The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 60

60. Assault on the Den of Vice

The President laid out his vision.

“In about 10 years, there will be significant pressure to open up the agricultural and livestock products market. To prepare for that, we need to establish a system that competes on quality, not quantity. Korean beef is tastier than imported beef, so develop a plan to elevate that into a meat quality grading system and make it official.”

“Meat quality grading! Understood.”

During Chairman Wang’s time, the livestock market was fully opened instead of protecting the rice market.

It was widely expected that Korean beef, which was more than twice as expensive, would fail.

However, the meat quality grading system, which highlighted the quality of Korean beef, miraculously saved the market by creating a distinction: ‘Korean beef = premium meat’ and ‘imported meat = lower-grade meat’.

The President was referring to that very meat quality grading system, a crucial element at the time.

* * *

A series of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries distribution reform laws were introduced to the National Assembly, including the establishment of an agricultural, livestock, and fisheries corporation, standards for livestock wholesale markets and slaughterhouses, slaughterhouse hygiene regulations, auction transparency, and distribution laws.

Predictably, political circles tried to block them.

“Prices should be determined naturally by supply and demand in the market. Government intervention goes against a market economy. Why are you constantly trying to move towards a controlled system?”

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries presented a graph and responded.

“If a pig consumes feed costing 20,000 won, and feed and labor costs are at least 10,000 won, the farmer receives only about 2,000 won after selling it. Middlemen, such as wholesale collectors, wholesalers, and retailers, take 8,000 won.”

“……”

“If prices fall due to oversupply, farmers get even less than 2,000 won. Intermediate distributors never buy at a loss. Even if the price doubles, farmers only get 1,000 won, or at most 2,000 won more.”

“Hmm.”

“Agricultural and livestock products spoil if not shipped on time, leading to accumulated losses. Distributors exploit this vulnerability to drive down prices. Will the members of the National Assembly continue to ignore this distribution structure, calling it a normal market?”

The assemblymen were embarrassed.

Laws related to agricultural and livestock distribution and hygiene were all passed without much difficulty.

However, applying the laws in the field faced growing pains due to resistance from vested interests.

* * *

Majang-dong slaughterhouse.

Three hygiene officials in gowns inspected the cattle slaughter facilities.

They were skinning a dairy cow on the floor.

The official pointed out.

“You must suspend it from a line, not work on the floor. And no smoking while working.”

Although a suspension device was installed because of the new law, the butchers stuck to the old method.

The official noted the violations.

The official said to the slaughterhouse manager, “Let’s go to the next cold storage room.”

The manager led the officials to the cold storage room.

But the head butcher, a burly man holding an iron hammer used to stun the cows, spat out his cigarette.

“You son of a bitch, you haven’t been taught a lesson yet. Hey, Twin Swords! Lock them up!”

“Got it, boss.”

* * *

Slaughterhouse cold storage.

The carcasses of cows, skinned and gutted, hung on rail hooks.

The official pointed out, “The cow carcasses are dragging on the floor. They must be at least 50cm [approximately 20 inches] off the floor.”

The manager made excuses. “We’re storing them in the pig cold storage because we slaughtered a lot of cows today.”

“You shouldn’t slaughter them if you exceed the cold storage capacity.”

“Ah, yes….”

“Blood is congealed on the floor, and rats are tearing at the meat. Who would buy it if they knew this? 15-day suspension of business!”

As the official entered another cold storage room, the manager slipped away.

Suddenly, the cold storage door slammed shut.

Bang!

“Ah, what?”

“Chief, the door is locked.”

“Open it!”

Even if the cold storage door was closed from the outside, there was a device on the doorknob to open it from the inside.

“Chief, the opening doorknob is broken off.”

“What? Then it won’t open?”

They banged on the door with their hands and feet.

“Open the door!”

However, the cold storage was deep inside the building, and the buzzing of the cooling fans drowned out any noise from the outside.

Bang! Bang!

No matter how hard they knocked, there was no response.

The officials trembled in fear and cold due to the dampness, the smell of blood, and the near-freezing temperature.

The butchers were deliberately locking the door to teach them a lesson.

* * *

The slaughterhouse was a major source of funds for the mob organization.

The mob controlled the supply of by-products to butcher shops and wholesalers in Majang-dong.

Since Korea favored ox bones, pig’s feet, offal, and heads (especially for ancestral rites), they bought them cheaply at the slaughterhouse, processed them, and then made more than 10 times the profit in the distribution process.

They didn’t hesitate to use knives when disputes over interests arose, so even the local police and members of the National Assembly had been reluctant to interfere with the slaughterhouse until now.

However, due to the President’s special order to eradicate illegal activities, the public authorities visited the place frequently for several months.

* * *

Luxury Japanese restaurant.

Delicacies such as sea bream sashimi, grilled eel, and croaker soup were prepared on the table.

A mob boss, nicknamed ‘Sweet Potato’, was meeting with Prosecutor Yang.

He poured sake and made a request. “Sir, they’ve fearlessly rounded up all our guys in Majang-dong. Please use your influence.”

“It’s not a violent crime, so they’ll be out soon.”

“Ha, that’s a relief.”

“But the boss with a lot of convictions will probably rot for a few years. Why did he draw a knife and attack the police chief? Does he think he’s invincible? Did he think bullets wouldn’t penetrate him?”

“That bastard’s head is rotten. The guy who’s going to rot in jail will rot, but the problem is business. The authorities are tightening the screws so much that it’s hard to do business now. They’re watching us closely for passing off imported beef as Korean beef, so please discipline those hygiene guys.”

