Free Web NovelA few days had passed since the National Assembly general election ended.
The broadcasts were constantly filled with talk of the Centrist Party’s overwhelming victory.
While the Centrist Party was in a celebratory mood, the Progressive Party saw Chairman Kim Seokjin step down, taking responsibility for the defeat.
The Progressive Party convened a general assembly of its lawmakers to form an emergency steering committee.
But from the very beginning, it was swallowed by internal strife.
“Are you saying we should imitate the Centrist Party now? We should do politics in the Progressive Party’s own way. What is all this nonsense about party representatives and collective leadership systems anyway!”
Representative Choi Pilyong, a four-term lawmaker and Kim Seokjin’s closest aide, raised his voice.
“Come now, Representative Choi. Times are changing. President Kim Hakgwon was the last era where boss-style politics worked. Now, shouldn’t we prevent too much authority from being concentrated in one person, as befits a democratic party?”
A fierce confrontation continued over whether to retain the chairmanship or switch to a collective leadership system like the Centrist Party’s, with a party representative and supreme committee members.
The debate between the Kim Seokjin faction and the reformist faction only grew more intense as time passed.
And this was despite the fact that the heads of each faction—Kim Seokjin and Hong Jinwoo—did not even attend the general assembly.
* * *
While that fierce struggle between factions was unfolding at the Progressive Party’s assembly.
At a shabby restaurant in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, two men sat facing each other.
“Chairman, your face looks terribly worn these past few days. It seems you’ve been under a lot of stress.”
At Hong Jinwoo’s gentle words, Kim Seokjin gave a bitter smile.
“Representative Hong, you know as well as I do. A leader who loses an election can’t even enjoy lying low in peace.”
“If it’s that uncomfortable, why not step down gracefully? Why cling on with greed? You’re stirring up trouble by mobilizing your faction’s lawmakers, aren’t you?”
Kim Seokjin’s eyes widened at Hong Jinwoo’s words, which instantly shifted into an aggressive attack.
“What did you say?”
“Step down cleanly. This isn’t the past anymore, Chairman. It’s time we followed the changes of the era. The reason the Centrist Party gained public support even after swallowing the Conservative Party is simple. They innovated. President Yoon Changho relinquished control over the party and focuses solely on governing. Didn’t you see it even during President Kim Hakgwon’s term? How difficult it is for a president to give up control over the party. Yoon Changho and the Centrist Party actually did it. They even embraced the Conservative Party, the very epitome of accumulated evils, and still pulled it off.”
Kim Seokjin said nothing, only twitching one eyebrow.
It was an old habit of his that surfaced when he was displeased.
“How about stepping down from party leadership now and preparing for the next presidential election?”
“Give up party leadership now? And then you and your faction will keep me alive?”
“How about going abroad for a while? Everyone does that, don’t they?”
“So while I’m gone, you and your faction plan to completely take over the party.”
Hong Jinwoo did not bother denying it.
“This defeat is overwhelmingly the chairman’s responsibility. We also had a card that could have turned the tide, but it was you who chose not to use it, wasn’t it?”
“That would’ve put President Kim Hakgwon in trouble as well. We couldn’t corner President Kim Hakgwon just to bring down the Centrist Party, could we?”
“If someone does wrong, they should take responsibility and be punished. Even if that person is former President Kim Hakgwon, there should be no exceptions.”
Kim Seokjin let out a low hum and fell into thought. This was why dealing with someone without blemishes was so difficult.
Exposing the issue of the illegal North Korea remittances during President Kim Hakgwon’s administration would have been a double-edged sword for the Progressive Party, but it was also a powerful card to cast suspicion over everything the Yoon Changho administration was doing.
Hong Jinwoo had insisted on making that information public, but Kim Seokjin had rejected it outright.
So Hong Jinwoo had deliberately leaked information about President Kim Hakgwon’s illegal remittances to the Centrist Party. Yet strangely, the Centrist Party showed no particular reaction.
He passed it to the media as well, but they too failed to raise much suspicion, and it fizzled out.
That was what puzzled Hong Jinwoo.
“Or is there something I don’t know?”
“You try too hard to keep your politics spotless. One day, that’ll come back to bite you.”
