The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 36

Reverting as a Conglomerate President to Become a President 1967- Episode 36 (36/225)

36. By-Election Campaign

Switzerland.

Ski enthusiasts were speeding across the snowy fields.

Dressed in ski attire, Libanos was surrounded by beautiful women at a chalet when he greeted Chairman Jung.

“Welcome. That was a very attractive proposal.”

“Thank you. I will build you the best ship in the world.”

“Hahaha, I don’t know where you get such confidence. You don’t even have a shipyard, do you?”

“It will be built simultaneously.”

“Hahaha, you’re like a madman. It’s refreshing to witness such passion after so long. Very well! I will order two oil tankers.”

“Thank you, Chairman!”

“But you must keep the contract. Failure will mean an irreversible and fatal bet for you.”

“There will be no failure.”

With that, he barely succeeded in securing an order for two large oil tankers and received approval from the ECGD [Export Credit Guarantee Department, ensuring loans for overseas projects].

Chairman Jung began building Ulsan Shipyard, Korea’s first modern shipyard, relying solely on foreign loans.

Through Apple Door’s mediation, he successfully introduced $50 million in commercial loans from four countries—England, West Germany, Spain, and France—allowing him to simultaneously begin construction of the shipyard and build two large ships.

Because there was no dock, they dug into the sandy beach to create the shape.

Chairman Jung practically lived in Ulsan, going to the shipyard every day at 4 AM to encourage the workers and check the progress.

Even if he had business in Seoul, he would drive through the night to get to Ulsan for work.

Just two years and three months after the groundbreaking ceremony, Chairman Jung had created an international-scale shipyard with a construction capacity of 700,000 tons, 600,000 pyeong [approximately 495 acres] of land, and two 700,000-ton dry docks.

In a country with no experience in building 10,000-ton ships, a construction company with no shipbuilding record built a million-ton mega-shipyard.

At the same time, they completed the two oil tankers they had received orders for. It was completed half a year ahead of schedule.

Chairman Libanos, who had changed the design five times during the ship’s construction, attended the naming ceremony and exclaimed in admiration.

“This is the best-made ship I have ever seen.”

At the time, it was a vessel packed with cutting-edge technology, and they boldly entered the large oil tanker construction market, a bestseller sector fiercely contested by the world’s leading shipyards.

The shipbuilding sector, which had traditionally been entirely import-dependent, instantly reversed its status to become an export-oriented industry.

The order was a miracle, but the process of building the ship proved that it was the result of hard work.

Chairman Jung felt an immense sense of accomplishment from the successful order.

“Ah, this is why I do business!”

It was an opportunity for the regressor, who had been consumed by revenge, to change his attitude.

* * *

The Supreme Court.

The judge ruled on the third trial of the election offenders.

“Defendant Cha Jin-cheol is fined 12 million won [approximately $10,000 USD, depending on the exchange rate at the time] as per the original trial.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All election offenders who appealed to the Supreme Court had their guilty verdicts confirmed, resulting in the loss of their seats.

* * *

The National Assembly Building.

Assemblyman Cha was trying to pass through the main gate of the National Assembly in his car.

He was going to discuss countermeasures with the assemblymen who had been convicted.

However, the barricade did not rise.

“What’s this?”

Assemblyman Cha lowered the window and shouted at the guard.

“Why aren’t you opening the gate? Is it broken?”

The guard approached and said.

“You cannot enter.”

“What? If a member of the National Assembly can’t enter the National Assembly, who can?”

“We have been notified that your vehicle is prohibited from entering.”

“What, what?”

“Only those with National Assembly member status can enter.”

Assemblyman Cha grabbed the back of his neck.

“Oh, my head~”

Assemblyman Cha was no longer a gold-badged member but merely a lawbreaker.

* * *

The ruling party headquarters.

Cha Jin-cheol was meeting with the party president.

“Are you going to discard me like an old worn-out shoe?”

“Listen, Assemblyman Cha. If it’s been confirmed by the Supreme Court, there’s nothing we can do. There’s nothing left to do.”

“This is a setup, a setup. What did I do wrong? I heard His Excellency is very angry.”

“Have you met His Excellency directly?”

“Well, that’s….”

“The party is busy preparing for the by-elections. Surely you’re not here hoping for a nomination, are you?”

“Really, are you going to be like this?”

“We’re busy with the selection process, so I’ll be going now….”

The party president quickly disappeared.

Thus, the political lives of Assemblyman Cha and other assemblymen from the military came to an end.

As the military was expelled from the Assembly, Kim Jong-pil’s status plummeted rapidly.

He was now in a situation where he could only look to the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president].

* * *

The President’s office.

The President instructed Kim Jong-pil.

“Make sure there is absolutely no talk of election fraud in this by-election.”

“Understood, Your Excellency. But what about the nomination criteria?”

“Unconditionally exclude anyone with a record of election offenses.”

“Understood.”

“Give preference to clean and capable young people from the local candidate pool. And fill the proportional representation slots with experts from various fields.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

* * *

The President’s office.

Lee Seok-jae, the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection, was reporting to the President.

“Construction Minister Kim Young-wook has been confirmed to have received more than 10% of the bid price from 12 companies that won government-funded construction projects.”

“Hmm….”

“We have also confirmed testimony from an insider that he embezzled public funds by diverting materials from the Gyeongbu Expressway construction.”

“A den of corruption.”

“Your Excellency, what should we do?”

“Is there anything to consider? Hand it over to the prosecution and make an example of them.”

