Steam rose faintly from the teacup.
The silence was broken by Yoon Changho’s voice.
“...No one knows how terrifying you can be better than I do. You haven’t forgotten, have you? That I’m the one who carried out the removals and burials whenever you decided soone needed to disappear.”
“Yes. But power changes people. I don’t trust politicians. I trust you, Chief Prosecutor. So please don’t make your enemy.”
Since we first built our connection, Yoon Changho had never once disappointed .
Whatever I asked him to do, he did—without exception.
Even if it was for his own rise, the result remained unchanged.
“I have no intention of becoming your enemy.”
“Then that’s enough. Just wanted to say it. I got burned once by Kim Hakgwon.”
It was a short warning, but Yoon Changho would have understood perfectly.
We talked about preparations for launching the new party until the tea went completely cold.
“Hold a press conference next week. Announce the creation of a new party. Say we need to break out of the two-party system and that you're forming a new centrist party for the people, without taking cues from anyone.”
“Will it gain traction?”
“Both the Conservative and Progressive Parties will soon begin selecting candidates. # Nоvеlight # We need to seize the spotlight first. To attract good talent, the sooner, the better. I’ll handle the dia. I’m also starting online opinion campaigns.”
“Online?”
Yoon Changho looked puzzled, so I added with a smile.
“The influence of online public opinion will only grow. The two main parties haven’t prepared for that yet. Using the internet will be a powerful tool for gaining popular support.”
“Got it.”
“And you must run in Jongno. Even if you lose.”
Yoon Changho’s eyes widened in shock.
“Jongno?”
“It’s not called Korea’s No.1 political battleground for nothing. The Conservative and Progressive Parties have alternated wins there for years. It’s the heart of politics.”
“And you want to run there?”
“You need to grow your political weight. The goal isn’t just to beco a mber of the National Assembly—it’s the presidency.”
Yoon Changho couldn’t give a quick yes.
I understood his hesitation, but it had to be Jongno. No other place.
“Worried about losing?”
“Of course. How could soone who lost their first election even dream of becoming president?”
“This is a move toward the presidency. If you run in a safe district and win, it won’t carry any weight.”
“Still...”
“We won’t hold back on anything to secure your win. Don’t worry too much.”
Given how competitive Jongno was, I already had a good idea of who the candidates would be. I had gathered plenty of dirt and leverage on each of them in advance.
“If you say so, I’ll trust you. There hasn’t been a ti when your advice didn’t lead to success.”
“You’re giving too much credit.”
“I’ve known you since you were a high schooler. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you never start a fight you can’t win.”
Yoon Changho gave a faint smile.
“What kind of result in next year’s general election would be considered aningful?”
“Excluding the proportional representation seats, we need at least 30 to 50 constituency wins.”
“Thirty to fifty seats...”
Depending on the results, the entire political landscape could be reshaped.
We had to win as many seats as possible, but Honam was a Progressive stronghold, and Yeongnam leaned too heavily Conservative.
“That’s the bare minimum. From here, it’s not about —it’s about your ability. You’re the one running for office.”
Yoon Changho nodded in agreent.
“If I’m going to hold a press conference, what issue should I lead with? I’ll need a solid justification for entering politics.”
“I suggest using the recent Yeonpyeong naval skirmish.”
That incident was shocking enough to grab headlines.
But President Kim Hakgwon’s administration had tried to downplay it, fearing it might harm the atmosphere of reconciliation with the North.
And because South Korea had won decisively, public interest had already started to wane.
The Conservative Party, in the middle of internal strife, didn’t have the capacity to make a fuss about it.
“It’s perfect for seizing the issue. Even if the damage was minimal, it was still an inter-Korean clash.”
“Wouldn’t that make us look too conservative for a centrist party?”
“Not necessarily. With the Conservative Party currently useless, taking a firr stance won’t hurt.”
People were already struggling to get by.
“If you position yourself as conservative on national security and progressive on the economy, your centrist stance will be even more apparent.”
“That’s a good strategy.”
“I won’t interfere much with the preparation. But I’ll make sure Eva and Han Kyungyeong are present at the party launch. They’ll be more helpful than I would be.”
We discussed various things, but in the end, it all ca down to money.
“Since you’re starting this anyway, purchase a building in Yeouido and use it as the party headquarters. Real estate prices have collapsed, so it won’t cost too much. Eva probably has a suitable building in her portfolio. Just buy it through her.”
“That’ll still cost a lot...”
“I’ll take care of it.”
I planned to provide support through indirect channels, so my involvent would never be exposed.
That would serve as leverage over Yoon Changho later, just in case.
“So all I have to do is announce my entry into politics.”
“Yes. Don’t worry about the finances—what matters now is what cos next. The primaries are over. The real ga starts now. The general election will decide the presidency.”
It was ti to see the report card on Yoon Changho—my long-term investnt.
What kind of future would I create? Could I truly reshape the grand narrative of history?
I intended to watch with great interest.
The weekend passed. The day of Yoon Changho’s press conference arrived.
Every major news outlet sward the venue.
There hadn’t been a major political event since the last by-election, so this conference attracted plenty of attention.
