The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 328

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 328 (328/341)

Bloodless Entry (1)

“Are you settling things today?”

At Yoon Seol-ha’s question, I closed my eyes and answered.

“Most likely.”

I was on my way to Yeouido [the financial district of Seoul, South Korea] to meet with Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin.

Yoon Seol-ha is one of the few close aides who knows about the bloodless entry [a political strategy to gain power without conflict].

Thanks to her, I could go comfortably without having to hide anything.

“Is everything prepared? Is there anything I can help with…?”

“It’s alright. This is my area.”

Persuading Representative Kim Kang-jin doesn’t require anything else.

Only one thing.

A silver tongue.

That’s all.

I slowly opened my eyes and asked.

“By the way, is the MinGuk Party contacting any new figures for the presidential election?”

“No. It seems like the current system will solidify.”

With many people’s attention focused on the election.

The MinGuk Party still didn’t have a presidential candidate worth mentioning.

There were several valid reasons for that.

The most powerful reason was that the current president, Shin Dong-hyun, was from the MinGuk Party.

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the president cannot belong to a specific party, but he was elected from the MinGuk Party.

Everyone in Korea knows that.

Currently, South Korea has adopted a presidential term limit system.

Therefore, if he expresses his intention to run for re-election, he will inevitably run in the presidential election under the MinGuk Party again.

Of course, Shin Dong-hyun’s approval rating failed to maintain the 30% mark and has now converged to 25%, so even if he runs in this election, his chances of winning are low.

However, currently, there is no one in the MinGuk Party who is more popular than Shin Dong-hyun or has goodwill from the public. In other words, there is no competitor to Shin Dong-hyun who is qualified to run for president.

Therefore, the MinGuk Party lawmakers’ attention is inevitably focused on the general election, which will be held simultaneously with the presidential election.

Still, the party’s leadership couldn’t simply give up on the presidential election, so there was one candidate they found.

That was me, Choi Seo-joon.

Even before the lawsuit regarding Ahn Jung-geun [a Korean-independence activist] was over, the MinGuk Party had been contacting me.

Before I declared my transition to a lawyer, I was one of the key figures in the MinGuk Party, so they were thinking of putting me forward as a presidential candidate.

In fact, it was expected.

Frankly speaking, from the MinGuk Party’s point of view, I had a much higher chance of winning than Shin Dong-hyun, and since I was receiving overwhelming support from the public, they must have calculated that if I ran under the MinGuk Party, I could crush the DaeHan Party.

Perhaps that’s why the MinGuk Party’s leadership lawmakers thought I would accept their offer and didn’t consider other presidential candidates.

Even if I refused a few times, they probably assumed that I would accept it once the lawsuit in Japan was over, but when I refused again, the only alternative left for them was Shin Dong-hyun, so they had no choice but to pin their hopes on him.

Even though Shin Dong-hyun’s approval rating was low, it didn’t mean he had no chance of winning, after all.

Looking at the elections in other countries that have implemented a presidential term limit system, there is a so-called ‘incumbent president buff’.

Even if people don’t support this person right away, if there is no suitable candidate among the other presidential candidates, they will vote for the person who is currently serving as president in the election.

And that effect is considerable, so they are pinning their hopes on it.

In fact, the ‘incumbent buff’ is revealed not only in the presidential election but also in the National Assembly elections, and it has been proven in the numerous general elections that have been held so far.

That being said, Shin Dong-hyun’s approval rating being quite low is good news for a bloodless entry.

The lower Shin Dong-hyun’s chances of winning, the more he will cooperate with me.

Beep, beep.

At that moment, my phone vibrated.

-From: Loach

-I’ve uploaded the article you mentioned. If you go to the portal site, you can check it right away as it’s been uploaded to the main page.

When I went online, my face was plastered on the main portal site.

The title was ‘MinGuk Party, Proposed Choi Seo-joon to Run for President but was Rejected…’

As the topic was focused on the election, hot reactions were pouring in real-time.

I knew this would happen, so I told them to spread the article.

Since it was something that actually happened, there was nothing to worry about.

There is only one reason to release the article.

When people see this kind of article, they will start to think of me as one of the presidential candidates.

Moreover, if I show them that I am rejecting the offer, people will start to call me and support me as a presidential candidate one by one, and when I declare my candidacy at that time, the anticipation that I have built up will explode at once, creating a picture that will skyrocket my approval rating.

Everything is calculated.

As such, while the MinGuk Party is still experiencing confusion without finalizing a presidential candidate.

The DaeHan Party has been narrowed down to some extent to two candidates.

Assemblyman Hwang Hyun-soo and party leader Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin.

One of them will definitely run.

In terms of political influence or power, Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin is definitely a step above, but considering what Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin said to me, I expected that he would take a break in this election to gain more strength in order to be certainly elected and run in the next election.