“Then I will collectively report the corrupt officials, including ministers, vice ministers, and 3rd-grade officials and above, to the prosecution.”

“Yes. Let’s show those officials who take bribes for permits and embezzle public funds what’s what.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

Next, he called Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil and instructed him.

“Let’s gradually bring civil servant salaries up to a realistic level. We must give junior civil servants enough to live on and then demand integrity, don’t you think?”

“That is a wise policy.”

“Increase it gradually to 70% of large company salaries within five years.”

“Understood.”

“And let’s make 10% of civil servant salaries variable as an annual performance incentive.”

“Are you saying we should introduce performance-based pay for civil servants, not just private companies?”

“Of course. If they become complacent, they’ll just become complacent. Increase the incentive rate over five years to 20% of their salary. We need to give more money to civil servants who demonstrate ability.”

“Understood.”

“And break down seniority in promotions. Reflect the work points of civil servants who have achieved high performance in the incentive system and give preferential treatment to positions based on ability.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

The President provided carrots and sticks at the same time to prevent collective backlash from civil servants and induce a merit system.

“And don’t increase the number of civil servants, but create corporations in each department that do business to generate their own salaries. Recruit the heads of the corporations through open recruitment based solely on ability. Absolutely no political favors or parachute appointments.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“And let’s create a bill for the political neutrality of civil servants and a Ministry of Health and Welfare.”

Soon, the realization of civil servant salaries and the introduction of performance-based pay, public corporations in each ministry (Korea Water Resources Corporation, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Korea Expressway Corporation, Korea National Oil Corporation, Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, etc.), administrative orders and laws on the political neutrality of civil servants were announced.

* * *

Cha Jin-cheol’s mansion.

Kim Young-wook and Cha Jin-cheol were raising their glasses.

Kim Young-wook was in a frenzy.

“To think they’d just cut me off like this! They can’t do this to me!”

“See? Everyone was skeptical, but they’re finally purging the revolutionary heroes.”

“Are we really just going to take this lying down?”

“At least you have the right to be elected. I can’t even run for five years.”

“Run? The by-election!”

“That’s right.”

“But I’ve been branded as a corrupt official, so the party won’t nominate me.”

“There’s always independent.”

“Independent! Wait, when is the candidate registration deadline?”

* * *

The President read a statement directly.

“This by-election for the National Assembly is a reflection on election fraud and corruption. In the event of illegal activities by candidates, as well as failure to maintain neutrality by public officials such as the military and government offices, they will be severely punished regardless of their position. I hope the election management committee and the fair election monitoring group will uphold fair elections.”

It was unusual for the President to declare election neutrality ahead of an election.

Even if it existed, it was merely a strategic lip service.

However, this statement was immediately followed by action.

* * *

Seoul City Hall.

A secret meeting was held in the City Hall executive conference room.

Mayor Kim, the mayor of Seoul, was leading the meeting.

Mayor Kim was from the military and had served as the mayor of Busan before becoming the mayor of Seoul in 1966. He was a bulldozer mayor who reorganized the haphazardly developed Seoul with urban planning.

During Chairman Wang’s era, he resigned due to the collapse of the Woou Apartment, a symbol of hasty and poor construction.

In fact, the urban planning ideas were designed by Vice Mayor Cha Il-seok.

Cha Il-seok was a veteran of the Korean War who crossed the line of death and then went to the United States to study. He was one of the few Korean students to intern at the Nassau County Urban Planning Bureau in New York, where he learned how to design cities that were comfortable and safe for people.

Modeled after Manhattan in New York, he transformed Yeouido, which was then a useless garbage sand island, into Korea’s Manhattan.

However, during the military administration, Mayor Kim was the figurehead.

The reason Mayor Kim hosted today’s secret meeting was to support the ruling party candidate. The results of the 7th National Assembly election were ‘rural ruling, urban opposition.’ In other words, the ruling party swept the countryside, while the opposition party swept the cities.

As the mayor of the largest city in Korea, he had been severely reprimanded by former KCIA Director Kim Young-wook at the time, so he was determined to make up for it in this by-election.

However, Vice Mayor Cha did not attend the political gatherings, citing his schedule.

The mayor said.

“Well, let’s make sure the ruling party wins in Seoul this time. Brother-in-law, mobilize some of the kids in Jongno [a district in Seoul].”

The brother-in-law, who was parachuted into the position of Director of Transportation for Seoul, had close ties with gangsters.

The demolition squad members were backed by these thugs, and the brother-in-law was on friendly terms with them, exchanging favors.

During the election season, they would terrorize opposing candidates or extort money by threatening their wrongdoings, or work as election campaigners.

They were gradually evolving into election brokers, selling membership lists of kinship groups, alumni associations, hometown associations, and clubs.

“Should I cripple the ruling party candidate who comes out in Chungmuro [a district in Seoul]? So they can’t campaign, brother.”

“Brother-in-law, is this the Liberal Party era? Are you going to swing a club? The military and police will show up with guns right away.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“You have to change with the times in a sophisticated way.”

“Then how….”

“These days, if you get caught in an election law violation, your election is immediately invalidated. Don’t you know Cha Jin-cheol got his head chopped off? Even the President’s close aides are cut off with one stroke.”

“…….”

“Pretend to be an opposition election worker and hand out money. In the name of the opposition party.”

“Ah! What a method! You’re a genius, brother, a genius.”

“Hmm, not just anyone can be the mayor of Seoul.”

“I’ll operate on all four districts like that, brother!”