Chapter 616: Whether You Win or Lose

Han Gyeong-yeong was silent for a long time.

"Hyung?"

— Hold on. Let me gather my thoughts. So, you're saying we need a currency expert, and that's exactly what I'm thinking, right?

"Exactly. I just finished my last conversation with Jang Seong-taek on my way back. We agreed to send currency experts to Pyongyang to discuss and create a proper plan afterwards."

Han Gyeong-yeong sighed deeply in response to my words.

— It's like touching a nuclear bomb—one wrong move and it blows up. You know that, right? Especially in a country like North Korea ruled by a dictator, the problems are even greater.

"Of course, I'm aware. How could I not know? Look at our country; during the military regime, we made a huge mistake. That caused our economic scale to grow continuously, yet we can't even discuss the need for a currency reform. I fully understand how dangerous this is. But it's a necessity. Especially for North Korea. Right now, the North Korean currency isn't circulating at all. It's practically just pieces of paper. Unless we retrieve it and circulate a new currency, I agree with Jang Seong-taek's point that the North Korean economy can't progress."

— Still…

Han Gyeong-yeong trailed off. The fact that I was concerned about North Korea's currency reform seemed to unsettle him.

But it was already too late to worry.

"Now that we've made up our minds, I won't allow us to repeat the mistakes of other dictatorships. We have to ensure we can carry out the reform properly. So gather a team of experts in currency, economy, and exchange rates, and send them to Pyongyang. They can enter through Russia. We can discuss the exact entry process later, but for now, please assemble a team of suitable advisors for this task."

— Ha… No matter how much I try to dissuade you, you won't listen, will you? Fine, I'll see what I can do about forming a team of experts. Going through Russia means we need to operate secretly, right?

"That's right. This type of mission is all about security."

He understood perfectly. Han Gyeong-yeong would grasp my intentions without the need for lengthy explanations and prepare what's necessary.

— Alright. I'll find the most discreet individuals possible. How long do I have? Is time tight?

"The Kaesong Industrial Complex groundbreaking ceremony is in June… So I'd like to send the advisors before that. Can you manage?"

— There are about two months left. That should be enough time. I'll pass along a list as soon as it's ready; you can select from it, Mu-hyeok.

Hearing his words, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. If Han Gyeong-yeong was on board, it would definitely work.

He would outright reject anything impossible.

"Thanks. Even if they don't fully meet the criteria, we need to pick people who can absolutely maintain confidentiality. I believe it should be fine without me around. You can pick suitable individuals to form the advisory group."

No matter how much I scrutinized them, I only saw them on paper.

Han Gyeong-yeong, who scouted them in person in the U.S., was bound to have a sharper eye.

— Once we get into North Korea, we wouldn't be able to make contact or come back, so maintaining secrecy is crucial. If we offer enough money, there will be people willing to go. Of course, it needs to be under the premise of safety, though…

"Don't worry about safety. Given the current context, there's no reason to detain American citizens. Jang Seong-taek isn't insane enough to do that."

— Then it just comes down to offering enough money. But Mu-hyeok, wouldn't it be better if you conducted the interviews personally? You're coming to the U.S. anyway, right?

Han Gyeong-yeong kept repeating the same point. I could understand his concern, considering the involvement of North Korea.

I chuckled and replied.

"No, it's fine. You'll handle it well enough. Just let me know when everything is set. That way, I can relay the details to Jang Seong-taek and discuss the entry deadlines and methods. We can finalize the details later; for now, just focus on preparing the list."

— Okay, boss.

The call with Han Gyeong-yeong ended.

I slipped my heated phone into my pocket and got back into the car.

Soon, the vehicle started to move slowly, and by the time we arrived at Pyeongchang-dong, the sun was just beginning to rise.

* * *

The North-South summit ended successfully, and Jang Seong-taek and the delegation returned to North Korea.

In tandem, South Korea officially entered a full-fledged election campaign.

As the starting date for the election period arrived, campaign rallies began across South Korea.

Like any political party, this general election was crucial for the Moderate Party.

It would be just a year since President Yoon Chang-ho took office when the general election occurred.

The Moderate Party launched a fierce campaign to secure a majority of seats.

Among them, Lee Myeong-su was particularly busy. He had to leave his district and travel to battlegrounds for support rallies.

— Did everyone watch the summit? North and South are coming together to step into the future. How long do we have to let outdated debates about North Korea drive our nation and people apart?

The announcement of Lee Myeong-su's support speech gathered a lot of people.

The image of a young and promising politician was enough to attract admiration.

— Our Moderate Party has to step away from those antiquated debates. We will work toward a united future for both South and North, and for the happiness of our people, please support Candidate Kim Seong-pil. Each of your votes is precious for building the Republic of Korea dreamed of by President Yoon Chang-ho and for moving towards peace! Vote for Kim Seong-pil for the National Assembly!

After finishing his speech, Lee Myeong-su stepped down from the campaign vehicle.

His aide quickly handed him a bottle of water. Thirsty, Lee Myeong-su drank down an entire bottle in one go and wiped his mouth.

"…Where do we go now?"

"You need to head to Gangwon Province next. After that, you'll do support rallies in two locations before heading straight down to Busan to campaign in your district."

"This is crazy… How many days have I been going like this? I'm also a candidate in my district!"

"Many candidates are still reaching out for support rallies. We're trying to prioritize battlegrounds, but… there's a lot of talk that most are just friends of the congressman attending the rallies."

Lee Myeong-su frowned at his aide's words.

