Cheong Wa Dae, Yeominkwan.
I drank down water with a tense heart as I waited for the president.
When I handed over the list of political funds, Lee Chanho immediately showed wariness toward me. Though it was a blade I had given him to cut down his enemies, he knew it was also a blade that could stab him.
Nor had I played that card merely to cooperate. There was a threat behind it as well.
Lee Chanho, realizing my intent, replied that it was not a decision he could make alone. Thanks to that, after three days, I was able to secure a private meeting with the president.
Just as I emptied a glass of water with a troubled heart, I heard footsteps outside.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Kim Sangcheol entered alone, having even dismissed his security detail.
“Yes, it has been a while. Mr. President.”
“Sit. What a shame. Such a rare guest has come, and I can’t even offer you a drink.”
“You are too kind. I’m fine.”
Seeing him ask for alcohol instead of tea, he must have been quite troubled as well.
The factional conflict within the party had reached its peak, and in the middle of all that, he had even seen the secret ledger... From my perspective, I was grateful enough that he hadn’t had me dragged off to Namsan.
“I heard everything from the prime minister. They say you brought a very dangerous ledger?”
As soon as he sat down, he asked with a face devoid of any smile.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Prime Minister Lee was greatly disappointed because of this. How should I put it—he trusted you too much, Sejun?”
“...”
“Our prime minister truly thought you were a person without selfish motives... He said it chilled him deeply.”
“I apologize. But at least as far as having no selfish motives goes, I mean it sincerely. For the success of this administration, I have done everything I could.”
“Then are we friends? No matter what decision I make, will you remain my political comrade?”
I was at a loss for words. Did that mean he couldn’t do it...?
“Sejun. I understand how you feel, but that condition is far too difficult. As you can see, I’m a tiger with all its teeth fallen out now. I don’t have the power to pass a pension reform bill.”
“No. You can do it. Mr. President, you are still the president of the ruling party with 190 seats.”
“Out of those 190 seats, 100 have long since attached themselves to Minister Park. If you count my true people, my faction is probably smaller than the opposition.”
“Mr. President.”
“If only this were at least a popular policy, perhaps it would be different. If we cut pensions, we’ll end up like France. And lately, with unprecedented returns, the depletion point for the pension fund has been pushed back by thirty years, hasn’t it? How am I supposed to cut it on top of that? I’ve done every role I could play.”
I smiled bitterly.
“This, too, will pass.”
“What?”
“The pension fund cannot earn returns like this forever. That depletion point they say has been delayed—one day, you’ll look and see that it has suddenly come much closer again. In the end, the problem will return to where it started.”
“Then that’s a task for the next administration.”
“There will never be a better time than now.”
“What?”
“From the perspective of the political landscape, there will be no government with as much power as this one. Economically, too, this is when the backlash will be the weakest. If not now, it cannot be done.”
If my memory was correct, that was how it was.
Of the governments over the next thirty years, this was the best set of conditions for reforming the National Pension. Thanks to the annihilated opposition, they could worry less about voters’ reactions, and thanks to the achievement of the KOSPI reaching 6,000, public backlash would be at its weakest.
The future that would unfold from here was obvious.
The side effects of the low birthrate would gradually begin to show. The number of National Pension contributors would decrease, while recipients would increase. There was a limit to how much they could earn, and eventually, the moment would come when they had to reduce spending.
It was not just an issue with the National Pension.
The Military Pension, the Private School Teachers’ Pension, and the Government Employees’ Pension—all of which were already depleted and being propped up with government funds—needed structural reform. That was a future that could not be avoided even if the KOSPI surpassed 60,000.
“Sejun... Are you telling me to die?”
Kim Sangcheol looked at me with a bitter face.
“You know better than anyone that I am a man with many weaknesses. Even so, the reason I am fighting Minister Park is because of public approval. But if I eat away all that approval with pension reform, what happens to me and my close aides? What reason do I have to keep fighting like this?”
“That is why I am saying this. Mr. President, I will keep you safe after you leave office.”
“What?”
I held out a document to him.
“If things go according to this scenario, power will never pass to the opposition or that faction. I will take the lead and bear the burden, so please make up your mind as well, Mr. President.”
He looked at me.
He probably understood. If he rejected this proposal now, I, too, could become a blade in the hands of his political enemies.
*
“What? Who said that? Where did you hear it? Is it true?!”
Minguk Party headquarters.
After hearing the news from his aides, Minister Park sprang up from his seat. A major disaster had suddenly erupted... no, a major stroke of good fortune.
“Yes, you need not doubt whether it’s true. It’s certain.”
“No, I’m asking who said it.”
“We heard it through multiple routes. In particular, even the lawmakers who have one foot in the Blue House and one foot with us said the same thing.”
Minister Park’s hands trembled.
It had not yet been announced, but they said a National Pension reform bill was being prepared. A reform that would reduce benefits...
Given the current political landscape, this could only be good news for him. During the previous administration, a reform bill to make people pay more had passed, and as a result, hadn’t all the young people turned their backs? In a situation like this, if even a reform bill to receive less passed, all that remained was for the elderly vote to fall away.
“How strange... This is strange.”
