The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 98

98. Can’t Adapt

The Blue House Press Room.

The President delivered his victory speech before the reporters.

“I thank the people who have chosen me as their servant!”

Clap, clap, clap!

“Because the people chose me directly, without the help of any party or politician, I owe nothing to any party or politician. There is no need to take care of those who contributed to my victory or to distribute positions based on faction.”

Clap, clap, clap!

“I will immediately create a new party and register as a candidate for the 8th National Assembly election to be held in a month.”

The reporters’ questions followed.

“What are the criteria for nominating candidates for the National Assembly?”

“They must have a philosophy of public service and be competent. We are looking for capable and innovative individuals over the age of 30, so we welcome many applications.”

“Are you completely excluding those with existing political experience?”

“No. We are only excluding members with four or more terms and will select based on the same criteria.”

Another reporter asked.

“Now that a lifetime presidency is possible, how long do you plan to stay in power?”

“This is my last term. I also believe that a lifetime presidency through reelection is excessive. Therefore, in the first regular session of the upcoming 8th National Assembly, I plan to propose a constitutional amendment to limit the president’s term to three 4-year terms or two 5-year terms, like members of the National Assembly. The president will directly propose it.”

“All elected officials can now be subject to recall by the people, but the presidency is an exception. Will you create a new one?”

“We have indeed discussed it internally. However, there were conflicting opinions that it would overlap with the National Assembly’s right to impeachment. Unlike local elected officials, there are concerns about the efficiency of a national recall in terms of procedures and methods. Since a conclusion has not yet been reached, we will discuss it as soon as the 8th National Assembly convenes.”

The Q&A session lasted for an hour.

The local autonomy elections, which were enacted not long ago, were poorly prepared. Therefore, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to postpone them to a year later so that they would not overlap with the National Assembly elections.

Since the 7th President was not a change of power, there was no separate transition committee.

In principle, the current administration would remain, and only vacancies would be filled.

*

New Party Headquarters.

President Jung, having completed the establishment of the party, received applications for National Assembly candidates at the leased party headquarters.

Long lines formed at the candidate application desks.

Many familiar faces were seen.

In the parking lot, Assemblyman Kim of the ruling party and veteran Assemblyman Seo of the opposition party made eye contact.

“Assemblyman Seo, what brings you here?”

“Assemblyman Kim, what are you doing at a new party?”

“Haha, this is where the trend is.”

“Are we going to end up in the same party like this?”

“Hahaha, are we strange bedfellows?”

As a result of the regional deadlines, the average competition rate for candidate applications to the new party was 15:1.

In the office, President Jung and about 20 elders from various fields conducted the first document screening.

President Jung reported the results of the document reception to the President by phone.

“Your Excellency, 101 incumbent ruling party members have applied.”

– Those people are seriously mistaken. It’s not just a change of party name; it’s a completely new party.

“Not only that, but about 20 opposition party members have also knocked on our door.”

– The opposition too?

“Yes. A large number of members with three terms or less from both the ruling and opposition parties have applied. If we recruit them all, we can become the number one party at once, although it is the last of the 7th National Assembly, which is an amazing figure.”

– Hahaha, that’s quite a tempting number. Still, ruthlessly cut out the opportunists.

“Of course. We are prioritizing the philosophy of public service, so there won’t be many left.”

300 candidates were selected for local constituencies. Only 13 of the existing members who applied passed.

They immediately became the number three opposition party.

The existing ruling and opposition parties naturally coalesced and disintegrated, splitting into two other parties and founding new ones.

People ridiculed that party as a ‘senior citizen center’.

*

Three days before the general election, an elementary school playground.

The official campaigns of eight National Assembly candidates were taking place.

Due to the general election, outdated practices were being carried out in some areas.

A large basin filled with *makgeolli* [Korean rice wine] was placed in one corner of the playground, allowing anyone to come and scoop it up with a gourd.

The person managing the *makgeolli* said.

“Okay, eat deliciously and vote for number 1!”

“Kheu~ good! Hey, don’t you give out cigarettes?”

“If you vote for number 1 on election day, we’ll give it to you right away. We’ll even give you pocket money.”

“Aigoo, this place is stingy. Number 2 over there even gives rubber shoes and cigarettes.”

At this time, the candidate wearing the number 3 sash and his party appeared.

They picked up trash scattered on the playground with sacks and tongs.

Seeing this, a voter who had a glass of *makgeolli* sneered.

“Isn’t number 3 a garbage collector? Why is someone who’s going to be an official doing that?”

“Elder, those days are over now. A member of the National Assembly is not an official but a volunteer. It is a volunteer position that represents local residents, handles complaints, and reflects opinions to create laws.”

“Don’t you have to turn over even bean sprouts to get votes?”

“Elder, should you vote for someone who does a good job or someone who gives bribes well? If they take as much as they give, how much more will they embezzle? Voters must take the lead in eradicating it first.”

*

After the voting ended, the counting began.

After midnight, the outline of the winners and losers became clear.

Except for the super-competitive areas, the number 3 new party became the number one party with 65% of the vote, falling short of the number needed for constitutional amendment.

In the past, the ruling party was dominant in the countryside, and the opposition party was dominant in the cities, which was called ‘ruling party in rural areas, opposition party in urban areas’.

But this time, it was completely reversed, with the ruling party in urban areas and the opposition party in rural areas.

