Free Web NovelI couldn’t help but laugh when Kim Hakgwon, clearly in a rush, burst in and started questioning me without even a greeting.
“This isn’t something to laugh about, man!”
Was this because of Chief Prosecutor Hyun Seongtaek’s arrest? Well, it was a big deal.
In the entire history of the Republic, no sitting chief prosecutor had ever been arrested before.
Even more shocking, the Prosecutor General himself had approved it, and the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office had personally cuffed the Seoul District Chief Prosecutor.
That it all happened without the President’s knowledge—and that he now realized I was involved—must have made him anxious.
“We should move somewhere else to talk. Every word said here has to be recorded.”
Every conversation in the President’s office was recorded by law—the Presidential Records Act made it unavoidable.
Since what we were about to discuss could become a major issue, we needed to change locations.
“Hmm...”
Kim Hakgwon swallowed quietly.
I had visited the Blue House many times, but this was the first time I’d ever made such a request.
Naturally, Kim Hakgwon was torn.
“This must be quite an inconvenient moment. For you to be this cautious.”
After a moment of hesitation, Kim Hakgwon nodded and picked up his internal phone to call the Chief Secretary.
“Cancel everything on today’s schedule. I’ll be staying at the residence tonight, having a drink with Mr. Kim.”
“Sir?”
The Chief Secretary, clearly startled by the abrupt order to cancel the entire schedule, asked in confusion.
“What’s there to ask? I said cancel everything.”
“But, sir, there’s an important meeting—”
Frowning, Kim Hakgwon raised his hand to silence him.
Sweat beaded on the Chief Secretary’s forehead as he tried to continue, but Kim Hakgwon cut him off.
“Tell Prime Minister Baek to lead the meeting instead. He can just report the results afterward.”
After finishing the instructions, Kim Hakgwon rose from his seat and turned to me.
“A drink today sounds good, right?”
“Of course. I already kept my schedule clear.”
“Good. I just got a fine bottle of wine. Let’s talk over that for a change.”
“Understood, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Mr. President.”
I stood up after him. The Chief Secretary glanced at me, then tried one more time to stop him.
“Sir, you can’t just cancel your schedule so abruptly like this—”
“Hey, do I need your permission for my own plans?”
“...My apologies.”
“And how long have you been working here now? Still calling me ‘Your Excellency’? I’ve told you countless times not to. Are you going to keep that up until I retire?”
“N-no, Mr. President.”
The Chief Secretary bowed his head quickly.
Kim Hakgwon looked down at him disapprovingly before turning away.
“Come along. The head chef’s side dishes are top-notch.”
His tone was far more generous than it had been toward the secretary.
I followed him out toward the presidential residence.
“I already told them we’re coming, but it’ll take some time to prepare the food. Care to take a short walk first?”
“Whatever’s comfortable for you, Mr. President.”
Nodding, Kim Hakgwon led the way down the garden path.
It was late summer, the heat mostly gone, perfect weather for a stroll.
“My days walking this path are almost over. Feels like only yesterday I first came here.”
“You’ve worked hard all this time.”
“So much has happened. I don’t even know why I wanted this job so badly... Looking back now, it all seems so meaningless.”
Approaching the end of his term, Kim Hakgwon had grown unusually sentimental.
Since I couldn’t really sympathize, I only gave mechanical, polite replies.
“Mr. Kim. I’ve been in politics for decades. There were times I had to risk my life, times I was cornered almost to death. And somehow, I ended up here. But you know, even sitting in this seat, I couldn’t change everything.”
I knew exactly where he was going with this, so I just kept quiet and listened.
“Before I even took office, the foreign exchange crisis hit. The IMF demanded I sign humiliating papers while I was still just a candidate. So when I finally took office, I poured everything I had into overcoming that crisis.”
Of course, the IMF’s tyranny didn’t end there.
But under Kim Hakgwon, the country escaped IMF management much faster than in my memory.
“Thanks to your leadership, we paid off our IMF debt quickly. I doubt anyone else could have done that.”
“Haha! I appreciate that. Seems my luck’s finally turning in my twilight years—hearing that from you, of all people. Still, if it weren’t for you, it would’ve taken longer. You know that, don’t you?”
Why was he suddenly flattering me like this?
As I hesitated, unsure how to respond, Kim Hakgwon continued.
“You know something? There were times I really hated you.”
“Is that so?”
He stopped walking. freewёbnoνel.com
Even the Blue House security guards following at a distance stopped as well.
Turning toward me, Kim Hakgwon smiled faintly.
“Come on, don’t play dumb. You threatened me more than once. I honestly thought that once I became President, no one would dare look me in the eye. The business world, the National Assembly—they all bowed their heads. Well, most of them did. But you were different. You stood tall, even in front of me, and pushed through whatever you wanted to do without ever backing down.”
I gave a small nod. There was no reason to deny it.
“That’s when I started to feel self-contempt.”
“...”
“When I had to back down after you threatened me.”
“I’m sorry. But... at that time, I had no choice.”
Even if I went back, I would make the same decision.
At my apology, Kim Hakgwon let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.
“It’s all in the past. Doesn’t matter anymore.”
Smiling faintly, he resumed walking.
He didn’t say another word until we reached the residence.