Of course, his mind may have changed, but if there is no major change in Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s personality, he will go as planned.

It will become clear when I meet him.

“Lawyer, we have arrived.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Somewhere in the underground parking lot of Yeouido.

I straightened my clothes and got out of the car.

“It may take a while. Go out and have a cup of coffee.”

“I’ll take it out and drink it here.”

I lightly replaced my answer with a smile and headed straight for the elevator.

***

“It’s been a while, Assemblyman.”

I shook hands with Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin and greeted him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Is it about a year?”

“It’s been about two years. The last time I saw you, you were the chief prosecutor.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. Let’s sit down first.”

At his words, I sat down on the sofa.

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin and I looked at each other and said without anyone saying it first.

“Shall we get straight to the point?”

“There’s no need to drag it out.”

He clasped his fingers together, placed them on his knees, and asked me.

“When you say talking about the current situation, you’re obviously talking about the election, right?”

“That’s right.”

As if he knew it, Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin nodded lightly.

“Assemblyman, you’re on the list of presidential candidates for the DaeHan Party…”

I asked him cautiously.

“Are you running for president?”

“No.”

He said firmly.

“Didn’t I tell you last time? I’m thinking of watching until this election. Even if it’s fast, the next election is the right time. It’s too early now.”

As expected.

“But I’m worried that the DaeHan Party doesn’t have any talent.”

“If you don’t run, Assemblyman Hwang Hyun-soo will run, right?”

“In the current situation, Assemblyman Hwang is likely, but… Frankly speaking, President Shin Dong-hyun is likely to run from the MinGuk Party, but his approval rating is quite low, right?”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s eyebrows twitched.

I noticed the meaning and immediately asked.

“You mean you’re disappointed that you might lose the presidential election to that weak opponent?”

“You’re quite perceptive.”

He said with a light smile.

“President Shin Dong-hyun is weak, but Assemblyman Hwang Hyun-soo is weaker.”

“Then why don’t you run yourself?”

I said in a straightforward tone.

“Frankly speaking, if President Shin Dong-hyun and you were to face off, I think the DaeHan Party would definitely win.”

“Hey, but you don’t know if President Shin Dong-hyun will run or someone else will run yet, right?”

After saying that, Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin slyly gestured towards me.

It meant that he had not ruled out the possibility that I could run.

I said nonchalantly.

“Didn’t you see the article?”

“Are you talking about the article about rejecting the MinGuk Party’s proposal to run for president?”

“Yes.”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin stared at me and smiled.

However, the corners of his eyes did not move at all.

Rather, they were shining sharply.

“You never know what might happen to a person’s heart.”

As expected of the core of the DaeHan Party, he is sharp.

“Especially in front of power.”

He is right.

In reality, this kind of thing happens frequently.

There are many figures in the political world who declare that they will not run for election and then reverse their decision and run, or who declare that they will retire from politics and then shamelessly run in the next election.

“In fact, the MinGuk Party probably doesn’t think that Lawyer Choi will really not run. Don’t you think so?”

I smiled and shook my head.

“No. I will not respond to the MinGuk Party’s call.”

At that moment, Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s eyes narrowed.

The eyes of a beast that has seized an opportunity.

“Is that what you really mean?”

“Yes. I can promise you that for sure.”

“Then…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

Choi Seo-joon will not run.

Naturally, the MinGuk Party’s candidate will be confirmed as Shin Dong-hyun.

Then, Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin has no choice but to judge that he has enough chances of winning without having to wait until the next election.

It means that it is an opportunity for him to run for president.

“So, I want you to run, Assemblyman.”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin asked again as if to confirm.

“You’re really not thinking of running for president?”

“No.”

He was bewildered by my too calm answer and asked.

“Then did you lie to me just now?”

“That’s not it either.”

His brow furrowed.

“What are you talking about right now…”

“I said I wouldn’t respond to the MinGuk Party’s call, but I never said I wouldn’t run for president.”

“…”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes.”

I answered very firmly. And with a confident voice.

“I will run as an independent.”

“Huh…”

A bewildered energy began to gather in his eyes.

I leaned towards him and added a word.

“So, I want you to run, Assemblyman.”

“…What?”

I said very boldly to him, who still didn’t understand my plan.

“And drop out during the election and declare your support for me.”

At that moment, his face showed bewilderment, and soon he let out a hollow laugh as if it was absurd.

Kim Kang-jin did not stop there, and soon revealed his uncomfortable mood.

“Do you think there’s a reason I should do that?”

“Yes, there is.”

I answered with a confident voice.

“Back then, when you buried your son’s Olympic corruption case, didn’t you promise me?”

I raised my eyebrows and added.

“That you would grant me any favor once.”