CH87

The press conference of OTK Company was broadcast not only in Korea but also to media worldwide.

The revelation that the CEO is a young Korean in his 20s was shocking, but even more shocking was the claim of illegal surveillance and unjust investigation by the government.

Before the dust could settle on that scandal, another piece of news broke. A special report on PAS was revealed by a breakthrough news story.

[The President, this tribute article! Who does PAS belong to?]

The relationship between PAS and President Park Si-hyeong was brought up even during the Korean National Party's election, leading to a special investigation that concluded there were no issues.

However, the recent breakthrough article revealed the deep involvement of the Blue House in PAS's management.

The Mexican ambassador directly contacted PAS to facilitate the construction of a factory in Mexico, and the National Intelligence Service actively assisted PAS in acquiring subcontractors at low prices.

The article contained various facts and evidence beyond mere suspicions. The internet erupted as the article went live.

[PAS's true owner,]

[President Park Si-hyeong,] and

[Who is PAS?]

All trended in real-time on various portals.

But it didn't end there.

Amid the spreading wildfire of the breakthrough article, Golden Gate Asia released a report on the Korean market.

[More significant political risk in South Korea due to North Korea's nuclear risk]

The report focused on OTK Company and K Company, shedding light on the relationship between the President and PAS, highlighting how companies close to the government receive benefits while those in disfavor face disadvantages.

It pointed out potential issues in corporate sustainability based on the government's direction, becoming a bigger South Korean discount factor compared to North Korea.

The Korean stock market is sensitive to reports from foreign IBs.

The most serious problem was that the author of this report was not a normal analyst but Chase Southwell, the Managing Director of Golden Gate Asia and a legendary investor in Asia!

As soon as the report was released, money started flowing out of the US market into bonds, causing a sudden 2.5% drop in the KOSPI and a spike in the exchange rate.

On the flip side, the recommended alternative investments, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh VN Index and Japan's Nikkei Index, surged by 3.8% and 1.5% respectively.

The stock market boards rang with chaos.

-Oh no! My stocks!

-Goldengate ruined my stocks!

-How is this Goldengate's fault? It's because of Park Si-hyeong.

-Investing in stocks is a tough road. Let's go for Bitcoin!

-The trend is Ethereum. Ethereum, let's go!

-Gazuaaa!

-The market crashed today. Let's meet at Han River.

-Let's go to Han River!

-So, who is PAS?

The government focused on controlling the media with all its might, Presidential PR Secretary Lee Jeong-heon called the KBC bureau chief and pleaded,

"Out of all places, if even the public broadcaster KBC is delivering news at 9 p.m. in that manner, what should we do?

They are reporting in a way that makes it seem like the government is at fault. Of all days, the president watched KBC today.

"Oh no! Please help us just this once, Chief Editor."

Yoon Se-won gave directions to the staff,

"Contact conservative groups to break through the news and organize a controlled demonstration in front of TJBC!"

At this point, a drug scandal erupted in the entertainment industry.

When prosecutors traced buyers while investigating drug traffickers, they confirmed purchase records of individuals K and L from SGY Entertainment.

Prosecutors summoned the managers and entertainers under SGY Entertainment for drug testing, announcing that four of them tested positive.

The three major broadcasters made these incidents headline news, with Joongilbo even featuring it prominently on the front page. Not only that, they declared to release a special series on drug-related articles for the next month.

[Hallyu Stars K and L Admit Marijuana Smoking]

[What's the Issue with the Entertainment Industry's Drug Scandal?]

[Korea is no longer a Drug-Clean Country]

[The Dark Reach of Drugs Extending to Universities]

Normally, a different article would have naturally buried this one. But this was hard to divert the public's attention from.

-Isn't 'Otaku vs. Monarchy' more interesting than the drug scandal involving Hallyu stars?

-Entertainment industry drugs < Insurmountable wall < OTK Company

-Don't arrest our brothers to cover up the case, please😭

-They're acting like it's a life sentence for smoking a little weed.