“If the top is clean, the bottom will be clean as well. That’s exactly why I intend to practice even cleaner politics.”
“That’s only possible because you have room to spare. Politics is money and a battle of forces.”
When Kim Seokjin replied irrelevantly, Hong Jinwoo grew irritated.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“The moment that issue is dragged out, this defeat will become meaningless. Someone far more frightening than defeat will start moving. That’s why neither the Centrist Party nor I made a move.”
Hong Jinwoo frowned. He was displeased with Kim Seokjin’s continued talk that seemed like grasping at clouds.
“What exactly are you saying? That there’s someone in this country whom both the Centrist Party and the Progressive Party—two parties that move South Korea—are afraid of? And you expect me to believe that?” freēwebnovel.com
“I know you’ve been handing out materials about the North Korea remittances here and there. Did you think I wouldn’t know? Yet no one moved. The media, the Centrist Party, not even the prosecution. Why do you think that is?”
At Kim Seokjin’s question, Hong Jinwoo replied as if it were obvious.
“Didn’t President Yoon Changho block it? He’s someone who’s practically staked his political life on this summit. And since he’s a former prosecutor, he must have the prosecution firmly in hand. It wouldn’t have been difficult to stop it. Isn’t that right?”
“Sure, President Yoon Changho probably stepped in. But since when do the media listen and obey a president’s words? No, they don’t.”
“Then what exactly are you trying to say?”
Kim Seokjin always looked down on the reformist faction and spoke in riddles.
Thinking he was doing it deliberately again, Hong Jinwoo raised his voice.
But Kim Seokjin continued in the same calm tone as ever.
“That’s enough. Never bring up that matter again. It’s already too late. Erase it from your mind, and even if you take party leadership, don’t ever think about using that card. It’ll be blocked right at the National Assembly.”
“What on earth does that—”
“Do you know a man named Kim Muhyuk?”
“Who is that?”
“The richest man in this country. The man who dismantled Ilseong Group. And the man who holds our weaknesses tightly in his grasp.”
As if asking what nonsense he was spouting, Hong Jinwoo glared at Kim Seokjin, brows drawn together.
“The people who left the Centrist Party after rejecting the nomination results. Do you think it’s a coincidence that suspicions about them are popping up one by one in the media right now? No. He’s using them as an example, warning everyone. Telling them not to cross the line.”
“......”
“Let’s see. You’re in your third term now, right? You’ve never once taken political funds, have you? In that case, maybe you wouldn’t know. But within your faction, there are probably quite a few people who’ve taken his money. No—more precisely, they took it without even knowing it was his.”
Hong Jinwoo found Kim Seokjin’s words hard to believe.
“Are you saying there’s someone manipulating South Korea from behind the scenes? And you expect me to believe that?”
“If you really set your mind to finding out, it’s something you can learn for yourself. Why would I lie about this?”
“......You’re saying it’s all true?”
“Yes. While you were busy posturing as clean and upright, he was quietly gathering our weaknesses from beneath the surface. His grandfather is Cheon Taesan. You know Cheon Taesan, don’t you?”
Hong Jinwoo, who had been sitting there in a daze, slowly nodded.
“I’ve heard of him. They called him the president of the underground economy. But the surname’s different, isn’t it?”
“A maternal grandson, perhaps? Probably something like that. At a young age, he overcame all opposition and became Cheon Taesan’s successor. From that moment on, he’s been devouring this country bit by bit from below. That’s the power of money.”
“......What is money worth, anyway.”
Hong Jinwoo °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° let out a hollow sigh. Kim Seokjin chuckled softly and spoke again.
“In today’s South Korea, money makes everything possible. Never, ever upset him. As long as you stay within the lines, he won’t move—but the moment you cross them, you’ll be crushed completely.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“For the sake of our party, you should. Especially if you want to take party leadership. Remember my words.”
Kim Seokjin’s tone was extremely serious. Hong Jinwoo nodded, then returned to the side topic they had strayed from.
“Chairman, go abroad to study. I’ll get the party in order while you’re gone. When you come back, you’ll be discussed as a presidential candidate.”
“I can’t trust your words.”