But once that burst of excitement passed, his mind became sharply cool.
“Minister. What is there to worry about? This is an outright boon for us! Judging from how things are going over there, it seems they’ll propose the reform bill before the party convention. Now all we have to do is voice our opposition to it.”
“That’s why I’m saying it’s strange.”
“...Pardon?”
“Why would that political genius suddenly score an own goal right before a major election? Especially when that pension reform bill was the very bill he opposed most fiercely when he was opposition leader?”
No matter how he looked at it, he could not understand. The “pay more, receive more” pension reform bill... In truth, it was practically Kim Sangcheol’s achievement from his days as opposition leader. Thanks to that, he had enjoyed no small benefit from the elderly vote, a politically highly engaged demographic.
Why would Kim Sangcheol, who knew that taste better than anyone...? And why now, at a time when the fight for party leadership was so fierce...?
As Minister Park sank into thought, his close associates each added a word.
They were lawmakers from the party’s hardline faction.
“Minister, I don’t think you need to think about it on such a sophisticated level. Isn’t that old man originally that kind of person?”
“What?”
“He said he opposed THAAD, then brought back nuclear submarines. He said we should fight Japan, then went and inherited the comfort women agreement. Is this the only case where he opposed something as the opposition, then changed his tune the moment he became president?”
“That’s right, Minister! To be honest, I’ve wondered whether this administration was truly a progressive one. We were stabbed in the back properly.”
As plausible opinions poured out, Minister Park began to accept it little by little.
In fact, the frame Minister Park’s side had been pushing lately was also “Kim Sangcheol the traitor.” Though he was a progressive president, he had not particularly raised the minimum wage, had not sided with the unions opposing robotics, and had not fought Japan even as it poured out Fukushima contaminated water.
All of those were issues he had glared fiercely over when he was party leader.
When he was party leader, he had to represent the camp, but when he became president, he claimed he had to represent the people and put on a conservative mask like a rat. How could they not feel betrayed?
“Is that so?”
“Yes! He’s a damn watermelon—blue on the outside, bright red on the inside!”
“That’s right! If you look at his actions over the past four years, he’s closer to a conservative. The pension reform issue is him finally revealing his true colors.”
As opinions converged, Minister Park erased his doubts and grinned.
“Now that I hear it, that does make sense. So this isn’t some calculated political move, but just an own goal?”
“What calculation could there be? In truth, we’ve been too lenient all this time. When Kim Sangcheol began turning right from the start of his administration, we should have rallied the support base immediately.”
“Fine. Well, we can bring up the past later when we push the judgment-on-the-administration narrative. What do the other lawmakers think about this?”
“There’s nothing to think about! A reform bill that reduces benefits must be opposed no matter what! This is an opportunity sent by heaven.”
The hardline lawmakers were all fired up.
Even the great Kim Sangcheol would not be able to avoid it this time. Wasn’t a reform bill that reduced benefits exactly the sort of bill all elderly voters, a highly politically engaged group, would oppose?
All that remained was for the elderly votes he had enjoyed before taking power to fall away in droves, and for Minister Park to scoop them up.
“Understood. But since they haven’t formally brought it up yet, let’s wait a little longer. That will be all for today’s meeting.”
After dismissing everyone, only the party leader and Minister Park remained in the conference room.
“Party Leader. Such a sudden boon has appeared that I’m dumbfounded. Is this truly real?”
“Yes... well. I heard it through several channels as well, and it seems true that they’re preparing the bill. Also that they intend to legislate it before the party convention.”
“Goodness. Why on earth?”
“It’s not certain, but I have a guess.”
“What is it?”
“The hardliners are firmly on our side anyway, so their side intends to target the soft supporters.”
“Expanding toward the center?”
“Yes. But in the end, what comes out will be a mishmash bill that’s neither this nor that. With their power already weakened, even their support base won’t follow them this time.”
At the hopeful assessment, Minister Park asked,
“Then how much influence will this bill have on the party convention election?”
“It will crush even the remaining one percent chance.”
“A nail in the coffin?”
“Yes. In truth, lately, as the Blue House has been touching on your vulnerabilities, Minister, the gap in a head-to-head matchup had narrowed to five percentage points. But if they bring up the pension issue, wouldn’t that gap double again?”
The party leader grinned slyly.
The election was as good as over. If the Blue House brought up that bill, the gap in approval ratings would quickly widen beyond the margin of error again.
“Minister, think of only one thing: whom you will place in nominations.”
“You’re saying I’ve already won?”
“Yes. Focus only on managing your image. Korea is at the very bottom when it comes to elderly poverty, and even now, welfare policies for the elderly are insufficient. Please, Mr. President, secure only the image of protecting the weak and the elderly.”
“Now, Representative Jeong. I haven’t become president yet, have I?”
“Oh dear. It’s already become a habit.”
“That easygoing charm of yours, Representative Jeong. Hahaha.”
“Hahaha.”
Saying so, the party leader took Minister Park’s hand.
“Do not worry, Minister. I will absolutely see you enter the Blue House.”
Minister Park did not hold back his own good wishes either.
“Good. Then when I enter the Blue House, I leave the remaining party leadership position to you. I’m counting on you, Representative Jeong.”