The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 175

175. From Academic Credentials to Job Competence

The lawyer countered.

“That was a legitimate act of self-defense to disperse the illegal occupation.”

“Are the students’ assembly and freedom of expression against unjust measures illegal?”

“Hmm, hmm, at best, it only involved mobilizing the police. The charge should be obstruction of official duties, not the National Security Law; isn’t that excessive?”

“The seditious leaflets clearly praise North Korea and incite the overthrow of South Korea. If a spy claims he scattered leaflets for toilet paper, does that become a minor offense?”

“…….”

“Argue whether he is a spy or a pro-communist in court.”

Clang!

The president, in handcuffs, turned red in the face, at a loss for what to do.

About ten reporters, who had arrived unnoticed, swarmed around, competitively capturing the handcuffed president with their cameras.

Click! Click!

That day, the evening newspaper featured an article with a headline and a photo of President Moon being taken away from the National Assembly.

– President Moon, attending the National Assembly audit as a witness, arrested on the spot for over 40 charges, including violating the National Security Law!

*

The Private School Council released a joint statement.

“Immediately withdraw the government’s reform plan that infringes on the autonomy of private schools!”

“Stop the evil law that violates private property rights and unfairly discriminates against founding families!”

In a newspaper interview, they threatened to close the schools if the government did not withdraw its plan.

*

Citizens who read the newspaper were universally outraged.

“What’s with the newspaper? Yesterday, they were praising him like a patriotic martyr, but it turns out he’s a spy!”

“Every newspaper is different. The ones praising the president ran the arrest article in tiny print today. They’re full of the president’s excuses that the prosecution’s arrest is unfair.”

“Newspapers should report the facts, not judge whether something is right or wrong.”

“Covering up for a thief makes you part of the gang.”

“Exactly. They made a fuss as if all the schools were closing down, and it was all to defend this guy.”

“It’s not just a bulletproof National Assembly. There’s also a bulletproof press.”

“They were all in cahoots.”

*

The Anti-Communist Investigation Unit.

As President Moon entered the interrogation room, the damp, musty smell stung his nose.

“W-where is this place?”

A gaunt investigator with sharp eyes replied.

“This is the famous Anti-Communist Investigation Unit. You’ve made it if you’ve come this far.”

“The Anti-Communist Investigation Unit!”

The interrogation room was dimly lit, with only a desk and table, and a bathroom with a tub exposed on one side of the gray-painted wall.

The president asked.

“Why was I brought here from the police station?”

He was transferred after the president’s lawyer went to file a petition for habeas corpus [a legal procedure for a court to determine whether a prisoner’s detention is lawful].

“The Anti-Communist investigation is conducted here.”

“What’s that tub for? You’re not going to waterboard me, are you?”

The president swallowed hard, recalling the days of the dreaded ‘Namsan Tonkatsu’ [a euphemism for torture used during the authoritarian regimes in South Korea, referring to the location of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency headquarters].

The investigator smirked.

“In the old days, people walked in on two feet and left lying in a coffin. But don’t worry, President. Times have changed. If you tell the truth, we’ll let you live.”

“B-but I’m not a spy! I’m a patriot who has received several anti-communist commendations!”

“That’s why a more thorough investigation is needed. Why would such a respected leader of society distribute pro-North Korean leaflets?”

Clang!

Two men opened the iron door and entered.

Seeing a large water jug, a towel, and a baseball bat in their hands, the president turned pale.

“Surely, you’re not going to waterboard me, are you, Investigator?”

The investigator didn’t answer and shouted at the men.

“Leave it there. Come when I call you!”

“Yes, sir!”

In fact, the waterboarding equipment and this Anti-Communist Investigation Unit were specially created sets to get a statement from President Moon, and they were acting as if they were preparing for torture.

Unaware of this, the president collapsed into the chair, out of his mind.

The investigator asked.

“Now, where shall we start….”

“…….”

“What instructions did you receive from the North? Who are the instructors, contacts, and liaisons?”

“I have no such thing, Investigator!”

It was maddening, but the president, who had been full of anger, was reduced to begging, even grabbing the investigator’s pant leg.

“Investigator, it’s partly true that I committed abuses at the school, but I’m definitely not a spy! I’m not a spy!”

“Then give a detailed account of the enormous slush fund and the reasons for the illegal admissions. If it’s not a slush fund received from the North, then prove it’s a recruitment operation!”

“I’m telling you, it’s not! It’s definitely not a slush fund or a recruitment operation!”

“Whether you’re pro-communist or a spy depends on what you write in your statement, President!”

The investigator handed him a statement form and a pen.

The president confessed to specific acts of abuse, breach of trust, embezzlement, and other crimes all night long.

As dawn broke, the president’s hair had turned as white as if it had been frosted.

Based on the statement, the police searched the president’s home.

*

National Assembly, National Audit.

Members of the National Assembly summoned the Minister of Justice and harshly criticized him.

“How can you accuse someone who has dedicated his entire life to the development of private schools and security education of being pro-communist! Minister, are you out of your mind?”

The Minister retorted.

“Have you seen the seditious leaflets President Moon ordered to be produced, Assemblyman?”

“I’ve heard about them.”

“Here’s the original. Take a look.”

The Minister distributed the leaflets he had prepared to the Assembly members.

The Assembly members smacked their lips at the contents, which praised the North and incited the overthrow of the South Korean government in large Gothic letters.

“He admitted that he made it to disperse the protesting students. Then you should have stopped there. Why pro-communist?”