-What's the real crime of SGY kids?

-Drug use.

-As expected of SGY! Last time they got caught smuggling amphetamines.

-Is methamphetamine not a drug? Last time, SH kids were on ecstasy.

-Marijuana is a drug, but cannabis is not a drug. It's legal in some countries and used as an herb.

-Marijuana is cannabis, you idiot.

-So who is PAS?

* * *

I was sitting in the prosecutor's office. By now, the outside world must be in chaos. My face is probably all over the TV.

I should make sure Mom doesn't worry, Hyunjoo should talk to her.

"Did you order the PAS article and the Golden Gate report?"

The prosecutor sitting in front of me is Kim Kyung. He holds the position of chief prosecutor. It feels like I'm receiving special treatment with a chief prosecutor coming to interrogate me.

"I want to ask. Is the order to arrest me from the president?"

Prosecutor Kim Kyung-jun stared at me with cold eyes.

"Do you know your current situation?"

I smiled and said,

"Do you know Athena? In Greek mythology, she's the goddess of wisdom. There was a netizen who used the ID Athena before. Famous for predicting the Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy and the Korean stock market crash during the financial crisis."

Originally, extreme predictions often led to gaining fame.

He continued to write even after that. People referred to Athena as the 'Economic President', and as his reputation grew, mainstream media also started publishing articles about Athena.

The problem was that most of Athena's predictions were completely opposite to the government's policies at the time. The government was releasing foreign exchange reserves to defend the exchange rate and utilizing the National Pension Fund to support stock prices.

However, Athena argued that the exchange rate would skyrocket and stock prices would plummet. One of his articles mentioned a rumor about the government sending a notice to banks prohibiting the purchase of dollars to lower the exchange rate by the end of the year.

The prosecution urgently arrested Athena for spreading false information.

"In reality, the government never sent such a notice. You know what's interesting? Although they didn't send an official notice, the Deputy Prime Minister did gather bank executives at the end of the year and gave similar instructions. Essentially, while instructions were given, no official notice was sent, so the prosecution's argument was that spreading false information. Is this human language or nonsense?"

I kept talking while looking at Kim Kyung-jun's expression.

"The prosecution announced to the media that due to Athena's writing, the government incurred $2 billion in exchange rate defense costs. It sounds absurd now. The government suffered a $2 billion loss because of a post by an ordinary netizen. It's not like the prosecution certifying that the government is foolish. Anyway, even though Athena was indicted… as you know the outcome."

Even if the judiciary tries to deliver a verdict aligned with the ruling party's preferences, there should be a limit.

If Athena had been found guilty, would all those who had posted slightly inaccurate information on the internet be arrested for spreading false information?

Perhaps half of the netizens would have been arrested, wouldn't they?

In the end, Athena was acquitted in the first trial.

"If someone is under arrest, what are the chances of being acquitted in the first trial? As far as I know, it's less than 1 percent."

When Athena was released, the opposition and progressive media rejoiced, claiming that truth had prevailed.

However, it was actually a victory for the government. After Athena's arrest, netizens self-regulated their content.

"Usually, in such unreasonable investigations, the prosecutor should take responsibility. But what happened this time? The prosecutors who conducted investigations to the government's liking have been thriving despite such nonsense."

I smirked.

"The deputy prosecutor in charge back then has now been promoted to chief prosecutor and is right in front of me. Wow! This is unbelievable."

Bang!

Kim Kyung-joon slammed the desk and shouted.

"Do you think prosecutors in Korea are a joke?"

"And do you think the citizens of Korea are a joke?"

"You? This bastard!"

I glared at him and said.

"Do you know the difference between Athena and me?"

"What?"

I recalled what Hyun-joo said.

She said that the money I have is my weapon. As long as I have that weapon, no one will dare to treat me recklessly.