"Do they have the right to say such things? Lee Hyeon-woo, do they even know that the reason I'm dragging my feet on these support rallies is because of the people who left the party in response to the nomination results?"

As Lee Myeong-su raised his voice, Lee Hyeon-woo quickly glanced around and spoke in a low tone.

"There are many eyes watching. Let's get in the car for now."

Lee Myeong-su sighed and nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

The aide guided Lee Myeong-su, who hopped quickly into the waiting van.

As soon as the car set off, Lee Myeong-su began to grumble.

"I'm the one going through this misery, yet they keep asking me to attend. What on earth is their reasoning? This is maddening!"

"It's probably because your recognition is higher than anyone else's at the moment."

"But those people are guaranteed their election already, aren't they? So why bother? Just putting up a banner means they'll get elected. It's pure nonsense, I'm serious. Don't you think so, Hyeon-woo?"

At Lee Myeong-su's question, Lee Hyeon-woo gave a sheepish smile.

Understanding that his aide was also working hard, Lee Myeong-su couldn't voice any more complaints, simply pouting his lips.

"I guess since they can't contact me, they're taking it out on you. It must be tough for you, huh?"

"Not at all."

Lee Hyeon-woo denied it, but Lee Myeong-su knew the truth.

With a smile, Lee Myeong-su leaned on the passenger seat where Lee Hyeon-woo was sitting and said, "Oh come on, who knows those cranky old men better than me? So what should I do? Should I go to the support rally? Tell me your thoughts."

"Hmm… How about stopping by Daegu and Pohang? Those areas have a lot of people who used to support the Conservative Party rather than the Moderate Party, right?"

"You're right. So those old guys naturally received nominations, and winning is already a guaranteed outcome. Why would I support any rally there?"

Despite Lee Myeong-su's provocative question, Lee Hyeon-woo confidently responded.

"That's exactly why we need to go. At this moment, as the government builds a new relationship with North Korea starting from the summit, even the traditional Conservative supporters will be important for us to have as backers."

"Hmm…"

Nodding, Lee Myeong-su took some time to reflect.

Though many claimed they had disappeared, regional sentiment lingered subtly.

Support for the Progressive Party was still robust in Honam, while in Yeongnam, support for the Moderate Party remained strong. Or more precisely, support for the Conservative Party.

'Daegu and Pohang.'

After some serious contemplation, Lee Myeong-su finally spoke.

"Will we have enough time? The schedule looks tight."

"How about clearing your schedule for tomorrow morning? After you finish campaigning in Busan today, you can rest at the lodging and, after greeting people in the morning, you'll have some free time until afternoon."

"Is that so? Then let's do that. What's the plan for tomorrow afternoon?"

"You'll head to Daejeon and Cheongju before returning to Incheon."

"Wait, so in one day I'll go from Busan to Gyeongbuk and then back to Chungcheong-do before finally going to Incheon for support rallies? God, just kill me already!"

At Lee Myeong-su's exaggeration, Lee Hyeon-woo chuckled softly.

"Hey, Hyeon-woo. Is this funny? I think I might just die doing this. Can someone please do something?"

"Just a little longer. You're almost through it. After all this running around, joy will come your way. In the end, if you win the election, everything will come back to you as your achievement."

"Yeah, right! Even after all of this, those old men will probably be so frustrated by my existence that they'll raise a fuss. They care less about winning the election and much more about their party's power dynamics!"

Lee Myeong-su muttered with a voice rife with distrust.

The more he engaged in politics, the stronger his disdain for the field grew, especially as he remained at the center of power.

"Honestly, I wish I could kick those old men out, but there aren't any replacements in the TK region to take their place, which is just frustrating."

Lee Hyeon-woo simply listened and didn't respond.

"…I'm going to try to get some sleep. Wake me up when we reach the rally region."

Lee Myeong-su put on an eye mask, leaned back in his seat, and tried to catch a quick nap.

He must have been exhausted, as he quickly fell into a deep slumber, snoring softly.

* * *

After the intense election campaigning, the election day finally arrived.

I voted early in the morning and waited for the exit poll results in my study.

In my hand was the polling report compiled by the Moderate Party's think tank yesterday.

A massive victory for the Moderate Party was anticipated, yet surprisingly, candidates who had lost nominations noticed quite an impressive performance.

Because of this, there were many races too competitive to predict the results.

"Once the general election is over, leak the corruption of these idiots to the Goryeo Daily. They must be trampled to the point they can never return, whether they win or lose."

I tossed the polling document roughly on the table.

My mouth felt bitter.

This election held much more promise than adversity for the Blue House and the Moderate Party.

The mood wasn't bad enough that we couldn't hope for victories across the country, except for Honam.

So, I believed the Moderate Party would easily secure the 200 seats required for a constitutional amendment.

However, the polling results were far from what I had expected.

The exit poll indicated 160–180 seats for the Moderate Party, 90–110 for the Progressive Party, and 10–30 for independents.

While securing more than half of the seats was a success, reaching the threshold for a constitutional amendment remained elusive.

This outcome would ultimately increase the bargaining power of the independent lawmakers who had expressed dissatisfaction with the nomination results.

I had no intention of sitting idle and watching them achieve that goal.

"Boss, the results for the exit poll should be announced soon."

At Manager Ma's words, I turned my attention to the television. The countdown had begun.

[5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]

As the countdown finished, the screen lit up with the exit poll results.

[Moderate Party 170–200 seats.]

[Progressive Party 80–110 seats.]

A landslide victory for the Moderate Party, with predicted seat counts exceeding expectations.