[The Factional Strife Within the Ruling Party Intensifies... Has It Not Even Begun Yet?]
[Former Minister Park Hyeonseop Posts Meaningful Message on SNS at Dawn]
[Park: “Our Minguk Party has always listened to the groans of the weak, and yet recently, signs of an impure legislative move within the party have been detected... I sincerely hope it is not true.”]
[Remarks Aimed at the Blue House? Debate Continues Over the “Impure Bill”!]
Politicians’ mouths, it seemed, truly were not to be trusted.
One day, with the party convention only a few days away, Minister Park took aim at the Blue House and began rallying public opinion already.
The true nature of the “impure bill” he had pointed out was revealed in less than a day.
Citing the words of numerous sources within the Blue House, the media reported that the government was preparing a “National Pension Revision Bill.”
And so, the next day, when news outlets asked government officials whether the rumors were true, every single one of them either dodged the question or busied themselves running away.
[Blue House, Is It Really Pushing Ahead?!]
[Cabinet Members Continue to Give Ambiguous Answers!]
[Frustrated Citizens, Anxious Elderly... People’s Hearts Turn Black at Officials’ Evasive Attitude...]
But it was not a problem they could avoid for the rest of their lives. The Blue House’s answer was sorted out after a week.
Prime Minister Lee Chanho, who had been deliberating and deliberating all the while, finally announced his candidacy for the party convention, and at the place where he threw down his gauntlet, he turned the people’s stomachs with the following words.
—...For the past four years, I and our Kim Sangcheol administration have worked hard for sustainable economic growth. Likewise, the National Pension must now consider a sustainable structure as well.
Public sentiment shook violently.
The pension revision bill that had been floating around Yeouido—the one where people would “receive less”—had all turned out to be true...
*
“What happened? Did you look into it?”
The Daehan Party headquarters in Yeouido.
This place, which had been like a house of mourning for the past four years, was blooming with smiles for the first time in a long while.
—Yes, I looked into it. Everything reported in the media appears to be true.
“If it’s all true... the eligibility age is sixty-eight, and the income replacement rate is forty percent? Is that for real?”
—Yes. According to multiple sources, both parametric reform and structural reform are being prepared. The prime minister will personally announce the details soon.
Everyone in the Daehan Party leadership gathered there let out sighs of disbelief.
It was an insane bill. It would delay the current eligibility age of sixty-five to sixty-eight and lower the income replacement rate from forty-three percent to forty percent... If pension payments were delayed and reduced like this, the point of depletion could be pushed back by as much as several decades.
—But, Representative. I don’t think this is the end.
“What do you mean, not the end?”
—Word is that they are preparing revisions not only to the National Pension, but also to civil servant, private school, and military pensions. In particular, the already depleted military pension is expected to be revised even more harshly...
The party leadership began murmuring among themselves.
There were roughly 1.1 million civil servants in the Republic of Korea. And around 200,000 military pension recipients. Even by a rough estimate, this was a bill that some 1.5 million votes would oppose, and if their families were included, that number could become three or four million.
—Representative. As a matter of fact, we investigated the interests affected by this bill, and we estimate that as many as around four million people may oppose it.
—No, Representative Kim. Who would be happy about having their pension cut? This isn’t a bill that four million people will oppose, it’s a bill all fifty million people will oppose.
—Ah, now that I hear it, you’re right.
—Hahaha.
As light jokes went back and forth, smiles also bloomed across the faces of the leadership.
The party leader clenched his fist and looked at the scene with emotion.
How long had it been since they had enjoyed smiles like this? Recently, the factional strife within the ruling party had been intensifying, but even that was cute compared to the factional strife within the opposition.
If that place was a battlefield, this place had been hell.
Since the death of the previous president, not a single day had passed without infighting, and in the process, they had lost every local election and the party had been on the brink of extinction.
But it seemed there was no rule saying they had to simply die.
As the factional fight within the ruling party soared, the Daehan Party gradually began to enjoy the reflected benefits, and if that factional fight even led to a party split... perhaps they could even aim for the Roh Tae-woo effect, where he had unexpectedly become president due to the split between the two Kims.
“Representative. It seems all but certain now that the ruling party will propose the revision bill. What do you intend to do?”
At the floor leader’s question, the party leader answered with a firm face.
“Does that even need an answer? Of course we oppose it.”
“But the ‘receive less’ revision bill was also our stance during the previous administration, and some say there has never been a better time than now to pass the revision bill...”
“None of that matters. We oppose it unconditionally. Anything Kim Sangcheol pushes, we oppose it unconditionally, unconditionally!”
The party leader’s eyes blazed.
“Since the subject came up, let me say this, everyone. My heart still aches.”
—...
“How much did Kim Sangcheol torment our former president? At every chance he got, he cut the budget, and at every chance he got, he harassed the First Lady. Hm? When I think of how that man left this world, I still grind my teeth. Don’t you?”
—W-We feel the same. We suffered a great deal!
“Since we’re at it, let me say one more thing. Our strategy for the general and presidential elections is naturally to win. But if we fail to achieve that goal and the presidency goes to Minister Park? Then that administration’s first bill must absolutely be a special prosecutor for Kim Sangcheol. We have to set fallen justice right!”
The leadership answered the party leader’s long speech with applause of approval.
Justice delayed is justice denied... The judiciary was excellent at coming up with stylish phrases, but he had never once seen them actually uphold them.
Kim Sangcheol, who had faced major allegations even before his election, would have gone to Cheongsong if the trial results had come just a little sooner. But because the judiciary kept delaying justice, he had gone to the Blue House instead.