“I’ll be in the residence all day today—no one is to disturb us.”
After firmly warning the guards, Kim Hakgwon led me inside.
“Honey, I heard you canceled all your appointments today?”
The First Lady took his jacket as he entered the living room.
“Yes. I’m having a drink with Mr. Kim.”
At that, Lee Seonkyung turned toward me with a gentle smile.
“Oh my, Mr. Kim. Welcome. It feels like I haven’t seen you since the inauguration.”
“Yes, Madam. It’s been a while.”
“This must be the first time you two are drinking alone, right?”
Had I ever drunk with Kim Hakgwon before? Not that I could recall.
We weren’t close enough for that kind of setting anyway. freewebnoveℓ.com
“It seems this is the first time. We’ve shared drinks at banquets, but never just the two of us.”
“Just you two? I was hoping to at least sneak a glass while serving snacks. You do know I’m a great cook, right?”
Her cooking was famous, though I’d never tried it myself.
Apparently, since Kim Hakgwon often brought guests home late at night, she was used to preparing food and side dishes even at odd hours.
“Of course. It would be an honor.”
“Dear, don’t bother us tonight. I’ll be alone with Mr. Kim.”
He scolded her lightly and chuckled.
“All right. Let me know if you need more snacks. The head chef’s already preparing something.”
He nodded, and Lee Seonkyung smiled at me again before leaving.
“Come along.”
He led me not to the annex, but to a small dining room inside the main building.
Wine and side dishes were already set, and the chef stood waiting.
“Good work today. You can go home.”
“No, sir. I’ll stay on standby.”
“No need. If anything’s missing, I’ll ask my wife to prepare it. I want to eat her cooking for a change. Everyone can go.”
“Yes, sir.”
The chef bowed briefly and exited.
Once the dining room was empty, Kim Hakgwon took his seat first.
It was a modest, home-style table, smaller than I expected—probably because it was part of his private quarters.
I sat down across from him.
“I didn’t know a place like this existed.”
“Haha, right? It’s the first space I had made after moving in here. Always felt awkward eating in that huge dining hall. When it’s just my wife and me, we eat here.”
I smiled, looking around. The cozy atmosphere really did reflect his personality.
Kim Hakgwon lifted the wine bottle and offered it to me.
“Here, have a drink.”
I accepted the pour with both hands, and he filled his own glass as well.
“Come to think of it, as my wife said, this really is the first time we’re drinking together, just the two of us.”
“That’s right.”
“We’ve met plenty, yet never shared a drink. Feels strange. Once I retire, I probably won’t see you much, and that’s a bit disappointing.”
“Not at all. I’ll visit whenever I can.”
At that pleasant reply, he smiled softly and took a sip.
I also savored the aroma and tilted my glass.
“Nice bouquet.”
“A gift from the French Ambassador. I’ve been saving it. Come on, try the food.”
As expected of the Blue House kitchen, the dishes were refined and perfectly balanced.
“The chef’s excellent. This is delicious.”
“I was worried since he’s not trained in French cuisine, but I’m glad it suits your taste. Next time, I’ll have him make his special jjamppong.”
“Jjamppong, sir?”
He nodded.
The word brought Park Dongsu to mind.
He’d shown up uninvited at my graduation, insisting we eat Chinese food together.
— Hey! Buddy!
Even when I pretended not to notice, he’d chased after me until he sat down.
Remembering his cheerful grin made me smile involuntarily.
“Mr. Kim, you must like jjamppong. Or are you thinking of something else?”
“Ah... it reminded me of the jjamppong I used to eat as a kid. I guess that’s why I smiled.”
“Was it an expensive place? For it to stick in your memory like that?”
I shook my head lightly.
No, it wasn’t. But the atmosphere was good—good people, good time.
“No. Just a neighborhood Chinese place. The food wasn’t special, but the people I ate with were good. That’s probably why I remember it fondly.”
“Exactly. When the company is good, any meal becomes memorable. You’ve learned something most people realize only much later.”
Smiling, Kim Hakgwon finished his glass.
Thanks to the laughter, the conversation flowed easily after that.
We talked about this and that until we emptied the bottle.
After downing the last sip of wine, his expression turned serious.
“Now then, let’s get to the point. What’s this all about? Why did you take down the Chief Prosecutor?”
I drained my glass too and dropped my smile.
“First, I must apologize. I acted without your permission.”
“That’s fine. If you did it, I’m sure there was a reason. Let’s hear it.”
“Chief Prosecutor Hyun was one of Choi Sunman’s men. He was preparing to trap me.”
“I know about Choi Sunman and Hyun’s long history. But what does that have to do with you?”
Kim Hakgwon looked genuinely puzzled. So he really didn’t know.
I set my glass down and met his eyes.
“Choi Sunman is preparing a coup.”
“What? What are you talking about!”
His eyes went wide, his voice rising.
“Exactly what I said. He’s planning another coup d’état.”
I pulled a folded sheet of paper from my coat and slid it across the table.
“These are the names of Choi Sunman’s loyal officers still embedded in the military. All of them should have their ranks stripped. Please, Mr. President—draw your sword one last time.”
At my shocking words, Kim Hakgwon stared at me in disbelief.
