The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 128

128. I’ll Give You an Apartment if You Do Well

The Minister of Culture and Sports said,

“We are also considering that, Your Excellency. We are discussing bringing in technical coaches from Brazil or Europe to elevate our soccer program to an international level.”

“I know a coach well—or rather, he’s currently a coach and player. He’s a remarkable leader who can transform underperforming players into top contenders.”

“Oh, is there such a leader? Who is it?”

“In the 1970 World Cup, the Netherlands created a sensation with Total Football [a tactical system where any outfield player can take over the role of any other player].”

“That’s right. It’s a revolutionary concept of all-around, dynamic soccer.”

“He’s from the Netherlands. He is currently a player and youth coach for the Eindhoven team in the Netherlands.”

“If he’s a current player, he must be young, right?”

“He’s twenty-nine this year.”

“What? Twenty-nine?”

Hiddink originally dreamed of being a leader, not a player, but his skills were good enough to be scouted as a player.

However, Dutch professional teams had low salaries, so most players supplemented their income with another job to make a living.

Hiddink also coached youth in the morning and played as a professional player in the afternoon.

He was currently at a crossroads, considering a move from Eindhoven to another team.

The President said confidently.

“Trust me on this one. If anyone questions it, you can publicly state that it’s what the President ordered.”

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

The President’s office.

The President shook hands with a young Guus Hiddink.

The legend who ignited the passion of the entire country, turning them into Red Devils [the nickname of the South Korean national football team], and achieved Korea’s semi-final miracle during Chairman Wang’s era was right before his eyes.

Hmm, he’s quite hairy all over when he’s young. This man only gets cooler as he gets older.

Hiddink said.

“Your Excellency, I am deeply honored that you have entrusted me with such an important role, despite my relative obscurity. But how did you know about me, someone with no experience as a professional team coach?”

“Hahaha, Korea may be a small country, but its information network is wider and denser than that of the United States. Reputation doesn’t always equate to performance. You just need to have a keen eye for recognizing raw talent.”

As President, he was extremely interested in whether Hiddink, appointed as the coach of the Korean national team decades ahead of schedule, could recreate the magic of 2002.

That’s how Hiddink began his first coaching job as the national team coach in a foreign country called Korea.

To prove the President’s insight in trusting him and appointing him as the host country’s national team coach, he poured his heart and soul into coaching.

The World Cup hosting brought a surge of vitality to all eight provinces.

World Cup stadiums, on par with comprehensive stadiums, were built in eight provinces to evenly distribute infrastructure improvements across the region. Broadcasting and communication technologies that broadcast games around the world improved rapidly.

TV ownership also exploded, much to the delight of electronics companies.

Historical and cultural products were developed and repackaged to cater to the influx of foreign tourists.

Meanwhile, Korea completed its accession to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).

* * *

Ahead of the revived simultaneous local elections, each administrative office held briefings on the qualifications for registering as a candidate for the newly established local elections.

Simultaneous local elections are elections in which metropolitan mayors, metropolitan council members, heads of basic local governments, basic council members, superintendents of education, and members of the education committee are elected on the same day.

With the exception of metropolitan mayors and superintendents of education, the remaining elected positions were, in principle, unpaid honorary positions that only provided reimbursement for actual expenses. Only metropolitan mayors were allowed party nominations.

“You shouldn’t think of these local elections as being like those during the Liberal Party era. There are several major differences. The first is that elected positions other than metropolitan mayors do not display party affiliation or party recommendations. This is a commitment to blocking the negative effects of factional politics and regionalism at the source and to preserving the integrity of grassroots democracy.”

The absence of party nominations meant that any Korean citizen over the age of 25 could register as a candidate.

Because of this, the enthusiasm of aspiring politicians was high.

There were rumors that the competition rate would be 20 to 1, with local leaders and those with some influence jumping in.

However, there was a filter to prevent the proliferation of unqualified candidates.

“It is mandatory to disclose military service records, assets, and criminal records in the candidate’s profile. Even after being elected, asset changes must be disclosed every year, and if serious falsehoods are revealed, the elected position will be forfeited. Even receiving a penalty or a fine of more than 1 million won [approximately $750 USD] for corruption during your term will result in being stripped of your position. There is a preliminary candidate system, so if a vacancy occurs, the position will be immediately filled by the next eligible candidate, so don’t be discouraged if you are not initially elected. The aim is for the position to be a model of public service, not a position of power.”

“…….”

“And every year, the government will award prize money to elected officials who have performed well. Don’t forget that there are not only penalties but also incentives.”

Prospective candidates who came out of the briefing shook their heads.

“If it’s an unpaid honorary position that only provides reimbursement for actual expenses, and the salary of the metropolitan mayor is also at the average wage level, what are we supposed to live on?”

“They say politics shouldn’t be a means of livelihood. They say we should continue our own businesses and volunteer.”

“What that person in charge said was a masterpiece. ‘You don’t give up your livelihood to volunteer, do you?’. He’s so annoying.”

“Hahaha. You really only have to volunteer like the Green Mothers’ Association [a parent-teacher organization that assists with school traffic safety]. Still, it’s a relief that each local government supports legislative professional aides in proportion to the number of council members. It’s a position that even someone without a formal education can challenge if they have the will.”

“Is illiteracy the problem? Why do they disclose criminal records? It’s someone else’s private life.”

“Do you have a skeleton in your closet?”

“I did something when I was young and full of energy. Adultery.”

“Puhaha, if that goes public, you can forget about getting any female votes. What a disgrace if your private life is exposed, you get pointed at, and you lose the election.”

“Tsk! I thought there were no barriers to entry, but it’s actually more subtly difficult.”

“I have a record of drunk driving, and if I get caught during my term, I’m immediately out. So I’m having second thoughts.”