But in life, things came full circle.
Even MB, whose approval rating had once reached eighty percent, ultimately paid for his crimes. At present, the Daehan Party had been waiting desperately for Kim Sangcheol’s retirement, and since the other side’s factions had conveniently split as well, they intended to judge him properly after he left office, with overdue interest added to delayed justice.
“What does everyone else think?”
When he turned his gaze, the supreme council members chimed in one by one.
—You are absolutely right! Considering everything we’ve suffered, the Kim Sangcheol administration must be properly judged!
—Looking back, what we suffered wasn’t just one or two things!
Once the opinions had gathered unanimously, the party leader turned his eyes.
“Supreme Council Member Kim. So when is this supposed to be proposed?”
—Yes, from what I’ve heard, they’ll likely propose it before the end of this session.
“Before the general election?”
—Yes, that’s right.
“Heh-heh-heh. They’re in quite a hurry, aren’t they? If they’re not putting it off until the next session, does that mean they’re not confident about winning the party convention?”
—That calculation is certainly there. The ruling party convention has already tilted heavily toward Minister Park. Naturally, nominations will also be filled with Minister Park’s supporting forces. If it gets pushed to the next session, this bill will never pass.
“Then if they push it now, is it possible?”
Supreme Council Member Kim smiled slyly.
—It’s impossible even now. No, to be more precise, we hold the casting vote.
“We do?”
—Yes. From what I hear about that party’s situation, the seats are already split half and half between the Blue House and Minister Park. Even if the Blue House scrapes together everything it can, it won’t reach a hundred seats.
“Oh-ho. Then our hundred and ten seats will decide its fate?”
—That’s right. Perhaps because of that, Prime Minister Lee Chanho has been lowering the level of his remarks against us lately. In my view, he’s buttering us up ahead of the bill.
“Hahahaha.”
Smiles bloomed once again in the conference room.
An opposition party with one hundred and ten seats... In truth, it would not be an exaggeration to call them a party outside the National Assembly. The government and ruling party had been able to process every bill without the opposition’s cooperation. Since even constitutional revision was possible if they won over just ten seats, when the Blue House’s approval rating was at its peak, they had even worried about Kim Sangcheol serving another term.
—But, Representative. There is something we should think about.
“What is it?”
—The question of whether helping Minister Park just because we hate Kim Sangcheol is truly beneficial to our party... In fact, if we look only at the administration’s direction, the current Blue House is more similar to our line. Minister Park is closer to the extreme. So I’m worried that in trying to avoid a wolf, we may be bringing in a tiger.
The party leader’s answer was firm.
“Don’t even think about that kind of nonsense. As long as it isn’t Kim Sangcheol, that’s all that matters. Unconditionally.”
Just then, a knock came from outside.
The secretary who carefully entered whispered into the party leader’s ear. What good news could it be? After hearing the whisper, the party leader smiled broadly.
“My, my—love calls are already pouring in, are they? Let’s end today’s meeting here. A precious guest has arrived. Heh-heh.”
*
“Welcome, Sejun!”
The Daehan Party headquarters.
When I stopped by the opposition party headquarters for the first time in a while, the party leader’s bright face greeted me.
As expected, investment meant diversified investment. Four years ago, from the time people were talking about dismantling the Daehan Party, I had spread political funds around evenly, and it seemed the fruits of that investment were finally shining now.
“Hello, Representative. You look well.”
“Of course I do. It feels like I can finally see light at the end of a tunnel with no exit!”
“The party’s approval rating has risen a lot lately, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. As expected, it’s easier to raise approval ratings because others do badly than because I do well. Thanks to Minister Park and the Blue House fighting each other, our approval rating has shot right up. Heh-heh.”
He watched my expression as he spoke.
“But isn’t all of this thanks to you, Sejun?”
“What did I do?”
“Come now. When our party was crawling along the ground, if it hadn’t been for your help, Sejun, the party wouldn’t have remained this intact. As a matter of fact, even among our lawmakers, there are many who say they owe Miss Meilin. Is that young lady doing well these days?”
“Yes, she’s doing well.”
“That’s good, then. I haven’t seen her at all lately, so please give her my regards.”
“Yes. I’ll be sure to do that.”
“By the way, what brings you here today?”
He looked me over with lecherous eyes. Since I knew what he wanted, I quickly took out the gift.
“Representative. The general and presidential elections are coming soon. It’s about time you focused on state affairs, isn’t it?”
“That’s right, that’s the problem.”
“I apologize that Miss Meilin hasn’t been in contact much. Certain circumstances arose recently, so I came in person.”
“I understand. Someone who helped us when things were hard wouldn’t ignore me when things are going well. But Sejun, things are a bit different now from before. How should I put it... Our market value has gone up a bit? As you know, with the ruling party fighting among themselves right now, the chance that we’ll seize power has grown extremely high.”
“Yes.”
“Personally, I think it would be better to win the election with solid money rather than spend half-baked money. If you reliably back us with political funds, Sejun, we’ll reliably seize power and reliably repay the grace we’ve received. What do you think?”
“There’s nothing better than something reliable.”
With a calm face, I held out a bag to him.
“Representative, I also believe that now is the most important moment. But circumstances are not favorable. This is the last gift I can give you.”
Since I had always added one more zero than the amount he expected, he grinned broadly as he opened the bag.
But when he checked its contents, his face stiffened without a trace of a smile.
“It’s not money? And it’s not a bankbook either?”
After checking the pages, he realized that it was effectively a kill list of ruling party lawmakers, and he gave me a murderous look.
“Look at this little rat... You were keeping a ledger behind our backs?”