The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 258

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 258

Expansion (1)

The by-election finally began.

A total of 13 districts would elect new members of the National Assembly.

Of these, four districts were in Jeolla Province, a stronghold for the Grand Korea Party, and three were in Gyeongsang Province, a stronghold for the People’s Korea Party.

Since the results in those areas were predictable, the real competition would occur in the remaining six districts.

Three in Seoul, two in Gyeonggi Province, and one in Daejeon.

The problem was that Park Myung-chul, who had relatively high recognition within the People’s Korea Party and was loyal to me, was nominated in Jeolla Province instead of his original district in Gyeonggi Province.

Moreover, it wasn’t even North Jeolla Province, which had some potential, but South Jeolla Province, where even a scarecrow with the Grand Korea Party’s backing would likely be elected.

It was obvious what was happening.

Sung Tae-hyun’s side must have taken this measure to weaken me on purpose.

They couldn’t remove him entirely because they were mindful of the party members’ opinions, but they couldn’t place him in a major competitive district like Seoul or Gyeonggi Province because he would become a threat if he were elected.

Under the guise of ‘Planting the People’s Korea Party’s flag in the heart of the Grand Korea Party!’ he was banished to the periphery.

Sung Tae-hyun’s side had noticed that I was gathering people, so it was a natural countermeasure.

It couldn’t be helped.

Even if Shin Dong-hyun wasn’t actively making moves, they would be checking their power every day in this tense situation.

That’s why they were keeping me in check so severely.

The total number of people who had confirmed their allegiance to me so far was 29.

I was still two short of the 31 needed to hold the casting vote [the deciding vote in a tie].

Out of the 13 people running in the districts, three were my people.

However, one of them was Park Myung-chul, who was running in South Jeolla Province, so his chances of being elected were extremely slim.

The criteria for the casting vote could change depending on the outcome of this election, but what was certain was that at least one person had to be elected this time, and depending on the circumstances, both of the two people excluding Park Myung-chul had to be elected in order to hold the casting vote.

The next general election would be held in October of next year.

In other words, it would be around the time my term as the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office was almost over.

Therefore, if I lost this by-election and the “empty house raid” [a political strategy of taking advantage of a weakened opponent] failed, it would be the same as being pushed out of politics and receiving an irreversible verdict.

It goes without saying that I had to succeed without fail.

This by-election was more important than anything else.

That’s why I was putting aside my work as a prosecutor and focusing on helping Lee Doo-hyung’s election.

However, the initial opinion poll results, which I checked for the first time since the official election campaign period began, were not very promising.

The Grand Korea Party had 25%, the People’s Korea Party had 35%, the Manse Party had 10%, and the independent Lee Doo-hyung was running third with about 15%.

“Is God’s Hand [a codename for a person helping him] helping you well?”

I asked, waiting for the elevator, and Yoon Seol-ha replied, putting on her spring coat.

“Yes. He says he exchanges emails several times a day.”

“Emails?”

I asked, tilting my head.

“Why not by phone?”

“He says he can’t speak properly because of the plastic surgery.”

“Ah, his face must be very swollen.”

It wasn’t just one or two places, but his entire face was being redone at once, so it couldn’t be helped.

I went down to the parking lot and got into the car right away.

Yoon Seol-ha started the engine and asked, as always.

“Should I take you straight home today?”

“No. Seol-ha, you said you don’t have any dinner plans, right?”

“Yes, but…….”

“Let’s have dinner together and go home. I can’t go straight home today.”

“Is something wrong?”

“The broadcasting staff is at my house.”

“……Yes?”

She asked back as if she had misheard.

“Isn’t Doo-hyung’s policy unique this time?”

“Yes. It certainly is, but I still don’t understand what human rights and broadcasting have to do with each other.”

Lee Doo-hyung’s main campaign promise for this election was the advancement of human rights.

The Grand Korea Party, the People’s Korea Party, and the Manse Party’s candidates were, as always, promising policies on the economy, eradicating corruption, and improving residents’ welfare.

It was always a popular topic, but in other words, it was so common that it was bound to be received as stale.

That’s why Lee Doo-hyung put forward human rights.

Especially regarding children’s rights.

More than anything, Lee Doo-hyung was receiving public sympathy due to her daughter’s incident, but since she was running as an independent without belonging to a specific party, she couldn’t easily be elected without a significant impact.

Lee Chul-hyun, the People’s Korea Party candidate who had no connection to Sungwang-dong and hadn’t shown any significant movement, was starting with 35% support, so there was no need to say more.

That’s why Lee Doo-hyung had to take a different route from others.

However, it wasn’t just a campaign promise to use Lee Doo-hyung’s sympathy without any basis.

If there was a noticeable feature in Sungwang-dong compared to other districts, it was that the elderly population was very small compared to other age groups.

It was the same reason why this place was called a political district.

It was because the 30s and 40s age group, who wield the greatest power in elections, were the most numerous in the district.

If I were to mention one of the most common characteristics of the 3040 generation, it would be that they raise ‘children’.

The 30s are the age group that is just starting to get married and have children and is interested in childcare, and the 40s are the generation that is raising children and has children attending middle and high school.

Children’s rights, education, and childcare cannot be excluded from their main interests.

Naturally, they would be more interested in Sung Tae-hyun’s campaign promises than other candidates.

Yoon Seol-ha knew this fact, but she didn’t know what kind of broadcast it was, so she must have had such doubts.

I explained it easily.

“The reason why my wife’s broadcast and children’s rights are related is because.”

I twisted the corners of my lips lightly and replied.

“What we’re filming today is a childcare show.”

