The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 212

212. The Secret of Governance

Chairman Jang calmed the enthusiastically applauding attendees and continued.

“President-elect Jeong Ju-hyeon proposed this: that I become the Prime Minister, and that the executive branch allocate 1/3 of the ministers and vice-ministers to the North.”

The attendees swallowed hard at the mention of leadership allocation.

However, their expectations turned to disappointment.

“So I refused. I said, how can they be Prime Minister, ministers, and vice-ministers when they know nothing about capitalism and free competition!”

“…….”

“This time, I gave up the Prime Minister position and asked that instead of ministers and vice-ministers, our people be appointed to positions from grades 3 to 9 in the executive branch, one person per position, but expanded to all departments.”

“…….”

“Although the ranks are low, I asked them to employ as many people as possible as working-level staff to learn the customs and work of South Korean public officials. The South and North will exchange personnel, and we will rotate every two years. At this stage, the goal is to learn free competition.”

The attendees, who had been thinking of the existing top-down loyalty and iron rice bowl system [a system guaranteeing lifetime employment], could not help but feel nervous at the mention of learning free competition.

“Leaders gathered here, are you disappointed that you won’t get to be ministers or vice-ministers?”

“No. We will take off our rank insignia and learn diligently!”

“Are you dissatisfied that you can’t receive performance reports from subordinates and have to work like cows to be evaluated based on your abilities?”

“No. We will be evaluated based on our abilities and results!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“That’s right. We need to learn how to live like humans for at least 10 years!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

In that way, Chairman Jang skillfully trained the officials who would become bureaucrats, as promised with President-elect Jeong.

*

The Presidential Transition Committee.

Divided into 15 subcommittees, they proceeded with the handover, accompanied by North Korean personnel.

The handover proceeded very smoothly as half of the cabinet members retained their current positions.

It was almost at the level of receiving briefings, with a focus on customized education for cabinet members from the North.

The President-elect sought a significant change in the government organization.

He abolished the Inter-Korean Exchange Department and established the Ministry of Balanced National Development.

He greatly strengthened the Ministry of Education to resolve the heterogeneity [dissimilarity] between the South and North and established the Ministry of Science and Technology as an independent entity.

He created a function in the Ministry of Economy and Finance to coordinate conflicts between ministries.

There were also departments that added or adjusted tasks, such as the Ministry of Labor and Safety and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

In the Ministry of Culture, he established a department of popular arts and ordered a project to promote the Korean Wave [Hallyu, the global popularity of South Korean culture].

The new president focused on education, welfare, safety, and balanced development to wash away the stigma of developmental dictatorship this time.

The Director of the National Intelligence Service promoted the Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service.

He appointed new people as the Chief of the Presidential Security Service and the Chief of Staff.

Because the memory of self-destruction due to infighting among close aides before his regression was vivid, this time he evenly distributed experienced, new, and regional figures, mixed civil and military officials, and guarded against cliques or power struggles among private organizations based on blood ties, regional ties, or school ties.

*

The Presidential Office.

The outgoing and incoming presidents were chatting in the office.

President Park said to President-elect Jeong.

“When you are in a high position, you are surrounded by officials and hear and see the world through close aides. You supplement it with TV and newspapers, but as you know, TV is a copy of the Public Information Office’s press releases, or the business perspective of broadcasting stations and newspapers.”

“That’s right. The media doesn’t report when a dog bites a person, but it reports when a person bites a dog.”

“You know it well. To see the lives of ordinary people and listen to public opinion, you must communicate directly with the people.”

“Should I create a Public Communication Office?”

“That’s a good idea, but if bureaucrats get involved, it tends to become bureaucratic again. I had a separate way of looking after the public. It’s a secret I haven’t told anyone.”

“Ah, is there a secret?”

“It may be the most important task during the handover.”

“…….”

“Come here.”

President-elect Jeong became very nervous at the word ‘most important’.

The president went to the bedroom.

The President-elect saw a large safe the size of a refrigerator.

The most important things are usually kept in a heavy safe.

But, contrary to expectations, the president did not open the safe and stood in front of the closet next to it.

And he opened the closet door wide.

The President-elect’s eyes widened as he looked inside the closet.

There were work clothes, farmer’s clothes, a cane, and hanboks [traditional Korean clothing] and hats that old people like to wear, as well as a dozen wigs, glasses, and mustaches, all neatly arranged.

The President-elect was surprised and asked at the sight of a scene like the dressing room of the Dongchun Circus [a famous Korean circus] about to leave for a performance.

“Your Excellency, what are all those wigs? You have more hair than I do, so you wouldn’t need to wear a wig, would you?”

“Hahaha, this is the secret of my governance!”

“…….”

How could shabby clothes and wigs be the secret of governance? The President-elect blinked, not knowing what was going on.

The president laughed, holding his stomach as he watched the bewildered President-elect.

The president said.

“Do you know King Sukjong?”

“Of course. He’s the king with the most anecdotes about the people.”

“The reason why there are so many unofficial stories about King Sukjong is that, despite being the king, he disguised himself and went out of the palace to go incognito among the people.”

“Sukjong’s incognito visits are famous.”

