Free Web NovelSeveral days had passed since the National Assembly elections ended.
Because both of us were busy, it was only past midnight when I finally met with Yoon Changho.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you face to face, hasn’t it, junior?”
I had called him to a place I had prepared in secret. When Yoon Changho stepped inside and saw me, he greeted me with a bright smile.
I stood up to return his greeting. His face looked refreshed, as if good fortune had visited him since the last time we met.
“Yes, President Yoon. With the election going on, it’s been difficult to meet.”
There had been too many eyes watching during the campaign. If we had met then, pointless rumors might have started to spread.
Nodding, Yoon Changho took off his suit jacket, draped it over a chair, and loosened his tie.
The way he relaxed his collar looked almost like a ritual to shake off tension. I stayed silent, waiting for him to open the conversation.
“It’s tougher than when I was a prosecutor. Reporters desperate to find some dirt chase me around, and I have to be cautious with every single word I speak...”
Though his words sounded like a complaint, his face was filled with ease.
Sensing he was exaggerating, I let out a small laugh.
“Haha, it can’t be helped. Politics is a living thing. Since you’re already thinking about the presidency, you must always be careful.”
At the sweet word “presidency,” Yoon Changho’s expression softened. He nodded while glancing around the room. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
“Now that I think about it, there’s not even a server here.”
“From now on, whenever I meet you, it will be only the two of us. If you need anything, Manager Ma will bring it. The fewer people who know we meet, the better.”
I picked up a bottle of whiskey from the table and held it out to him.
“It’s good liquor, President. A good day deserves good liquor.”
“Oh, this looks fine.”
I poured into his glass, then into mine.
He joked that it was even better because I was serving him, and raised the glass to take in the aroma.
“Even the scent is different.”
Pouring the whiskey into a glass with ice, he swirled it lightly.
“These days, I often feel what they call the change of the times. When I first jumped into politics, the strongholds of the Conservative and Progressive Parties seemed too high to overcome. I wondered if we could even manage it...”
His words carried pride.
“As they say, nothing lasts forever.”
Their fledgling Centrist Party had just defeated the two giants. Of course he was pleased.
“But that doesn’t mean their strength is gone. For fifty years, those people dominated Korean politics. If they sense weakness, they’ll rush at you like hyenas.”
Nodding, Yoon Changho smiled faintly and lifted his glass.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Let’s drink.”
The glasses clinked, and we drank a mouthful of whiskey.
There was no need for a long toast; this drink itself was a wish for each other’s brighter future.
“Mmm... good.”
He liked the whiskey, judging by the relaxed expression that spread across his lips.
“Take a bottle with you. There are only a few of these in the world. I managed to get a few, but I brought one just for you.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
The conversation went on with trivial chatter as the drinks flowed.
After a while, with the liquor loosening his tongue, Yoon Changho suddenly leaned in.
“Now, tell me your plan. The general election was won, and we secured a majority. What’s next? Making me president isn’t the end, is it?”
I hadn’t yet revealed my real plan to him.
“No, wait. I’ll try to guess. Let’s see if I’m right.”
Setting his glass down, he stroked his chin and spoke slowly.
“A parliamentary cabinet system, right?”
“...”
Honestly, I was surprised. I hadn’t thought he would hit on my plan so precisely.
I masked my reaction and listened.
“I thought about why you wanted to start a new party. Even if I become president, it’s only for five years. Even with Myungsoo around, he can’t immediately run for president after me. He’d need to be at least forty.”
I said nothing, only fiddling with my glass, but that seemed to confirm his guess. His tone grew firmer.
“After almost being betrayed by Kim Hakgwon, you wouldn’t back just anyone for president. That leaves only the parliamentary cabinet system.”
So, he’d been thinking more deeply than I expected. For a moment, the memory of Kim Hakgwon flashed across my mind.
Without agreeing or denying, I simply refilled his glass.
“You’ve become quite the politician yourself. You even know how to test me.”
The liquor filled his glass and kept rising, spilling over.
“But, President... even if you become president, don’t start harboring thoughts like Kim Hakgwon did.”
Whiskey spilled across the table, reflecting Yoon Changho’s startled face.
‘Still unseasoned.’
Setting down the bottle, I spoke softly.
“Remember who put you in that seat. And remember you can be thrown out of it at any time. I doubt you’d want to be chased away from a throne you worked so hard to reach.”
I had intended to warn him eventually, after hearing from Myungsoo that he disliked faction-building. But I hadn’t expected him to test me first.
Today I had meant only to celebrate the election win.
Brushing the whiskey off my fingers, I met his eyes again.
“Right now you may feel like you own the world. I understand. But until I speak, don’t presume to know my thoughts. You’re wise enough to understand what I mean.”
I pressed the bell at my side. Manager Ma entered.
“Bring another bottle of the same whiskey. One will be a gift for the President, so have it wrapped.”
While Ma went down to the cellar, silence filled the room.
Yoon Changho’s face was stiff.
When I smiled and picked up the cold neck of the new bottle Ma brought in, Yoon swallowed nervously.
“President, are you unsettled?”
“...”
“I respect you. Even with my support, achieving this much was not easy.”