"Athena doesn't have money, but I do. Right now, I can move 5 trillion won with a single word. I've thought about it —what if I meet with the president and offer to invest 1 trillion won in PAS, but on one condition: to remove Chief Prosecutor Kim Kyung-joon? Not just strip him of his position, but have the National Intelligence Service investigate him, his wife, his parents, and his relatives. If they find anything, arrest him. What do you think would happen? Would the president refuse the 1 trillion won, or would he take it and grant my request?"

Kim Kyung-joon's face twisted.

"You…"

I burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! I'm just kidding. There's no way something like that could happen in a lawful country. This isn't some military dictatorship. There's no way the president would take an illegal request and take down a prosecutor who has been loyally serving. Right?"

I added one more thing.

"But it doesn't hurt to be careful, does it? Let's start the investigation."

Kim Kyung-joon passed the documents as if nothing was wrong. Looking closely, his hand was trembling slightly. He's someone who has chased power all his life. He knows better than anyone the nature of power.

Even prosecutors are not immune to having dirt on them.

Right now, my head is quite complicated.

I leisurely leaned back on the chair and closed my eyes.

Even when caught up, my mind feels peaceful like this.

Money really is good after all."

***

"No matter how much the mainstream media tried to downplay it, the internet was abuzz. The news site continuously released articles about 'His Majesty's constitution.'

They meticulously delved into the relationship between President Park Si-hyeong and PAS, as well as the relationship between PAS and Eunsung-cha. As soon as the articles went up, the views skyrocketed to millions.

– Wow! It's a great day again!

– Please post more!

– Let's read the article again!

– Can't we have one more?

– I'm living for the enjoyment of reading this these days.

– I'm following the next episode as well!

– So, who is PAS?

The government also didn't just sit idle. Immediately, the National Intelligence Service's comment unit and the Cyber Command Psychological Warfare Unit launched a counterattack.

– The commies are at it again.

– Let's suppress the pro-North Korean left-wing forces!

– Don't believe Jin Ye-jun's words. He got kicked out of MBS for praising Kim Il-sung.

– Suspicion of underage prostitution by Jo Woo-jin (link with photo attached)

– Trashy leftists.

– Do you all know this article is all lies?

It was futile to cover the article with opposing comments only.

"Launch a DDoS attack! Take down their website!"

Under Yoon Se-won's command, the NIS staff launched a DDoS attack, and the News Breakthrough site became inaccessible.

Jin Ye-jun looked at the unavailable site and remarked,

"These guys love DDoS attacks too much."

Jo Woo-jin nodded, saying,

"It's an IT powerhouse, after all."

"Well, in other countries, people in their 20s drink and fight, but in South Korea, they drink and conduct DDoS attacks."

This incident occurred during the Seoul Mayor's By-election.

At that time, the ruling party in South Korea launched a DDoS attack on the National Election Commission's website to prevent voters in their 20s and 30s, who tended to support the opposition party, from finding their polling stations.

Later, when this fact was revealed, the prosecution concluded that it was the result of a group of aides in their 20s who were drunk and committed the act unintentionally and closed the case.

"There was also a tunnel DDoS attack. Initiating a DDoS attack physically. Creative bastards."

In order to prevent workers passing through Changwon Tunnel from voting after work, the authorities conducted construction work in the tunnel and intentionally caused traffic congestion. Again, the investigation was inconclusive.

They had already expected it to turn out this way.

"Post the full article on Facebook and feature it in a video on YouTube."

Even if domestic websites can be blocked by DDoS attacks, can the same be done to foreign sites?

"Is the subtitling done?"

"Yes. I translated it very accurately."

Jin Ye-jun shouted vigorously,

"Alright, f**k it!"

***

(Video)

– (Jin Ye-Jun) Looking at this series of events, ultimately it seems very likely that the president is the true owner of PAS. And PAS relies on Eunsung Motors for over 90% of its revenue. So, in other words, if Eunsung Motors does well, PAS does well, and if PAS does well, the president does well, right?