“I don’t know why they want us to disclose our assets every year. If they don’t give us a salary, they should at least allow us to invest.”

“They say it’s to prevent speculation using inside information about development projects.”

“They say they’ll give us incentives, but will a few bucks of pocket money be enough to make a living? I’m very curious how many people will register with these strict standards.”

* * *

The President’s office.

The Chief of Staff reported on the status of local election candidates received from the National Election Commission.

“Metropolitan mayors are the most competitive at 11:1, and other elected positions are at 1.5~2:1.”

“As expected, unpaid honorary positions are not popular.”

“That’s right. It seems that the perception that these are still positions of power persists.”

“They don’t realize that there are incentives yet. When is the award ceremony for the best performing members of the National Assembly this time?”

“Next week.”

“Prize money would be the best motivator, right?”

“Of course.”

* * *

National Assembly.

Members of the National Assembly gathered and buzzed.

“Wow, this is nerve-wracking.”

“To give awards for doing a good job as a member of the National Assembly, it makes all the effort I put into legislative activities worthwhile.”

“It’s probably going to be very competitive. Everyone worked hard like a high school senior cramming for exams.”

“They say it’s not just the number of laws that matters, but also the quality. They also take public sentiment survey scores into account, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

The Speaker of the National Assembly grabbed the microphone and said.

“I will announce the winners of the regional awards for outstanding parliamentary activities. We have tried to ensure maximum objectivity by determining the results through multi-faceted evaluations, including evaluations by the executive branch, evaluations by voters, and evaluations by fellow lawmakers.”

It was impossible not to be curious about the results of the lawmakers’ annual parliamentary activity report card.

It was clear that it would have a decisive impact on the next election.

“First, Jeju Island, Representative Chun Seong-gi, Representative Nam Gyu-bae, Representative Ma Young-dal!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“The prize money is 3 million won.”

Lawmakers buzzed.

“3 million won? That’s the price of a decent used car!”

“It’s not just pocket change! If you’re a top performer for four years, you could buy an apartment in Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul]!”

“If you do a good job, you can get a house with the prize money!”

“I like that it’s not a bribe, but a legitimate reward.”

“Hmm, my perspective is changing.”

The list of awards was announced in order.

As huge incentive prize money was awarded, lawmakers’ motivation soared.

Those involved in the local elections who heard this news also buzzed.

“They say they give you a house if you do a good job in parliamentary activities!”

“Aigoo, I should have registered as a candidate this time. I would have been elected just by submitting the application!”

Those who had given up registering as candidates for honorary elected positions regretted it.

The huge incentive prize money system created a new wave in the political world.

It became a priority to prioritize the opinions of local residents over the instructions of the party.

If you work hard in parliamentary activities, a huge amount of money will be deposited into your account, so you no longer need to be tied to the party.

As the authority of the nomination rights that the party leadership wielded like a sword diminished, the influence of the party gradually faded.

The number of people who thought of the National Assembly as a stepping stone to the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president] also gradually decreased.

The party positions that hindered parliamentary activities were also avoided, and they became unwanted positions that were barely filled.

Party officials grumbled.

“What’s the point of this party? In the past, when a central party official appeared in the provinces, they were treated like royal envoys, but these days, when you go to the provinces, they scold you for disrupting their busy schedule.”

“I know, right. This is no different from dissolving the party.”

“Is this the right path?”

“These days, people don’t make fun of lawmakers as ‘National Assembly members’ [often used derisively], so it’s a good thing for the people.”

“I haven’t been able to go home for months and I’m living like a struggling student, so it’s something you can’t do without a genuine spirit of service.”

“Representative Seo was disqualified from running in the next session due to insufficient bills submitted.”

“Tsk tsk, it’s not just their problem, it could happen to anyone.”

* * *

The nationwide simultaneous local elections were completed.

The ratio of ruling and opposition parties for metropolitan mayors who received party nominations was 59:41.

Regional loyalties still remained, which was a challenge.

The constitutional amendment for the President’s term was also passed with overwhelming support.

* * *

UN General Assembly.

The Chilean representative announced.

“A ship carrying one Toyota car from Japan returns with a full load of Chilean oranges. Where is such absurdity? Because the prices of manufactured goods and the prices of primary industry products are so different, developing countries become poorer as they trade.”

Many developing countries applauded.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“A significant amount of concessional exports and direct investment to developing countries is pseudo-development aid. If you receive $18 billion, you have to pay about $6.8 billion in principal and interest on the debt you borrowed before, and after covering the urgent trade deficit with the exchange rate that has risen due to the strong dollar, you only have $5 billion in your hands. Even if you give aid, the money eventually goes back into the pockets of developed countries. You can’t break the vicious cycle of poverty.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The Brazilian representative spoke.

“Developed countries export hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods, but they give aid while pretending to spend only a few million dollars on buying clothes or shoes. They make several times more money selling cola than that few million dollars. Developed countries lend money to developing countries in the name of development aid at high interest rates, but developing countries cannot repay it and are sitting on a mountain of debt. This cycle that promotes ‘poverty’ is what developed countries have put in place.”

The accusations of developing countries continued.

* * *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Korean UN Ambassador explained the results of the UN General Assembly to the President and Minister.

“The gap between the North and South (Southern Hemisphere, Northern Hemisphere) is serious. The ratio of per capita GNP between the North and South deteriorated from 1 to 12 in 1960 to 1 to 14 in 1970. Developing countries, which account for two-thirds of the world’s population, account for only 12% of the total GNP of the planet. This means that wealth is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere.”

The President said.

“I didn’t know the disparities between countries were so vast.”

“The bigger problem is that the gap between rich and poor is widening every year. UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) is looking for ways to solve this, but there is no clear solution in sight.”