The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 211

211. Retiring

The Presidential Office.

Before the official meeting between the President and the President-elect, the two met informally on the rooftop.

The President offered his congratulations.

“So, the chaebol [large South Korean conglomerate] chairman has finally become President, hahaha!”

“It was the regressed President who became a chaebol chairman. Now, the President has returned to being the President.”

“Ah, that’s how it is. I might be able to regress back to being a chaebol chairman too.”

“My feelings are mixed. No one else can understand this feeling, right?”

“Of course! I’m also a regressor, but how could I possibly fathom the feelings of President-elect Jeong, who has returned as President.”

“More than the immense responsibility of being President, the mission to rectify the wrongdoings of my past life and prevent their recurrence weighs heavier on me.”

“That’s why you honed your skills while managing a company. By minimizing weaknesses and maximizing strengths, you’ll surely do well.”

“I have a request to make of you, Your Excellency.”

“Tell me. With my term as President nearing its end, let’s do everything we can.”

“After your retirement, please take charge of the National Wealth Fund, the Tiger Fund.”

“Hmm, you’re suggesting a change of positions.”

“Yes, that’s right. Money needs someone trustworthy to manage it. Not just a mere treasurer, but someone who can be my advisor.”

“You need a justification for keeping me close?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm, there’s still time until my retirement, so let me think about it.”

“I implore you, Your Excellency. And I have something to ask for your understanding.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Among the current cabinet members, may I reappoint a few of them?”

“That’s not difficult. We’re not people bound by partisan interests. We should utilize talented individuals across the board.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency!”

“And I’ve called Chairman Jang.”

“Ah, Chairman Jang! I did call him, but I was planning to visit him in person first.”

“Chairman Jang’s help was significant, but he’s also a double-edged sword. We need to talk about it openly and settle things first.”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

Shortly after, Jang Seong-taek entered.

President-elect Jeong rushed over and bowed deeply.

“Thanks to Chairman Jang’s endorsement speech, I was able to win the election with overwhelming support.”

Chairman Jang said.

“Isn’t the public sentiment the will of heaven? The people of the North were also wholeheartedly supporting President Jeong, no, President-elect Jeong. I’m just one of those people.”

After a period of exchanging pleasantries, tea was served.

The President got to the point.

“Now, let’s talk politics.”

Jang Seong-taek said.

“Now that we’ve established a leader for unification, there are many things to sort out.”

The President took the lead in the conversation, and President-elect Jeong simply listened.

“That’s right. Well, to be frank, President-elect Jeong needs to govern both North and South, but Chairman Jang’s influence in the North is so strong that it could be a considerable burden on governance.”

“Hmm, I understand. Just as there is only one sun in the sky, there cannot be two supreme leaders.”

“How about Chairman Jang joining the new party and entering the administration? For example, as Prime Minister, or establishing a Vice-President system to reflect the opinions of the North Korean residents.”

In effect, he was offering the position of second-in-command.

Jang Seong-taek said.

“I’ve been pondering it myself. But I haven’t reached a conclusion.”

“Is the position not to your liking?”

“It’s not that, but I’m torn between whether I should retire or not.”

For the North’s number one to utter the word retirement was quite unexpected.

“Retirement? You’re still in your prime….”

“If the North had done well, would it have been absorbed by the South?”

“…….”

“I’ve been feeling the limitations of the system for a while now. In North Korea, the leadership wields absolute power, making it seem like a paradise on earth. But the majority of the people are impoverished, starving, and exploited, isn’t it a hellhole?”

“…….”

“This time, Pyongyang and Sinuiju were hit with atomic bombs, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Until now, the Party has been propagandizing that it was a decision to save the country from traitors, but once the media is completely open, such ideological anesthesia won’t work, will it?”

“Hmm….”

“And after watching the election debates this time, I was very shocked by how relentlessly the opposition parties were digging into weaknesses. They were attacking everything, from the size of assets to private life.”

“There’s mudslinging, but basically, public officials have a duty to disclose their private lives to the public.”

“I learned this time that’s how public officials are vetted in a democratic system. But in a liberal democracy, shouldn’t the private lives of individuals who are not elected officials be thoroughly protected?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“If my private life is scrutinized according to the standards of the South, I’ll surely be stoned in the streets.”

Jang Seong-taek had three young mistresses, and his vault was full of dollars and gold bars he had received as bribes.

For Jang Seong-taek, who enjoyed a life of luxury and extravagance that rivaled an emperor, nothing was more frightening than a private life audit.

“How much would the people criticize a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose private life is luxurious and promiscuous? I didn’t know the Nobel Prize was such a scary award.”

“…….”

I couldn’t think of any appropriate words of comfort for his soliloquy-like confession.

“Democracy requires elections every four or five years, can I continue to maintain support?”

“…….”

It was a scathing but cold analysis of reality.

“There’s a saying in the South: leave when they’re applauding. The end of power is miserable. The higher you are, the greater the impact of the fall. If you’re going to do it, you have to do it to the end, and if you’re going to stop, it’s best to stop at this point. Frankly, I didn’t like power itself, but rather the authority and wealth that came with it.”

His confession was so honest that the two listeners were rather embarrassed.

President-elect Jeong said.