If he vanished now, I couldn’t guarantee how the Centrist Party would turn out. Politicians, after all, had sharper noses than anyone else. If they doubted a presidential victory, they’d scatter like birds.
“Don’t cross the line, President. Do you understand?”
There was no one to replace him yet.
He must have thought he was now my equal partner.
I swirled the ice in my glass, the clinking sound filling the quiet.
“...Why are you so angry, junior? If I offended you, I apologize.”
He chose to bow his pride and apologize. His fingertips trembled slightly.
“I only thought I should know your plan in order to help. That’s why I guessed.”
It was a little too provocative for that excuse.
When all was ready, I would tell him. Why try to pry it out beforehand?
“I’ve watched you since you were young. How could I possibly have other intentions?”
The warning seemed enough, so I tapped his shoulder lightly and rose to pour fresh drinks.
“Here, take another glass.”
He accepted, and I poured for him.
“The next president will be you. We must make constitutional reform the major issue of the election. To do that, you must firmly control the party.”
For now, I still needed him. Hunting dogs that catch rabbits this well aren’t easy to find.
“Don’t check Myungsoo. Senior lawmakers will be yours to manage, but the first-term lawmakers will be his. That’s the balance.”
I set down the bottle and raised my glass.
“Your term will be guaranteed, and even after retirement, you will share power. But in return, whatever I decide to do, you must follow.”
Yoon Changho clinked his glass to mine with a strained smile. His lips stiffened, though he ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) forced a laugh.
“Haha, of course.”
He tilted his head back and emptied the glass in one gulp.
“Yes, President, the parliamentary cabinet system is my final goal. I planned to tell you once everything was prepared. Constitutional reform cannot be done overnight.”
To amend the constitution, a majority of the National Assembly had to first agree to propose it.
After that, it had to be publicly announced, then passed by at least two-thirds within sixty days.
Though the Centrist Party now held a majority, safely amending the constitution would require over 200 votes.
“And winning the people’s approval begins now. Over the next two years, you must shape public sentiment.”
If passed in the Assembly, it would still need a national referendum, with more than 50% participation and a majority in favor.
Preparation had to begin at once.
That was why I had built the image of “Yoon Changho, the man working for the people,” and “Lee Myungsoo, the righteous young politician.”
“Emphasize the flaws of the presidential system and spread only the strengths of the cabinet system.”
There is no absolute answer among forms of government in a democracy.
Even in our country, after the first president’s attempt to cling to power, public pressure had brought a cabinet system once before.
But endless factional strife over cabinet posts had left the people disillusioned. Most citizens now were negative toward it.
To change that, the National Assembly, government, and media would all need to unite in persuasion.
“Myungsoo is not your enemy. He is a companion, a fellow traveler.”
“I know.”
“Don’t check him. Otherwise, I’ll begin to doubt you.”
Understanding, Yoon Changho nodded.
“It isn’t me checking him, it’s the senior lawmakers. That’s why I spoke to him.”
“Then block them. I will win them over myself, but party discipline is your job. I ask you to handle it well.”
Smiling, I raised the bottle again.
“Come, let’s smooth over any resentment. I will never be your enemy.”
“I have none. And if you have any, tell me anytime.”
He shook his head.
“How could I resent you? Who do I owe this seat to? You cut down all the roots of trouble for me.”
The truth was, Yoon Changho was far from clean.
As a prosecutor, he had accepted backing, speculated in land, and used his position improperly. If he had no political ambitions, it might have been nothing—but later it could have been fatal.
I had cleaned it all up. Anyone dangerous was sent abroad; those who resisted were erased permanently.
“There wasn’t much to clean up. We’re only halfway up the mountain. Much remains. Politics must be handled by you and Myungsoo together.”
We clinked glasses once more and finished the drink.
“I know you have a busy schedule tomorrow. Let’s end here.”
“Haha, very well.”
Putting on his jacket, Yoon Changho spoke.
“Your trip north is soon, isn’t it?”
“So the rumors have already spread.”
“Let’s meet again after you return, President Kim.”
“I heard your wife likes apples. I’ve prepared ten boxes—share them with others too. The whiskey bottle I mentioned is included.”
Keeping a faction together required heavy spending. Politics ran on money.
“Thank you, as always.”
“If you need more, contact me anytime. Don’t hesitate.”
“Yes, yes.”
He patted my shoulder and left the bar.
A moment later, Manager Ma entered.
“He’s departed. Our staff is driving. They’ll call once he’s home.”
“All right. Call someone to clean up here, then let’s head back.”
Now I truly understood what people meant when they said drinking was an extension of work.
Having to drink to do business was tiring.
‘Anyway, I wonder what’s happened with Hyunseong. Did his parents give permission?’
The image of Hyunseong and Kang Mijin I had recently seen popped into my mind, bringing a smile.
I hoped they got their parents’ blessing without much opposition.
‘When I return from North Korea, I should help him prepare for the wedding first. It’s my friend’s affair; I can’t just leave it to Manager Ma.’
While sorting my thoughts, Yoon Changho’s words about the northern trip returned to me.
The day was nearing when I would accompany Kim Hakgwon and the government delegation to Pyongyang for the inter-Korean summit.
Like streetlights flickering by the car window, time slipped away swiftly.