– (Jo Woo-jin) That's correct. That's why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Intelligence Service worked hard for the president.

– (Jin Ye-Jun) Ronald, the Republican presidential candidate, dislikes Eunsung Motors. If he becomes president, he plans to terminate the US-South Korea FTA and increase tariffs on automobiles. However, OTK Company and its subsidiary K Company support Ronald. They are even pouring trillions into acquiring US car companies, boosting Ronald's popularity.

– (Jo Woo-jin) If Ronald wins, both Eunsung Motors, PAS, and the president could suffer significant losses.

– (Jin Ye-Jun) In that case, could we imagine that the president is not pleased with OTK Company supporting Ronald? If Ronald actually wins, it will be a big problem. So, to delay OTK Company's investment until the presidential election, they may have conducted extensive investigations… Isn't that a possibility?

– (Jo Woo-jin) It's entirely possible. However, two unexpected things happened here. Firstly, despite thoroughly investigating K Company, nothing substantial was found. Secondly, there was a mistaken arrest of someone as CEO, mistaking them for Oh Taekgyu.

– (Jin Ye-Jun) Meanwhile, the actual CEO, Kang Jinhoo, approved and managed the acquisition of Chrysler and the merger with CarOS, along with various investment plans. After completing all this work, he voluntarily went to the prosecution.

– (Jo Woo-jin) If there was indeed an intention to intervene in the US presidential election, this is truly a serious matter. If Diane wins, it would be somewhat fortunate, but if Ronald wins, wouldn't that be unfavorable for the president?

– (Jin Ye-Jun) Haha! Exactly! It would be completely unfavorable! The president would be at a disadvantage!

– (Jo Woo-jin) Mm-hmm!

*Ding!*

Watching the video, President Park Si-hyeong gritted his teeth.

"These bastards…"

He thought that some ordinary online media could not have gathered that information by themselves. Someone must have fed them the sources.

That can't even be questioned when it comes to OTK Company.

If this were an issue limited to Korea, it might be somewhat fortunate. However, it had already sparked concern within the US political circles.

Diane and Ronald clashed over the seizure of K Company and the subsequent arrest investigation.

'Where did it all go wrong?'

They never imagined the situation would escalate to this extent when they first got involved with K Company.

But…

What will happen if Ronald actually gets elected?

TL/n -

In South Korea, there have been incidents of cyber attacks during elections, such as in the 2013 presidential election, when the websites of several media outlets and the National Election Commission were attacked. The government attributed these attacks to North Korea, reflecting ongoing tensions on the peninsula.

* * *

A DoS (Denial of Service) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic. The goal is to make the service unavailable to its intended users.

 A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack involves multiple compromised systems (often part of a botnet) launching coordinated attacks against a target, making them harder to mitigate.

* * *

Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

Definition: An FTA is a treaty between two or more countries that aims to reduce or eliminate barriers to trade, such as tariffs and quotas, thereby promoting economic cooperation and increasing trade.

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Key Features:

Tariff Reductions: FTAs typically involve the gradual reduction or elimination of tariffs on goods traded between the participating countries.

Market Access: They often improve market access for services and investments, allowing companies to operate more freely in partner countries.

Trade Rules: FTAs may include provisions on intellectual property rights, labor standards, environmental protections, and dispute resolution mechanisms.

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Examples:

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement): Now replaced by the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), it aimed to eliminate trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

EU FTAs: The European Union has numerous FTAs with countries around the world, facilitating trade among member states and partner nations.

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Benefits:

Economic Growth: FTAs can lead to increased trade, economic growth, and job creation in the participating countries.

Consumer Benefits: They often result in lower prices and more choices for consumers due to increased competition.

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Criticism:

Job Displacement: Critics argue that FTAs can lead to job losses in certain industries as companies relocate to countries with lower labor costs.

Regulatory Standards: Concerns about weakened labor and environmental standards can arise, as countries may lower regulations to attract investment.