“I was also planning to have Chairman Jang as Prime Minister or Vice President. But I was going to attach the condition of reforming your private life.”

“I knew it. I heard the Prime Minister also has to go through parliamentary scrutiny?”

“That’s right. As the passage between North and South becomes freer, and as you rise to a high position, the reporters and political enemies will not leave you alone.”

Jang Seong-taek nodded.

“As expected, President-elect Jeong is upright. That’s why I supported you. But that’s what I was most afraid of. It’s only a matter of time before the blade of investigation turns towards me. I’m hurrying to retire because I’m afraid of President-elect Jeong, hahaha!”

“…….”

The two were taken aback.

Jang Seong-taek seemed to be speaking lightly, but he had an insight that pierced through people’s personalities.

President-elect Jeong said.

“You know me better than I know myself. I probably would have demanded improvements, and if that didn’t work, I would have done it that way.”

“Hahaha, I really like your honesty. The one who torments me is not the enemy. The one who hides his true feelings is the real enemy.”

“…….”

The President said.

“Power is like a flower that doesn’t bloom for ten days. You can’t have both the flower and the fruit at the same time.”

Hwamusibilhong [a Korean proverb] means that just as there is no flower that blooms for ten days, power is also temporary.

Jang Seong-taek emptied his teacup and said.

“Well, it’s settled then. I’ll leave when they’re applauding!”

President-elect Jeong said.

“I will do my best to ensure you can retire honorably.”

Jang Seong-taek chose wealth over power.

That day, the three coordinated their opinions on the formation of the government and the upcoming general election.

*

After Jang Seong-taek left, only the President and the President-elect remained.

Instead of teacups, liquor glasses were exchanged.

The President said.

“The biggest obstacle has been resolved. Let’s really toast to that!”

“Whew, he was a concern for me too, but it feels like a thorn has been removed. He’s only second-in-command in name, but if he were to govern the North behind the scenes, unification wouldn’t be unification. It would be the worst thing for a unification president.”

“To think that Chairman Jang would throw away power like an old shoe, he’s more sensible than I thought. His life might be a bit longer this time.”

“By the way, will we be able to decide on administrative official candidates and general election candidates from the North as we discussed?”

“We wouldn’t be able to, but the North is still a communist system. You never know, it might be possible this time only.”

“Then that would be really fortunate. I didn’t expect Chairman Jang to be so actively helpful.”

“There’s no need to be too grateful. That Jang Seong-taek is giving the President-elect a big bribe right now.”

“A bribe?”

“He’s asking you to take good care of him after he retires. He’s also planting his people in the North’s share to build a safety net. He’s not helping, he’s just looking out for his own survival.”

“Ah! He’s really a calculating person!”

“It’s probably a survival skill he learned while watching countless purges from the side of the supreme leader.”

The two were unaware of Jang Seong-taek’s secrets.

“It’s truly bizarre that there was a hereditary dynasty like North Korea in the 20th century.”

“The ball has been passed to Chairman Jang, so let’s just watch the show and eat the rice cakes [enjoy the spectacle].”

*

Gaeseong, People’s Assembly Hall.

In the People’s Party building, which was a converted performance hall and indoor gymnasium, about 1,000 leaders who would be appointed to the cabinet or run in the general election from the North were gathered.

At the closed-door meeting, Chairman Jang spoke.

Originally, it was a place to discuss and resolve issues, but there was no two-way communication.

Jang Seong-taek said.

“You saw the presidential candidate debates broadcast in the South, right?”

“Yes!”

“Daring to reveal and verify the private lives of top leaders in public, asking how many houses they have, how many tens of thousands of pyeong [unit of area, approx. 3.3 square meters] of land they own, how much money they have in their accounts, whether they got their children jobs through connections, whether they received illegal election funds, whether they drove drunk, how many criminal records they have, and how many times they’ve been married. You saw it all clearly, right?”

“Yes!”

“Let me ask you something! If there’s anyone here who doesn’t have any of the flaws I just mentioned, raise your hand!”

The attendees looked around at each other to check.

When no one raised their hand, everyone burst into hollow laughter.

Chairman Jang said.

“As you can see, there’s not a single one. Isn’t it amazing?”

“…….”

“We’re just talking among ourselves, but it’s only natural for senior officials to receive bribes, embezzle rations, buy houses, hide dollars, keep mistresses, and get their children good jobs, right?”

“That’s right, Comrade Chairman!”

“That’s right. That’s how we lived. But now the world has changed. The duplicitous system of shouting grand slogans in front while lining your own pockets behind the scenes is over!”

“…….”

“We’re moving towards a free and democratic society where it’s a point of pride to earn money and live well. The leaders who will be appointed to the cabinet and run in the general election with the North’s power stake must keep this in mind. You must break with the bad habits of the past and approach things with an attitude of learning about the new world! If you continue to engage in those old habits, how much will the South Korean people criticize you? You’ll all go to jail!”

“…….”

“Let’s hear the South Korean people say that the North Korean leaders are truly honest, upright, and diligent!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“Right now, we’re surviving, developing, and eating thanks to the South’s aid and development. This is all debt we have to repay. Let’s at least protect our pride! The restoration of our pride is in the hands of you leaders!”

The attendees all stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Clap! Clap! Clap!