“Assemblyman, is it espionage if a student scatters it, and patriotism if the president scatters it?”

“…….”

“The law only looks at the results. Intent is only considered in sentencing. The fact that he produced and distributed leaflets that violate the National Security Law is clearly a violation of the National Security Law. Why are you defending this?”

“Minister, let’s be honest. Aren’t you mobilizing public power to crack down on President Moon and push through private school reform?”

“We’re doing it according to the law. Then shall I tell you a scoop that will be released tonight, Assemblyman?”

“A scoop?”

“We just finished searching President Moon’s house.”

“What? You searched his house? Isn’t this a violation of human rights, an overreach of authority?”

“Searching a hideout is a common investigative procedure for anti-communist suspects.”

“Huh~ really!”

“We found a lot of amazing things in the president’s safe. It was a complete treasure trove.”

“…….”

“Gold bars, gold toads, gold rings, diamond rings, rubies, etc., precious metals worth an estimated 300 million won were piled up. There were also 1 million dollars. Here’s the picture.”

The Assembly members were speechless, their mouths agape at the pictures of the bundles of dollars, precious metals, and gold bars in the safe.

“Is this what the safe of an educator who is honest and has devoted his entire life to nurturing students should look like, Assemblyman?”

“…….”

They lost the justification to defend the president any longer.

“More importantly, there’s the ledger in the picture. The ledger contains a detailed list of parents of students who were illegally admitted, professors and faculty who were illegally hired, and the amounts of money involved.”

The Assembly members looked at each other’s faces.

Because it was no longer someone else’s business.

The Minister did not disappoint their expectations.

“I have been informed that two of the Assembly members present here are also on the list.”

“…….”

The Assembly members swallowed hard.

The Minister looked back and forth at the faces of the Assembly members and said meaningfully.

“Since a number of politicians and high-ranking officials are involved, you won’t be alone.”

“…….”

The Minister said.

“It’s up to you, Assembly members, whether you succumb to the pressure and lobbying of unscrupulous people and scuttle the reform of private schools and education, or whether you contribute to reforming Korean education. I look forward to you making a choice for the people.”

“…….”

As the Minister had predicted, the evening newspaper that day featured a photo of the enormous amount of precious metals and dollars, double-entry accounting books, illegal admission and bribery ledgers, and corruption solicitation ledgers found in the search of President Moon’s home.

The President’s article hit the political world hard.

– Private universities are privatized with founder and relative-centered governance structures, resulting in astronomical illicit wealth accumulation.

– President Moon misappropriates public funds like pocket money.

– Revealed that he manages protective forces by offering admissions to political and business figures as bribes.

Since they had touched private schools, the National Assembly and the media should have been in an uproar as if they had stirred up a hornet’s nest, but this time, the newspapers and political circles that had defended the corrupt private schools and President Moon were as quiet as mice.

*

The Ministry of Education, which had been waiting for the right time, announced the second major education reform plan.

“This education reform plan has newly set the goals of education. The existing middle and high school education aimed at college entrance.”

The main contents were as follows.

– Establish a large number of public universities and public high schools in each city and province, and operate them with tuition fees at 1/3 the level of private education.

– Like the current specialized high schools for arts and sports, establish at least two public specialized high schools for science in each city and province.

– Eliminate the current division of vocational and humanities courses and implement vocational education courses. College entrance is also a concept of career choice, and career selection education is implemented from the first year of high school by dividing public high schools into college entrance classes and vocational classes.

– Teachers in the college entrance class will be paid performance-based bonuses of 50-300% of their annual salary, and the performance-based bonuses will be fully supported by the national treasury.

*

That evening, an education expert appeared on TV to explain the education reform plan.

“Currently, the university entrance education system is divided into humanities and vocational fields. However, in this amendment, the goal of education is focused on career selection from the beginning. Going to college is also becoming one course of employment.”

The host asked.

“Is it similar to Germany’s Meister [master craftsman] education system?”

“That’s right. Isn’t the reason for going to college to get a good job? Instead of having to go to college to get a good job, you have to decide in the first year of high school whether to get a job right after graduating from high school or to get a job through college.”

“Since there is no difference in starting salary between high school graduates and college graduates, personal aptitude will be prioritized.”

“That’s right.”

“One of the characteristics of this reform plan seems to be the qualitative strengthening of public education.”

“You’re right. The number of public universities, where education costs are 1/3 of those of private universities, is greatly increased, and public high schools select talented students to create specialized high schools, and each school creates college entrance classes to provide huge incentives to the teachers in charge according to the college entrance rate. The government’s intention is to improve the quality of public education through competition and clear rewards.”

“If this is established as it is, there will be no need to go to expensive private high schools?”

“Of course. Each school will try to recruit talented teachers to increase the college entrance rate, and since the rewards are huge, star instructors who used to be in private academies are expected to flock to public high schools.”

“If the number of public universities with low education costs increases, will the popularity of private universities plummet?”

“Why bother paying expensive tuition fees when the starting salary is the same? Since public university professors are said to be paid 50% more than private universities, prestigious professors will apply in large numbers, and the quality of public university education will also improve.”

“It is truly impressive to give incentives to public education to motivate educators to compete. Will it take time for this system to take root?”

“That’s right. According to the government’s explanation, the Private School Act gives the board members whose terms are remaining a grace period of two years, and the Education Act plans to gradually expand the establishment of public high schools, public universities, and specialized high schools. It is expected to be fully established in 10 years at the latest.”

“The public is very hopeful about the education bill that competes with private schools with cheaper and better education than private schools.”