded with a gruff voice.

[Just finish up and come out.]

"Yes, I understand! Haha!"

Cheong Jung-yeop hesitated.

"But really, you didn't say anything to Han Seung-moon?"

[If he knew, he'd get hurt. Why tell him?]

"Just a feeling, I guess."

Cheong Jung-yeop entered the press conference set up by Han Seung-moon.

*

Who is Cheong Jung-yeop?

A popular middle-aged governor of Jeju Island.

He was originally famous as a China expert. Six years ago, he negotiated with a Communist Party secretary to secure economic cooperation, which was a significant achievement considering China's diplomatic isolation.

He is fluent in Chinese and has diplomatic prestige.

The problem is, he was indicted for violating the National Security Law this time.

According to Won Ok-bun's side, he sold state secrets to China.

This story starts from his background.

There is no Cheong (靑) clan in South Korea.

Specifically, there is no Cheong clan with a bon-gwan (ancestral seat) in South Korea, like the Jinju Kang, Pungyang Jo, and Gimhae Kim clans.

So, what is Cheong Jung-yeop's bon-gwan?

China.

It was revealed that Cheong Jung-yeop's grandfather was a Chinese person living in Jeju Island.

Won Ok-bun exposed Cheong Jung-yeop's 'guanxi'.

His diplomatic prestige and the network of connections were rooted in his bloodline.

He controlled the Chinese community in Jeju, drove away fishing boats, negotiated with the secretary to build a department store, and all of this was through the connections of his grandfather, a former Communist Party official.

The intricate network of connections, through his grandfather, reached the Communist Party Central Committee, the National People's Congress, conglomerates, and even the Triad drug and violence organizations.

And.

Cheong Jung-yeop was indicted for leaking the fact that, when China tried to force us to accept a nuclear power plant, we had North Korea do the dirty work.

But.

"Should I remove my grandfather from the family register?!"

How is he getting out of this?