***

“Wow, Han Ji-yu’s house is being revealed for the first time, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. The accommodation provided by the company during my rookie days has been on TV once or twice, but this is the first time filming in this house since I got married and moved in.”

Han Ji-yu answered the interview skillfully, as if to prove that she was a professional with over 10 years of experience.

“I know that many people are curious about your son, right?”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. Only two or three photos have been uploaded on personal SNS, and more than anything…….”

The broadcasting PD smiled and replied.

“Han Ji-yu, you are so beautiful, and your husband, Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon, is not an ordinary-looking person. At one time, he even had the nickname of a handsome prosecutor.”

“Hahaha, I didn’t know that.”

“Yes. He was famous.”

The PD nodded and continued.

“That’s why there are so many viewers who are curious about how handsome and cute your son will be.”

“I see. If I had known that, I would have uploaded more pictures of my son.”

“Please reveal it perfectly on today’s broadcast instead of photos.”

“I will.”

“And, is there any reason why you agreed to film today?”

At first, I was seriously considering going in the direction of a documentary, but because it was the election period, the public’s fatigue with serious stories was so high, and there was a difference between documentaries and entertainment in terms of viewership ratings, so I chose entertainment.

It was the program with the highest viewership ratings even on weekend entertainment.

I thought this broadcast would be better for subtly conveying messages to potential voters.

Of course, Han Ji-yu didn’t tell the truth.

“I’ve been away from broadcasting for a long time, so many people are curious about what I’ve been up to. Now I’m a mother, and I decided to greet viewers in a friendly way.”

“You are indeed a national actress.”

The interview ended quickly.

This was just an interview to take a few cuts against the background of the house, and the proper pre-interview had been filmed long before the main filming began.

The PD closed the cue sheet and got up from his seat.

“The cameras have all been installed throughout the house during the interview. Except for a few VJs [Video Journalists], everyone will be out, so please act as if we’re not here. Just do what you always do. You’re Han Ji-yu, so I don’t need to explain it, right?”

“Yes.”

Han Ji-yu smiled brightly and started filming.

“Please take good care of me.”

***

A celebrity’s reality childcare entertainment.

The news of Han Ji-yu’s appearance became a big topic even before the broadcast.

Since it was her comeback broadcast after 4 years, having not appeared on TV even once since she became pregnant in 2023, viewers were very interested.

Thanks to that, the viewership ratings, which usually recorded 13% to 15%, jumped to over 18%, making it the overwhelming number one among broadcasts in the same time slot.

The viewers who were watching the filming couldn’t help but smile.

The story of Han Ji-yu, who had a beautiful appearance that couldn’t be seen as a child’s mother, and her son, who resembled his father who had a celebrity-like appearance, made people feel happy and content.

The story of the two was literally lovely.

A playful son and a mother who loves him with all her might.

To the viewers watching the broadcast, this mother and son were the word ‘harmonious’ itself.

In that way, an hour passed, completely captivating the viewers with a childcare story that had nothing to do with politics.

Finally, the closing corner of the broadcast continued.

“Is there anyone you want to send a video message to?”

This is one of the biggest reasons why Han Ji-yu and Choi Seo-joon chose this broadcast.

The repercussions of the message thrown here will certainly be significant.

“Um…….”

Han Ji-yu thought for a moment and smiled shyly.

“If I send it to my husband, would I be a fool for my child [an expression meaning overly doting]?”

“It’s okay.”

“No. Then it might be a bit cliché…….”

She smiled brightly.

“I’ll do it to the President.”

“To the President?”

The PD was surprised and then nodded.

“Ah, you were family.”

“Yes. He’s my brother-in-law to me.”

Of course, she had never met Sung Tae-hyun since the end of the election, and she had never even sent a congratulatory message regarding his election as president, but Han Ji-yu opened her mouth in a friendly, gentle, and soft tone, as if she met him every week.

“Hello, brother-in-law.”

No one could be fooled by the veteran’s acting.

Even special investigation prosecutors who knew the internal affairs were mistaken while watching the broadcast.

“I’m embarrassed to say it directly…… As it’s a childcare broadcast, I’m sending a video message because there’s one thing I want to ask.”

She looked at the camera and opened her mouth seriously.

“There’s one thing I’m really feeling while raising my son. I really want this child to be happy. Then I can smile no matter what storms and hardships I go through.”

The expression on her face changed from bright to sad in an instant.

“But in fact, a close person’s daughter…… was like a niece to me. She was such a cute child that I wouldn’t hurt even if I put her in my eyes, but she had an unfortunate accident and crossed the rainbow bridge [passed away].”

Han Ji-yu lowered her gaze with difficulty as if she was reminded of that time.

“The couple wanted to save her even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. Seeing them wailing while holding the dead child, I also shed tears.”

Her lips began to tremble.

“If children’s rights had been advanced just a little more, that child could have lived…… If it was a society where children were more respected and young children were cherished, that child would still be smiling brightly without any flaws. When I think about that…….”

Han Ji-yu couldn’t continue speaking and bit her lip tightly.

She made the viewers imagine sending their own children away first in their heads.

The viewers who had children shuddered and empathized with Han Ji-yu’s emotions.

They were all agreeing that there was nothing more sad than that.

“Our country respects the rights of adults who have the right to vote, but it seems that there is still no great progress in children’s rights.”

She sighed deeply with a miserable face.

The viewers already had tears in their eyes, and many were already crying.

Han Ji-yu also looked like she would shed tears at any moment, but she endured it and looked at the camera.

“Please make a country where children are good to live in. In order for Korea to become a better country to live in, and for a brighter future, children must be more respected than our adults.”

Soon, a drop of tears flowed down Han Ji-yu’s eyes.

“Please, Mr. President.”