The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 88

88. Political Reform (3)

A retired Swedish Prime Minister explained:

“Every Thursday, I would invite figures from the political, business, and labor sectors to the Prime Minister’s residence—a government-supported location two hours by car from Stockholm—to have dinner together and engage in conversation. We saw ourselves as one family, all thinking about the country together, rather than as political adversaries.”

It was a model of conversational politics that transcended formality.

The visiting lawmakers listened intently to the Prime Minister’s words.

Especially Minister Jeong.

He was realizing what he had lacked most in his past life.

As the night deepened.

* * *

Whirr~

The lawmakers and the President, having left the Prime Minister’s cabin, headed to the hotel on the same bus.

The President suddenly grabbed the microphone and said,

“Looking back, the thatched-roof houses have disappeared, the village roads have widened, highways have been laid, and airplanes fly in the sky. It’s a sea change like no other. Achieving $5 billion in exports will also be smooth sailing, thanks to the efforts of the people and all of you. Everything has changed and modernized. But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed.”

“…….”

“It’s our politics.”

“Hmm….”

“You must have felt it a lot while touring the Swedish Parliament, right? How politically backward we are. I think it’s time to modernize our politics now.”

“…….”

“When you return, I hope you will all, regardless of party affiliation, discuss and voluntarily propose political reform bills.”

“Ah!”

The lawmakers now realized that the President had called them all the way to Sweden to say this.

A member of the opposition party asked,

“About what level of reform are you thinking, Your Excellency?”

“I hope all authoritarian privileges will be abolished. Abolish the Blue House [the presidential residence], and make National Assembly members unpaid honorary positions.”

“…….”

Unpaid honorary positions!

The atmosphere turned chilly.

But the most difficult thing was ‘voluntary’.

* * *

The leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, having returned from Sweden, were watching each other’s reactions and remained silent about political reform.

In response, the President took action.

The President’s office.

The President said to the Minister of Public Information,

“Create news about this visit to Sweden and distribute it.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

“Don’t focus on the President’s activities, but focus on Sweden’s political service.”

“I understand.”

“And provide materials to newspapers and broadcasters for special broadcasts and articles on political advancement. Compare the privileges of Swedish and Korean lawmakers to reveal the reality.”

“I understand, Your Excellency!”

“True modernization comes from the awakening of the consciousness of the people and leaders, not from industry. It’s the awareness that power is not a privilege but a service.”

The Minister diligently took notes.

– Political power is not a privilege but a service.

Newspapers and broadcasters ran features on political advancement.

Some newspapers even showed enthusiasm by dispatching correspondents to Europe to directly cover the parliaments of various countries.

* * *

Instead of the National Assembly building in Yeouido [the main island of Seoul], the Blue House was being remodeled into the National Assembly building.

The President’s office was being newly built in a triangular layout 200 meters away from the Blue House.

The Blue House Secretariat.

The President held a meeting with the secretariat staff and aides.

He had assigned a task a week ago, and the theme was ‘Abolition (reduction) of the privileges of political power’.

“In Korea, political power is synonymous with privilege. Sweden has a parliamentary system, and we have a presidential system, so please present ideas for abolishing privileges that suit our situation.”

A young staff member raised his hand and said,

“The President must lead by example. Excessive security and the Blue House are factors that distance the public.”

“That’s a good point. I’ll have to order discreet security. And since we’re remodeling the current Blue House into the National Assembly building, it will be resolved naturally.”

There was a rebuttal.

“Unlike Sweden, we have a unique situation where the two Koreas are facing each other. There are rampant assassination plots by armed spies and agents. There is also a command bunker role to protect the command in the event of a North Korean surprise attack. Even the United States, a free democratic country, has the White House to escort Code One [the President]. The President’s office currently being built next to the Blue House should add security and command bunker functions in addition to office functions.”

The President said,

“The current Blue House is a presidential palace concept located behind Gyeongbokgung Palace [a major royal palace in Seoul], so moving to a new building will help refresh the image. We will expand the bunker command post underground.”

Another aide said,

“We need to reduce presidential spending that comes out of the people’s taxes. The President’s pension of 13.91 million won per month (based on 2022), the President’s pension being fully exempt from income tax, the privilege of giving the most encouragement money and gifts with the people’s taxes, the privilege of being the only public official who can purchase clothes for their spouse with taxes, the privilege of married children living together in the Blue House, and the privilege of using 5.7 billion won for public opinion polls are excessive privileges unrelated to their duties.”

The President nodded.

“That’s right. Let’s lower the pension to 4 million won per month. Let’s abolish tax exemptions, family privileges, and public opinion poll privileges. And let’s reduce the monthly salary to 4 million won (based on 2022 conversion). How can it be more than a large company president when serving the public?”

Based on the 2022 conversion, the President’s monthly salary is close to 20 million won.

Another secretary said,

“It seems excessive to hire three secretaries and one driver after the President retires.”

“I’ll get rid of them all.”

The Chief of Staff said,

“There are more than 3,000 positions that the President appoints, directly and indirectly. The power of personnel is, in fact, the reality of power. It would be good to reduce the number of key positions to less than 300.”

“That’s right. In fact, even 100 is overwhelming. How can the President verify and know all those people? The secretariat becomes bloated to conduct personnel verification, corruption occurs, and the number of aides increases. In addition, patronage appointments prevail over merit-based promotions, and cliques are formed. Please review reducing the number of key positions to less than 200.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

* * *

The Blue House briefing room.