— Good afternoon. I’m Yoon Changho.
Finally, Yoon Changho stepped in front of the caras. A flurry of flashes erupted.
— The reason I stand before so many journalists today is to respond to the voices of the people.
He glanced around the room before continuing.
— Since stepping down as Chief Prosecutor, I’ve t many of our nation’s young people—the future of Korea. Unlike our generation, they lose sleep each night over job anxiety. It breaks my heart.
In a calm tone, Yoon Changho cited the IMF crisis and current economic conditions, criticizing both the previous and current administrations.
— Peace between the two Koreas is important. But what peace is more important than national security? As a Korean citizen, I was deeply disappointed in this governnt’s silence toward the North’s military provocations, and I was shocked by statents from so Progressive Party mbers.
When he ntioned the First Battle of Yeonpyeong, his voice grew passionate and forceful.
— The Conservative Party, which should be checking the governnt’s power, didn’t even consider the people. They bickered amongst themselves just to maintain their grip on power. They didn’t release a single statent condemning the governnt’s silence.
I was watching the press conference live on TV.
‘He really is the real deal. Knowing when to show emotion and when to suppress it—that’s no easy feat.’
No matter how much I backed him, it was still Yoon Changho standing before the nation.
If he didn’t perform well, everything would fall apart.
— When I left the prosecution, I had no desire for power. I only wanted to serve the younger generation. I turned down nurous recruitnt offers from political parties. But I couldn’t stand by and watch countless politicians ignore, deceive, and divide the people.
After about ten minutes, Yoon Changho’s statent was nearing its conclusion.
— I don’t know how the public will view soone like —soone with no political experience—suddenly stepping into politics. But I want to repay the interest and support I’ve received from the people. I’ve decided to form a political party that thinks only of the people, unbound by ideology.
Yoon Changho took a deep breath and gave his closing remarks.
— To the people I respect: for life to change, politics must change. Though I may be alone now, I await support from like-minded comrades and citizens. I will beco a politician who serves the country—not left, not right. Thank you.
After finishing his remarks, Yoon Changho stepped to the side and gave a deep 90-degree bow.
He gave the photographers about thirty seconds—plenty of ti—then began taking questions from reporters.
As rehearsed, he responded to prearranged questions from friendly journalists. The press conference wrapped up smoothly.
The political world was rocked by Yoon Changho’s surprise announcent.
The dia rushed to dig up his past accomplishnts and showered him with praise, while both the Conservative and Progressive Parties scrambled to find dirt on him.
But I had long since compiled even the smallest scraps of information that could possibly beco a weakness for Yoon Changho.
They wouldn’t find anything.
“What do you think? It’s ti for you to step in now.”
“Haa...”
I sat across from Myungsoo, who let out a deep sigh.
“Tomorrow, take over the Triad guys from Chairman Lee and hold a press conference. You’ll start getting dia exposure. I’ll generate the issues for you.”
It was ti for Myungsoo’s grand debut.
“Just before next year’s general election, we’ll reveal the corruption of President Kim Hakgwon’s youngest son, Kim Junggeun—but we’ll fra it as you being forced to resign under political pressure.”
Myungsoo’s jaw dropped at the idea of investigating the president’s family.
“You insane bastard! You trying to get your friend killed?!”
The prosecution was already being reshuffled with the president’s allies.
They even tried to dissolve the Central Investigation Departnt, but public backlash forced them to back off. Still, many prosecutors had already resigned.
“That’s exactly the point. We’ll stage it so that the Central Investigation Departnt snatches the case from you. Then you hold a press conference. Release all the materials I give you to the dia and resign.”
A prosecutor brought down for investigating corruption in the president’s family—tragic and unjust.
The perfect launchpad for a political career.
“The evidence is solid, right?”
“Yeah. He was involved in every kind of shady deal. They say a tiger doesn’t give birth to a dog, but turns out that’s bullshit. He’s trash. Real trash.”
If it exploded, it could be a fatal blow to the morality of Kim Hakgwon’s administration.
Bribery, entertainnt, even real estate speculation—land bought under borrowed nas in areas marked for new city developnt.
“Dropping it now would just split the headlines with Yoon Changho. We’ll drop it in January or February.”
“Next year, huh...”
Myungsoo swallowed nervously.
“You can handle it, right?”
“Phew, yeah. I’ve already made up my mind. No point backing out now.”
“Get into the National Assembly this election. Build your power base. Use both money and pressure. You’re good at that kind of sneaky stuff.”
“Damn punk, is there anything you won’t say to your friend? You trying to die?”
Myungsoo glared at threateningly.
I just laughed.
“My goal is to shift the system to a parliantary one, like Japan. Yoon Changho will be the next president. If we can get the constitutional andnt during his term, that’d be perfect. This general election is critical.”
“Parliantary system?”
“Yeah. The presidency only lasts five years. But with a parliantary system, if you maintain your coalition, you can hold power for decades.”
Instead of panicking every ti the presidency changes hands, it’s better to seize control of the National Assembly and change the system entirely.
“We’ll watch the results of this election and the 2002 presidential race. Until then, just focus on getting in and expanding your base.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers