When the Monday morning cabinet meeting ended, President Kim Sangcheol was sighing with a heavier expression than ever.
Politics, by its nature, is over as long as you do better than the other party.
In the second year of his administration, the Honam vote had fallen away and public sentiment in the capital region had turned hostile, but most experts predicted that the ruling party would win another landslide in this by-election.
The secret was not far to seek. Steady communication with the people, solid leadership within the party, and the opposition party’s three-year mourning for its former president... Recently, the Blue House’s approval rating had been crawling in the 30-percent range because of sensitive policies, but every time that happened, the opposition would commit some blunder, and this by-election, too, was expected to be an easy field.
“...”
But Kim Sangcheol’s face was as dark as a monsoon sky covered in storm clouds. These days, it was because of the factions within his own party, whom he hated even more than the opposition.
Whenever he thought of the previous president, his half-brother, anger boiled up inside him.
The nuclear clock that had stopped back then was now returning as a bill. Electricity rates had risen steeply, and a differential rate system had even been nailed down, but repaying KEPCO’s 200 trillion won debt was still a distant prospect.
Moreover, Korea’s renewable energy share was in the 10-percent range, far below the OECD average, and soon it would be fated to reduce coal energy as well.
“The OECD average is 35 percent, and we’re in the 10-percent range?”
“Yes... That is correct.”
“Even Mexico, right above us, is at 19 percent, but we’re at 10 percent?”
“My apologies...”
Kim Sangcheol looked up at the sky in despair.
It was because of the recommendation submitted by the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and public corporations to build additional nuclear power plants.
Those working in the relevant institutions were all singing the same song—“nuclear plants, nuclear plants”—and in truth, most of the Republic of Korea’s indicators were not very bright.
“Why on earth can’t we do it? Can’t we phase out nuclear power like Germany?”
In fact, a nuclear phase-out was not entirely impossible.
Germany, the first country in the world to phase out nuclear power, had now shut down all of its nuclear plants, and renewable energy accounted for 60 percent of its power generation.
But there was a price to pay. Germany’s electricity rates were the most expensive in the world, roughly four to five times higher than Korea’s. Even taking every indicator into account, such as GDP per capita and GNI, Germany’s electricity rates were overwhelmingly high.
“Haa...”
Kim Sangcheol was not a fool.
The previous administration had shattered public sentiment by raising electricity rates by 50 percent. If he raised them by 500 percent, it was perfectly obvious what would happen to the future of this administration.
“What does the prime minister think? Let’s say we have no choice about restarting the nuclear plants. But even so, our party’s platform is nuclear phase-out. Is it right for me to break that with my own hands?”
Lee Chanho answered in a shrinking voice.
“I’m sorry to say this, but that seems easier.”
“Easier?”
“It would be easier to persuade them to build additional nuclear plants than to raise electricity rates by 500 percent...”
Kim Sangcheol stared blankly at the distant sky.
“Nuclear phase-out is... nuclear phase-out is the identity of our Minguk Party. At a time when the party factions are already creeping up, how could I make a U-turn on the previous administration’s course?”
“...”
“I can’t. I really can’t. At this rate, the progressives will split in two again.”
“...With all due respect, Mr. President, that is not necessarily the case.”
“What?”
“Our circumstances are somewhat better than they were during the Participatory Government twenty years ago.”
Lee Chanho continued speaking awkwardly.
“Thankfully, because the opposition has been annihilated, our support base is not splitting.”
“Does the prime minister not see my approval rating hitting rock bottom?”
“But those votes leaving us are not going to the opposition.”
“...”
“Even with the Honam and capital-region votes all falling away, we are still number one in party approval. At the very least, there is almost no possibility of our progressive camp splitting in two.”
A ruling party with 190 seats and an annihilated opposition.
This degree of governing momentum was a luxury not even YS or DJ had enjoyed. It was almost enough to make one think that Heaven had given them one last chance to reform the Republic of Korea.
“If I may add one more thing, we need to do this if we want this by-election to become a little easier.”
“...And what is that supposed to mean?”
“As you know, once the nomination list is announced, everyone will be stabbing us in the back. Apart from the seven, the rest are all enemies.”
“...”
“What is the only way to appease the bastards we couldn’t give posts to? I’ve had someone trustworthy set aside a solid amount of election funds. With that money, we can at least make sure they receive something on the level of a public corporation chairman’s annual salary.”
It was an offer that could not be refused.
The price for handing over an enormous amount of election funds was not a ministerial post, not a nomination, not even a party position—only nuclear power plants.
“Prime Minister... have you already made up your mind? To build more nuclear plants?”
“The people are not fools. Even if we are in the same party, there is no one who does not know that the previous president’s faction and ours are completely different.”
“Even if it is not necessarily a factional matter...”
“If it is not a factional matter, then there is even less reason to inherit it. Even within Europe, Germany and France differ in electricity rates by a factor of two. France is a nuclear power, and Germany phased out nuclear power. The price of that is electricity rates twice as high.”
“...”
“Given our geopolitical characteristics, there are great limits to relying on wind and solar power. There is no answer except building additional nuclear plants.”
Kim Sangcheol took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Having the answer decided and choosing that answer were two different things. Ironically, politics drew the most criticism when one did what was obvious.
Kim Sangcheol had benefited greatly from that. During the previous administration, electricity rates had obviously had no choice but to rise, yet he had turned that into an accusation that they had ruined people’s livelihoods.
“...Mr. President. For now, I will focus on the election. Once the by-election is over, I will work closely with the relevant institutions so that it can be pushed forward.”
As Lee Chanho bowed his head and turned to leave, an angry voice sounded behind him.
“Prime Minister, what on earth did Senior Moon do? He had 190 seats too, did he not?”
*
[Let us punish ruinous populism! Vote for the Daehan Party!]
[Livelihoods in ruins! Diplomacy in ruins! Is this a country?!]
[Conservatives, unite as one! Please give us just one more chance!]
When each party’s primary ended and the general election race began, the Republic of Korea heated up once again.
The topic was the additional nuclear power plants mentioned by the ministers of Environment and Science and ICT.
The two ministers had mentioned nuclear power while explaining carbon neutrality in an official setting, and many experts interpreted this as “phasing out the nuclear phase-out.”
A minister’s remarks were usually the president’s inner voice, so this was effectively no different from the Blue House testing public opinion. And, quite naturally, it emerged as a major variable in the by-election.
“Fellow citizens! This is the price of nuclear phase-out. The price of emphasizing righteousness without an alternative is today’s soaring electricity rates! In particular, we cannot help but hold the progressive parties responsible for this issue! What was the result of cutting into mountains and reclaiming the sea to install solar panels? It was Chinese components taking over the Korean energy market!”
“We ask the Minguk Party! Do you intend to hand the entire country over to China? Is visa-free entry for Chinese tourists the first step?”
“We can no longer stand by and watch! Even now, additional nuclear plant construction is a relief, but the political responsibility for pushing nuclear phase-out without an alternative lies solely with the Minguk Party! The ones who can judge them are you, the people, by voting for our Daehan Party! Please give us just one more chance! We will return this country to normal!”
Having seized a rare opportunity, the Daehan Party pushed the ruling party like a hot knife through butter. Nuclear phase-out was an unmistakable failure of the Minguk Party.
As a result, the seven constituencies where an easy victory had been expected quickly turned into close contests, and the election outcome became impossible to predict even an inch ahead.
—Answer me. Then why did the former president and his wife die?
But when the first court debate began, the Daehan Party failed to shake off its chronic problem. As if they had promised one another, the seven ruling-party candidates brought up the issue of the former president and his wife.
It was strange. When pointing out nuclear phase-out, the Daehan Party candidates seemed like Seoul National University Law School graduates, but the moment the former president and his wife came up, they turned into elementary schoolers.
Apparently, their three-year mourning period still was not over?
—Vote for the Daehan Party!
—Vote for the Minguk Party!
—Let us punish ruinous populism!
—The former president and his wife are what ruined the country!
—Nuclear phase-out is an unprecedented delusion! Will the Minguk Party take no responsibility?
—The Daehan Party is the one that should take responsibility! Why did you turn Korean politics back to the days of Chun Doohwan?
And so, on the day of the by-election finals.
I watched the news with an anxious expression.
The fact that the government and ruling party had hinted at nuclear power ahead of the election was extremely significant. It meant they were asking the people for a vote of confidence.
If the by-election results were worse than expected, a major blow to the Blue House’s governing momentum would be unavoidable. Every president in history who lost a midterm election had become a lame duck from that point onward.
Would President Kim Sangcheol be able to break through these turbulent times?
—Yes, viewers. You have waited a long time. In 30 seconds, we will announce the exit polls. Is it a judgment on the administration, or a renewed vote of confidence? There were truly many agendas in this by-election. As I speak, we are 10 seconds away. 10, 9, 8, 7...
Soon after, the exit polls for the seven constituencies were announced.
The anchor reacted with surprise.
—C-could this be possible? This is an upset. We will have to keep watching, but the exit poll itself is an enormous surprise. Then we will begin our election broadcast with election expert Director Kim Myeongcheol. Director Kim?
No sooner had he finished speaking than the vote counting began in all seven constituencies.
It was still the early count, but there was no great difference from the exit polls.
—Director Kim, first of all, what do you think of the exit poll? Did you expect this?
—Well. I also did not know the result would be to this extent. It is very unexpected.
—Then let us take a look at the history of this by-election. Originally, a landslide victory for the ruling party was expected, correct?
—That is right. For various political reasons, a crushing defeat for the opposition had been expected.
—Then things shook dramatically because of the mention of nuclear power by the ministers of Environment and Science and ICT. Listening to many experts, they said nuclear power would be the decisive battleground of this election. Director Kim, what do you think?
Kim Myeongcheol nodded.
—I share that view. The nuclear phase-out trend that began ten years ago, though its intentions may have been good, has given rise to many concerns. In fact, back then, the concept of AI was still vague, and no one really knew how much electricity these data centers would consume.
—Yes, but there were also concerns about an energy shortage besides that, correct?
—That is right. Our carbon reduction target promised under the Paris Agreement. In fact, being classified as an advanced country at that time turned out to be quite troublesome for us. In any case, we have ended up with the triple burden of carbon reduction, data centers, and the share of renewable energy generation.
—Then how do you view the current government’s stance of “phasing out the nuclear phase-out”? Do you think it had a major effect on voter sentiment?
—Of course it must have had a major effect. But I did not know it would be to this extent.
After conducting the vote-counting broadcast for around two hours, the anchor gathered his papers and looked at the camera.
—Yes, it is now 8:30 p.m. About two hours have passed since the vote-counting broadcast began. It appears the winners have been confirmed in all seven constituencies. Gyeyang and Euncheon are already showing the confirmed-election notice.
The result was extremely shocking.
—Yes, as I speak, confirmed-election notices are beginning to appear in all seven locations. Although the variable of the early-vote ballot boxes still remains, the Minguk Party is projected to win all seven constituencies. It seems the people have chosen to renew their confidence in the government and ruling party. We will go straight to the scene. Reporter Choi Jihyeon...