The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 11

11. Number Two

The President was discussing industrial espionage.

“Stealing industrial technology…”

“It sounds like an envoy, but it’s essentially a spy. Though ‘spy’ sounds a bit harsh.”

“……”

“Think of it as Mun Ik-jeom [a historical figure who smuggled cotton seeds into Korea]. Just as he spread cotton for the people, I want you to bring industrial technology to make Korea prosperous.”

“Yes… but why the list of looted cultural assets…”

“There’s a use for everything! This is a special mission! We will secretly provide abundant material and human resources. But remember, if the state’s involvement is exposed, it must be seen as a purely individual act.”

This kind of secret operation was perfect for Lee Woo-rak. He wasn’t in a position to refuse the President’s proposal, or rather, command.

“Understood, Your Excellency! I will carry out the mission with all my heart.”

“Now, let’s have a drink.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

“Call the band!”

Thus, the assignment of the trio was successfully completed.

* * *

Presidential Residence.

On the table, a kimchi stew [a traditional Korean stew] pot filled with thickly sliced pork shoulder was bubbling, still radiating heat.

Soju [a Korean distilled beverage] glasses were also set out.

The President, Kim Jong-pil, and Kim Chung-ryeom were seated around the table.

Kim Jong-pil, the President’s nephew-in-law and the First Lady’s cousin-in-law, was a key figure in the nation’s development, having founded the Central Intelligence Agency and created the ruling party.

His lifelong career was illustrious.

He served nine terms as a National Assembly member and two terms as Prime Minister, and he was a kingmaker who had a hand in creating three presidents.

But he himself was the eternal number two, never reaching the presidential seat.

‘I do not step on the President’s shadow.’ This single quote was the excuse that defined his life’s journey.

The President was finally face to face with his strongest political rival.

Kim Jong-pil had a remarkable insight into people and trends.

Kim Je-gu had once criticized that he had anger management issues, was very impulsive, and couldn’t even remember the details of what he had done.

Indeed, Kim Je-gu declared that the CIA’s goal was the President’s lifelong rule and then shot the President with his own hand.

When the candlelight impeachment [referring to the impeachment of a former president] was being discussed, the President’s daughter, Park Gun-ae, said, ‘She is stubborn and uncommunicative, so even if fifty million people demand her resignation, she won’t budge.’

Although the option of honorable resignation was prepared, Park Gun-ae eventually persisted with a brazen attitude and rotted in prison before being pardoned.

The President was wary of his great insight.

Kim Jong-pil, whose glasses were slightly fogged, said,

“Your Excellency, you are truly alone. You are very ruthless.”

He was referring to the fact that the President had sent his family to the United States.

The President chuckled.

“You know it well. Politics is a show. The number of seats in the National Assembly is an unprecedented abundance, but it was as corrupt as the March 15th election [a historically corrupt election in South Korea]. Thanks to that, the National Assembly is practically closed. Public sentiment is on the verge of rioting. If we don’t reform, we will run aground.”

‘You’re just trying to have affairs without worry!’ Kim Jong-pil almost blurted out, but he barely suppressed it.

He knew that the more you hide your true feelings, the better, so he turned the conversation to a matter of principle.

“You have correctly read the demands of the times. But there are inherent limitations.”

He was referring to the opposition party’s call for the military to step down.

“Military withdrawal? That’s why I’m going to replace everyone this time. I was going to discuss it after dinner, but since it’s come up, let’s do it now. This is the draft of the cabinet reshuffle.”

The President nodded, and the Chief of Staff handed Kim Jong-pil a printed document.

The President indifferently picked up his spoon, took a bite of the kimchi stew, and watched Kim Jong-pil’s expression.

“Ah, this is spicy and excellent. It would be perfect with a glass of makgeolli [a Korean rice wine].”

Makgeolli was Chairman Wang’s favorite.

In the meantime, Kim Jong-pil quickly scanned the list of new cabinet members on the printout.

He also saw blank spaces here and there, as it was still incomplete.

As expected, Kim Jong-pil was a master of the poker face.

Looking at the newly appearing names, he adjusted his glasses and started with positive remarks.

“The intention of a merit-based cabinet is evident, Your Excellency.”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that.”

“However, aside from the Ministry of Construction, the Sports Agency, and the Ambassador to Japan, what about Roh Tae-woo, the commander of the Capital Defense Command? Isn’t he currently in Vietnam?”

During Chairman Wang’s time, the amount of money he paid to Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo every month was over hundreds of billions throughout their terms.

That’s why Chairman Wang directly stepped in, saying that with that money, he would directly engage in politics.

He was sick of it, but he had to use them as pieces on the chessboard of history.

“I will summon him.”

“There are many experienced talents in the military, why bother with such a young one…”

“The military cannot be an exception to the reshuffle. The military also needs a generational change.”

Appointing Roh Tae-woo as the commander of the Capital Defense Command was a move to replace the meritorious military figures.

On the surface, it seemed like a promotion for Roh Tae-woo, but he was planning to have him dishonorably retire a few months after he had fulfilled his role in the reshuffle.

Kim Jong-pil, unaware of the future, felt his stomach twist at the mention of the military reshuffle.

“Well, the military is a hierarchical society, and seniority is more fearsome than military law. Moreover, looking back at history, if you don’t manage the meritorious officials well after the founding of the country, there will be a bloodbath in the palace. We should be careful of the chaos.”