“Well, that’s difficult. I can’t block a law passed by the National Assembly on my own.”

“That’s why I’m asking you, sir. Make the law exist but not be effective, put on the brakes. This is a gratuity.”

He held out a leather bag full of cash.

“Kids, bring out the sake in earnest!”

“Yes!”

The waitresses diligently brought food and alcohol.

Among the employees, there was also a woman who had a recorder hidden in her clothes.

Sweet Potato met with local members of the National Assembly, the Deputy Mayor of Seoul, and the Director of the Livestock Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, providing entertainment and bribes to lobby them.

* * *

Majang-dong slaughterhouse.

Cows and pigs were unloaded from the trucks of wholesale collectors from the provinces at the holding pen.

Oink, oink~
Moo~

A butcher shouted, “There’s a lot of volume today. If you don’t pay the express fee, it’ll be dawn before you’re done!”

Some traders handed over bundles of cash.

The butcher walked around collecting cash in plastic bags.

If they didn’t give the butchers even cigarette money, they would replace the carcasses or steal chunks of meat from the slaughtered carcasses and sell them to nearby restaurants for pocket money.

The butcher shook his head. “Hey, I’m telling you to give me by-products instead of paper money!”

The butchers preferred by-products such as heads, feet, and offal to money.

This was because they could sell them for 10 times the profit.

A commotion broke out at the entrance of the slaughterhouse, which had been fairly orderly.

The butchers carrying pig carcasses on carts scattered in panic.

“What is that? Why is that appearing here?”

It was an armored vehicle with a machine gun mounted on it.

Krrrr~

Two armored vehicles pushed into the slaughterhouse, followed by trucks carrying armed police special forces.

Since military forces could not be mobilized for public order unless it was martial law, the police special forces were created and dispatched for the first time.

The police special forces who got out of the truck surrounded the slaughterhouse.

Three police cars appeared.

The police chief, wearing a pistol, got out and shouted into a megaphone. “We are arresting all slaughterhouse employees for attempted murder and obstruction of official duties!”

Escorted by special forces with rifles, the police chief and his party entered the slaughterhouse.

About 20 butchers wearing blood-stained gloves and holding tools blocked the way.

It was a gruesome sight with sharp knives, hooks, and iron hammers.

The police chief flinched.

But he couldn’t back down, having brought the police special forces.

The chief took a deep breath and shouted, “Who is the person in charge here?”

The head butcher, wearing a tool belt with a slaughter knife and a cigarette in his mouth, stepped forward. “Oh, you’re here because of the public officials. They just got locked in the cold storage room while wandering around alone.”

The police chief pulled out his pistol.

Bang-bang-

He fired a blank shot into the air.

“Don’t play games!”

The special forces aimed their rifles at once.

“These are not blanks.”

The intimidated butchers looked awkward.

The police chief shouted, “Put down all your tools and lie on the ground!”

“Hey, isn’t this an abuse of public power? Why are you threatening innocent citizens with guns?”

“Convict with eight priors, Moon-shik! You gangster, shut your mouth!”

“You son of a bitch!”

Bang!

As the boss approached threateningly, he shot him in the thigh.

“Ugh!”

The boss slumped down.

The rest of the butchers all lay on the ground.

“Arrest the criminals on the spot and take them away! The Miranda rights are as follows….”

The police handcuffed them.

Once a week, armed police raided the place, arresting those involved on charges of auction collusion, express fee extortion, carcass switching, and carcass meat theft (larceny).

The slaughterhouse president was arrested for embezzlement and bribery, and all executives were replaced.

* * *

Presidential office.

The Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection reported to the President.

“As you said, Sweet Potato met with influential people who were close to him and lobbied them.”

“Have you secured all the evidence?”

“Of course. Undercover detectives took pictures of them together with miniature cameras, and some even succeeded in recording them.”

“Good. Charge all the mobsters with criminal organization charges and throw them all in jail!”

“Understood, Your Excellency! Then the prosecutors, members of the National Assembly….”

“Disclose their names and conduct a public investigation. Remove them from their positions, and if a crime is established, prove them guilty and feed them prison food. Set an example to deter others.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

Shortly after, the TV news revealed the roundup of national mob organizations and the names of the powerful people who were in collusion with them.

Majang-dong was completely transformed.

* * *

Japanese government building.

A strategy meeting presided over by the Prime Minister was being held.

Relevant officials discussed the pending issues.

The Ambassador to Korea said, “Korea’s economic development is unusual. Exports are expected to exceed $4 billion this year.”

“$4 billion? Does that mean they will soon reach $10 billion?”

“That’s right. At this rate, it seems possible within the next four years.”

“Four years! It took us 15 years to go from $100 million, but they’re going to do it in just eight years?”

West Germany recorded $10 billion in exports in 1960, Japan and France in 1967, and the Netherlands in 1970.

During Chairman Wang’s era, commodity exports, which were only $100 million in 1964, reached $10 billion in 1977.

This time, even without the Middle East boom, it was enough to achieve $10 billion in half the time.

“What’s the reason for that?”

“It’s because the U.S. military is withdrawing from Vietnam, and Korea is monopolizing the Vietnam reconstruction project. They are picking up dollars by the sack.”

“Hmm, it’s the same reason why we enjoyed a boom as a logistics base during the Korean War….”

“It’s a pity.”

At this time, the Minister of National Defense burst into anger. “It’s all because the Peace Constitution is holding us back!”

“……”