“And if you don’t? Are you saying you’ll keep fighting? We’re in a total crisis right now. It’s not just a majority—they’ve all but swallowed the constitutional amendment line. And you’d drag the Progressive Party into internal conflict over mere party leadership?”
Hong Jinwoo retorted sharply, but Kim Seokjin stubbornly held his ground.
“Make me a promise. Say that you’ll push me as the presidential candidate.”
“Haven’t I been saying that all along? If you go abroad to study, I’ll clear the way so you can be elevated as the presidential candidate.”
Kim Seokjin shook his head.
“No. In this world, the least trustworthy words are those spoken by politicians. I want a document. A handwritten pledge from you. If you do that, I’ll consider it.”
“What? A handwritten pledge? Do you think that makes sense? Why would I do something that could become a weakness in my political life later?”
Once it was left as a document rather than mere words, there was no telling when or how it might come back to trip him up.
For Hong Jinwoo, it was an absolutely unacceptable demand.
His greatest strength was his image of clean politics.
The moment such a memorandum became public, that image would be sullied beyond doubt.
“Then I’ll have to see it through to the end. Go on, try it. Let’s see if you can really do as you please.”
“Chairman!”
“I’m afraid of you. How can I trust a white crane that’s wandered into a flock of crows? I need to hold at least one weakness to feel at ease.”
“......Absolutely not. Ask for something else.”
“Then I’ll agree to the collective leadership system you want. But the party representative position will go to Representative Choi.”
“Chairman, how can you keep being so unreasonable!”
Once again, Kim Seokjin twitched one eyebrow. Folding his arms, he spoke coldly.
“This too is unacceptable, that too is unacceptable. What exactly do you want me to do? This is why young people these days...... Don’t act on emotion. I’ve made it clear. Choose one of the two. Otherwise, I’ll move within the limits of what I can do.”
With that, Kim Seokjin stood up.
“I’ll be going now. Don’t ignore my advice.”
A short while after Kim Seokjin left, Hong Jinwoo’s aide entered.
“Did things go well, Representative?”
“......Hey. Do you happen to know anything about a man named Kim Muhyuk?”
“You mean Chairman Kim Muhyuk?”
“You know him?”
“I’ve heard things. They say Eva, the CEO of Mirae Investment, takes her orders from him. There are also rumors that he’s the true owner of Joongwoo Group.”
Hong Jinwoo’s eyes widened at the unexpected name.
“What? Joongwoo Group?”
“Yes. Joongwoo Group approached our side once. But you dislike that sort of thing, Representative, so we turned them down.”
“Ha...... Looks like I was the only one who didn’t know. Find out everything you can about this man Kim Muhyuk and report back to me immediately. Understood?”
“Yes. Understood.”
Seeing his aide bow, Hong Jinwoo stood up.
“Where are you heading?”
“Home. I just want to rest today. Going back to headquarters would only mean more fighting.”
Hong Jinwoo roughly pulled open the door and left.
The aide followed after him, letting out a deep sigh.
* * *
After confirming the election results, I departed for the United States immediately.
I was flying over the ocean, reading Koryeo Daily aboard my private jet.
“They wrote the article well. This should be more than enough justification for the prosecution to move.”
I set the paper down and asked Manager Ma.
“The Progressive Party is caught in internal strife?”
“Yes. The Kim Seokjin faction and the reformist faction are locked in fierce opposition.”
“Hmm...... The head of the reformist faction is Representative Hong Jinwoo, right?”
“Yes, that’s what’s known.”
“That man is famously wealthy and known for never taking political funds...... Are there any weaknesses of his?”
“Not yet.”
Not yet. That meant that digging deeper would likely turn something up.
I curled one corner of my lips into a smile and said,
“There is no one without a weakness. Representative Hong Jinwoo has a high chance of seizing the next party leadership. Tell them to find his weakness by any means necessary.”
Once more, I rolled Hong Jinwoo’s name around in my mouth.
He was a man too famous to be unknown—someone who would one day be elected president.
He was also renowned as a spotless figure, without even a speck of dust.
It was said that even up until his inauguration as president, he never committed so much as a single expedient act like a false address registration.
But a person without a weakness simply does not exist.
I gazed at the clouds beyond the window, sinking into thought.