“I also got a hint from that and went on incognito visits to ordinary people from time to time.”

“Yes? An incognito visit? Then those ordinary clothes and wigs….”

“That’s right. They are the disguises I used for incognito visits.”

“Disguises! Ah! I had no idea you were going incognito, Your Excellency!”

“It’s not an incognito visit if people notice it.”

“Your Excellency, even if you disguised yourself, didn’t the people recognize you?”

“In the Joseon Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 1392-1897], the people didn’t know the king’s face, so they couldn’t recognize him just by changing his clothes. But these days, he appears on TV every day, so there’s no way they wouldn’t recognize him. But I have an average build and a commoner-like face, so if I wear a wig and disguise myself, they don’t recognize me.”

The president put on a wig and glasses, attached a mustache, and put on a magoja [a type of Korean jacket].

“Now, how is it? If I put on makeup and paint some age spots, I can turn into an old man even more perfectly.”

The President-elect’s mouth dropped open at the magical disguise show.

“Your Excellency, you have been making such efforts for public communication!”

“The good thing about having a standard body is this kind of disguise, hahaha!”

“You said it was an important handover, so I was overthinking that it was an important confidential document or a slush fund for governance. I am ashamed to think that I still haven’t gotten rid of the old ways, Your Excellency!”

The President-elect’s shoulders drooped.

“Don’t blame yourself. That’s why a handover is necessary.”

“Really, these disguises in the closet are the most important items to inherit to read the people’s minds, Your Excellency!”

“When reporters asked me what was the most memorable moment during my term, I answered the moment of reunification of the two Koreas, but in fact, incognito visits were the most thrilling and rewarding personally. The voices I heard on the spot became a yardstick for whether the staff were properly grasping the public sentiment.”

“Ah, the lesson is that I have to use my subordinates with facts, not orders and instructions. I will engrave it in my bones, Your Excellency!”

“President-elect, you are tall and have distinctive features, so you will have to practice disguises and acting a lot. Besides, if you want to travel around North Korea, you will have to learn a lot of North Korean dialects, right?”

“I’ll register at an acting school right away!”

President-elect Jeong immediately found an acting teacher that day and started private lessons a few days later.

He practiced acting from his 30s to his 70s, including vocalization, facial expressions, and 말투 [manner of speaking].

Because he had a rigid military DNA, acting, which required him to transform into a thousand faces, made him sweat profusely every time he practiced.

Although others didn’t know, it was one of the most difficult times for the regressed President-elect.

*

The Presidential Office.

There was a red circle on the calendar, and it said ‘New President Inauguration Ceremony’.

The president was packing small items in a box.

The Chief of Staff said.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Your Excellency?”

“Everything except the diary, notepad, and a few pencils is the property of the state, so I don’t have any luggage.”

When he organized the largest clothes, they all fit in one box.

“Chief of Staff, thank you for your hard work.”

“You’re welcome. The time I spent assisting Your Excellency was the most brilliant period of my life.”

“I’m grateful that you said that. I’m sorry I couldn’t take care of you. Have you found a job?”

The outgoing Presidential Chief of Staff usually goes to the National Assembly.

There was no stronger career than the title of Presidential Chief of Staff.

He was the 0th priority for nomination by the party, and there were many cases where he was confidently elected in the primary elections.

When the president had tentatively asked about politics in the past, the Chief of Staff had said that he was not interested in politics and replied as follows.

“I have been contacted by a large company.”

“Oh, really? That’s great.”

“But I refused.”

“Why?”

“I can’t do sales, and I can’t do overseas business, so why would a large company try to hire me with a high salary?”

“…….”

“What those people want is obvious. They want to use my connections to lobby politically.”

The president liked his upright character, which did not covet power.

The Chief of Staff replied.

“I’m thinking of starting a small sports store. I’ve signed a store contract.”

“Already? It won’t be easy to go from public office to business.”

“I like sports, so if I sell sports equipment and enjoy exercising, I can do business happily. And I don’t really feel like serving any other superiors besides Your Excellency!”

“I’ve ruined a person for nothing. People don’t seem to see people below the president.”

“Hahaha, that might be true. In fact, I didn’t have the confidence to do anything bigger than Your Excellency, so I thought that living quietly like me was the way to serve the country and the world.”

“Hehehe, I had a teacher next to me and used him.”

“A teacher? You flatter me, Your Excellency.”

“A person full of desires like me has a teacher in a desireless person like the Chief of Staff. A good car is not a car that runs well, but a car that stops well. I mean that I should control my desires by taking the Chief of Staff as an example. Now, please move the box over there.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

*

Myeongdong, Tiger Fund Headquarters.

After dismissing the general staff, the president visited the Tiger Fund headquarters late at night.

This time, the president was receiving a handover from President-elect Jeong.

He had already completed the board meeting to elect Park Jeong-woong as chairman, and only the general meeting resolution remained.

The chairman was also serving as the president.

The chairmen bowed so deeply that their heads touched the ground and greeted the president politely.

They were treating him as the president, not the president.

The president said.

“Make yourselves comfortable. I didn’t come as the president, but as the new president to take over.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

The president shook hands with each of them.

The directors still acted as if they were saluting, stating their official titles and names.