He packaged it in the most moderate language possible, but it was no different from a warning.

The President was well aware of this but didn’t care.

He had expected this much reaction.

“It’s a merit-based society. We need to break the seniority system from the military. We will cut out all the rotten parts. Even if it means cutting off all my arms and legs.”

Kim Jong-pil read madness flashing in the President’s eyes.

Kim Jong-pil picked up his spoon without a word. He realized that this was not a place to ask for his opinion but to inform him.

Slurp~

Kim Jong-pil slurped up the beef radish soup.

The President asked,

“Look at this, what do you do politics for?”

It was a matter of ideological screening that he had asked other aides.

Kim Jong-pil swept up his glasses and said,

“A pretty maiden takes care of disgusting silkworm cocoons not to produce silk but to make money. Humans ultimately live for themselves. Office workers shout that they work for the company, and politicians shout that they work for the country, but isn’t the ultimate goal themselves?”

It was the most honest and most pleasing answer.

I like this guy!

The President asked,

“Well, after becoming president, I find the bureaucrats so frustrating. They’re not people, they’re machines. They only do what they’re told. They don’t do anything on their own. How frustrated must the business people and the people be? They ask for bribes at every turn.”

Even during Chairman Wang’s time, whenever companies tried to start new businesses, bureaucrats blocked the alleyways and extorted money.

The biggest obstacle to business was the bureaucrats.

As president, he felt overwhelmed trying to manage the bureaucrats.

He was throwing out a question to see if Kim was qualified as a strategist.

Chief Kim slowly replied,

“When managing subordinates, the military uses orders, and companies use bonuses as bait.”

“That’s right. Then what about the bureaucrats?”

“The bait for bureaucrats is promotion. What bureaucrats want is a higher position.”

The President slapped his knee.

“That’s right! That’s the right judgment.”

“But there are practical problems with promotion.”

“What kind?”

“Once they get promoted, they become complacent. Because they have achieved the goal of promotion.”

“Hmm, is promotion not enough?”

“The number of public positions is fixed. A position only opens up when the predecessor has an accident. The number of public positions is tied to the law, so it’s not flexible.”

“Hmm….”

“Rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing should be done immediately with monetary compensation like in a company, but in public office, it may take years for a position to open up, so there is widespread self-preservation.”

“Oh, that’s really true. In companies, they give generous envelopes to contributors. Because the purpose of working for a company is not promotion but money. But I can’t give direct incentives to public officials. There’s no budget allocated for that.”

“That’s right. How meager is a public official’s salary? Their livelihood is difficult, so they reach out to the people. You have to provide them with a living and then make them compete; they can’t live on honor.”

As expected, Kim Jong-pil had a different perspective from other military personnel who were accustomed to top-down command.

“Hmm, that’s right. You have to be generous to be kind. We need to gradually make public officials’ salaries realistic.”

“Have scholars study and supplement a system that can give direct incentives to public officials.”

“Yes, now that we know the disease, we need to prescribe a treatment.”

Kim Jong-pil was his greatest political rival, but the President was planning to keep him by his side and use him as leverage to remove the meritorious military figures entrenched in the National Assembly and the military.

The President brought up the main point of the day.

“Hmm, that’s a clear answer. Good, let’s decide while we’re at it.”

“Is there a place where you need my opinion?”

“I want you to take on the role of Prime Minister.”

Before his regression, Kim Jong-pil became Prime Minister in 1971 in exchange for cooperating with the third constitutional amendment.

Even though he was currently his greatest political rival, he was trying to use him four years earlier than expected. There were several places where he could be usefully used to settle the situation and for diplomatic relations with Japan.

He was forming a two-top camp with Kim Chung-ryeom for the economy and Kim Jong-pil for domestic affairs.

However, the successor to the regime was someone else the President had in mind.

Chairman Wang had one personnel philosophy that he had learned while managing many subordinates.

Give one more rice cake to the disliked guy.

When he pushed away the people he didn’t like, they did bad things behind his back, and that came back as a huge aftereffect, costing him trillions of won to deal with.

So he learned the art of managing even political rivals by keeping them close.

He was afraid of how much it would cost if he clashed with a big shot like Kim Jong-pil.

Kim Jong-pil’s hand, which was holding a spoon at the word Prime Minister, stopped abruptly.

His mumbling mouth also stopped.

He had seen that the list of Prime Ministers on the printout was also empty. So he thought the President wanted a recommendation for a Prime Minister candidate.

But to think that the vacancy would be filled with ‘Kim Jong-pil’.

In fact, Kim Jong-pil had all sorts of thoughts as he came to the Blue House after receiving the message.

The President didn’t even give him a proper glance at the inauguration ceremony, and he didn’t consult with him at all while foreshadowing the cabinet reshuffle.

After gathering information about the Blue House from Kim Young-wook of the CIA, he had expected to be a complete outcast.

But to offer him the position of Prime Minister, the number two position!

He felt embarrassed by his own misguided insight.

Kim Jong-pil mumbled again and swallowed the rice grains that had puffed up in his mouth.

“Your Excellency, my premonitions have been frequently off lately. I don’t know if it’s because my judgment has become dull that you feel like a completely different person from the Your Excellency of a while ago.”

As expected, his insight was sharp.

The President mumbled.