The Blue House spokesperson announced the plan to reduce presidential privileges in front of reporters.

“Political power is not a privilege but a service, according to His Excellency’s wishes. Reflecting this, and considering the characteristics of the presidential system and the inter-Korean confrontation, we have decided to eliminate all of the following excessive privileges unrelated to duties. Please process it in the National Assembly.”

He listed 18 items of the President’s privileges and announced the contents of abolishing or reducing them.

As the President himself relinquished his privileges, the people were bewildered but repeatedly admired.

“Oh my, he’s drastically lowering the President’s salary to the level of a department head at a large company.”

“He says the President is not a wage earner but a service position.”

“That’s really the right thing to say. Since the leader is taking the initiative, the subordinates won’t be able to stand still.”

“What will the ministers, vice ministers, mayors, governors, and National Assembly members really do? I saw in the newspaper that National Assembly members have 200 privileges.”

“Thieves! If they have any conscience, they won’t be able to stand still.”

* * *

The opposition party headquarters.

A general meeting of opposition lawmakers was being held.

Lawmaker Cheon protested.

“This is a witch hunt! How can we deal with the government if we disarm the people’s representatives? We can’t say what we want to say.”

The party leader said,

“It’s not an atmosphere where staying still will solve anything right now. The President is taking the lead and doing that, so all the arrows are pointing at the National Assembly members.”

“Does it make sense to abolish the ban on more than four terms, the privilege of not being arrested, and the privilege of immunity? It’s killing the opposition party.”

The opposition leadership was almost all three-term or higher.

Other lawmakers also rose up.

“Who will be a lawmaker if we lower the salary to the level of a wage earner? You know how much election costs go into getting a gold badge [a symbol of being a lawmaker]. If we can’t even recover the election costs, who will work?”

“Is it possible to propose more than 30 bills per year? Is it possible to get rid of all the aides?”

“What’s with attending every meeting during the session? Are you trying to kill someone? When are we supposed to manage our districts?”

“What’s with the national initiative and national recall? Are National Assembly members flies’ lives?”

This atmosphere was the same not only in the opposition party but also in the ruling party.

“Is this Sweden? It’s not a cabinet system, it’s a presidential system. It’s the National Assembly that checks the powerful president.”

“It’s a separation of powers. Let the executive branch take care of the executive branch. Why are you interfering with the legislative branch?”

“Is the ruling party a punching bag? The rights of National Assembly members must be protected by National Assembly members!”

“His Excellency suggested an unpaid honorary position? Does that make sense? Is legislative activity a village chief?”

The ruling and opposition parties united to resist to protect their vested interests.

* * *

The ruling party office.

The heads of policy planning for the ruling and opposition parties gathered to discuss countermeasures.

“We can’t ignore public opinion, so we have to do something.”

“So, how about the ruling and opposition parties putting on a show for the public?”

“What do you mean?”

“Strengthen the ethics charter for lawmakers and freeze salaries within the term.”

“That’s right. The ethics charter has no legal binding force, and there are only a year and a half left in the term, so freezing it has no meaning.”

“Good. Let’s make a fuss about this.”

Soon after, lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties gathered at the National Assembly to hold a National Assembly reform and self-purification conference.

“Pledge!”

“We, the members of the National Assembly, pledge to abide by the strengthened ethics code and to freeze salaries within the term!”

The lawmakers wore sashes on their shoulders, left the National Assembly building, and went out to promote on the streets.

* * *

The President’s office.

The Chief of Staff reported.

“Lawmakers are framing it as the President’s oppression of the legislative branch and oppression of the opposition party.”

“You gangster-like bastards! What is the public opinion?”

“The public supports the President with 88%. But there is absolute opposition in the parliament.”

“The voluntary proposal of the National Assembly has gone down the drain, and it’s useless even if I propose it.”

“That’s right. If the National Assembly blocks legislation, it will inevitably drift.”

“Hmm….”

The President pondered.

And he began to build justification, starting with a meeting with the President and the party leader facing each other.

He decided to try the conversational politics he learned from the Swedish Prime Minister.

* * *

The opposition party office.

There were press vehicles lined up in front of the party headquarters.

The meeting between the leaders is usually held by the party leader meeting with the President at the Blue House.

The situation was like a minister paying homage to the king.

But this time, the President took a groundbreaking step.

The President visited the opposition party leader’s office in person.

Reporters flocked to the first incident (?) in constitutional history and covered every move of the President and the opposition party leader.

The opposition party leader was a hundred times more burdened by the President’s visit.

“I was very surprised that Your Excellency insisted on coming in person when I could have gone to the Blue House.”

“The President meets the people, so why can’t he meet the people’s representatives? I think of it as service, not power, so there’s no place I can’t go. There’s no reason why our politics can’t be better than Sweden’s.”

“Hahaha, I was also impressed by the meeting with the former Swedish Prime Minister.”

“Let’s have a frank conversation and try conversational politics. Keep your schedule open after this time.”

“Haha, of course.”

Thus, the President’s party ‘dojang 깨기’ [literally, ‘breaking the dojang,’ a Korean term for challenging and defeating all opponents in a martial arts school] began.