The reform slogan that a member of the National Assembly is not power but an honorary position worked in the cities, but it was still unfamiliar in the countryside.

Above all, it was a great achievement that the regional colors of Honam and Yeongnam had faded.

The number of proportional representation seats nationwide was minimized to 50, so the total number of National Assembly seats was 350.

The total number of seats for the ruling party, the new party, was 227.

*

The New National Assembly Building.

The 8th National Assembly was opened in the National Assembly building, which was renovated from the Blue House, the presidential residence.

The members’ dormitory was located 1 km to the right of the National Assembly building, and the president’s newly built residence was located 200m to the left.

The existing annex buildings on the left and right of the Blue House were used as the National Assembly Secretariat and the Legislative Research Office, where legislative investigators conduct research.

Several more welfare buildings for members were located behind it.

Members entered the National Assembly building one after another.

Experienced members had new feelings.

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to work at the Blue House!”

“It’s the best success, hahaha.”

It was clearly different from the old National Assembly.

Members had gold badges on their chests, but they could not enter the National Assembly without an access card.

There were no nameplates on the members’ seats.

They sat by region, regardless of the ruling or opposition party, and the more experienced ones sat in the front.

Existing members were dissatisfied with the new rules.

“There will be many times when the ruling and opposition parties will be at odds, so how can we sit together awkwardly?”

“The veterans have to go to the back, but the front seats are like nerds. Wow! I can’t even doze off.”

The Speaker of the National Assembly finally declared the opening of the session.

The Speaker of the National Assembly was Assemblyman Kim of the ruling party, a three-term member in his mid-40s.

“I declare the opening of the 8th National Assembly!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The President gave the opening address.

“I congratulate you on starting your legislative activities with a new mindset in the new National Assembly building.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“I am well aware that some of you are uncomfortable with the operations that are different from the existing practices. We must meet the standards of the people, but I also believe that it is the responsibility of the representatives to take the lead in creating new practices as representatives of the people.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“Thank you. People are amazed at the changes of the past 10 years, calling it a sea change. The spring hunger has disappeared, and we have achieved $5 billion in exports. Expressways are passing through the eight provinces. But compared to the changes of the next 10 years, it will be a drop in the bucket.”

After the opening address, the first bill of the 8th National Assembly was proposed.

As promised, it was the constitutional amendment on the presidential term proposed by the President.

The content was to limit it to a ‘5-year, single-term system’ with agreement from the ruling and opposition parties.

A phrase was also inserted: ‘Constitutional amendments to extend the term of the President or change the term of reelection shall not be effective for the President at the time of the constitutional amendment proposal.’

However, due to budget waste and fatigue caused by frequent national referendums, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to postpone the date of the President’s announcement so that the public could vote for or against the national referendum at the same time as the local autonomy elections to be held a year later.

In the past, the members’ seats were sparsely empty, and when they left work, the members of the National Assembly were lobbied in high-end bars and had a drink until they were tipsy, but now they had to attend the session throughout the session, and when it was over, they rushed to the Legislative Research Office without aides to create bills.

*

Member Dormitory.

It was an 18-pyeong (approximately 600 square feet) apartment with two rooms and a small living room.

One room was designed to be used as an office and the other as a bedroom, but it was common to use both rooms as offices due to the abundance of data and books, and to sleep in the living room.

Assemblyman Jeon, a three-term member, sat in the living room after work without taking off his suit, staring blankly out the window.

Since he had no aide, he was all alone.

“This is not it… this is not it!”

He shook his head.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

When he opened the door, Assemblyman Park, his close friend, came in.

Assemblyman Park’s face was also haggard.

“Are you coming from the Research Office?”

“Hoo~ do we have to live like this?”

The complaints of experienced members who used to be treated like royalty were beyond words.

“To think I’d wake up before dawn and leave work after dark at this age!”

“I’m like a student shuttling between the Legislative Research Office and the dormitory. I would have gone to Seoul National University if I had studied this hard.”

“Ha~, how can I endure 4 years like this?”

“I’m thinking of taking a leave of absence.”

“I want to too. But if you leave your seat here, you’ll be expelled immediately without a leave of absence. Heuyu~ [Sigh]”

“Let them cut me if they want.”

Within three months of the opening of the session, 11 people resigned voluntarily.

The runner-up was immediately filled.

Even the second-place winner was given a chance.

If there is no spirit of service and public interest, it has become more difficult to complete the term than to become a member of the National Assembly.

A new breeze was blowing in the judiciary and the prosecution.

*

Seoul Criminal District Court.

The warrant officer pushed up his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and said.

“What is this?”

New prosecutor Sohn of the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office, who had not been appointed long ago, replied.

“It’s a warrant request.”

“Who doesn’t know that? I’m talking about the defendant, the defendant!”

The defendant column listed the chief judge, judge, and clerk of the Seoul Criminal District Prosecutors’ Office.

Prosecutor Sohn explained.

“They went on a business trip for witness questioning for the warrant of the suspect who evaded taxes from R Group and illegally used the technology of subcontractors, and received 100,000 won in entertainment expenses for airfare, accommodation, and drinks from the suspect, and took 500,000 to 1 million won as pocket money.”

“Ha~ really. It’s customary for the old men to receive that much as travel expenses when they go on business trips. The prosecution receives more travel expenses. Why are you suddenly doing this?”

“The new government has said it will severely punish public officials’ crimes. It may have been customary until yesterday, but now it is a crime.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”